Reflecting – Page 2 – The Advisor That Cares

ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Focus on the learning, Goals, Innovation Plan, It's all about the learning, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Publication, Reflecting, Relationship, Why

Searching vs. Trying

September 23, 2023September 23, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

Cartoon male detective wearing a green jacket and hat, holding a magnifying glass, scratching his head while examining a red question mark.

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 program I completed working on my laptop monitor alone. In my household, there are three adult technology users. My husband and adult daughter are gamers of every variety (board, tabletop, console, PC), and I have dabbled in all of the above, frequently poorly. We have accumulated several longer-used devices.

This morning, my taskbar is not showing on the additional monitors. I am constantly rearranging the monitors due to recording requirements vs. writing requirements. I create homemade teleprompters for digital media presentations, though I still need to find a way to scroll the text while recording. I discovered how to scroll text, but since I’m clicking between windows to advance presentations during recordings, it stops and annoys me! The display setting changes likely resulted in an unintended change or a misfired keyboard shortcut.

Into my handy dandy search engine, I type, “can I extend the menu bar across monitors,” and while executing the search, I decide to go digging through system settings to see if I can find it myself. What do you know? Right there in Personalization > Taskbar is a toggle to do precisely that. I click back over to my results and mentally applaud my learner’s mindset that knows there is a resource I can utilize when needed. Still, I am also a solution-seeking, inquisitive learner who will go tinkering about and seek support as required.

THIS! The learners’ mindset is what I want to help learners discover: their authentic learning opportunities. I want to work with a team of advisors to channel the passions that feed their strengths and abilities. I want to help humanize the relationship of advisors and of students.

The advisors feel like robots and that what they say isn’t heard and doesn’t seem to matter to many students. TAsked to justify the behavior and decisions of students who did not follow the advising they received or failed to follow the outlined procedures. They are placed into cycles with no finish line or celebration, leading to impending dread as the subsequent avalanche falls to them to manage.

When stressed out, people are not usually the best version of themselves. Insecurity can express themselves in hurtful and accusatory ways. Learners and their parents often need clarification on rules and regulations. Because learners have yet to learn the terminology used at the university, they will talk to multiple offices and people before getting the necessary information to make timely decisions. Understaffed and overworked humans can make mistakes, which damages relationship building. If we can help learners learn how to learn, they will also seek, verify, and understand well-planned and executed learning outcomes.

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Leftovers

September 17, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

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 now so I can revise and improve my thoughts, my article, and my innovation when I feel less limited by deadlines and time limits.

Quotes with YouTube clips:

This relationship has the potential to guide students through the unfamiliar landscape, and the language of higher education can also equip them with the skills needed to make informed decisions and choices in life. Jim Ott (2016) passionately echos this opportunity by saying that “significant learning comes through relationship” (TEDx Talks, 2016, 12:18-12:20). These connections allow the navigation of experiences, emotions, and the many questions that arise.

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) explains that the 21st-century educational landscape has “an unprecedented demand for innovation, for fresh thinking, fresh social systems, fresh ways of getting people to connect with themselves and have lives with purpose and meaning” (RSA, 2010, 32:37-32:40).

Jon Stolk (2015) says, “choice, trust, acceptance, encouragement, dialogue, care; when students feel these things, there are extremely strong positive correlations to a bunch of the stuff we we say we care about. So things like peer learning and active help seeking this is engaging with others in the learning process. Learners finding more value in what they do. Self-efficacy, the sense that you can be successful. Intrinsic motivation. Creativity. Very high level cognitive engagement, metacognition, thinking about your own thinking process” (TEDx Talks, 2015, 15:17-15:50).

Jim Ott (2016) passionately explains, “so if we are truly interested in the future of our children we must give them significant learning. We must give them a sense that they matter. We must invest in the emotions of now because everything about what we care about, their future, depends on them developing a foundation of believing in themselves. That they have value that they have purpose. That they matter. That is significant learning” (TEDx Talks, 2016, 14:56-15:27)

Craig Mertler (2019) challenges us all “to think about some aspect of your life, that you would like to change. No matter how big or how small. It doesn’t matter if it is personal, professional, academic. It doesn’t matter because you own it. It’s about you and your life. Find a different way of doing this thing and try it out. Gather some evidence of how well it worked for you and then make a plan for where you go next. Is this the solution or do I need to keep looking. Do I need to keep finding better ways to improve?” (TEDx Talks, 2019, 9:43-10:17)

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) “people do their best when they do the thing they love. When they are in their Element” (RSA, 2010, 26:45-26:51).

