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Talking about Talking about Talk (After the Conference)

Mon, 2007-04-30 11:13 — Sherri
Hi, all. I just wanted to say that I'm interested in hearing about your ah-ha moments at the conference. Mine were all about conference-running, rather than about writing center talk, so I would LOVE to hear about yours! And I promise to share my own ah-ha moments, about conference administration, with Ann Harrington, next year's host(ess)! Here are some of the pictures, taken by our Whatcom friend Dean Hagin: http://faculty.whatcom.ctc.edu/swinans/pnwcapics.htm More to come; they'll be posted soon to this site by PNWCA photographer, Dennis Bennett. Sherri

Comments

Fri, 2007-05-04 13:28 — Carolyn

Inspiring Conference!

On the trip home and into this week, we're still talking about the recent PNWCA conference in Bellingham. Kudos to the organizers! Sherri and Whatcom Writing Center folks, you did an amazing job! I got something out of all the sessions I attended--practical ideas for consultant training (in fact, I implemented one idea from the conference already this week) and administration as well as ideas for researching and improving writing center practice. I think the biggest "a ha" moment for me came from the session by UAA folks on the impact of tutor interaction on student revision. Dodie Forrest and I have been studying basic writers responses (emotional and rhetorical) to [i]teacher[/i] feedback for a couple of years, and in our pilot studies, students often do attribute some of the changes they make to writing consultations. I hadn't really considered trying to look at the impact writing centers have on student writing (on their actual texts). Now Dodie and I are trying to come up with a CCCC proposal (yes, I know; they're due today) in which we start examining that connection through some case studies. In addition, this session got me thinking about how still, at least at our college, writing center effectiveness is measured largely by numbers, i.e. number of visits, and perhaps impact on grades or retention (though those relationships are merely potential correlations). The only other way I've considered looking at our effectiveness is through surveys or session feedback forms. I'd never really considered trying to understand exactly how the tutorial shapes the students' writing itself. I know it does; I guess I never considered that it could be studied or measured in any way. Anyway, I'm looking forward to thinking about these possibilities for next year. It's exciting! Thanks, again! Carolyn Calhoon-Dillahunt Yakima Valley Community College, Grandview campus
Tue, 2007-05-01 10:45 — Ann Harrington

It was wonderful!

Ann Harrington Everett Community College Sherri and staff: Kudos to all of you for a wonderful conference! This year I paid attention (or tried to) to the "details" of what was going on around me. It was mind-boggling. And a little scary. I only hope that we can live up to the high bar you've set for us. I don't know if I had just one ah-ha moment--more like a series of them. I came to the conference with two colleagues who worked in my center but haven't had the chance to see the world of writing center work. We talked the whole way home about sessions we had attended, the ideas we had generatated, and how impressed we were with all the tutor participation. And of course, meeting and listening to Mickey Harris was the highlight. As for next year--we need a theme; we need a speaker! I'd like to open that up for suggestions since I seem to be theme challenged at the moment. More on that later. Thanks again, Sherri. Great job!
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Ann Harrington Everett Community College
Wed, 2007-05-02 08:25 — Sherri

PNWCA 2008 Themes

Jeff Klausman and I were talking about this right away, afterwards. We can help, maybe!? We liked what was said in the last moments of the conference about feeling rejuvenated, renewed. Thought that might make a good conference theme, somehow: renewal something or other? I have also been thinking about Laughter and Fun, and we sure have plenty of that. Do any of those words lead anybody to possible themes? Fun? Play? Delight? Renewal? Rejuvenation? ??? Sherri
Mon, 2007-04-30 12:32 — windpixie

Random Comments

So here's what my staff is saying about the conference... "The chat sessions were genious!" About chatting with Mickey Harris: "That woman makes me want to stay in writing centers for the rest of my life." About the conference overall: "If I possibly can, I'm going to attend this conference every year, no matter what, no matter how many years it is after I've graduated."