Category: Professional

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

Humanism and Advising

The Advisor That Cares

I’m feeling very wishy-washy. I keep thinking I have found a learning theory, then I learn more about it and change my mind again. Most recently, I thought there might be a mash-up between Humanism and Constructivism as my learning philosophy. I have read so much literature over the last several weeks. I have flip-flopped and flipped again. I find value in so many of the learning theories.

Right now, I am mentally agreeing with enthusiasm over the recent publications I’ve found regarding humanistic advising. Humanistic advising aligns with every professional purpose and passion I can currently identify. I can see my passion and interest in the humanistic advising philosophy in the professional development sessions I select and attend. I know that being caring and compassionate is 110% why I do what I do, why I stay when it’s tough, and why I try to go above and beyond everything single opportunity.

Andy Johnson [Dr. Andy Johnson]. (2015, May 22). Humanistic Learning Theory: Overview [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMGRWVXyrqg

The biggest challenge has been trying to wrap my mind around ways to bring this hands-on learning approach into my role and relationships with students. Throughout my New Culture of Advising consideration, I desperately wanted to find ways to introduce the power of the collective into my advising relationships. Federal regulations still limit me from connecting students with other students. Finding multiple current sources of humanism and advising gives me hope that there is a learning theory that will align with my goals and passions.

Nonetheless, as seen in my last post, I desperately want to incorporate the constructivist experience from which I currently benefit. The process of identifying a learning philosophy has indeed been a labor of love, and I ultimately see the reasoning in this painful pursuit. I cannot help but wonder if others read a brief description of the learning theories and picked from a paragraph or two. I have been digging and discovering sources and context in desperation for the one that felt right.

Andy Johnson [Dr. Andy Johnson]. (2015, November 11). CONSTRUCTIVISM: PART 1. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuS6E2mXqNE&list=PLtvxUlJdr92B__8zIcLxVDEpkLuOaorP2&index=3
A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

Which will fit?

The Advisor That Cares

As I evaluate learning theories, I have to try and figure out which one will fit with my beliefs and the needs of my learners within the environment I aim to create with them.

Here are some questions I’m asking myself:

  • Why is the learning theory that resonates with me better than the other theories for my situation?
  •  Why is this learning theory better for my learning environment? For my students?
  •  What makes this theory better than the alternatives? More applicable? More valid? More valuable?
  •  How do I apply all that to advising?

Do I believe in what we are doing now in the ADL program?

Experiencing the constructivist principles of:

  • Learning by doing.
  •  Being inquisitive.
  •  Seeking answers and examples ourselves.
  •  Reflecting on our past experiences and current learning opportunities
  •  Looking to the future for innovative ways to address problems/challenges

Actively searching and learning is how I live my life, personally. I’m always watching YouTube videos and performing searches online to learn about whatever interests me or whatever I am experiencing in life. I have become a resource of information on any topic that draws my attention. Isn’t this constructivist approach what resonates with me the most?

Isn’t it exciting that constructivism could impact advising? Hasn’t it been frustrating that “Advising is Teaching,” found on our professional organization’s merchandise, didn’t quite fit your current role of being prescriptive and informative? Isn’t the whole point of innovating advising moving the repetitive and prescriptive parts of the job? Successfully executed, the advising resource will make available online 24/7 so that there are resources to direct students to when questions arise. Isn’t the goal of providing more meaningful interactions to develop deeper advisor-advisee relationships, as the literature indicates, valuable to student success and degree attainment?

What if your desire to guide students and change lives looks like constructivist advising? 

Words that resonate with me are student-centered, personal development, authentic relationships, learning in the collectives, and developing a learner’s mindset and disposition.

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, Contributions, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

What am I?

The Advisor That Cares

In my last post, I explained that looking back on my undergraduate psychology and sociology degree program. I recognized that I connected most with those courses that involved me in the learning process and required my reflection and personal interpretation/experience with the materials. I feel like my own learning preference is for one of authentic ownership, as we experience in the ADL Program

Reflecting on my beliefs about my role in the learning of others makes me wonder which learning theory aligns with my professional beliefs as an advisor. Examining my years as an advisor, I can honestly say that I only know what I have been exposed to through my experience and professional organizations.

