Synthesis for digital learning & Leading

COVA Reflection

Innovation Project

DLL Journey

In the fall of 2019, I had just begun my third year as an Instructional Technologist after having spent 10 years in the classroom. I was highly respected by my colleagues and administration, having earned the honor of “Teacher of the Year'' from two different school districts. I had opted to leave the classroom and join a department whose vision was to impact student learning by supporting and helping to develop teachers. During this time, my school district was five years into our 1:1 adoption, where every student and staff member utilized a learning device and we were two years into using a learning management system called Schoology.

As an Instructional Technologist, I was to focus on helping teachers build dynamic lessons that integrated technology as well as lead professional developing and equipping sessions, helping teachers to gain skills needed to be effective, innovative educators. Sadly, that is not how our department was viewed. Most of the time, we were called upon by teachers to service technology and hardware, such as fixing Apple TVs or figuring out why a student’s keyboard wasn’t working. This was a problem. The use of technology was never the goal. There are plenty of teachers who use technology in the classroom, yet the students do not learn. Our department believed it was all about how the technology was used, focusing more on instructional methods and strategies and integrating tech when appropriate.

Therefore, at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, we changed our name from Instructional Technology to Innovation & Learning, a subtle change that would align our titles with our vision - to innovate and change the learning environment. It was at this point, I felt that I needed to grow as a professional myself. I believed that I needed to add to my skillset and become more equipped to lead this charge of innovation. Little did I know that I was about to be exposed to an even grander vision. The DLL program has challenged me to not just improve our current system of education but has reinforced the idea that we need to completely revolutionize how we approach learning. Here is how that journey unfolded:

Click the infographic to for an interactive experience.

The most interesting element of my experience in Lamar’s Digital Learning and Leading program has been the use of the COVA model. This learning approach focuses on helping students make connections by giving them opportunity to take ownership of their own learning through authentic experiences. Learners are challenged to find their own voice and given freedom to make choices on how their evidence of learning is presented. For many years I have been challenged to give my own students these types of learning experiences. While the COVA model is distinctly unique, some of its elements are very familiar, although they may have been labeled differently. The charter school where I began my teaching career promoted aspects of student voice and choice at every in-service and professional development session they hosted. Furthermore, in 2016, I was a part of a pilot for Apple Education that reviewed their new iBook Elements of Learning that championed concepts such as personalized learning and real-world engagement. However, the DLL program provided my very first opportunity to engage with the COVA model and participate in a Significant Learning Environment as a student. Let me tell you - it has been quite an experience.

The very first week of my very first graduate school class, I was introduced to the term COVA. As educators, we have an entire mental rolodex of acronyms that we use in our teacher talk; I thought this would be just another one to add to the list. As we began to dissect Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset, we were challenged to form our own growth mindset plan - my first grad school project. I quickly scrolled straight to the requirements and found a list of all the different formats in which our evidence of learning could be displayed. That first project was very difficult for me. I went too far. I ended up writing a script, filming a monologue in front of a green screen, editing and embedding that video in a slide deck, which also contained several slides of texts, images, and custom infographics. In all honesty, there was a part of me that enjoyed diving so deep into that product, but there was also a part of me that did all of that work for my evaluator. I wanted to ensure that my professor was fully aware that I had fully comprehended and applied all the expected concepts. I wanted an “A.” It’s almost as if the freedom to choose gave me too many options. Over time, I have had to not focus so much on the product of the learning, but focus on my desired outcomes. This shifting of my focus from the product of the learning to the process of learning tremendously helped me engage with subject matter in a whole new way.

There are still come concerns that I have with the COVA model. While overall, I believe that it has wonderful benefits and is effective at engaging learners with its innovative approach, I think there are some challenges with its implementation and may even contain some holes. As I mapped out each project for this DLL program, I found myself facing an internal struggle. On one hand, I would read about how I had a choice of presentation model and reviewed instructions that encouraged me to find and use my voice. On the other hand, there were also specific guidelines that were to be followed and requirements that had to be met. I found it very interesting as I kept trying to pursue this avenue of divergent thinking and yet I still felt tied to a rubric that was attached to each assignment. This tension caused me to feel nervous at times from taking too great of a risk. I know there were certain projects where I held back and was more reserved because I wasn’t sure if my idea would meet all of the requirements laid out in the instructions. It was in those same assignments where I am not sure I used my true voice. It is an understandable tension; both constraints and freedom are necessary in the learning process. It was a challenge to find the balance between the two.

