Surprise! I am Officially a Doctoral Student!

I was hesitant to post an announcement for fear of jinxing myself, but here we

are and it is official. I am an Abilene Christian University Wildcat and as of June 25th, I will continue my education. This morning, I received confirmation that I was accepted into the Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership program. I am so excited to go on this journey and even more excited to show my girls that anything is possible if they do not give up.

I remember reading an article, years ago (when the girls were toddlers), that it is statistically proven a child is more likely to pursue one degree higher than the parent. Now is this true? I have no clue, but it stuck with me and I said to myself then that I need to get at least a master's degree to ensure my girls get a doctorate. However, now I am hoping that if I get a doctorate, they will never stop learning. As a mom, I want to set my children up for success and if my getting a doctorate gives them a slightly better chance of not giving up on their dreams, then darn it, that's what I will do!

My girls are a big reason why I am taking on this journey but not the only reason. My educational philosophy revolves around lifelong learning and who would I be if I were to preach it, but not follow it? I constantly tell my learners to not give up. Keep growing and developing. I am a firm believer in practicing what you preach, so here I am. Check back often as I am sure to be making frequent updates on this exciting expedition!

So here's to my girls! Mommas got this!

Applied Digital Learning Synthesis

I am at a loss for words on just how amazing this program has been. I have gained a wealth of knowledge that I did not even know was possible. The ADL program prepared me to create lifelong learners by implementing choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning opportunities. It taught me what creating a significant learning environment looks like and how to do it. It gave me the confidence to lead others with grace and poise. It versed me in the usefulness of e-portfolios and other digital learning methods. It enlightened me on becoming an influencer and how to make changes in my organization. There is honestly so many lessons that this program has taught me that I cannot possibly list all of them. Ultimately, the ADL program gave me a renewed passion for learning and teaching that I have been longing for.

I would recommend this program to anyone who wishes to create lifelong learners. As an educator this is what we wish for every one of our students to become. This program can give you the knowledge and tools to do just that. If you wish to just lead for the authority, move along as this program is not for you. If you wish to lead because you care to make positive influences and changes in your organization, this program is just what you need.

I would like to thank Lamar University and Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik for creating and leading such an amazing program. I would also like to thank all of the other professors in the ADL program. You all were amazing, helpful, and true leaders.

Links to my work:

• E-portfolio

• Innovation Proposal

• Innovation Outline

• Literature Review

• Contributions to Learning

• Creating Urgency

• Growth Mindset Plan

• Learning Manifesto

• Making a Change

• Four Disciplines of Execution

• Crucial Conversations

• Influencer Strategy

• Contributions to Learning

• A New Culture of Learning

• Learning Philosophy

• UbD Plan

• Call to Action

• Plan for Effective Learning

• Contributions to Learning

• Action Research Outline

• Action Research Plan

• Action Research Literature Review

• Innovated Podcast

• Microschools for the 21st Century Learner

• Contributions to Learning

• PBL Professional Learning

• Course Design & Creation

• Innovation Project Reflection

• Cova Reflection

• Contributions to Learning

Contribution to My Learning & Learning Community

Here we are! I cannot believe that I have reached the finish line. Looking back to just over a year ago, I would have never thought that I would be here today. It is such an amazing feeling to accomplish a goal like completing or conquering something you never thought you would be able to do. I hope that I can instill the drive, passion, and determination into my own children and students.

The past 8-weeks have flown by and have been very insightful. In 5320 (Capstone Course), we have been tasked with reflection. We have reflected and synthesized our journey throughout the Applied Digital Learning program. When completing these reflections I was able to take in the full extent of the learning and put all the pieces together of this program. The learning through doing approach really allowed me to put in the work so that I could truly learn deeper than ever before.

In 5320 we also participated in collaborative discussions which showed me that I was not alone in my thinking of this program. Everyone who is in this course seems to also have the same reaction when reflecting on their journey. I know that my group members (Samantha, Mistee, & Tosha) and I also have reflected through group messaging and they have all expressed the same sentiments. I will forever be grateful for this program, it's professors, and Lamar University.

In 5318, I thoroughly enjoyed making a professional learning course from scratch. This was probably my favorite course out of the whole program as this is the stuff I want to do. Obviously, I have a love for digital learning or I would not be in this program so online course making was right up my alley. I feel like I was able to fully indulge in this project with enthusiasm and even enjoyed making the videos highlighting the creation and design process. I also enjoyed reading about and getting ideas from my peers in the discussion posts. My group member, Samantha and I enjoyed collaborating and bouncing ideas off of each other for our course and videos.

As previously mentioned the learning through doing approach was greatly beneficial for me as a learner and showed me exactly what I can do to provide that same learning to my students, whether it be children or adults. The sit-and-get approach is out the door and we now know that the best way for an individual to truly understand is by giving them COVA, choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning opportunities. This approach further inspired me to implement my innovation project of implementing PBL into my classroom. Now that I have the tools that this program has taught me, I feel confident that this is the best learning model for my students as it entails every piece of COVA in the process.

I also found a passion of blogging throughout this program. To have a place to share my work, thoughts, passions, and just professional journey allows me to express myself and be truly authentic. Coming in I did not think I would find as much enjoyment out of it as I do. I had no idea how to blog or what to blog about. Now I cannot wait to pilot e-portfolios out in my 4th grade class next year. I have just recently received notice that I will be 4th grade self-contained next year and this makes me so excited because we will be able to use our e-portfolios to the fullest extent, in every subject. In my summative conference last week I shared my plans with my administrator and she was just excited about this as I am. I think that e-portfolios will be beneficial to my learners in many areas but I cannot wait to see the development throughout the year in their writing.

However, one thing that I know I could have been better at in this journey was how frequently I posted on my e-portfolio. Unfortunately, I do not have enough time in the day many days to post and when I finally get home and complete all the mom duties, I am exhausted. I need to set a block of time, even if just 10-15 minutes out of the day a few times a week to update my e-portfolio on things going on in my classroom, such as the project based learning projects we have going on in my classroom at the moment. I believe that if I set a time to do this, I could make sure that I do not lose my passion for blogging and keeping up with my e-portfolio.

In both of these courses I have made great strides to collaborate and provide feedforward to my peers and group members, completed all assignments & discussions in a fashionable manner and completed all readings, videos, & supporting resources. I have also went back and revised most of my assignments based on the helpful feedback I received. Based on these factors I would give myself a score of 95 to allow for room for growth.

https://robynpayne22.wixsite.com/my-site/post/cova-reflection-application

https://robynpayne22.wixsite.com/my-site/post/innovation-project-reflection-update

https://robynpayne22.wixsite.com/my-site/pbl-course