5c)+Learning+Autobiography

=Learning Autobiography =

**TASK:** Each ISI participant is to create a learning autobiography of yourself as a learner, teacher, or as a writer that you will present to your ISI colleagues. You are encouraged to take some risks and to explore alternate forms of composition as you do this and see how it feels and what you find out from the risk taking. The approach you take is up to you and the experiences you focus on could be positive, ambiguous or negative. You could
 *  Develop a theme that runs across your learning (writing or teaching) throughout your life or career.
 * Develop a few incidents in depth.
 * Highlight just one intensely memorable experience in detail, or one person who has been important to your learning, your teaching or your writing.
 * Include experiences in school or out of school, or both.

**PURPOSE**: The autobiographies have a variety of purposes. A large component of the ISI is to help teachers reflect on their beliefs about teaching, teaching practices and their learning. The autobiographies introduce participants to those processes through an area they know very well--themselves. Another purpose for the autobiographies is to have teachers reflect on themselves as learners, setting up their position as a learner within the ISI framework. The most significant purpose is to introduce who you are as a learner and what has shaped you to become that learner to the other participants. By doing so, we will create a safe, sharing and learning environment.

**AUDIENCE:** You will present this in front of the other ISI participants, but this is also a time for you to reflect on yourself as a learner and think about how you want to present yourself.

**CRITERIA:** A strong memorable autobiography will require some risk taking and introduce the other ISI participants to you as an individual, a learner, an educator, a writer and/or any other roles you want them to know about you. The autobiography should be at least five minutes and no more than ten.

**FORMAT**: Anything you would like! Take some risks! Try something new! Here are some ideas:
 *  poetry cycle
 * epistolary story
 * radio show
 * short story
 * interview
 * memoir
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">graphic novel
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">framed story
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">video
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">museum exhibit
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">digital story
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">drama
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">scrapbook
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">slide show
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">musical collage
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">interpretive dance
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">cartoon

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**EXAMPLES:**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Kelly Smith, BSWP 2010
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 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Deb Fereday, BSWP 2010