Over the past year and a half, I have had to make adjustments as I become more rehearsed in the COVA model. Not only does COVA encourage a growth mindset, but it has also challenged my own personal learning philosophy. Having been schooled for so long in the behaviorist model, it was both refreshing and freeing to bring my natural curiosity, desire to make connections, and need for reflection in an educational setting. I now consider my learning philosophy to be a healthy blend of congnitivism and constructivism. The COVA model and the idea of significant learning environments provide learning opportunities that are both active and reflective. Becoming more familiar with these philosophies has both challenged and inspired me to bring about change within my organization. I am fortunate enough to be in a role where initiating such change is not only possible, but supported. I work as an Innovation and Learning Specialist, meaning I worked with teachers to develop dynamic lessons and serve as an instructional coach. Our district is moving away from the idea that technology should be used simply because it is available. In fact, it is strongly discouraged to think about lesson design by leading with technology. Therefore I am not seen as the “iPad guy,” but rather someone who knows what good teaching and, more importantly, good learning looks like. Experiencing the benefits of COVA and CSLE has encouraged me to fight for these values within our schools. Moreover, I have resolved to be more patient to seeing change. COVA is still working on my mentality and I need to allow for others to experience this same growing process. Large problems require large solutions and it is easy to simply get frustrated when we don't experience our desired results. There will continue to be resistance, especially in a school system that gives district-wide benchmarks every three weeks for data tracking purposes. But I have a plan.

As we move further into 2021, my team and I will focus more heavily on professional learning opportunities for our teachers. It will be important that we model teacher-learner choice, voice, and ownership of personalized learning through authentic experiences for them. We are building a library of blended learning opportunities where teachers can create their own tracks for professional growth. Our hope is that they will not only experience the power of COVA but also innovative teaching methods and will therefore be more likely to implement them in their own classrooms.

The effects of cova

COVA + CSLE BRINGS CHANGE

When first enrolling in a Master’s of Education program, I was envisioned to personally grow, learn and become more equipped to make desired and necessary changes to the learning environments of students, at least the ones that I had influence over. What I did not expect was that I would be developing and implementing such a change during the course of my own learning. My pride of joy of the Digital Learning and Leading experience is my Innovation Plan.

As an Innovation and Learning Specialist on my campus, I do not have my own students in a classroom. Although I am in classrooms every day, I mostly support teachers through instructional coaching and lesson plan development with a focus on high-yield instructional strategies and technology integration. We strongly promote the TPACK model, which values content knowledge and solid pedagogy uses technology when it can enhance the learning environment. Therefore, I knew from the beginning I wanted the focus of my innovation plan to be on the development and support of teachers, transforming their learning experiences so that they may impact multitudes of students.

As a consumer of both literature and film, I am familiar with what is known as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. If you have read any classic novels, such as The Count of Monte Cristo or The Lord of the Rings, or seen movies like Star Wars or The Lion King, you are familiar with this arc as well. The Hero’s Journey follows a thematic and metaphoric pattern that sees a character grow, develop and change over time as he/she is affected by events and experiences the consequences of their actions. While I do not consider myself a hero by any means, many argue this arc is present in all of us as we face big decisions, trials, and the transitions that occur throughout our lives. As I have reflected on all of the components of this innovation plan, I see several of Campbell’s 12 stages present throughout this journey.

Our school district is very heavily data-driven. Teachers give district-wide benchmarks every three weeks. Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) then disaggregate the data and form tutoring groups, which are designed to dedicate extra instructional time to move our struggling students from failing to passing and our passing students to excelling status. Teachers are reluctant to deviate from any mandated scope and sequence; there is a fear that their students will fall behind. Since data is shared across campuses, no teacher wants to have the largest tutoring group or be seen as having the "weakest" students.

I want to disrupt this system; I want to go on an adventure.

I want our school to value learning over “passing,” I want students to have ownership in the classroom, and I want teachers to have fun again. My initial innovation project involved working side-by-side with a small group of teachers to create Project Based Learning units that incorporated blended learning models. To help justify this investment in the teacher’s growth, I completed a Literature Review that analyzed the need for and the impact of innovative professional development. Getting such an idea off the ground was going to be tough because this entire project was based on the volunteerism of the teachers in my school.

