Kahn-Loftus in the News

One local teacher just completed a nation-wide project to improve the teaching of writing in the nation's schools. A.J. Cargo of Oscoda Public Schools was among those selected to participate in the intense four-week summer invitational institute hosted at North Central Michigan in collaboration with their home site, Michigan State University's Red Cedar Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, June 22 - July 16. Now in its fourth year, the Petoskey satellite program is part of a $22 million federally funded national grant started in 1974 and held every summer at over 200 colleges and universities nation wide. "Over thirty years of research supports the believe that 'teachers teaching teachers' is the most powerful and effective professional development that exists in American education" says satellite director Toby Kahn-Loftus of East Jordan and Western Michigan University. "I've been blessed to work within the writing projects' summer institute model for many years and time and again teachers involved in the project report that it is a life changing experience. The notion that teachers spend 16 intense days exploring their identity as writers and as teachers of writing is truly unique. Time after time, I have observed stellar teachers discover their professional and personal voice and begin to finally see their own expertise as vital to the integrity of their school communities." Teacher consultants working with Kahn-Loftus were co-director Stasha Simon and Suzanne Nayback of the Public Schools of Petoskey, Dan Polleys of Boyne City Public Schools and Ken Winter of North Central Michigan College. Nayback also served as director of the Spartan Writing Camp North that was launched three years ago for children ages 8 to 10. Each year, Top-of-the-Mitt has added a new dimension to their site work. This August they are offering an outreach tech institute at NCMC for area teachers that supports the use of new digital literacies in area classrooms. Additionally, the site has been tapped to offer a professional development series this coming school year through the Char-Em-Intermediate School District on "Inside Writing" to teams of teachers from across northern Michigan. [Source: Harbor Light (Newspaper), 7/29/09]