CSU Writing Project

peace.love.writing

Pam Downing
  • Female
  • Fort Collins, CO
  • United States
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Pam Downing added a blog post
Megan Menard set our minds on fire with possibilities as she presented a rich response to a common dilemma: what do you do with a student who can't even write a paragraph...when you assigned an essay...and what do you do for a student in the same cl…
June 24, 2009
Cameron Shinn commented on the blog post 'Ripple Effect'
Good for you, Pam. The SI is an amazing experience for teachers who are willing to put their own thinking aside, be humbled by the brilliant people who are in the room, and to grow as a person and teacher, see things in a different way. I feel very…
June 21, 2009
Pam Downing added a blog post
I just want to say that the SI has been, for me, a transformational experience so far, and I'm sure the process will continue. It has opened me up. Challenged me. Intrigued me. Given me deadlines! I've reconnected to my own sense of creativity. The…
June 20, 2009
susan horn commented on the blog post 'MORNING PAGES PROMPT from Pam'
I think failure is a necessary tool of learning, but we don't want to go there. Parents don't want to build character, and students come away from it with an augmented perception of success. And then they get to the real world! I don't seek out fail…
June 17, 2009
Pam Downing added a blog post
I like this quote: "The purpose in life is to be defeated by greater and greater things." (Rilke) ...that means that you keep getting defeated, but you keep moving on; the defeats make you stronger. One way to look at it is through the writer's len…
June 17, 2009
Pam Downing updated their profile photo
June 11, 2009
Pam Downing replied to the discussion 'Writing in the 21st Century'
The best writers will still be the best thinkers. Technology is a tool we use to communicate, but great writing comes from the deepest of human thought, emotions, and reactions. Reflection on purpose, and especially QUALITY, will become more critica…
June 9, 2009
Pam Downing is now a member of CSU Writing Project
Welcome Them!
June 9, 2009

Pam Downing's Blog

Pam Downing

Megan's Menu Had Many Tasty Choices! (Megan's Demo, June 24, 2009)

Megan Menard set our minds on fire with possibilities as she presented a rich response to a common dilemma: what do you do with a student who can't even write a paragraph...when you assigned an essay...and what do you do for a student in the same class whose essay could probably be published in The New Yorker? As Megan so thoughtfully stated, when she assesses student writing she finds that, "The results are really mine, not the kids." Also, the result of over-commenting on a student's pa… Continue

Posted on June 24, 2009 at 9:03pm —

Pam Downing

Ripple Effect

I just want to say that the SI has been, for me, a transformational experience so far, and I'm sure the process will continue. It has opened me up. Challenged me. Intrigued me. Given me deadlines! I've reconnected to my own sense of creativity. The opportunity to produce my own writing again has been a true gift.

And I know that all of this personal transformation will ripple out to my students, to my fellow teachers, to my school community. SI sets the structure and the vision, and the persona… Continue

Posted on June 20, 2009 at 1:19pm — 1 Comment

Pam Downing

MORNING PAGES PROMPT from Pam

I like this quote: "The purpose in life is to be defeated by greater and greater things." (Rilke) ...that means that you keep getting defeated, but you keep moving on; the defeats make you stronger.

One way to look at it is through the writer's lens. In what way does being able to experience defeat in writing make you better? Do we allow our students to fail so that they can get better?

By the way, Rilke also wrote a great letter to a young poet in which he urged that poet to live his way into… Continue

Posted on June 17, 2009 at 8:48pm — 1 Comment

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At 1:20pm on June 14, 2009, Joy Farinelli said…
Hello Pam,
You are looking nice and relaxed, by the looks of that smile you most certainly are not suffering from writers block! Hope you're enjoying the weekend. I look forward to seeing your demo on Tuesday.
Joy
At 7:37pm on June 12, 2009, Megan Menard said…
That sucks.docHey Pam,

Would you mind reading a poem I wrote to introduce my demo? I was challenged by my groups book (Other People's Children) and I'm trying to approach my demo as a possible solution to a big ugly problem. This poem is definitely unusual and unhappy, but I want to know if I accomplished my purpose of being honest about writing from a low level writer's sincere perspective.

Thanks!
 
 

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