Our Murray card activity today proved to me that I wanted to avoid thinking about school or academics or professional development, whenever possible. But, after further reflection, I learned several other things, as well.
When Lil first introduced the Murray cards, I was excited. I have used the strategy before (both as a student and a teacher) and enjoy having some focused freewriting time. When Lil asked us to list some areas of expertise, I started with "teaching of writing." However, my list quickly shifted to much more personal thoughts, including "organization and cleaning," "listening," and "baking." When Lil asked us to freewrite on one of our topics, I first chose my husband. I felt a bit silly, but I wrote about my knowledge of both him and, consequently, his areas of interest, which include Notre Dame football and Lord of the Rings (topics I now have a new understanding of and respect for). On my green card, I wrote about my home state of Virginia, focusing mostly on its history. I switched my topic again on the purple card to discuss my knowledge and love of dogs. This was the only topic I continued to write about on a second card.
1) My brain is tired from finishing a Summer I lit course last Wednesday. I wanted to write about something other than reading and writing, something that had meaning to me outside of "school." My students need to have that same freedom.
2) Though I define myself and form my identity largely through my academic success, there are many other areas in which I have expertise. I am much more than a student and a teacher.
3) When I do not know what the outcome or product is "supposed" to be (assuming that Lil had an agenda), I am hesitant (unwilling?) to commit to one idea, leaving room for revision and switching throughout the activity. Even when I am writing something personal and sharing with only one other person, I still have anxiety about perfection and "making the grade."
I also found myself switching topics at least three times when writing on the Murray Cards. I kept feeling dissatisfied and feeling like I was grasping at straws, trying to find something I could really dig into. I also feel that same sense of hesitancy when beginning to write, as if my writing messiness is too ugly to share.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I am really connecting here to this idea of interest-based learning. This is a big deal in the world of "Connected Learning" and in the science museum education/literacy conversation I have lately been part of. The thinking here is that you can really start with people's interests to get to all kinds of interest content and processes in both science and literacy learning. There is a book about this in terms of digital stuff by Mimi Ito called HOMAGO.
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