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I am scoring myself a 98. My core collaboration team: Allison Palmer: https://www.allison-palmer.org/ Colby Clifford: https://mrscliffnotes.com/ Pedro Beltran: https://pedrobeltran.org Listen to my team and I reflect on what worked for us during these two courses. We discuss what we learned and how we plan to continue to share this journey with the world. I have said this multiple times in multiple different ways, without my team I would not have been as successful as I was or am in this journey and in my life. We brought out the best in each other and allowed each other to work through our struggles to become better learners and leaders. Aside from our weekly meetings, we meet with each other after to go over the material that we had let digest and pondered upon. As a team, we wanted to become better and have the life-changing conversations that we knew each other understood. Pedro always made it clear that he wanted my projects to be better. With his feedforward, I knew he had my best interest at heart. He was able to tell me, “You didn’t work as hard on this creation…go back and try it again.” Allison showed me how to be brave. I saw how she wasn’t afraid to stir the pot at her school regardless of what her other colleagues may have thought or said. I want to use that same bravery when I begin pushing my fellow educators in my grade level. Colby pushed me to work harder every day, even if she didn’t realize it. She has children with multiple extracurricular activities, and still found a way to be great at her own education. I always tried to work just as hard as she did because it was evident that it could absolutely be done. At this point in the program, I knew how vital it was to complete the course readings, videos, and supporting resources. You have to be willing to dive deeper into the material to see the full benefit of it all. What is discussed in our weekly class meetings is only the surface of what I really need to know. I have had to sharpen my organization skills while in this program and specifically in these last two courses. The end of the semester is always a busy time at work with middle-of-the-year assessments and the huge transition kindergarteners face over the break, so making sure I stayed on top of due days was extremely important. Leadership roles within my group seemed to be established early on. We each knew what we were good at and ran with it and when we ran into a roadblock (because there were many) we never hesitated to ask each other for a different outlook. I also participated in my discussions in my courses. I have completed so many that they all begin to run together, but I know how important collaboration is as a whole so I made sure to interact within the course as well. Ending this journey hasn’t seemed real yet. I believe that is because I know this isn’t an ending. The wealth of knowledge that I have gained from not only these courses, but the people and professors involved is truly indescribable. There would never be enough words to explain the mind blowing information that I have received and plan to share. I cannot wait to make my own changes in the world.

When I think of a wrap up post, I think of an ending. Something coming to a closure. A new beginning is on the horizon. I now have a different take away of that. At this moment, this wrap it up post, is me figuring out how this is going to connect to my future courses and, more importantly, my new learning path. Listed are what I feel helped me “survive” and “thrive” in these courses. If you’re frustrated...you’re doing it right. Read, Read, READ! Use a Kindle. Invest in Audible. Reading is not optional in this program. Do it...or choose another program. When asking Dr. H a question, never ask an “or” question because the answer will always be “yes.” Knowing this has allowed me to answer some of my own questions. Do NOT attempt to “fake it till you make it.” It’s evident. It will make for a long eight weeks and a longer one to two years. My ePortfolio will not be for everyone...but it better be for my audience. I remind myself of this every time I work on my website. “What will my users think?” The education system has failed me. Now, I refuse to fail my students. Getting an A means nothing! Learning means everything! This mindset change is not only critical, but non negotiable. Changing your mindset...can be...hard. This has not come easy for me. I find myself wanting to live with a growth mindset, but it seems the world has conditioned me to have a fixed one. It’s a work in progress. Some days are better than others. I OWN MY ePORTFOLIO. PERIOD. I’m doing better than what I think I am. I’ve learned that my own self-critic is tougher than anyone else. Technology is NOT a game changer. Technology is NOT a new creation. Technology will NOT save the education system. We’re all more than likely doing some form of blended learning...but are we doing it effectively? Find your tribe! Grow your tribe! Make a tribe! Whatever the case may be...you can’t do it alone. Research isn’t my favorite...it never will be. But it’s important and scholarly. This is a graduate program...did I actually think I was going to get out of writing papers?! Give your professor what he wants….WRONG! Give yourself what you need. Not sure what you need? Find out. Funny how reading keeps making its appearance throughout this reflection. It’s not a coincidence. You can do it. I can do it. We can do it. Aside from how overwhelming this program is, I can do it. These courses have shown me that I can. I am two days away from officially saying, “I have completed my first set of graduate courses.” Never in a million years did I think I would be able to say that. I can’t wait to look back on this when I finish the program and see how much I have grown.

