• Johnson Elementary (Gerlach, Nevada.  Principal: Carol Kauffman)
• Double Diamond Elementary (Reno, Nevada. Principal: Nancy Maldonado)
• Hunter Lake Elementary (Reno, Nevada. Principal: Neil Schott

• Dunn Elementary (Sparks, Nevada. Principal: Teri Vaughan)
• Lemmon Valley Elementary (Stead, Nevada. Principal: Troy Parks)

Each class participant received four free picture books, and members of the NNWP Technology Team presented examples lessons on the books that showed class participants how to propose their own lessons.

Lesson title:

Focus Trait: Idea Development (using strong and memorable details)
Support Trait: Word Choice (weaving poetic words into descriptions)

Click on the lesson title or the image to read an overview and access the entire lesson and its resources.

Lesson title:

Focus Trait: Voice (conveying emotion)
Support Trait: Idea Development (exploring unique ideas and originality)

Click on the lesson title or the image to read an overview and access the entire lesson and its resources.

Focus Trait: Idea Development (putting researched ideas into one's own words)
Support Trait: Voice (using deliberate humor in writing)

Click on the lesson title or the image to read an overview and access the entire lesson and its resources.

Lesson title:

Focus Trait: Word Choice (choosing strong adjectives)
Support Trait: Voice (writing from a character's point-of-view)

Click on the lesson title or the image to read an overview and access the entire lesson and its resources.

Each participant also received four professional books on the traits and on writing. Members of the NNWP Technology Team facilitated interactive discussions and projects around these books and their content.

Click here to see WritingFix's tribute to this great little book. 

The 9 Rights of Every Writer
 by Vicki Spandel

Session #1:  Idea Development

BIG Essential Question:  "What can I write about, and how will I develop an idea through writing?"

Session #1 Agenda:

• Course Philosophy and its link to the Writing Process
• Introduction to trait #1: Idea Development
  • Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street prompt
  • Idea Development checklist
• Introduction to on-line Interactive Writing Prompts
  • Idea Development specific on-line prompts
  • Planning a writing lesson with an interactive on-line prompt
• Jigsaw: A Writer’s Notebook
• Session #4’s goal: proposing your own interactive writing prompt based on a picture book.

BIG Essential Question:  "How do graphic organizers help develop word choice and organization skills in student writers? "

Session #2 Agenda:

• Review Course Philosophy and its link to the Writing Process
• Introduction to traits #2 & #3: Organization & Word Choice
  • On-line graphic organizer collections
  • A graphic organizer for Idea Development & Organization
  • A graphic organizer for Word Choice and a piece of writing inspired by Tough Boris.
• On-line Word Choice & Organization revision tools
  • Rubistar
  • PBL Checklists
• Ruth Culham Word Choice & Organization revision tools.
• What picture book might you propose an interactive on-line assignment on?

Session #3 Agenda:

• Review Course Philosophy and its link to the Writing Process
• The Wolf Who Cried Boy read aloud and on-line prompt.
• Introduction to traits #4 & #5: Voice & Sentence Fluency
• Jigsaw: The 9 Rights of Every Writer: A Guide for Teachers
• On-line Treasure Hunt:  Voice & Sentence Fluency Interactive assignments.
• On-line Response tools for student writers.
• Talking about your interactive writing assignment proposals (with your picture books)

Session #4 Agenda:

• Review Course Philosophy and its link to the Writing Process
• Internet Searching: How to do it efficiently and safely
• Diary of a Worm on-line writing assignment
• Internet Searches for the trait #6:  Conventions
• Computer proposal forms for participant's interactive picture book prompts
  • The WritingFix Proposal Form