Good writing may be the quintessential 21st century skill.
Just as the nature of and expectation for literacy has changed in the past century and a half, so has the nature of writing. Today people write as never before--texting, on blogs, with video cameras and cell phones, and, yes, even with traditional pen and paper. People write at home, at work, inside and out of school.
Literacy education and literacy practices are in the midst of a profound change. Our schools and our nation need to recognize and validate the many ways we all are writing. And we need to make sure that all students have the opportunity to write and learn in intellectually stimulating classrooms. We need to develop new models of writing; design a new curriculum supporting these modesl; and create models for teaching that curriculum.
National Day on Writing
- To draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing we engage in and help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft, NCTE has established October 20, 2009, as the National Day on Writing.
- To celebrate composition in all its forms, we are inviting diverse participants --students, teachers, parents, grandparents, service and industrial workers, managers, business owners, legislators, retirees and many more -- to submit a piece of writing to the National Gallery of Writing.
National High School and College Writing Awards
- NCTE, in partnership with The Norman Mailer Writers Colony, will sponsor annual awards for high school and college writing.