Last night I was poised to begin my novel at midnight, but honestly, I cheated.  I couldn’t wait so at 11:30, I opened my Word document and slowly started, clicking back and forth between the online site and my document.  I was waiting for the virtual balloons to officially mark our start, but nothing!

So, I just started writing and it felt great!  I am writing with characters I know from my life and my writing past, Jessie, resembling me and Molly resembling my first manacurist.  A few summers ago I created a series of episodes featuring these characters and then I left them and moved on to other challenges and projects.

When I wondered about what I could write about for the month of November, they came to me immediately.  I have no interest in the returning to my older pieces.  They need a fresh view as I do.  So we are all older and more experienced.

I wrote half of my first day’s numbers last night, took a break to sleep and then continued early this morning and I wrote three chapters with my girls and went beyond the1600.

I know it’s only DAY 1 but I’m feeing good.  Feeling like I could go beyond today.

I will to have a some insurance for the busier days.

Bonnie

I love this part of the process-finishing something and then reflecting about it. It’s 6 am and I just opened my computer and watched this conference piece once again, here on my blog. How cool is that? I could put it through another draft, but I think I’m going to leave it alone for now.

I shot this piece on April 1 and it’s July 3. I could have completed this piece sooner, but I did stay away from, avoiding it as is my MO but at least a month of the delay was beyond my control. Computer problems and at the end of month of repair efforts I walked out of my Apple store a brand new computer, an upgrade from the original one just about to turn a year old. So it was a win, win for me and the pressure was on to get moving before our SI begins on Monday. I have another DS due for our opening day. Ah deadlines, I work best with that real-world demand.

So what happened to get this one created?

It was different. I was an observer, holding tightly to my video camera and moving with the group of participants as they began the day in one place and watching them with the inspiration and expertize of the workshop presenters, shift.

It was exciting and I wanted to document that shift and I think I did. Now I’m wondering how could we take it to the next step. What happened when those excited teachers returned home and back to their classrooms. How can we know?

As I created this piece I was engaged in my own learning. New software to create a piece with more bells and whistles mostly centered in the opening sequence, using Motion. Funny, no one mentioned that in their comments. Well, Tuvia did and my guy at Apple did and I felt good about finally creating it on my own after a few sessions of having someone break down the program’s complexities for me. I have yet another fat manual for future reference.

So my computer left me waiting, the software slowed me down, as I returned to my learning stance, and then there’s my own procrastination, avoiding the video I shot, documenting the day. I had lots of video, an hour of video and from that I only really needed 5 minutes, 6…I settled for 7 , almost 8.

Ugh, how do you edit to the day’s essence?

I remember early conference calls with the ELL NWP team. I remember thinking through I goals for the piece, to document participant ahaas..I remember Paul Oh cautioning me about setting my expectations lower given the usual realities of a conference day. I think that with the manageable number of 30, it was easier to follow faces that grew familiar.

Okay I finally began watching my hour of video and creating groups of clips in simple chronological order from start to finish, following the day’s structure: last minute preparations, tech lit icebreaker, first collaboration exercise….on and on…

Of course I wondered about what I didn’t capture. Not enough tape from Lynn’s workshop, Judy moved away from the camera too much, how much of Paul’s keynote would work with the focus of my piece, how could I use presentations as voice overs with action? I kept watching section after section and cutting…lots of cutting…even after the first draft went up and I got some comments from Kevin, I went back and cut more and then as the piece remained with me when I turned off the computer, I was relived, i still had everything I cut, in reserve if I needed to bring it back.

And what was hardest, merging the voice and visuals and smoothing it all out with transitions and of course the use of the camera, wondering why I moved when I did. Did my jet lag hold me back from being more engaged in the day?

So a piece was created given all the delays, procrastination, the issues and that’s the magic and yes, I am satisfied that I was able to capture the process of the participant experience.

Now let’s see how others feel, but I’m feeling good. I remember how I felt as I finished directing a high school play. Loved being in that creative process and creating these digital pieces are offering me another opportunity to get immersed in a collaborative process. Love this too.

