Dissertation Station

Sometimes I like to blog my intentions publicly. Usually, that's a bad idea 'cause it kicks me in the pah-tooty. But alas, today my hope is to get the writing juices flowing by posting my hopes on here. I'm headed out the door to work on my dissertation proposal at a coffee shop until time for dinner at home with the roomie! That gives me roughly 4 hours to work and even leaves an hour to go shoe shopping at the store I'll inevitably have to stop by on my way to the coffee shop.

Woo Hoo. I'm kinda excited. I sat with MonMon (she hates that I call her that) last night and told her exactly how my dissertation was gonna to be structured and gonna take shape. She threatened to make me start using my digital voice recorder because she argued that I'd articulated everything I needed to articulate in order to get the puppy done. And yet none of the (supposedly complete and good) thoughts were on paper. A writing center sin I was told. In addition to her encouragement, I feel pretty deeply like my research questions are clear and solid in a way they haven't ever been before and the project, for once, feels like something doable--something I can reasonably accomplish in a year (or maybe less...is is possible?). Perhaps even despite my propensity for overcommitment.

Since I'm posting this now, I'm going to hold off on writing out those questions or the orchestration of this project, but this I will say: I have figured out how I want to study 21st Century writing and literacy and think I might just have something small to contribute to the awesome field of adolescent literacies. Plus, I've fallen in love with the idea of teacher research and believe that my small study will matter...because I'm pretty sure it will matter to me, my students, and the awesome literacy colleagues at my school. If it matters to a research community or teachers elsewhere, that's just gravy.

Several things got me excited yesterday: (1) Sitting with super-fun students (the few who are are waaaaay behind) all day helping them get started on their blogs; (2) one of my favorite teacher at our school asking if she can join our "blog network"; (3) yet another uplifting, supercharged, collaborative English department meeting where my colleagues and I reflected and shared our hopes, dreams, successes and challenges; and most importantly, (4) spending time catching up on students' dynamic, powerful, and diverse blogs. To be enveloped in such an extended and supportive learning community is a dream that's made its way into reality.