Contributions to Learning - 5315 and 5320

May 7

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Here we are at the end, but it leads to the next beginning.

Reflections on My Journey: Growth, Collaboration, and Lessons Learned

Looking back on this journey, I am amazed at the progress and growth I've recognized in myself as a learner. Reflecting on my learning, I would assign myself a score of 93 for both 5315 and 5320.

What Worked Well

Through this experience, I have valued the importance of peer collaboration and feedback. I have noticed how it has helped me take my ideas and develop them in ways that propelled me to improve my own work. Since the beginning of this journey, we have been about the expectation of having a core learning group. Although I have my core learning group, I was also happy to be a part of a larger group with the app Group Me. This was such a beneficial collaborative tool because it didn't matter what time it was, there was always someone available to provide feedback, answer questions, or even just be there for support when I was maybe overwhelmed.

Ways to improve

In reflecting in areas that I could show improvement, I would like to focus more energy on my creativity. As I progressed through the ADL program and gained confidence, there were projects in previous courses I worked on that I was extremely proud of. I used a variety of graphics and media to communicate my message. In creating my Blended Learning Toolkit, I spent additional time trying to make my work more engaging for my audience. In 5315, I completed a Literature Review to prepare for my Action Research Plan. Although I take pride of the content I learned, I would have liked to spend more time preparing my post on this topic so it was more appealing. The truth is that this point in the school year has been overwhelming and I would have liked to have had more personal time to develop my styles more.

Collaborative Groups

I mentioned before how valuable my peer groups have been. Knowing how helpful my peers have been in helping my tired eyes catch obvious errors, I made sure to be there for my colleagues as well. I am so thankful for my team of four which includes Jelisa Davis-Sophus, Khelia Olison Williams, Patricia Hamilton, and myself. Our core learning group scheduled Zoom meetings to discuss assignments and consistently kept each other updated on our work so we could provide support and give suggestions for improvement. Being able to work with my core collaborative group and my broader learning community helped enrich my understanding and provided diverse perspectives. Because of the support from my groups, I was able to edit my careless typing errors to present a more professional product. I was also able to enhance the visual aspects of my work after seeing some of the creativity from my peers.

Supporting my peers also helped provide me with new knowledge.

Learning Tasks

By this point of my learning journey in the ADL program, I have noticed that the readings, videos, and discussions are so essential in the success of my learning. I looked forward to reviewing the videos and readings and participating in the discussions because they set me up with the background knowledge needed to begin my projects. Being able to post my discussion reflections and read others' responses shaped how I approached my learning initiatives.

Meeting Deadlines

I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator. With that said, I am proud to have been able to complete all of my assignments without needing any extensions or getting any points off for late work.

What's Next?

Although I already considered myself a life-long learner. This program has taken that to another level. Pre-ADL, I would just explore new tools and topics on my own without depth. With my new skills, I can learn new initiatives, learn about them with depth, and communicate what I've learned with others effectively.

In 5320, being able to reflect on my Innovation project in discussion form helped provide insight so I could learn from what worked and didn't work to make improvements for the next innovative project. Learning how I can make impactful changes to my organization motivates me to lead my campus in teaching our elementary students how to use AI responsibly as a tool. Although I am graduating from this program, I am excited to continue my learning process in this next exploration.

In 5315, I am so thankful for learning the skills of action research. I will be serving in a new leadership role next year and plan on taking what I've learned from my Action Research Plan and using it to reflect on new practices as I observe my own effectiveness in teaching with Project-Based Learning. After exploring and refining these practices, I will be ready to share my knowledge with my campus.

As I wrap up my master's, I'm eager to apply my enhanced skills and knowledge. I am incredibly excited to transition into my new role as our campus's Advanced Academic Specialist. In this position, I aim to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences that empower students to pursue their interests, solve real-world problems, and effectively communicate their learning. I am also dedicated to serving as an instructional coach, supporting fellow educators in refining their practices to improve learning outcomes for all students.