Sir Ken Robinson (2010) “evidence is persuasive when people get to connect to this powerful sense of talent in themselves, discover what it is they can do, they become somebody else. And that […] me is the premise of building a new education system” (RSA, 2010, 27:03-27:15).

Through discussions and reflections, advisors guide learners through encouraging questions. Working with students to help them understand their why (TEDx Talks, 2019), connect with their goals, and reignite the inquisitive mind. Sugata Mitra (2013) poses that “encouragement seems to be the key […] simply saying wow, saluting learning” (TED, 2013, 13:58-14:10).

Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). CSLE. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=849

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Khan, S. (2011, March). Let’s use video to reinvent education [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?language=en#t-149503

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

Steele, G. E. (2016). Creating a flipped advising approach. NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Retrieved from https://nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Creating-a-Flipped-Advising-Approach.aspx

TEDx Talks. (2009, September 29). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

TEDx Talks. (2016, March 14). Significant learning | Jim Ott | TEDxBellevueHighSchool [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zos6lhaehfo

TEDx Talks. (2019, March 20). Personal empowerment through reflection and learning | Dr. Craig Mertler | TEDxLakelandUniversity [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzDsT-25w14

ADL Program, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Online Learning, Publication, Reflecting

Digital Tools

September 10, 2023November 28, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

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 in an advising office makes me reflect on the whirlwind discussed during the Four Disciplines of Execution (McChesney & Huling, 2012) in the Organizational Change course (EDLD 5304). It seems there is just never time to reflect on, re-evaluate the effectiveness of, re-group, and collaborate on what is working and what is not. Salman Khan’s dashboard-style data would be valuable if applied to advising topics and discussions and allow feedback and clarity of the materials covered in micro-lecture formats (2011).

I strongly believe that digital learning provides an opportunity to completely shift the nature of the advising relationship and the role peers and community can play in supporting each other’s motivation and success. We can utilize the digital tools at our fingertips and those we have not even imaged yet to create a significant learning environment (advising relationship) out of the significant learning environment (university life). I have enjoyed the value of concise lecture formats when they are effective. I have also benefited from the sometimes vague instructions that leave us wondering when, where, and how we will learn a new skill (for those like me who came to this program without a digital skillset). Canva has been very helpful throughout the creative process by allowing the combination of words and audio, voice and text. Canva offers the ability to utilize the materials in multiple formats which I prefer to post various options for my learners’ preferences to be met. For example, I might use a video I created in Canva, but I will also post the script and slideshow. I understand the value of having multiple formats and the freedom to choose delivery based on my learning preferences and needs.

Reflecting on the value of video feedback, this is one aspect I had not previously considered bringing into my learning community here in the ADL program, nor into my innovation ideas. I have not received constructive video feedback since my first semester in the program. It helped build a trusted relationship with Dr. H because the real-time review and feed-forward allowed me to visualize clarity issues from another person’s perspective. I never realized how valuable those might be to students in a flipped advising situation. Now I see that real-time reviews and feed-forward messages of encouragement and a growth mindset in times of struggle might be the gentle nudge some students need to explore support options and seek help.

Reference

Khan, S. (2011, March). Let’s use video to reinvent education [Video]. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?language=en#t-149503

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (1st ed.). Free Press.

Communicating Ideas

In this next section of content, after selecting journals and developing rough drafts that can be submitted for publication, the next learning outcome is to

“… explore and evaluate media resources to assess the most effective way to communicate ideas” (Module 2-6 Outcome/Goal 2).

Readings

Videos

Discussion Videos

Other Resources

Fixed Mind-set/Growth Mind-set

Participate in a class discussion in which you begin by addressing the following issues/questions:

