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  • EDLD-5315 Assess Digital Learning | Lorena Rodriguez

    Assess Digital Learning and Instruction Outline Assignment During 22 years of experience in the field of work, I have seen the same problem repeated year after year: children do not like to read, and very few students feel comfortable reading. So based on my experience, I started with creating my innovation plan, which is focused on promoting/increasing reading comprehension in prekindergarten students. During the learning of Blended Learning with station rotation, I found a more precise focus for my action research. Now I can reflect on the planning of my action research and thus create more fun activities and stations where students can be creative. Reading for pleasure creates a bond between the reader and the book, capable of having fun, entertaining, developing the imagination, enriching the vocabulary, and discovering new places (National Library of New Zealand). Dr. Seus wrote, "the more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you will go" (Chegg, 2022). Literature Review This literature review will examine a variety of articles, academic citations, and books on blended learning with Station Rotation, its advantages and disadvantages, and the connection to reading and comprehension. All this information helps carry out my action research about how station rotation with blended learning impacts ELA achievement and comprehension in my PreK classroom? Measurement, Connecting and Communicate The research question for this project is, How does station rotation with blended learning impact ELA achievement and comprehension in my PreK classroom? As a preschool teacher, I am interested in learning about the relationship between blended learning and its impact on reading.

  • ADL Journey Synthesis | Lorena Rodriguez

    ADL Journey Synthesis Every beginning has an end, and I am currently culminating in my adventure that will begin in January 2022. During the Applied Digital Learning Master's degree, I had many learnings that have helped me reinforce my learning philosophy. I am very grateful for each instructor who helped me give a different approach to teaching my students. Having received the COVA approach , where I take responsibility for learning, is a lifetime gift that I will not forget. I am implementing the COVA approach in my classroom step by step as prekindergarten students need guidance and some expectations in the classroom. I feel blessed to have taken the risk of change and fulfilled one more goal in my working life—Met goal Med. in Applied Digital Learning. I decided to embark on the adventure of a Master's degree in October 2021; after completing the process, I started classes in January 2022. Initially, I thought I would have a traditional course that would only be the teacher and me, but oh, surprise. All the people involved in my learning process during this school year were my principals, colleagues, schoolmates, teachers, and me. My family was and is always supporting me and indirectly involved during my learning process. During the process, I had many feelings. At first, I was confused, afraid, and excited, but as the days went by, I felt committed, enthusiastic, happy, and motivated to experiment since I learned well that failure is part of the process. I also had some challenges during the process, such as turning on new concepts such as COVA, 4DX, and the most challenging thing, getting COVID myself and my whole family. It was challenging, but I am happy with the commitment, dedication, and effort I put in during my learning process. Some achievements during the process are: Create, implement, and reflect on my innovation plan Understand, learn, and apply the COVA approach Learn, understand and apply Blended learning with a station rotation Post an online publication about Blended Learning Design, implement, and evaluate my online course for pre-kindergarten students During my school's implementation process, some things worked, others didn't, and some could be done better. I'm going to start with my innovation plan that in the part of the updated innovation plan , I explain everything about my successes and failures. ​ I am in the process of implementation all the strategies in class. From the beginning to where I am now, I learned that learning is a day-to-day process and that dedication and effort are required. The experience acquired during the courses in MED. Applied in Digital Learning brought me challenges but, above all, learning where I am changing daily, mainly from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset . I also confirm My Learning Manifesto that students deserve an education with love and respect and that we must listen to their voices. My Learning Philosophy and innovation plan are connected as my students are learning in a significant learning environment with love where happy learning is promoted and creativity and play help lifelong learning. I learned that to be a leader , I need to be a model for others. During the process, teachers ask me how do you get students to go to all the centers and for them to choose the station. I explain a little of what I have learned in the courses, and I help them, from improving the classroom environment to how to use the blended learning strategy. I want to add an online course to my next innovation plan. I would also like to add a way to communicate my next innovation plan, which would be through a video where I explain step by step how to implement Blended learning with station rotation to increase learning. Lastly, thanks for learning the word YET . I want to be a model of how we can use YET in our daily life; I am satisfied with the difficulties I faced during the process because each challenge is a learning experience that helps us to be better every day, whether personally or professionally. Concepts of Educational Technology Disruptive Innovation in Education Applying Educational Technology ePortfolio Creating Significant Learning Environment Leading Organization Change Digital Communication and Collaboration Instructional Design in Online Learning Synthesis of Applied Digital Learning Capstone Developing Effective Professional Learning Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction Experience My Learning community Applied Digital Learning Program EDLD 5305: DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION PLAN When I started in the Disruptive Innovation in Technology class, I felt scared because I didn't know what to do in the innovation project . Change, innovation, reflection, analysis, evaluation, and management are essential skills I practice in my innovation plan. After identifying the problem, I began to write a letter proposal to which my pilot project was exposed. Another essential aspect of implementing the pilot project is knowing, reviewing, and analyzing what our leaders and philosophers investigated on blended learning and reading. Educate yourself on the subject, so knowing the literature review is very important. I also had the opportunity to create the implementation outline, where the project implementation and evaluation are specified step by step. This course was one of the most difficult to understand and complete the assignments. However, it is the one that left me a great lesson that helped me get out of my comfort zone and risk raising my voice. EDLD 5302: CONCEPTS OF INNOVATION PLAN When starting this course about growth mindset and fixed mindset concepts, I felt obsolete when I started learning about the growth mindset , failed strategies, and the COVA approach . I have begun to learn from a different perspective. The first personal impact has been continuous work and many fights in my mind because I had two little voices, one of a fixed mindset and another of a growth mindset. With all the knowledge acquired, I still need to learn more and feel motivated to continue practicing a growth mindset, and I also learned to implement it in the classroom with students by giving them motivational words. I had the opportunity to strengthen my learning manifesto , which shares my passion for being a preschool teacher. My learning manifesto is born from my heart, and it is my passion, so once again, I believe that children deserve an education with love and respect.