And there’s one more thing that needs to be brought into the mix, this was a comissioned piece. So I think I viewed the whole creative process differently.  I didn’t write the text for it.  I was the to document and nervous that my vision would do justice to the hard work of others and that we were on the same page.  It was great to put a draft here, ask for feedback and get it.

Thanks to everyone who watched and to those like Kevin and Elyse and Judy who offered great feedback.  I hope the latest version incorporated the suggestions.

Bonnie

I’ve presented my digital storytelling workshop many times and still there’s always a need to keep it fresh, keep me fresh and on my toes.

I got the Common Conference invitation from my old pal Jane before I left for Israel and sent BOCES my bio and blurb while I via email before we returned, but it was way too early to do anything about it except start to simmer the pot way in the back of my brain. After all there were things coming way sooner than the end of April and I must enjoy the torture of procrastination.

Okay, we are now entering the week of the conference. I have met with the BOCES coordinator, signed on dotted lines in front of an authorized notary and even promised to send them special delivery, a copy of my passport. Things are getting very official, even for a conference presenter.

It’s Monday and the conference is Friday and my deadline is Thursday because that’s the day I will be in New Paltz to get my handout packet xeroxed and of course I develop a head cold/allergy attack Tuesday that takes me through lunch on Wednesday but miraculously, lunch with Marie France at Strawberry Place in Nyack clears my head and I return home refreshed and ready to tackle my challenge.

I spend hours blending fragments together and thinking a lot and not feeling anymore guilt. Nice.

I want to keep the NFA piece that I’ve been using, “Taking Advantage of Time”, even though it’s not as gritty as other pieces. But the power of her voice, transforms the text and that’s magical for me. I watched her closely throughout the process and even though I’m not exactly sure where some of her images and sophisticated word choices came from, her piece is powerful in its full force of words, images and music.

As the piece finishes, I ask the group ( a large one in the first session) to write about what strikes them about her DS piece and everyone, with the exception of two buddies in the back are ready to work with me. (I have to remember to use my digital recorder to document the responses.) I get great responses.

Participants are mining their initial reactions. A man in the back of the classroom remembers his international experience working with engineers new to English and now in a second career as a teacher considers the ELL students he has in his math class and wonders how he could use ds with them.

With my new use of Apple’s Keynote, I’ve added a slide of Lisbet’s text and paragraph by paragraph participants read and comment on the text and layer the text back into the ds and what happened to this text as it was mixed with the media elements.

We look at the DS elements slide I have created one that’s more user friendly than the one in the handout packet, borrowing from Trace and Joe.

Then it’s time for the group to get messy and write. As always, there are some clearly uncomfortable to be writing as a writers, others thrilled to have the chance and some on the fence. I have the prompt on a slide and I don’t want the two in the back to get more distracted with the full packet quite yet. So everyone writes to my standard, Joe Lambert’s fork-in-the-road, a la Robert Frost and there’s plenty of time for them to get into this. They are writing, thinking and it’s silent. There’s an 1 1/2 hour block and then a good snack break almost an hour. So there’s no rushing to the next thing. Nice.

I slowly move them to revision. Pointing back to their draft, mining for golden nuggets. and then selecting one to begin again. The revision can continue from the original or it could something that’s brand new. Always their choice and I want to keep stressing that they should write free and not worry about the next stage, the share. It’s up to them what they share. The key is the process. What happens to them in this writing experience and what could it mean to their students?

They write again. 10 minutes. Then the share. My favorite time of the workshop. Pairs, trios, I encourage strangers to get together and most people seem to be introducing themselves and that’s fantastic. Some are reading their pieces, some are sharing their process . I let them set the time limit now.

The conversation that follows feels like a bonding experience for the group. I am not using my digital recorder again, not scripting this, ugh. Each group shares their writing experience and many offer thoughts and questions. One guy wonders how what ds would look like with natives and I smile. I have Alison’s back in the mix to share next.

The reflections are rich and the many are thrilled to have been writing and unearthing personal life moments. We talk about private/personal, other prompts for different kids, time lines and how to best deal with the teacher and technology. It’s also a perfect opportunity to talk about how I use this prompt with teachers in the HVWP’s SI in a story circle and why this prompt is so good at opening the door to authentic writing.

