My Learning Journey

My learning journey through the ADL Master’s Program at Lamar University has drastically changed me as a learner. Before, I was very dependent on clear instructions, traditional structure, and specific guidelines to give me directions on what to do, or how to do something that I was trying to achieve. Overall, I tried to avoid needing to explore new, or complex ideas. I didn’t really like to experiment with new concepts, and for the most part I liked feeling comfortable, or secure in where I was at.  

As I continued my learning journey in the program, I became more of an independent learner. I found myself reading a lot of different books, blogs, and articles. I also like watching videos that are related to the things that I was learning in this program. I felt that I was taking ownership of what I was learning, and became more and more self-guided, and self-motivated. I have learned what it means to be a true learner, and to give myself room to grow, and succeed. I have also given myself room to fail, and try again. I now like to ask clarifying questions, have a chance to apply what I learn, and even think critically. It is important for me to share, and collaborate with others. This was certainly a shift that happened over time, and did not occur immediately. In fact, I never thought that I could get there. Learning is about engagement, curiosity, and discovery. I like to try different approaches, receive feedback, so that I can focus on making it better, or have feedforward. I like to research and see what is out there, and form my own ideas and opinions. I try to find my own solutions to problems that I encounter, and when I can’t come up with a good answer, then I’m not afraid to ask for help, and have someone share their perspective with me. I feel like this is definitely helping me get stronger as a learner, and individual.

One of the fun things that we had to do often is collaborate with others in discussion groups. I think that this helped build confidence in talking and voicing ideas of what I was doing, and taking in what others were achieving. I enjoyed accomplishing tasks that we had to do as a group, and discussed the best ways to do it, and get everyone’s opinions, and viewpoints. Learning is so much more enriching when you are tackling it together with others, versus alone, or by yourself. Sharing ideas with my peers, and receiving feedback was a necessity, and something that I truly enjoyed doing, as a part of my learning journey. I felt like I grew so much, and learned so much just by collaborating with my peers because we could share our different perspectives on things. Most times, it provided valuable insight, and deepened my understanding of what I was learning. Learning like this makes it feel like a community or team, and there is great value in this approach, rather then learning all alone. 

Today, I am more willing to explore, and take risks to expand my skills and knowledge. I am happy to say that I have developed a growth mindset over this time, and I understand that mistakes are actually opportunities to learn, and make something better, rather than quitting or failing. There are a lot of unknowns, and uncertainty, but I have learned to embrace it instead of not giving it a chance. Learning is life-long, and there will always be opportunities to learn and grow throughout my life long learning journey. 

My learning journey has transformed me as a learner. This process has not only shaped me as a learner, but will guide me to help, and support other learners. I understand the learning process now, and I want to inspire my students to never stop exploring, growing, and collaborating since these are essential skills to gain deeper understanding, and learning experiences.