How the Digital Learning and Leading Program shaped me...

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The Digital Leading and Learning program has equipped me to implement student centered and collaborative learning activities in the classroom. It has taught me the importance of allowing students to have choice, ownership and voice in their learning. Additionally it has equipped me with the skills necessary to promote change in my organization. Although I have hit the end of the road in the program, my journey in promoting change and innovating through digital learning and leading has only begun. 

I am currently in the beginning stages of my innovation plan, conducting action research within my classroom to support my call to action. I am slowly preparing my stakeholders to promote change and I have never been more excited in my career. I used to be filled with many ideas but not a clear goal. I have learned to adapt my many ideas to support my one true goal and to not abandon that goal until I have achieved my desired results. I want to promote changes in the lives of my students and develop 21st century skills to prepare them  for college and careers. I want to provide my students with experiences that will activate their creativity, their problem solving skills and their sense of community. I also want to help my colleagues do the same with their students through the use of coding and creativity apps. 

 

The DLL program provided me with learning opportunities that I didn’t know I needed. 

 

EDLD 5305- Authentic Innovation Plan

    In this course I identified a problem within my organization, something I wanted to improve through the use of technology. This is when I decided that I wanted to use iPad coding and creativity apps to develop my students’ 21st century skills. I wanted iPads to be the tool to help me promote student centered and collaborative learning experiences. 

 

EDLD 5303 - ePortfolio

    Here I created my ePortfolio. A place where I could display all of my learning. It is a space where not only I can display my learning, but where I can share my ideas with others. My ePortfolio is where I can organize my learning and observe the progression of my implementation and innovation plan. 

 

EDLD 5302 - Learning Mindset

    In this course I had to analyze my teaching and learning practices, and the role that technology played within them. I created my learning manifesto. 

 

EDLD 5304 - Organizational Change

    This course had such a great impact in the role that I play in my organization, it pushed me to view myself as an agent of change. I was guided to view myself as an influencer of change. This course changed me, it gave me the tools to have the confidence to implement change. The 4 Disciplines of Execution outlined the path so that I could implement my innovation plan within my organizaiton. 

 

EDLD 5315 - Assessing Digital Learning 

    Through this course I learned about the value of action research. It was the first time that I realized that the best determiner of what needed to be adjusted about my plan was the very data I collect about my plan. I observed how other educators like me measured the failures and the successes of their project implementations. It provided me with the necessary tools to adequately assess my very own innovation plan. 

 

EDLD 5314 - Digital Learning Local and Global Context 

    I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It provided me with the opportunity to observe how others had pursued similar goals to mine. I analized what worked, what could have been done better, and the lessons they learned from their projects. It opened my eyes to preventions I could take when implementing my innovation plan. 

 

EDLD 5316 - Digital Citizenship

    This is a course I truly believe every educator should take and review before every school year. It not only allowed me to see who I am as a digital citizen (my digital footprint) but also how I can help my students have a positive digital footprint. Additionally, I learned about copyright through real world scenarios. 

 

EDLD 5317 - EdTech Publication

    This was one of the hardest but most rewarding course I experienced in this program. I created a blog post about how I was implementing my innovation plan in my classroom. I submitted by blogpost to TCEA, and it was published. This course opened another door to the way I share my ideas.

https://blog.tcea.org/app-development/ 

 

EDLD 5389 - Effective Professional Learning

    This course tackled one of my greatest fears. It focused on how to effectively get my stakeholders to believe in my need for change. We developed a professional development plan that was more than sit and get, a professional development plan that would not be easily forgotten, one that would survive the pressures of the whirlwind. Without this professional development plan, my innovation plan would not stand a chance. It promotes active learning within my stakeholders, it is differentiated to fit the needs of different learners, and implements a sense of accountability within all members. 

 

EDLD 5318 - Instructional Desing Online Learning

    In this course we used an LMS to develop a fully online course for our students. We had to meet the needs of the different students, and provide them opportunities to have choice, ownership and voice in their learning.