Capstone Synthesis
Below is a video synthesis of my time in the Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar University. I have included some guiding points as well as links to coursework at the bottom of the page!
Where it all started
When I first began the Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar in October 2019, I had no clue what I was doing. I chose this program because I like technology and I wanted to become proficient at it to best benefit my students and my fellow educators. I had a bit of imposter syndrome attending classes with fellow learners who seemed to have it so much more together than I did. I think it actually hit me in the Disruptive innovation class where we had to write our first literature review that I was like… WOAH what have I gotten myself into.
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Highs and Lows
Throughout this program there have definitely been some highs and lows. I think when you are creating something or various things like we did in this program you will not find it to smooth sailing all day everyday. That being said there were definitely aspects of the time spent in this program that I feel like made me a better educator. For example, I got to really tap into my creative side through our ePortfolios and the various projects we had. My ePortfolio at first was a bit scary, because I had never done anything like it, but getting to work with Canva, Google Slides, Piktochart, and other various platforms has really given me the confidence to branch out. I feel like that part of myself has been tucked away and now I am creating things for my classroom all the time!
With highs there will always be lows. It can’t be all mountaintops and no valleys. My lows came not in the form of work or assignments, but it came from feeling overwhelmed and insecure about the work I was producing. I am a known people pleaser and I found it difficult to separate when we began working with COVA. I wanted to please the professors and make content they actually wanted to see, especially Dr. H since ya know he created the program. It took me a bit to finally start working for me and not just the professors. COVID was also a big downer. I put a pause on my Innovation Plan implementation because it felt like an extra thing on this massive pile of to do’s this year to make up for being out last year.
Accomplishments
I think unlocking the creativity that was there but had been locked away is a big accomplishment. Sometimes we get so content to just go with the flow that we lose our passion and I definitely was able to find my passion again through the DLL program! Not only was I able to be creative but I was able to fully represent the course material and content in the way I liked! It made me so proud so I believe that making it through the courses with only mild stress is a HUGE win!
Lessons Learned
A lesson I learned through this program is to find your people! I would not have survived on my own in this program. I think it was so vital to get feedback and support from my peers!
Who?
Who was there throughout my DLL journey, this entire cohort, our professors, and my school team. There was so much encouragement and support that flowed throughout this group of fellow students and professors. I knew that if I ever had any questions, that I could just reach out and ask any one of them for help. I also have a pretty fantastic grade level team that is always there to bounce ideas off of or to collaborate with. I don’t believe that we are meant to go through life alone and I am so grateful that I had so many people to go through this program with.
Most Influential Classes
I loved the courses throughout this program. I think most aspects of them, not the Lit Reviews, but everything else really helped me grow as an educator. The two courses I was influenced the most by would probably have to be EDLD 5313 and 5304. Of course, Dr. H and Dr. T were the professors for those courses. But I learned about how to create those significant learning environments through 5313. It affected how I see and interact with my students. This can help drive how we as a class approach learning in my classroom. Then in 5304 I got to hone in on what I want for my students and how I want to go about making changes to benefit them.
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What Did I Create?
Throughout this program, I have had the opportunity to create so many wonderful projects that I am so proud of. Some of these projects include this very ePortfolio, as well as an online course, YouTube videos, and more. This program utilized COVA (Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authenticity) which gave me the creative liberty to create our projects in the way that I wanted to. This was stressful at first, but I grew to love it!
What Worked and What Could I Work On?
I think that creating and maintaining this ePortfolio has worked in that it helped me continue learning to enhance my innovation plan on ePortfolios! I think I can work on my time management. I definitely could have done my course work in a more timely manner instead of pressuring myself and then getting upset!
Where am I and What's Next?
I am currently still working on my innovation plan and making sure that next year (Hopefully COVID won't be as much of an issue) I can implement it pretty early on. If I continue focusing and making sure we have a solid plan in place, I really think ePortfolios in the elementary classroom can be a huge success with lasting benefits!
Coursework
5302 - Concepts of Educational Technology:
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5305 - Disruptive Innovation in Technology:
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5303 - Applying Educational Technology:
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5313 - Creating Significant Learning Environments:
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5304 - Leading Organizational Change:
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5315 - Assessing Digital Learning:
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5318 - Instructional Design:
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5389 - Developing Effective Professional Development:
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5314 - Digital Learning in the Global Context:
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5316 - Digital Citizenship:
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5317 - Resources in the Digital Environment:
Publication
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5320 - Synthesis of Digital Learning and Leading: