Category: Collective

ADL Journey, ADL Program, Capstone, Collective, Contributions, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Relationship, Teamwork, Why

Contributions, 5320

The Advisor That Cares

Capstone Course

  • Fall 2023
  • Course Number: EDLD 5320
  • Course Title: Synthesis Digital Learn/Lead

Contributions to Learning and my Learning Community

The back of a yellow van is pictured travelling down a dessert roadway.

Crediting Core Group Members: Kelly Skillingberg, Shannon Bowles, and Rachel Hull.

I am giving myself a score of 99 out of 100

Wow, what a transformation from the first course in the program.

please reconsider and evaluate your work and grade with the same fairness as another student.”

March 11, 2022 paraphrased email from EDLD 5305 instructor

Here I am, emboldenly claiming 99 out of 100 for my contributions to my learning and the learning of my learning community. Who is this person I have become?

I know now what I didn’t know then. I know that my “assessment of/for/as learning” is mine to claim ownership over, too (Harapnuik, 2021). The ADL Program equipped me to take control of my learning journey, and I embraced it!

When I began the program, I didn’t understand how having a group would help me. I had always been a little better off on my own or a type A person who would prefer to do all the work to know it got completed.

This independence was also true of my professional life, now that I think about it. While I enjoyed collaborating with others at work, I would typically take the lead to ensure that none of us “got in trouble” for failing to meet expectations.

However, this program and the soul-searching reflection done throughout leave me knowing that I have given 100 percent effort toward my entire learning experience. I also have given 100 percent effort toward connecting with my learning cohort. I am not giving myself a perfect score because there is always room for improvement and more to learn.

The fantastic people in my collaboration group have shown me how much better my ideas and our experience can be if we work together.

My learning communities overlap so many periods and classes that I cannot limit my experience to a single learning community (though this one was top-notch because we have all evolved so much in our learning journey that we now “get it”) but instead try to approach each semester as my opportunity to support and guide my fellow learners in the learning journey.

I love connecting with new people, and weekly meetings are my jam! But I had to learn that they are not that for everyone. I had to adapt and learn to meet others when and where they were available. We have had so many chats and a few synchronous meetings. Still, the asynchronous ability to connect has significantly impacted my future innovation ideas.

Adding peer support is a transformative component of innovation in advising. I never imagined how learners could support one another in co-navigating a new experience. However, thanks to my experience with choice, ownership, and voice in this authentically significant learning environment (COVA + CSLE), I know firsthand that peer support and a shared experience can revolutionize a learning experience.

Key Contributions

  1. My learning community’s core group members have all done a fantastic job staying in touch throughout the semester. One evening, we were the only members of the course who attended the class call. What worked this semester was our continued commitment to learning as much as possible, improving our innovation ideas as much as possible, and getting as much as possible out of this last course in the ADL program.
  2.  Fortunately, Shannon, Kelly, and I have been in learning communities and have maintained ongoing chats over the last several semesters. Before this session began, we had an EDLD 5320 Capstone Community GroupMe started. We all did a great job sharing links to our works in progress for feedforward and periodically just checked in to see how we felt about our coursework and innovation ideas.
  3.  I completed an overwhelming number of revisions on my ePortfolio as a whole. I continually revised current coursework and previous courses/projects coursework as a part of the entire program synthesis process. It was amazing to see how much we have learned and evolved in such a short time.
  4.  I completed ALL of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources provided and actively sought additional resources to deepen my learning and improve my innovation.
  5.  I met the various course activity deadlines indicated in the calendar.

Supporting Contributions

  1. While our group maintained a well-balanced interaction, I took a leadership role by requesting and creating recurring Zoom meetings to chat about projects and our reflections throughout the course. I contributed to my classmates in class calls and discussions by answering questions and pointing to resources when applicable.
  2.  I contribute to my learning and the learning of my colleagues by participating in ALL activities.
  3.  I actively contributed to discussion posts with engaging and well-thought-out reflections.

