Learning Stories as Stewardship

Angela Stockman's workshop introduced pedagogical documentation as a practice of capturing learning through multimedia tools—photos, audio, video, and artifacts—to make thinking and learning visible. As founder of the Western New York Young Writers Studio and a professional learning facilitator for 25 years, Stockman shared her evolution from being a "literacy expert" to becoming a steward of multiple truths in learning environments. The session emphasized moving away from traditional assessment toward documentation that honors learners' authentic experiences and diverse ways of knowing.

The workshop demonstrated a three-step documentation process: individual capture of evidence, collaborative analysis for patterns and trends, and collective interpretation that includes learner voices. Stockman challenged participants to examine their own moments of "awe-inspired joy" as data, revealing how documentation can uncover insights about what brings us alive in our work. Through case studies from West Valley Central School District and her writing studio, she showed how documentation freed teachers from test prep to focus on what students actually needed, leading to improved engagement and authentic learning. The session concluded with practical tools and an invitation to document personally meaningful concepts rather than predetermined academic outcomes.

"9 times out of 10. The child or the teacher that I was working with said, that's not how I remembered that happening." - Angela Stockman

"I really want to frame it as an opportunity to serve as stewards to multiple truths. And to really feel okay giving ourselves permission to not have answers." - Angela Stockman

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• Stockman emphasizes that while there are observable facts, "truth is a very different thing, and we all kind of have our own." How might this understanding change your approach to student assessment and evaluation? What would it mean to be a "steward of multiple truths" in your educational context?
• The workshop highlighted how learning feels in the body and suggested documenting when students feel that physical spark of engagement. How might you help students (and yourself) become more aware of the embodied experience of learning? What would change if you prioritized capturing moments when learning "feels good" over traditional performance metrics?
• Stockman shared her own practice of documenting "when I feel most alive" as a way to understand her work better. What concept or experience from your own professional or personal life might be worth documenting over time? How might engaging in your own documentation practice change how you approach it with students?