The Call to Adventure

The Hero's Journey

part of the story where something prompts the character to begin his journey

Refusal of the call

A Call to Action: Innovative Professional Development

there is an experience of uncertainty or fear

In early 2020, I had two teachers that agreed to join me on this adventure. One fifth-grade math teacher and a sixth-grade language arts teacher volunteered to enroll in the initial phase of my innovation plan. These teachers were going to meet with me as I led them through a blended learning style course about blended learning. We were then going to use the Understanding by Design framework to develop a Project-Based Learning unit that incorporated blending learning. The plan was to implement this PBL unit with students in the fall of the next school year.

Then the villain entered our story in March of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown that came with it disrupted our ability to meet as teachers (and their Innovation and Learning Specialists) were now working overtime to try and help all K-12 students and parents make a full transition to remote learning. Sadly, the remaining months of that school year proved to be too much for my volunteers. This past summer both decided to resign and even left the profession of education altogether.

Preview of Blended Learning online course

crossing the threshold

a pivotal moment for the character as he fully enters the world of the story

While this situation may seem like the worst-case scenario, our predicament ended up creating more momentum for the promotion of blending learning across the entire district. This was a pivot I didn’t know that I needed. Last spring, we provided support for teachers as they utilized technology more than they ever had before to create online videos, digital activities, and alternative forms of assessment. We hosted virtual professional learning sessions that focused on the requested topics from teachers. When plans were finalized for our district to offer both face-to-face and virtual learning for the entire school year, our team helped build the online platform where teachers could design their digital classrooms.

Blended learning had now become the standard for content delivery. Teachers needed to post brief instructional videos to meet the needs of the virtual students and those who were face-to-face would often utilize those same videos in class, or even be assigned to watch those videos for homework. Because hybrid learning forced us all to move our instruction online, teachers have now taken advantage of this and have naturally incorporated blended learning on a much larger scale than I had initially envisioned.

Sample of virtual learning session offerings, Spring 2020

Click to download.

Approach to the inmost cave

Though Reluctant, the hero knows his capability and is ready to face what lies ahead

Moving forward, I still have plans to move student learning more towards Project Based Learning, but I am now much more focused and passionate about professional development for teachers. Throughout this journey, I have worked closely with my director and we are currently building a system that will revolutionize professional learning experiences for our teachers.

We are currently building a database of online courses from which teachers can choose as a part of their professional learning journey. These courses will be followed by in-person, collaborative implementation support by instructional coaches. Our proposal even factored into the decision for our district to make a very large financial investment by purchasing a PowerSchool software upgrade. This will make personalizing a teachers’ desired learning journey easier to customize, track, and incentivize. My vision is to continue to encourage the use of blended learning in the classroom by giving the teachers opportunities to learn through a blended learning environment themselves. I have also promoted an assessment tool to assess our own effectiveness. Using my Action Research Plan, we will seek to answer the fundamental research question: How will a blended learning professional development experience affect teachers’ attitudes towards implementing blended learning in classroom instruction?

An overview of our continuing innovation plan is as follows:

Professional Development will be broken into three tiers.

The first tier is just compliance training. This would be anything either state or district-required, such as GT updates, ELL, or cybersecurity.

The second tier is district-required instructional courses. These will mainly come from our content coordinators. For example, every secondary math teacher may be required to attend a vertical alignment session over the summer.

The third tier is where my team and I will focus and this the professional learning tier. To encourage choice, voice, and ownership of learning we will tailor each course for specific teacher needs, meaning we will build each course from scratch. Initial surveys will go out to every teacher in the district and we hope to get some solid data on the pulse of our teachers and what type of support they feel they need. Since our team is housed on campuses, we already have a pretty good idea and have begun to develop the design of a few courses. But we will systematically poll the teachers to ensure their voice is heard.

I also want to develop tracks so that these courses aren't just floating around in the database, but are streamlined to progressively build upon teacher knowledge and skills. For example, rather than having a separate "Flipped Classroom" course and a "Station Rotation" course, we would build an entire "Blended Learning" track and within the class have several courses that flesh out this learning experience. It could include the courses, "Flipped Classroom" and "Station Rotation," as well as "Digital Tools for Blended Learning" and "How to Assess your Flipped Classroom." The track options are endless: "Alternative Forms of Assessment," "Let Them Create: Developing Web Design for Students," and more. We are also looking into creating a badging system, where a teacher could earn the "Blended Learning" badge when completing the track.

