Call For Proposals for MnWE 2023
Learning Ecologies: Building, Improving, and Refining Pedagogy
St. Cloud State University, MN and on Zoom
Friday - Saturday, March 31 - April 1, 2023
Proposals due by 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 10, 2023
Learning Ecologies: Building, Improving, and Refining Pedagogy
St. Cloud State University, MN and on Zoom
Friday - Saturday, March 31 - April 1, 2023
Proposals due by 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 10, 2023
The 14th annual Minnesota Writing & English Conference unfold on the beautiful, tree-lined campus of one of our largest and oldest universities in Minnesota, St. Cloud State. Events will happen in the modern, well-ventilated Atwood Student Center and nearby classrooms. All events will be simultaneously in person and on Zoom. You may present and attend in either mode. We accept most proposals.
The spring 2023 Conference, Friday-Saturday, March 31-April 1, prompts our larger MnWE community to think about sustainability: what makes natural systems or human endeavors (even modest ones like our annual gathering) vital, resilient, and evolving? This year’s theme encourages participants to reflect on how we create and nurture the environments and fields that sustain students and help them thrive.
Which systems and events work well? Which are lively? Which are not?
Myriad challenges such as climate change, equity for all, Coronavirus, and the struggle over American democracy require that we examine our relationships with each other and to our planet. English and Writing instructors, ESOL and Reading teachers, students, librarians, and tutors may consider how we can equip ourselves and others to understand and contribute to these critical conversations. What pedagogies have worked to cultivate better thinkers, readers, and writers, and what are your visions for tomorrow’s learning ecologies?
MnWE invites you to propose an individual presentation for a roundtable discussion, or you may create an entire roundtable of 3-5 people and submit a shared proposal. If you propose an individual presentation, the MnWE team will place you in a roundtable with 2-4 other presenters on a similar topic. Either way, each individual presenter will talk for 5-6 minutes and then engage in conversation with other presenters and the audience.
Presentations may address “Learning Ecologies: Building, Improving, and Refining Pedagogy” such as the questions below suggest. Other topics related to Writing or English also are welcome.
We look forward to hearing your proposal! The Conference at St. Cloud State allows people to present and attend either in person or on Zoom. To propose your presentation, click here.
Our best to all of you,
The MnWE Committee
Minnesota Writing and English
www.MnWE.org
David Beard, UMD Advisor, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Heidi Burns, Web & Docs Coordinator, Minn. State University-Mankato
Mary Ellen Daniloff-Merrill, SMSU Advisor, Southwest Minn. State Univ.
Samantha Denney, Southern New Hampshire University
Judith Dorn, 2023 Site Coordinator, St. Cloud State University
Tim Fountaine, 2023 Asst. Site Coord., St. Cloud State University
Gene Gazelka, North Hennepin Community College
Edward Hahn, Registration Coordinator, North Hennepin College
Ryuto Hashimoto, Undergr. Connection Coord., Mn. State U.-Mankato
Danielle Hinrichs, Program Coordinator, Metropolitan State University
Richard Jewell, Co-founder & Gen. Coord., Inver Hills Coll. (Emeritus)
Yanmei Jiang, Equity Co-Leader, Century College
Carla-Elaine Johnson, Plenary Coordinator, Saint Paul College
Linda O’Malley, Volunteer Coordinator, Metropolitan State University
Priscilla Mayowa, Metropolitan State University
Kerrie Patterson, Treasurer, Hennepin Technical College
Gordon Pueschner, Secretary & Conf. Floor Co-Manager, Century Coll.
Beata Pueschner, Conference Floor Co-Manager, North Hennepin Coll.
Jana Rieck, Communications Coordinator, Champlin Park High School
Donald Ross, Co-founder, Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Emeritus)
Carola Saalmueller, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Larry Sklaney, Conference & Cost Center Coordinator, Century College
MnWE Journal Editorial Brd.: David Beard and Yanmei Jiang
The spring 2023 Conference, Friday-Saturday, March 31-April 1, prompts our larger MnWE community to think about sustainability: what makes natural systems or human endeavors (even modest ones like our annual gathering) vital, resilient, and evolving? This year’s theme encourages participants to reflect on how we create and nurture the environments and fields that sustain students and help them thrive.
Which systems and events work well? Which are lively? Which are not?
