Call for Program Proposals

Writing is in motion as never before: students text one another on the go and around the clock; colleagues and friends use wikis to brainstorm and to co-author important documents; choreographers and filmmakers use motion-capture technology to “write down” movement and gesture; and poets invent new multimedia poetic forms. The places we write, and the features of the writing we value, are today more varied – and often more contested – than ever before.

One especially prominent dimension of these changes is a reconfiguration of public and private space. A single ordinary writing activity today may traverse any number of borders. Classrooms connect with non-academic audiences via public electronic portfolios and blogs; private companies partner with public universities to digitize library holdings; personal emails and business memos are archived in the NCTE National Gallery of Writing; faculty share course materials with students on other continents.

We welcome proposals in a variety of formats that interpret the conference themes from multiple perspectives. Regardless of format (see Session Types below), each proposal should provide the following:

• 250 words (up to 500 words total for panels or roundtables) or a 2-minute video or other multimedia piece describing or demonstrating in detail what will happen during the session,
• specifics on how it will facilitate interaction and/or dialogue,
• information about what technologies it will employ to do so,
• and one or more keywords to tag proposals and sessions.

In dialogue with the ongoing professional conversation about making conferences more accessible, we are asking participants to submit full versions or detailed outlines of their papers or presentations, and any peripheral materials, by Wednesday, May 11, a week in advance, so that they may be posted to the conference website. By providing a paper or an outline of talking points and a statement of the main argument, and/or written descriptions or transcripts of visual images or video, participants will make the conference more accessible to all. Some collateral benefits of this practice will be, first, to enable participants to read/view materials in advance and engage in fuller dialogue during sessions, and second, to create a living document that will allow conference conversations to continue.

In the interest of including as many people as possible on the program, we ask that you submit a proposal for only one speaking role. Speakers should plan on making use of relevant technology, rather than simply reading papers.

SESSION TYPES

Conversation Starters:  5-minute individual presentations facilitate vigorous and lively dialogue among session attendees by offering (i) a discussion point, (ii) evidence for the point, and (iii) two or three questions to initiate conversation. Conversation Starters can be presented in a range of formats, e.g., orally, through image, audio, video, or a combination of these.

New Media Poster/Installation:  “Posters” display new media research and pedagogy in their natural habitat – on screen (video, slidecast, game, interactive website, etc.), or using other appropriate equipment. Where possible, new media posters and installations will be thematically grouped in sessions to enable broader discussion.

New Media Performance/Presentation:  1-to-75-minute new media performances and presentations use digital tools – whether audio, visual, or multimedia – to create art in any form (animation, dance, poetry, music, video, drama, etc.).

Mini-workshops:  75-minute sessions provide a highly interactive space for engaging participants in novel curricular approaches, development of action plans for addressing a pressing instructional dilemma, learning a new technological skill, or innovative technological developments in the field.

Mentoring Workshops:  These 75-minute interactive sessions are designed to extend the work of the Graduate Research Network throughout the conference, or to offer other opportunities for mentoring and professional development to new participants in the field. Proposals should include a clear explanation of activities. Registration for accepted sessions will be available prior to the conference.

Half-day or Full-day Workshops:  3- or 6-hour workshops offer opportunities for engaged and in-depth introductions to new developments or current issues. Proposals should include a schedule and clear explanation of activities.

Panels or Roundtables:  75-minute sessions consist of three to four 10- to 15-minute presentations or five to seven 5-minute conversation starters linked around a single topic. At least 20 minutes should be allocated for discussion. Proposals should include a brief overview of the topic and of each speaker's role. Priority will be given to proposals that foreground interaction or exchange among panelists and/or audience.

Individual Presentations in Search of a Panel:  15-minute presentations will be combined with other individual submissions to create a coherent panel. Presenters will be expected to contact one another in advance of the conference to plan dialogue and exchange among panelists and/or with the audience.

To submit a proposal, please complete the form here .