5320 COVA Reflection
During the first class of the DLL program, I realized that this was not going to be the typical class of “lecture & test”. At first it left me feeling a bit apprehensive with the following questions swirling through my mind:
How was I supposed to know what to do?
What if I was not doing my assignments correctly?
What were the detailed expectations for assignments? examples?
Shouldn’t we have more detailed and specific requirements?
Do I know what to do when I have ownership of the learning?
Initially it felt like I had been dropped off in the desert with nothing to work with; a blank, vast emptiness. As time went on, I realized it was more like being dropped off in downtown Dallas with a wide variety of resources available. It was just a matter of choice, selection, and application. I learned that taking ownership of learning means that the runway is cleared for take-off in any direction! The learning journey is set into motion by the learner knowing their HOW and WHY. Oh, the freedom of choice!
Once I realized that I was empowered to take ownership of my learning, my outlook on learning changed. I became excited as I planned my ePortfolio Project Implementation. CSLE means that what I am teaching as I use the COVA approach, will be relevant to my students. Having ownership of assignments or projects, and working in an environment that facilitates that, means that students can apply what they know in a meaningful way. This means that they are REALLY learning! Not just temporarily memorizing some information that will soon be lost in the piles of other unapplied memorabilia.
As I have grown during the DLL program I have become comfortable with the idea of not only creating, but leading, professional development. Initially, the idea was absolutely frightening and foreign to me! Now that I have developed a Professional Development program for teaching teachers how to implement the ePortfolio plan, I feel comfortable. Because of COVID-19 I did not ever get to introduce my ePortfolio plan in my current position. I am looking forward to doing that this coming year (2021-22) in the fall. One unanticipated event is the large turnover of admin and teachers. Three of the admin that were onboard with my plan are no longer at my school! I was counting on their support. They already knew me so that was a huge plus. We have had a major change in school staff: new principal, two new asst. principals, new counselors, and many new teachers. Lots of change is happening so I am hoping to jump right in with my project! As Dr. Harapnuik stated in one of our past classes, we will have to continually adjust our innovation plan. Things happen that we did not plan for. I feel that I am prepared to adapt to that and still be successful.
I anticipate a bit of resistance when I introduce my plan, at school, to my colleagues. If it seems like additional work or burdensome in any way, they will not be onboard. I know that is how I feel when they overwhelm us with new information/plans/projects/programs and don’t give us time to apply it. My goal is to create a significant learning environment, CSLE, by using the time and resources our district has available already, in a useful way. Once I get my students started on ePortfolio creation they will love it! They will tell their friends and then everybody will want to develop one. It will be SUPER important to have a few teachers buy-in and then spread the excitement. I plan to start with my Foreign Language team and then share with our campus “opinion leaders” to get things rolling.
I realize, as I have been looking back at the DLL classes that I have taken, that we learned so much! All those late nights reading, perusing articles, collaborating with classmates, and adopting the growth mindset has changed me into a better person and teacher. I am just getting started on applying this DLL degree and I am excited about the journey!
SOURCES
Harapnuik, D. K., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Cummings, C. D. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning Opportunities. http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291
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