Affirmations for Distance Learning - The best I can do is my best. How human of me to feel nervous about trying something new. I will give myself the same grace I give others. I may not be able to control this situation but I have control over my attitude. This is only temporary. I can do difficult things. I don't have to have it all figured out to move forward. I make mistakes and that is okay.
Dr. Leah Dardis is an experienced school administrator with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in preK-12 education, literacy, coaching, professional development with expertise in second language acquisition research, compliance and instructional practices.
After completing 20 years in the Tucson Unified School district as a teacher, language acquisition and literacy specialist and school principal, she earned her Doctorate in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Arizona. Moving to Oceanside, California for the weather, she worked as a school principal for Oceanside Unified School District. Currently, she serves as the Director of Assessment and Accountability of Escondido Union High School District.
She spends her free time camping with her husband and three dogs - Mami Chula, Puggy and Mando. She also travels back to Arizona to visit her daughter and three stepsons. Hopefully in December 2021, her daughter will graduate with her teaching degree.
I chose to take the LEC course because I wanted to learn new Web 2.0 tools, how to personalize learning for students and what I can use to support teachers in our district with the curriculum work.
This has been an interesting journey for me. I began this certification with the intention of learning the Web 2.0 tools that teachers are using in their classrooms and to help support the curriculum development work in our district. I feel that my personal learning goal was fulfilled and that I am better able to support the work. For the most part, the information was not new, but more reinforcing of the what I already understood about blended and online learning. This is because I spent close to 10 years facilitating online courses for in-service educators. The one module that was new was on design thinking. I do not think that I truly understand how to use it to its fullest potential. It seemed to have a better fit with work around the Science and Engineering standards for classroom work than how we used it here, at least in how my brain processes information. The other module that still requires attention is the accessibility one. On the surface, I recognize the critical importance it has to designing learning, but I still struggle with all the nuances in actualizing those practices, as seen in my resubmission of the syllabus. Lastly, I have found the course to be reaffirming in my belief that personalized learning can happen in the public schools and we are working our way towards practices that will support this way of learning.