​ Teamwork is very valuable and nutritious because we can share ideas doubts and help others be successful. For teamwork to be successful, they considered that collaboration requires great responsibility and commitment to fulfill the tasks shared among the members. EDLD 5303: APPLYING EDUCATION TEACHING E-PORTFOLIO During this course, it was not easy to create and design, but above all, to understand how to use the Wix application. I spent many hours working mainly on knowing how to use the application. After learning how to use Wix, I love it. Creating the e-portfolio was and will continue to be an adventure where you can be yourself and express your ideas. Sharing my experience and knowledge with others is fantastic because we can help others and be the light of a new idea.​ EDLD 5313: CREATE SIGNIFICANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT During this course, I learned that putting the student at the center is necessary, and thus we create a meaningful learning environment where the student feels comfortable expressing himself. I also learned that knowing how students learn and apply learning theories is essential. I believe that creating a significant learning environment with love is an appropriate way to promote happy learning where creativity and play help lifelong learning this is part of my learning philosophy. I learned about Fink's guide regarding aligning outcomes, assessments, and activities . The course outcomes planning process and 3-column table helped me visualize the goal of my innovation plan as more specific and concrete. Also, I had the opportunity to create understanding by design format, which I like it. I will definitely continue using it. Lastly, in this class, I read Dr. Dweck's Growth Mindset book; I reflected that we could achieve everything through perseverance and effort and that each failure is a sign that we keep working. Fink's 3-Column Table, where I incorporated elements such as aligning outcomes, assessments, and activities. Lastly, I read Dr. Dweck's Growth Mindset book in this class. I reflected that we could achieve everything through perseverance and effort and that each failure is a sign that we keep working. EDLD 5304: LEADING ORGANIZATION CHANGE Being a leader is not easy at all, but I learned and created a 4DX plan for my colleagues during this course. By sharing my why , how, and what with my team, we were able to develop crucial conversations and thus maintain better communication. I was very stressed during this course because I did not understand the concept, but now I know it better and more clearly. I do not consider myself a leader, but I am a teacher with the vocation of guiding my students and helping my colleagues.​ EDLD 5317: RESOURCES DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT During this course, I had the opportunity to surprise myself. Creating a publication and posting it online , I never thought I could do it. I felt very excited to share my ideas with other people. I plan to publish my thoughts through my e-portfolio or Academica.com. EDLD 5318: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN- ONLINE LEARNING During this class, I learned to design an online course. I started with an instructional design where I created a video , implemented Fink'sFink's three columns, and captured the activities for five weeks. Then create another video where I clearly explain the implementation , and finally create a video explaining the usability . I loved this course because I learned how to design an online class. Although there are some things to change for my next online course, I am happy with what I have done.​ EDLD 5389: DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING In this course, I learned that we could have successful PLC meetings by applying the five principles of effective professional learning . I also learned that it is essential that a detailed PLC outline be carried out where there are moments to give support and motivation to colleagues. At my school, my colleagues and I implemented a call to action to attract and involve the school's academic staff to change the attitude towards PLC meetings. We then make a detailed PLC outline to guide colleagues through the process of teaching students. EDLD 5315: ASSESS DIGITAL LEARNING INSTRUCTION During this course, I learned that it is essential to look for information to understand it and thus obtain a literature review where one benefit is educating ourselves on the subject. In my case, all the time I was focused on implementing Blended learning with station rotation to increase reading in prekindergarten students, I had the opportunity to make a detailed outline where I explained the reason for my action research . EDLD 5320: SYNTHESIS DIGITAL LEARNING LEADER -CAPSTONE- More than happy, I feel proud of myself and my new self since, by applying the COVA approach to my students, I can see that they are pleased to be learning in a fun and comfortable way at school. Also, updating my innovation plan is an excellent opportunity to reflect on and analyze my successes and failures. However, everything is a learning process to improve every day, both professionally and personally. Change is not easy; it takes time, effort, and wanting to change. But from January 2022 to December 2022, I learned, reflected, compared, failed, and combined my experience, abilities, and skills with technology to improve learning; here is my ADL Journey. MED. Applied Digital Learning's Goals You will be able to: Develop appropriate strategies to lead organizational change (in process) Understand the leadership qualities necessary for supporting disruptive innovation Research and assess the role a growth mindset plays in creating effective learning environments Identify, investigate, and understand contemporary issues relevant to local and global contexts Distinguish learner-centered instructional methods from teacher-centered ones and identify technologies that support each method type Compare and contrast inquiry-based theories and methods as they relate to digital teaching and learning Construct learning objectives, assessment items, and learning activities based on expected outcomes for online learners Develop and support diverse communities of learners and reflect on how these collaborations can enhance your own and your community's learning. (in process) Explore how adopting a Learner’s Mindset can enhance learning and prepare learners for life. My Daily Goal My goal as a teacher is to create experiences to awaken the motivation to learn. Provide a meaningful education that has significance for the life of the student. Work collaboratively with other teachers and share ideas. Instill in students’ values such as effort, perseverance, and critical spirit. Adapt learning spaces. Be a guide and role model for children. Observe, ask, and listen to the children. References ​ Collins, Jim - concepts - BHAG. (2021). JIMCOLLINS. Retrieved from: https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/bhag.html Duarte, N. [Stanford Graduate School of Business]. (2013a, March 21). Nancy Duarte: How to tell a story [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JrRQ1oQWQk Dweck C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Chapters 1-4​​​ Dweck Revisits the "Growth Mindset": http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the- growth-mindset.html Fink, L.D. (2003) A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. https://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf ​​ Five Ways to Teach Students to be Learner-Centered, Too: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and- learning/five-ways-to-teach-students-to-be-learning-centered-too/ Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf Harapnuik Dwayne. April 1, 2020. It's About Learning. Creating Significant Learning Environments. Retrieved from:http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=3627 Harapnuik, D. K., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Cummings, C. D. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291 Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 1118955153 Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). The heart of change. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1NKti9MyAAw Kotter, J. (2013, August 15). Leading change: Establish a sense of urgency. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/2Yfrj2Y9IlI Many, T. W., & Sparks-Many, S. K, (2015). Leverage: Using PLCs to promote lasting improvement in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York, NY: Free Press.​​​ Mertler, C. A. (2019).Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill.

