What a wonderful weekend, even without the sun and I want to capture just a bit of it while it’s so fresh.

For this coming SI our leadership team is a wonderful mixture and the familiar and the fresh. Mary is back facilitating with me and Tom, will be moving in and out as he moves into a new home and supports our new advanced institute

I was hesitant about this formation at first worried about planning, scheduling the three of us to find enough time. To make it work I was usually forced to be a “virtual” member at meetings. I think our trio of the past, took some getting used to for all of us. But it seems to be flowing now.

As for the energy of Steve and Katelin, Marisol and Diane, our returning fellows, I couldn’t be more excited. Steve and I are already joined at the hip, collaborating with technology. Even though he is in the last tough months at school he is more than willing to give our work his complete attention. He is wiling to support me as I enter a PC lab for the SUNY course! Hats off to you!

Katelin is a powerhouse of passion for teaching and deep thinking and the timing for her participation is perfect. She can really give us her all and even though I had to miss her facilitation with the reading strand, leading the discussion on Why Writing Matters, I am thrilled to have her with us.

Diane offers her willingness to be challenged and take on important responsibilities. I am so glad that she pushed herself to join us, and combat her fears. She brings to our group a walking passion for everything HVWP. Who best to model life after the SI.

Marisol, fresh from her SI last summer, is the closest to that SI experience and it will be nice to watch her move into her role with that fresh memory of where she sat last summer. And with a group so grounded in work with ELL students, her work will find its way into her conversations as a coach,in her reading group and everywhere.

Friday night, we all came to the 1907 room after a day of work. Tom, Mary and I were able to spend time together working with Mary on her TIW and then talking through book selections. It was sad to sit in Tom’s office, in its state of chaos, as he prepares to be moved out for the building’s renovation. I hope it’s worth of the dislocation that could last 5 years. I wonder who will never return.

I left Tom at his computer and Mary, off to rework her workshop a bit and with Katelin, Steve and Diane, we made our way down to the 1907 room and to get it set for the evening. All I had to do was set up for Steve’s online log using my transferred version of it to Keynote. No online access in that room. As we blew through the two LCD projectors in the room, it was good that Mary had a backup.

This Friday night session was a first for us, added to support our introduce our Si strands intros: Teacher Inquiry Workshop, Reading, Writing and Tech. I feel good about this new version, even the Friday night, but as usual everything will be re-examined for next summer.

Mary’s focus on the teacher’s writing life was the main focus of the evening. We started a bit late and maybe that’s why the very end writing of her workshop didn’t get its full attention. But the process was deep. Everyone took the call for artifacts from their writing life seriously. I did for the first time. I stood in the center of my study on Friday morning and looked hard for my writing life. I grabbed old journals, photos of mentors, books that brought me to a writing ahas…and finally to this blog.

I loved using both my new Nikon D60 and the video camera on my tripod to capture the experience.

Even the food was good. No pizza. Instead eggplant Parm, cheesy pasta, salad and canolis. Nice effort Mary.

Almost everyone showed up and that fresh energy, the newly initiated, wondering still what all the shoutin’s fur’. Wondering, what am I doing here, giving up a Friday night, and Saturday in May?

We left exhausted and satisfied. I almost had a meltdown when I couldn’t find my cell phone, that was buried deep in my photo bag. And then I had to deal with the fog covering the mountain ride to Ellenville.

But I got there and then back for an early start at yet another spot on campus, a perfect change from the Tower, the college’s Terrace restaurant. Perfect space. Luxurious in its food spread and open space.

Tom took the large morning slot with his workshop on the teacher piece. I’ve seen him present this every year and every year it grows. This year I noticed his wonderful way of scripting participant sharing and reflecting it back in keeping with his focus.I wish I could do that. The last time I presented my workshop I noticed that participant discussions went deeper than ever but I was at a loss to mine and save their thoughts in the moment of surprise.

I hope I can borrow some of what I watched Tom model.

Book chat, group photo, lunch, Katelin’s lead into the book strand and Steve and I were off to the computer lab in the building we will be using for the SI. It was great to be outside for the walk and then back into the bowels. We set up the computers, logging in and getting to the blogsite. I had us up on the big screen and Steve and I worked through the agenda, wondering how far we would get, never imagining that the group would go beyond our list, into their own blogs and personaladventures. Steve was able to share his student documentary and have us how to leave comments for reflection. Real student work and his prep for his workshop to come.  Icing. It was hard to get them to power down and out at 3:30.

It was harder last year without the clarity of our tech handout and a sense of where we were going, but that’s exploration  and the power of reflection and collaboration. Messy but rewarding to share it.

The end of the day. I left Steve, Mary, Katelin and Diane, figuring out the book groups and Tom chatting with Lilah and I was back in my car on the way to Paramus, Tuvia and plans for dinner in Hoboken with Ami.

What am I missing?

The day after is always a hard one for me.  I get pumped for my presentations and then the fall.  It’s just like the day after a play performance.  The next days you hit the wall.  I can’t say it’s exactly the same, but I know about the presentation but the day after is no longer about me.  I have to move over and let the games begin.  So on day 2 as I got ready for our morning prompt I was preparing it in front of 5 people, 3 who were still up and chatting and it was 8:30, our starting time and that was a nightmare lived.