Now to Alison’s piece. Here I offer them the booklet. I have them read Alison’s early draft and then the final one before they see her DS. I’m cruious to see what they think about her process as a writer and why she has made the changes to the piece that she did and then how the writing works with the media elements.

A thoughtful woman is blown away by Alison’s commitment to the piece as she moved from the early to final draft and the conversation focuses on the commitment to audience and the life experiences of the student brought alive in this process. Alison’s tribute to a family friend lost to cancer is powerful on the page and then the ds piece takes the group to that next layer. We are able to talk here about publishing to an authentic audience. Alison was able to bring Neil’s family a DVD and share the her tribute with them. She presented with me at a faculty meeting and at NYSEC but her most powerful experience was with his family.

It’s a great chance too, to talk about how teachers new to the tech, like I was with Alison can get comfortable with it slowly. Learning first with easy software( Photo Story 3 for the PC and Imovie for the Apple!). I share my one-on-one experience with Alison and a few other students before introducing DS into larger groups. One teacher lights up with that suggestion.

Sad to say, that moving back and forth between DS on disks and the Keynote presentation, I pressed the wrong key and the computer and LCD projector started fighting. I lost the promise of taking the group through a few slices on the PC software. And one woman was so disappointed. I promised to support her as best I could with an email. And thrown off as I was sprinting to the end I lost a bit of my concentration with the last few comments. But as the group left a number stayed behind, passing up a spot of the food line to continue on with me. NICE.

As everyone left I needed to figure out what went wrong and get ready for the next session. I grabbed a Jenny Craig protein bar, my water bottle and I took a walk to the cafeteria. Break time. I ran into more of the group and spent time answering questions. What a great time!

Workshop two was a breeze. No computer glitches, the group was much smaller and I was relaxed and with them. Success and exhaustion. I had a long ride to Paramus and I needed something to eat. Diet coke, pretzels, frozen yogurt, bathroom breaks along the Thruway and Tuvia waiting to get me to take a nap before we left for dinner in Hoboken.

Great day!

Writing on my blog, on other blogs, sending emails, working on digital pieces, working on articles, grants…writing. I realized today as I was diligently composing my daily early morning journal piece that I like, love to write. I spend most of my time on this computer writing, writing. Imagine. I have spent years running away from the pleasure of writing.

At the moment I was slowly working on a piece for the NWP and taking lots of time avoiding the actual writing, until I was so eaten up with guilt I opened the file and spent the day reading and writing. Looking over at the quotes Kevin so speedily sent me to use in the article. Of course I didn’t really write the whole day, but I actively worked on the piece and enjoyed the challenge even if I’m not totally sure where it’s going. I’m confident it will get there because Paul will be working on it with me and then other will check in as well.

So once again, writing is something social, to be shared and talked about. It’s not an isolated and lonely process. Of course it can be. Lots of writers suffered their way through to the end of their great pieces. For me, I’m so much happier working hand in hand with others. It’s been so cool to talk through this piece with Paul. So cool.

I am not concerned about what he will think of me as a writer when I send him something. I will instead be waiting to see what he thinks and what I still need to do. It’s really a cool process, but it’s shared and that’s what I love.

Actually, as I think about it, that’s what I love about writing on this blog. I don’t know if anyone is reading this. But what fuels me, is the possibility that someone will. It’s exciting. I would never bother if it were just for my eyes alone, preserved in a notebook.

I don’t usually reread my blog posts, but I could and I like how they look when I finish them.

I take that back. I really would like to read these at another time.

It’s so much fun to write about my writing….ahhh the process of reflection…too bad I couldn’t bring this power home to the group I worked with on Friday. What a frustration!

Okay…enough for now….I actually just reread the article draft from yesterday and it’s not bad.

Nice! Writing, what fun!

Today began like many great days, slowly but with focus and challenge: a new school district to work with, teachers on a Friday afternoon with no connection to the HVWP .

