Heart of Texas Writing Project
The Heart of Texas Writing Project (HTWP) provides high-quality literacy professional development for Austin area K-12 teachers. This work supports teachers, particularly those in high-needs schools, in providing high-quality literacy instruction to their students, including those learning English as an additional language. Topics of recent workshops include: writing workshop, mini-lessons, expository writing, reading comprehension, motivation, poetry, technology in support of writing, language study, and talk in classrooms. These workshops are sometimes planned for teachers at particular grade levels and, at other times, aimed at educators across all grade levels. The Project’s work is applicable across curricular areas – science, math, social studies – and it offers professional development about literacy across the disciplines. Workshops are presented by nationally-known experts in the field of literacy, UT faculty, and teacher-consultants – area teachers who form the project’s community and learn together across years.
A site of the National Writing Project, The Heart of Texas Writing Project partners with area school districts for long-term professional development in those districts, especially study groups and classroom-based coaching. Our partnerships have focused on such themes as reading-writing connections; literacy across the disciplines; supporting multilingual students; and highly motivating reading and writing environments.
Approximately one hundred local educators are active teacher-consultants with the Project, which means that they have participated in a four-week Invitational Summer Institute and continue to be involved in the HTWP community by attending and presenting at workshops, providing literacy leadership in their schools, and participating in national conversations about literacy. These teachers work in these area districts: Austin, Del Valle, Taylor, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Eanes, Leander, and Lake Travis. They teach in elementary, middle, and high schools. Some have been teaching for as little as 3 years, others for more than 20.
Dr. Randy Bomer, associate professor in Language & Literacy Studies, is the director of HTWP. Co-directors of the project are Katie McKay of Becker Elementary (AISD), Amber Futch-Funderberg of Ojeda Middle School in Del Valle, and Deb Kelt of Austin’s Akins High School. Dr. Lynn Masterson is the inservice coordinator, who arranges partnerships with area districts and plans structures for professional development. The HTWP leadership team works together to support the ongoing work of the project.
As part of a national network of over 200 similar sites, HTWP participates in research-based conversations to develop ideas that are then further refined in sites across the nation, then brought back home to meet the specific needs of Austin-area teachers. The National Writing Project has been supporting teachers for over 25 years in providing students with high-quality literacy instruction. Though the work of our site, we are able to support teachers in delivering quality literacy instruction to students across grade levels and subject areas, raising student achievement and young people’s chances of academic success.
Visit the Heart of Texas Writing Project Web site