Looking Ahead
Writing My Story
by Lisa Stringfellow
Writing a novel is like driving a car at night.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
-- E. L. Doctorow
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
-- E. L. Doctorow
In some ways, our life story is like a novel. Much of the time we are like the main character, going about our daily business unaware of the twists and turns ahead and riding them out as they come. In that embodiment, we are just a participant. Other times we feel like the narrator. We know a little more than "us" the character and can stand back and reflect on our actions and emotions, but we still exist within the confines of the story and only go where it takes us. In this role, we are the thoughtful observer. And still other times, we can feel like the writer, making choices that help the main character develop and grow and ultimately achieve what he or she wants most. Here we are the decision maker.
The theme of authoring fits my MAED experience in many ways. When I started the program three years ago, I did it for several reasons. First, I wanted to fulfill the long deferred goal of completing my education and achieving a master's degree. That was an important personal milestone and one I held on to throughout challenges in my life. Next, I also had the desire to broaden my professional horizons and see what other options might exist for me. After teaching for 16 years and holding several positions in my school, including technology coordinator and interim middle school director, I had a better idea of what I didn't want to do than what I wanted to do. I loved being in the classroom and with students, but I was curious about other avenues I might explore.
What I didn't expect going back to school would do is change my thinking and empower me to be a decision maker. In some ways I feel I had grown into a passive educator. I was a good teacher who worked hard and cared about my students, but I also fell into the trap of doing things the way they had always been done. In my life "novel," I was a character that followed the rules and did what was expected and hadn't yet tapped into my potential for more.
From my very first course, I was pushed to expand my thinking. Teaching Subject Matter with Technology introduced me to ideas I had never thought about related to digital citizenship and online responsibility. As I became an online learner and explored what it meant to be a 21st century teacher, I began thinking about how my learning applied to my students. I started asking them questions. What did they know about copyright and appropriate use of digital material found online? Not much. While taking Electronic Portfolios for Teaching and Learning, I asked them what work they valued and whether it was ever shared? I heard about about projects in which they invested time and creativity, but, sadly, many were never shared beyond the classroom. These lessons and conversations were revelatory and moved me from feeling like a passive character in a story up to a plane where I could see directions and opportunities. Like an omniscient narrator, I was clued into details about where the story might be heading.
My next question became how could I help my students become active learners who could use technology to facilitate deeper and more meaningful learning experiences? This is where decision-making became a part of my learning and teaching. I began seeing connections between my curriculum and teaching practices and the skills and knowledge I was gaining. It was time to apply. I gradually began the journey from the land of "Status Quo" to the island of "Disruptive Innovation."
Now, as the writer of the novel, I have the power to set in motion changes that will excite me as an educator, engage my students in important lessons, and teach them the skills necessary to be literate, competent, and critical learners. My classroom has become an educational laboratory where students and I learn together. I have worked to redesign my curriculum to integrate literacy learning with digital content and skills. And even as I reflect on the successes and failures that come with such risk-taking, I have an eye on the horizon. As a teacher, I am eager for what will come next. In reflecting on the quote above from E. L. Doctorow, I can't always see very far down the road, but I know in which direction I'm heading and that it is a trip worth taking.
So, now that my character is on the road seeking challenges and growing from the experience, what is next? I know a few certainties and possibilities. First, I am certain that active learning will continue to be a part of my personal and professional life. In the past three years, I have become an avid seeker and collector of knowledge. I have thousands of bookmarks saved in Diigo, a social bookmarking site, and the act of bookmarking websites, blogs, and educational resources is a daily habit for me now. I have found Twitter to be a vital part of my professional growth and development and have also used it as a vehicle for sharing knowledge I have accumulated with others. Like my students, I use Google and YouTube to teach myself how to do things, from learning how to twist yarn into a skein to discovering how to load custom brushes into Photoshop for artistic work.
Professionally, I know I enjoy being in the classroom but will consider ways I can be a teacher leader and resource to my colleagues. I am usually a first adopter of educational technology in my school and enjoy helping other teachers gain skill and confidence in using whatever technology interests them. I will continue to look for ways to serve in leadership roles and to advance thoughtful and sound uses of technology for learning. Although I am sure that I want to keep one foot firmly in the classroom, I also know that I can do just as much good in the staff room in helping students and teachers learn.
Lastly, the authoring metaphor connects to another goal, writing. As a lifelong reader and middle school English teacher, I have long thought about writing a book myself one day. Since starting my degree program, I've thought more about this and actually have had opportunities in two MAED classes to explore my ideas. The confidence I built in those experiences motivated me to take action and I recently joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the professional organization for those who publish for children. I also joined a local writing critique group through the SCBWI and am going to my first conference this September. As an effort in positive visualization, I created a web presence for myself as a writer (www.LisaStringfellow.com). There's not much there now, but hopefully there will be someday! Although I am focusing on creative writing currently, I am also interested in writing professional books for educators related to literacy and technology. Whether it be sharing resources I have used in my classroom or creating strategies for teaching digital literacy, I think I have something worthwhile to contribute.
