This semester, I have had the pleasure of taking two courses in the ADL Program at Lamar University: 5313 and 5389. These classes have provided me with a wealth of knowledge on how to create significant learning environments for both students and teachers. We no longer live in the 19th-century era of "sit and get" learning. As we have moved away from the industrial era, it is crucial that we prepare our students for careers that go beyond traditional industrial jobs. To do this, we must engage our students in active learning, incorporate technology into their education, and inspire them to be innovative. By providing these opportunities, we increase their chances of success in the present and the future.
In both 5313 and 5389, I delved deep into the concept of creating significant learning environments. In my article, "A New Culture of Learning" I explore the reasons behind why these environments work and how we can implement them in our classrooms. Additionally, in 5313, we discussed the growth mindset and learning philosophies. I firmly believe that every educator should have a growth mindset plan and a well-defined learning philosophy. We also learned how to create and use the Universal by Design and 3-Column table framework. Both of these frameworks are highly effective at helping educators plan using a backward model where you focus on the goal and learning before all of the busy work. This helps to reduce the amount of "fluff" work. All of these pieces blended together beautifully by the end of the course, as you can see in the page titled, "Honing the Mindset"
In 5389, we focused on creating professional learning opportunities that go beyond the traditional "sit-and-get" model. This course resonated with me because it directly related to my professional career. Throughout my teaching journey, I have attended countless boring professional developments. I even had the opportunity to create a call to action about this problem. Learning about new ways to conduct these sessions got me excited and engaged. By updating professional learning experiences, we can create significant learning environments for educators. Just as we know that creating significant learning opportunities for our students leads to the most learning, the same principle applies to professional learning opportunities. I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed creating a course and all of the components and resources, such as the outline, to present to my team. This was the first time I have created one from scratch so I learned a great deal.
Peer discussions played a significant role in both courses. These discussions provided a platform for me to seek inspiration and overcome obstacles. I was able to offer feedback and support to my peers when they needed guidance or encouragement. The ADL course is filled with brilliant individuals, and I made sure to actively participate in the discussions. Personally, I find the discussions to be the most enjoyable aspect of the coursework. Hearing different perspectives from my peers is enlightening. Additionally, I completed all of the assigned readings and watched the videos. As someone who loves reading and watching videos, this program was a perfect fit for me. The knowledge I gained from the readings and videos even inspired me to start my own YouTube channel.
Throughout this semester, I have collaborated closely with my partner, Samantha Jimenez. Samantha has been with me on this journey from the beginning, and her help and opinion have been invaluable to me. I can always trust her to provide the feedback and guidance I need. Likewise, I am always ready to support her in her own learning journey. Countless nights have been spent on phone and video calls discussing various topics and assignments. I genuinely do not know what I would do without her.
Both of the professors in these courses, along with the feedback from Creighton on our assignments, have been exceptional. I look forward to reading Creighton's suggestions and making the necessary improvements. His advice is always insightful, and he clearly knows his stuff.
Overall, I believe this semester has been successful. One area where I know I can improve is expanding my peer group. While I collaborated with Samantha, whom I met at the beginning of the program, I did not venture out and add more peers to my group. However, I actively participated in the discussion forums and collaborated with many fellow students there. Taking all aspects into consideration, I would give myself a score of 95 out of 100 for both 5313 and 5389.
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