Key Contributions to Your Learning and the Learning Community for 5318 & 5389

Reflection on what is working and what you can do better:

I am actively working with collaboration groups to offer my opinions, give and receive feedback, and apply new things that I have learned to reflect my knowledge in both of my courses. Also, I have been using Schoology, project based learning, and small group instruction in my classroom to test out my innovation plan.

I can contribute to deeper discussions, seeking more diverse perspectives, and share classroom experiences with others. I do want to refine my approach to more personalized learning for my students, and enhance their learning experiences.

There are times when I feel overwhelmed, and have a lot of anxiety, with new situations. However, I do try to remind myself that growth can happen in those uncomfortable moments. I believe that I am showing resilience through my learning journey. I remind myself to take deep breaths, and take smaller steps. It is important to give myself grace.

Ultimately, I feel like I am staying open to reflections and feedback, and constantly trying to improve on what I do.

Contributed to, helped build, and provided feedback to your core collaboration group

I made sure to contribute to my core collaboration group by sharing out ideas, supporting discussions, and providing feedback to my peers. I believe that I contributed to a strong learning community by brainstorming ideas, sharing strategies, and offering insights. It has been an opportunity to learn from each other in the process. I plan to continue to engage in this learning community, make improvements, and be supportive to others in meaningful ways.

Some of my peers that were in my collaboration groups were: 

Kelsi Martin, Joseph Perrone, Frank Seneriz Vega, and Kevric Wiggins (in 5318)

Cristy Silkin, Katelyn O’Quin (in 5389)

I have enjoyed working with them and believe that we are going through this together. It’s great to know that I am not alone, and that anyone of them would be willing to give me feedback when I need it most. I have truly appreciated their responses to my work.

Revised all assignments and reflected on revisions in this contribution to a learning activity.

I have reviewed and revised all of my assignments, and made improvements based on my own reflections and based off of the professors and peer feedback. I made the revisions so that I could meet my learning goals, have clarity, and be effective in the courses. In summary, I did this so that I could have a deeper understanding of what I was learning, and be a bigger contributor in this learning community.

I also found it important to revise my work on my ePortfolio because I want to keep it going, and use it for future work opportunities. The work that I have been able to complete has been extremely useful to what I need right now, and I want to make sure that I do a good job documenting it.

Completed ALL of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources.

I completed all of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources to the best of my ability. I used all of these resources to get through the courses and complete discussions and assignments. This gave me valuable insights to make improvement on my instructional approach, and I felt like it has deepened my understanding, and gave me the ability to contribute to the discussions, and partake in the activities.

I would not be able to understand or complete my work without these resources. They certainly made a difference in my research and development.

Met the various course activity deadlines indicated in the calendar.

I made sure to meet all of my course activities, and deadlines. I also made sure to stay organized, and manage my time effectively, as it was very hard to do considering all the roles and things that I tend to complete in a day. On top of being a teacher, DI team manager, grade level team lead, I am also a wife, and a mom. Needless to say, this has been a juggling act for me. Learning how to manage my time effectively has certainly helped me stay on track and fully engaged in this learning process.I stayed persistent and committed to my end goal, even though there were so many times that I had self-doubt and felt like giving up.

Accelerated ADL option reflection:

The accelerated ADL has pushed me beyond my comfort zone, which has required me to stay focused, adaptable, and persevere. It has been fast paced, and has helped me build on my critical thinking skills, instructional design skills, and problem solving skills. I have gained the ability to apply new concepts quickly. This journey has truly transformed my approach to learning and teaching. I feel more confident, efficient, and reflective in my craft.

Supporting Contributions:

Took leadership responsibility in your base group and the course.

Oftentimes, I initiated conversations, participated in discussions, gave feedback, and supported peers in our base group throughout both courses. I helped with the timeline of assignments which kept us on track, shared resources, and supported collaboration to enhance our learning experience. I feel stronger in communicating with others, and that my personal confidence level grew. I believe that I can be helpful and contribute to the overall learning environment.

Contribute to your learning and the learning of your colleagues by participating in ALL activities

I fully engaged in all activities, and attended all of the zoom sessions. This was my way of contributing to both my own learning and the learning of my peers. I shared my work, insights, and feedback. I made sure to support a collaborative learning environment. I actively participated in all the areas which in turn collectively helped me learn and grow.

Active contributions in the various course forums.

I actively participated in the course forums, asking questions, and engaging in meaningful discussions. I was able to share my opinions, and provide information to others.

You posted in a timely fashion so others can respond to your posting.

I made sure to follow the guidelines and post in a timely fashion. I also replied to at least 2 or more peers each time to give my feedback on their work.

Your postings reflect breadth and depth of thinking with research to support your thinking and are cited using APA.

Whenever I  responded to discussion posts, I made a point to be thoughtful in my reply and showed my thoughtfulness to the topic and the person that I was responding to. I wanted to ensure that my posts backed up my ideas with reliable sources cited, therefore I made sure to use the APA format to make the citations.

Additional postings were made that did not require research but were rather to contribute to the learning. I participated in additional posts to share experiences, and engage with my peers beyond research based responses. I joined GroupMe for both courses, and had continuing conversations with multiple peers from the classes.

Completed Assignments for 5318 – Instructional Design Online Learning

• Module 1 – Instructional Course Design
• Module 2 – Implementation Course Overview
• Module 3 – Usability Testing and Reflections

Completed Discussion Forums – Discussions and posts were made for each Module listed above on a weekly basis and in a timely manner. Responses were also given to my peers on their posts as peer review.

Completed Assignments for 5389 – Effective Professional Leadership

• Alternate PL – Call to Action
• Planning the Alternative PL Assignment
• Connecting and Communicating Ideas

Completed Discussion Forums – Weekly discussions and posts were made for each prompt listed below in a timely manner. Additionally, thoughtful responses were given to my peers on their posts.

• What really works? 
• You can’t talk the talk you must walk the walk
• Promoting Alternative Professional Learning
• Professional Learning
• Modeling based Professional Learning
• Collegial Feedback

Conclusively, in my Applied Digital Learning classes with the Master’s Program at Lamar University, I have grown a great deal in my knowledge and skills for designing and implementing a flex blended learning approach using Schoology, project based learning, and small group instruction. I have learned to adapt, reflect, and improve my work based on constructive feedback. I have learned how important it is to conduct usability tests to ensure optimal results. Thus far, this journey has challenged and pushed me to be more innovative, self-directed, and intentional in creating meaningful learning experiences for my students, colleagues, and myself. Ultimately, I am happy that I have pursued this route in my own learning journey, and even though I have my own struggles, it has been very rewarding to see my ideas take shape and have a real impact in the classroom.

Self-assessment score: 95/100