Writing Centre reopens this week

The University Writing Centre will reopen on Tuesday 9th February.

If you would like to make an appointment to work one-to-one with a tutor please email us on writingcentre@nuim.ie

Announcing Summer Writing Institutes For Teachers - SWIFT 2016

We are delighted to announce two summer writing institutes for July 2016.  The offerings this year  will build on previous institutes (in 2014 and 2015)  which were originally designed in consultation with a range of teaching and learning networks, including Maynooth University Early Childhood, the Further Education Support Service, the Reading Association of Ireland and the Irish Network for the Enhancement of Writing.  The institutes draw from the US National Writing Project model and are designed to provide an opportunity for teachers, from all education levels, to meet, share good practice, and learn more about writing and the teaching of writing.

At the institutes you will look closely at your own writing and student writing, explore issues and ideas in the teaching of writing, work toward becoming teacher leaders and share classroom practices or activities.  

Dates for these events are as follows:

Maynooth University SWIFT - daily from 10.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. from Monday 4th July until Friday 8^th July inclusive.  

Letterkenny Institute of Technology SWIFT -  daily from 10.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. from Monday 25th to Friday 29th July inclusive.  

Both institutes are free to all participants but places will be strictly limited and allocated across the education levels.

If you are interested in attending either of these events please contact us for an application form.  The completed form should be submitted to us before Monday 16^th May 2016.  All applications must be made by email to writingcentre@nuim.ie. All shortlisted applicants will be contacted by Friday 20th May 2016. 

All queries about the project should be directed to the writingcentre@nuim.ie

Two new practice guides

Follow this link to access two new practice guides, one on writing centres and the other on writing in the disciplines.

https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/centre-teaching-and-learning/news/three-new-practice-guides

Alison

Referencing Style Guide

Last academic year the Maynooth University Writing Centre worked with colleagues from several departments on campus to create the second edition of the Maynooth University Guide to Harvard Referencing.  Colleagues Fionnuala Ní Mhórdha and Adrienne Hobbs authored this Guide.  

The guide is available here

https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/The%20Ref%20Point%202nd%20ed%20final_0.pdf

Setting up a Writing Centre

Over past year, with the help of colleagues across the sector, we have put together a guide to How to Set up a Writing Centre.  The link is here

https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/Writing%20Centre%20Set%20Up%20final_0.pdf

We would be very interested in feedback from any colleagues who access and use the guide.

Writing Centre reopens on 5th October

The Writing Centre will reopen on the week beginning the 5th October.  We are really looking forward to working with you this year as part of your efforts to become a better writer.

Our resources are available here, in Moodle

https://2016.moodle.maynoothuniversity.ie/course/view.php?id=5945

You will also find our timetable there.

Don't be a stranger!  Email us and arrange to meet with a tutor on writingcentre@nuim.ie

Reflections on Day 5 - last day of SWIFT

Friday 24th was the last day of Maynooth University SWIFT 2015.  It's an odd feeling getting to the end of the week.  There is certainly some relief around getting to this point relatively unscathed but there is some sadness that the magic is ending, at least for the moment.  Because this is our second summer institute I know that the Day 5 also marks the beginning of this group continuing to connect and collaborate.  I am confident that it also marks the next stage in the development of this idea (movement?) in Ireland.  We can say that we have now completed our second summer institute.  We can say that there is every likelihood that we will run a summer institute again next year - 2016.  We can be relatively sure that we will expand the work to a second site on the island of Ireland, maybe even a third.  So, on the last day it's a blend of endings and beginnings.

On this last day we had two demos - one from Sarah and one from Claire.  My life spilled over into the day and I had to miss the best part of Sarah's demo and all of Claire's so I cannot comment on them.  All I can say is that I heard they were wonderful and model examples of what we are hoping for from demos.  I urge my co-director Deirdre to reply to this blog post to fill in the gaps.

Following the demos we had author's chair which was wonderful.  Last year I was anxious about how author's chair would work - I think that was more about how I would feel sitting up there reading my work than about how it would work conceptually!  This year, as last year, it was a great success.  The diversity of the work, the honesty, the variety of voice and the range of emotions was breathtaking.  We had such a talented group of writers in the room that I am sorry we didn't hear more of their writing during the week (note to self to try to factor more of this in next year!)

Following author's chair we had two contributions from past fellows, Eileen and Clair.  Eileen explored, in the limited time available, memoir and challenged us to consider the difference between memoir and autobiography.  We wrote to two prompts: 'I remember when ...' and 'I don't remember when ... ' We were urged not to stop in an attempt to silence the internal editor.  After the exercise we chatted about how it was and what we wrote.  Clair ended the day by inspiring us to consider getting published and showing us the nitty gritty of what might be involved.  It was very useful to see the different stages and players that make up the publishing world.  Hopefully we weren't  put off!

The day finished pretty much on time.  Deirdre and I thanked the group.  It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with everyone all week.  I have learned and laughed so much.  I look forward to the next steps on the journey ...