There will be no Spring Conference in 2024. Please join us for one or more of the monthly offerings instead.
RIWP Spring Conference 2023 – “The Right to Write: Pedagogical, Personal, and Pedagogical Possibilities”
Many Highs, Many Thanks
For the first time since 2019, RIWP held its Spring Conference completely in-person on March 18. A diverse mix of experienced and soon-to-be educators assembled at Alger Hall on the RIC campus to listen to and learn from an equally diverse mix of speakers and presenters. In typical RIWP fashion, all enjoyed a PD experience that was both professionally informative and personally enriching. We want to thank all of the people that contributed to the success of Spring Conference 2023, especially keynote speaker Kurt Ostrow, all of the workshop presenters, and of course, everyone who attended. We are confident that you enjoyed the conference as much as we enjoyed providing it, and look forward to seeing you again in the future!
For the first time since 2019, RIWP held its Spring Conference completely in-person on March 18. Despite four years of COVID cancellations and virtual workshops, putting on a full, live conference again was like riding a bike. Approximately 60 teachers, teacher candidates, and assorted RIWP friends gathered for a wonderful day of professional development that followed our typical pattern: we listened, learned, collaborated, wrote, and shared. And at the end of the day, we left invigorated by the content and enriched by the camaraderie – as always.
The day began with a powerful keynote address by Kurt Ostrow entitled “Beyond Representation, Toward Resistance.” Kurt urged us to not only address issues of social justice, but also to use our voice, our writing, and even our union representation to take action on those issues, and offered examples from his own experience to demonstrate the impact we can make on education and the lives of our students.
Following the keynote, the conference offered two sets of workshops that offered a wide range of topics surrounding teaching and learning. We also found time to honor Marcia Ranglin-Vassell with our first annual “Writing in Action” Award. Marcia inspired all with her acceptance speech that showed how writing has played an integral and ongoing part in her life from her early days growing up in Jamaica to her teaching and political career in Rhode Island.
We want to thank all of the people that contributed to the success of Spring Conference 2023. First, we offer gratitude to Dean Jeannine Dingus-Eason and others in the RIC administration for their continued support of RIWP. Thanks to Kurt Ostrow for both his keynote address and his willingness to also offer a session workshop; we were thrilled to reconnect with a longtime friend of RIWP. Thanks also to all of the other workshop presenters: Lisa Narcisi Stewart, Diana Champa, Eve Kerrigan, Dr. Martha Horn, Dr. Alia Hadid, Michael Gianfrancesco, Alex Graudins, Anne Pedro, Jason Ryan, Aimee Ryan, and Steve Krasner.
We greatly appreciate the time and effort that these presenters put in to plan and deliver workshops that proved both interesting and worthwhile. Last but not least, we thank all those who attended. Whether you were a first time participant, a longtime supporter, or someone in between, we could not count the conference a success without your willingness to spend a beautiful Saturday with us in the hope of better serving your students and yourselves. We trust it was worth it, and that we will see you at other RIWP events in the near future – and next time, bring a friend!