The Final Project...

Finding Workshop

I think that this journey can best be described as a winding river (although I am partial to the word “tributary” in that it holds a stronger connotation of meandering), with lots of offshoots that could take me in various directions.  

When I first climbed into my “vessel” and pushed off from the shore, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to find.  I had some supplies with me and I knew that I would use what I had in new and unusual ways.  I trusted in the course, in the constant flow of water, to push me along towards a destination, I just didn’t quite know where that would ultimately be.  With each new piece of information that I learned, I took a side trip down a smaller stream, exploring the different modalities of digital storytelling much in the way I would explore a small pond or, in some cases, the edges of a vast ocean. 

As I traveled along through this journey, there were many times when I had to trust in the tides.  Often I would paddle furiously, trying to Get Somewhere…and then there were long periods when I would drift, continuing to move forward, but relying on the forces around me to help me along to the next moment.  It wasn’t until I came close to my final destination that I realized that I needed both; the quiet contemplation was necessary to balance the frenetic work of movement.  I never capsized, but I definitely took on a bit too much water.  

Tonight, though, I’m able to tie up to the dock. Drop anchor. Reign in the sails.  Rest for just a bit.  

I began by trying to find my father’s story and, instead, I found my own. The story that I ultimately set out to tell was about what I do each day in my classroom.  In the end, it became a love letter to Writing Workshop.  While I haven’t abandoned my father’s story, digital or otherwise, I am committed to telling the story of Workshop to whomever is willing to listen.