New Year, New Goals

A brand new year stands ready to offer up new days, new friends, new work, new challenges, new joys, anything-you-can-think-of new!

Like everyone else, I've got a few goals for those shiny new days. I want to write MORE, ride my bike more often, volunteer 2-4 days a month at our local Humane Shelter and regularly post in a wildlife (both flowers and animals) journal. Whew! Good thing I like goals and change. For me, change is energizing.

I also have a work goal for 2009 that involves change - distance-learning or interactive electronic programming with teachers and students. This month I'm coordinating with a technology wizard at one of our local colleges. From our early conversations, I can tell that he's as excited as I am to see me use this equipment on a fairly regular basis. It promises to be a win-win option.

For out-of-state schools that want ongoing staff development, I could visit in person and lay groundwork for 1-2 days. Then, each month, I could electronically meet with teachers for 60 or 90 minutes providing opportunities to discuss process, evaluation and then, explore next steps. This type of coaching is a highly effective tool that produces long-term substantive change in both student writing achievement and the teacher's classroom practice.

During these distance-learning sessions, the teachers and I can use interactive whiteboards or document readers to display student writing. We can chat face-to-face. We can share specific strategies and mini-lessons with examples.

This same technology could be used to offer classroom students a writer's interview or one-on-one conversations about the craft of writing. The children and I can discuss their works-in-progress or I can answer questions about a specific genre, one of the traits of writing or revision. The possibilities are endless.

Of course, besides the educational advantages, there will be a large financial advantage, as well. Out-of-state schools would not need to pay for air fare, hotel, or ground transportation for each follow-up consultation. The daily honorarium will also be less because I will be able to drive to a nearby campus, offer the coaching services and drive home all in the same day. I can see many benefits, on both sides of the screen, from using this technology.

I will soon be posting on this website (under VISITS) the equipment that schools need in order to offer these
interactive sessions to teachers or students. So, please come again in a few weeks and see if this is an opportunity that would enhance writing instruction at your school.

In the meantime, I'll revisit my New Year goals and see which one I'm beginning tomorrow. Happy New Year, one and all!