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Choice: It gives us the freedom to choose how we want to present our acquired knowledge.
Ownership: Makes us owners of what we do, including our final e-portfolio.
Voice: Gives us a voice to recreate our projects, ideas and transmit efficiently.
Authentic: Authentic learning that will allow us to do a difference in our learning environment and our organization.
COVA Reflection & Application
When I look back on October 2022, at the beginning of this innovation project, it seemed like a bit of a high goal and honestly I wasn't so sure that it would work and how everything could come together to get to this point in my masters degree. However, as I progressed through this program and obtained the necessary tools, the whole puzzle was put together and today I noticed that the plan is underway. My innovation project consisted of two components. One to promote a blended learning environment at my school specifically with the 1st grade students where I teach. The second and possibly most important part of my innovation project focused on how to best support that learning climate by suggesting specific areas for the comfort of my 1st grade students in terms of their book club. I am currently implementing said space in my classroom and I invite my students to read in comfort and conditioning for each one of them. Likewise, my goal is that all 1st grade students in my district can have that space in each of the classrooms, for the comfort and well-being of the entire student population. My justification contained in my literature review has been updated to provide a reasonable action research plan designed to create and analyze the data necessary to garner support for the initiative. My deployment plan will make some adjustments to reflect the changes. A Blended Learning PL has been developed to help other teachers obtain the information needed to implement the Blended Learning model in their classrooms. Growth mindset resources are available to provide motivation, as well as a visible marker to help us keep track of our progress through meetings. I have started implementation and my timeline has adjusted to meet the updated schedules along with the needs of my 1st grade students.
While working on this project, I learned that flexibility is key and that trial and error is essential in problem solving. I learn best through the constructivist approach and have largely applied it to my process. I have also learned to incorporate collaboration both with my fellow program members and with stakeholders within my district. This has worked well for me because my plan is still intact, just a little behind schedule, and I have local people on board with my ideas. I think that if I had opened my ideas to more people at the beginning, now the process would be easier.
The idea of implementing blended learning in the elementary classroom worked well when I used it. My students genuinely enjoy the choice they are given to control their own learning and many are developing their own voice. It's been fun watching them as a teacher and has helped myself and others realize that six year olds can do so much more than we give them credit for. Watching them light up with learning has made me remember why I started teaching in the first place: to guide life learners.
Throughout this program and the implementation of my innovation plan, I have learned that collaboration is essential in trying to make organizational change. I can’t work alone and expect to make a significant change in the thinking of a public school. I have also commented on the idea that there will always be change agents. I want to be a change agent and have stopped exuding excessive energy at those who refuse to move towards student-centered learning instead of the traditional classroom model. The growth mindset has helped me with this and I keep turning to it when I get stuck, which is why I keep learning.
Innovation Project Update
Identify where you are in your innovation project. What if you have something to complete? By when would it be completed?
Today I can establish that many of the phases of my innovation plan are underway. First of all, I focused my innovation plan on reading, specifically on the 1st grade children who belonged to the reading club and who obtained benefits from an exclusive space to develop their reading. Throughout this process, I have managed to incorporate said space even in my classroom and I have directly and indirectly motivated my students to have comfort in their reading.
Analyze, evaluate and reflect on the learning process you have experienced while working on your innovation project?
When I started my innovation plan I did not know what to do, but when I analyzed, reflected and evaluated I was able to notice a problem that the students had when they were reading. I noticed the shortcomings that the children have when they read, try to understand, and interpret what they are reading. I decided to focus on implementing that exclusive space for 1st grade students, who could have physical and digital books and who also had comfort when doing said readings, that would allow greater concentration for what they were reading. I started with the book club but my ultimate goal is to implement it school-wide and even in the school district.
When I wrote my proposal, I presented it to my school manager and he gave me the option of starting in my classroom. Today I am implementing it in my classroom. I am using this space as a rotation station, making it one of the centers in my classroom.
To get to this point I had to observe, reflect, and analyze my current students and those from the previous year. Furthermore, talking with classmates about the problem of students' lack of interest in reading affects them during their school life, considering that 1st grade is essential for the development of students.
Another essential aspect of implementing my plan is knowing, reviewing, and analyzing what our leaders and philosophers have researched about blended learning and reading. This will help advance and strengthen said plan.
What worked?
Although it is an innovation plan related to reading, I was able to carry out and what really worked are the combined learning with rotation stations. This allows me to develop the groups by levels (low, medium and high), it was easier since the students were already familiar with the method. From the beginning I told them that we would work with this type of method in our classroom, due to the needs of the students, they were not given much option about the dynamics of the method. The Level groups were chosen directly to strengthen each of the students, however I gave them a voice and choice when selecting what they would like to read day by day.
What could you do better?
Given that my innovation plan is underway, I am aware that I must restructure my times in the rotation stations. I must also consider expanding my portfolio of activities so that they are dynamic, interactive, and interesting for my students. Just as I present levels in the groups of my rotation station for reading that same scheme I want to present for the reading activities that I assign to my students.
What lessons have you learned?
What I have learned from developing this innovation plan is the importance of having a strong professional learning approach when it comes to teaching new ideas or concepts to colleagues. Even though today I am modeling my plan in a space in my classroom I still have a long way to go, since the vision is to implement this space directly in the school libraries. However, I am learning that it is a process and that I already have a beginning and the next step is to continue promoting this plan to achieve the objective established.
