TAMIU Named Host University for South Texas Writing Project

Texas A&M; International University will serve as the host university for a new collaborative project which targets improved student writing and teaching of writing in Laredo and area classrooms.

The South Texas Writing Project, an independent site within the National Writing Project, will be directed in collaboration by Texas A&M; International University and Laredo Community College and will initially involve 20 local and area teachers in a summer institute of training.

Dr. Frances Rhodes, Chair of the Department of English at TAMIU and professor of record for the new initiative, explained the program's goals. "Strong communication skills are among the most critical elements of higher education. At both the community college and the university, we are aware of the need for all entering students to become better prepared to accomplish the communication tasks that are central to higher education.

"This collaborative project seeks to offer an intensive training program for those teachers in the field that are charged with preparing these students for their future educational pursuits. It is an effective, culturally sensitive and aggressive program which has posted remarkable success across the nation, "Dr. Rhodes explained.

Carlos N. Flores, Laredo Community College Department of English faculty member and South Texas Writing Project Planning Committee Chair, said the project affords an opportunity for educators to rethink and retool to become more effective writing advocates and teachers.

"Participants in this Project will gather for a four-week Summer Writing Institute . They will write intensively, discuss new and effective theories and practices of writing and to examine software appropriate for reading-writing. We are firmly convinced that this project offers a genuine solution to our students' communication problems and will benefit every level of education in Laredo and our area. We encourage support of and involvement in this collaborative effort between the University and the College," Flores explained.

The South Texas Writing Project will be headquartered at LCC with classes and instruction provided at TAMIU. The inaugural Project classes will be limited to 20 and will include participation by both local school districts, Webb County school districts and private schools. The first classes are expected to be offered this summer. After completion of the pilot year, organizers hope to expand the Project to include surrounding counties.

The collaborative Laredo effort stems from LCC English Department participation in the West Texas Writing Project in El Paso that was shared with colleagues at TAMIU and subsequently developed by a planning committee involving both University and College participation.

Dr. Rhodes said the potential for the Project is significant. "There will be a measurable ripple effect as the Project's graduates take the South Texas Writing Project with them back into the classroom. The potential for positive change that each Project teacher will be able to direct in his or her classroom will provide lasting changes that will advance student writing abilities, producing better prepared students ready to tackle the rigors of higher education," Rhodes observed.

Flores concurred, noting that other Projects across the state and nation have posted significant gains.

"The West Texas Writing Project has contributed significantly to education changes in the communities it serves. Teachers, students and administrators are more confident and comfortable about writing. In addition, the Project has served as an impetus for teachers to pursue additional graduate work, "he explained.

The National Writing Project has been active for over 25 years and advocates that universities and schools work together as partners, believing that "top-down" traditions are no longer acceptable as a staff development model.

Additional basic assumptions held by the National Writing Project and its local sites include that real change in classroom practice happens over time, that teachers of writing must also write and that writing needs constant attention and repetition from the early grades on through university.

For additional information on the South Texas Writing Project, including participation and Project dates, contact Dr. Rhodes at TAMIU, 326-2470 or Carlos Flores at LCC, 722 - 0521.