My professional experience

When I was hired into higher education, I worked at a centralized first two-year advising center that believed in intrusive advising. Our role was to identify those most at risk and provide support and guidance as they transitioned into college students. I jumped into this role by organizing tours for advisors to visit support services offered across campus. I wanted to know the individuals I could contact when a student needed support. I wanted a first-person understanding of the facility, delivery, and offerings to describe them to my students in ways that would alleviate any trepidation about being labeled, being afraid, and preventing them from being comfortable trying something new or uncomfortable. There were occasions when I would walk with my students to these service locations for a personalized handoff. We had frequent communication with our assigned advisees and much smaller cohort sizes. I frequently participated with the college department I represented at the advising center again to keep my students informed about student organizations and other opportunities to bond with their community of interest.

Despite this genuine passion for student success, I have never been able to connect with advising theories about student development. I participate in my professional organization by attending conferences, sessions, and webinars about topics that interest me or seem suitable to my situation or students. The theories and resources always appeared to me as if they were written for faculty advisors and people who have long depth conversations and relationships with students and their curriculum. I typically interact with a student three times a year, around registration time, if they don’t have questions, need support, or show signs of being at risk academically. My literature review caused a crisis of self. As I read research about advising, I could not help but wonder if I have been a good advisor without employing any formal theory over the years.

Through the active learning process that is the ADL, we are presented with resources, information, references, and perspectives. Still, we are left to seek and search for many more. Thus far, my three program instructors have all identified as constructivist. I can’t honestly say I had ever learned of these theories. I silently panicked that this is something taught in Pedagogy since many in my program cohort are teachers at various levels and institutions.

This is a challenging experience for many, including myself. We are left thinking, “Wait, aren’t you going to teach me?” (Lecture) and “How am I supposed to create that?” (Checklist). Nonetheless, I attempted to embrace the challenge of learning by doing within an unlimited boundary of an assignment or course.

We are encouraged to create our own learning communities, and now I better recognize them as collectives. This constructivist approach of making an environment where learners can learn leaves many still trying to fit into the regurgitation education model. How many discussion comments? How many blog posts? Do we have to prove that we held learning community meetings? As learners, we have been duped into believing that learning is about the assessment of the professor or the program. I get it. It is in the sense that we are all here with hopes of degree attainment, but, in the process, we miss out on the genuinely hands-on, authentic, make it yours experience we have here.

I recently searched for Simon Sinek and found he offers a 4 session course on finding your why. I thought, “hot diggity, I can get ahead of the curve!” by preparing for the class that utilizes his book Start with Why. Our experience here, in just that single component/regard, is valued at $4,900ish for four sessions. We get around eight sessions in our eight-week coursework. I want to absorb every morsel of knowledge, experience, and content our instructors want to throw at us. I want to learn about their learning experience, success tips, and tricks. I want to grow, learn, and experience what this program is presenting. Knowing and embracing that I can really make a difference. That is what this whole advising thing has always been about for me. That is what makes me a good advisor. I care, I want to make a difference, and if I don’t know the answer, I will do my best to find it or connect you with someone who can.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no life outside of work and school, but the journey is what you make it, right? I’m in. I am all in. I want to change the world, one learner at a time. I want to use my current position, the challenges, and the opportunities it holds and make it better for my students and my colleagues. I want to be a catalyst for change.

So which theory is going to help me accomplish that?

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What was I?

The Advisor That Cares

While attempting to identify which learning theory aligns with my beliefs about learning, I am finding a real internal struggle between the past and the future.

Looking back at my undergraduate experience, I see powerful behavioral influences in most of my studies. I still have a few textbooks, such as:

  • Learning & Behavior, 5th Edition, Paul Chance (2003)
  •  Behavior Modification: Principles and Procedures, Raymond G. Miltenberger (2004)
  •  Sniffy: The Virtual Rat, Lite Version 2.0, Alloway, et al., (2005)

I also remember an exciting class called Brain and Behavior which focused on more biology/neurology of the brain and subsequent behavior. Needless to say, I should emphatically declare I’m a behaviorist. Yet, I’m not.