Reference

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). Assessment OF/FOR/AS learning. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8900

https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8900

Collective, Contributions, Publication, Reflecting, Relationship

Contributions, 5317

The Advisor That Cares

Publishing Course

  • Fall 2023
  • Course Number: EDLD 5317
  • Course Title: Resources for Digital Environments

Contributions to learning and learning community

A wooden signpost is covered with hand written white wooden arrows to towns on Route 66 with rusty cars in the background of a scenic cloudy desert landscape with mountain range far in the distance.

I am giving myself a score of 95 out of 100

Crediting Core Group Member: Shannon Bowles and Chantilly Sweet

The remaining members of my core discussion group constantly changed based on discussion posting dates. I found it challenging to continue collaborating with the same core members (aside from Shannon) because I followed the course posting guidelines and deadlines.

I would like to give a proper thank you to all of those who regularly engaged with me in the course.

Discussion 1

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

  • Responses to Angela Deschner, Chantilly Sweet, Jane Burnett, Shannon Bowles
  • Responses from Angela Deschner
Discussion 2

Perusing and Sharing Publications

  • Responses to Shannon Bowles, Chantilly Sweet, Argelia Perez Ramirez
  • Responses from Shannon Bowles, Araceli Maria Lopez, Brenda Decuir, Angela Deschner
Discussion 3

Audio and Visual Digital Tools

  • Responses to Shannon Bowles, Angela Deschner, Brenda Decuir, Roostynel Tovar, Chantilly Sweet
  • Responses from Shannon Bowles
Discussion 4

Media that Engages

  • Responses to Shannon Bowles, Roostynel Tovar, Araceli Maria Lopez, Angela Deschner, Chantilly Sweet, Argelia Perez Ramirez
  • Responses from Shannon Bowles
Blue background divided midway by gradient, two thought/conversation bubbles are stacked slightly apart the top one with a row of 5 blue stars and the bottom with a row of four blue stars and one white star.

Peer Review Reflection

Shannon was an outstanding learning community member this session, and I was happy to provide feed-forward on her rough draft as she did for mine. Shannon provided valuable feedforward when concepts I sharing were unclear to the reader. What I found writing was that I had been working with the content and concepts so long that I was skipping details or failing to organize my thoughts in a logical sequence. Additionally, Shannon provided insight from their experiences during orientation, adding another layer to the audience’s perspective.

Feedforward to Shannon on her Rough Draft

Screenshot of Google Doc sharing/comments of Shannon's feed forward, questions, and suggestions to me.

Feedforward from Shannon on my Rough Draft

Screenshot of Google Doc sharing/comments of my feed forward, questions, and suggestions to Shannon.

This learning community aspect is something that I will miss moving out of the ADL courses and into professional life. This must be why the ADL program encourages us to get involved in our professional learning organizations to continue this community-based learning beyond our time together. What a fantastic project to culminate the program by submitting our work for publication. Carefully crafting the ADL program, we can now continue the conversation with those in our professions.

Contributions

Key Contributions

From the very start of the session, I did my best to contribute to building a learning community and provided a positive and collaborative contribution. Throughout the course, I worked to meet all activity deadlines outlined by Dr. Still and kept up with the content in each module. I have posted by keeping up with the course schedule so that other learning community members have ample time to respond. I have also found that having time for feedback allowed me to improve assignments by their due dates. I complete and reflect upon all assigned course readings, videos, and resources and share additional sources discovered throughout my learning exploration and reflections on learning connections. I post when I will be available for support on long-term project days and before deadlines. I take feedback, ideas, and suggestions from the comments on shared documents and discussion board posts to improve my work and clarify my thoughts. I provide thoughtful feedback and support to my classmates and community members.

