Tweens learn confidence at 10-day Writing Camp

Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Teacher Sandra Wilt answered Jackson Boles and Isabelle Pastoor’s questions during Writer’s Camp on Friday morning.
Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Teacher Sandra Wilt answered Jackson Boles and Isabelle Pastoor’s questions during Writer’s Camp on Friday morning.

Middle school students had a chance to discover their talents for writing during a free camp last week.

A score of students attended the 10-day Young Writers Camp at the Middle School, according to instructional facilitator Sandra Wilt. This is the first year that Siloam Springs School District has participated in the camp, sponsored by the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project.

Students from Old Wire Elementary School and Kirksey Middle School in Rogers also participated in the camp, according to a press release from the University of Arkansas. It was provided to students at no cost through a federal grant and gifts from the dean of the UofA's College of Education and Health Professions and the Educational Renewal Zone.

During the camp, students played guessing games to focus on using descriptive language, analyzed written song lyrics, participated in collaborative writing contests and filled their writing notebooks. A Harris Burdick writing activity was a favorite of Siloam Springs students, Wilt said. Imaginative black and white photos were hung around the room. Students got a chance to walk around to look at the photos before sitting down and writing a story about a photo. (A Harris Burdick writing activity refers to an exercise in which images are accompanied by only a title, and possibly a line of text, which compel viewers to create their own stories.)

Students were also excited about meeting children's author Dallas Collett on Thursday, Wilt said. Collett gave a presentation about his experience as a writer, including his experience writing his soon-to-be released book, "Skunk Chronicles." He then signed autographs for the students.

The camp was also a professional development opportunity for teachers, Wilt said. Each day, after the camp, Wilt and her fellow-teacher Ronnel Jeppson traveled to Rogers to meet with other instructors so they could discuss what worked best with their students and make plans for the next day's activities.

Wilt said she saw her students grow in confidence over the course of the camp. Many started out very shy about sharing their work, but as they got to know their fellow students, and began to feel safe, they began raising their hands and wanting to debate.

"We built a community of writers, which was part of the goal," Wilt said.

Keagan Hansen, who will be in sixth grade in the fall, said his favorite part of the camp was Collet's visit. Hansen said that Collet taught the class that even if they had author's block, they should keep writing and be persistent.

Isabelle Pastoor enjoyed looking at the photos during the Harris Burdick activity, as well as writing and sharing what she thought. She said most of her writing has been poems and some fiction.

"I learned how to become a better writer and became better at poetry," she said.

The camp gave students a springboard to tackle more creative and deeper writing projects, Wilt said. They also learned some life lessons along the way -- such as to never give up, and it's OK not to get something right the first time because people learn from their mistakes, she said.

Lilly Cole, who will be starting seventh grade in the fall, said the Harris Burdick photo activity was also her favorite part of writing camp. She chose a picture of a girl laying on a bed, reading a book with vines growing out of it. Cole said she enjoyed the story she started writing about the photo so much that she plans to continue it at home. Cole also learned that she likes poetry.

"I knew I could write before, but I never took advantage and wrote things for myself," Cole said. "I learned I have some talent and I need to use it."

General News on 06/22/2016