Self-Assessment (EDLD 5303/5313)

Group Members for EDLD 5303/5313: Eboni Mitchell, Anna Akuretiya, Christopher Aebig, Claudia Rios

Now wrapping up my third and fourth classes on the ADL program, I feel that I am finally starting to put the pieces together. After going through all my assignments for the semester, I find myself constantly talking about the power of collaboration and reflection amongst my students, but it is just as important for me as the student in this program. I was fortunate enough to work with the same group in both EDLD 5303 and EDLD 5313 and have worked with most of these group members for all four classes to this point. Meeting weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, as I mentioned after reflecting on our first two classes together, has been irreplaceable. Being able to discuss different assignments, topics, viewpoints (similar and different) provide the team atmosphere that seems to lack in online classes at time.

Our conversations over the last 8 weeks often revolved around the growth mindset, both formally and informally. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend live classes as often as I would like due to coaching and family conflicts, but I always listened on the way to work the next morning. Being able to sit back and reflect on what was said throughout the meetings and at times pause the recordings just to think about how I align with what was being discussed was an interesting and new way of learning and engaging. I kept coming back to the idea of metacognition, thinking about thinking. Having a group that I now felt comfortable with shooting a text to in the middle of the day with a thought about something going on in class provided a bit of an additional informal discussion board, aside from the class discussion boards, that was built around the relationships and trust we had developed with one another.

Aside from working so closely with my group, I also have two fellow teachers that I work with at my school who are in the ADL program, however, a bit further ahead. Having the opportunity to discuss various ideas from the courses and how they relate to our specific school is something unique that I do not think most people can do. In addition, the three of us took the time to talk to some of our peers and explain the ADL program and what we were working towards. As I progress through this program, I feel myself getting more comfortable in my own shoes and speaking my mind. Unfortunately, this was limited in live classes due to my conflicts, but I felt satisfied with what I was able to accomplish outside of class time.

Coaching varsity baseball, having a 15-month at home running around, and another on the way in February has presented some obstacles, but again circles back to the growth mindset. I have learned along the way what I am/can be capable of via reflection and have continued to take care of what needs to be taken care of. There were times where my constraints did not allow me to get ahead as much as I would have liked within the courses, however, I found different ways to be more efficient (listening the classes, videos, readings in the car on my commute and taking notes via dictation). With this said, I did fall behind with posting on discussion boards at times, however as I mentioned I felt that I was having the conversations that were discussed in the in posts/comments with my peers in my group and at work. Aside from this, I was able to get in contact with a high school math teacher in the program, Desiree. Having her as an additional person to talk to reflect on some of the things we see in our classroom and how they connect to our courses had such value, while comparing/contrasting teaching in a states in very different geographical regions was very interesting.

I will be the first to admit, I was hesitant to really buy in to the idea of the ePortfolio initially, but now I see its power and cannot imagine not having one. Having a place to house my work that is authentic to me as well as a place that I go to the to reflect upon my day, my teaching, or education in general is such a meaningful tool. The feedback I have received from my peers and fellow group members has given me so many ideas. I have become more comfortable with navigating Wix, where I house my ePortfolio, but am starting to become aware of some of its design shortcomings. Although my Innovation Plan is based around blended learning in the classroom, I have begun considering how I can implement student ePortfolios into my course and am starting the see the potential it could have as my high school math students’ progress from course to course.

Another thing my group members and I discussed was our concern with the lack of assignments due in EDLD 5303 and how we were unsure if we were doing enough to our ePortfolios to show the growth. However, we did take the time to step back and compare where we came from over the last 8 weeks and the changes are immense. The design and catalog of work that we are adding in each week are painting the portrait of each of us as both learners and educators. EDLD 5313 was quite a challenge for me at times, especially getting a true understanding of the 3 Column Table assignment and establishing a well-developed BHAG. With this said, the UbD I found to be extremely like the way I generally create lessons and eventually helped me get a better understanding of the difference between the outcomes vs. competency-based learning. The feedback Creighton provided me with allowed me to adjust my BHAG to better suit a outcomes-based unit.

With all of this said, I am giving myself a 92/100 for the semester for both courses. I am happy with the strides I have taken forward in the ADL program and feel that I am consistently adding new tools to my tool belt. I do acknowledge at times I could have completed my discussion posts sooner and responded to more of my peers, so I feel as though I deserve a slight penalty for that, but I do know that I had the meaningful conversations needed with those members of the class who I interact with weekly. As a teacher, I take pride in the learning environment that I establish in my classroom and feel that the collaboration and interaction I have had with my peers from this program is only going to help me more and more as we progress through. In addition, the struggle that I know is meaningful for my students is also showing to be meaningful for me.