Supporting Contributions

I did my very best to take on leadership responsibility and always asked clarifying questions during class calls in hopes of helping myself and others. I participated in all activities and rewatched the class call recordings to reinforce learning opportunities discussed with classmates. I routinely check the discussion board for posts and updates to keep collaborations active and timely with posted deadlines and due dates. I actively seek additional sources and resources. This course specifically had some links that were no longer active, but I searched and reposted updated links for future reflection. I included citations of source materials and reflected on the lessons laid out for us throughout the course.

What Could Be Better

Several semesters ago, I began sharing a GroupMe for a collective of ADL learners. I had high hopes that the group would continue to intake new ADL students, thereby creating a long-term mentorship group with veteran and graduate ADL students continuing to learn while giving guidance and perspective to future cohorts. The hope was that learners who struggled to connect with a community in their coursework would find additional opportunities to connect with others with similar innovations or interests.

In the past, this has been such an active and collaborative group. Unfortunately, a large part of our collaborative membership graduated, and many left the group. Watching members leave the group was crushing, as I thought we would be lifelong learners together. Buying into the idea of the learning collective.

I tried to keep casting conversation starters and offered ongoing support to other learners, but the group was inactive this session. It seemed like no one reached out for help from different classes, and no one posted assignments for feedforward. I cannot help but wonder if it was due to the discussion board requirement for posts and comments.

What Worked

For me, especially in the absence of the collective, collaborative learning experience I had become accustomed to, blogging helped fill some of the reflection and exploration I would have been doing in learning community meetings. I have tried to take every lesson that the program designed for us to heart, and I believe Dr. Harapnuik wanted us to continue blogging throughout the program. Many do not maintain the practice, but it is a key component of higher-order thinking and metacognition. I firmly believe that this authentic learning environment provides us with a frame of reference for our learning opportunities.

Pub Crawl

That is a bit misleading… because when I say “pub crawl,” I mean crawling through the publication process. In my typical form, in the ADL Program, the first thing I…

Tell Others

Moving through the module 1-2 content in this my second to last ADL Program’s publishing course, I am encouraged to share my success stories. To consider what digital technology I…

Fire

Let me tell you. It is not exactly easy to focus on much of anything when there is a 3,000-acre wildfire burning a dozen miles away. I’m really trying to…

Find your Element

In the On Point interview, Sir Ken Robinson (2013) shares that as a young person, he found himself in special education classes and recognized people around him. “Finding what lies…

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

5317 Discussion 1 (1 of 2) Technology can certainly enhance learning, as we have discovered throughout our ADL learning journey. The fact that I can connect with learners from various…

Technology and College

Saving these EDUCAUSE Review sources for later reflection and review. Students: 9 Ways to Help Students Use Technology to Get the Most Out of College Microlearning: The “OG” or Hot…

Perusing and sharing Publications

5317 Discussion 1 (2 of 2) The ADL program has opened my eyes to exactly how much the landscape of learning has changed and how little the landscape of education has changed.…

Schank you very much

Well darn. How in the world am I just now learning about Roger Schank! A link was thrown into the publication assignment, and I was off exploring another rabbit trail.…

What to Write

Going through Dr. Harapnuik’s content and nearing the end of the ADL program makes many connections between the strategies and learning accomplished throughout this authentic learning environment. I cannot help…

Always timely, EDUCAUSE

While written with IT Leaders in mind, innovative educators and support staff can benefit from these 10 Calls to Action for the Future of Technology in Higher Ed. Reference Gonick,…

Digital Tools

5317 Discussion 2 The concept of data-driven analytics and decision-making appeals to me very much. As advisors, we often run from one fire/crisis to another. Stepping into a leadership role…

Preparing Pitch?

Desperation: Man! I cannot tell you how much I am missing my tribe. I have been posting and engaging with my classmates, but I’m failing and failing to find my…

Mind Blown!

My goodness gracious, my two main collaborators this semester just blew my mind with their statements about how helpful they find Google Slides. I always found them overwhelmingly blank because…

Ott, to check this out!

I cannot believe that I have not yet posted about the amazing commentary on significant learning opportunities outlined by Jim Ott.

