EDLD 5302 Concepts of Ed Tech: This course opened my mind up to the differences between fixed and growth mindsets and helped me cultivate my own growth mindset at the start of my growth. As I progressed, I grew my professional learning networks both digitally and on my campus and developed my own understanding of the process of learning in my learning manifesto. It was in this course that I was introduced to the concept of COVA and began really taking ownership of my learning. Given the opportunity to develop my voice wasn’t always easy, but it came through continued practice and openness to the journey of learning. 

 

EDLD 5303 Apply Educational Technology-ePortfolio: In this course, I had the opportunity to really dive into the creation of my ePortfolio by expanding on the work I previously created in other courses. Throughout the course I created a brand as a digital learner and instructor, adding content throughout my portfolio that showcased the totality of my experience and potential for growth. I added content such as my resume, brief examples of some of my work both inside and outside of the program, and access to my blog. 

 

EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education: This course gave me a new outlook on the concept of disruption, building up my understanding of its necessity. Without innovation, improvements can rarely be made nor sustained. In this course, I was challenged to create innovation in my organization and began doing so by creating an innovation plan. From there I proved the effectiveness and importance of the plan by reviewing the literature in a literature review.  However, the implementation does not occur immediately, especially without a plan so towards the end of the course I was tasked with determining how that plan would unfold and mapped out that idea in my implementation outline.

 

EDLD 5304 Leading Organizational Change: Once I had grasped creating change, I needed to understand how to go about doing so. When doing this it is crucial to consider the what, why, and how of the goals you are setting. By utilizing my leadership skills, I learned how to effectively communicate with others, create influence, overcome resistance to change, and drive innovation. I learned throughout this course that leading change requires not just buy-in, but influence, ongoing communication, and execution. 

 

EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments: Creating significant learning environments (CSLE) requires more than just an organized classroom. Instead, activating the concept of CSLE requires engagement, authentic connections, a growth mindset, COVA, and much more. Built upon the foundation of strong learning philosophy, a significant learning environment is one that uses big goals and a backward design to make students active participants in their learning process. As a result, when technology is added to the learning atmosphere it can be done in a significant manner that affords learners the most authentic learning experience.

 

EDLD 5315 Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction: Being effective in the field of education is about much more than designing a good lesson. Being effective in this field is about knowing whether or not what you are doing is working in the learning environment you are responsible for. Is there engagement? Can you tell whether or not your students are learning, and what they are learning? At times, it is easy to determine if a method is effective, but this is not always the case. In those instances, it requires a more extensive look into the effectiveness. Assessing digital learning through action research, allows Educators to take an intensive look at the effectiveness of their practices. Based on those results, individuals can then make plans for improvement. 

 

EDLD 5317 Resources for Digital Environments: Exploring and evaluating environments and resources is of high importance when looking to innovate within an organization. With the number of available digital tools constantly increasing, educators are tasked with finding the right ones that are both valuable and transformative to student learning. Part of being an effective and innovative leader is being able to discuss practical implementation and pedagogy in a manner that adds resources and value to the educational environment. Essentially, what this course taught me was creating an innovative project was only a portion of the battle when it came to really try to implement change across my organization. Throughout the course, I found more of my voice and communicated my thoughts through various forms of digital media.

 

EDLD 5318 Instructional Design in Online Learning: Instructional design is something that Educators do daily as a means to facilitate learning for students. However, as many educators have discovered due to the global pandemic, designing online instruction is quite different. While the principles are the same, the atmosphere and mode of delivery are different, creating additional challenges for educators as they work to apply appropriate learning theories, create significant learning environments, align instruction/activities/assessments, and meet curriculum standards. Planning and implementation require a much deeper look at the learning theories and design elements when constructing online or hybrid instruction. 

 

EDLD 5389 Developing Effective Professional Development: Utilizing my innovation plan as the foundation, I developed professional learning to help communicate and promote my initiatives. My goal was to design and model authentic professional learning that is engaging has a significant duration and meets the needs of my audience, in this case, adult learners. Learning is something that is ongoing, but in order for it to be effective, it must be authentic and relevant to the learners. In the field of education, it is important that those involved never stop learning, and through this course, I was able to not only learn but lead other learners. 

 

EDLD 5320 Synthesis of Applied Digital Learning: As the program comes to a close I am able to reflect on everything I have put together to help make learning more effective. Through analysis, meaningful connections to literature, and reflection, I have developed into not only a digital learner but a digital innovative leader. Over the past 11 months, I  have identified and promoted innovation helped create and shape significant learning environments, and led organizational change. As I move forward, I have a new grasp on the what, why, and how of innovation for my organization and the tools needed for ongoing change.

 

References 

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). ADL why & principles. Retrieved from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8521

      

Harapnuik, D. (2021). DLL course goals. Retrieved from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8534