It was such an exciting journey with courses 5313 and 5389. I was not sure that I was ready to take two courses simultaneously. Now I am happy that I did it this way. It was a challenge to balance two different assignments every week. But it was worth getting that feeling of accomplishment.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but actual brainstorming is impossible without collaboration. Collaboration provides a safety net; it helps you catapult your thinking and develop ideas that may seem crazy at first. I am grateful for the constant support from my classmates on Groupme chat. It has become an excellent learning community for me. Being a member of this learning community means engaging in joint learning activities, soaking in innovative ideas, and sharing perspectives and experiences to understand the information. Learning happens through discussion, reflection, collaborative teamwork, and most importantly, taking the initiative and responsibility to listen, question, and think critically within the community of my classmates.
My small group collaboration was the same: Kelven Wilson, Chastity Crissman, Danielle Lopez, Andrea Harrell, and Pedro Carrizales. I felt we bonded more this semester; we encouraged each other and were there to answer general questions and give each other feedback. It was beneficial to have their support: we brainstormed ideas about assignments, peer-reviewed our work, shared some advice on organizing our ePortfolio better, reminded each other about deadlines, etc. Building a few supportive relationships with my classmates is critical because, as an online student, it would be easy to miss the camaraderie that often exists in a traditional classroom. That same camaraderie online motivates and keeps me engaged in classes. Using the feedforward feedback from my teammates and Dr. Still or Dr. Sue, I was able to take a fresh look at my material and adjust when needed. Sometimes it was as simple as moving a link on my professional learning plan or changing the order in which I present things.
The 5313 course was Creating Significant Learning Environments. During this course, the idea of the growth mindset has altered how I view my experiences. I believe that a fixed mindset is necessary at certain times. A fixed mindset allows you to take the task at hand without interruption. I think this is an essential quality of life. Alternatively, a growth mindset will help you overcome any situation presented to you. Challenges will arise while going through life, and the growth mindset teaches you to face those challenges with thought provocation and clarity. I came up with a new culture of learning and my own personal philosophy on what I am thinking about education. Also, I created two ways to address lessons that are student-focused 3 column table & UBD.
The 5389 course was Develop Effective Professional Learning. The course had us develop multiple plans and strategies for how we would change the way professional learning or development was going to be done in our organizations.
As an adult professional raising a family, you have already had to learn the importance of scheduling. Adding academics to your schedule makes it that much more critical. All adult students must be masters of the work-life balance. While this can be a complicated routine to get into, you'll find your way with a bit of time. That is why I actively used Reminders and Google Calendar. It helped me stay current with my homework, readings, and discussions.
Every week I actively participated in discussions on Blockboards for 5313 and 5389, posting and replying to my classmates. It was fascinating to observe how people react differently to some discussion topics. I found it helpful to get support from your classmates on these sometimes-complex topics.
I also attended Zoom lectures for both courses and participated in discussions in break-out rooms.
I considered all Dr. Still, Dr. Sue, and Creighton's suggestions to improve my assignments and made needed corrections.
Looking back on my effort for these two classes over the past eight weeks was particularly good; I put in the time needed to focus on what the assignment was asking for. I improved my innovative plan with ideas on how to create a significant learning environment and how to organize professional development sessions for educators to launch my project in the next school year.
Self-Assessment Grade
Based on the collaboration group and discussion forums participation, I deserve a 90/100 for the 5313 EDLD class and an 85/100 for the 5389 EDLD class.
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