How do you plan to promote and communicate your innovation project?
The vision is to promote my innovation plan through different media. One of my strategies is to invite everyone involved to observe, entertain, and even use the exclusive reading space I already have established in my classroom. Although it is simple, I will be able to promote and incorporate ideas to advance this previously established innovation plan.
Knowing what you know now, what key things (if any) would you do differently?
I don't think I would have done anything differently. I have had to work hard to become the educator I am today and I think trying to recreate the process would be more difficult than going through what I did this year.
How would you apply what you have learned in your next innovation project?
I would start with the first step. I started with an idea that would transform the educational environment, conducted research to support it, and then began preparation for what I wanted to do. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that anticipating change and innovation is an art. It is true that some of the most important events occurred from one moment to the next. However, making long-term changes requires understanding, empathy, and in-depth research into what you want to change. It is also important to stay in a growth mindset and understand that this entire process is one of constant updating, even in our careers as teachers we must be constantly adapting things for our students. I also want to highlight that I put into practice what I had learned by creating a proposal, conducting research, and then presenting my findings to my stakeholders.
References
References
Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik. (n.d.). CSLE. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=849
Dwayne Harapnuik. (2018, February 14). COVA Approach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ft__0LE3qQ
Dwayne Harapnuik, Tilisa Thibodeaux, & Cynthia Cummings. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning COVA. Creative Commons License. https://doi.org/https://gallery.mailchimp.com/1bdbac4d4fbdff334a642eb11/files/8b18ae2a-8696-4d58-9b80-192f4cc6624c/COVA_eBook_Jan_2018.02.pdf
Harapnuik, D. (2017, July 19). Cova. It’s About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991
Contribution to My Learning and the Learning Community EDLD 5320
Applied Digital Learning
Journey Synthesis
When I look back a year ago, I must admit that my knowledge and experiences in education were very little, since I have a degree in Administration of Material and Financial Resources. It has been a year of much learning both career and experience wise and this has allowed me to advance towards my objectives. I have learned to maintain a growth mindset which I believe is essential for this career, as we constantly encounter updates regarding the educational system. Although today the educational system is a bit obsolete, I can recognize that they have advanced in terms of technology in order to combine the conventional with the technological and with this allow our students to have more tools for their education, as well as helping teachers to be able to train life learners.
My family members were directly involved in this entire process, whom I want to thank as well as my colleagues who throughout this year have shared many experiences, opinions, agreements, and disagreements that have nourished us to advance throughout the program.
Starting this program at Lamar University was a challenge, since it was the first time I was doing online studies. In addition to being self-directed and self-disciplined and even self-assessed, it has been a rewarding experience and this has allowed me to advance both personally and professionally. It has been difficult to carry out studies simultaneously with other courses and even with a 1st grade classroom in charge, but here I am and we continue to complete this challenge and obtain my Master's degree in Education.
The DLL program is about growing, impacting, and succeeding through adversity to prepare educators to be leaders who can create change and shape the future of education.
Through the foundation of a self-directed learning environment, I gained skills to become a change leader in my school by developing an innovation plan in this program. By recognizing this, I was able to take the initiative to meet the learning objectives due to the design of each course (COVA). In the DLL program, collaboration and teamwork were essential for authentic learning and development of our skills and plans. Discussion forums and weekly meetings shaped the diversity of our personal learning networks. Additionally, each course came with a variety of resources so we could digest them and apply them to my project. It is up to me to determine what information applies to my own situation in order to synthesize authentic products. The e-Portfolio is a wonderful tool, as through it I was able to create authentic work through choice, ownership, and voice. It has given me multiple opportunities to share this work in the digital world, as well as with my school and administration. Because of the ownership that ePortfolios provide, each work was filtered through the lens of my current experiences in the educational world and gave me the opportunity to publish a variety of work that I hope will drive innovation and change, both for my school and for each of my students.
Today I am implementing my innovation plan in my school. The support has been incredible and has been very beneficial for each of my students. Starting this innovation plan in my own classroom has allowed me to exemplify what I want to develop in the not too distant future in each of the libraries in my school district.
This entire program has taught me a lot, mainly how to develop strategies to implement in my classroom. It has been opportune to carry out this program since today I can say that I feel prepared to develop and contribute to the educational system, both conventionally technologically.
Today I feel that I am in a stage of constant learning, which has allowed me to develop my growth mentality and advance both in personal and professional aspects, allowing me to be more effective and efficient every day with my students specifically in 1st grade. Today I am aware that taking this program has been one of the best decisions I’ve made since it has opened important doors for a more stable future.
I plan to continue advancing in my learning, my priority after my Master in Education will be my ACP to be able to achieve my certification as a teacher in Texas, then pursue a Doctorate that is closely related to everything that is administration and planning of the educational system, since as I mentioned, my main career is Administration, so I would like to return to that area.
To conclude, I want to thank each of my instructors who accompanied me throughout this journey. I also want to thank all my colleagues for their contributions. I want to thank all those people who directly and indirectly made it possible for me to successfully complete this Master in Education.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
KEEP LEARNING!
Ms. Vera
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