Projects

A place for my past, current, and plans for future projects.

An Invitation to Innovate Advising

Innovation Course

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will explore technology innovations and embrace them as opportunities rather than challenges and proactively use those changes as catalysts to enhance their institution or district’s learning environments” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Personal Reflection on EDLD 5305

The innovation course challenged me to consider a disruptive innovation utilizing technology within my organization. The course allowed me to present an innovation proposal to my supervisor, conduct a literature review on existing research related to my innovation, and prepare an implementation outline to project the stages of implementation. The course’s final project asked that I create a media project to share with my audience in hopes of getting buy-in for my innovation idea.

Since I elected to complete the non-accelerated path to program completion, I only took one course per eight-week session instead of two companion courses like many of my cohort. While I tried to figure out where to begin, my learning cohort was developing their ePortfolios.

This path gave me the drive to figure out how to create an ePortfolio before completing the ePortfolio course. I watched YouTube videos, read blog posts, and followed the program map to discern which portfolio platform I would use. Since I was only in the innovation course, I could submit my assignments via Google Docs. However, by the final communicating a “Vision for Change” media project, I had to have a place to showcase my learning. My learner’s mindset was engaged from the very first course in the ADL program. By the end of the first course, I had a website with a single homepage and all of my innovation course content. I remember feeling so proud.

ePortfolio Course

  • EDLD 5303 Applying Educational Technology: Portfolio
  • March 21-May 10,2022
  • Facilitator: Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik
  • ePortfolio Development
ePortfolio Development

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will create an ePortfolio to share their work, reflect on their growth, and develop their voice” (Harapnuik, 2021).

The ePortfolio (eP) course challenged me to make my online presence authentic. As I completed the first course, I realized that to truly understand how my innovation could help in my day-to-day workload, I needed to begin using it. Again, due to the non-accelerated path I selected upon beginning the program, I was able to spend a lot of time considering what I needed to include in my ePortfolio to help students navigate their first semester in an online graduate program. One of the overwhelming messages that continued to resonate with me was the human component. I created a section called When Life Happens which continues to be one of my most used ePortfolio sections. I quickly recognized that I wanted students to be empowered to persevere through life’s challenges. Upon reflection, I can see how much I struggled to determine the audience and establish my voice. In creating my ePortfolio, I considered my message and purpose in every design and functional decision. My eP was my innovation pilot, which was deeply personal to me. This is where it all became mine!

Personal Reflection on EDLD 5303

One of the most challenging aspects of the ePortfolio course was the lack of guidance. I know that sounds terrible, but please allow me to explain that the COVA Approach to learning seeks to ignite a learner’s desire to learn and to understand. If the instructors gave us a template and a due date, we would each work to fulfill those exact specifications. However, in the ADL program, the learner completely controls the learning process. The instructor is there to discuss and facilitate, but there is no checklist. This lack of boundaries actually allows us to exceed even our own expectations, if we dig in and work through the frustrating parts of doing something a new way.

While I dabbled in HTML and GeoCities websites in the early days of the modern internet for fun and entertainment, I did not know the difference between a website, a blog, or an ePortfolio (hint: there isn’t one). Nonetheless, here I was creating one and deciding what mine would contain. I very much enjoyed the creative components of the ePortfolio course and only wish I would have been braver with media pieces. I definitely plan to include video and other sources but got really bogged down in the challenges of screen recording within the system without risking any personal information. I did work with an instructional design team member to record a how to video that we have been using with students for the last several months so that is a good first step in developing the full 24/7 support I envisioned the ePortfolio advising innovation to become. It is definitely something that I would like to spend post-graduation continuing to develop.

Growth Mindset and Learning

Mindset Course

  • EDLD 5302 Concepts of Educational Technology
  • May 31-August 4, 2022
  • Facilitator: Dr. Susan “Sue” Bedard
  • Growth Mindset and Learning

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will take ownership and agency over the learning process and incorporate choice and voice in designing authentic projects that use technology innovation as a catalyst for change in their organizations” (Harapnuik, 2021).

CSLE Course

Creating a Significant Learning Environment

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will identify and incorporate constructivist theories to create and implement significant digital learning environments. (Harapnuik, 2021).

Leading Organizational Change

Organizational Change Course

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will apply leadership theories and practices to become self-differentiated leaders who can address the inevitable resistance to change that will occur when launching innovative digital learning initiatives” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Professional Learning Course

Effective Professional Learning

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will effectively apply an innovative teaching practice by collaborating with colleagues to evaluate their impact on learners and design and model authentic professional learning (PL) activities that are active, have a significant duration, and are specific to their discipline” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Action Research on Flipped Advising

Measurement Course

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will be able to assess the instructional impact the implementation of their innovation plans have on creating effective digital learning environments” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Online Learning Course

Instructional Design – Online Learning

Course Goal/BHAG: “Students will apply constructivist learning theories and instructional design principles in the development and delivery of an online course utilizing significant learning environments through selected course management tools” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Resources Digital Environment – EDLD 5317

Ed Tech Course

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will examine a variety of digital environments and other digital resources to effectively communicate with others the practical implementation and the pedagogical value for educational use” (Harapnuik, 2021).

CSLE+COVA Capstone Course

  • EDLD 5320 Synthesis Digital Learn/Leader
  • October 12-December 8, 2023
  • Facilitator: Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik
  • Capstone

CSLE + COVA Capstone (5320)

Course Goal/BHAG: “Learners will synthesize their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values gained through their digital learning and leadership experiences and present a comprehensive plan on how they developed into digital learners and leaders that can identify and promote innovation, create significant digital learning environments, and lead organizational change” (Harapnuik, 2021).

Contributions to Learning

Reflection on evaluation of one’s own relationship with their learning opportunity and the ability to recognize how collaboration and contributing to the learning of others only reinforces our own learning journey and process.

Contributions

Reference

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). ADL course goals. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8534