I’ve had plenty of experience in a college setting. It took me eight years to finally obtain a bachelor’s degree and when I walked that stage I truly believed I was equipped with what I needed to conquer the world. Fast forward to a pandemic and a one-year master’s program and I can firmly say that I was wrong. I was equipped with tools that the education system wanted me to have. I was prepared for exams and tests...not for real-world experiences. This program is requiring me to be both a learner and a leader through authentic teaching styles that I have rarely, if ever, been exposed to. ​ The study group that I have joined has become a third course in this program. I do not view it as something that is optional at this point. The people that are a part of this group reassure me daily (and sometimes more than that) that I am fully capable of succeeding and thriving in this program and in my career. I contributed and helped build my core collaboration group weekly and more often than not, daily. In this set of courses, I felt more comfortable asking questions to my peers and my professors. I enjoyed the feed-forward that was provided to me without even asking. I think in any other situation that type of communication is sometimes looked down upon. It’s viewed as rude and disrespectful to view someone’s work and then find the faults in it. I’ve learned to change the way I feel about that type of commentary. If someone is taking the time to look through my things, that means they care about what I am putting out there. They hold high expectations of me and refuse to let me settle for anything less. Although the workload for these two courses was not as daunting as the first set, I feel as though the work I did for these courses was more meaningful. In saying that, I feel as though I did not reach out to others as much as I had originally planned to when I began in March. I was putting so much time and effort into my own projects that I was unintentionally not putting in as much effort in providing feed-forward to others. I truly believe that last time I was intentionally not giving or offering feed-forward out of fear or uncomfortableness. But this time it isn’t until this reflection that I am seeing I still did the same thing without realizing it. I did, however, provide support and encouragement throughout the two courses. Every Wednesday I showed up to our study and/or support group and regardless if I said a lot or nothing at all, I believe my presence and effort showed my team that I was and am invested in them and their hard work as well. I already knew how vital the readings, videos, and supporting resources were. I made sure to start the reading list even before classes had begun. I was reading books for these courses during the end of the last set because I wanted to come into this set as prepared as I could be. I still feel as though the supporting resources are mandatory for my own personal benefit. It has been made clear that I can’t learn too much. Now, sometimes (all the time) there are not enough hours in the day, but I do try to make a conscious effort to save something I didn’t have time to look at in that moment so I can go back and look when I do have the time. With the help of my collaboration group, I made sure to meet the deadlines that the courses indicated. I also took advantage of the opportunity that Dr. H and Dr. Bedard gave that allowed us to send our projects in and receive feedforward before the assignment’s due dates. I will admit that I was hesitant about this at the beginning. I knew asking for recommendations meant being open to what I did wrong and having my mistakes being pointed out. This is something I had not experienced in the first half of the semester. I knew my result was going too far outweigh that uncomfortable feeling. I still feel my heart race the moment before I open my video of the feed-forward, but I change what is recommended and I’m almost always happier with my final product. Being a part of the accelerated ADL program has taught me that given the opportunity to make the learning my own, I can and will do what needs to get done to be proud of my work. I remember working through the 4DX model and Dr. H telling me something along the lines of, “Stop giving me what I already taught you. Show me what you’re going to do with this information.” I was falling back into the mentality that I lived in for so long. It was almost involuntary what I was doing. I was regurgitating the information and calling it authentic work. I believe the further along in the program I go, the better I will be able to spot that on my own and catch it beforehand. Lastly, I feel it is important to mention that I have appreciated the organization of the program. I was truly worried I would have to drop a course and extend the program longer than I wanted to because of the workload and life combined, but both professors have been extremely accommodating while still providing me with opportunities that are worth every penny I spend. I thought that with a fast-paced program it might lose its authenticity, but it has been the complete opposite. I’ve gained so much in such a short amount of time that I couldn’t imagine taking one course and not the other.

