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Virginia Tech

Sparks, Celebrations, and Kids: An Ethnographic Study of Writers Club

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This descriptive study was designed to be an in-depth, ethnographic study of an after-school Writers Club that had been part of the fabric of a metropolitan area elementary school's culture for 12 years. The purpose of this research was to learn more about meaning-based pedagogy by examining Writers Club and the activities conducted within it with a focus on reading aloud. As the narrowing focus on skill and drill practices that are a by product of high stakes testing continues to grab time, attention, and headlines, educators and policymakers deserve access to examples of more meaning-based pedagogy in actual contexts. This research was focused on the activities that occurred during club meetings as well as on the meanings that participants of the club made concerning those activities, particularly as they related to the embedded read alouds. Revealed through the voices of selected participants, Writers Club proved to be a venue for read aloud events that built upon the reading/writing connection and served to allow children to develop as writers amongst a community that included adults as well as peers.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Education
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Curriculum and Instruction
Department dc:contributor.department
Curriculum and Instruction
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2009

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • DeFilippo, Carol Lynne
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Lalik, Rosary V.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Day-Vines, Norma L.
  • Felder, Monique
  • Belli, Gabriella M.

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-12222009-111210
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/40475

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

DeFilippo, Carol Lynne. Sparks, Celebrations, and Kids: An Ethnographic Study of Writers Club. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40475