When I was looking at masters programs, I chose the Digital Learning and Leading program because I used a flipped classroom approach in my classes and was taking more of an interest in technology in education. I honestly was not expecting anything like what it is! I struggled the first couple of classes simply because I've always been the kind of student that likes to be told exactly what the expectations and steps are so that I can check it off my to-do list and be done. I don't consider myself creative so I don't always like having much freedom. The COVA + CSLE approach forced me to be creative, though, which in turn allowed me to do things I never imagined myself doing.
My mindset towards this way of learning and teaching started to change when I read one of Dr. Harapnuik's personal experiences in the COVA eBook. He shared his story of growing up in school not being the best student, but still having a hunger to learn. He would spend a lot of time in the library and reading on his own accord. Despite not fitting into the typical classroom setting, he still learned because he had access to information through the library. Living in the Information Age, our students have much more access than just a library. They no longer need to depend on the teacher to be the one who relays the information because they now have the necessary tools to discover the information on their own. As a teacher who now whole-heartedly believes in the constructivist philosophy, this age is the perfect time to be giving our students choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning experiences. Our students already take it upon themselves to participate in collectives to learn how to do things like advance to the next level of their video games or how to do their make up like a professional make up artist, so why wouldn't we create significant learning environments that allow them to do learn our content the same way?
I first realized I had choice, ownership, and voice in an authentic learning experience when we had to choose a topic for our innovation plan and literature review. I struggled with choosing a topic because we had the freedom to pick what fit our organization the best rather than our professor just assigning us a topic. I had my topic narrowed down to a couple of options, but ended up having to meet with Dr. Harapnuik a few times to get his advice on which would better suit my organization to make sure it would be something I could actually use in my organization. While it was frustrating at first and challenging to decide, I realized this freedom created a more authentic learning experience for me since it applied to my own personal situation.
While it may have taken me awhile to accept this new way of learning, I don't think I would have gone about it any differently. The traditional model of schooling is instilled in us at such a young age and it continues for so many years so I don't expect people to accept COVA + CSLE quickly and easily. I believe getting other teachers on board for my innovation plan is going to be the most challenging part of implementing the plan. I am younger and not as experienced as most of my colleagues so it will be hard for them to see me take charge or to trust that what I'm doing will be successful. That is why my innovation plan starts small and only with those who choose to be a part of it. That small group will help be my voice to everyone else once they pilot my innovation plan.
Before being a part of the DLL program, I believed in the constructivist approach. I knew students learned content better if they constructed the knowledge for themselves rather than me just spoon feeding them information. The problem that I ran into was that I didn't really know how to implement that into a higher level math classroom. Math is all about processes so it's much easier to teach my students the step-by-step process than it is to let them figure it out on their own, especially considering the fact that by the time they reach my high school algebra 2 course they already have multiple gaps in their learning that makes challenging content even more challenging. When they have these foundational gaps, it's extremely hard for them to understand the "why" behind the process.
After learning about COVA + CSLE, I now feel more equipped to apply this in my secondary math classroom. I plan on implementing an ePortfolio with my students where they will reflect on the processes they learned throughout the week and try to explain why and/or how those processes work. Students could also explain in their reflections a specific part of the process that they struggled with, why they struggled with it, and how they learned from it as I believe this shows growth and critical thinking skills as well. I also plan on giving my students examples and non-examples of good reflections that show critical thinking. This isn't something they are used to doing and they will need to be shown what works and what doesn't work. I will also provide guiding questions for reflections each week similar to our discussion board questions in the DLL program where it's not a requirement to answer all of them, but rather a guide to give them ideas on what to discuss.
I believe the hardest part about using the COVA + CSLE approach is that it is inevitable that there will be pushback. Change always brings pushback. I've utilized a flipped classroom for many years and it never fails that each year I have a small group of students and/or parents who don't like this approach. Majority of the time, however, they recognize the value in it over time. While the amount of people who push back is small, sometimes they make the most noise which can be very discouraging so I have to have the courage to stick with it and persevere.
While implementing COVA + CSLE will be challenging and maybe even discouraging at times, I can't wait to look back on the impact it will make in my classroom over the years and hopefully in the classrooms of my colleagues as well.