Although it has only been eight weeks, I can rightfully say I have done more in these two courses than I did in the whole eighteen months of my teaching program. By “have done”, I do not mean physical work. Both courses have allowed me to broaden my thinking in ways that I didn't even know I could. I will be the first to admit, it has not been easy. I struggled the first six weeks of these courses. This kind of deep thinking required a mindset change that I didn’t know I could do. I have changed as a learner and therefore as a person entirely. ​ It was hard for me to narrow down exactly who was a part of my core group because we are so open to anyone who wanted to be a part of it. Pedro, Bianca, Lindsey and Wayne are also doing the accelerated program, unless something has changed, so I am listing them as my core group members because we started together and have encouraged one another to finish together. I think it is worth listing many of my other classmates because they have contributed to my time in these courses as well. Jarrett, Colby, Robin, Maria, Kara, and Aliscia have all also helped me develop into the learner I am becoming. I contributed and helped build my core collaboration group weekly, and sometimes daily. Whenever I was asked to give feedforward, I did so. I did my best to answer questions if someone was unsure or provided reassurance and encouragement when needed. ​ While I do feel I provided peer feedback/feedforward, I do not feel it was enough nor as productive as I thought it was. I do not feel that I met this part of the criteria of the key contributions. I provided support and encouragement, but I do not think I provided my peers beneficial feedback that would make them better learners. I know there were many posts and articles describing ways to do this effectively, but I was very hesitant to hurt anyone’s feelings. I know how much hard work I put into these courses, and I did not want anyone to think I didn’t see theirs. There are correct and meaningful ways to go about doing this, and going forward I need to get more comfortable doing that. ​ I took notes on many of the revisions my collaboration group suggested. I still have this list and continuously add on to it and mark things off. I used to envision the day that I would be able to mark everything off, and it dawned on me one morning that it will never end, but that’s okay! I reached out to an old classmate of mine who I knew research papers came second nature to her. She gave various suggestions on how to make my literature review better. At the moment, I do not know what my grade is for that assignment, but I guarantee it would have been much worse had I not found the strength to ask for help when I knew I needed it. She shared tips with me that I am now able to use for other papers as well. I quickly realized how vital the readings, videos and supporting resources were. The first day of class was the only time I did not feel nor come prepared to discuss anything. I refused to ever feel that way again. The course, unknowingly, allowed me to better my time management skills. I would listen to the videos when I was getting ready for work and could usually knock out the videos in one morning. The readings were and still sometimes are a struggle. I’ve learned to work smarter not harder. I have a Kindle and put on text-to-speech and let it read it to me. Once I have finished the videos, this is what I put on next throughout the mornings before work. I wish I would have purchased Audible instead, but I made the Kindle leap first and for financial reasons, I will make this work for the meantime. I also quickly learned that supporting resources were mandatory. Not by Dr. H’s standards, but for my own. The more I knew the better equipped I was/am. With the help of my collaboration group, I made sure to meet the deadlines that the courses indicated. Other than the Winter Storm, I made this possible. I feel the effort I made to reach out to Dr. H and my group to explain that I would be missing that day expresses the feeling I had for making sure I stayed up to date with everything and how important both courses were to me. ​ Allowing me to be a part of the accelerated ADL program has taught me more than just getting a grade. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to only have one course at a time. I think I would be a much more comfortable person, but productivity wise, I truly believe I am doing more than I ever would have, had I taken them separately. I see the connections, instantly. I am able to complete one project, import it into my ePortfolio and immediately see the “final” result. I say final very loosely because there is never actually a final product. I also feel that completing these courses together has allowed me to dive deeper in my thinking and learning. Again, with one course, I’m going to be honest and say I would’ve drug a lot of the assignments out because I would have had the time. Being a part of the accelerated program has required me to continuously think “how will this connect to that?” I can’t say, “I’ll worry about that later.” It requires me to both stop and think, but also make that thinking linger into my every day thought process because I’m looking to see how and where I can make the connections from the courses to my real life experiences. ​ At first, I did not give myself credit for taking leadership responsibility and my group and the course, but after reflecting, I changed my mind and I feel that I did. No, I was not THE leader of the group, but these courses have taught me that no one should ever be the sole leader. We contributed as a group and took each part that we all gave into a whole. I took leadership in creating an easy access book list and a quick look course line up. Although this information is listed in Dr. H’s website, I saw that many of my groups were having trouble locating and organizing it, so I made the effort to create a spreadsheet and hoped it would save someone else some time. I did the same for the resources we used for our literature review.. There is a spreadsheet that I tried to separate by topic to help us all. ​ I contributed to my learning and the learning of my colleagues in all of the activities because I attended all of the course meetings that were not required and I also attended our study group meetings that were purely for the benefit of myself and my group. ​ I made every effort to post my discussions in a timely manner. My goal was always to post them within that week. I felt more comfortable doing it after we had our course and study group meetings so I could put any extra information I had gathered through those two encounters. I did not give myself any points for using research to support my thinking. I voluntarily made the decision not to put research in my thinking because I was trying to be as authentic as possible, but I see now why it was needed and purposeful. I realize now that although I do my own thinking my ideas stem from somewhere and that needs to be acknowledged. I made additional postings to both Blackboard and my blogs. In regards to our discussions, I made every effort to respond to someone who replied to me. I made my initial comments to others, but when I saw that they would reply, I wanted to keep the conversation going and hear what they had to say. I also wanted to put more on my blog about what and how I feel about life in general. I would still like to get better at this, but I feel for this being my first round of courses, I think that I did a decent job of it.