While studying both Psychology and Sociology, there are very few classes that I can remember specific details about.

  • Dr. Tulsi Sural’s classes with transpersonal foundations. Semester after semester of exploring transpersonal psychology by actively experiencing the different techniques. Each class began with a different type of meditation or practice that aligned with the approach. We then discussed our experiences and journaled about their impact of them.
  •  Dr. Dula Espinosa’s advanced sociology special topics. In her classes, we reviewed Supreme Court rulings on socially impact populations. We wrote papers and reflections on the justices’ rulings, reasonings, and interpretations of written vs. executed law.

Looking back on these experiences, they were both transformative because instead of a “sage on the stage” learning approach, these classes all involved me getting into the experience, the content, reflecting upon it, and then outlining what I learned, believed, or thought about it.

Next up, What am I?

A New Culture of Learning, ADL Program, Advising, Collective, ePortfolios, Goals, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Professional, Reflecting

Authentic Ownership

The Advisor That Cares

Throughout the ADL Program, we have “unlimited agency” to explore our purpose and passion, which reignite imagination and creativity (Thomas & Brown, 2011). My desire to question and explore ways to bring advising innovation to life in genuinely significant ways taps into a form of play. Creating an authentic and significant learning environment extends the same learning opportunity to advisees as they follow their passions and imagine their futures. 

By illustrating how learners today engage with the world around them through acts of questioning, the use of play, peer-to-peer learning, and learning in interest-based “collectives,” Thomas and Brown (2011) argue the case for the modernization of education. As a learner who currently directly benefits from the fundamental elements (inquiry and play) these authors identify, this learner agrees that it is time for a complete evolution.

Finally, real-world applications of the ideas outlined throughout the book reveal what significant learning environments and learning look like when they happen in this world of unlimited access while creating meaningful and personal learning (Thomas & Brown, 2011).

So, how can a new culture of advising create a meaningful environment for adult graduate students to learn in accelerated online programs?

Personal experience in peer-to-learning collectives as an aspect of the ADL program has reignited a passion for tapping into the strengths and passions of various people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The wide variety of our assignments and interpretation of the material is fascinating. Bringing that same opportunity for collaboration and cohort identity into the advising environment will benefit student learning.

The advising role is much like the mentor relationship described by Thomas and Brown. My purpose is to empower students on how to find information so they can make informed decisions about their path. By guiding students through the “where” of information gathering to locate policies and departmental requirements, I hope to enrich their ability to think critically and search for the questions they need to ask and the resources they need to seek to find or confirm tips and information they need. Douglas Thomas (2012) inspires me to “help people connect their passions to the things they need to learn” (TEDx Talks, 2012). 

The ADL program and A New Culture of Learning have pushed me to continue peeling the layers of transparency as I refine and define my voice. The authors candidly explore ideas of public and private information and identities to address concerns over the melding of these two arenas (Thomas & Brown, 2011). For example, some institutions and advising units utilize social media to push information, resources, and literacy. After seeing how valuable these tools and the collective born from shared interests are, I cannot help but ponder how we can connect future counselors, innovators, and leaders with one another? How can keep them engaged with their passion for inspiring continued learning about their futures and the available information resource? 

References

TEDx Talks. (2012, September 13). A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U

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.

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The New Culture of Learning & me

The Advisor That Cares

I have always been a proactive person by nature.

Unfortunately, much of higher education functions more reactively, like many of my students. My innovation plan intends to shift learning to foster more proactive, active engagement for my learners. As Harapnuik (2021) outlines in the Introduction Video, we are here to “facilitate learning” and “help our learners learn” by making “meaningful connections” (Harapnuik, 2021).  