Every course will hopefully be a blended-learning style course itself. This will ensure that teachers have adequate support during the implementation phase of their professional growth. Also, this will be used to develop teacher leaders on campus. Once we have a group of credentialed "Flipped Classroom" teachers, they could host their own learning opportunities or build their own online courses that dive even deeper into their topic of interest.

Throughout the process of developing and (trying to) implement an innovation plan, there have been two key lessons that I have learned. When first creating an innovation plan, I wanted to have all of the details worked out. I spent so much time mulling over each practical step and making sure that everything aligned as it should. However, this is not the nature of disruptive innovation. Such plans are fluid and need to have the freedom to adapt once implementation starts. I noticed that I kept wanting to “stick to the plan” as we began to progress through the phases, but I need to be more flexible and allow an innovation plan to develop and grow as needed.

Another crucial learning moment for me involved broadening my spheres of influence. Because I did not want to burden teachers, I initially kept my innovation plan low-key. I only asked specific people and I was even hesitant and apologetic when discussing the possibilities with them. My campus leadership only knew the essential pieces to this plan. It was only after my exposure to the content in the Leading Organizational Change course did I realize my grave mistake. To produce real change, I need to maximize the number of stakeholders involved. Honestly, I was just scared that I was going to fail and this and only wanted there to be minimal damage. But if I had seen my innovation plan as more of a flexible outline, I would have been more confident in its promotion.

I cannot express how thankful I am for the massive pivot that we were forced to take. Moving forward, as we look to continue to disrupt the world of professional learning with innovation, I will take these lessons learned and utilize the knowledge gained from them.

The hero's journey is far from over, the adventure has yet to be fully lived. Like the fluidity of an innovation plan, I see this journey as an ongoing, ever-growing idea that will continue to impact both teachers and students. Until the final act, when we see education revolutionized and true learning is once again prioritized.

The road back

this is the climax,the highest point of tension, where the hero will be changed.

"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us..."

- Marcel Proust

EDLD 5302

Concepts of Educational Technology

This first course didn’t start how I expected. Rather than looking outward towards the current trends of educational technology, I was asked to look introspectively at my personal beliefs about learning. I embraced a growth mindset, explored and identified my professional learning networks, and crafted my learning manifesto, expressing my views about the learning process. I was also introduced to the COVA model, which challenged me to take ownership of my own learning by finding my voice. These foundational concepts would define the culture of this program.

This course challenged me to solidify how I would use some of the aspects of COVA as I fleshed out some major components of my ePortfolio. This website would serve as the landing page where all of the evidence of my learning would be posted and the communication tool that I would use to promote my vision and passion for education. The content that was added in this course includes an about me section, certifications, my resume, and blog. I also added links to my Twitter account, my LinkedIn profile, my bulb portfolio, as well as the Innovation & Learning site from Midway ISD where I am employed.

EDLD 5303

Applying Educational Technology

Next came the plan. To create change, innovation is necessary. I drafted an innovation plan that focused on restructuring our approach to teacher professional development. To support this idea, I also researched effective professional development and compiled my findings in a literature review. An innovation plan is an effective vehicle to bring about significant systemic change.

EDLD 5305

Disruptive Innovation

EDLD 5313

Significant learning environments

I consider this my first breakthrough course, where I was challenged to take a deeper look into my innovation plan and the actual content that teachers would experience. Creating a significant learning environment breaks the traditional model of education and forces the students to actively engage in the learning process and make authentic connections. My professional development idea would now center on working

EDLD 5304

Leading Organizational Change

While working with a small group of teachers seemed to be the most effective initial step, it did not come close to achieving the desire to affect change in professional development at the campus or district level. This course was the gem of this program for me, where everything came together and I felt empowered and equipped to strive for my vision. It was important to first establish my “why” for taking on such a challenge. Then, using a combination of the Influencer strategy and the 4 Disciplines of Execution, I crafted a plan for Leading Change, which included utilizing leadership skills, taking advantage of all sources of influence, and effective communication, especially when there is conflict in a conversation.

with a small group of teachers, helping them to develop a significant learning environment in their classroom using the vehicles of Project-Based Learning and blended learning. These teachers would also build their units using backward design while aligning their outcomes, assessments, and activities. The decision to make this adjustment occurred after I reflected on my learning philosophy which is a healthy blend of cognitivist and constructivist theories. Making this critical transition in teaching methods allows for students to experience the elements of COVA which directly affects the impact on their learning.