  • Contribution 5315-5320 | Lorena Rodriguez

    Contribution to Your Learning and the Learning Community Grades 5315: 97/100 5320: 97/100 During class 5315, Assessing Digital Learning, I had the opportunity to identify, analyze and evaluate examples of effective evaluation and create evaluation strategies so my students have a significant digital learning environment. In the 5320 class Synthesis Digital Learning Leader, I had the opportunity to reflect on everything I learned in the ADL program. These classes brought me significant challenges in reflecting on each activity I have done. Still, I liked it since each activity had something of mine since I built my learning, and once again, the theory of constructivism is for me. The challenge I had in class 5315 was the literature review. I am a person who finds it difficult to paraphrase, so I spent hours reading, writing, and redescribing because I did not want to copy and get zero. During these eight weeks, they have been full of challenges, but they are full of dedication, perseverance, and heart. Reflecting on what I did in the last module and these eight weeks, I realized that my perspective had changed considerably. One of the challenges I had in my first classes was to acquire the habit of reading reflectively, and I have achieved it and love being motivated through reading. During these eight weeks, I read all the recommended readings. I have read two books, Action Research and COVA. Also, one of my purposes was to start reading before class and to do my discussions before class. I improved on the readings, I was ready for the course, and the discussions were on time to give feedback to my peers. Another critical point for success in these two classes is that I completed all my assignments on time and attended all classes. If I had any questions, I would watch the class video sent by the teachers again, or I would ask in the group with my classmates through GroupMe, text message, and zoom. Every week we had a conference to do projects together. Every week through the Zoom application Lola, Stacie, Letty, and I clarified the work to be done, and thanks to them, these eight weeks in this class have passed very quickly, and thanks to their contributions, the work became more precise and more accessible for me. ​ My 5315 team: Leticia Cortes Lola Gatlin Stacie Perez Lorena Rodriguez ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ My team 5320: Brandy Dinkins Christine Glenn Dricka King Jenny Howard Kristin Mahurin ​ ​ ​ ​ Key contributions: Every day, I checked GroupMe and text messages and helped my colleagues. I gave feedback to my peers respectfully and constructively. I read and reflected on all the feedback I received about my work. I made the corrections that I received from my colleagues and teachers in the e-Portfolio. I have attended all sessions of both classes. I've read all the required readings, watched the videos for each class, and researched and reviewed other sources outside the course suggestions. I Turn in all my assignments on time for both subjects, 5318 and 5389. I reviewed all the discussions. I also gave at least two comments to colleagues in the discussion forum. I have shared and learned with my work team. Supporting contributions: Regularly during these eight weeks, we had conferences through the Zoom app. We were also in contact daily through GroupMe, where we discussed some readings and clarify doubts regarding the work. We were in constant communication and gave each other support. And we also maintained communication through GroupMe when we had doubts, and we sent each other the works to give feedback. I am pleased with my two groups. I have learned a lot from them. Areas to improve: ​ I need to improve my APA citation form. Collaboration and teamwork have been excellent learning. I have enjoyed communicating with my colleagues and sharing ideas, frustrations, and fears, and they made me feel that together we can grow. Thanks, te​am! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ References Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning. Harapnuik.org. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8900