But not to  worry.  Kirk shared a great science workshop, and then we moved into writing groups and the magic of creation began with time for writing and then sharing.  Sure it’s a writing paradise that will not be sustained, given the  demands of time but for this week, the presure of coming TIW’s is delayed.  Sure everyone is spooked by them, but today was joyous as Kirk shared, then Madlyn and Scott in the author’s chair.

Tomorrow we work on the TIW’s and the calendar and more writing… lots of writing time.  Good for this week…

It’s so good to work with a team! I think I shared that at the end of the day.  I’m good at sharing my good feelings.  I want to feel the same about the whole community.  I don’t want a recreation of 3 years ago.  Please, no.

Tom’s way…well, here’s something I want to share and you might not like to hear it.

Could I do that?

I am so hooked on this!  And so feeling my computer’s age.  Poised on a familiar bar stool here at the Apple Genius Station, I am waiting patiently because instead of this cold baldy, I will be working once again with Abe and he knows my struggles.  The whole store knows me.  What would happen if Apple closed this store?  I am sure I would survive, but why even think about that now.

I just made a great connection with Gene who is happy to experiment with me through my Final Cut adventures coming soon in August, once I have completed SI ’07 Summer Institute.

For now I will try and get to my weekend work for MOnday…Monday…a Day in the life of the SI with Bonnie.

 Make no mistake about it!  I loved teaching this one! Loved it!  Loved the process, loved the people, loved the problems, LOVED the results, and suddenly as we watched most of the 33 pieces last night and finally moved into the story circle after everyone wrote and wrote their ends to their process pieces, I was exhausted.  The conversation about the articles was rich and shared by the community.  It was a joyous event and it was cool to have Devon there to witness it the whole thing.  I think he truly appreciated the work of the group and the atmosphere as he invited me to teach the course next year.

I feel great about everything but saturated!  I race to the finish line, I get there and then…thud! Where am I in this?  I don’t feel the thrill at the end.  Oh well…It was great even if I’m numb.

And now what do I have to do for the SI?

1. Finish the calendar at least for the first week

2. Camile in week one?

3. Loggers/food/DD : Who volunteered?  Rebecca?

4. My DS log!

5. My workshop/ blogging in the afternoon/directions for the EAnthology.

What else…

This was a very tough week for me. Not that I wasn’t up for it, but there was so much to think about that I was exhausted before I got to today and now I’m over exhausted. I haven’t caught up with the success of today in fact, I can’t think about a movie tonight and that says it all.

Everything went smoothly because it feels like we planned for all possibilities and Mary, Tom, Rebecca, Kirk and Kerri all made it work. I had the codes, opened the door of 1907 room and found technology, technology, and more…Rebecca arrived with her food, baskets, tablecloth and everything was prepared for the new fellows they way we had hoped it would be for Orientation 1. Oh well…it all worked out!

We began with lovely food, fritattas that Rebecca created last night as we spoke about the last orientation details.  I still had to get lunch picked up from Jacks and a digital documenter and Rebecca spoke up without hesitation.  I breathed.  Kirk presented his basic log, (Rebecca didn’t share her workshop reflections…SI day 3 with Kerri(note)!, Kerri selected a photo for her DD share from O1 and I greeted and had everyone reintroduce and dip in for a magic pen!  Tom got one as well.  Great having him with us.  Too bad Mary, Beverly and Scott weren’t there to join in.

Rebecca and Marisol read English and Spanish, the Neruda poem, Ode to an Onion and then we all wrote and many shared.

Tom and his improved teacher story workshop and another piece of our puzzle landed.  Lots of opportunities for variations of the teacher story. I liked the way Tom has developed a very smooth way to push for specific details from the group responses…

And then Kirk led us through Why Writing Matters and the way to use the text with school communities. Lots of sharing once again.

Lunch and a walk to our new room.  I don’ t think the group can really appreciate what that environment will offer.  Desks?  why not?

Kerri was ready for us when we returned from our tour, a la Kirk and her workshop again, modeled our TIW format…letters to publish!  We worked together with Rebecca to reflect on the elements of the TIW…nice…

Ending forms to fill out, books to distribute, considerations for the TIW timing… on to July!

  Last weekend I was a nervous wreck about this week that I am just about finished with and as you might expect, it’s ending strong!  My SUNY DS course has one more night left and I just burned the last of the DVD’s for everyone to leave the course with.  3 disks for each person, 33 digital stories to share together and have for as long as the disk lives.  I created a few extras for myself ,but I think that a highlights disk might be in order to share with others.  I will be watching closely as we see them together.  The bottom line is the clarity of the voice over.  I wonder if they will  agree.

I think I need to bring that focus home stronger.  You need to hear the words! Of course great pics resolution and music that doesn’t overpower, and transitions that just move us along.

I am so ready to celebrate the work of this class.  They have been wonderful, beyond my expectations.

And tomorrow, Orientation 2 without Mary but with Tom and the trio of returning fellows and just that phone call with Rebecca was reassuring.  Nice!  I have my list and my new responsibility and time this week to work on my workshop and afternoon of instruction.  HELP!  Kirk? and others?

I will be keeping my reflections for SI’07 here.