It’s Not The Wi-Fi Connection, It’s About Connecting: Letter Writing Between Fourth Graders and Graduate Students: What Can Be Learned?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 105
  In Roundtable Session: Engaging With Power: Learning From Children’s Early Composing Processes

Abstract

We know we need to provide space and time for what is being squeezed out of the curriculum – time to write to express, time to write to communicate, time to write to build relationships. When we connect to what we know, what we are interested in, and what who we want to know more about, effective learning and practice is more likely to occur. This classroom based paper explicates the benefits and limitations of the Buddy Journal literacy event- Letter Writing Between 4th Graders and Graduate Students -in its attempt to harnesses authentic writing and relationship building to nurture and develop literate language and practices.

Authors

• Maureen P. Boyd, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Rosa D'Abate, University at Buffalo - SUNY