Life is full of possibilities, but sometimes it takes the right collision of events to wake us up to them. For me the MAED program at Michigan State University has been the catalyst that spurred me to take notice. There's a long road ahead, but I'm eager to see where it takes me.
The theme of authoring fits my MAED experience in many ways. When I started the program three years ago, I did it for several reasons. First, I wanted to fulfill the long deferred goal of completing my education and achieving a master's degree. That was an important personal milestone and one I held on to throughout challenges in my life. Next, I also had the desire to broaden my professional horizons and see what other options might exist for me. After teaching for 16 years and holding several positions in my school, including technology coordinator and interim middle school director, I had a better idea of what I didn't want to do than what I wanted to do. I loved being in the classroom and with students, but I was curious about other avenues I might explore.
What I didn't expect going back to school would do is change my thinking and empower me to be a decision maker. In some ways I feel I had grown into a passive educator. I was a good teacher who worked hard and cared about my students, but I also fell into the trap of doing things the way they had always been done. In my life "novel," I was a character that followed the rules and did what was expected and hadn't yet tapped into my potential for more.
From my very first course, I was pushed to expand my thinking. Teaching Subject Matter with Technology introduced me to ideas I had never thought about related to digital citizenship and online responsibility. As I became an online learner and explored what it meant to be a 21st century teacher, I began thinking about how my learning applied to my students. I started asking them questions. What did they know about copyright and appropriate use of digital material found online? Not much. While taking Electronic Portfolios for Teaching and Learning, I asked them what work they valued and whether it was ever shared? I heard about about projects in which they invested time and creativity, but, sadly, many were never shared beyond the classroom. These lessons and conversations were revelatory and moved me from feeling like a passive character in a story up to a plane where I could see directions and opportunities. Like an omniscient narrator, I was clued into details about where the story might be heading.
My next question became how could I help my students become active learners who could use technology to facilitate deeper and more meaningful learning experiences? This is where decision-making became a part of my learning and teaching. I began seeing connections between my curriculum and teaching practices and the skills and knowledge I was gaining. It was time to apply. I gradually began the journey from the land of "Status Quo" to the island of "Disruptive Innovation."
Now, as the writer of the novel, I have the power to set in motion changes that will excite me as an educator, engage my students in important lessons, and teach them the skills necessary to be literate, competent, and critical learners. My classroom has become an educational laboratory where students and I learn together. I have worked to redesign my curriculum to integrate literacy learning with digital content and skills. And even as I reflect on the successes and failures that come with such risk-taking, I have an eye on the horizon. As a teacher, I am eager for what will come next. In reflecting on the quote above from E. L. Doctorow, I can't always see very far down the road, but I know in which direction I'm heading and that it is a trip worth taking.
So, now that my character is on the road seeking challenges and growing from the experience, what is next? I know a few certainties and possibilities. First, I am certain that active learning will continue to be a part of my personal and professional life. In the past three years, I have become an avid seeker and collector of knowledge. I have thousands of bookmarks saved in Diigo, a social bookmarking site, and the act of bookmarking websites, blogs, and educational resources is a daily habit for me now. I have found Twitter to be a vital part of my professional growth and development and have also used it as a vehicle for sharing knowledge I have accumulated with others. Like my students, I use Google and YouTube to teach myself how to do things, from learning how to twist yarn into a skein to discovering how to load custom brushes into Photoshop for artistic work.
Professionally, I know I enjoy being in the classroom but will consider ways I can be a teacher leader and resource to my colleagues. I am usually a first adopter of educational technology in my school and enjoy helping other teachers gain skill and confidence in using whatever technology interests them. I will continue to look for ways to serve in leadership roles and to advance thoughtful and sound uses of technology for learning. Although I am sure that I want to keep one foot firmly in the classroom, I also know that I can do just as much good in the staff room in helping students and teachers learn.
Lastly, the authoring metaphor connects to another goal, writing. As a lifelong reader and middle school English teacher, I have long thought about writing a book myself one day. Since starting my degree program, I've thought more about this and actually have had opportunities in two MAED classes to explore my ideas. The confidence I built in those experiences motivated me to take action and I recently joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the professional organization for those who publish for children. I also joined a local writing critique group through the SCBWI and am going to my first conference this September. As an effort in positive visualization, I created a web presence for myself as a writer (www.LisaStringfellow.com). There's not much there now, but hopefully there will be someday! Although I am focusing on creative writing currently, I am also interested in writing professional books for educators related to literacy and technology. Whether it be sharing resources I have used in my classroom or creating strategies for teaching digital literacy, I think I have something worthwhile to contribute.
Life is full of possibilities, but sometimes it takes the right collision of events to wake us up to them. For me the MAED program at Michigan State University has been the catalyst that spurred me to take notice. There's a long road ahead, but I'm eager to see where it takes me.