Reflection & Final Compliation
EDLD 5313, Creating a Significant Learning Environment has been the most challenging yet fulfilling course I have taken so far. Dr. Grogan pushed us to dig deep and present our best work. I am excited to apply what I have learned in this course to my classroom culture and blog the setbacks and victories.
Looking Back...
EDLD 5313 is my fourth course in the ADL program. This course challenged me to think beyond what I am doing as a teacher and consider what I can do as a program creator or training facilitator. From "The New Culture of Learning" to Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe's UbD Template, this course pushed me to create imagery and design lessons and units I can share with others. I'm sure my peers grew tired of my complaining about my lack of support and resources at the campus level, but it pushed me to dig deeper, search harder and ask more questions. I am very proud of the work I submitted in this course and look forward to what is next.
My Innovation Plan is ePortfolios. My plan begins with rolling out ePortfolios to only my 8th-grade Digital Design students. According to my Implementation Outline, my students and I are on track to create their Wix website in the Spring. How has CSLE impacted my innovation plan? I have made so many changes to the flow of my classroom based on the information I've learned in this course. Before CSLE, I was afraid to integrate cell phones into my classroom because I didn't want to consistently put out fires and redirect my students all day. Despite my initial hesitation, using cell phones in my class has been a success. Before the students use their phones, they must recite the proper usage pledge, this puts the accountability on them to use their technology responsibly. CSLE has also taught me to think of myself as more of a learning facilitator than a "teacher." This approach has decreased the tension, and anxiety students feel when they enter my room. I remind them to think of our space as a shared or creative lounge. My students and I are loving the new classroom cultures, and the vibes are... well you know...vibing!
John Seely Brown and Douglas Thomas' book "The New Culture of Learning" taught us how to integrate 21st-century learning into our classrooms. In his TedX Talk, Douglas Thomas asserts that "learning is fundamentally an easy thing that we do." He continues by saying "it is something we do from the day we are born to the day we die, and it is natural and effortless everywhere but school." His statement aligned with the element of learning I identified with the most, Play. LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research, Mitchel Resnick, defines play as "an attitude of exploration, risk-taking, and experimenting." The act of play is a natural part of learning.
For my Learning Philosophy assignment, I detailed the need for more field trips. Students learn by experience and exposure and that's what field trips offer. Especially to students who come from families without disposable income. During this week we were also introduced to several different learning theories and their respective theorists. The theory I connected to the most was Constructivism. The Constructivism Theory focuses on learning by doing, which ties into my passion for field trips and student's access to real-world application of their skills.
Aligning Outcomes, Activities and Assessments was the most challenging assignment during this course. We were asked to develop a program or unit using Fink's 3-Column Table. We also completed two worksheets that helped up align and organize our thoughts for the assignment. Out of Fink's 6 Significant Learning Outcomes, Human Dimension and Caring were the most meaningful for me. These two components are based on collaboration and community. I implement these components in my classroom by assigning collaborative journals and open discussions after we complete an assignment.
The transition from our Aligning Outcomes assignment to our UbD Template was seamless and honestly the only way I could have completed the assignment successfully. I am not the strongest lesson planner, yet, so the task to create a lesson plan that incorporated so many elements was daunting. But the template was easy to work with and I was able to clearly detail my BHAG and how I plan to implement and execute within my classroom.
After everything I'd learned in this course, I was so excited to get my hands on my Developing a Growth Mindset Plan. When I opened my original file I was mortified. I knew immediately that I had to start over and apply my new skills. the video on the right is my new Growth Mindset Plan video. Even thought it took more takes to complete due to my anxious dog, I am very proud of how it turned out. Revising our Growth Mindset Plans was a great end and capstone to all the information we have learned.
