“What Are You Doing Today as a Writer?”: The Transformative Power of Teacher-Student Writing Conferences on Child Writing and Child Writers in the Elementary Classroom

Session Submission Type: Alternative Format Session

Abstract

In this session four panelists will share their research exploring the transformative power of teacher-student writing conferences on child writing and child writers. Audience members will have the opportunity to participate in two 40-minute conversation circles of their choosing. Presenters will share their methodology and key findings with each small group. Audience members will also engage with participants’ data in substantive ways and contemplate needed next steps to move research in this field forward.

Content Area

• Area 5: Early and Elementary Literacy Processes

Chair

• Lisa K. Hawkins, Ball State University

Individual Presentations

• Appropriation, Transformation, and Rejection: The Manifestation of Teacher-Student Conference Talk in Primary-Grade Children’s Writing - Lisa K. Hawkins, Ball State University

• “You Wrote That. You Are a Writer.”: How Teachers Use Conferring to Co-Construct Student Writing Identities - Laura A. Taylor, The University of Texas at Austin

• The Influence of Classroom Discourse and Teacher Decision-Making on Student Agency During Writing - Sara Philips, Texas Christian University

• Using Discourse as a Tool to Transform Writing - Lyndi Maxwell, Alexander Elementary School (Ohio University)