Beyond the Classroom Walls: Making Space for Writing Center Innovation and Student Leadership (015)
This session explores how secondary writing centers are ‘making space’ for the fostering of student leadership and engaging writing practices beyond the classroom. Participants will leave with strategies for proposing and operating centers, practical tips and resources, connections to a network of partnerships that enhance student development and writing instruction.
Organizer
Dr. Laura Peterson is an educator at Cherokee High School and holds a Doctor of Education in Secondary English Education from Kennesaw State University. Her research centers on the role of peer-led writing centers in improving student self-efficacy and motivation, as explored in her dissertation, “How Participation in a Peer-Led Writing Center Impacts Struggling Students’ Self-Efficacy and Motivation.”
At Cherokee High School, Dr. Peterson teaches AP English Language and Composition and contributes to the academic community by presenting on writing center pedagogy and student-centered instruction.
Dr. Heather Barton holds a B.S., M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D. in Secondary English Education, with her doctoral research focusing on the role of secondary school writing centers (SSWCs) in fostering student self-efficacy and writing development. She is the founder and director of the East WING Peer Tutoring Center at Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia, a student-led writing center supporting thousands of visits annually.
As the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) Representative for the Secondary Schools Writing Centers Association (SSWCA), Dr. Barton collaborates with educators to promote best practices for writing centers and digital literacies at the secondary level. Her work emphasizes the intersection of writing instruction and digital literacy, equipping students to navigate and create in a digital world.
Dr. Barton frequently presents on topics such as peer tutoring strategies, writing center pedagogy, and integrating digital tools into writing instruction. A National Writing Project Fellow, she continues to explore innovative approaches that empower students through writing centers and digital literacies.