Myriad challenges such as climate change, equity for all, Coronavirus, and the struggle over American democracy require that we examine our relationships with each other and to our planet. English and Writing instructors, ESOL and Reading teachers, students, librarians, and tutors may consider how we can equip ourselves and others to understand and contribute to these critical conversations. What pedagogies have worked to cultivate better thinkers, readers, and writers, and what are your visions for tomorrow’s learning ecologies?
MnWE invites you to propose an individual presentation for a roundtable discussion, or you may create an entire roundtable of 3-5 people and submit a shared proposal. If you propose an individual presentation, the MnWE team will place you in a roundtable with 2-4 other presenters on a similar topic. Either way, each individual presenter will talk for 5-6 minutes and then engage in conversation with other presenters and the audience.
Presentations may address “Learning Ecologies: Building, Improving, and Refining Pedagogy” such as the questions below suggest. Other topics related to Writing or English also are welcome.
- How do we help prepare students to sift enthusiastically and skillfully through information and disinformation about topics like climate change, public health, policy decisions on campus, in their neighborhood, and in broader arenas?
- Do our learning ecologies ensure we celebrate racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity? Do they also acknowledge barriers to different groups living together in justice, peace, and shared prosperity?
- How do we foster or avoid good citizenship and preserving a functioning democracy for the future and for representative government? How can we and our students look beyond national borders at lesser-known worldviews?
- How should we factor mental health into our teaching and tutoring? Can Trauma-Informed Pedagogy enable education to serve more learners more effectively?
- How can we make our materials and websites more accessible for all? When we teach in mixed online and/or in-person modes, how can we make them function equally well for students without too much additional course prep?
- How can we help control student costs by replacing costly textbooks with OERs (Open Education Resources)? How should textbook authors be compensated as a result?
- What strategies help sustain student newspapers or student creative or scholarly writing journals?
- Which writing center or tutoring models deliver positive results for our English and writing learners? How can we partner with libraries to enrich such learning ecologies?
- What will entice students to enroll in our Literature and Creative Writing courses or become English majors? How can we choose and advertise engaging readings?
- How might we teachers support each other better? How can we share best practices and mentor each other?
- How can we effectively coach writers and readers without overburdening ourselves with essays to grade or student conferences?
- How healthy are our departments and institutions, and how might we improve these learning ecologies?
- Are part-timers respected and afforded sustainable working conditions and opportunities for professional growth and career advancement?
- How can we “onboard” new employees, and “offboard” those leaving the profession? How can we best retain institutional memory in our departments?
- How might we make use of outside opportunities such as community service, experiential learning, of study abroad?
- What other matters related to English, Writing, tutoring, ESL, and issues would you like to discuss, whether about learning ecologies or an entirely different subject?
We look forward to hearing your proposal! The Conference at St. Cloud State allows people to present and attend either in person or on Zoom. To propose your presentation, click here.
Our best to all of you,
The MnWE Committee
Minnesota Writing and English
www.MnWE.org
David Beard, UMD Advisor, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Heidi Burns, Web & Docs Coordinator, Minn. State University-Mankato
Mary Ellen Daniloff-Merrill, SMSU Advisor, Southwest Minn. State Univ.
Samantha Denney, Southern New Hampshire University
Judith Dorn, 2023 Site Coordinator, St. Cloud State University
Tim Fountaine, 2023 Asst. Site Coord., St. Cloud State University
Gene Gazelka, North Hennepin Community College
Edward Hahn, Registration Coordinator, North Hennepin College
Ryuto Hashimoto, Undergr. Connection Coord., Mn. State U.-Mankato
Danielle Hinrichs, Program Coordinator, Metropolitan State University
Richard Jewell, Co-founder & Gen. Coord., Inver Hills Coll. (Emeritus)
Yanmei Jiang, Equity Co-Leader, Century College
Carla-Elaine Johnson, Plenary Coordinator, Saint Paul College
Linda O’Malley, Volunteer Coordinator, Metropolitan State University
Priscilla Mayowa, Metropolitan State University
Kerrie Patterson, Treasurer, Hennepin Technical College
Gordon Pueschner, Secretary & Conf. Floor Co-Manager, Century Coll.
Beata Pueschner, Conference Floor Co-Manager, North Hennepin Coll.
Jana Rieck, Communications Coordinator, Champlin Park High School
Donald Ross, Co-founder, Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Emeritus)
Carola Saalmueller, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Larry Sklaney, Conference & Cost Center Coordinator, Century College
MnWE Journal Editorial Brd.: David Beard and Yanmei Jiang