APPLIED DIGITAL LEARNING JOURNEY&BLOG
Innovate, Teach, Iterate
COVA Reflection and Application
Choice
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My initial reaction when given the freedom to choose an innovation project that I would present to stakeholders was a bout of anxiety and indecision. At the time I worked at a project-based learning campus, which is an innovative approach to learning that presents learners with authentic learning experiences. Although I was accustomed to providing students with authentic learning experiences, I wasn’t the learner in the scenario. However, in the ADL program I realized that I was accustomed to more structure and guidelines in previous learning experiences. Even though I felt rushed to pick an innovation project, choosing blended learning was the right choice.
The next major choice was choosing a website builder. I wanted to use Wordpress, but decided on Wix because I found that it was easier to learn and I was constrained for time. At first, building an eportfolio was a struggle because I had to teach myself and watch tutorials. I was working from a frustrational place until I got the hang of it, but I was becoming a self-directed learner. Building an eportfolio made the ADL experience collaborative and reflective. Throughout the program I have enjoyed learning from other’s eportfolios. Eportfolios are an efficient way to share work and provide a place to house work completed to go back and reflect upon.
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Choice
Ownership
I couldn't agree more with the statement, there has never been a better time to be a learner. Online learning offers the opportunity to learn at your own pace, make connections, and connect to other learners not in proximity. Researching from a library database instead of a brick and mortar library is much more efficient. I went to college my freshman year without an email address, graduated with an email address, a dial up connection, and an internship at a dotcom company that would soon go bust. The world is changing rapidly and adaptibility and flexibility are crucial to taking agency of one's learning.
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The ADL program was an excellent learning experience. I am leaving the program with confidence and grit I gained from teaching myself how to design a website and use design tools. Currently, I consider myself a self-motivated learner consistently seeking out more learning experiences. Majority of the coursework in the program gave me an opportunity for ownership. The one that stands out that will help me to move my innovation project forward is Leading Organizational Change. In this course, I learned how to influence others and how to have crucial conversations. After reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution, I learned how to take ownership of settings goals and following through with them. This book has valuable information that can be applied to many facets of ones learning, life, and making the innovation plan come to fruition in your organization.
Voice
All of the courses gave me an opportunity to blog, discuss with other learners, reflect on my learning and write about my ideas consistently. I was able to make my learning visible by using my voice. In EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Tech, I created a video to promote my innovation plan where I used my voice as the narration to the video I created in Canva. I ordered a Blue Yeti microphone and downloaded Audacity. It took several takes for my voice to bring the project to life.
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I realized that finding my voice was an essential component to being part of a learning community. Using my voice deepened my understanding and grounded my thinking.
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The course I enjoyed using my voice the most was in EDLD 5317, Resources for Digital Learning. In this course I wrote a piece to pitch to a publication. I wrote about connecting project based learning to blended learning. To me it was a safe place to talk about my innovation idea without pitching it to stakeholders. Although my piece was not accepted for publication, I might revise it and submit it again.
Authentic Learning Opportunities
The ADL program offered an opportunity to address a real-world problem. How could we create change and offer students a more leaner centered experience? My innovation plan is something I plan on implementing. The program gave me an opportunity to learn by doing, which is the best way to learn and feel empowered. I do not see my journey ending with this course, I see this as a beginning of great things to come.
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Building an eportfolio is as authentic as you can get. It has given me the gift of work that is easy to reflect back on. Spending time looking through all of the coursework I remembered to embrace a growth mindset. Some work I was more proud of and some work I would like to go back and revise. Every course offered an opportunity to create useful products to promote my innovation plan, communicate with stakeholders, offer professional development and more. In EDLD 5318, Instructional Design for Online Learning, I designed a course that I could use in my current classroom. I am interested in designing more online learning courses incorporating COVA and creating significant learning environments. The ADL program was a perfect model for imbedding the learning with choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning experiences. I'm grateful for the authentic experience, the learning, the struggle, collaboration, and amazing instructors who mentored me along the journey.
Application
I apply the COVA approach in my classroom to create a significant learning environment that provides learners with choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning opportunities. Giving students choice offers them an opportunity to take ownership of their learning. We use Kagan structures to get students talking and comfortable with using their voice on a consistent basis. When students are given a choice on what to read, what to write, and how to present it immediately gives them ownership of their work. Give them choices and watch them flourish.
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The one area I am working to improve on is providing authentic learning experiences. In 2022, I switched school districts. My previous campus was a project based learning campus that was supported by the New Tech Network.
In my former position, I was accustomed to creating projects that were meaningful and relevant to students.
In my current district the focus is on the curriculum and filling in gaps from pandemic loss. I teach third graders who are still learning the conventions of writing and increasing their vocabulary to express their voice. We do a lot of hands on science investigations and provide enrichment.
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I am focusing on personalizing and differentiating instruction, a key component to why blended learning is important. Students are learning to use digital tools, type, and use an LMS in third grade. All of these skills are authentic because they are useful for their learning journeys. How quickly they learn and collaborate to help each other always impresses.
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I applied for a professional development program offered in the district called, Empowered Learning Institute. It is offered though our technology department. We are doing a book study and learning about Eduprotocols. Eduprotocols are instructional lesson frames that are designed to engage students in learning through critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. These lesson frames give students opportunities for choice, voice, and ownership.
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I am reading, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. This book was presented to us during a math training. When students are doing the thinking and the heavy lifting then they are engaged in deep thinking. I believe a thinking student is an engaged student. Small changes can have a big impact. I am no longer of the mindset that I am there to show them how, I know I am there to present ways to help them figure it out and problem solve.
My main goal is to empower students to become self-directed learners. When I frame a lesson, I plan using COVA. I make sure I am giving students choices, opportunities for deep thinking, and I let their voices be heard.
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Being immersed in COVA and taking on the responsibility of becoming a more self-directed learner gave me more empathy and understanding of being a student. Taking on the role of student has made me a better teacher. It has also created the desire to learn more. Empowering students and creating a thinking community is my goal and I seek to implement this goal daily.
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References
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Corippo, J. and Heburn, M.(2018). EduProtocol field guide. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.
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Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning [eBook].
Creative Commons License. http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2019/04/COVA_eBook_Jan_2018.pdf
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Liljadahl, P. (2020) Building thinking classrooms in mathematics. Corwin.
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Thomas, D. & Brown, J.S., (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change.CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
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