What audio and video applications can you use to help you create powerful presentations or demonstrate your personal learning? What video or audio tool are you already are working with and why? What other tools can you consider?
- Canva has been very helpful throughout the creative process. Allowing the combination of words and audio, voice and text along with multiple format posting options. I will often use a video but still post the associated slideshow.
- Vlogs, youtube podcast discussions would be another great way to demonstrate and document personal learning.
If you haven’t already done so explore using a screencasting or audio tool to offer feedforward to your peers and learning community. Consider how you can incorporate using screencasting in your instructional setting. Consider the feedforward you have been receiving in this course and review and discuss Feedforward Vs. Feedback post at – http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8273
- I have not received constructive video feedback since my first semester in the program. I feel that it helped build a trusted relationship with Dr. H because the real-time review and feed-forward allowed me to visualize clarity issues from another person’s perspective. I have grown to crave the feed-forward the learning community of this ADL program provides. It is very lonely here at the finish line of a non-accelerated path to program completion. I see how and why the bonds between our cohort members were so strong. We valued one another’s honest feed-forward and perspective to help our innovation plans grow. Seeing so many of those classmates still live their innovation is exciting.
- I never realized how valuable those might be to students in a flipped advising situation. I understood the value of having multiple formats and the freedom to choose delivery. Still, now I see that real-time reviews and feed forward messages of encouragement and a growth mindset in times of struggle might be the gentle nudge some students need to explore support options and seek help.

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

September 2, 2023September 23, 2023 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.

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.
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.
- NACADA Blog
- Advising Today
- NACADA Journal
- TEXAAN Journal
- TechNotes Blog
- EDUCAUSE Review
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.

Goals, Growth, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Reflecting

Find your Element

August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

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 within” became a personal passion (Wbur, 2013).

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2013/06/19/sir-ken-robinson

This makes me very interested in learning more about his books:

Previous Book: Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life
Current Book: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

ADL Program, Personal, Publication, Reflecting

Fire

August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

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 hunker down and diligently write while processing the program content, yet all I can do is scroll and refresh, hoping for some update as to whether or not I need to grab what I can carry and the animals I can haul to boogie on out of here.

My three giant LaMancha goats are probably the most stressful part of that equation. Things are replaceable, and even irreplaceable things won’t impact going on with life if the worst were to face us, but letting loose or leaving my dream and reason for moving out here in the first place is the most stressful of all.

I will try to apply Dr. Harapnuik’s early advice about 90-minute work sessions. I am going to tell myself that I can step away from the wildfire for 1.5 hours to focus on school, then I can scroll for updates until the next 90-minute work session. Surely, my mind can use the break from the anxiety and worry that comes with watching and waiting.

I can’t help but make connections to this week’s module content and discussion. I absorbed Sir Ken Robinson’s message (2013 & 2015) to explore passions, following interests, and creativity to decide what I could say about my innovative digital idea that others would care enough to read about. As I sit here wondering if the worst was to come, what would I look back on smoldering ruin, wondering what I regret leaving behind. In much the same way, this publishing course answers the question, what is one thing I want other people to know about me about my passions. How can I help change the world, one learning at a time, so that others with the same heart can do the same?

Update. I made it about 40 minutes before I am stepping back outside to watch, smell, and scroll some more for updates and information. I am determined not to let this situation cost me my GPA, final semester, and second-to-last course. This first assignment is due Sunday, and I will find a way to power through between stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, prayers, and naps.

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Pub Crawl

August 20, 2023September 3, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

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 do is Google “where can I publish about academic advising,” The first result is this lovely 2013 guide on Exploring Publication Opportunities, which adds to the two or three professional journals I always turn to when looking for information.

NACADA is the professional organization I always turn to when I’m researching advising, so it makes a lot of sense to explore potential options within NACADA.

TEXAAN is another professional organization that I turn to for professional development, and in recent years, they have started growing their member articles.

TEXAAN Journal
- Writing for TEXAAN

TCEA encourages the utilization of technology to support and encourage learning. This would be another great place to consider publication.

TechNotes Blog
- Contribute to TechNotes

The EDUCAUSE Review hosts an outlet for higher education-specific technology topics of interest.

EDUCAUSE Review
- Contributor Guidelines

ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Evolution, Focus on the learning, Goals, Humor, Instructional Design, It's all about the learning, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Online Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

Sneaky, sneaky

July 21, 2023August 25, 2023 The Advisor That Cares

There are so many times while reflecting on this program that I see and appreciate how sneaky Dr. Harapnuik is with this whole learning thing. I hope that other learners throughout my cohort see their own learning development and recognize that we can help our learners do this too. This program has equipped us with so many strategies to effectively create and implement change in our areas.

For example, I’m reviewing the final usability assignment and seeing how many other courses lead and tie into this. Every step is connected to a previous one in some form or fashion. I see how much my thoughts and ideas evolve and how much stronger they will be as I invite others to innovate, advising with me.

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Contributions, 5318

July 16, 2023August 20, 2023 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).