COVA…a Look into the Future of Learning

Beginning my journey in the Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) program at Lamar University was not an easy decision and definitely kept me up at night more than once. Although, when I started my first course and was introduced to the growth mindset (#1 below); everything changed. I began to realize that many of my fears were my fixed mindset trying to peek out from behind the corner, but I soon learned how to deal with those struggles the right way. The next idea that got my mind spinning in circles was when I was introduced to the COVA (#4 … Continue reading COVA…a Look into the Future of Learning

Action Research Plan

Action research sounds a little like the last few years of my teaching career. When I started teaching elementary school five years ago I made some pretty big changes to my approach in the classroom. I used to worry when administrators and others would observe me in my classroom, and then it finally hit me that receiving the feedback from those observers was the best way to reflect and become a better teacher. As this course progressed, I found myself digging deep for the right path for my plan and where my passion for education was leading me. Since finding … Continue reading Action Research Plan

Conversations that Matter

Dialogue is such a lost art in today’s world of technology, and yet is probably one of the most important skills needed to bring about change. My students have trouble with conversations on a daily basis, but so do I. Relegated to silence is one of my pastimes and now I see how flawed that strategy is to have productive, and crucial conversations. As I read the book Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high, I become more and more aware of all of the opportunities that have been lost over the years to make a meaningful and … Continue reading Conversations that Matter

The 4DX Plan

Change in education may be the most difficult change to make successfully. The day to day grind of teachers tends to overwhelm all attempts at real, organizational change. My school has been starting the process of becoming a Leader in Me school based around the 7 habits of highly effective people since last summer. This monumental change will require all hands on deck, but we may just get a little help from the 4 disciplines of execution along the way. At the annual Leader in Me Symposium in Dallas this past week, I was lucky enough to experience some of … Continue reading The 4DX Plan

Influence This!

As I have reflected on my innovation plan repeatedly since its creation, I find myself trying to make the connection to influence and how that can help with implementation. I will be the first to admit that I am always a proponent for change in my classroom and beyond. This is definitely a bit larger in scope than any other previous changes that I have attempted though. In order to start this change process, I have to make sure to ‘notice the obvious’ as Harapnuik (2016) states. It is very common to look for the underlying issues, and forget to … Continue reading Influence This!

What’s Your ‘WHY’?

As we learned from Sinek (2009), not every organization knows ‘why’ they do what they do, and this is the reason why some succeed and others do not. In order to implement my Blended Learning innovation plan the proper way; I must remember my ‘why’. No matter what obstacles come up, I will always remember that my students are the biggest part of my ‘why’. I am attempting to contain my excitement after my principal agreed to support my innovation plan yesterday. The next step is to approach the district for final approval to pilot blended learning in my classroom … Continue reading What’s Your ‘WHY’?

How Do You Learn?

Learning, what is it really? As I reflect on some of the ideas that I have going through my head right now, I wonder what direction I am going in? I have such a strong belief in learning and helping my students learn in many different ways, I wonder if I have been falling short by not really knowing my own personal learning philosophy. There are so many things to consider, but I have to understand the types of learning theories before I can help my guide, my students, learning. After a lot of research, I seem to find myself … Continue reading How Do You Learn?

Blended Learning: Changing the Classroom For The Better

Introduction The role of the teacher has changed because of the integration of technology in the classroom (Horn, 2015). This change has started a new revolution called blended learning. Blended learning is not a new term and is defined in many ways. Most would describe blended learning as the combination of face to face instruction and student-paced technology-based instruction. It must also include the student being in charge of the time, place and location of their learning (Maxwell, 2016). There are many forms and models of blended learning being used in education today, although I will not be discussing all … Continue reading Blended Learning: Changing the Classroom For The Better

Choosing an Innovation Plan

This may be the first indecision that I have had in my first three courses during my DLL journey. I know that this innovation plan does not need to be started now and this is just the beginning of a long process to implement and refine my plan, but I still am showing some anxiety as I go through the decision process. After reading Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools by Horn & Staker I believe I may have come to some conclusions. My school has been blessed with 1 to 1 Chromebooks in fourth and fifth grade, but … Continue reading Choosing an Innovation Plan

The Journey Continues…

I began my next course in my DLL journey this past week and find myself overwhelmed with ideas for my upcoming innovation plan. I keep asking myself, what do I want to accomplish in my classroom, school or district that can disrupt the traditional model that I get frustrated with on a daily basis? I just want to try to implement so many ideas and I need to get a better focus on what my direction should be to best help, my students. Being that my classroom is 1 to 1 with Chromebooks and having access to a school license … Continue reading The Journey Continues…