After completing my first Masters of Education, I was on the hunt of another education related program that what applicable to my craft while also piquing my interest. After talking to several advisors and reading some descriptions of the ADL program, I figured I would give it a try. Dr. H’s passion about the program was evident from day one, but I was still unsure where I fit in within the plan.

 

My innovation plan came naturally to me, I had just recently wrapped up teaching in a hybrid model where many of my students were virtual while some of my students were in class in front of me. Prior to that, COVID had forced us into a learning model that was synchronous at times and asynchronous at others, all uncharted territory for me (and many others). However, the one consistent thing that we counted all throughout all of these formats of learning was our LMS, Schoology. I knew I had to take advantage of his powerful, all-encompassing tool.

 

Suddenly, I found myself thinking about this innovation plan constantly, but it wasn’t work. It was something I was passionate about, something I felt was necessary. The discussions we participated in week-to-week provided leading questions, but did not force us down a path, but rather made us think. The assignments were not rigid, but rather open-ended and manipulable. I began to see connections between when I was striving towards with my blended learning model and what I was taking part in within the ADL program, where instructors were more so learning facilitators while we took the keys to our own learning.

 

Like many, this freedom was overwhelming at times. I had the same reaction that my students have when I send them off free with only a topic and no direction. But, like I expect out of them, it forced me to problem solve and think critically surrounding smy topic. I do think I was ready for this, without knowing it. I had so many ideas that were sitting dormant in my mind that were sparked by Dr. H’s lectures. With two young children at home and living in a different time zone, it was challenging to attend classes live, however, I spent my morning commutes to work listening to class in the car and brainstorming ideas related to coursework and my innovation plan. I grew fond of experiencing class this way as there were days where I would throw some of my ideas right into action when I got to school, almost like a trial run or short-term pilot.

 

Adjusting to this style of learning was a bit uncomfortable. Early in the program, my group members and I often found ourselves stuck with certain assignments and not knowing where to begin. We knew the requirements and expectations, but they felt vague. Now these conversations seem distant. I find myself welcoming ambiguity and open-endedness of our assignments and allowing my own creativity and experiences to push my learning forward. Knowing what I know now, I would have trusted myself a bit more with my initial assignments and brainstorming activities when meeting with fellow group members. I was unsure at times if I was interpreting what was expected out of us correctly, so I’d sit back and observe rather than sharing my own vantage points.

 

It is challenging the speak on things you are not passionate about; I think we can all speak to this from our undergraduate public speaking classes. This, however, was not the case within the ADL journey, and the number one reason for that was the ball was in our court. We got to make the decisions on the change we were working towards and how it was going to take place in our setting. I have said this numerous times throughout this program, but I will be the first to admit, I laughed at the idea of promoting any type of organizational change within my district when I first began. Not only did I feel uncomfortable even suggesting ideas in my department, but I really didn’t think it was realistic on any scale.

 

As I wrap up this program, although solely a formality as my innovation plan journey will continue with me, there are certain things I wished for that unfortunately unattainable, and I can accept that. However, there are many more things within my blended learning initiative that cannot be overlooked as they can be utilized within the confines of my organization, even without the support of administration. Starting small and maintaining the growth mindset that we spoke so much about early on will keep these dreams within reach. Much of the confidence I now have surrounding change in my organization stems from the information I have accumulated on my ePortfolio. I have something to stand on and to back my ideas.

 

My innovation plan is very authentic in my Algebra 1 classroom; however, timelines have been pushed back a year. My district is undergoing some big changes administration and curriculum wise, particularly with our summative assessments, now standardizing them using an application called LinkIt that allows us to track data for students all the way back to kindergarten. While data is great, I will keep my thoughts about this to myself. I would have loved for the new curriculum to piggyback on a new learning model, but this was not an option. With that said, our professional learning time is fully reserved, and the blended learning model is not a part of it. On the other hand, my Algebra 1 team has been slowly implementing more and more of the components of blended learning into our classrooms. As I mentioned prior, I initially did not think my innovation plan, although being created for an authentic setting, was not something that could ever be seen in my organization, but the ADL program has showed me the way.

 

The COVA approach and CSLE align quite closely with my learning philosophy and my innovation plan. Dr. H has stressed repeatedly to prioritize the learning, something that gets overlooked often in professional learning sessions that I been in over the years, rather throwing countless formative assessment tools that do not truly align with learning objectives. Choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity can be applied to any type of learning, whether considering fellow educators or our students, when a significant learning environment has been established. The two work hand-in-hand so naturally. I do not think my learning philosophy has changed much from the beginning of this program to where I am now, but rather further developed as I have compiled so many of my beliefs and foundational pieces into one place.

 

Obviously, the COVA approach was new to me when I started the ADL program, but the ideologies behind it resonated with me immediately, it just made too much sense to overlook. Although much of my coursework has been based around implementing blended learning into my classroom and creating a significant learning environment inside and outside of my classroom, I have also thought about how it can apply to my organization in a broader spectrum. In my district specifically surrounding technology, we utilize the Microsoft suite and Schoology as our LMS (we are one-to-one as well). These are two phenomenal tools that have the potential to give the learners the keys to navigate through curricula in their own way, while continuing to build problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills that are instrumental for students of any age.

 

In my organization, when I can fully put my innovation plan into action, the COVA approach will be the catalyst for learning. My courses will be housed on Schoology, creating an environment where students will no longer be learning in a one-size-fits-all model, but rather have their instruction tailored to them. New content will be presented using a variety of tools while maintaining the support of the teacher as a facilitator rather than the leader. Most importantly, content will be applicable. Although the typical Algebra 1 curriculum is focused on foundational skills, there is a ton of real-life value that can be uncovered within the concepts covered. This will be a challenging transition for all parties involved, however, the slow roll out of the main components of it should help alleviate major concerns, particularly of students and parents.

 

One of the biggest challenges I foresee is students and parents comparing their learning model to their peers in other sections of the class. Parent involvement, for better or for worse, is a big part of our community. There is a constant flow of communication on our community forum where parents do not hold back about how are they feeling about what is going on in the classroom. For this reason, it will be extremely important to get support from administration and staff developers. The beginning stages will undoubtedly be the most challenging until students fully buy in see how their learning can be enhanced if they embrace what is going on around them.