EDLD 5315

Assessing Digital Learning

As with any initiative or change agent, it is important to measure its effectiveness. Not doing so can actually have a negative impact on the change you are hoping to make. Action research is a powerful method for identifying the proper research topic, the fundamental research question, the types of data that need to be collected, and the most effective instruments for measurement. I wanted to know how experiencing learning in a blended environment would affect teachers’ attitudes towards implementing blended learning with their students.

EDLD 5318

Designing Online Learning

It was important for me to not only learn about the importance of innovations in education but participating in the development and implementation of such innovations. One strategy to offer learners choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity in the learning is through asynchronous online courses. I designed a five-week online course, where teacher-learners were introduced to blended learning and were challenged to implement and reflect upon those methods. It was a challenge to integrate the many different aspects of innovative learning into a course where the learners would not be physically present. However, it is still important for online course developers to apply learning theories, cultivate a significant learning environment, and utilize backward design and align the goals, assessments, and activities.

EDLD 5389

Effective Professional Development

To continue the progress of my innovation plan, I designed an alternative professional learning plan for my campus. This plan incorporated many aspects of previous courses, including strategies to lead organizational change, create significant learning environments, the asynchronous online course, as well as providing support, engaging delivery, modeling of concepts, and allowing for teachers to apply their learning to their specific content. Finding an effective method for professional development helps teachers continue to be lifelong learners.

EDLD 5314

Digital Learning in Local & Global Contexts

I was not able to enroll in this course yet; I dropped this course because my wife and I had a baby and began a long series of sleepless nights. Educators need to have a perspective of the global uses and challenges of information and communication technology. For us all to effectively pursue significant learning environments and the use of the COVA model, we need to understand what has historically worked and what has not worked in the world of education. Moving forwards requires an application of the works of the past.

EDLD 5316

Digital Citizenship

A foundational piece to the use of any form of technology in the 21st century is the concept of digital citizenship. As both teachers and students spend more time online, both in school and out of school, the significance of building a positive digital footprint becomes substantial. The elements of digital citizenship should be integrated into the instructional curriculum and be viewed as the responsibility of all digital users. Some of the major issues facing students and their online use are plagiarism, cyberbullying, copyright infringement, and privacy. As a part of this course, I created a Digital Citizenship interactive lesson that focuses on three of the essential elements known as the Respect triad: digital access, digital etiquette, and digital law.

EDLD 5317

Resources for digital

environments

At this point in the program, I had mainly concentrated on contributing to change within my campus and district. I had not yet considered the idea that I offer something to the world of education. After exploring and learning about the vast assortment of digital tools that can have a positive impact on the learning environment, I decided to compose a writing piece that centered on building a culture of collaboration between face-to-face and virtual students. Even though I was reluctant to submit this article for publication, I knew this was a positive aspect of my development as a digital leader.

Let's talk

View a roundtable discussion about our experience in the dll program

Special thanks to Nicholas Skelton, M.Ed.

EDLD 5320

Synthesis of Digital Learning & leading

Due to my work as an instructional coach in combination with the method of this program, I have become an advocate for reflection and believe in the positive impact it can have on learning. This Capstone class has been a refreshing experience looking back and seeing how I have modified my beliefs on education, made multiple pivots with my innovation plan, and grown more confident in my ability to lead others and affect change in my organization.

Final thoughts

When I think back to where I was in the fall of 2019, I was excited to learn more and develop fresh skills to improve upon the learning experience of today’s learners. I would often think about how teachers could engage students in our current educational model. Fairly quickly, I realized that was a misinformed vision. Students do not need a reformed educational experience, they need something that has been transformed from what is in place. My initial reaction to this realization was a feeling of hopelessness. I could identify the need for change, but what could an instructional coach from a mid-sized school district in a small town in central Texas really do? Can I challenge the state-mandated criteria that drives how teachers approach education?

While I still often experience that feeling, quite often in fact, I do believe there is hope and power in optimism. I have seen my school district make systemic and financial changes in the past year to move towards fulfilling an innovative change in our teacher professional development, as noted in the “Innovation Project” section below. I am extremely pleased with the current plan we have to move towards applying the components of COVA to our teacher-learners. I will continue to seek ways, some of which I have learned in this program and others that I have not yet discovered, to transform the learning environment for students.