Magical Meeting 2010: Dani Friesen-Bethune Presents with Holocaust Educator's Network at NWP in Orlando
Set against a backdrop of Cinderella's Castle, bright sunshine, and swaying palm trees, my experience was magical. In November 2010, I presented at the National Writing Project Annual Meeting at sunny Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
I was a part of the Holocaust Educator's Network presentation group. I shared methods of integrating both the Holocaust and technology into teaching and curriculum. Along with my HEN fellow Larry Neuberger from Missouri, I discussed the use of blogs, video diaries, GoogleDocs, Prezi presentations, and Glog projects in my Social Justice Literature course. In addition to this, I shared my students' collaborative work with Missouri students via a blog and ning. We showed how our students read Elie Wiesel's Night "together" and conversed through technology. All together, four different aspects of the Holocaust Educator's Network were presented to a packed house. My presentation highlighted the classroom level. The other levels addressed included district, regional development, and writing project outreach.
Dani with David and Ellen Field. David is on the Memorial Library Holocaust Educator's Network Board of DirectorsThe Holocaust Educator's Network also awarded me a $1,000 grant to fund books for my new Social Justice Literature course.
Both the Nebraska Writing Project and the National Writing Project Annual Meeting allow me the networking capabilities I need to be a creative and passionate educator.
Though 2010 was a magical experience, I am already looking forward to Chicago in 2011!
Story Writer: Dani Friesen-Bethune,
9-12 English, Social Justice Literature,
Journalism, Hampton Public High School
Story Editor: Mary Birky