Leftovers

Media Project leftovers Mannn, there’s so much to share. I definitely wanted to include a million quotes and clips in my media project. I will put them all here for…

Searching vs. Trying

Thanks to the ADL Program, I love that I am constantly observing my learning behaviors.  I recently rearranged and connected multiple monitors. I still laugh at how much of this…

Engaging Media

5317 Discussion 3 In the ADL Program, we learn the importance of always focusing on learning. Technology, just for the sake of it, does not revolutionize education. We must be…

Purpose…

I am once again pulled to evaluate the purpose of my innovation. These final reflection stages of the ADL Program coursework really ask us to go back and evaluate our…

ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Tips

Mind Blown!

The Advisor That Cares

My goodness gracious, my two main collaborators this semester just blew my mind with their statements about how helpful they find Google Slides. I always found them overwhelmingly blank because I am spoiled by the templates found in Canva.

I have never really used Google Slides because every time I open it, the blank starting page overwhelms me, and I find myself abandoning the attempt for places I can start with a designed template I can modify and use as a starting place. Maybe I am just missing out on a feature I have not yet found. Do you all import templates from other sources or design from scratch? [Off to do some searches after catching up on recent discussion posts]

I asked them a question about utilizing Canva with Google slides in a discussion post but our conversations are asynchronous so I head off to my trust research database YouTube.

While these results aren’t what I had in mind when I posed the question, my mind is blown by all of the opportunities to interact with advisees these Google Slides

Okay, okay… I realized I left you hanging there and didn’t point out any research to the original question: There are templates that you can use with Google Slides. Exciting times and opportunities ahead!

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Focus on the learning, Goals, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Outcomes, Professional, Publication, Reflecting

Perusing and sharing Publications

The Advisor That Cares

5317 Discussion 1 (2 of 2)

The ADL program has opened my eyes to exactly how much the landscape of learning has changed and how little the landscape of education has changed. Learners today are digitally connected, and education needs to evolve to include transformative learning opportunities in every environment.

Currently, advisors are tasked with almost every initiative faced by incoming students. This creates a prescriptive advising full of information transfer topics that often leave advisors feeling unfulfilled. Additionally, the environment does not encourage the transformative opportunity found through intentional advisor-advisee relationships. Through an innovation of advising, advisors will have a consistent message to share with their advisees, relieving them of their role’s repetitive and transactional aspects. Digital resources that allow departments to ensure the message and information shared with their students align with their policies and beliefs increase confidence in information accuracy. Collaboration with campus stakeholders ensures that other departments can introduce themselves and their services in a non-anxiety-inducing way.

Most importantly, a blended learning approach to advising can increase learners’ curiosity (Musallam, 2013) about their learning experience while simultaneously increasing advisors’ creativity (RSA, 2010) by creating content, refining the message, clarifying the intentions, and assessing the effectiveness of advising as a learning opportunity. The most challenging part of my innovation idea to resolve and convey is my belief that an effective learning environment allows more profound, more meaningful relationships like those described by developmental and intrusive advising. Adding to this is the concept of connectivity and collaboration. The benefits of forming a learning collective among students that supports the advising relationship and initiatives (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 52). How much more will a high school student listen to a college student than a university representative at orientation to campus? How can an innovation to advising support the feeling of belonging that students and staff feel at the institution?

Consider how the learning environment is changing and how you can share the changes you are making in your learning environment.

