With this new version of the magazine, Teachers & Writers Collaborative (T&W) continues the conversation we began in 1967, when the first Teachers & Writers Collaborative Newsletter was published. In this latest iteration, our discussion of the work and joy of “educating the imagination” and teaching creative writing will go on, but through this new format that discussion will be expanded.
Putting the magazine online allows us to reach a wider audience and provide readers with greater accessibility to the fantastic resources we’ve accumulated over the last five decades. We are excited to share new content from current literary artists and educators, along with treasures from our archive of articles and lesson plans.
One new feature we are especially excited about is the Exploded Lesson Plans, which offer a detailed lesson on a specific theme, author/poet, literary era, or other focus, along with links to a variety of resources to enrich and provide context for that lesson.
We hope that you’ll take advantage of the opportunity for exchange that the online format offers by posting your own questions, suggestions, and ideas in the comments section at the end of each article. We also hope that you’ll take a look at our submission guidelines and consider writing for the magazine.
In short, we hope that you will find our online presence inviting, inspiring, and useful to your writing and teaching practice.
The Winter 2014–2015 issue of Teachers & Writers Magazine online features articles, essays, and lesson plans focused on “Artivism.”
Table of Contents
- Family Voices: Empowering Families through Collaborative Writing, an exploded lesson plan by Janet Hurley exploring how engaging entire families in school-based literacy projects not only supports student learning but also strengthens the school community
- Ain’t I a Teacher? Teaching Persuasive Writing Inspired by Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?, an exploded lesson plan about using the revolutionary voice of Sojourner Truth to show students how they can channel their passion and outrage into powerful persuasive essays by Bushra Rehman
- In The Classroom: The Megaphonic Voice, an exploded lesson plan by Ibi Zoboi connecting the manifesto to the teaching of argumentative essays
- What Are We Afraid of? An interview with playwright and activist Eve Ensler.
- Christina Davis’ poem and reflection on the poet’s role as artist/activist in Is the Constitution: Some Notes on Poetry & Activism
- A video from Tucson, Arizona poet and teaching artist Logan Phillips, including student poets’ response to the summer 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
- A profile of New York City’s “The Poet Is In” community poetry project, by Chessy Normile.
- Grace Paley from the T&W archives on Educating the Imagination
- ARTivism through teaching poetry in Valves, Salves, and Blueprints: Poetry and Artivism, by Kamilah Aisha Moon
- Writing to Change the World, Telling Stories to Foster Empowerment from the T&W archives by Janet Hurley
- From the T&W archives, Jenny Williams on Urban Word: Speaking Poetry to Power
- More Links & Resources for ARTivism
- A selection of writing from students inspired by these lessons and ideas.
Our featured content will change on a regular basis, so subscribe to T&W Magazine Online now to be sure not to miss anything. And let us know what you think about the online magazine by e-mailing us at editors@twc.org.
Sincerely,
The Teachers & Writers Magazine Editorial Board
Olivia Birdsall
Matthew J. Burgess
Jordan Dann
Susan Karwoska
Bushra Rehman
David Andrew Stoler
Amy Swauger
Jade Triton
Teachers & Writers Magazine is published by Teachers & Writers Collaborative as a resource for teaching the art of writing to people of all ages. The online magazine presents a wide range of ideas and approaches, as well as lively explorations of T&W’s mission to celebrate the imagination and create greater equity in and through the literary arts.