Below is a peer usability testing that Pedro completed for me. Because he has had extensive use with Canvas, he did not complete this usability testing with a view as a student, rather he looked at it from a perspective from a future stakeholder and how administration might be looking at my course. I appreciated his different outlook and he truly allowed me to see my course for what exactly it is, but saw the potential that it could be and gave me the feedforward I needed to get my course there. Below is the Slide Deck that I used for my Reflection piece to keep me on track and organized. Through the questions that were provided for reflection, I was able to become a better learner and leader. I know I am invested in my course, but having a different and fresh perspective take a look at what I have built truly allowed me to see some of the things that I have been missing. I will able to take these pieces and make my course even better. How your stakeholders/peers are able to navigate the Introduction/Overview/Start Here section of your course and how they are able to navigate to and engage in a short activity from the first module. After watching my usability video, I believe Pedro was able to navigate through my introduction and overview rather easily, but I do think he had some trouble with my “Start Here” activity. I could have identified it in a different way so that it was easier for him to access. How long will your usability test last? The usability test was to be roughly at the 5-minute mark. What are the criteria for the activity that you want your testers to do? The criteria that was needed to complete the activity were access to Jamboard and an open mind. How will your testers report back (ie. screen capture tools like Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, etc., or direct observation or response)? My tester reported back using Zoom. He recorded his testing and was able to send me the video. Refer to my blog to see this video. Whom are you planning to participate in the usability testing? What are your alternate plans? Because I thought it should be someone who knows what I have been pouring my hard work into, I decided that a peer usability testing would be better for me for this project. I felt that I would receive feedforward that would allow me to truly make my course better before I presented it or offered it to someone in my district. I am new to instructional design and wanted to use this opportunity to gather as much information as possible. Reflect on who you were able to have conduct the usability testing? Were you able to get the right people? Why or why not? What can you do to better improve this in the future? Yes, I definitely feel like I got the right person to do my usability testing. Pedro has had extensive use with Canvas and give me pointers that I will be able to implement and make my course better. What impact did your platform (LMS, Google Docs, or other digital sharing) have on the testing and results? Because Pedro uses Canvas daily, he didn’t have to focus on the navigation of the platform itself and was able to truly focus on the content I was providing and focused on details that others who have not been as fluent with Canvas may not have been able to focus on. What were the lessons you learned from the usability testing feedback? I did not realize how impersonal my course seems from an outsider’s perspective. It was interesting to see that Pedro immediately noticed this meanwhile I definitely did not because I’m building it. What have you done to your design to address the usability issues revealed in the testing? What have you added or taken away? I am in the process of making a better (more personal) introduction video. A video like this, although short, takes time because I want my audience to be able to gain a lot of information in such a short amount of time. So it’s been a work in progress. I’ve also added a “Start Here” button. Pedro made me aware of this issue that I didn’t realize I even had. How has this process improved your course and your learner's experience? I enjoyed seeing what I was putting on my course through someone else’s eyes. It has allowed me to take a step back and remember that just because I think something looks “easier” for me that that isn’t always the case. I need to look at it from multiple different angles. How has the testing impacted your alignment of outcomes activities and assessment? The testing has not yet impacted my alignment of outcomes activities and assessments. I do believe once everyone begins finishing my course this will change. How will you address the infrastructure, system, and support needs and issues the learner may face? I linked a Tech Support button in my Canvas course and Pedro mentioned he appreciated this because he knew he was able to call whoever was needed for support that is beyond me and my capabilities.