In the early stages of my innovation proposal and the accompanying portfolio development, content creation was due to student questions or lack of information. Those reactive additions have since evolved into proactive opportunities for new students by providing links and information in every correspondence.

Creating significant learning environments (CSLE) and The New Culture of Learning are guides for the struggle of inspiring students to take ownership of their education and learning journey by improving learners’ engagement. Thomas (2012) says it best when he says we can “help people connect their passions to the things they need to learn” (TEDx Talks, 2012). He further explains that we must rethink training and education systems to “make learning fun and easy,” just as it is “natural and effortless” throughout life outside these environments (TEDx Talks, 2012). 

The New Culture of learning outlines that learning is no longer “taking place in a classroom” but instead “happening all around us, everywhere” through online information and freely available resources (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 17).

References

Dwayne Harapnuik. (2021, April 16). EDLD 5313 Module 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4RIBNgK6xI

TEDx Talks. (2012, September 13). A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U

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

ADL Program, Advising, Collective, Professional, Reflecting

Consortiums – Networks?

The Advisor That Cares

Collectives! Ah ha!

I was trying to figure out what exactly I would call my core group of colleagues from across the institution. When I have a question about a Graduate Studies policy, I have a person I can call. When I have a Records retention or release question, I have a person I can call. There are advisors that I provided on-board training to as they began their advising career at our institution, that I can still call and who still call me. I learn more as a result of every inquiry, question, or conversation related to my role. I have friends and colleagues at all levels of the university structure who simply care about students and all want to help one another serve them better. I absolutely love that I can be a resource to them and that they are to me.

This collective is so valuable to me. Thank you to each and every one of you!

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Contributions, 5302

The Advisor That Cares

Concepts of Ed Tech Course

  • Summer 2022
  • Course Number: EDLD 5302
  • Course Title: Concepts of Educational Technology

Contributions to learning and learning community.

I am giving myself a score of 95 out of 100

Crediting Group Members: Bethany Eisele, Lera Longbottom, Nastarja Tyler, Rachael Lancon, and Stacey Powell

Key and Supporting Contributions

Reflecting on my third course in the ADL Program, I have to say that I am finally feeling more confident about the COVA approach to this program and learning in general. This is not to say that it is always comfortable working this way, but I can see how much in-depth knowledge is gained through this approach. I actively seek information and teach myself more than just the minimum required readings/videos in search of greater understanding. I am constantly working to see if there is more information that I can add to my knowledge base. I think about my thinking through reflections and revisit assignments on an ongoing basis to continue making connections. 

The part I feel I could do better is finding value and making deeper connections from the discussion posts. There is too much of a status quo learning (regurgitation) aspect to the post and comment expectation which always seems to lack the intended connection between students. Initially, the discussions provide a way to find people with common interests or goals. Still, once our communities are formed, they seem to lack substance since it can be several weeks before someone sees comments thereby lacking engagement in meaningful dialogs. While keeping up with the posts and comments, I feel something more valuable could be discovered or utilized to increase that aspect of the program. 

I actively contributed and took on a leadership role wherever possible within my core collaboration group. I continued the shared google drive from last semester, purchasing additional storage space, and creating weekly to-do lists, discussion prompts, and video/reading notes for continued shared collaboration. Utilizing a group chat and google docs/drive, our core learning community maintained a collaborative group that welcomed new members (Nastaja and Stacey) and continually provided feedforward on all assignments. While discussing questions about previous experience in the program, we revisit our previous projects and make continuous improvements on past coursework. 

As I embrace ownership of this Portfolio, I strive toward an ownership perspective to my innovation. As I experience the freedom of choice that promotes this portfolio ownership, I am inspired to provide my students with options along their academic paths. As I revise and review my content, I realize that I can further improve my message and model that through as many interactions as possible. I can apply the knowledge obtained this semester (growth mindset, learning manifesto, feedforward, learning networks) to strengthen my voice. This improves the communication, information, and resources I provide through my synchronous (phone/virtual) and asynchronous (email/portfolio) interactions, which helps to build trusted advisor-advisee relationships. From a technical skills perspective, it has also been rewarding to continue improving the aesthetic and function of the Portfolio with my intended audience in mind. I started updating past and current learning network opportunities to my Portfolio, which has allowed me to reflect upon the benefits of these collaborative/professional networks and makes me want to strive to do better in my contributions to these networks.   