  • EDLD-5320 Syntesis Digital Learning Lead | Lorena Rodriguez

    Synthesis Digital Learning Leader Applied Digital Learning Program EDLD 5305: DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION PLAN Letter Proposal Literature Review Implementation Outline Aditional Resources ​ EDLD 5302: CONCEPTS OF INNOVATION PLAN Growth Mindset Plan Learning Manifesto Learning Networks ​ EDLD 5303: APPLYING EDUCATION TEACHING E-PORTFOLIO Blog ​ EDLD 5313: CREATE SIGNIFICANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT A New Culture of Learning Learning Philosophy BHAG Aligning Outcomes, Assessments, & Activities UBD Understanding by Design Growth Mindset ​ EDLD 5304: LEADING ORGANIZATION CHANGE My Why Influencer Strategy Installing 4DX Crucial Conversations ​ EDLD 5317: RESOURCES DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT Publication Outline ​ Publication Rough Draft Media Project Publicatioin Final Draft EDLD 5318: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN- ONLINE LEARNING Instructional Design Implementation Usability ​ EDLD 5389: DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Alternate PL-Call to Action PLC Outline ​ Connecting and Communicating the Ideas EDLD 5315: ASSESS DIGITAL LEARNING INSTRUCTION Outline ​ Literature Review Measurement, Connecting, and Communicate the Ideas EDLD 5320: SYNTHESIS DIGITAL LEARNING LEADER -CAPSTONE- COVA Reflection and Aplication Innovation Plan Update ADL Journey COVA Reflection and Aplication Dr. Harapnuik defines CSLE (Creating Significant Learning Environments) as an integrated approach to creating flexible, engaging, and effective learning environments. Creating a significant learning environment -CSLE- where the student is the center and allows my students to develop and execute at their own pace, choice, ownership, and voice, we can begin to create lifelong learners through authentic learning -COVA-. Innovation Project Updated To say that I am a leader, people would think that I am arrogant. A leader is a person who is generally fighting for the rights of people like Martin Luther King Jr. However, during this year, I learned that there are many ways to be a leader, and it also redefines leadership. After watching Drew Dudley's video , I understood that we could be a leader every day, sometimes inspiring other people and, on other occasions, telling other people that they inspired us. ADL Journey Synthesis Every beginning has an end, and I am currently culminating in my adventure that will begin in January 2022. During the Applied Digital Learning Master's degree, I had many learnings that have helped me reinforce my learning philosophy. I am very grateful for each instructor who helped me give a different approach to teaching my students. Having received the COVA approach , where I take responsibility for learning, is a lifetime gift that I will not forget. I am implementing the COVA approach in my classroom step by step as prekindergarten students need guidance and some expectations in the classroom. I feel blessed to have taken the risk of change and fulfilled one more goal in my working life—Met goal Med. in Applied Digital Learning.

  • Innovation Project Update | Lorena Rodriguez

    Innovation Project Update Blended Learning with Station Rotation to increase Reading To say that I am a leader, people would think that I am arrogant. A leader is a person who is generally fighting for the rights of people like Martin Luther King Jr. However, during this year, I learned that there are many ways to be a leader, and it also redefines leadership. After watching Drew Dudley's video, I understood that we could be a leader every day, sometimes inspiring other people and, on other occasions, telling other people that they inspired us. ​ When I started in the Disruptive Innovation in Technology class, I felt scared because I didn't know what to do in the innovation project. Change, innovation, reflection, analysis, evaluation, and management are essential skills I practice in my innovation plan . When creating and developing my innovation plan, I stared looking at one of the problems that teachers face every day at school with our students. During my 22 years of experience in the teaching field, I met the fact that students do not like to read and that they lack valuable skills to have good reading comprehension. So I decided to focus on implementing Blended Learning with Station Rotation to motivate students to be engaged in reading. ​ After identifying the problem, I began to write a letter proposal to which my pilot project was exposed. I sent my proposal through email to my Principal and the Assistant Principal. Two days later, I was sitting in my Principal's office, verbally exposing my innovation plan. My Principal accepted my pilot project and said, "good luck and anything you need let me know ."I left my Principal's office happy but worried. ​ Finding my why about the purpose of my innovation plan took a lot of work. I had to observe, reflect, and analyze my current students and those there before. Also, talking with colleagues about the problem of students' lack of interest in reading affects them during their journey at school. ​ Another essential aspect of implementing the pilot project is knowing, reviewing, and analyzing what our leaders and philosophers investigated on blended learning and reading. Educate yourself on the subject, so knowing the literature review is very important. ​ As I progressed both in the master's degree and in the implementation of my innovation plan, new challenges, learning, ideas, and connecting everything during the pilot project implementation were and will be a challenge to start my innovation plan in my next year of school. My first innovation plan was my impulse to reflect on my way of teaching and get out of my comfort zone. I am grateful for what I have learned during these months and am a recent graduate wanting to implement the knowledge acquired during the M.Ed. Applied in Digital Learning course. Start planning and writing what you want to happen from the goals, and schedules, in short, everything is well scheduled and written, but during the process, some things happen. So during the implementation of my innovation plan, there were, are, and will be changing. Some modifications during the implementation of my innovation plan are: Step 1 Preparation –at the beginning of the year- 1.1- Learning During the learning part, I had no problem doing it. I keep everything the same in this part because it is necessary to know the basics of each part of the pilot project. 1.2-Technology and apps to use In this second part of step 1, I removed some apps like Frog street A to Z, ClassLink, and seesaw . Only I-station continues to be used for regular classes and Starfall for special education. Students cannot use computers in the lab computers; they use iPads. 