Motivating Students to Read and Write: The Role of eMentors

Presented by Laura Woodside, National Board-Certified Classroom Teacher and Vice President, Education Products for Cricket Media; and Graceann Griffin, Basic Skills & Gifted and Talented Teacher, Harding Elementary School, Kenilworth, NJ
Sponsored by Cricket Media

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Motivation determines, directs and sustains what students learn. When it comes to writing, most students struggle to find that motivation. In this edWebinar, take a close look at how giving students grades 3-5 in under-resourced classrooms an authentic audience for their writing can dramatically boost their intrinsic motivation to write.

Laura Woodside and Graceann Griffin explore how matching students with caring adult pen pals can give them personalized writing support, writing role models, and the opportunity to experience the real-life value of reading and writing. Learn about:

• The benefits of integrating eMentors into the curriculum to support purposeful writing instruction and provide added individual attention for students
• Creative techniques to leverage the mentoring experience to build literacy, communications skills and engage students in early career explorations including STEM careers
• How to safely and securely support student and eMentor relationships and model how students can benefit from connections in the larger community
• Why eMentoring is a growing micro-volunteering opportunity that adult volunteers love
• How to leverage students’ writing with their eMentors to uncover students’ interests and challenges so instruction can be personalized and individualized to further engage students

Viewers will take away new techniques for building reading, writing, critical thinking, and technology skills through authentic, purposeful content and career explorations as well as practical suggestions for integrating community and industry volunteers into your classroom. Viewers also hear about eMentoring programs that are currently available for K-12 classrooms and the opportunity to apply for an eMentoring grant program to get 1:1 mentorship for your students for the 2018-19 school year. School librarians, teachers, administrators, and all educators interested in motivating students to write will enjoy and learn from this recorded session.

About the Presenters
Laura Woodside is a National Board Certified Classroom Teacher and is now the Vice President, Education Products, for Cricket Media, a global education company. From 1998 to 2005, Laura taught in the Montgomery County, Maryland School District. She has also worked as a literacy consultant, freelance writer, and curriculum designer who developed a passion for inspiring young writers during her years of elementary classroom teaching. She has always been involved with the world of writing, conducting research abroad on early childhood literacy as an undergraduate.

Graceann Griffin is a Gifted and Talented and Basic Skills teacher at Harding Elementary School in Kenilworth, NJ. This is her third year in this role after spending 15 years as a third grade teacher. She has a Bachelor of Science from Rider University and two Masters of Arts, one in Elementary Education from The College of Staten Island and another in Administration from Kean University. Graceann is a mother of boy/girl ten-year-old twins and a seven-year-old daughter who keep her extremely busy. As education began to shift so did her views on teaching, which prompted Graceann to seek a change in her career. In the Gifted and Talented position, she is able to create units and teach a problem-based curriculum that allows her students to enjoy learning and understand there is no limit to their possibilities.

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Cricket Media®, a global education company, creates high-quality content and safe collaborative platforms that enhance learning for children, families, eMentors, teachers, and corporate partners.