I completed all of the course readings, videos, and additional resources. I often researched other content for topics that interested me in more detail, such as Universal Learning Design, the ISTE standards, and everything I could get my hands on about the Growth Mindset. This self-driven desire to learn and understand helped me meet the deadlines for all projects, assignments, and posts, further providing the opportunity for more collaboration, mentorship, and reflection. 

Learning Community Key and Supporting Contributions

In addition to meeting all of the support contributions and taking a leadership role in my core learning group, I have found a new role as a facilitator for our learning cohort. I have always considered myself helpful, but now I have found a way to gain even more insight and understanding by helping others. My learning community has expanded to every classmate that joined the ADL 2021-2023 GroupMe. I created this group and posted an open invitation to the student lounge after being inspired by a similar DLL group last semester made up of those more advanced in the program. I knew I wanted to help create a culture that encouraged and supported one another throughout the program. Since I am not pursuing the accelerated option, I hoped for a group of positive collaborators from all levels to facilitate mentorship and mentoring opportunities. I found a wonderful sense of purpose through this course and by taking accountability for myself and my learning community through this expanded collaboration. I have encouraged my classmates via this group, and I modeled feedforward behavior with all the group members, hoping they would do the same. I hosted multiple zoom sessions for this course, upgraded to zoom pro to host longer sessions, and began hosting other sessions for those in the Innovation Course. I helped connect students who had not yet identified their core learning community with others in the same situation. The most exciting time came when members began hosting sessions for one another, providing the type of encouragement I hoped to foster.  

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Reflecting

The Advisor That Cares

I came to the ADL Program hoping to understand better what my students experience in online graduate programs at LU. I assumed that I might pick up a few technology skills here and there, but my primary focus was on having a first-person experience so that I could better relate. I have been blown away by the relevance and value that just these first three classes have provided to my daily job duties as an advisor. The most valuable aspect of this program has been finding creative ways to meet my students’ needs 24/7 via my Portfolio. I have developed my Portfolio as questions arise or when different semester times come near (i.e., final grades, graduation, etc.). The ability to make my projects authentic and valuable has been an unexpected and highly appreciated aspect of the program. The shift from regurgitation to real-life projects was not one I expected when beginning this academic journey. The COVA model has been the educational experience I did not know I was missing, yet one I have longed for my whole life. The ownership that comes from this real-life need, the choice in how I will present my information and learning, and the incredible personal voice that is developing through the process of reflection are not things I expected to find while working on a graduate degree.

This program taught me more about collaboration and mentoring, in just these first three courses, than I ever expected (or honestly wanted) to learn. I am finding that by helping others, I can help myself. I am learning to stop being the stubborn silent student who only focuses on getting their work done to be a valuable member of a learning community and class cohort. I have thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the program.

The most significant aspect of the COVA Model I hope to incorporate into my ePortfolio is the ownership and choice aspects that allow my advisees to have their authentic path to degree completion. I want to develop resources that give students a choice on their preferred delivery method and equip them with information to make informed decisions along their academic path.

I can see that creating a Portfolio sheerly to meet this program’s requirements would lead to a lack of persistence. Reading the studies on Portfolio persistence makes me strive to keep this an authentic part of my personal and professional life so that my Portfolio can continue to grow and evolve to serve those I serve. I am lucky that our program allows us to use real-world learning situations to create a Portfolio that will help us for years to come, should we embrace it.

I think the most valuable personal lesson that I am carrying with me is the one of a growth mindset. I can learn to do anything I put my mind to if I remember that I don’t need to be perfect or know everything. There are so many opportunities that become available once the message of yet is accepted.

I look forward to my continued evolution as a learner, and I’m excited to see how that will impact my advisees.

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning. Creative Common License.