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B. Rodriguez Teacher. Mom. Lifelong Learner. Home About Me Blog Master of Education Contact Search Results More "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." -Albert Einstein...maybe READ MORE About me READ MORE BLOG READ MORE LEARNING All Videos Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Contribution to Learning & Our Learning Community 05:20 Play Video Now Playing Part One - ePortfolios 40:55 Play Video Now Playing Part Two - Blended Learning and COVA 01:04:56 Play Video Now Playing Part Three - Wrap Up & Future Endeavors 48:21 Play Video Now Playing Contribution to Learning 07:43 Play Video Now Playing COVA Reflection 27:23 Play Video Now Playing Blended Learning Professional Learning Course 01:01 Play Video Now Playing Allison Course Reflection 05:29 Play Video Now Playing Pedro's Course Reflection 04:56 Play Video Now Playing Contribution to Learning 18:20 07:26 Play Video Now Playing Reflection of Usability Testing 04:52 Play Video Now Playing The Applied Digital Learning Journey 01:04 Play Video Now Playing The Biggest Myth In Education 14:27 Play Video Now Playing A Pep Talk from Kid President to You 03:28 Play Video Now Playing The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping 11:19 Play Video Now Playing The revolution of self-directed learning | Sean Bengry | TEDxFlourCity 09:03 Play Video Now Playing RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us 10:48 Play Video Now Playing Margaret Heffernan: Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work 15:48 Play Video Now Playing Bring on the learning revolution! | Sir Ken Robinson 20:57 Play Video Now Playing Creative thinking - how to get out of the box and generate ideas: Giovanni Corazza at TEDxRoma 13:39 Play Video Now Playing Let's teach for mastery -- not test scores | Sal Khan 10:50 Play Video Now Playing STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS 16:58 Play Video Now Playing How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek 18:35 Play Video Now Playing 4DX Plan 07:15 Play Video Now Playing Blended Learning in Kindergarten 01:18 Play Video Back to Top

Podcast Part One Podcast Part Two Podcast Part Three Throughout the Applied Digital Learning (ADL) graduate program, I have collaborated with multiple people, which has allowed me to gain great insight from their perspectives and grow as both a learner and leader. In the following podcast/vodcast series, you will hear or from myself, Allison DeVoll, Colby Clifford and Pedro Beltran, a peer collaboration group that we formed through the ADL program, discuss ePortfolios, Blended Learning, and our future projects. A featured guest, Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik, joins in our discussion and provides us with some of his thoughts on learning, leading, and digital learning environments. Below are my colleagues' ePortfolios, where you can find more research and resources on the different things they are each working on. ​ Allison DeVoll - https://www.allison-palmer.org/ Colby Clifford - https://mrscliffnotes.com/ Pedro Beltran - https://pedrobeltran.org/ Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik - https://www.harapnuik.org/ The following are resources I encourage you to look through to continue your research and thinking over the topics discussed in the vodcast. ​ Positive Outcomes of Blended Learning Blended Learning Universe Empowering Students with Voice and Choice Successful Collaboration ​ Creating this series of podcasts has continued to foster the love and investment I have in my innovation plan . I have taken the knowledge and research from other people who share this same love of learning and continue to build a foundation for my own ideas to build upon. Applying a growth mindset reinforces the need to have an open and willing mind to watch a dream become a reality. Future endeavors include a co-publication with a fellow colleague, Pedro Beltran , where we continue with a few of these ideas and explain how a blended learning classroom can be successfully implemented in any classroom, regardless of grade level or subject. Podcast Part One - ePortfolios 00:00 / 40:55 In this podcast, we discuss ePortfolios and the different ways educators can use them for assessments or as assessments. Podcast Part Two - Blended Learning & COVA 00:00 / 1:04:55 In this podcast, we discuss blended learning in various classrooms and the positive effects of having choice, voice, and ownership to create authentic learning. Podcast Part Three - Wrap Up 00:00 / 48:20 In this podcast, we wrap up our thoughts on ePortfolios, blended learning, and COVA while we consider the new places this will take us. Back to Top References ​ 3 positive outcomes of blended learning. (n.d.). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-positive-outcomes-blended-learning ​ What blended learning is - and isn't - blended learning universe. (2016, March 4). Blended Learning Universe. https://www.blendedlearning.org/what-blended-learning-is-and-isnt/ ​ Spencer, J. (2019, March 29). Empowering students with voice and choice. John Spencer. https://spencerauthor.com/empowering-students/ ​ Deeper learning: A collaborative classroom is key. (n.d.). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deeper-learning-collaboration-key-rebecca-alber Back to Top

Concepts of Educational Technology Growth Mindset Learning Manifesto Learning Networks Reflection When and how often will Growth Mindset be promoted? ​ ​ The simple response to when Growth Mindset should be promoted is always. As to how often, that limit does not exist. Growth Mindset should not be something that gets turned on and off. Although we all toggle to and from a growth to fixed mindset, we should always try to recognize where our progress has been made and how we can continue to foster that growth. In every situation we can have a Growth Mindset. We just have to be open to that possibility and maintain a love of learning through failures. How will Growth Mindset influence my work in the ADL program? ​ ​ In the previous eight weeks, I struggled with the two courses I was enrolled in. The amount of course work wasn't the issue, but rather the type of course work that was being asked of me. Since the ADL program uses the COVA approach to learning, my fixed mindset told me to clam up and shut down. My fixed mindset won in those moments, but now that I am equipped with Growth Mindset these current courses have allowed me to truly learn. I am opening up to all the possibilities that this program has. I am able to change my thoughts of "This is too hard" to "Even though this is hard, if I continue to work at it, I will be successful and learn so much through the process." Back to Top References: ​ ​ Dweck, C. S. (n.d.). Mindset. ​ Einck, C. (2017). Growth mindset affects elementary students (Master's thesis, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA). Retrieved from http://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/39/ ​ Mineola Creative Content. (2017, December 11). Promoting Growth Mindset | Dr. Nagler's Laboratory [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/85ABaggHgw0 ​ Sesame Street. (2014, September 10). Sesame Street: Janelle Monae - Power of Yet [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XLeUvZvuvAs ​ Stanford Alumni. (2014, October 9). Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ ​ TEDx Talks. (2014, September 12). The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/J-swZaKN2Ic ​ TEDx Talks. (2018, April 11). The Mindset of a Champion | Carson Byblow | TEDxYouth@AASSofia [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/px9CzSZsa0Y ​ Never did I think I would have grown this much as a person from a graduate program. I find it mind blowing that making that statement makes me cringe, now. I think, “What do you mean you didn't think you would grow as a person? What do you mean you’re surprised you’re actually learning something? What do you mean you’ve never experienced something like this?” I’m applying and learning skills that I believe we should all have and experience. I’m excited to be able to begin sharing these new skills with my own students. My growth mindset plan is not only a newly acquired plan, but a lifestyle. I am applying this to every aspect of my life. I remember the beginning of this school year was rough...to say the least. I now look back and realize if I would’ve changed my perspective and my fixed mindset, I would have started out the year completely different. I’m now using my growth mindset to determine how I view my future success in this program. I’m able to comfortably say, “Yes, this is going to be hard, but I can do it. I may not know what lies ahead, but I will learn something from both my successes and failures.” In the coming school year, I plan to push a growth mindset hard in my classroom. My kiddos may not realize how powerful words are, but with the power of yet they will see that anything is possible. Of all the strategies I have obtained thus far, I think failing forward has been the toughest, with feed forward in close second. Like a lot of us, I grew up thinking failing was a terrible thing. I believed it was a sign of weakness. I dreaded and feared failure. Now, I have failed many times, but I wasn’t able to see past the failure...until now. I can see now that failing forward means I have learned somewhere. My “failures” now have a purpose and they truly make me a better person. I’m still working on the immediate shutdown that I feel when I know I’m going to receive feed forward, but with my growth mindset I have no doubt that I can defeat this. The COVA learning approach not online impacts my learning, but my teaching. I have quickly realized where I am not meeting my students needs and implementing COVA into my classroom will help them become all around better people. My learning manifesto shows that I believe in creating environments for my students to take ownership of their own learning. Doing this gives them something to care about and strive for. COVA with my own learning hasn’t been as comfortable. This approach is a retraining of the brain that is a daily task. I say that often because I keep thinking that it might one day “click” and it won’t feel as uncomfortable anymore. I absolutely believe that will be the case because being involved in this type of environment is not something that can be faked nor halfway done. This authentic learning environment requires me to take ownership of my own learning and finding my own voice in the process. Collaboration and teamwork are a part of a teacher's everyday world. We grow together through different communities and networks that share in our same beliefs and passions. My professional learning networks continue to help me grow and become a better teacher, leader and learner. Although I have been a part of most of these communities for some time, this program has allowed me to become a part of a group that has helped me grow in so many ways. Back to Top As you read through my learning manifesto please feel free to use the audio button to hear the passion in my beliefs. Free Play As a kindergarten teacher and parent, I believe it is important that students learn to love learning, the process of learning, and authentic learning experiences. I feel that at times we want so badly for our children to do their best that we unintentionally mold them to believe that if they make mistakes, they are wrong and should stop trying. This is far from the experiences and mentality that we want to instill in our youth. I want to foster their creativity and love for learning that we are all naturally born with. Using free play and dramatic play within my classroom will allow my students to thrive and continue to crave this type of environment. Emerging Issues Technology, although seen as a magical potion (insert magician or magical potion), is only a bandaid to the problem at hand. Society has replaced hands on learning with hands on technology and I believe we are beginning to see the side effects of this. More and more students are coming in not knowing what I would refer to as the “basics.” Instead, they can mechanic and maneuver any technology piece that lies in front of them. Now, I’m not against this and I believe that technology is an important part of our world, especially in the coming years, but there is an entire world outside of this technology realm and it shouldn’t be forgotten or replaced. I believe that if properly combined, technology and play based learning will make our students wholesome learners and well rounded individuals. The Right and Wrong You and I are not the same, nor should we want to be. We are not made from the same mold and that is perfectly alright. The individuality that each and every one of us have should be praised and cultivated especially in an education setting. I think our education system is preparing our students for a test score...not life and that’s a problem. We each learn in a different way and there’s nothing wrong with that. America is the melting pot of the world! Each individual who is unique in countless ways creating a world that everyone seeks to be a part of. So, why does it feel like our education system is hindering that? We are in a point in time where we need to move past the grades and allow our students to create their own learning and we as the teacher only be a guide on their never ending learning journey. ​ Solutions and Enhancements I may be just one teacher, in one school, in one classroom, but I share my knowledge and love with 21 students daily. So, although I may think I am not touching enough hearts, or any at all, I believe that reminding myself daily that I am and can make a difference in each of these students' lives will keep me pushing forward to ground breaking change. The love I have for providing my students with real world experiences may not show results through test scores, but it will absolutely show it in other ways. Those students will have knowledge and skills far more valuable than any exam could provide them. Core Beliefs and Impact ​ My core belief system in this digital learning world is that technology is not a fix all solution. I believe using technology to enhance other parts of my teaching and students learning is what will make all the difference. There isn’t an app or download that is going to provide them with the same opportunities they will receive within my classroom, but those apps and downloads will provide them with added benefits that I myself cannot physically provide them. I do not think we should run away from the technology rich world we are headed towards, but I do think it shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for teaching. The impact I hope to make within my organization is to bring back the fun in learning. Learning should be fun. It should not be a decision of one or the other or having to lose one to have the other. Learning and fun should be intertwined and not easily separated. I fear that my organization has lost sight of this through all of the changes the world has had lately. I want to reignite the love of learning one heart and one learner at a time. Click here to download a document view of my learning manifesto. References: ​ TEDx Talks. (2015, March 11). Building a Manifesto for Evolving Learning | John Moravec | TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AldEtoyZy2k ​ ​ ​​ Back to Top Although I am new to teaching, collaboration has been an essential part of my educational career and my life. I feel as humans we crave feeling connected to people who share similar beliefs and passions. I have joined multiple networks and communities who share the chaos I live in being a kindergarten teacher. I also have personal communities who crave the kitchen just as much as I do where we share recipes and tips with each other. ​ ​ Facebook has countless groups that share so much information and an abundance of resources. When the pandemic hit, this was my first line of defense. Teachers from all over the country came together and shared anything from videos to PowerPoints to motivation to get us through a road not yet travel. ​ ​ Pinterest is another network that I use religiously. I usually run here for quick ideas that I can use for my students as stations or centers. I also use this as a resources for new home ideas. The quick picture view allow me to decide whether I will invest in reading the information or move on to another post. The amount of information on here is endless. ​ I have replaced YouTube with Google. I appreciate the visual assistance that it provides me. I use this often as a preface to the lesson I am going to teach that day. Because there are so many videos to choice from, I do not have to recreate the wheel. I frequently come here for any "how to" whether that be "how to have a growth mindset" or "how to install a garage door opener." A recent learning network that I have joined is a study group that was created for the Applied Digital Learning masters program. I have surrounded myself with other students who share some of the same struggles that I do. Together, we brainstorm, collaborate and motivate each other to give and do our best. I try to imagine my life without these group of individuals and I can without a doubt say that I would not be as successful as I am in this program and with my creations. We encourage everyone to do their best while creating significant learning environments. Back to Top

B. Rodriguez Productions COVA Reflection COVA My Team The Journey I began this unpaved road with hesitation and fret, but blossomed into a learner and leader I never knew I had the potential to become. Through a new way of learning, COVA , I was able to apply my learning in so many different ways. I quickly learned the vitality of peer collaboration and feedforward, and am now able to implement those factors into my organization. This journey is unlike any other and I am ready to make the right changes within my own district to better both educators and students alike. Back to Top Another skillset that I gained through this journey is video producing and editing. This newly found interest was a struggle in the beginning, but as I invested more time and saw each final product after, I realized how much enjoyment I found in it. Slide through a few of my creations and subscribe to my YouTube Channel to see my past and future productions. B. Rodriguez Videos Play Video Play Video 04:52 Reflection of Usability Testing Play Video Play Video 07:26 Contribution to Learning 18:20 Play Video Play Video 04:56 Pedro's Course Reflection Play Video Play Video 05:29 Allison Course Reflection Play Video Play Video 01:01 Blended Learning Professional Learning Course Play Video Play Video 27:23 COVA Reflection Play Video Play Video 07:43 Contribution to Learning Play Video Play Video 48:21 Part Three - Wrap Up & Future Endeavors Back to Top Meet My Team Allison Palmer https://www.allison-palmer.org/ Allison and I started the ADL program together in January of 2021. I have seen her fluriosh into a true master of education. She has pushed boundaries and has shown me that there are educators that still believe in giving students the best learning opportunities in a significant learning environment. Pedro Beltran https://pedrobeltran.org/ Pedro and I also started the ADL program together. I owe him an immense amount of credit for using his people skills to create the strong team that we have. He continuously encourages me push myself to new lengths and use the voice he knows I have. He his the perfect description of a learner and leader. Colby Clifford https://mrscliffnotes.com/ Although Colby and I did not begin this ADL journey together, sometimes I forget that because we have always made each of our schedules work in such a cohesive manner. She provides me with a wealth of knowledge from her experience. Her love of research and exploration only adds to the already phenomenal educator that she is. Back to Top In the midst of this journey, I found the following like-minded individuals who share the same beliefs that I do. Take some time to look through their work and join us in our evolving adventures. Joining a community of individuals who share in the wild and brave idea of students having choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning experiences has stretched my thinking to a world of endless possibilities. I began this journey unsure of what I needed to do, and unsure of where it would take me. I'm now ending this journey with a wealth of knowledge that can never be forgotten. This "ending" is actually only the beginning of a lifetime of changes and working through struggles that I now have the tools to use to become successful. I intend to share my ideas with the rest of the world and watch each of them flourish just as I will continue to. This newfound journey has become my way of life, rather than a temporary destination. Back to Top C hoice O wnership V oice A uthentic Learning The past ten months have felt both like yesterday and ten years all at once. Looking back on the journey I started, I would not have imagined a program changing my life to this capacity. I figured I'd stay up a few long nights and get some quizzes and discussions in and then call it a day. This is not that program. These are not those kinds of courses. With so much initial shock and hesitation, I will admittedly say that I considered dropping the program before I got too far in. I am so proud and happy that I didn't do just that. I stayed the course and it has changed me in ways I never thought imaginable. I now have a voice I didn't know I had nor one I thought I needed. I have encountered authentic learning experiences and projects and want to continue giving this to my own learners...of any age. COVA has allowed me to embrace the struggle and appreciate the hard work. Listen to our podcast and hear how my team and I have taken this program and truly made it our own. Not familiar with COVA? Watch to learn more... Learn More COVA has created a world that my team and I have truly made our own. Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik, the creator of COVA and CSLE , allowed us to have genuine real-world experiences throughout our Applied Digital Learning journey by putting the importance of ownership and collaboration foremost. Now, we continue to push our learners to be in the same significant learning environments that we had the pleasure to be a part of. We guide them on an educational and personal path to develop a better version of themselves as both a learner and leader. We warn our learners that the only requirements for COVA include a growth mindset for feed-forward because although it will undoubtedly change them, it will not always be easy. ​ COVA e-Book Link Use the link above to download the e-Book to learn even more about COVA. References ​ Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik. (n.d.). CSLE. It's About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=849 ​ Dwayne Harapnuik. (2018, February 14). COVA Approach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ft__0LE3qQ Dwayne Harapnuik, Tilisa Thibodeaux, & Cynthia Cummings. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning COVA. Creative Commons License. https://doi.org/https://gallery.mailchimp.com/1bdbac4d4fbdff334a642eb11/files/8b18ae2a-8696-4d58-9b80-192f4cc6624c/COVA_eBook_Jan_2018.02.pdf ​ Harapnuik, D. (2017, July 19). Cova. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991 Back to Top

My SLE Contribution to Learning Understanding by Design 3 Column vs. UbD Learning Philosophy 3 Column Table & Learning Environments Growth Mindset Reimagined Reflecting on the last eight weeks, I’ve felt that the amount of learning I have done is the most I have acquired in the entire program itself. I began to wonder why I felt this way and the conclusion I have come to is because this is the first time that I have truly contributed so much with such a close group of individuals that we became invested in each other and one another’s growth. It was so much more than a grade this time around. Aside from already receiving the “A” before beginning any assignment, I still felt as though I was giving so much more than I had previously done. I initially attributed this to it being summer and “having more time.” I quickly found out that I did not have more time. Rather, I was enjoying the course work much more and the weekly collaboration between Allison , Colby , Pedro and I. When entering the CSLE course I thought “I’ve got this in the bag. Kindergarten is the epitome of significant learning environments!” Boy, was I wrong. It is so much more than classroom setup or whether or not you have a kidney table in your room. It’s providing your learners the setting to do authentic learning. It’s allowing them to do the doing and the failing, thus the learning. When reading my SLE you will see how I plan to implement this to continue working towards success with my innovation plan . Creating my learning philosophy allowed me to recognize that the way I teach correlates with the way that I learn. I learn best when I am hands on and deep in the learning, so I want my learners to have that same opportunity. After setting up an environment where my learners will be the most successful, I was able to dabble in creating coursework that would continue to give my students an authentic learning experience. Using a 3 column table and the UbD , equipped me with the knowledge in both creating a course with the end in mind and what exact activities in that course or unit would be a part of it. The comparison graphic that I designed provides a quick and easy reference of which lesson template would be best to use for specific circumstances. In conclusion, building the different components of this course challenged me to revisit my growth mindset and how it has changed. I’ve come to see that it is more than a simple change in vocabulary. It’s receiving the failure that is sure to come and thriving in it. ​ Taking both courses at the same time allowed me to connect adult learners to my child learners. Regardless of age, we should all want to do the doing and the learning. The connection that my Professional Learning will provide through a SLE is the replication I am doing in my own classroom with my own learners. ​ Working with such a phenomenal group of individuals has made me a better person and learner. They see my strengths and let me thrive in them, while recognizing my weaknesses and allowing me to work through them. Every meet with my team was an opportunity for me to broaden my horizon...I am guaranteed to walk away with a new idea. I have no doubt that our relationship will flourish throughout the remaining courses. Back to Top Dr. Tony Bates said, “You put in the environment for them, but they have to do the learning” (ChangSchool, 2015). This resonated with me because all too often I feel that my students need to take ownership of their own learning experiences...but do not seem to nor does anyone encourage them to. Now, I’ve come to understand that although that feeling is correct and can be shared by others, I, as the teacher, do play a major role in how that occurs. One could reply, “Obviously! You are the teacher!” I now view my responsibility as the facilitator in my student’s learning rather than a provider. As the facilitator, it is my responsibility to provide my students with significant learning environments (SLE) where they can do the learning on their own. “Play is an emergent property of the application of rules of the imagination” (TEDxTalks, 2012). According to Merriam-Webster, though, that definition does not reflect the word “play” (Merriam-Webster, 2021). I find it interesting that the one place that includes every word in the English dictionary is putting constraints around us. There lies the problem. My innovation plan focuses majorly on blended learning, but what lies within my blended learning classroom is what matters most. Play-based learning is one component that I want to incorporate within my classroom. Providing my students opportunities to grow and fuel their imagination using play will create a significant learning environment where they will crave learning. I no longer want to be the focal point of my classroom, but the facilitator that guides my students to their own questions and answers. Creating an environment with these crucial aspects will empower my students to learn by doing, learn by exploration and learn to question everything around them. As with any new idea brought to the table, I face many challenges successfully implementing this new learning environment that I want to give my students. Although I have not been an educator for many years, it has not taken long for me to see that many teachers do not like change. In hindsight, no one likes change. We are creatures of habit. We like things that are predictable and expected. Change rattles our environment and that’s exactly what I set out to do. I expect my administration to be wary of my choices. I plan to address this challenge by slowly emerging my students into the type of environment that I want them to be a part of. For example, my innovation plan has not been completely won over by a lot of other teachers or administration, even though we are already doing some form of blended learning within each of our classrooms. We call it a different name is the only difference. Some refer to it as centers, stations, the daily three or daily five. All of those titles are still a form of blended learning, so if they feel more comfortable calling it any of the previous titles, that’s fine by me. I want to pick and choose my battles strategically. Regardless of what my admin or fellow colleagues call it, it is not the name that matters, it is the environment it’s in and how the learning is taking place. Notice I chose the word learning, not teaching. I believe this is another challenge that awaits me. I’m the teacher, but not teaching? I have no doubt I will be looked down upon and referred to as lazy. I can accept that because I know that I will be giving my students power of their learning. I do not want to be the center of their education, and I’m okay with others not being fond of that. I am fully aware that providing my students with a significant learning environment, and becoming a facilitator instead of a teacher will prove itself in the long run. Slow and steady wins the race. Despite the obstacles I face, I know my purpose is providing my students with the tools and strategies they will be able to forever use in their life, not only within the square footage of my classroom. The school that I am at sends out a weekly memo with important dates and reminders that deem important to teachers. One thing that is always on this memo is a bullet point with student-led classrooms next to it. I find this interesting because although it is something that we are reminded weekly to do...I have rarely seen it done. I feel that most of the people on my campus truly believe they are doing this with fidelity, and are not aware of the disconnect between teacher-led and student-led. I have seen multiple times where teachers throw students into station time and call it a student-led classroom. The more I sit back and truly dissect what is happening in their room, I find that it still isn’t student-led. The teacher is giving. The teacher is doing. The teacher is answering. The teacher is exploring. The teacher is grading. The teacher is leading the classroom, not the student. I bring this up because I think if teachers on my campus would see a successfully functioning student-led classroom, then they would be able to manipulate what they are already doing into a better process. I dream of the day where our weekly memo doesn’t have the reminder of creating a student-led classroom because that will be the norm for us all. “You put the soil in, but the plants have to do the growing.” states Dr. Tony Bates in his YouTube video synopsis of building effective learning environments (ChangSchool, 2015). I feel that allowing other people to make these types of connections in a more relative and broader aspect will hopefully make them think in a broader fashion. I feel that society upholds the teacher to the highest level, until we are asked to do our job. When the reference is made with agriculture...the farmer tills the land and fertilizes it, but the crops do the growing. Most people would agree with this example and not give much, if any, backlash on it. It becomes unclear to me why when this analogy is used in the education setting that the idea is murky. My approach to gain people’s trust in creating their own significant learning environment in whatever organization they are a part of will be to provide them with resources such as myself and my fellow colleagues in this program. This will show that not only is this working for me in my classroom, but it’s also working for every one of these fellow people world-wide. Lastly, I want to encourage someone who is doubtful of how important creating significant learning environments are to take a look at my why, how and what statements . After reading them, I think they will have a greater understanding of where my heart lies and how I plan to be successful despite any obstacle. These statements combined with a growth mindset will hopefully allow others to think outside of the parameters that we all too often fall into. Although teaching and learning are two very different things, I do believe that they go hand in hand. I would not be practicing what I preach if I thought I learn best in these significant learning environments, but not provide them to my own students. It would be a disservice to do such a thing. SLE is a new concept for myself as a learner, but I want it to be a normal concept for my own students. Teaching kindergarten gives me the opportunity to establish a proper foundation for these tiny humans. I want them to own their learning. I want them to be an active participant in their learning process. I want them to be able to tell me what works for them and what doesn’t with reasons to stand firm on that decision. I want to give them the power they already have by fostering it in a significant learning environment. Both my students and I will be learning together, and I will remind them of that daily. I am a lifelong learner just as I want my students to be. My SLE For a PDF version of my significant learning environment, click here. References ​ ChangSchool. (2015, December 14). Dr. Tony Bates on Building Effective Learning Environments [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xD_sLNGurA play. Merriam-Webster.com. (2021). Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play TEDx Talks. (2012, September 13). A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (n.d.). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Back to Top We are each individual and unique and so is our learning style. Learning should not be something everyone does in the same manner, but rather the learner should find what way(s) they learn best. Now that I self-promoted my title of teacher to facilitator, I believe that my learning and teaching philosophy are one and the same. I teach the way that I learn best, but the way I learn is always changing and that’s exactly how I want my teaching style to be...ever evolving. Constructivism is my current approach to learning. In Harapnuik’s post (Harapnuik, 2017), he describes many key implications that Piaget makes for learning. One point that stuck out to me was that we learn by doing. “This principle (that occurs through the child’s activity) suggests that the teacher’s major task is to provide for the child a wide variety of potentially interesting materials on which them may act,” (Ginsburg & Opper, 1969 p. 221). I found that although we age, we are still children at heart. As a learner, I want to physically do the learning. I want to be the toddler exploring every piece of the world around them. The amount of hands-on knowledge that I receive when I am able to manipulate the learning tools I am provided in my learning environment is far greater than a teacher simply providing and regurgitating information. Michelle Thompson stated in her TED Talk, “...the learner is at the center of constructivism”(TEDx Talks, 2019). I want to be the center of my own learning. I do not want to take a backseat in my education or have someone else do my learning for me. I am the driver and in control of how I learn with the adequate tools provided for me. Harapnuik describes in another post how learners can be an inquisitivist. I believe that this goes hand in hand with constructivism. “...encouraging adult learners to become like children and enjoy the pleasure of inquisitiveness can be easily facilitated” (Harapnuik, 2009). As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy this kind of learning. I want to ignite the child-like mindset of freedom with my imagination in an adult world. Watching children thrive in that type of environment always sparks my interest in wondering where and why it stopped. We all know children’s brains are like sponges when they are young, but I do believe this type of learning can continue if fostered within an appropriate learning environment. In that same post, Harapnuik shares his view on Discovery Learning. “There is no single correct method or procedure. Allowing for self-directed reasoning and improvising through the learning experience will require the adult learner [to] take full responsibility for their learning” (Harapnuik, 2009). Although Harapnuik is referring to adult learners, I still relate this to any learner of any age at any educational level. As I mentioned in the beginning, I, too, believe that there is not one correct way to learn. Willing to be open to discover new ways of learning will allow myself, as the learner, to grow and flourish as a teacher, learner and human. I have to be willing to fail to see what worked and what didn’t. Failing is the learning because I find what didn’t work, but that does not mean I will stop my approach to learning in that manner. It means I need to view that approach differently, and see how I can make it work for my learning needs. There is never a waste when it comes to my learning. Although it may not be my preferred learning method, there is always a takeaway to any procedure that is presented. For the past few months I have been exposed to, and I am gaining experience with the COVA approach. Through this approach learners are given choice, ownership and voice through authentic learning opportunities to gain a valuable learning experience. Now, I know all four parts of this approach are important for it to be successful, but I have a favorite that I feel makes me crave learning even more. Authentic learning opportunities are rare and for that reason I find them to be the most important and the most interesting. I enjoy relating what I am learning to my own personal life. I find more appreciation in my learning experience when I am able to do this. I can connect the learning dots and see the bigger picture much more quickly. This in turn allows me to dive deeper into the learning to gain even more knowledge about the content. “We are living in the age where we no longer are asking if we should use technology to enhance learning but are asking how well are we using technology to enhance learning” (Harapnuik, 2016). Technology has not always been a part of my learning. I do remember a time when the only piece of technology we had in a classroom was the intercom system. Now, there is a piece of technology within fingers reach. Sadly, I have seen technology immersed into my life while learning was simultaneously becoming removed. It wasn’t until recently that I have seen how to effectively fuse the two together where technology is no longer used as a crutch. I have seen the difference in my own personal learning and because of it I am more appreciative of technology being used as a tool rather than a learning strategy. When reflecting and connecting on both my learning and teaching philosophy, I have a statement that I hope will sum up my continued journey on both roads. I am a lifelong learner. The growth mindset that I have will allow me to have the open mind that is needed to learn from failure and everyone around me. I remind my own learners in my classroom often that I am a student myself struggling with some of the same things that they struggle with. The awe in their faces quickly allows a connection to be established between teacher and student because together we are both learners. We may be on different journeys and headed in different directions but learners, nonetheless. References ​ Harapnuik, D. (2009, August 18). Inquisitivism. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=104 ​ Harapnuik, D. (2016, March 11). Four keys to understanding learning theories. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344 ​ H arapnuik, D. (2017a, July 19). Cova. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991 ​ Harapnuik, D. (2017b, November 14). Piaget’s key implications for learning. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=7195 ​ TEDx Talks. (2019, June 28). Education Reimagined Through Constructivism | Michelle Thompson | TEDxBethanyGlobalUniversity [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XVMyHt5ULUA ​ Annotated Bibliography ​ Harapnuik, D. (2009, August 18). Inquisitivism. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=104 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Harapnuik, D. (2016, March 11). Four keys to understanding learning theories. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ H arapnuik, D. (2017a, July 19). Cova. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Harapnuik, D. (2017b, November 14). Piaget’s key implications for learning. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=7195 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ TEDx Talks. (2019, June 28). Education Reimagined Through Constructivism | Michelle Thompson | TEDxBethanyGlobalUniversity [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XVMyHt5ULUA ​ Harapnuik uses four key points in describing and explaining why learning theories are important to understand. Dr. Harapnuik describes an evolving new and unique learning theory called inquisitism that is used throughout online courses. The two main focuses of inquisitivism are the removal of fear and the stimulation of inquisitive nature. Dwayne provides a quick insight to what COVA is and how it will create better learners. Videos and links on this site allow the user to dive deeper into the COVA model and how combining it with a CSLE will result in effective active learning. Dr. Harapnuik describes Piaget's key implications for learning and how they correlate with the COVA + CSLE model approach. Dwayne explains that the ideas for COVA are not new and have roots in Piaget's ideas. In this TED talk, Michelle Thompson explains constructivism through different experiences and research. She continues to describe how this learner focused approach will make learning fun for any learner at any age. Back to Top Watch my team and I discuss our own learning enivornment and situational factors. Regardless of your title, you will learn something from each of our different prospectives. At the root of our discussion, you will see that we each share a love of creating significant learning environments for all of our learners. In a hurry? Enjoy multitasking? Listen to our podcast instead and let us know what you'd like to hear us talk about next. Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider 00:00 / 37:24 Creating my three column table required me to look at outcomes, activities, and assessments and how they should align with foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension/caring, and learning how to learn skills (Fink, n.d.). This was not before developing a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG) for the span of a year for my kindergarten learners. As you will read, our BHAG is merely a compound sentence with action verbs implemented, but the thought behind that sentence is where the significance occurs. It took several attempts to create a BHAG that covered everything I wanted my students to gain from this year. I had to take a few steps back and look at a bigger picture for my learners. In the beginning, I was focused on units and TEKS and making sure I was covering everything the curriculum wanted me to. It wasn’t until discussing with a few of my team members that I realized I needed to look at this from a different perspective. My general objective became broader, yet that’s exactly what I was needing to understand and be successful with the three column table and my innovation plan . Having aligned outcomes, activities and assessments, allows for an authentic learning experience with real world application in a significant learning environment . My learners will have the opportunity to make connections based on context instead of content. Worksheet One 3 Column Table Worksheet Two Learning Enivornment & Situational Factors 3 Column Table BHAG: Learners will create an ePortfolio to share their work, reflect on their growth and develop their voice in a blended learning environment. Learning Outcomes Learning Activities Learning assessments Foundational Learners will examine and explore the fundamental principles of effective blended learning. Investigate the fundamentals of ePortfolios through blended learning and begin to develop your own ePortfolio. ePortfolio ​ Discussion Application Learners will be able to analyze and communicate why ePortfolios and Blended Learning should be used and how choice contributes to reflective practice. Continue building the ePortfolio. ​ Growth Mindset reflection Seesaw post. ePortfolio ​ Discussion Integration Learners will be able to articulate and justify who owns the ePortfolio and their learning and how ownership of both of those factors contribute to effective learning. Reflection Seesaw post. ​ Compare and contrast ePortfolios and take home folders. ePortfolio ​ Discussion Learners explore and incorporate the social and collaborative role of learning in their own community. Reflection Seesaw post over community collaboration. ​ Create a picture describing how this can be used beyond the classroom. ePortfolio ​ Discussion Human Dimension/Caring Learning How to Learn Learners will communicate and collaborate on what helped them promote their learning. Finalize your ePortfolio for this year. ​ Reflection Seesaw post. ePortfolio ​ Discussion If we as facilitators can reverse our way of structuring our students learning, they will always be functioning in a significant learning environment that requires them to do more than just remember and understand. Our learners will be able to create something new with the knowledge we are exposing them to in a learner centered environment. References: ​ Fink, L. D. (2005). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from: https://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf ​ Godin, S. [TEDxYouth]. (2012, October 16). Stop stealing dreams [video]. Retrieved from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc ] ​ Harapnuik, D. (2015, August 15). Connecting the dots vs. collecting the dots [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=85XpexQy68g Back to Top Comparison chart Although there are some very clear differences between to the two designs, they both serve their own purpose in creating a significant learning environment for our learners. Using the appropriate template in correlation with my innovation plan will continue to build self-directed learners with authentic learning opportunities. Back to Top Taking into consideration what goals you have for your learners in a course or unit is important when planning using a backwards style design. Doing this allows the facilitator to use the 3 Column Table to first establish where the learners ultimately need to arrive at. I, then, took that table and created my UbD or Understanding by Design template. In this design, I used one part or unit of my 3 Column Table and went in depth on what exactly I wanted my learners to accomplish incorporating desired results, assessment evidence and a learning plan. These components ensure that I, as the guide, ensure that I fully equip my learners to meet their goals. Above, you saw my comparison chart of both designs, it is important to see that regardless of preference or necessity, both designs should empower our learners to own their learning. Understanding by Design PDF Download References: ​ Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2008). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ​ Fink, L. D. (2005). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from: https://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf ​ Back to Top ​ Growth Mindset + CSLE Creating a significant learning environment is important for my innovation plan , but combining these two components with a growth mindset will construct a life-long learner who will not only be successful in a classroom but in the world as well. A growth mindset will aid in helping create a significant learning environment by allowing my learners to seek success in their failures. Providing them a safe environment to do this in will equip them with a skill that will help them get the most out of their learning. Growth Mindset Reimagined Failing forward is the way that genuine progress and authentic learning takes place. A growth mindset is also a major piece of creating that learning. It is important to recognize that although the power of "yet" is a huge component in that mindset, it still takes more than just one simple word. It takes work and a craving for failure. As a facilitator in my learners journey, I will model this failure in my classroom and allow my learners to recognize that I, myself, am becoming a better learner and leader in my failures. I believe that if they are shown the correct way to "fail" they, too, will respond in the appropriate manner and become independent, authentic, life-long learners. References: ​ CSLE2COVA. (2019, April 5). LMD EP20 Growing A Growth Mindset [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yR7uCZGPZ5k ​ Dweck, C. S. (n.d.). Mindset. ​ Einck, C. (2017). Growth mindset affects elementary students (Master's thesis, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA). Retrieved from http://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/39/ ​ Mineola Creative Content. (2017, December 11). Promoting Growth Mindset | Dr. Nagler's Laboratory [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/85ABaggHgw0 ​ Sesame Street. (2014, September 10). Sesame Street: Janelle Monae - Power of Yet [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XLeUvZvuvAs ​ Stanford Alumni. (2014, October 9). Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ ​ TEDx Talks. (2014, September 12). The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/J-swZaKN2Ic ​ TEDx Talks. (2018, April 11). The Mindset of a Champion | Carson Byblow | TEDxYouth@AASSofia [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/px9CzSZsa0Y ​ Tr evor Ragan. (2018, October 31). How to Build a Growth Mindset [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7XjFTrPl6o&t=20s ​ Back to Top

Learning The A pplied D igital L earning Program Disruptive Innovation Leading Change Concepts of Ed. Tech. Disruptive Innovation Proposal Letter Literature Review Implementation Outline Annotated Bibliography Video Read the proposal I am sending to my administration to begin a Blended Learning initiative that will give my students choice, ownership, and voice while receiving an authentic learning experience in my classroom that will help them become life-long learners. Blended Learning is not something that is new to the education realm. If you are curious about the history behind my innovation please read my literature review. I have developed a timeline that I plan to implement for my initiative. Although this is a rough estimate and life will undoubtedly alter it, I hope to stick to these stages even if the dates may fluctuate. Being a life-long learner means I am always looking for best and better practices. I have provided an ongoing list of resources I have looked into and will continue to add to. If you have any suggestions, please use the chat box and share them with me. To get a visual view of what my innovation plan will look like watch the video I created to share with my organization and others who are interested in joining my team. Back to Top Leading Organizational Change Why, How, What Influencer Strategy 4DX Plan Crucial Conversations Start with heart and your audience will see and, more importantly, feel your authenticity. My why, how and what statements will remain what my initiative stays true to through the duration of the implementation. Who the key players are in my organization will be an important part in how my innovation gets recognized and implemented throughout different grade levels and possibly schools. Creating a plan that will help my team achieve our wildly important goal will require the four disciplines of executions and the five stages of change. Read our plan and see how we plan to conquer the whirlwind. Communication is an important part of relationships. This initiative is no different. There will be heated topics and emotions will run high, but using the tools provided here will allow my team and I to become self-differentiated leaders and learners to work through those tough conversations. Back to Top Concepts of Educational Technology Growth Mindset Learning Manifesto Professional Learning Networks Reflection Having a growth mindset isn't as easy as one would think. At an early age we are discouraged of this behavior so retraining the brain from a fixed to a growth mindset requires a daily change that will have to be implemented through the power of one word...yet. Research and information can be regurgitated time and time again. Reflecting on one's true passions and beliefs is something that is rare now a days. My learning manifesto gives you a glimpse of where my heart truly lies in this ever changing digital world. Collaboration and teamwork are apart of a teacher's everyday world. We grow together through different communities and networks. If you have any networks that you would like to share, please use the chat box so we can continue growing our educational community and more. Read through what I experienced this second round of eight week courses. I have gained insight on a growth mindset and how I will encourage my own students to obtain one. I have shared my learning manifesto with the world. Lastly, I am creating my own network of like minded individuals who will help me become the best me. Back to Top

Call to Action Outline / Timeline Contribution to Learning Additional Resources Reflecting on the last eight weeks, I’ve felt that the amount of learning I have done is the most I have acquired in the entire program itself. I began to wonder why I felt this way and the conclusion I have come to is because this is the first time that I have truly contributed so much with such a close group of individuals that we became invested in each other and one another’s growth. It was so much more than a grade this time around. I initially attributed this to it being summer and “having more time.” I quickly found out that I did not have more time. Rather, I was enjoying the course work much more and the weekly collaboration between Allison , Colby , Pedro and I. Recognizing what I believe is needed for professional development to become professional learning, I sought out like minded individuals, later known as Harapnuik’s Quartet, to create a call to action to help other educators receive the professional development they deserve. My team and I quickly realized the lack of support that we, personally, were not receiving along with so many other educators across the country. We wanted to make sure we were surrounding our professional learning with a never ending amount of support throughout the entire process. We created an outline of what our sessions would look like and how we anticipate the year, or timeline , to go. We believe that great things take time and should not be rushed, so we’ve agreed to be flexible with our learners and allow more time if needed. Although our Professional Learning has thoughtfully been planned out, we still have details to continue putting in place. In the additional resources tab, you will see previews of what our sessions will entail and a variety of links that will be beneficial to have handy as our Professional Learning begins to unfold. Taking both courses at the same time allowed me to connect adult learners to my child learners. Regardless of age, we should all want to do the doing and the learning. The connection that my Professional Learning will provide through a SLE is the replication I am doing in my own classroom with my own learners through my innovation plan . Working with such a phenomenal group of individuals has made me a better person and learner. They see my strengths and let me thrive in them, while recognizing my weaknesses and allowing me to work through them. Every meet with my team was an opportunity for me to broaden my horizon...I am guaranteed to walk away with a new idea. I have no doubt that our relationship will flourish throughout the remaining courses. Back to Top I am working with a small group of educators who believe the culture of professional development can be improved through creating significant learning environments for our teachers just as we do for our students combined with a growth mindset . Professional Learning recognizes that teachers are learning and growing just like their students. While the term “development” indicates a process that has an end point, “learning”recognizes that professional growth is a never-ending, lifelong process. ​ How might we create a culture of inquiry for educators? We can start with a simple shift in rhetoric. As teachers, are we not in fact professional learners? Professional growth is a never-ending, lifelong process in which educators or others are constantly improving through a constructivist perspective that involves application and reflection. ​ According to John Hattie’s extensive research, "The biggest effect in our business is the expertise of teachers. It’s teachers who work together, collectively, collaboratively, to understand their impact.” We believe we can improve the effectiveness of teachers and create a culture of inquiry with improved professional learning. why how what statements for improved professional learning Meet the team behind the dream and the scenes that got us here Now that we’re in our fourth ADL class together, we have learned each other's strengths! Capitalizing on this, and Pedro’s penchant for pulling people together, we have been able to complete this project collaboratively. We started with the four of us question-storming on Zoom, and looking at past work in the ADL program map. We divided, and are currently working on conquering Professional Learning! Colby finally signed up for Canva. Allsion problem-solved in record time, live, on Zoom. Pedro joked and ate pizza in front of us, while simultaneously offering “feed-forward”. Brianna’s wisdom and calm tied us all together. Collective work, collective impact. Allison- Graphic Design Allison enjoys creating and experimenting with graphic design elements, turning blocks of information into visual works of art, and finding new ways to introduce content to viewers. She also really loves to use the color pink! https://www.allison-palmer.org/ Brianna- Executive Producer Brianna enjoys searching for and exploring new digital platforms that allow her to express her creative visions to share with her audience. She also enjoys having 27 or more tabs open on her browser. https://www.rodriguezb.com/ Colby- Writer / Copy Editor Colby enjoys researching and reading, making connections, and converting information into understandable content tailored to specific audiences! She also really enjoys spell check. https://mrscliffnotes.com/contact/ Pedro- Video Editor Pedro enjoys facilitating groups of unique individuals who provide a diverse community that puts engagement, creativity, support and fun in the forefront. He also enjoys ordering pizza for his team. https://pedrobeltran.org/ be a part of our future endeavors Participate in our surveys and your experiences may be featured in our upcoming published projects. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd92zFWZtAla8e4xInIEXC4uDWqWUJko8TPgBtc5W6lhFDb-A/viewform?usp=sf_link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUiGatSo86EJhpSBQyz-L5ChBi9zL4m_ODbTbAlBHEpafeJg/viewform?usp=sf_link wait! If you've been following my learning journey, you'll remember that my innovation plan is actually in regards to Blended Learning. What I have found since working with such an intriguing group of individuals is that I cannot limit myself to one innovation. This is why I felt this would be an opportunity I could not pass up, especially when it comes to my own professional learning . I would like to remind each of you that I am a lifelong learner. This means I am always looking for different learning opportunities. I cannot wait to see the progress I make with these brilliant and resourceful team members. I have come to recognize that if I am providing my learners a Blended Learning structure I can create significant learning environments within that structure while allowing them to flourish in multiple forms of active learning such as ePortfolios, STEM and play-based learning. References ​ Goodwin, B. (2015). Research Says/Does Teacher Collaboration Promote Teacher Growth? Educational Leadership, 73(4), 82–83. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec15/vol73/num04/Does-Teacher-Collaboration-Promote-Teacher-Growth%C2%A2.aspx Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Teaching-the-Teachers-Effective-Professional-Development-in-an-Era-of-High-Stakes-Accountability/Teaching-the-Teachers-Full-Report.pdf TNTP. (2015). The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth About Our Quest for Teacher Development. Retrieved from http://tntp.org/publications/view/evaluation-and-development/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for-teacher-development Back to Top Together, my team and I created a schedule of how we plan to implement our new professional learning implementation. We have thoughtfully organized a timeline that would allow our learners to have adequate time to have our innovation be modeled by the project facilitator, myself, and other coaches. We plan to create a solid foundation of growth mindset , CSLE and COVA . Our learners will be guided along this phenomenal journey to later be the facilitator in their own classroom to their own learners. Since our learners are creating their own ePortfolio, we have incorporated plenty of time for support and coaching throughout these critical phases. Our learners will learn how to effectively reflect, connect and learn through collaboration, modeling and application. Join our team and be a part of our growing success. Click here or the image for a larger view of the outline. Click here or the image for a larger view. Continue checking back for updates that our team will be sharing. Our BHAG is currently in the works and we'd love to hear what you think is valuable to this team and professional learning. Joining in this new development will continue to build on why my innovation plan will be successful and allow my team and I to change the world one learner at a time. References ​ Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). COVA: Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning. Retrieved from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291 ​ Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). Why Use an Eportfolio. Retrieved June 29, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063 ​ ​ Back to Top Additional Resources Agendas Session One Session Two ​ Session Three Session Four ​ Session Five Session Six Resources Modeling/Coaching ​ Guiding Questions/Videos ​ Parents Surveys Professional Learning Stories ​ Professional Learning Feed Forward ​ PL Session Feed Forward References ​ Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House. ​ Fink, L. D., PhD. (n.d.). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. ​ Goodwin, B. (2015). Research says/does teacher collaboration promote teacher growth? Educational Leadership, 73(4), 82–83. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec15/vol73/num04/Does-Teacher-Collaboration-Promote-Teacher-Growth%C2%A2.aspx ​ Gray, P. [Camp Stomping Ground]. (2015, December 4). Self-directed learning fundamentals [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoE480mzrk0&feature=youtu.be ​ Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). Why Use an Eportfolio. Retrieved July 6, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063 Back to Top

Stage One Stage Two Stage Three Stage One: ​ 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 reflect on 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. My Canvas course My Canvas course modules 3 Column Table for my Canvas Course My Canvas course timeline 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. Literature Review Back to Top Stage Two: 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. Document Module Two Questions Back to Top Stage Three: 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. Back to Top

Leading Change Why How What Influencer Model 4DX Strategy Crucial Conversations Leading Change Within Our Organization I'M AN ORIGINAL CATCHPHRASE I’m a paragraph. Double click here or click Edit Text to add some text of your own or to change the font. This is the place for you to tell your site visitors a little bit about you and your services. Creating change is more than just changing someone’s mind. It requires a plan and purpose that targets changing people’s behaviors. When I start with heart, my colleagues are able to see that this innovation plan is more than just a project. I care deeply about my students' education, especially in kindergarten, because having a wholesome, solid foundation will ground them into what is truly important. ​ Through the duration of my implementation, I will stay true to my why, how and what statements. People buy your why. My why allows students opportunities to shape themselves into powerful young human beings. They deserve to be the CEO of their own learning. Age is just a number. Whether they are five or twenty-five, students can flourish in an environment that provides them real-world experiences. Keeping these statements in the forefront will always keep my initiative and organization moving in the right direction. ​ Although these statements are important for my entire organization, in order for my teammates to have accountability in this change they will need to develop their own why that they will be invested in. This is only a small portion of the six sources of influence that will continue to lead the change we are looking for. These six sources are a part of a larger strategy referred to as the Influencer Model . To begin this strategy, vital behaviors will have to be developed along with a result. Each team member will follow three vital behaviors that will subsequently lead them to our result. These are small but lethal changes for our organization. Personal, social and structural abilities and motivations will be targeted to continue leading change and therefore, success. ​ Creating a plan that will help my team achieve a wildly important goal will require the four disciplines of executions and the five stages of change. Our team will refer to this as the 4DX Plan . Focusing on one goal at a time will allow our team to not lose sight of other goals that we plan to achieve in the future. Leading change means knowing what is important at this moment in time and creating these subtly changes together. Building this plan as a team will hold each one of us accountable in making positive change in our organization and, one day, the world. ​ Communication is an important part of all relationships. This initiative is no different. There will be heated topics and emotions will run high, but using the tools provided in the Crucial Conversation book will allow my team and I to become self-differentiated leaders and learners to work through those tough conversations. ​ Each one of these strategies and plans will work cohesively to lead the change with our organization and innovation. Small steps are still big leaps when it comes to change. Why, How, What Statements WHAT We promote a growth mindset and prepare students to flourish in blended learning environments and real world experiences. Creating change has always seemed like a relatively easy thing to do. It isn't until you begin to understand the process that easy is the last thing I would use to describe change. Now if someone told me the key to change is starting with the heart, I would be hesitant to believe such a thing. I have become programmed to research and look for the data that makes these changes promised, but what I’ve failed to realize is that it begins with the heart. Dr. John Kotter explains that change is sixty percent heart and only forty percent mind (Kotter, 2011). This can’t be! My heart leads my brain? My mind isn’t what leads my decisions? Although data does play a factor in many of our decisions, the fact is, our mind doesn’t go where our heart doesn’t lead us. Simon Sinek (2009) repeatedly tells us “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” After hearing and reading this statement, I got to thinking. “Why do I prefer H-E-B over Walmart?” Now, there are tons of grocery stores I could’ve chosen to compare, but in South Texas these are two major stores that one would have to decide on where to shop. My heart told me H-E-B, immediately. I didn’t need a second to compare the notes I took on each or the data I had retrieved from surveys I had passed out. I will choose to shop at H-E-B time and time again regardless of how long their checkout lines are. Now, I began the research. (Heart, first. Mind, second. Maybe Kotter does have a point.) "Because People Matter” (Learn the Values and Vision of the Top Grocers, 2020). That is H-E-B’s why. The “ah-ha” moment happened. Of course people matter to them. They always provide me with the best coupon deal. Buy these two items and get seven more for free. FOR FREE. H-E-B cares about making sure I get the best deal before I even step foot in their door. I buy their why. I believe in providing young learners opportunities that will shape them into leaders of their learning and our community. I don’t want my students to only be successful within the four walls of my classroom. Rather, I want them to be successful at life, my classroom is just the start of that. I believe in creating leaders who will guide our classroom, and one day our community, in the right directions. I plan to instill this learning mentality through a blended learning environment where students can collaborate with their classmates using 21st century technology that will allow them to flourish in real world experiences. References: ​ Kotter, J. [Dr. John Kotter]. (2011, March 23). The heart of change [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw Sinek, S. [TEDx Talks]. (2009, September 28). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&t=164s Learn the values and vision of the top grocers. (2020, January 20). The Balance Small Business. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/mission-statements-of-largest-supermarkets-2892165 ​ Back to Top Influencer model Creating change requires more than a growth mindset. There are vital behaviors that need to be put in place and reflected on often. Ideally, two or three behaviors are needed to have changed behavior. As explained in the Influencer , without specific vital behaviors success and change will not occur. Once these vital behaviors are developed, sharing and implementing them with the proposed group is the next step. The six sources of influences are listed and described to use in cohesion with the vital behaviors. Using three different domains (personal, social and structural) organizational change can occur through motivation and ability. It is important to understand that in order to see success with these changes at least four of the six sources need to be implemented. Doing this will increase the success of the proposed changes by ten times. The video above explains why combining at least four sources of influences can increase the rate of success using examples everyone can relate to. References: ​ Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (n.d.). Influencer: The new science of leading change, second edition (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. ​ VitalSmarts Video. (2009, September 21). All Washed Up! [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/osUwukXSd0k Back to Top 4dx plan Click here to learn more. Click here to download and read my full 4DX plan, or watch the video* below to see how my team and I plan to implement this strategy to help make our innovation plan successful. *This video is what I would use to present the 4 disciplines of execution to my new team members who have not read the book or are still in the beginning stages of reading the book. In order to help my team create significant learning environments with blended learning station rotations, we have researched multiple strategies to be successful. We have begun using the Influencer Model and will now incorporate our 4DX Plan to create the change we want to see in our organization. Not one strategy alone will create the change we want to see. This is why we will be using both strategies together along with a growth mindset plan and other tools we have researched and discussed. References: ​ http://gabrielpecher.de/four-proven-steps-to-finally-follow-through-on-your-important-goals/. (n.d.). Four proven steps to finally follow through on your important goals | gabriel pecher. http://gabrielpecher.de/four-proven-steps-to-finally-follow-through-on-your-important-goals/ Chris McChesney; Sean Covey; Jim Huling & Chris McChesney; Sean Covey; Jim Huling. (n.d.). The 4 disciplines of execution (5th ed.). Simon & Schuster. Back to Top Crucial conversations Heated conversations happen countless times a day. I bet you can think of one right now that you’ve had recently. What was the result of that conversation? Was it good? Did it involve someone yelling? Or someone getting their feelings hurt? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have had a crucial conversation and need to read and reread the book "Crucial Conversation" by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, and Ron McMillan. I suspect multiple crucial conversations in regards to my innovation plan . Between the resistors and the poorly differentiated leaders, there are an abundance of ways that people are going to try and drag myself and others on my team into the dreaded triangle. Using the crucial conversation tools will allow us to work through that and not only have a meaningful discussion but gain results as well. Our first step is to get unstuck. Although I am leading this innovation, my team needs to know that their input is valued and important. Our innovation as a whole has a Why , but let’s not forget that each and every one of us have our own why that we created in our Influencer Model . We need to keep those in clear view along with the WIG(s) we have created together using our 4DX plan . We are equipped with some of the most beneficial tools to conquer the whirlwind and chaos that awaits, and although we all have the same ultimate goal in mind, we are human and it is inevitable that at some point we will disagree. What needs to remain important is realizing when these crucial conversations are occurring. It is important that we see the signs and revert back to these steps that Grenny, Patterson and McMillian have given us. During this time, we need to keep it safe for both parties. Whether our discussion is with a resistor with opposing views or with a teammate that we are not currently in agreement with, if they do not feel safe and comfortable to share their true voice then nothing will be accomplished. As we learned with becoming a self-differentiated leader, emotions need to be controlled. If a crucial conversation is being held, there will obviously be strong emotion, but understanding that and taking the negativity out of it will allow the conversation to grow and gain the results and change our innovation seeks. If there is anything that we as humans crave (other than learning) is respect. We want to be respected and I think our ultimate goal should be to give respect as well. Doing both shows what kind of leader and person you are. There is a way to politely be direct with a conversation yet respectful, and finding that balance is something we should all try to achieve. If you’ve read through my leading change page, you have seen that all of my strategies and plans require me to collaborate with my team. This is because exploring more than just the one plan and path I have will have a greater impact than just my own ideas. I’m sure you’ve heard that two heads are better than one. Now imagine how much better off we would be with five or six or more heads on our team. It is important to remember that a good leader recognizes that we cannot run with every idea that is proposed...yet. With open communication and a Growth Mindset we allow ourselves and our team to dream of the wild and crazy things. Lastly, everything described has only been words. We’ve had the discussions, the conversations, the collaboration, but all of this means nothing if we do not put it into action. Change only occurs if actions are taken. We've had the crucial conversations, now let's have change. Click here to read how crucial conversations will help my team and I become self-differentiated leaders and learners. References: ​ Patterson, K., McMillan, R., & Grenny, J. (n.d.). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. McGraw-Hill. ​ Vital Smarts India. (2012, February 10). Crucial Conversations Explained in 2 Minutes [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ixEI4_2Xivw ​ How to handle crucial conversations with skill. (1969, December 31). Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://sourcesofinsight.com/crucial-conversations/ Back to Top

Disruptive Innovation Innovation Proposal Kindergartener are major geniuses inside tiny bodies. Read my proposal and check out how I plan to continue fostering that in my classroom. Literature Review Read my literature review to see what the experts have to say about blended learning. Implementation Outline To see the progress of blended learning in my classroom, follow my implementation outline. Annotated Bibliography The learning never stops. Take a look at my list of books that I plan to read to continue growing in my blended learning journey.

aboutME I'm a teacher and a mom. What's your superpower? ​ ​ I'm a lover of everything food. Sweet, salty, spicy and everything in between. ​ ​ I am a lifelong learner. You're never too old to learn something new. Scroll down to learn more... Mom. I'm a single momma to a witty, stubborn, little, I mean big, boy. He is seven going on seventeen. A lover of chicken nuggets and snuggles. And he is my favorite human being on this planet! Teacher. I began teaching in January of 2020. I would imagine everyone's first year of teaching is tough, but I do feel as if I have a memorable one with a pandemic and polar vortex under my belt. I landed my dream job of being a Kindergarten teacher at Goliad Elementary! Being a teacher of littles will humble you daily. They remind me to find happiness in the smallest things. Learner. I completed UHV's teaching program in 2019. Although teaching has always been my dream job, I also have a certificate and associate's degree in Accounting. I am currently enrolled in Lamar's graduate Digital Learning and Leading program. Because I believe in life-long learning, I decided to take on this incredible adventure in the midst of my already chaotic life. LU Instagram

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