Chippewa River Writing Project Leadership Team, 2020-21
Dr. Troy Hicks, Director
Dr. Troy Hicks is a professor of English and education at Central Michigan University. He directs the Chippewa River Writing Project and, previously, the Master of Arts in Learning, Design & Technology program. A former middle school teacher, Dr. Hicks is an ISTE Certified Educator and has authored numerous books, articles, chapters, blog posts, and other resources broadly related to the teaching of literacy in our digital age. He can be followed on Twitter: @hickstro
Janet Neyer, Co-Director
Janet Neyer is a teacher at Cadillac High School in northern Michigan. Over the course of her career, she has taught 9th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade students in courses such as Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, Psychology, Advanced Placement Psychology, English 11, and English 9. She has served as a teacher consultant for the CRWP in various capacities including co-editing the CRWP Teachers As Writers Blog and facilitating the Advanced Institute for the College-Ready Writers Program in the 2016-17 school year. She can be followed on Twitter: @JanetNeyer
Dr. Sharon Murchie, Leadership Institute Facilitator
Dr. Sharon Murchie teaches English at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan and is a teacher consultant for Red Cedar Writing Project and Chippewa River Writing Project. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Technology in 2019 from Central Michigan University and is driven to promote and support critical thinking, advocating for the integration of technology in thoughtful and deliberate ways. The author of Teaching the Research Paper They Want to Write (Teacher’s Discovery, 2020), Dr. Murchie has also published articles in the Michigan Reading Journal and the Language Arts Journal of Michigan. She can be followed on Twitter: @smurchies
Jeremy Hyler, Webinar Series Co-Facilitator
Jeremy Hyler is a middle school Language Arts/Science teacher at Fulton Middle School. He is a Co-Director and Teacher Consultant of the Chippewa River Writing Project (CRWP), Vice President of ATEG (Assembly of Teachers of English Grammar), and on MACUL’s SIG-OBL Steering Committee. In addition, he serves on the board of directors for MAMSE. Jeremy is a co-author of the books from texting to teaching: grammar instruction in a digital age and Create, Compose, Connect: Reading, Writing, and Learning with Digital Tools as well as numerous articles and blog posts. He can be followed on Twitter: @jeremybballer
Rebecca Schwartz, Webinar Series Co-Facilitator
Becky Schwartz is a teacher at Springport High School in Jackson County Michigan. She has taught 9 – 12th grade English throughout the course of her career. Additionally, she has taught various social studies courses and AP Computer Science Principles. She holds a Master of Arts in Instructional Technology from Saginaw Valley State University. She has served as a TC for the Chippewa River Writing Project since 2015. She can be followed on Twitter: @RSchwartz702
Andy Schoenborn, Writing Group Facilitator
Andy Schoenborn is an award-winning author and high school English teacher in Michigan at Mt. Pleasant Public Schools. He focuses his work on progressive literacy methods including student-centered critical thinking, digital collaboration, and professional development. He is a co-facilitator of the monthly #TeachWrite Facebook slow chat, past-president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, and teacher consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project. His first book, co-authored with Dr. Troy Hicks, Creating Confident Writers was published in 2020. Follow him on Twitter @aschoenborn.
Megan Kowalksi, Book Club Facilitator
Megan is a special education teacher at Walsh Elementary in Chicago, IL, where she works primarily with middle school teachers. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Central Michigan University. She later earned her teaching certificate from National Louis University and finished a master’s in education at University of Illinois Chicago. She has been an active member of the CRWP since the inaugural institute in 2009.
On Sabbatical
Dr. Elizabeth Brockman, Co-Director
Dr. Liz Brockman is an English professor at Central Michigan University, where she teaches composition/composition methods courses and serves as co-director of the Chippewa River Writing Project. Before beginning her tenure at CMU in 1995, Liz was a middle and high school ELA teacher. She writes for and serves as an editor for the CRWP Teachers as Writers blog and on a variety of academic journals.
Kathy Kurtze, Co-Director
Kathy retired in 2019 from teaching English and drama at Carson City-Crystal High School where she also served as a literacy coach for middle school teachers. As a literacy coach, she leads these teachers in their efforts to integrate reading and writing into the classroom, promoting optimal student learning. She has over thirty years of teaching experience in the English field. Kathy has extensive middle school teaching experience and has also served as a community college instructor.
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