Tina DeGree, a sixth grade teacher,
said she enjoyed seeing the friendships
that developed through the process of
sharing dreams and talents. “Students
felt a bond, and I heard them refer to
the I-imagine process throughout the
rest of the school year: ‘I’m mining for
ideas’, ‘I’m finding my spark,’ ‘It’s OK
to be you,’ ” she said. “The ability to
start this earlier in the year, to give
students that confidence in their
uniqueness, is most important.”
Inventing. Self-discovery turned
into possibilities, visions, goals, and
realizations of their gifts to share.
Students began to write with purpose
and personal investment in ways
they never had before. They chose a
format, such as an autobiographical
poem, a day in the life, or a docu-drama that would be just right for
their story.
They were guided by Porter’s Six
Elements for Storytelling: living in
one’s story, unfolding the lesson
learned, economizing, showing not
telling, developing creative tension,
and craftsmanship.
Teachers became gentle coaches,
listening to stories, encouraging positives, and guiding without directing.
Trained to prompt and question, they
were reminded that inner stories often
exert tremendous influence, sometimes limiting or enlarging sense of
reality and possibility. Recognizing
that others may have influenced or
hijacked a student’s future story was
a huge part of the coaching guidance.
Every nook and corner found teachers
listening and encouraging uninhibited
acceptance of self.
Stories became futures to strive for:
A passion for medicine and helping
others led one student to become a
missionary doctor in Africa, an in-
spired artist became a cake decorator
to make others smile, a philanthro-
pist used his NFL earnings to create
a foundation for his friend’s illness,
a future paleontologist discovered a
new dinosaur, and a lover of words
became an inspirational author.
Futures became goals to set and
accomplish.
If I could give my younger self advice, it would be to believe in yourself and stay true to your dreams,
don’t bend to fit the cookie cutter
molds society expects. —Trinity
If I could tell my younger self something, it would be to let your heart
lead you to where you want to be.
—C.J.
I’d say, younger self, believe in me.
Don’t stop believing in your dreams
because they can bring you a long
way in your life. Make your own
decisions in your life, because oth-
ers may lead you the wrong way.
—Julianne
Production. Students broke their writ-
ing into segments that became their
storyboard, screenplay, and step-by-
step plan for their Vision Video. From
storyboard to final Vision Video, stu-
dents realized they were no longer just
the writers, they were now challenged
to be the directors and producers of
their stories. Porter’s “Seven Steps for
Media Making” guided them beyond
their writing into production of a
video, which created an active hum
in the room.
Students became critical evaluators,
deciding which voiceover to use for
each segment, choosing illuminating images, and finding music selections that enhanced the essence of
their stories. Engagement and pride
in production of their future selves
was inspirational. Collaboration, peer
assistance, and celebration were common themes as students supported
each other’s Vision Videos.
Here’s an excerpt from Kylee’s
Vision Video:
I always wanted to see a peaceful
world without war or poverty, hun-
ger or injury. When I was younger,
I always got this feeling that I was
put on this earth for a reason, to do
good. When I get to South Africa, the
main area I do mission, I start my
work. I begin to build schools, feed
the children and women, build shel-
ters for the orphans and houses for
the ones who cannot afford it.
Celebration. At public celebrations,
students took ownership of their stories and dreams while sharing their
Vision Videos. Enhanced by multimedia, the process brought them to
a level of understanding themselves
and their light for the world. Making the videos encouraged them to
dream beyond what they previously
thought possible.
