SMS students engage in virtual session with Gravenor, senior copywriter in New York

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Students in Swainsboro Middle School English Language Arts (ELA) classes were virtually introduced to guest speaker Kay Gravenor Wednesday, February 17, as she spoke to local youth about the use of argumentative writing in a real-world context. Gravenor is a senior copywriter for a large advertising film in New York, working specifically in the field of medical advertising where all advertising claims must be evaluated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During the virtual presentation made possible by SMS Teacher Amy Atkinson, Gravenor highlighted the importance of reviewing medical research to ensure that all advertising claims are backed by relevant evidence, which corresponded perfectly with ELA Standard W1 that current sixth graders are learning about in their classes.
“The students very much enjoyed hearing Ms. Gravenor speak. They were very engaged and asked great questions after her presentation. The most popular part of the presentation was when Ms. Gravenor shared examples of a commercial and social media post from a pharmaceutical brand she had worked on. I think seeing real world examples really helped the concepts we've been learning about in class come alive. We have been studying argumentative and persuasive writing. I have emphasized that if they want people to believe their claims, they must support their ideas with relevant evidence from credible sources. Ms. Gravenor showed them how important that can be in the real world, since her company can be fined and sanctioned for putting out unsubstantiated claims. I could see the concept finally "clicked" with some students when they heard her talk about her experience,” Atkinson stated.
The virtual session was held via Google Meet and allowed each sixth grade block and some seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to participate in live Q&A. Following each session, students took time to reflect and discuss connections between what was learned through Gravenor’s virtual presentation and what is instructed in the Swainsboro classrooms by completing a written reflection about the experience.
"The kids asked so many great questions—what motivates me, how I knew I wanted to be a writer, what happens when I make a mistake at work? It made me realize how important it is to give kids perspective. Like, what does what I'm learning have to do with the 'real' world? I'm so glad I was able to show them an example! I remember being a kid and wondering what I could be when I grew up. I'm so blessed to have found a career I'm so passionate about, and I hope I was able to help them visualize themselves finding their own passions and turning them into a rewarding career,” Gravenor added.

Below are a few sample student responses from the reflection portion held that day:
Emma Jay Irvin - What I found interesting was the commercial because I was like "I've seen that commercial before." 
Daylan Riner - Two ways how Ms. Gravenor's presentation connects to what we have been learning about argumentative writing is that she has to have a claim for her commercials and evidence to back up her claim. 
Cameron Cummings - She talked about how she has to have credible evidence for her claim and how it has to be effective and coherent so she can advertise the product. Ms. Gravenor takes her product and uses credible evidence that comes from the FDA or other legit resources.