Category: Why

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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

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Professional Pitch

The Advisor That Cares

Soft pitch, day two.

Once again, I’m letting parts of my heart slip and show with my colleagues, and no one is running away screaming in fear. It seems like everyone is really excited about some of my ideas.

I pitched having brief Monday morning (WIG meetings – though I didn’t call it that) to set our goals and intentions for the week. I suggested Friday afternoon review of the week’s collaborations where teams “check each others work” to help cross each other T’s and dot each other’s “i’s” so to speak.

I pitched the concept of new year, new us. Beginning with the day after the last day to register, we are going to come up with a departmental New Years Resolution (WIG – didn’t call it that) but it really is happening.

A wonderful addition of review plus board games, team-building at the rec, adult coloring pages, board games, or whatever sounds fun to the team. I am so excited for the new year.

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Love Your Job!

The Advisor That Cares

“When we feel safe. When we feel that our leaders care more about us than a number. They care more about our lives and our confidence, and our joy and our skillset more than some short-term gain… we will respond in kind and we will offer our blood our sweat and our tears and we will make sacrifices of all kinds to see that our leader’s vision is advanced” (REDDOT X, 2018).

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress.

Working hard for something we love is called passion“

(REDDOT X, 2018)

References

REDDOT X. (2018, July 13). HOW TO BE a LEADER  – motivational speech by Simon Sinek [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urrYhnaKvy4

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Purpose…

The Advisor That Cares
Blank wooden scrabble tiles spread randomly on teal colored background. Letter tiles spell out "purpose" mid-image horizontally.

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 learning journey throughout the course. I can not help but reconnect with Sinek’s “why” for myself. My resounding answer is still to “care about people.” I have always battled the duality of my audience. Torn between addressing blended learning in advising as a benefit for students or to advisors. The answer has always been both! As I move into the final stages of my publication article, I recognize that this has the potential to continue a conversation with others in my profession about how technology can be employed to humanize the relationship between students, parents, advisors, and leadership.

I see overwhelmed student faces at incoming events and hear the exasperation in their family members’ frustrations over navigating the transition into higher education.

I hear and see how overworked advisors are as they attempt to serve many different requirements, demands, and recommendations and help their students do what is best for their college experience.

I believe that when we create significant learning environments about advising topics that help students connect with why and when they might need to know about a requirement, procedure, or general FAQ and How-Tos. By focusing on the learning outcomes using tools like Understanding by Design, we can equip them with learning skills they can apply to all areas of college and life.

As I made my second to last contributions to learning post, I realized that I am losing and will continue to lose much of my ADL learning network. My cohort is made up of K-12 educators and instructional technologists. I have met a few business professionals but only briefly interacted with individuals in the higher education arena. Recently, the program has afforded me the opportunity to connect other advisors entering the program. I hope that I will be able to provide support and encouragement to them as they work through the frustrations and challenges this authentic learning environment presents. I wish the timing worked out so we could have co-collaborated on much of the work since there is so much work to be done.

It seems to me that Dr. Harapnuik has carefully crafted this program to establish this handoff point. This publication opportunity is just what we need to open a dialogue with others in our fields, with our interests, or just to continue our conversation on personalized learning so that we can continue to refine, revise, and improve our innovative ideas.

So, what do I want to say to other advisors? What do I think I have to contribute to the literature of the advising profession? All I really have is my authentic personal experiences and a purpose to care about people. I want to use my publication article to create a conversation that helps to continue the mission of expanding advising relationships from mandatory synchronous advising sessions into ongoing learning relationships. I think that advisors are in a position to employ technology to support them in the purely information transfer and how-to topics they are required to cover with students into concise and specific resources that students can explore ad hoc. Then by posing questions of inquiry for discussion or reflection, advisors can create communities of learners that broaden peer support and collaboration opportunities. Advisors can help craft resources to develop and encourage students’ intrinsic motivation to seek information and make connections. For example, instead of transferring overwhelming amounts of information to students, advising can help students explore their questions, interests, and goals. I believe that the transformative work that advisors will have time to do, as a result, will enrich advisors’ and students’ experiences.

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Searching vs. Trying

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. 

Image of web browser open to web address https://www.google.come with the colorful logo.
Image of red background with white text "You Tube" logo.

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

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

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What to Write

The Advisor That Cares

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 but reflect on my personal why (TEDx Talks, 2009). My passion is caring about other people. My goal is to make a difference and to try and make things better for those around me. Caring about others drives me to make a difference for frustrated students and advisors.

