Curtail the Trail

Upon the end of my second course in the Digital Learning and Leading Program at Lamar University, I have a smorgasbord of thoughts and ideas.  These thoughts have a range of relief from completion of another beneficial course to self approval of the hard work and technological information I have attained.  However, I can't help but think about the timing of the MANDATED shift in education due to the widespread pandemic of the COVID 19 virus.  I planned to begin this masters program with a positive outlook for my future.  With all the years of education, the perspective of my work and experience, along with the completion of the courses, I believed I was setting myself up for success.  There would be challenges along the way, but nothing I can't handle.  And then... change happens.  The world is different now.  The lives we knew are temporarily put on hold.  The way we communicate, teach, interact and learn are all different.  It is n...

I'll be honest.  This has been a difficult experience.  It has been enticing yet challenging. It has made me aware that I need to organize my ideas, think of the bigger picture, and reevaluate my way of thinking.  Boy, do I have a lot of work to do! If anything, the biggest lesson I have learned during my first phase in the Digital Learning and Leading program is that I MUST change my mindset.  Although there are many things that I approach with growth in mind, there is much that I have to apply to my practice. Most importantly, the failing forward mentality.  It is a relief knowing that it is in fact "OK" to fail and even necessary to do so. However, with that comes the responsibility and accountability to know that the ball is in my court.  It gives me the freedom to take risks, learn, assess and execute again. I have made many mistakes in this program and I plan to make many more in order to fully understand my role as an educator.  Honestly,...

I have made attempts to create what I believed to be an ePortfolio in the past.  I collected important resources, assignments and artifacts, categorized them into an online drive and thought, "Boom!  Here's my work!" After reviewing the recommended resources, I now have a slightly different understanding of the purpose and importance of such a resource.  I find that, as stated in "Making Meaningful Connections in An Eportfolio" there is a lack of tangible evidence to show one's growth and capabilities both academically and professionally.  In my experience, there only seemed to be a need for those in more technology inspired fields to utilize an ePortfolio. It was not something seen as beneficial to everyone.  As time passed, I have noticed that technology is seeping into almost all areas.  It is crucial if not necessary to display your digital mark in the world so others may better understand your journey, the connections made and your projects and su...

Throughout my time in the Digital Learning and Leading Program I honestly have felt a slight feeling of instability due to the amount of autonomy given for assignments.  As I learned more, I understood that the COVA model was a great influence in the way I was learning in the program. I had more choice in my assignments than I have ever had before.  The freedom to create authentically to MY learning and MY experience helped me to find a voice and an outlet in which to display what I have learned digitally.  This week, I learned more about the ownership aspect of the COVA model and the digital production of my growth as a student in the online community.  On a surface level, I knew that I would not in fact have real ownership over what I initially produced unless I actually bought an online domain. However, when presented with more information, I realized that ownership has more to do with the "why" of the product. As a private person, Andrew Rikard's text ("Do I...

As I continue to learn more about ePortfolios, there is no question that it is a beneficial tool to both the creator and the visitor.  It displays the strengths, capabilities and lessons of the author throughout their journey to the present. I find that as I become more involved in the ePortfolio process, there is quite a bit of reflection done in my learning which is something that is significantly discussed in the Reflection4Learning article.  As I began to show more of a willingness to write and blog about my journey, I see that it isn't only something that I must do to analyze and make my learning more meaningful to me.  It is something that should be done for all learners... my students included. Surface learning is the antithesis for educators who want their students to have full knowledge of any subject matter.  How can we expect our learners to engage in the learning process without giving time for reflection? Yes, I typically end my lessons with short o...

Producing a product that was created with time and effort can be quite personal.  I would first like to acknowledge that it is not only brave, but important that each person shared his or her passions, thoughts and work with the world for everyone to see.  I, personally, find that is the most difficult part of my learning process that at times causes over analysis and even paralysis. However, I do understand that in order to improve and maintain a growth mindset, I must push myself past my comfort zone in order to improve and learn.  Creating and working on my Eportfolio has done just that. The first thing I noticed about the Eportfolios that I viewed is that each person's work displays her personality, voice and passions.  Although the message is sent digitally, it is evident that through research, anecdotal experience and opinions that each creator put their best foot forward and produced something from their heart and their head.  I believe that the COVA...