Check out the "behind the scenes" look at the creation and future implementation of my course. Below is the Slide Deck used throughout my Video Explanation of my online course. Below are the direct questions and responses used to navigate through the tour of my online course. What Learning Management System (LMS) or other digital sharing platforms like Google Docs are you planning to use? Why? As mentioned, I am using Canvas as my LMS. My team was actually using canvas for their instructional course and after giving Google Classroom a try, I decided to run with it. Although I am used to being a user of Blackboard, I wanted to try out something different with this opportunity. I also use Google Docs because it allows me to compile my thoughts in one location and have everything “jotted” down while making sure everything gets on a page and I don’t have to worry about forgetting something. How will you implement the Overview/Introduction/Start Here Module or section of your course including videos, documents, and related resources? The start menu is on the home page. On the home page is a link to each of the five modules. Once you click on each module, there is a home page for each one where videos, documents, and other resources can be located. How will you implement the first 1-2 Modules of your course including videos, documents, and related resources. As mentioned in the previous question, throughout each module the learner can locate the different resources and videos that they might need. Each module is set up with the following basic components: An objective page A resource page A discussion A Group Discussion Canvas has this feature and I wanted to utilize it to create an even deeper sense of community. The “assignment” or requirement for that module How will you use media to support and enhance learning? Sometimes media says what I cannot say. Hearing it from an outside perspective with a different voice sometimes gives the learner more value and that’s okay. Using it to enhance their learning rather than lead their learning are two very different things. Using them appropriately is the key. Lecture in a digital age? When are lectures appropriate and how can they best be used? I believe that humans crave human contact. As we’ve seen through this pandemic, a human connection is needed. In this digital age, I do believe this looks different. It may not always be a weekly scheduled meeting date in the classroom. But sometimes, just like in this course, a video meeting or recorded video is sometimes all the learner needs to feel included. What is important to note is that lecture isn’t a one-way conversation. It needs to be a two-way street. A video following a discussion can still accomplish this. Or a discussion component in its entirety would help create this. "Cognitive overload" is discussed in one of your videos. What are your thoughts on addressing this issue? I feel that I have addressed this issue in my module two assignment. I created an assignment that wasn’t for a grade, but needed to be turned in as a “checkpoint.” My intent is that it gives my learners the time I know they need to focus on what’s important (the learning, the doing, the action) rather than just completing an assignment to get a grade. Will your course include experiential learning? If not, how is it different than a traditional f2f experience? Explain. Yes, my learners are learning by doing and will one day proceed to implement this same kind of learning with their own learners. How are you relating your teaching methods to the knowledge and skills needed by your learners in a digital age? I am working to be proactive rather than reactive. I believe that we can see living in a digital age will mean more exposure to technology so immersing my learners in it appropriately rather than dependently and ineffectively will create better learners and leaders. If you have been working as a collaborative team, how do you feel about teaching an online or blended course independently? Although I will be the “teacher” I do believe it will be the same concept. I feel that I will expect the same hesitation and pushback that I gave and can provide firsthand feedforward for the people who were just like me. Working collaboratively with my team previously has only made me a better facilitator. What standards for professional learning will you need to address as you develop your course? Because I have not yet received permission for this course to be implemented in my district, I am not sure what standards will need to be addressed and/or required. If accepted, the appropriate district personnel will have access to this course and any other documentation needed. Where does the Overview/Introduction/Start Here module fit into the overall course map or design? It is the front page and is used at the “Housing Page” for all the things I feel the learner would want easily accessible. Contact Info About me Tech Support How is your instructional design approach realized in the modules? Each module has a learning objective stated at the beginning of the module. Where are you sharing the main course goal and outcomes with your learners? I created an announcement where the 3 Column Table can be accessed whenever needed. Here the learners will be able to see the main course goal and outcomes. I know Canvas has an Outcomes tab, but I’m still figuring that out, so I figured providing it for my learners in some form was better than nothing at all. How does the module align outcomes activities and assessment? Module 1: Aligns to the foundational goal of the exploration and investigation of applying practical aspects of the ePortfolio construction. Module 2: Aligns to the human dimension focusing on the growth mindset and professional learning networks. The introduction to COVA and the beginning of a new way of learning. Module 3: Aligns to the application goal by encouraging learners to truly take ownership of their ePortfolio, and how ownership contributes to effective, collaborative learning. Module 4: Aligns to integration and learning to learn goals by identifying a “Why” statement by using their own voice. Module 5: Aligns to integration, human dimensions, and learning to learn goals by completing the ePortfolio, but not indefinitely, and self-assessment of learning by reflecting on the new way of learning the learner has been