Putting the "Author" in "Authority"

I think this would be a great way to promote writing with our secondary students. Check out the full article.

Putting the “Author” in “Authority”
Publication: Eureka Reporter Date: November 2, 2007

Summary: In this issue of his monthly column for the Eureka Reporter, Bob Sizoo of the Redwood Writing Project tells how he inspires students by revealing that they can gain authority over their lives through writing.

While pointing out that the words “author” and “authority” come from the same root, Sizoo quotes George Orwell to his students: “If you can not write well, you can not think well, and if you can not think well, others will do your thinking for you.” He then explains to students how their writing skills will be critical to their college experience.
Sizoo codirected the Redwood Writing Project at Humboldt State University (HSU) in Northern California for 20 years. He is now Writing Programs Codirector for the site, coordinating their annual writing retreat each summer. For the last three years, he has been the Early Assessment Program Coordinator at the university, working with high school students and their teachers to reduce the need for remediation in college. He also teaches education classes to prospective elementary teachers at HSU, and supervises student teachers. With the goal of encouraging a more “college-going culture” among local youth, he writes a monthly column for the local newspaper, the Eureka Reporter, entitled On College Going.
Read the full article in the Eureka Reporter.

http://eurekareporter.com/node/93722