Over the last couple of years, teachers and administrators have experienced many positive things through technology as we pivoted our way of teaching and learning overnight.  Teachers were thrown into online teaching and learning practically overnight.  As the pandemic has sort of gone away, so have some of the things we learned that made things easier.  We all learned ways to save time and increase engagement through online learning for all learners (students and teachers).  I created this video because I want more efficiency for teachers and students through the use of technology.  

As I began the ADL program, I was impressed with the efficiency of how information is delivered to me as a learner.  We are given a lot of material and requirements but only a little direction (hand-holding).  I realized that my whole life, I have learned differently than what society believed were best practices.  I learn best when failing forward.  As I created my ePortfolio for my master’s program, I wanted to quit (or hire someone to build it for me), but I didn’t because I saw the benefits of failing forward.  Getting to choose what my website would look like, how I was going to build it, and what platform I would use gave me a massive sense of accomplishment.  I believe giving learners choices on how they learn, what they learn, where they learn, and when they learn empowers lifelong learners. 

I developed a plan based on my research and created an implementation plan.  For my plan to be successful, I needed to influence change in behavior on my campus, so I created a plan to execute my goals with my team. For my team to be successful with this plan, I needed to provide them with opportunities to grow and learn, while treating them like professionals. Therefore, I created an alternative professional learning course for my team to successfully implement the first six weeks reading course in a reading classroom.  This is my full professional learning plan and the August PD Course I created for teachers with COVA and CSLE in mind.  This course outline is for professional development before school starts.  I gave teachers a lot of choices on when and where to get a lot of their learning done so they could free up their time to be in their classrooms before the first day of school with kids. The course modeled what teaching their students using the COVA approach for the first 4-6 weeks of a reading block.

I am realizing just how much I have changed in the last 16 months.  I started this program focused on teaching 4th-graders and am ending the program wanting to make a difference for teachers.  If teachers see how the COVA approach to learning affects them,  they will be able to implement the same teaching style in their classrooms.  My attitude toward leading change has grown so much that I am leaving the classroom after this year.  I realized last year that my voice is being heard by 22 10-year-olds each year.  I want to promote change to more than just one classroom of students, which cannot happen if I am in a room with kids all day.  I want to influence people in education to change by using the COVA + CLSE approach when leading professional development.

At the beginning of every course, I was reminded that I have choice, voice, ownership, and voice through authentic assignments.  It was overwhelming in the first 4-5 courses, but that was only because I wasn’t used to the autonomy in learning.  The traditional way of learning was all that I knew.  When learners take ownership of their learning and embrace failing forward because if we aren’t making mistakes, we truly aren’t learning.  I had always heard the saying, “Mistakes are proof you are learning,” but it was just something I heard.  I understand it now.  This program forced us to fail forward.  At the beginning of many of the courses, we were always overwhelmed with all the freedom and choice.  I soon realized how invested I became in my choices and projects because I decided what to focus on or how to present the project.  

Something I would do differently? I would have researched easier websites to build on for beginners, but I also realized that I could do hard things, and taking leaps is more my learning style.  I recognized this about myself and modeled it in my 4th-grade classroom.  I shared my “failing forwards” with my students while encouraging them to take more risks with their learning.  So, I don’t know if I would do anything differently.  I do wish I had joined my collaboration group earlier.  I love my ALD peer group.  

The most difficult part of the program was taking control of my voice because I felt so passionate about students taking ownership of their learning and needing engaging online platforms.  Digital platforms are vetted by adults in our district that don’t teach, and students’ voice is not part of the vetting.  I found it easy to focus on my school because they were and still need change. As I went further in the program, I became more aware of the inefficiency of education. I feel like my innovation plan started centered around 4th graders. Still, the more I learned in the program, the more irritated I got about how inefficient education is in my district.  Professional development is a waste of time that adds more stress on teachers.  Teachers learning through the COVA approach is the change we need, the change I want to be a part of.  My biggest takeaway from this program is that teachers are learners, too, and if teachers are given choice, voice, and authentic learning environments, they will take ownership of their learning.  When teachers are treated like professionals and own their learning, they will have a better understanding of learners owning their learning.  They will be able to bring the COVA approach to learning into their classrooms. My learning philosophy hasn’t changed because early on in the program, I read the story about Dr. Harapnuik and his mom making him help her in her garden. He didn’t know why behind her making him help her. He also wasn’t getting to choose to help her. I also connected to his stories about how he learned in school. The only thing that has changed in my learning philosophy is that I want to be the change agent for all learners and teachers are learners, too.

The biggest challenge I have faced with my organization is change and trusting us to make our own decisions on what we want to learn or get better at as professionals.

My dream for my future is to continue failing forward and pushing for a better tomorrow for education. I want to be a voice for educators and continue to embrace change.