  1. Briefly share one or two possible topic areas that are of interest to you that you can write about. Remember that you do not need to be an expert in the field to have a voice. Please visit http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=841 for ideas from past students.
    • I could write about the collaboration and connection aspect of advising and how a blended learning environment could extend and expand the advising relations well beyond the twice-annual mandatory advising requirement for registration/enrollment.
    • Another topic to write about is how a blended learning environment could relieve advisors of the sage on the stage soul resource for information. I want to help empower advisors to equip learners with the skills and motivation to seek and verify information for themselves.
  2. Identify and share 2-3 online publications of interest in your field. Publications can include online magazines, newsletters, state technology publications/articles. Hyperlink your selections so that others may easily access your selections.
  3. Which digital environments allow the opportunity to collaborate with others as you write and think through your ideas? What is currently well established? What needs improvement?
    • Discussion boards, chat apps, blogs, digital classrooms, and file-sharing tools are all digital tools that have allowed an endless variety of digital environments where thoughts, innovations, and hunches collide at just the right time and place to evolve into a perfect solution to a problem (RiverheadBooks, 2010).

Changing Educational Paradigms

I found this talk so interesting I went to see the full discussion, Changing Paradigms

3 Rules to Spark Learning

Where Good Ideas Come From

References

Musallam, R. (2013, April). 3 rules to spark learning [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/ramsey_musallam_3_rules_to_spark_learning

RiverheadBooks. (2010, September 17). WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

RSA. (2010, February 4). Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Paradigms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdS4hSa0s

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Goals, Innovation Plan, Online Learning, Publication

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

The Advisor That Cares

5317 Discussion 1 (1 of 2)

Technology can certainly enhance learning, as we have discovered throughout our ADL learning journey. The fact that I can connect with learners from various industries and worldwide illustrates how much technology can be employed to strengthen learning and collaboration. The program pushes me to seek out information and re-engage a curiosity about learning and topics related to digital learning. As part of that inquisitive process, I perform online searches through search engines and video streaming to obtain a big-picture perspective on current trends and topics. I further refine source information through detailed reviews of literature and additional writings and research found with my professional organizations, related journals, and other article sources. Professional journals from NACADA are my primary resource for finding emerging trends within advising. EDUCAUSE Review is another excellent resource for identifying technology trends and issues within education. 

The digital tools currently utilized within the advising relationships seek to manage student information, notes, and referrals. The institution employs a student information system to onboard and guide students from admission to enrollment. Then, the advising and support units use a different system to invite students to appointments, request progress report updates from faculty, record interaction notes on services utilized, answer questions, and make support recommendations. Another system tracks degree plan requirements and progress. Students take the information from the degree system and then use another system to register for classes. In addition to the disjointed nature of the different technologies and systems used within the advising profession, most of these tools are not currently student-facing. However, an innovation to advising would help change this by utilizing blended learning concepts to flip advising from short-burst information transfer sessions (overwhelming) to ongoing dialogues and collaborations that expand the relationship and further assist students in navigating and understanding their learning opportunities. Through the lens of a COVA approach to learning that incorporates how educational technology encourages student choice, ownership, and voice while presenting authentic learning opportunities, technology and digital learning tools must contribute to creating significant learning environments (CSLE) instead of technology for technology’s sake. 

A personally curated advising resource (ePortfolio) is my favorite technology tool at this time, simply because of the unlimited accessibility of combining and translating information across the higher education landscape. This resource could help learners and their families navigate the frustratingly confusing process of learning policy, procedure, and an unlimited number of requirements faced by college students. I am intrigued by the tools enabling a blended learning model that incorporates micro-lectures, cloud computing, and online collaboration within learning collectives. Google Classroom provides an exciting opportunity for connecting learners while also providing opportunities for assessment.

In this discussion, consider the required readings and view the following videos then participate in a discussion with your colleagues where you will explore the variety of ways technology can enhance learning.

