Conference Program (PDF)
Urban Sites Network Events
2012 Urban Sites Network Conference
Writing Beyond Borders: Power and Change in Urban Education
April 13–14, 2012
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Tulsa Downtown
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Host site: Oklahoma State University Writing Project
The Oklahoma State University Writing Project is proud to serve as your host for the 2012 Urban Sites Network Conference, Writing Beyond Borders: Power and Change in Urban Education.
Join urban educators from around the country to explore how writing can empower students and teachers to make change in their sites in a way that redefines, transcends, and navigates prevailing borders.
Registration
Registration is no longer open for this event.
Accommodations and Transportation
Rooms for the conference are available at The Doubletree Hotel Tulsa Downtown.
- Reservations by phone: Call the hotel at (800) 838-7914 and ask for the National Writing Project's block of rooms or mention the group code: NWC. (Rooms are available for the following dates at the conference rate: April 12–April 15): $105—Single/double occupancy, plus tax.
- Reservations online: Go to http://www.tulsadowntown.doubletree.com
, select the dates and preferences, click Go, and under the "Special Accounts" section enter the Group ID Code in the box next to "Group/Convention Code": NWC. - Transportation: Complimentary airport shuttle service and hotel shuttle service within a five-mile radius of the hotel is provided; call (918) 587-8000 for arrangements. Also, taxi service is available from the Tulsa International Airport; estimated fares between the Tulsa International Airport and the hotel are $24.
Keynote Speaker
Julie Landsman taught in the Minneapolis Public Schools for 25 years and also has taught education and creative writing at Carleton College, Hamline University, St. Thomas University, Metropolitan State University, and the Loft Literary Center.
Her newest book, Growing Up White: A Veteran Teacher Reflects on Racism , has just been released by Rowman and Littlefield, which also publishes her books, Basic Needs: A Year With Street Kids in a City School and A White Teacher Talks About Race , memoirs and reflections on teaching in urban schools. Landsman co-edited, with Professor Chance Lewis of Texas A&M University, White Teachers and Diverse Classrooms, A Guide to Building Inclusive Schools, Promoting High Expectations, and Eliminating Racism .
Friday Presenters
Tim Tingle, Choctaw Native American, has spoken at numerous Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English state conferences and statewide gatherings of the International Reading Association on topics such as folklore, creative writing, and storytelling. He creates memorable speeches by combining performance, authorship, interviews, music, and brief scenes from his published writings.
Carter Revard was born and raised on the Osage reservation in Oklahoma. His autobiography, Family Matters, Tribal Affairs , was an Oklahoma Book Award Finalist for Non-Fiction in 1999, and won the Wordcraft Circle Writer of the Year award in 2000. An Eagle Nation , was the Oklahoma Book Award Winner for Poetry in 1994. His Osage name is Nompehwahteh, which means "Fear-inspiring."
Conference Highlights
» Thursday Afternoon- Explore the Jewish Holocaust at the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art with the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and the Holocaust Educators Council.
- Visits to local schools and surrounding historic neighborhoods
- Experience downtown Tulsa architecture and hidden tunnels with a writing marathon
- Experience the historic Tulsa African American Greenwood District with a writing marathon
- Explore peer-based education and outreach with the Openarms Youth Project for LGBT
- Enjoy readings with Carter Revard
- Enjoy Native American storytelling with Tim Tingle
- Evening reception
- Dinner and student performances
- After-hours entertainment
- Breakfast buffet
- Keynote speaker Julie Landsman
- Lunch Buffet
- Annual USN Town Hall Meeting
- Book vendors
Downloadable Files
2012 USN Conference Program
Download PDF
