My friend, Todd Conaway, started the idea of a writing challenge several years ago at Yavapai College in Arizona.  Todd has recently moved to Bethel, Washington and taken the idea with him to the Northwest.  His idea is brilliant, yet simple as so many brilliant ideas are.  Ask faculty to write about teaching and learning and share their writing with colleagues via a blog.  Todd’s idea.  I stole it.

The professional development opportunity is two fold:  One, the writers think more deeply about teaching and learning.  Two, the readers are exposed to new and different ideas about teaching and learning.

Year 4 of the 4x4x16 Challenge and you’re invited!

Beginning October 24th, you are invited to write a short, 16 sentence piece of writing that will be posted on the teaching@NMC site.  The challenge is for you to write 4 pieces of writing over 4 weeks, due each Monday.  The writing will be posted on the teaching@NMC site each Monday and shared in the SCOOP newsletter.  Yavapai College and University of Washington at Bethel are also running challenges, and we will be sharing our posts with them as well.

Each week those participating in the challenge will receive a small thank you or incentive for completing their writing.  The first week is always a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream delivered to you.

Let Mark DeLonge know if you’d like to participate.

(And don’t worry about writing 16 sentences.  You just read about 18.)