1.3-Set the goals The proposed goals satisfied me, but I had to modify the plan. The goal was focused on those children who do not like to read, and it should be focused on all students since reading has many benefits and it is always good to practice it. Step 2 Planning –At the beginning of the year- 2.1 How blended learning enhances reading? 2.1.1- Rotation Center This part of the Rotation center fascinates me. I will consistently implement it since it has many benefits, and the main one is to give our students a more personalized education. Although they are now asking us at the school to implement literacy rotation, the number of stations was modified; instead of four, there are eight since only two students are required in each station. In the morning, students are required to use I-Station reading. In the morning, students have their partner and assigned center according to the Tier and behavior and must change every 15 minutes. During the afternoon, when I-station math is required, students choose where to go and who to play with. 2.1.2- Flipped Classroom Due to the lack of responsibility of the parents in accessing the platform with their children, I chose not to do it since I have yet to receive a positive response from tutors. I will meet with the parents in my next innovation plan to explain and support them using the class link platform. I look forward to better success in my next school year. 2.1.3- Lab Rotation Once a week, students attended the computers lab, where the technology teacher helped students use i-station in reading and math. The computer teacher is an excellent help for the students to learn to use the i-station platform. Step 3 Present Proposal –Two weeks- The meeting with the parents did not occur because accessing classlink is part of the responsibilities of the tutors. It is necessary to hold a meeting with the parents to explain the benefits and provide them with support. Step 4 Implementation in Classroom with students and collecting data –at the beginning of the year- With the modifications mentioned above, my innovation plan is being implemented. It is worth mentioning that initially, it was established to collect data every week, but in my school, it is required every month, so data is collected every month, and a form is created for each student per month. Every nine weeks, the graphs with the results of each student are printed from the i-station application and sent home. Step 5 Coordination with the team –at the end of the scholar year- 5.1- In collaboration with my colleagues and the team leader, we have a meeting where doubts are discussed, and support is given to teachers who have a problem so that we meet the established goals of i-station for math and reading. Step 6 Implementation, Evaluation, and Time – at the beginning of the following year (2022-2023)- Each month the progress of the students is evaluated. During PLC , agreements are reached on whether the student needs more time on the iPad and if they need support. My assistants provide personalized support for some students who prefer to use something other than technology. I have students crying this school year because they don't want to use technology. To solve the problem, I held conferences with parents, and now I am waiting for the students' results. Step 7 Data collection Even my innovation plan is in process, and at the end of the school year, I will collect data and analyze and reflect on the pilot project. To summarize, I am in the process of implementation in class. From the beginning to where I am now, I learned that learning is a day-to-day process and that dedication and effort are required. The experience acquired during the implementation of my innovation plan brought me challenges but, above all, learning where I am changing daily, mainly from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset . I also confirm My Learning Manifesto that students deserve an education with love and respect and that we must listen to their voices. My Learning Philosophy and innovation plan are connected as my students are learning in a significant learning environment with love where happy learning is promoted and creativity and play help lifelong learning. I learned that to be a leader , I need to be a model for others. During the process, teachers ask me how do you get students to go to all the centers and for them to choose the station. I explain a little of what I have learned in the courses, and I help them, from improving the classroom environment to how to use the blended learning strategy. I want to add an online course to my next innovation plan. I would also like to add a way to communicate my next innovation plan, which would be through a video where I explain step by step how to implement Blended learning with station rotation to increase learning. Lastly, thanks to learning the word YET , I am satisfied with the difficulties I faced during the process. Path to Innovation Letter Proposal My Why Literature Review Implementation Outline ​References ​ ​​​ Collins, Jim - concepts - BHAG. (2021). JIMCOLLINS. Retrieved from: https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/bhag.html Duarte, N. [Stanford Graduate School of Business]. (2013a, March 21). Nancy Duarte: How to tell a story [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JrRQ1oQWQk Dweck C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Chapters 1-4​​​ Dweck Revisits the "Growth Mindset": http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the- growth-mindset.html Fink, L.D. (2003) A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. https://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf ​​ Five Ways to Teach Students to be Learner-Centered, Too: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and- learning/five-ways-to-teach-students-to-be-learning-centered-too/ Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers Effective Professional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf Harapnuik Dwayne. April 1, 2020. It's About Learning. Creating Significant Learning Environments. Retrieved from:http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=3627 Harapnuik, D. K., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Cummings, C. D. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291 Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 1118955153 Many, T. W., & Sparks-Many, S. K, (2015). Leverage: Using PLCs to promote lasting improvement in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York, NY: Free Press.​ ​​​ Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill.