immersed in. Is this student-centered or teacher-led? This is a Student-Centered course, through the use of COVA. The learner will get as much out of the learning as they put into it. What is the scope or range of the instructor’s role (i.e. Presenter, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor)? I am the Guide through this journey that my learners have inquired upon. You can see in multiple locations where I refer to myself as this rather than “teacher.” Is the course blended or fully online? Fully Online How are you introducing the course and yourself and how are you building the learning community? I introduced the course with the initial video that I started this assignment with. I have also created a Learning Lounge where my learners can build a learning community. This is a “Pinned Discussion” so it is always available for them to use and does not have to be “course-related.” It should be a place where they can collaborate with each other and create a sense of “togetherness.” There is also an Introduce Yourself discussion post where everyone will introduce themselves and give us a look at their life. What is the ratio or percentage of synchronous to asynchronous collaboration? The design of this course is 100% asynchronous. How will you address the infrastructure, system, and support needs and issues the learner may face? I have multiple different ways that the learner can use to address any support they may need. I have created this page with an array of Canvas Technology support and forums if the learner needs it. I have also provided my phone number, email and noted that because my current audience is my own grade level that our Weekly Grade Level Meetings can be used for quick questions and/or comments if needed. When I begin to implement this course in a broader aspect and in other grade levels, I believe having a link to set up a virtual meeting would be appropriate and necessary. Because this course would be done on our work computer, the Read and Write extension will already be installed in a learner needs that as well.

When I began my innovation project I knew I wanted to roll it out slowly. I saw many other learners in the program hit the ground running and get approvals and so forth, but I wanted to create this innovation with myself as the living proof that it works. I have had many conversations with people on my grade level team and a few administrators discussing and explaining what exactly I’m trying to accomplish. Although no one seems majorly moved by my dream, I still believe that once they see the learners that come out of my classroom I will have people knocking at my door to share with them my strategies and knowledge. I’m currently implementing blended learning station rotations within my own classroom, but I’m still working out the kinks that have come up and continue to arise. I can guarantee, to implement something like this at this time last year, I would have given up and not wanted to try it again while I revert to my own selfish ways. With a growth mindset and knowledge about the outcomes, I want my students to grow from the significant learning environment that I am providing. I also no longer get discouraged when difficultly sets in. I am capable of sitting back and assessing what worked and what didn’t. I am also able to realize that even though it didn’t work that doesn’t mean I should throw in the towel, it has allowed me to question why didn’t it work and what do I need to do to make it work. One thing that has worked while implementing my innovation plan has been giving my students choices in their work. I often feel privileged to teach Kindergarten because of some of the flexibility that it gives me. I believe that educators are always looking for different ways to give their students this possibility such as genius hour, stem, or other variations of this idea. The downfall is that sometimes this isn’t every day or for a lengthy period of time. Within my classroom, I am able to give my students this time to have choice during stations. I provide them with tools and manipulatives that encourage them to stretch their brain and have the freedom that I know their little minds crave. Something that I want to be able to do better is creating ePortfolios in my classroom. I have considered online folders as a start or digital folders as a placeholder until they are old enough to get an ePortfolio built, but I just know there is a better way to get this implemented successfully. I know of the simple variations of this like Seesaw, but I have seen how much my own ePortfolio has benefited me and do not think a watered-down version would do any justice. I look at my students daily and see how much they give me when I give them rigorous work. They do their best to work through the difficulty and find so much joy once their success is met. Their love of learning drives them to work past the hard and crave the struggle. With this being said, I do believe they are capable of more than I even give them credit for, and I believe there is a way to create a true ePortfolio without “them being in kindergarten” hindering that. The way that I have promoted my innovation project has been through word of mouth and social media. I have a class Facebook page and post weekly of the different activities that the students have been allowed to participate in. I encourage my learners to go home and tell someone about their day. My goal is that the more it is talked about, the more people will want to know more about it and want to help implement it across the district. I have said this to multiple people by this point, but the one thing I would do differently is I would have dove in deeper, sooner. I wish I wouldn’t have been so hesitant at the beginning with what might happen or what could happen and I wish I would have gone for it all. I realize it’s never too late and I am doing better with diving in headfirst to the crazy, but I often look back and think if I would have done this then, how much further along would I be? I have challenged myself to use this knowledge with every journey that I encounter now. I truly believe this is only the beginning for me. I envision the road that lies ahead and think, “There’s still so much more than that!” I have the tools, knowledge and want to to make all my future innovation plans come true and become better every time.

