My Contribution to My Learning Community
EDLD 5318- 93
EDLD 5320- 93
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
— Ernest Hemingway
I have anxiously awaited the end of my graduate courses, but the lessons and people I have met truly made this journey more valuable in the end. I am not sure how I will feel when I no longer have to log in to live class while driving, have in-depth discussions with my cohort, laugh, cry, and vent on our ADL GroupMe chat, or rewatch a taped class because I needed clarification on an assignment. These two final courses begin my release as a Lamar ADL graduate student and the rise of an empowered educator who knows with the right collaborative team, and passion to execute change, we can begin to chip away at our old and outdated educational system. NOW is where my true journey begins. I am further removed from the woman who started this graduate program. A few days remain from reaching my goal of earning my Master's degree and celebrating my progress and walking alongside my peers and my two great friends and colleague Erika Peña and Ileana Reyna at the commencement ceremony. Thank you ladies for this amazing ride and one we will cherish for a lifetime. The most important and best part will be to dedicate my Stole of Gratitude to my son Gaston because he was the reason I continued moving forward on my most challenging days.
I dedicated 10 months to unraveling my learned ideas about our educational system. Calculating and preparing steps with my team towards advocating for innovative ways for my WHY and our passion. The emotional whirlwind and thought-provoking lessons challenged me and displaced me out of my comfort zone. I had to remind myself all the magic happens out of our comfort zones. And so it began
EDLD 5318 and EDLD 5320
The 8-week Accelerated ADL program at Lamar allowed me the flexibility to understand a true COVA + CLSE blended classroom. The program's course design gave me the autonomy to learn at my pace while working a full-time job and family life. This helped when I began applying a flipped classroom when piloting a blended learning model. Watching the recorded sessions allowed me to meet later with my colleagues and discuss weekly topics. I completed all assignments on time, read and commented on discussions, and viewed all videos. Sometimes after completing assignments the reflections in my discussions allowed me to make more connections because I viewed the questions differently. All my assignments were turned in on time and revisions were made to assignments based on feedback. Updating my e-Portfolio was one of the most challenging assignments because once I started I would spend hours and I still wasn’t satisfied. I do look forward to continuing to update my e-Portfolio with the intent to begin using it as a digital resume for future endeavors.
EDLD 5318: Instructional Design Online Learning
Instructional Design Online Learning allowed me to design and create a 5- week blended learning course for my students. This assignment was broken into three modules in order for us to collaborate with our peers and gain feedforward and revise our designs. In the first module, Instructional Design Course, when designing the course it was essential that I know my target audience. A short video was created to provide some insight into the instructional format, design, and my ongoing process in this 5 week's course. Within my video, I highlighted my 3-column table which aligned my learning goals, outcomes, and assessments. Module 2, Implementation, the course began the development of the coursework and content. I created a short overview of the expectations and outcomes for the beginning of my course. When designing the coursework and goals it was important to keep my learners in mind. Instructions needed to be short and direct with the inclusion of audio instructions. The outcome activities needed to create choice and opportunity for learners to apply their learning on a variety of platforms but with the ability to prove mastery. Module 3, Usability and Reflection is the final piece to this design puzzle. This module guided me to formulated a usability test, gather testers and a focus group to provide me with valuable feedback. The test group and focus group of teachers and students who are familiar with the LMS or students in the Dyslexia program. After they evaluated my work, I was able to edit and redesign my course to prepare for implementation and work effectively with content that is aligned to meet students needs.
"Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. It's amazing to me how much we do, but how little time we spend reflecting on what we just did."
-Margaret J. Wheatley
Synthesis of Digital Learning was my opportunity to reflect and look back at my journey. This course took me on an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows. As began to reflect on previous coursework and the process of the outcomes I was a bit embarrassed by my beginning blogs and how my true voice didn’t come through and now I can tell I wasn’t yet invested in the ADL program. There were challenges and successes along the way with opportunities to learn and grow. My reflections begin with my views on COVA. I now understand the true meaning of developing students' choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning. Students are capable of knowing what they want to learn, and how they want to show their learning, we just have to continue creating those significant learning environments for them. Our Innovation Project Update allowed me to reflect on where our project is at this moment. Our blended team is well prepared with the Professional Learning PL and how to guide teachers in Creating Significant Learning Environments when we begin our campus implementation. My final reflection was the culmination of My Journey in the ADL program. I am glad I saw it through until the end and for the guidance from everyone in the ADL graduate program.
I understand I am a work in progress and professional and personal growth should never be stagnant.I truly am in charge of my learning and I don't have to be connected to class to learn, just be self-directed in discovery.
What’s next…..
My big takeaway after reflecting on my e-Portfolio is the progress I continued to make I am a better human for it. I will continue to strive toward personal and professional goals and refine my communication and presentation skills to influence others in advocating for equitable accessible learning. My views on accepting challenges and moving forward when faced with setbacks have evolved. Reflection has guided me to make authentic connections within our organization. And when like-minded people with the same passion for a cause come together, disruption can truly interrupt the current system.
My work with the ADL program may have concluded but I am powerfully equipped to change students' lives and influence educators' minds.
THANK YOU, Dr. Bedard and Br. Bellard for your guidance, passion, and time! But most of all for continuing to advocate for change one graduate student at a time.
コメント