  • COVA Reflection and Application | Lorena Rodriguez

    COVA book Part A Starting school after 22 years took a lot of work. I had so many doubts, fears, and laziness, but I dared to study a master's degree in another country and another language that is not mine; the truth was a challenge. But I remember my first class, which was with Dr. Harapnuik, and I expected the traditional course where the instructor tells you what, how, when, and why to do the tasks. At the end of the class, I was in shock, terrified, and in my mind, I said, "leave the class; you will not be able to with these classes" in short, I remember that I could not sleep thinking about how I was going to do it. I had a fixed mindset. I am grateful that my husband and friend Nelly Roldan supported me with words of encouragement and motivated me to continue. From the first class, I understood that this master's degree was utterly mine, where I could be myself and write my ideas. ​ During my academic training, I always received instructions on how to do the assignments, so I was not ready to create an authentic project. However, having the freedom to select a topic and create an authentic project gave me the confidence to choose a problem that many teachers deal with daily, such as a lack of interest in reading. Although I was very nervous and worried, I decided to look for information and see the ePortfolios of other students to understand and have a clearer understanding of the expectations of each course. ​ During the first weeks of each class, I was nervous, confused, and afraid of not knowing what to do. I also designed a schedule where I scheduled what I had to do for the day. During the first weeks, I read the required readings and looked for other sources of information on the same topic; there was even a class that bought the book in English and Spanish because the book was difficult for me to understand. I also reviewed many examples of other students where I saw many examples to understand more clearly the objectives of each assignment. The only class I would design differently would be 5305 because I got a B. I am happy and proud of my performance during this adventure in Med. in Applied digital learning. One quality or defect is that I am very stubborn; when I want to do something and feel safe and well-founded in what I want to do, I make my voice heard. Even though I made my voice heard in my school, it is always challenging to have teachers as an audience. Some teachers were against the change, but I helped and guided them to adopt the Blended learning approach in their classrooms. I felt comfortable showing my innovation plan to my peers because I received the support of my principal and principal assistant. Change is not easy under any circumstances, but taking risks and trying to be better personally and professionally is necessary. In the professional field, we must make changes for our students to be successful. Start by yourself to make small changes and implement them in the classroom so we will serve as a model for other teachers and thus be able to arouse the curiosity of our co-workers. Being a leader is complicated, but I am positive to put it into practice because, throughout the program, the principal has set me as an example to follow in my strategies implemented in class. One of the strategies I started implementing in my students was to give them the freedom to choose which station they wanted to go to. My innovation plan was authentic because I needed to learn the terms such as blended learning, COVA approach itself was new to me. However, in my school, stations are implemented because it is the way to work in prekindergarten. I did not discover or invent anything new; I took ownership of the idea and implemented it in the classroom, and I love it and will continue to do so. During PLC meetings, I help my team implement new strategies to arouse interest in reading by implementing Blended Learning and COVA approach. I didn't expect to change my organization, but I did want to change myself as a teacher and help my students keep their creativity alive and help them practice a growth mindset . When we started the writing activity, the morning message, at the beginning of the year, my students felt frustrated and disappointed. They even said, "I can't write," and I told them, "don't worry, remember that we are learning and that we are in the process" now they write the morning message. I see them very excited at each achievement. ​ A quote has inspired me that I put into practice with the students: "Education is an act of love and thus an act of courage" by Paulo Freire. Love is my passion for education. As a teacher, creating a significant learning environment with love is an appropriate way to promote happy learning where creativity and play help lifelong learning. The student feels comfortable without the fear of being judged. We must change from traditional education to a more dynamic one with a good environment where students can develop critical thinking skills and creativity and learn to work collectively. Students need a teacher to guide them to grow and learn. My innovation plan, Cova approach, and learning philosophy are aligned to have a happy learning where lifelong learning is promoted without killing students' creativity. I am fascinated by the combination of the Cova approach and my learning philosophy in my innovation plan. Because the results that I am seeing in my students are of great satisfaction since they are happy in class; even parents tell me that their children come home happy and like to attend class. Academically my students are in the process of learning, and so I am making changes to my innovation plan. ​ My learning philosophy has mostly stayed the same since, during 22 years of experience, I have implemented the game to learn. The only thing I added to my learning philosophy was new approaches like Cova and blended learning. The reason for these changes is that the game in children does not change; we only need to change the games and strategies in class. Although technology is changing by leaps and bounds, and we have to implement iPads in class, I can see that my students need help using technology in class. They prefer to use manipulatives, dramatic centers, and reading and writing centers. It's nice to use all the stations, even the technology. ​ Part B I am not going to deny that, at first, the COVA approach seemed crazy to apply in prekindergarten. However, I accepted the challenge. Every day I wondered how I use the COVA approach in my class where I have Special Education students. It started with letting them choose which station they wanted to go to, and every 20 minutes, they would rotate to the next station. Now they put their picture at the literacy station they want to go on the Literacy Rotations chart. My students have the confidence to tell me what they don't like to do, and they don't like the Ipad, so I opted to give them words of encouragement to motivate them to take responsibility for the activities required to enhance learning. I changed my strategy when using Ipads to put them on for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, and it worked. Now my students have an engagement to learn. At the writing station, my students have the freedom to write and draw what they decide; I am fascinated that they have ownership because they appreciate their work and want to take it home to show their parents. Lastly, in my class, there is an environment where the children can put into practice what they have learned; in the dramatic station, the students can see, manipulate and create a healthy dish. When the principal did the walk-ins in each class, she asked me if the other teachers could come to see my classroom so they could get ideas. I am not the perfect teacher, and every day I reflect on what is right and wrong to adopt the appropriate strategies so that all students are successful. I will continue to apply the COVA approach in my classroom. At the beginning of each school year, during the PLC meetings, I will invite my colleagues to implement the COVA approach, and I will give them all the help they need to be successful in their classes. All of this requires time and dedication, but in the Developing Effective Professional Learning class , I learned how to help my co-workers, and I will put what I learned into practice. Sometimes it is difficult for our students to provide property of choice and voice, but in my school, field trips are carried out, and one of them is to the Old Macdonald farm, where anchor chars are first spoken and created near the farm and its animals. Then we can go to the farm, and they can have a meaningful experience. Finally, a talk is made between the teacher and students about what they saw on the farm. This activity fascinates me because the students are very excited and happy. One of the challenges I will face when using COVA and CSLE is finding teachers who refuse to change and implement new strategies because they are afraid of change and others because they are comfortable with the way of teaching they have done for years. The challenge with my students is focused on the education they have at home. For example, I have 16 students, eight EE, and eight regular classes this year. But I will mention in particular a boy that I love who has a growth mindset when he learns it; he has a serenity and is not afraid of failure, a nice anecdote that I can tell I remember that in the second week of school, he forgot his backpack at home. I ask him, "where is your backpack? He replies, "I forgot it, but things happen, so I'll bring it tomorrow" like this beautiful anecdote, I have a lot of it. ​ On the other hand, I have a girl who, when she can't do something, gets frustrated and starts crying and saying I can't; help me. Here I could notice that the challenges I will face in class come from home. Of course, I help my students by modeling a growth mindset. It's funny to hear my students when they are pretending to be teachers, say words like "don't worry, remember we are learning," "keep practicing," "good job, I am very proud of you," and phrases like that. I always say something positive to my students to motivate them to continue learning. COVA Reflection and Aplication References:​ ​ Bates, T. (2019, March 18). Learning theories and online learning | Tony Bates. Tony Bates |. https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/ Bates, T. (2021, October 20). Do we need a theory for blended learning? | Tony Bates. Tony Bates |. Retrieved October 27, 2021, from https://www.tonybates.ca/2021/10/19/do-we-need-a-theory-for-blended-learning/ Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE). (2015, May 9). It’s About Learning. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ-c7rz7eT4&t=371s Creating significant learning environments (CSLE). (2015, May 9). It’s About Learning. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ-c7rz7eT4&t=371s CSLE+COVA. (2021, January 14). It’s About Learning. Retrieved July 7, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6988 Cummings, C D., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Harapnuik, D. K. (2017). Using the COVA learning approach to create active and significant learning environments. In Keengwe, J. S. (Eds.). Handbook of research on digital content, mobile learning, and technology integration models in teacher education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Submitted for Publication. - Using the COVA Approach to Promote Active Learning-Chapter Draft.pdf Thibodeaux, T. N., Harapnuik, D. K., Cummings, C. D., & Wooten, R. (2017). Learning all the time and everywhere: Moving beyond the hype of the mobile learning quick fix. In Keengwe, J. S. (Eds.). Handbook of research on mobile technology, constructivism, and meaningful learning. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Submitted for Publication. - Learning All the Time and Everywhere-InPressDraft.pdf