Readings

Articles

Discussion Videos

Digital Tools in Digital Environments

Podcast/Interview

Discussion 1 of 2 – Digital Tools in Digital Environments

  1. How do you evaluate current and future trends and tools in educational technology for educational impact?
    • I evaluate current and future trends by performing online searches through search engines and video streaming while further refining source information through detailed reviews of literature and research found with my professional organizations, related journals, and other article sources. Through the lens of a COVA approach to learning that incorporates how educational technology encourages student choice, ownership, and voice while presenting authentic learning opportunities. Technology and digital learning tools must contribute to creating significant learning environments (CSLE) instead of technology for technology’s sake.
  2. Which resources do you look to find emerging trends and issues in the field?
    • Professional journals from NACADA are my primary resource for finding emerging trends within advising. EDUCAUSE Review is another excellent resource for identifying technology trends and issues within education.
  3. What digital tools have you used to support learning in your current work setting?
    • The digital tools utilized within the advising relationship manage student information, notes, and referrals. The institution employs a student information system to onboard and guide students from admission to enrollment. Then, the advising and support units use another system to invite students to appointments, request progress report updates from faculty, record interaction notes on services utilized, questions answered, and support recommended. Another system tracks degree plan requirements and progress. Students take the information from the degree system and then use another system to register for classes. Most technology tools are not student-facing, but an innovation to advising would help change this by utilizing blended learning concepts to flip advising from short burst information transfer sessions to ongoing dialogues and collaborations that expand the relationship and further assist students in navigating and understanding their learning opportunity.
  4. Which tools are your favorite and why?
    • Currently, a personally curated advising resource is my favorite simply because of the unlimited accessibility of combining and translating information across the higher education landscape. This resource could help learners and families navigate the confusing process of learning policy, procedure, and requirements faced by college students. Google Classroom provides an exciting opportunity for connecting learners while also providing opportunities for assessment. I am intrigued by the tools enabling a blended learning model that incorporates micro-lectures, cloud computing, and online collaboration within learning collectives.

References

Denton, D. W. (2012). Enhancing instruction through Constructivism, Cooperative Learning, and Cloud Computing. TechTrends, 56(4), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-012-0585-1

Liao, J., Wang, M., Ran, W., & Yang, S. J. H. (2013). Collaborative cloud: a new model for e-learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(3), 338–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.791554

Noah, T. (2023). Enhancing flipped learning with microlectures. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/flipped-learning-with-microlectures

Nordic Business Forum. (2015, September 8). Sir Ken Robinson – How finding your passion changes everything: Part 2 | Nordic Business Forum 2014 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6E8y-9TzpI

ProjectHappyWay. (2015, March 27). Best Ted Talks 2015 – Draw your future – Take control of your life [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vl6wCiUZYc

Publishing: Can I really do that? (n.d.). Learner’s Mindset. https://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=841

Stevenson, M., & Hedberg, J. (2011). Head in the clouds: A review of current and future potential for cloud-enabled pedagogies. Educational Media International, 48(4), 321–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2011.632279

Stevenson, M., & Hedberg, J. (2013). Learning and design with online real-time collaboration. Educational Media International, 50(2), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2013.795352

TED. (2013, February 27). Sugata Mitra: Build a school in the cloud [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU

The School of Life. (2013, April 11). Ken Robinson on passion [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M8Hl5MUr8w

Wbur. (2013, June 19). Sir Ken Robinson On Discovering Your Passions | On Point. WBUR.org. https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2013/06/19/sir-ken-robinson

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Collective, Contributions, ePortfolios, Focus on the learning, Growth, Growth Mindset, Innovation Plan, Instructional Design, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Online Learning, Professional, Reflecting

Contributions, 5318

The Advisor That Cares

Instructional Design Course

  • Summer 2023
  • Course Number: EDLD 5318
  • Course Title: Instructional Design in Online Learning

Contributions to learning and learning community

I am giving myself a score of 96 out of 100

Crediting Core Group Members: Kelly Skillingberg, Shay McDonald, and Valary Patterson

Collective Members: https://advising.blog/collaborations/ 

Contributions

Key

The key working component of my ADL Program learning journey is the authentic learning opportunity. There were so many points throughout the instructional design process that the realistic aspect of my innovation provided the framework to structure my course around.

The cognitive dissonance experience while trying something new is always uncomfortable. Nonetheless, the determination of a learner’s mindset embraces every new learning opportunity. This required that I complete all of the provided reading materials and do a lot of additional research to understand instructional design principles and techniques.

