Alternative Professional Learning

EDLD 5389 

Score: 92/100

Through completing the coursework in this most recent installment of the Applied Digital Learning program, I have had the opportunity to reflect on how to Improve Professional Learning. These concepts are imperative if I want my innovation plan to succeed. There have been many times when I have heard fellow educators mumble, “I would much rather be here with students today” during professional development training because professional development and in-service meetings all have similar ideas. To most teachers, professional development is an attempt by the administration to influence them and is a complete waste of time and money. 

In preparing my Call to Action, I had to think about how I could improve the Professional Learning my colleagues and I have to go through. In working through Fink’s 3-Column table, I had to consider how to adjust the components of the 3-column table to adults.  I find it somewhat easier to do it for my student learners, but contemplating how I fit it to not just adult learners but my colleagues was somewhat of a challenge. As I moved into Connecting and Communicating My Ideas, the set up of the PL gave me a challenge.  How to format the PL and what resources to use when was quite an undertaking. 

I would like to thank my EDLD 5389 group members:

Frank Seneriz, Michael Harrell, for their support, guidance, patience, and insights during this term.  They have been a true tour de force, and I am honored to have worked with them. We were able to share ideas, direction, feed forward and feedback on a regular basis throughout the course.

1. What has worked, and what can be done better?

 EDLD 5389: As a class, we all joined a GroupMe chat where we have been posting our work for anyone to review and give feedback.  In working with my Learning Community, some of whom are from the EdTech program, I got to learn from them and have been able to help them with certain elements that they were not familiar with.  Constant communication with feed forward and feedback has been invaluable in this course. I was able to share class meeting notes with my class mates, when they said they needed more information or missed the class meetings.  One of the things that I continue to struggle with is the balance of work/ school/ family during this program.  I have been given increased responsibilities on the PBIS, UDL, and Cultural Proficiency Programs in my school and district. I then have to manage the time that is left between family and the ADL program, which makes me a very busy person with what seems less time each day.

2. Contributed to, helped build, and provided feedback to your core collaboration group and revised all assignments and reflected on revisions in this contribution to a learning activity.

In my Core collaboration group for EDLD 5389, I was able to help clarify some of the logistics of this course since my group members came over from Ed Tech. My Core group was also instrumental in giving me feed forward and feedback on my work. 

3. Completed ALL of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources.

I assigned myself a 92/100 for my overall grade for EDLD 5389. My assignments were completed. I watched all of the videos in order to understand the information for the group discussion posts.  I was able to attend every online class meeting and was able to get my work and collaborative discussions in on time, but I realize they could have been more developed than what they were.

4. Met the various course activity deadlines indicated in the calendar.

I assigned myself a 92/100 for EDLD 5389 because I met the deadline for all the collaborative posts. I do feel accomplished in the fact that I did attend and contributed to all scheduled class meetings on Monday evenings at 7 pm. I often received the clarity I needed for assignments in these class meetings and found a bond with my fellow cohort members.

I also believe that a rating of 92/100 is accurate because I 

• Took leadership responsibility in my base group and the course.
• Contributed to my learning and the learning of my colleagues by participating in ALL activities.
• Actively contributed in the various course forums.
• All of my posts were submitted in a timely fashion so others could respond to my posting.
• My postings reflect breadth and depth of thinking with research to support my thinking and are cited using APA.
• Additional postings were made that did not require research but were rather to contribute to the learning.

I continue to develop a growth mindset throughout the ADL program and look forward to implementing my Innovation Plan to help my students become the learners they need to be in the future.