Setting the Scene

Since this experience is going to be personal, yet work related, I will be chronicling as I can the path and journey. The opportunity is providing the impetus to practice what I preach and again try to get into the blogging world. The past 12 years have had me in a director level position which often creates a span of oversight that one has to advocate, understand, and move others along. It also puts one in a position in which your success is the success of others and how you bring the right talents together to meet vision and mission.

You don't get to do the fun stuff! You create the environments so others can do the fun stuff and make a difference. This is highly satisfying work. However, in order to maintain the level needed, one must make an effort to tend their own creativity and innovation levels. So here is my next fix on staying fueled.

Trying to be a positive learner in getting ready for a digital storytelling training workshop in Chicago that starts in 10 days. This stage of life and career has made me somewhat of a reluctant participant in learning organized and controlled by others in "time in seat" fashion. This is probably why my passion and work at this time is focused on proficiency based and personalized learning for all from crib to grave. This workshop was brought to me by two of our staff members. They thought it would be a positive experience and richer if the 3 of us went together. It was suggested that we would be able to take the skills and transfer them to telling the stories of our districts, our teachers, our students, our leaders, in their journey in transformation to personalized learning and a new public school delivery system. And, oh, by the way - something that would be enriching and positive personally. My team is innovative, dedicated, action oriented, and sometimes just plain practical. They make sense.

So we are registered and on our way. Ten days and counting.