An aspect in which I could do better would involve confidence in the design of the three-column table. Many times I had to redirect my attention back to that original plan. I kept hearing Dr. Harapnuik’s advice to peel more away instead of adding more content to drill down to the desired learning outcome without overwhelming information.

Through the ADL Collective GroupMe, I have maintained a solid contribution to the learning community I helped build. Our group is a fantastic support and primarily where my core collaboration group provides feedback to one another and anyone else seeking support.

I appreciated how each module’s discussion in this course provided an opportunity for review and feedforward from our classmates. This learning opportunity really allowed me to see how others interacted with the material, what other types of innovations were being implemented, and helped me clarify confusion at different stages of the instructional design process. This might be one of two course where the discussion component of learning did not feel forced or like an item to mark off the checklist. The discussions were very helpful to my learning process.

Throughout the course, I completed ALL of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources while meeting all activity deadlines as outlined.

Supporting

I took leadership responsibility in your base group and the course by contacting my classmates to check on progress in assignments. I helped organize and host collaborative sessions to resolve confusion and discuss plans for course requirements and impacts to innovation ideas.

I contributed to the learning of my colleagues and myself by being active and engaged in every learning opportunity. I attended all class meetings and participated in chat threads to review assignments, clarify questions, and provide support. I always cite source material in blogs and discussion postings while ensuring timely posting to allow time for feedback and to provide contributions to my classmates.

Through class discussion posts and continued ePortfolio blogging, I made additional postings that were not required but contributed to my learning and understanding. I utilized APA citations while reflecting on my learning process.

I have continued to actively participate in my and my classmates’ learning by participating in every opportunity to learn. I constantly reflect on my learning process and embrace the learners’ mindset.

What could be better?

I allowed myself to get overwhelmed by a classmate this semester. During the early parts of the course, I was chatting and sending program examples to a confused classmate. I was basically attacked for my optimism and positivity. I was accused of being condescending for attempting to explain the COVA Framework and constructivist learning theory. I allowed this to make me withdraw from the ADL Collective chat as actively as I typically would based on these negative interactions. I know that I must embrace the learners mindset with learners in the heat of frustration over this uncomfortable approach to learning. This is something I am actively trying to improve as I move into the last two classes of the ADL program (after this one).

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Why

Naval-Gazing

The Advisor That Cares

While reviewing this weeks content for discussion in the ADL Program‘s EDLD 5318, Instructional Design Online Learning course, I heard the term “naval-gazing.” I had to back up the video, replay it, die laughing, and then search for the meaning and origin of the term.

How have I made it this far in life without ever knowing about this Ancient Greek term (principle of Omphaloskepsis)?!?!

Now here are a few interesting observations.

I have watched this video several times, taken detailed notes, and connected thoughts several times before, never noticing the phrase.

I had to exercise and embrace the Learner’s Mindset to even seek additional information.

I could not help but draw parallels to my learning process throughout the ADL program. Without even realizing or recognizing it at the time, I was detailing the same fundamentals addressed by this discussion in the recent interview I was honored to participate in about the Learner’s Mindset.

A New Culture of Learning, Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Growth Mindset Plan, Humor, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Tips, Why

Picturing the Finish Line

The Advisor That Cares

Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming!

I have spent hours and hours watching Learner’s Mindset Discussions. Never would I ever have dreamed I would be in one! What a dream come true to sit and visit with two inspirational educators.

LMD EP47

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, Contributions, ePortfolios, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

Contributions, 5315

The Advisor That Cares

Measurement Strategy Course

  • Spring 2023
  • Course Number: EDLD 5315
  • Course Title: Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction

Contributions to learning and learning community

I am giving myself a score of 97 out of 100

Crediting Core Group Members: Annababette Diemecke, Ashleigh Carter, Kristin Winzer, Patrick Rodriguez, and Valary Patterson

Crediting Collective Members: https://advising.blog/collaborations/

Key and Supporting

Contributions

Since I am not pursuing the accelerated path to program completion, I do my best to welcome new members to the learning community and help foster connections for others interested in similar projects. Many of us have stayed active in our collaborative group through a Google Drive and a GroupMe chat, both of which I host for the group.