  • EDLD-5304 Leading Organization Change | Lorena Rodriguez

    Great leaders stand out because they know how to inspire those who follow them into action. These leaders, mentors, or people we hold in high esteem know how to produce a strong sense of belonging without needing external incentives. Good leaders look for the people around them to take the initiative; they do not need to use rewards or sanctions because they can inspire others who want to act. The motivation is deeper because they know why they should do it. As a leader, you face the challenge of leading the school so that the teachers change their mentality and behavior in the way of educating the students of this 21st century and adapting to the demands that education needs to achieve the expected results. Only in this way can people grow to adapt to an increasingly demanding and dynamic environment. Administrators and teachers must understand that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. Those who see this as an opportunity to improve are the ones who finally achieve success, opening themselves up to new learning possibilities. Every organization has ideas, projects, objectives, goals, and more to be successful. Some leaders help organizations succeed. But how should they begin to propose their ideas? Sinek's book Start with Why explains that we need to focus on the why of wanting to do things. For Sinek, leadership requires two prior promises: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it. All decisions must be able to explain why, and why must also be in each message transmitted. When analyzed by the author, great leaders such as Steve Jobs and Apple, Martin Luther King, or the Wright brothers could verify that they acted, thought, and communicated in the same way and that this was opposite to the others. They all achieved success because they were clear about why they were doing what they were doing and codified it into what he calls the "golden circle." "Golden circle" consists of three concentric circles with the why in the center, followed by the how and what. He provides us with a working model that can serve as a basis for inspiring and directing others. I want to implement my innovation plan in my school, but here is my WHY for my innovation plan. My Why Influence is crucial to creating change, positively or negatively. Based on the book Influencer, I learned that to change behavior; we start from the heart, then the leader must create the desired result, identify vital behaviors and influencers in the organization, and use the six sources of influence to increase the chances of success. Every day we have to solve problems from a personal and professional level. Leaders must be able to influence behavior change to solve problems. Change is not easy, but the authors -K. Patterson, J. Grenny, D. Maxfield, R. McMillan, and A. Switzler- from the book Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change presents proven skills, principles, and strategies that can be applied to create rapid, impactful, and lasting change in work and life. In my Influencer strategy section , you can see a clear example of how to apply the skills at school. Influencer Strategy -Part A & B The best strategies fail if it is not accompanied by a correct execution to implement the plans and systems that ensure the transformation and sustainability of the organization. As we know that no strategic result is achievable unless team members change their behavior. For this to happen, we will need to get commitment from the team amid the daily grind, which is not easy as there will always be a whirlwind to deal with: urgent activities required to keep things running on a day-to-day basis. This whirlwind will consume the team's time and energy, preventing future strategic plans from being executed. Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, and Jim Huling solve this problem of strategic execution in the company, proposing the method of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) is the training that provides the keys to generating habit and commitment in meeting objectives and getting teams and individuals to commit to executing what is most important. In my 4DX section, you can see a clear example of how to apply the skills at school. Intalling 4DX with your Organization Change and being a leader are marathons that carry many challenges. With the strategies I learned in these eight weeks and good dialogue, I consider that everything should flow to obtain optimal results in any organization, in my case, at school. Although everything is a process where there will be difficult moments, I have always believed that everything has a solution. There are so many problems when we do not communicate properly, and this causes endless personal and work issues. Let us be aware that we are human beings and will make mistakes but at the same time, let us be sincere and respectful with other people. A key theme for Friedman is the idea that leaders need to be self-differentiated. That means, in short, that leaders cannot be overly identified with the groups they lead, or else they will not have the needed perspective to make hard decisions. In other words, leaders need to have clearly defined boundaries. (Friedman, 2010). ​ In my Self-differentiated Leadership section , you can see a clear example of how to apply the skills at school. Self-diferentiated Leadership and Bringing the Organization Change Process Together Contributions-5304 Blog ADL-5304

  • Home | My Learning Path!

    Teachers with love "Education is an act of love and thus an act of courage" - Paulo Freire lorenaga2005 Sep 24 1 min Effective implementation 1 0 Post not marked as liked lorenaga2005 Sep 24 2 min Design Assignment 0 0 Post not marked as liked Leave a Feedback First Name Last Name Email How satisfied are you? Very dissatisfied A bit dissatisfied Pretty satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied How satisfied are you? Any Comments I agree to publish my comments online Submit

  • Publication Outline | Lorena Rodriguez

    Article Outline During my time at the MED in Applied Digital learning, I have learned about Blended learning. I am also learning more about Technology as a catalyst for enhancing learning. I want to share beyond my e-portfolio and now is the opportunity to start sharing my knowledge with others, so with the guidance of my teachers, here is my Outline. Blog ADL-5317

  • Blank Page | We can Grow Together!!!!!

