For Immediate Release
April 21, 2003
CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE PROFESSOR AND STUDENTS FACILITATE WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR GIFTED FIFTH GRADERS

"Give Your Writing Wings," a series of workshops for talented fifth-grade authors, presented by Drake Assistant Professor of Education Sally Beisser and a group of Drake students majoring in education, will culminate with a session that will teach students how to publish their work. The free event, which is titled "Places to Publish," will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. today (Monday, April 21) at the School of Education at Drake, 3206 University Ave.

The series, which is sponsored by Drake's School of Education and the Des Moines Public Schools Gifted/Talented Program, featured the following workshop sessions: "Editing Workshop," where students learned about spelling, grammar and content development; "Authors' Chair," where students brainstormed ideas for and wrote a new story or poem; and "Writing Fun Night," where students had fun with creative writing ideas and word activities using patterns and exemplary children's literature.

Each student workshop is accompanied by a seminar for parents. The following seminars were offered in conjunction with the previous student workshops: "Traits and Needs of Gifted Children," "Stress Among the Gifted: Causes and Cures" and "Communication and Feeling." Arlene DeVries, Des Moines Public Schools gifted and talented consultant, facilitates the seminars for parents.
At the "Places to Publish" workshop, children will learn how and where to submit their writing and how to use the computer lab to learn about journals that publish student work. In addition, each child will receive a book of collected student works.

The parent seminar accompanying the "Places to Publish" workshop is titled "Peer Relations Among the Gifted."

"This is a wonderful opportunity for bright writers to get professional help from college faculty and graduate students," said DeVries. "It's also an opportunity for graduate students to learn about gifted students and how their curriculum needs to be differentiated to meet their needs." She also noted that the workshop provides parents with a chance to get information about gifted students and meet other parents who have similar interests.

For more information, contact professor Beisser at (515) 271-4850 or DeVries at (515) 242-7910.