First Connections @CWPFairfield #connectedlearning #clmooc

Yesterday, we held orientation for several teachers participating in the CWP-Fairfield Invitational Summer Institute. I grabbed the writer's notebooks, my laptop, and a presentation to promote Connected Learning, MOOCs, and the digital support of the National Writing Project and Julie asked what she could bring and I asked to get ice. As she walked down the hallway I stopped her and inquired, "Are we bringing polar bears and penguins, too?"

Holy bag of ice, Batman.

This year's summer crew enthusiastically arrived and are ready to kick things off! The trouble is there are still three weeks more of school...this was only a taste-test of the writing symposium to come.

I'm excited to have Shaun Mitchell join our crew this summer to promote digital literacy and to help us connect with 21st century possibilities. I think between the two of us we should be able to promote incredible projects. I'm excited about the DIY (do it yourself) motif we're adopting and am curious about what teachers will encourage themselves to do. I am, however, thinking that writing prompts and assignments might lead for better digital narration. We shall see. I don't like to demand anything....

Instead, I like things to go as they do. With students, I found, this was the surest path to success. Offer the givens and let human nature do the rest.

Here's to us, 2013!