ADL Capstone
COVE + CSLE Reflection
As I prepare to walk across the stage and receive my master's degree in education I reflect on my journey as an ADL student at Lamar University. Although I have greatly enjoyed most aspects of my program there are a few components that stand out. COVA and CSLE are the foundation of the ADL program and the catalyst for the mindset shift necessary to excel. COVA is an instructional model with the learner at the center. Initially, COVA was a difficult concept to grasp due to my checklist nature, but as my professors continued to model for me it became simpler and easier to demonstrate in my own classroom. COVA stands for CHOICE, OWNERSHIP, VOICE, and AUTHENTIC LEARNING. All of which are vital in creating a significant learning environment. COVA is easily demonstrated in the development of student ePortfolios. All ADL students created a website that tracked their progress and served as a digital representation of our research, coursework, reflections, and blogs. In my experience, COVA brings out the true nature of learning which is exploration and collaboration. Implementing COVA in my classroom expanded my reach and transitioned me from an instructor to a coach. Encouraging my students to think beyond and dive into their creativity was liberating and the results were outstanding. The best part of learning and introducing COVA to my students is that we did it at the same time. We were all in the learner's chair and helping each other take control of our learning environments and taking ownership of our instructional experiences. Looking back and reflecting on how I thought COVA was so limiting, confusing, and overrated, I smile with great joy knowing that I learned something new and proved to myself that I can adjust and reframe my ideas, teaching model, and in-class experience.
Part A | Visual Presentation
Part B | Cohesive Coursework Reflection
I remember finding it difficult to decide on an innovation plan. For my peers who taught core content areas, it seemed to come really easy to them, almost like they knew what they wanted to do before enrolling. That was not my experience. I was already doubting if I should attempt the program since I was just a first-year teacher and didn't think I had much to offer. However, after a few conversations with Dr. Sue, I decided ePortfolios addressed the needs I observed in my classroom. My students struggled with facing challenges, exploring their creativity, and tracking their progress, among other things. I knew that. I was confident that after talking with Dr. Sue I would be able to help my students in the areas they struggled in the most. I prepared to write my innovation proposal to my principal and welcomed any feedback she had to offer. Although she didn't respond quickly I moved forward with my innovation plan and first literature review.
From there I developed my implementation outline, UbD template, and my 4DX strategy to combat the inevitable pushback from students and colleagues. As the program progressed we executed other assignments like the PL Call to Action Video and Outline. Both assignments prepared us to lead the charge for innovation on our campuses and educate our colleagues on how they can join the movement. My favorite assignment from the ADL program was developing an online course. As a non-certified CTE teacher, I experienced a lot of gaps in my onboarding as it related to teacher programs like LMS, Skyward, Eduphoria, etc. so I took a leap and shifted from my innovation plan to develop an online self-paced course for CTE and or new teachers.
Establishing ourselves as authorities in Education Technology was also a huge component of the ADL program. In EDLD 5317 we were challenged to become published scholars. I partnered with Tonya Logan and Chris Hill to compose a publication and submit it to online platforms like Tech Notes, Edutopia, and the International Journals of ePortfolios. First, we developed a publication rough draft and then an outline. For the media portion, we opted to record a mini-podcast episode about the advantages of ePortfolios and using technology to increase literacy among EB students.
As the program came to an end we were charged to revisit our literature review and update our innovation plan. I was very fortunate to not face many hurdles related to the implementation of my innovation plan. I am proud to report that 95% of my students completed their ePs and out of the 95% 80% completed their project reflection videos. Their reflection videos were entertaining, to say the least. There were a lot of laughs, breakthroughs, and proud moments.
