What power do my words hold? Could they encourage me to do better? Like a scientist who takes a core sample from a glacier, I decided to review my January Slices as a time capsule. To discover the themes in my New Year's writings, I took a tech-y shortcut by copying and pasting my January posts for the last three years ('16-'18) into an online WordCloud app. Here's the result:
January is all about time, isn't it? Planning our goals--and thus, our time--for the coming year. Spending time with our families as the holidays wrap up, making memories to remember.
It's about beginning anew, too. We give ourselves permission to start over--New Year, new school semester, a new routine.
Next January, I will most likely reminisce about how the days marched away. I will think about my mornings and nights--my time around school hours--and how I spent them, to figure out if being a wife, mother, and friend balanced out with being an educator.
This WordCloud has given me much to ponder. I wonder--if I do this each month, what words will pop up front and center? What meaning will I attach to them given my current situation? I think it's worth a try!
What a great way to look for patterns in your writing! I love this creative approach and your thoughts on what you found. You have me wondering what I might find in my posts. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe analogy of the scientist taking a core sample from the glacier to your taking a core sample of your January slices fascinates me. Gets me thinking about what might be caught in all that ice, or what lies within our own layers ... What an amazingly insightful, introspective activity. How you reiterate the power of words. The invitation to reflect. Look how they have bloomed here.
ReplyDeleteLike the other comments, I think this is a great activity too. It's like a formative assessment of your work. I also like the idea of gathering the data throughout the year to see how the emphasis changes over time. I agree with Fran that the analogy of core sample is fascinating. Good luck with unearthing new and confirming findings.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea - great way to fuse writing and technology!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great way to create a powerful visual of your teaching, writing, and living journey over these years! I think I may have to try this myself.
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