Department of English - The University of Montana

The Montana Writing Project is a program for K-12 teachers, curriculum directors, and administrators who are interested in:

The Writing Process
Whole Language
Writing Across the Curriculum
Cooperative Learning
Writing Assessment
Computers in Writing

For information and applications, contact:

Heather E. Bruce
Director, The Montana Writing Project
The Department of English
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812-6120
(406) 243-2138
FAX (406) 243-2556

The purpose of the Montana Writing Project is to increase the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of writing in all levels of education in Montana. Since its beginning in 1978, The Montana Writing Project has trained Teacher-Consultants to conduct writing workshops and curriculum in-service programs that promote and improve the teaching of writing in their schools and districts. They also participate in follow-up activities such as developing curriculum guides, assessing writing skills of Montana students, attending programs and presenting sessions at professional meetings.

While it is based upon multiple purposes, the Montana Writing Project operates under three primary premises:

Teachers of writing themselves must write.
The teaching of writing can be improved by having teachers from all levels and all subject areas share their expertise with each other.
Teachers benefit from studying and conducting research.

Since 1978, the Montana Writing Project has provided Montana Schools with a cadre of trained Teacher-Consultants of Writing. The Project at that time joined 35 other projects within the network of the National Writing Project (NWP) which began in 1974. Currently, NWP consists of 147 writing projects in the U.S., Canada and England. The NWP has gained national recognition for its success in improving students' writing by increasing teachers' knowledge and instructional skills in composition.

Since 1978, MWP has trained approximately 400 Teacher Consultants from 60 separate schools in cities in Montana. At the close of the 1997-1998 academic year, MWP and its Teacher Consultants will have influenced and benefited the teaching and leaming of writing of thousands of Montana students and more than 4000 Montana teachers.

MWP Summer Institute

The Montana Writing Project Summer Institute is an intensive, four week program at the University of Montana, Missoula. Generally, mornings are devoted to writing experiences for all participants, editing groups, presentations by visiting consultants, review of curriculum materials, and research interpretation for classroom implementation. In the afternoons, participants present workshops based on personal, successful teaching strategies. Throughout the Summer Institute, participants have hands-on experience with the computer as a tool for writing.

The Summer Institute addresses the following topics:

nature and stages of the writing process: pre-writing, writing, responding, revising, editing, post-writing, and evaluation
attitudes and developmental writing abilities of students at all levels of education integration of writing into all areas of the curriculum, not just language arts
current research on writing as a thinking and learning tool
computers in writing instruction
cooperative learning groups

Throughout the academic year, Montana Writing Project Teacher Consultants conduct in-service activities that promote and improve the teaching of writing in their schools and districts. They also participate in follow-up activities such as developing curriculum guides, assessing writing skills of Montana students, attending programs, and presenting sessions at professional meetings.

Fees and Deadlines

Any educator may apply to participate in the Montana Writing Project. School districts are asked to pay a program fee of $950 for each of their participants (Chapter 1 funds may be used). Although personal expenses, lodging, and transportation are not included in the program fee, each participant selected for the summer institue will receive a stipend of $500 to offset expenses. This stipend comes from a donation to MWP from the University of Montana. Participants also receive a professional library valued at over $200.

Participants may earn seven graduate semester credits in English by paying the $115 recording fee during the registration period at the Summer Institute.

To request information about MWP or applications contact the Director of The Montana Writing Project, Prof. Heather E. Bruce at The Department of English.(See address and email link at the top of the page)

The Montana Writing Project is endorsed by The Office of Public Instruction, Montana Association of Teachers of English and Language Arts, Montana State Reading Council, Montana Education Association, Montana Federation of Teachers, School Administrators of Montana.

Funding

A Government grant funds the Montana Writing Project, which in turn, funds each new writing project at a maximum of $25,000. This funding is a one-time gift which must be matched by private funds (not state or federal) from the new writing project. After the initial funding, each project is responsible for continuing its work through its own fund raising. The Montana Writing Project has received private donations, or in-kind support, from the following: University of Montana Foundation Excellence Fund, University of Montana Division of Extension and Continuing Education, University of Montana Alumni Association, Lee Enterprise Foundation, Great Falls Tribune, Readers Digest Foundation Ravalli Montana Republic Newspaper, Nicholas Ift, and the Montana Association of Teachers of English.