I was on the Garden State at 9:15 with time to stop and fill up my tank with gasonline still under $3.00 in New Jersey. I was playing JT (James Taylor)on my ipod, a blend of his holiday album and a new live one stripped down with just JT singing, playing guitar and his piano player. Honestly, when JT and I were both beginning our adult lives, I was casual about him.  Sure, I listened to his tunes and sang along but he didn’t move he then, the way he does now.  Then I needed more grit, ie. Laura Nyro. But now, he’s a warm blanket for me, as he ages, so do I.  How many of you reading this post, love JT, raise your hands now! Okay let’s continue.
So my tank is filled and Eric with Karen and Diane are on their way from New Paltz.  We are set to meet at a diner my brother reminds me that I know well. Yes, the one across from the Kiamisha shopping center  where we spent many hours watching movies at the theater.

Okay, I’m on Thruway, I’m on Route 17 and the road is with me.  JT and my thoughts about our workshop and my memories of childhood are filling around me as I signal off the ramp onto local roads. As soon as I get to route 42, I could close my eyes and return to any summer up until I graduated college and I would be back on this particular road driving with friends for movies, meals and hotels, for hot guys.

I signal into the diner parking lots and Eric is right behind me and surprise we are both driving Toyota Prius’s and in BLUE. He does have a peace sign covering his gas cap, I don’t. Okay so he has made his car his own.  Eric is THRILLED to be here and getting vision his off the ground. The four of us crowd into a booth in the quiet diner and we order: breakfast for me, soup for everyone else.

We begin to plan for the session with Eric’s handouts and we work together. I offer suggestions and wonder if I should back off. I’ve been here before and they all know it. I don’t want to steal Eric’s thunder and I don’t think I do. Diane will be working with me, Eric and Karen solo. We are running three identical sessions at the same time and we have talked together and Eric as coordinator has taken his role very seriously and I think it’s all good even with a short session of 1 1/2 hours. Okay.

We have eaten, we’ve talked through our plans and we are back in our blue Prius’s on to Fallsburgh HS. PSYCHED!

Diane and I find our room and set up the tables into one circle. By the time we finish, the group starts to find their way in, after a full session in the auditorium.  How many of our group are excited to be working with us? I won’t even take a guess. We are tipped off about a talky trio who will be joining us. I offer some friendly greetings as our group enters in pairs, singles. etc. I’ve been here before, as them, as me. I know both sides and I will try to be funny and kind and professional. Diane, I hope she feels included. Two of the participants are Bonnies, how unusual. We are bonded from the start.

Everyone creates a name plate. I am in the center. It’s hard with the size of our circle to move in and out. Diane is up in the front, but ready to move when necessary. We begin with their writing about their writing identities, I threw that out at Eric at the diner and held on to it. He gave in, concerned only about the time. They are relieved that they didn’t have to share. I move them along, maybe too quickly. Some want to write more, some are finished in seconds. Writing? They are probably surprised that they had to do any writing.

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Now they write about writing about their classrooms and that was easier.  Then a share with pairs selected by me. HS with elementary and breaking friends up.  First the silence of writing and then the burst of focused energy let loose. Two things I love. It feels  powerful and productive. Their opportunities to share their classrooms. The pairs share out with the whole group and it’s powerful once again.

Then on to the reading. I model by reading and sharing the double entry journal and then they read and write.  Most are engaged, I think. But we have competition, THE SNOW outside, the announcements over the PA about the snow, the eyes gazing outside, my eyes gazing outside.  But we keep moving and sharing and working through the agenda.

One last section, reflection.  They could have had one last share but I put that on hold to move them to the article we were leaving them with and the homework assignment. I think I should have had them share their reflections but that’s from the comfort of my parents’ home,  at that moment, they seemed ready to bolt and honestly, I felt the same. So everyone left with the tools for our return session.  If there were questions, they had directions on paper, clearly prepared by Eric.

Eric and Karen met us as we finished and we were all feeling good and concerned about our rides home. Eric went first but traveling down that first snowcovered hill right outside the school…ugh…a nailbitter right off the bat.

I wonder, did Diane feel that she could added more?  It felt good to me. Eric? Karen? Diane? Am I leaving anything out?