For the new year-- a wish for peace

Imagine all the people living life in peace.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

--John Lennon

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One year later—wayfinding continued

One year ago—passioned, savoring my journey as a PLP community leader—

Feeling exhilarated, bungling, practiced, ineffectual, poised, uncertain

And finally thinking I was on the cusp of moving beyond the tensions, the dualities I found inherent in the role of community leader—

One year later—perhaps a little wiser

Just a touch more widely read—

Privileged to be mentored by Sheryl and learning from her brilliant expertise and exceptional, sophisticated understanding of online communities of practice-

Engaged with two vastly different evolving PLP communities – PEARLS and Ohio Consortium-

Each unique, with its own politics, personalities, passions and focus-

Yet sharing the common ground of a exigent learning journey-

Arrogant in suggesting a year ago that the “perhaps less need for me to make those difficult choices” as the community evolved-- of what, and when and how to nudge, to cajole and to be silent—

Yet right spot on in predicting “special” learning journeys--

Finding that wayfinding, despite the markers with which Sheryl lights the way, always is infinite and never-ending—

Finding that wayfinding, always is fraught with tensions and dualities – jumping in, sitting on my hands, nudging, holding back, encouraging—

Finding that wayfinding continues to invoke inexplicable, disparate feelings – joy, insecurity, fervor, doubt, excitement, indecision, zeal, awe —

Learning, forever learning-- reveling in the messiness, the tensions, and the day to day need for nuanced silence or responses—

Now a bit more certain, in any emergent, evolving community, as a community leader, finding my way never will be less difficult or demanding, never less exciting or invigorating—

Absolutely loving the ambiguity and the complexity--

Truly hoping that each community member sees their personal wayfinding in the same light—

And is able to share, as I will, wayfinding one year hence--

Yes, let's!!!

"Let's make school a place where we meet students in their mind's eye, where we encourage the square pegs to stand atop the round holes, to build not a standardized future but a wildly innovative and creative future, beyond anything even the best drillers of round holes could have imagined." -- ASCD Inservice

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