Introduction: Learners will navigate through a five week, five module course using Canvas to begin their construction of an ePortfolio. Having each one of my learners create their own ePortfolio will allow them to have a place to facilitate collaboration and demonstrate and reflection their learning, My audience at the moment, is what most people would refer to as "not tech savvy," with this in mind, I know it is important for them to gain the basic understanding of what an ePortfolio is, how it works, and what its purpose is. This beginning course will be a starting point to future professional learning courses. Learners will become familiar with the foundational purpose and navigation of the use and building of an ePortfolio on a platform of their choosing. Using an outcomes based framework, learners will construct their own ePortfolio to use as a resource for a better blended learning environment in their classroom. Throughout the course, learners will be able to collaborate and reflect with our team about their experiences and learning. Overarching Course Goal: Learners will create an ePortfolio to share their work, reflect on their growth and develop their voice in a blended learning environment. Desired Results: After completing the Canvas course, learners will be ready to enter the next "phase" or course of this blended learning environment they have immersed themselves in. Learners will have adequate skills to continue developing their ePortfolios with resources and reflections of blended learning to later use within their own classroom. Audience: Kindergarten teachers Although I will be keeping admin informed and updated with our progress, they are not my intended audience with this specific course. Canvas Course Modules in Canvas Course 3 Column Table Timeline: (5 Week Course) Blended Learning Literature Review Because of a master's program that instilled the importance of research and knowledge, I believe it is important that my team understands how significant taking this course is. It is more than professional development. This is the beginning to a whole new world that will undoubtedly change so many students. Together, we will create lifelong learners that crave real world learning experiences and explorations to better their futures and ours.

These past 8 week courses are probably the fastest set of courses that I have encountered throughout the entire Applied Digital Learning program. I've contributed it to starting these classes while starting the beginning of a new school year, starting a new curriculum at our district, beginning of the year assessments, and life in general. As I progressed through these courses I could feel that the teacher burnout, school burnout was going to hit hard, but just as I was going to wallow in those feelings my core collaboration family, Allison, Colby and Pedro reminded me why having them as my team is what everyone needs to survive this program. This set we made it through a few of our members getting Covid, sick children, wedding planning and graduation preparations. I have no doubt in my mind that without this solid support system we wouldn't have been as successful as we were. Much like a marriage, some days we weren't able to give 100%, so the others graciously picked up where we left off. Although they didn't have to, the relationship that we have established allows us all to remain confident that we will not get left behind. Self-Assessing Score: 95 Core Group: Allison DeVoll, Colby Clifford and Pedro Beltran I will admit to being fearful of both of these courses. The difference this time around was that I chose to use my Growth Mindset, and change that fear to excitement. Just because the course material is completely new to anything that I am use to doesn't mean I have to be afraid of it. In 5315, I was extremely appreciative of the Action Research Outline. This truly allowed me to gather my thoughts and organize them in a manner where everything started to make sense. Although I am not a fan of Literature Reviews, I understood the purpose and the reasoning which brought everything back into perspective. I was able to regain a solid understanding of what I was looking for in my Action Research Plan. I am excited to see the results and what future research comes from my data. In 5317, I was mostly excited for our Podcasting assignment. My team and I had been dabbling with podcasting for a few months prior and I felt this assignment finally gave us the project we were craving. As far as the publication, which I will not be sharing online...YET (crossing our fingers for a publication), that was an entirely new adventure for me. I had hesitantly created my outline and was extremely grateful when we were informed we could create a co-publication because I absolutely believe that two heads are better than one. It really allowed my partner and I to put our brains together and see how blended learning can truly work for us all. Stay tuned for updates! Although most of my collaboration group were taking the same courses, there was one member who was only taking one of the same courses with