Learning through Technology
Developing Tools for the Technological Learner
Reflecting Through Digital Learning and Leading Program
Reflection can be a process that is oftentimes revelating as well as powerful in the learning process. There are moments in reflecting on my learning that I noticed that some of the disconnects I had in my projects and learning that I see as an opportunity for improvement to be better of assistance to our campus.
Starting with understanding and developing a growth mindset in EDLD 5302, was a positive and important course that set precedent for all the courses involved in the Digital Learning and Leading Program at Lamar University. In this course not only did I learn about developing a mindset that saw challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow but also choose how I showcased my learning. In the first assignment that I created was a Growth Mindset Plan to help guide our staff in developing a growth mindset for our learners. This plan was a great introduction to COVA (choice, ownership, voice through authentic learning) approach.
I had the opportunity to choose and create a voice in what I learned, but I honestly struggled with it. Mostly because I didn't have a concrete description of what to do. It was my choice to develop my assignment in how I understood a growth mindset which is where the struggle landed me.
I had no idea what direction I would go in creating my assignment, and I grew with frustration of not being told how and what I needed to do to do well. I chose to create a powerpoint at first since it was my comfort zone. Since I went for comfort, I didn't do exactly how I was envisioned I would do. I knew that it was definitely an assignment I wanted to redo because I could do better. Hence, the growth mindset in play. So I decided my next action would be developing a Prezi for my growth mindset plan, a format that I wasn't familiar with and entirely too uncomfortable with navigating through it. Because I made the decision to recreate in a different format and just embrace COVA, I felt more confident in the process of learning.
Having a place to showcase my learning was new yet not so new to me. Building an ePorfolio in 5303 reminded me of my high school English teacher who insisted that we keep a portfolio of our best writing assignments. This practice led me to teach my students a similar structure. But, the newness from an ePortolio brought about an understanding that it was not just a place to showcase work, but a place to showcase an understanding of what I have learned throughout the courses I took. My blog became a place to reflect on my learning as well as my thoughts through the school year a program. In one of my favorite blog posts, A New Culture of Learning, I used a famous pastry chef, Christina Tosi, as a comparison to a significant learning environment. It was after watching Netflix documentary, Chef's Table, I was inspired when I saw that Christina Tosi was inspired by her environment to create amazing pastries.
As I watched this documentary, I couldn't help but think that she created a significant learning environment for herself. She used bodegas in New York City, restaurants she worked in, and her childhood kitchen as a place to learn and create her new ideas. I used Christina Tosi as an inspiration to display my thinking and understanding of A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.
This blog became my anchor in the 5313 course: Create Significant Learning Environment course. By using this as my anchor, I chose which learning standard was going to be the focal point in my innovation plan. I was able to decipher a learning standard that focused on how character motivation affected a storyline by allowing students to see how real-world people react to real-life situations. If students could understand the motivation behind people's actions, they could apply that skill in analyzing a character's motivation in a story. As I build these puzzle pieces together, I knew that at some point, I would have to deliver this to the team as a lesson.
This past January, I was able to create a plan of execution for my innovation plan in 5304 Leading Organizational Change. I think using COVA allowed me to create a plan of execution that fits the needs of our campus, our ELA content, as well as the team. With this plan in focus, I was able to really decipher and dig into what was necessary for the outcome of what I wanted my learners to know. I also created a realistic goal in mind as well as understanding that this might have to change in the next year since we were getting new learning standards by the state. Letting that knowledge led me to create a plan of execution that would not only measure the knowledge of students but also increase the attendance of students in tutorials which is a problem that we all face.
This also was the first time that I used infographics to showcase what my expectations were in my innovation plan. By developing an infographic, it allowed me to be direct and clear about my goals and expectations when it came to the results of my innovation plan.
Looking back at it now, I noticed that a few revisions and edits are needed to reflect what my teams see now as well as reflect what an issue is currently for our learners as opposed to working on a skill that was seen as an issue from a different group of learners. I think seeing my work as a running document also provides a moment of reflection on how to approach new problems and inquiries for a different group of learners each year.