Our learning community is committed to supporting one another. I have witnessed the power of the collective as members with no common classes come together to troubleshoot a website issue or clarify an assignment. Anytime, day or night, someone is willing to give support. I am excited to help foster that learning environment for myself and my classmates. I always ensure that I provide helpful feed-forward to my core collaboration group and all the members of the ADL Collective GroupMe chat.

I continue to refine, revisit and revise all prior assignments throughout this course, and this session pushed me to look objectively at my innovation plan. Learning about action research, struggling through writing challenges, and putting everything together into the final compilation continues to make this experience authentic. I can see my innovation coming to life. I am prepared to implement the strategies learned throughout.

I dissected the assigned course readings and pursued my information on the topics of this session. Specifically, throughout my literature review, I continued to deepen my learning on my topic as I followed links from cited sources.

I always met the course activity deadlines and posted discussion prompts and replies in hopes of engaging in a dialog about the action research process.

I engaged in every opportunity presented by hosting Zoom sessions and attending all class meetings and office hours. I engage in chat threads to review assignments, clarify questions, and provide support. I always cite source material in blogs and discussion postings. I have actively shared additional sources of information on the topics we study to offer breadcrumbs to my classmates and future ADL students and to further my understanding. I have truly embraced the learners’ mindset.

Reflections

What Worked?

In the simplest terms? The Learners’ Mindset

Embracing the opportunity to learn even more about my innovation plan worked. Completing my second literature review was an immense learning experience overcoming fears and self-doubt.

Sharing my writing struggles through blogging was also helpful throughout the learning process. As I worked through learning about action research, I blogged about the experience and my thoughts on narrowing my topic. I see the benefits of doing the work and evaluating the learning process.

The support given and found throughout the ADL Cohort Collective GroupMe chat is still the most humbling thing to witness. I created this group chat after losing all the members of my first learning community. Out of a desperate need to find myself a learning community, I founded a support group that I hope will continue long after I complete the program.

What could be better?

The semester had an unusual survival feel to it. I found myself craving the discussions and interactions my classmates and I have had over the last several semesters. I am trying to determine if the course material had everyone deep in the research process or if it was the time of the year keeping everyone busy with work and family commitments.

I kept giving support and encouragement by checking in with community members. The term seemed detached, collectively.

We still came together when a member needed help, but there were fewer in-depth conversations about our projects. Again, likely because of the nature of academic research and writing. I would have liked to experience more discussion on each course component. We had a few Zoom sessions and worked through assignments, but I missed learning with my classmates at the level we had in the past.

Action Research, ADL Program, Collective, Contributions, Evolution, Growth, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal

Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

The Advisor That Cares

I sincerely cannot accurately outline my learning process. Still, I could post a screenshot of the number of tabs I currently have open with articles, search terms, and related content as I wrap my head around the process of Action Research. I would like to share some interesting findings about one of these search trails in hopes of returning to it or having it be helpful to another.

I found this webinar and related resources in my search for literature on “student agency,” may it be useful to you.

Maximizing Student Agency
Implementing and Measuring
Student-Centered Learning Practices

https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/Maximizing-Student-Agency-NICs-Report-Oct-2018.pdf: Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

As you will see, the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles outlined in this framework, sound just like the phases of action research we are currently working through in the ADL program.

Maximizing Student Agency
Implementing and Measuring
Student-Centered Learning Practices
TECHNICAL APPENDIX

https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/Maximizing-Student-Agency-NICs-Technical-Appendix-Oct-2018.pdf: Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

Beginning on page 35, there is an example student survey, and on page 42 an example teacher survey.