us. There was no doubt that we were still going to make this cohesive collaboration work, but I found it interesting that when she was discussing some of the things they were discussing in that course it allowed me to connect even more dots of my learning together. I wouldn't say I had forgotten what I learned, but rather it wasn't the focus but as she would bring up different topics, such as a 4DX as another measurement strategy, I really was seeing all the pieces come together in a different way. Communication has been a vital part of this whole program. It continues to prove how important it is to be successful not only in this master's program, but throughout life. My team and I have religiously used GroupMe and Zoom, and we have had extreme success with it as you can tell from the video. It allows us to have a consistent platform that we all can navigate with ease. The feedforward that I received from these two courses has definitely helped and improved my learning. Not only did the rubric that my team and I used during our publication editing improve my writing, but it also helped my look at my peers work in new ways. I appreciated the feedforward I received from both professors because it felt genuine and came from a place where they wanted to me to be successful. I am finally feeling the shift from feedback to feedforward. I'm able to take what is given to me and make my work better.

I truly do not know what I am going to write about. I feel this is a great thing when I say this though because I have so many different things that I'd like to run with so choosing one is going to be difficult. I'd be interested in writing about the social-emotional side effects of covid in younger children/students, and I'm also interested in the effects of taking grades in Kindergarten. https://www.edweek.org/newsletters/ - Education Week - I saw this on another classmate's discussion and I thought it was a really great platform that was worth sharing again. https://elearnmag.acm.org/ - eLearn Magazine I am everything Google...except my phone and watch (shh). With this being said, I think Google Doc is a great platform to collaborate in. I think if Apple came up with their version of a Google Doc, I'd be using that faster than I could download the app. I know they have Pages and Keynote, but the real-time update that Google gives isn't comparable right now. Vonn...does Apple have something like this that I've been missing out on?

For a quick evaluation in educational technology tools, I would say that I look for longevity. Microsoft and Google are the first trends/tools that come to mind. Of course there are tons of other ones, but I will admit that I run to Google first and see if there is something I can use from them because they have “established credit” in my head and have proven to work when I need them to work. When time allows, I absolutely venture off and see what other tools I can find. In my work setting we use various different programs for the professional side of it, Eduphoria for lesson planning, ESPED for RTI data, Ascender for attendance, and everything Google. In my classroom on the other hand, we do not use as many different tools as I’d like, but because we do not have touch screen computers or iPads for every student, we make do with what we have. We house all of our student apps on Clever. I never knew how beneficial this one app was until I started teaching kindergarten. The idea of asking a five year old to independently type in a web address makes my stomach queasy. Now, all I say is, “Click on the blue C (Clever), then click on EPIC!” Talk about a lifesaver! Canva and iMovie are currently my two favorite tools for grad school and my personal life! They allow my creativity to be displayed in different ways. Now, I am excited to try out a podcasting platform.

The step I believe will be the most difficult for me to carry out will be the reflection phase. After listening to the V.2.1 video, I agreed with his explanation of how most educators reflect. We tend to look at other people’s work, classrooms or research when we should reflect on our own. I think this is another one of those things where we are accustomed and conditioned to believe that we cannot reflect on our own work effectively. In Texas, we have T-TESS (Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, where our appraiser comes into our classroom once during the school year during a 45-minute lesson and evaluates our teaching. On one side, I think, it is the law, it’s required, they do what they have to do. However, after looking at reflection in a different way, it made me realize that I should not take their “evaluation” of me in such a definite manner. Professionally, I will say thank you and take their “advice” with a smile, but I should have also already done my own reflection and see what worked and what did not and why and how I am going to make it better. For the past two years, I was taking their evaluation of my practices as gold. Now, I have a different way of looking at it. https://edge.sagepub.com/mertler5e/student-resources/chapter-2/video-resources