I also learned that this was not a solo project but a project that required assistance from members of our school. Also, knowing that this was a plan that wasn't just going to help my ELA team, but also a plan that could innovate our campus. With that in mind, I needed to create a plan that would train our teachers on how to create a similar structure for their content.
In order to teach my campus of the structures of my plan, I would have to teach my team first through professional learning. In EDLD 5389: Developing Effective Professional Learning, I was given tools that would help organize and develop professional learning opportunities. The important factor I learning in this course is that professional learning is an ongoing process that ensures support for the learners.
I had a skewed view on professional learning as a one-stop-shop process instead of a process that needs to be a continuous support for professionals to help them grow and understand new concepts. In this course, we used our innovation plan to create a professional learning plan that would help my campus to have support as we implemented my innovation plan. Using COVA allowed me to create lessons and activities that would be continuous support as well as a broke down the increasing amount of information for my professional learners. I was able to connect all the pieces of my plan together in a more organizational and coherent way. This led way to ensure that I had research to back up my plan through my course in EDLD 5315: Assessing Digital Learning.
I was familiar with action research before I started Assessing Digital Learning when my team was part of a teaching program for the state. We had developed action research plans based on a lesson that we had designed. This course lends itself as a reminder to what I did beforehand with more details included. I created a plan of measurement for the innovation plan, I chose the pieces how and what I measured in my innovation plan to ensure the quality and validity of my plan.
This course allowed me to research the different parts of the world and how they continue to develop learning through blended learning programs. This also allowed me to opportunity to find my why and put a heart behind my innovation program. I learned that without the heart there wouldn't be an inspiration for change. To voice my why in my call to action and digital allows the showcase of the importance of my innovation project. It turns the innovation into more of a heart project.
Developing a research plan did at a point became increasingly difficult but keeping up with the mindset that challenges are uncomfortable, I knew that learning was happening. I had research that built up my innovation plan. Now I needed to execute the example of what it would look like in the future. In EDLD 5318: Instructional Design Online, I applied my learning in creating an online course using my innovation plan. I decided to choose a different LMS than the one provided because it was easily transferrable to our organization's LMS.
My choice led me to understand Google Classroom (code: cu4u03) more efficiently than before. There were moments that I realized I knew so much less than what I thought I did understand. The creation of my online course was drastically different than what I imagined as well as a wonderful challenge. I think stretching my thinking and imagination more than I knew was possible. My problem-solving skills were becoming better than I had before. This course really became a great gateway to creating ownership of the online courses that I created in my LMS this year. I have an online classroom that is efficient and workable for my learners. I am able to lead my team this year in helping them create a more effective online classroom. I do wish that the Digital Citizenship course came before school started as it became an eye-opening experience in creating an online course.
In EDLD 5316: Digital Citizenship, I became more aware of learning about copyright infringement rules, attribution, as well as cyberbullying. So much of what we do online contributes to online culture. To understand digital citizenship, there has to be understanding that we now live in a world that culture doesn't exist in the physical world but also behind a screen. It is now the responsibility of educators to teach students that their digital presence matters and how they use information that can affect the world around them. In this course, I chose to use different media platforms that conveyed a lesson to educators on digital citizenship in the classroom and school.
Understanding that digital citizenship contributes to a wide range of practices. Its importance to present different tools to help our learners grow in the digital world. With the process of learning about profession tools in EDLD 5317: Resources Digital Environment was really an insightful course. I've had used my Edshelf countless times to find tech tools to help my learners grow this year. It's also a great reference point for our teachers to have as well to mix the monotony of Kahoot! games and Quizizz lives in the classroom. Even to write about reading resources for my publication article (still in the process of editing) for digital reading contribute to the growth of my innovation project. With the Edshelf, I was able to find different reading platforms as well as grammar tools. It's definitely a game-changer for our campus if our teachers could develop their own Edshelf.
In the reflections presented in 5320: Synthesis, I was able to really understand and critique my own work as well as find opportunities for pride in work. This course has taught me that value reflection has on learning and growth. Reflecting through COVA and my Innovation Project allowed me to see flaws in my development and find room for improvement.