I’m preparing for an educator workshop this Thursday at Hillsdale Barnes and Noble, wondering how to compress everything I want to say into one hour. Or maybe the task isn’t so much one of compression, but one of choosing.
I want to talk about why play helps writers access their authentic voice. I also want to provide teachers with creative games to use in their classrooms, as well as practical strategies to facilitate those games in their classrooms. I want to give them A LOT for their investment of time. However, I see how that depth of information might actually be working against my goals. I might be adding to the overwhelm, rather than providing inspiration.
Maybe the way I’m going about compiling this workshop is informative in and of itself. As educators, we have so much we want to deliver in each lesson, and yet what learners really need from us is an organizing question, a door through which to begin their own journey of discovery. Information is just that: more stuff to clutter up one’s mind. However, a new lens through which to view a puzzling question, along with an actual starting place where one can start exploring, has the power to be wildly exciting.
So that’s what I’ll do. Define the lens. Choose a few games as examples, but keep my focus tight and clear. Outline any essential strategies for facilitation for those games, and provide resources for follow up. My lesson will be an example of how I hope these strategies will spark learners rather than overwhelm them. I’ll let you know how it goes.