Advisors have an opportunity to embrace innovation in the ways that we approach our advising relationships. Think about ways to turn the repetitive parts of your job (the unrewarding information transfer topics and system onboarding done with students) into question-based searchable resources. What if posing questions and teaching students where and how to find information is far more valuable than trying to be the holder of all knowledge, policy, and departmental preferences.

My vision is that advisors and students will collaborate to create resources and communities that support and encourage one another as advisors step into mentorship roles and learners find peer support and guidance. Guiding learners to explore their goals and questioning what challenges or obstacles might hold them back allows learners and advisors to discuss and problem-solve unique concerns and considerations at individualized levels. Advisors serve as guides or coaches while students research advising resources, university websites, and support services relevant to their issues and concerns. Learners embrace ever-increasing efficacy over their learning experience through reflection blogs, cohort discussions, and peer meet-up opportunities (in person and virtual).

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

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Free Write

The Advisor That Cares

What is your course about?

My course is about onboarding students to college life. The course aims to explain what an advisor is and what they can do to help students. The course outlines the student’s responsibilities in their college experience and within the advising relationship. The course helps students understand university policies and procedures, including support information like success services.

How does it fit into a program?

Advising falls within both enrollment management and student success arenas. Advisors become the centralized hub of information and referrals, which primes advisors as excellent facilitators of the learning process through an advising course. Each major falls within a college department, and there are a variety of program needs based on those differences.

What is it that excites you about this course?

My excitement about this course is two fold. First, the opportunity to help learners become self-motivated learners and to take control of their academic pursuits. I am excited that learners will learn how to navigate the college experience with skills they can apply to life. Secondly, I am excited for advisors to collaborate and combine their knowledge into resources for advisees to grow and learn. There is a future possibility of learners collaborating and supporting one another through both peer-advisors and collective discussions, which is very exciting to consider.

What are the non-negotiable elements of the course?

The advising course must relieve advisors of the information transfer aspects of the advising relationship. Advisors are discouraged and overworked by the sheer number of advisees they must see each registration cycle. Limited time for advising appointments, high turn-over rates, and low-morale among the department effects learners experience and advisors expertise. Through this advising course, advisors will be able to direct learners to resource and free their advising interactions to become life changing relationships that enhance both the learner and the advisors lives.

What are some secondary elements you want to fit in?

I see now that this advising course has the opportunity to help students find their purpose in life and stay connected with their long term goals and motivations for coming to college. All to often when the coursework gets challenge or we face personal obstacles we can decide that college isn’t for us or we weren’t really interested in that topic. I think helping students self-actualize by working through the reflection of their college growth, learning, and challenges can help today’s learners embrace the learners mindset.

ETC:

Sincerely I would like for the advising course to become a place that gives students the choice of delivery method, time of day, social interaction (or lack-thereof), and limits hesitation to ask questions they might perceive as silly or common knowledge to others. I also believe that there is amazing opportunity for learners to support one another and form collectives of support.

Source: Situational Factors: Defining Your Course

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Where it all began

The Advisor That Cares

My innovation plan was born out of a desperate desire to increase student motivation to seek the information they need to be successful in their academic pursuits. When I began the ADL Program, I was advising for a few online graduate Master of Education programs (including this one). I kept having students miss critical deadlines and requirements due to their lack of information. It was not that they did not have access to the information that was provided, published, and available; instead, it was a lack of inquisitivism that prevented them from even beginning the search for understanding.

Revisiting the process and learning I undertook with the facilitation of Dr. Kelly Grogan while creating significant learning environments, I keep looking for ways to align outcomes. What are my desired outcomes? I want learners to be autonomously motivated.

In my typical form and fashion, I begin my studies by reviewing, reading, and note-taking through the resources provided in my program coursework. Inevitably, I search for Learner’s Mindset discussions on the topic and/or YouTube videos on key concepts, terms, or goals.

This source resonates with me and can serve as a reminder to all of us as we endeavor to create significant learning environments.

Jon Stolk recommends that we remember to utilize the following:

  • Real Tools (physical need)
  • Real Choice (thinking, reasoning, decision-making)
  • Real Trust (emotions/feelings)

He continues by stating that “when students feel these things (choice, trust, acceptance, encouragement, care, dialogue), there are extremely strong positive correlations to a bunch of the stuff we say we care about (self-efficacy, metacognition, active help-seeking, creativity, task value, peer learning, and intrinsic motivation)” (TEDx Talks, 2015).

Therefore, I intend to keep these in mind as I prepare to outline my plans for an online learning course’s instructional design. I keep hearing Dr. Harapnuik telling me to focus on the learning.

Reference

TEDx Talks. (2015, November 5). Creating autonomy-supportive learning environments | Jon Stolk | TEDxSMU [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxlFzrfdqa4