Picture the quirky, eccentric English teacher - you know the one who would jump up and down excitedly talking about the psychoanalytic interpretations of a text or gesticulate wildly about the political poetry of apartheid South Africa - and you've got Ms. Jennifer Ward, Haverford High School English teacher and technology junkie.

This online portfolio is a collection of my work in Patty Koller's Literacy in Bloom course, offered through the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP) housed on West Chester University's campus. I was introduced to PAWLP shortly after I began my teaching career almost a decade ago by a wonderful curriculum coordinator in our district. My first class, Teacher as Writer, hooked me, and I've been taking PAWLP classes ever since. This past summer I finally was able to set aside time to participate in the summer writing institute, becoming a fellow in the National Writing Project, of which PAWLP is a regional affiliate. I am not exaggerating when I write that PAWLP has changed my teaching. The instructors, the courses, and the connections that I've made with my fellow teachers has changed how I think about what I do inside the classroom. I am a better teacher for the connections that I've made through PAWLP.

And the Literacy in Bloom class is a wonderful example of the collaborative and reflective nature of PAWLP classes. For five Saturdays, a great group of 15 teachers ranging from elementary teachers through college instructors met at Longwood Gardens to reflect and discuss our place within nature and how we might connect literacy and the natural world. We explored a variety of teaching models and strategies, collaborated to create a variety of curriculum materials, and most importantly made connections both personally and professionally.

This online portfolio strives to be a reflection and a synthesis of those connections.

Thanks for taking a peak!
--Jen Ward