    My innovation proposal Blended Learning-Reading for Pleasure Part of my training at Lamar University was to create a Disruptive Innovation, and this project is part of the EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation course. At first, I was scared, and I felt unable to create something new, but I learned that nothing further would be discovered; we must improve what we have and implement an approach that is Blended learning. Based on my experience as a teacher, I have seen that children are not interested in reading every year. Committed to my students, I felt that this was my opportunity to face this challenge with new tools to implement in class. My innovation pilot is simple but exciting to run in class. Watch the video to get an idea of what the pilot is dedicated mainly so that preschool and kindergarten teachers can put it into practice. ​ It is important to share the proposal with our administrative staff and colleagues, and the most appropriate way is through a Letter Proposal. ​ It is essential to know about our proposal, so I have read about blended learning research and analyzed results. It is also crucial to know the advantages and disadvantages of the blended learning approach. Understanding the challenges that we could face during the pilot of blended learning-reading for pleasure, it is essential to consider having better results in evaluating the project. It is essential to educate ourselves about the concepts and theory of constructivism, which I find very interesting, so here is the summary of the Literature Review. ​ ​ Knows the implementation and evaluation of the project through the Implementation Outline . ​ I invite you to learn more about blended learning, and here are some books to continue our learning. Check my additional resources . PDF Final Blended Learning-Reading for Pleasure

  • Contribution 5317 | Lorena Rodriguez

    Contribution to Learning Community “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” By Andrew Carnegie ​ ​ Grades: 5304: 96/100 5317:96/100 During classes 5304 Leading Organizational Change and 5317 Digital Environment Resources, I understood how to apply technology as a catalyst in the classroom to help improve learning. These classes brought me significant challenges in understanding what it takes to be a leader in an organization and use digital resources, such as creating a video and drafting an article. During these eight weeks, they have been full of challenges, but they are full of dedication, perseverance, and heart. Reflecting on what I did in the last module and these eight weeks, I realized that my perspective had changed considerably. One of the challenges I had in my first classes was to acquire the habit of reading reflectively, and I think I have achieved it and love being motivated through reading. During these eight weeks, I read all the recommended readings. I have read several books, including Crucial conversation, The 4Disciplines of Execution, Influencer the New Science of Leading Change and Start with Why. Also, one of my purposes was to start reading before class and to do my discussions before class. I improved on the readings, I was ready for the course, and the discussions were on time to give feedback to my peers. Another critical point for success in these two classes is that I completed all my assignments on time and attended all classes. If I had any questions, I would watch the class video sent by the teachers again, or I would ask in the group with my classmates through GroupMe, text message, and zoom. Every week we had a conference to do projects together like the one on My Why. ​ ​ ​ ​ My 5304 team: Elda Mancha Erika Montroy Leticia Cortez Lola Gatlin Stacey Perez Lorena Rodriguez ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ My team 5317: Brandy Dinkins Elda Mancha Erika Montroy Christine Glenn Lorena Rodriguez ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ One of the challenges I had in class 5304 was understanding the Influencer book that I read in English and Spanish, and even so, it was complicated for me, but thanks to my team and Dr. H I could understand better about the subject. Every week through the Zoom application Lola, Stacie, Letty, and I clarified the work to be done, and thanks to them, these eight weeks in this class have passed very quickly, and thanks to their contributions, the work became more precise and more accessible for me. One of the challenges I had in class 5317 was creating a video with my voice. I am not a person who likes to make videos, and if you see them, you will realize how nervous I was; I think my voice even trembles, but I did it, and I feel happy with myself since every little step count in these new challenges. Key contributions: Every day, I checked GroupMe and text messages and helped my colleagues. I gave feedback to my peers respectfully and constructively to: Discussion #1 Elda Aguilar Barry smith Erika Pena Discussion #2 Kayla Thomas Luis Herrera Contreras Jon Michael Wallace Discussion #3 Jacob Montag Benjamin Franco Selina Summers Discussion #4 Barry Smith Luis herrera Contreras Mamta Singh I read and reflected on all the feedback I received about my work. I made the corrections that I received from my colleagues and teachers in the e-Portfolio. I have attended all sessions of both classes. I have read all the required readings, watched the videos for each class, and researched and reviewed other sources outside the course suggestions. I Turn in all my assignments on time for both subjects, 5304 and 5317. I reviewed all the discussions. I also gave at least three or five comments to different colleagues in the discussion forum. I have shared and learned with my work team. ​ Supporting contributions: Regularly during these eight weeks, we had conferences through the Zoom application. We were also in daily contact through GroupMe and text messages, where we discussed some readings and clarified doubts about the work. We were in constant communication and gave each other support. Areas to improve: During the first week, read as much as possible and write essential points. Have the discussions one day before each class. Start creating the drafts of each work and thus have time to modify them. During the course, ask questions. Do my assignments at least four days before the due date to share them with my colleagues, receive feedback, and modify the work. I need to improve my APA citation form. Despite the pandemic situation, at the beginning of classes, everyone in my family caught COVID. I fulfilled the established requirements during these two courses and did my best. Collaboration and teamwork have been excellent learning. I have enjoyed being in communication with my colleagues and sharing ideas, frustrations, fears, and they made me feel that together we can grow. References Harapnuik, D. (2021). It is About learning: Contributions. Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning. Retrieved from: Search Results For contributions | 14 Results | It's About Learning (harapnuik.org) Collaboration Peer Review EDLD- 5304 Blog 5304 EDLD-5317 Blog 5317

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