One down, Nineteen to go! Thoughts on Academic Writing

    

I have now finished my first course in my doctoral program and I am feeling a bit better about continuing down the path. My cohort has formed a great Facebook group, and I have joined a couple of other doctoral support groups to help keep me encouraged. As I begin course number two in my doctoral journey, I was asked to share my thoughts on academic writing:

  Academic writing as a whole does not intimidate me much anymore. I majored in English a hundred years ago (so it seems), so I have a good handle on grammar and mechanics. However, I like to be very concise when I write, and I feel that I have to add a lot of extra words when I am utilizing this style. The major problem I run into as I attempt to flesh out my writing is that my sentences will become awkward and confusing. Therefore, I have to then go back and clean up my syntax so it flows better. Because I recently finished a second master's degree, so I am quite familiar with APA 6 formatting. I will definitely be living in my APA 7 manual so I cite my work correctly, since there have been some major changes to formatting. The one fear I have is that I will have to revamp my dissertation if APA 8 comes out before I am finished. 

     One weakness I do have is that I spend way too much time trying to come up with the perfect words to express what I want to say, so I end up pushing assignments to the deadline many times.  I also have to be careful not to write in first person, since I do quite a bit of blogging and reflective journaling. Another one of my weaknesses is that I can go off topic very easily. I have to really focus on my topic to avoid going off on tangents that have to be deleted later on. I do the same thing when I am researching. Although a certain amount of "squirrel chasing" is good while going down the proverbial rabbit hole, I find that I waste a lot of time chasing different perspectives and topics that don't necessarily help me support a particiular topic. One thing I do to combat this is open a word doc or Google doc and put my subject or paper topic at the top in a big font. I then copy and paste URLs or reference citations into my document and write either the word or phrase I used to find it or a few words about the article or website  This helps me in two ways. First, I can compare my search words to the title of my doc to see how they relate. Second, I have other articles that I can use at a later date, if needed, for a different assignment.  

       Although I am a fairly decent writer, the dissertation process is VERY intimidating to me. Just the sheer length of the paper that I will ultimately produce has been the biggest deterrent for me to even

begin this journey. However, when I begin to feel overwhelmed and want to quit before I get too far, I ask myself, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer: One bite at a time. Other people have similar mantras, but this one for some reason, resonates with my soul and helps me get moving along my path. I sort of know what my topic will be, but I just need to do some research and have some conversations with professors to either narrow it down or point me in the right direction so my academic research and action research are aligned. 

Thoughts on School Safety

        Crisis drills are nothing new. in the 1950s through the mid 80s, schools were  teaching students how to "duck and cover" in response to possible air raids and/or nuclear attacks. Those drills were then

replaced with drop drills, active shooter drills and now the current lock down drills, which teach our students what to do when there is an active shooter or some sort of emminent threat on their campus.  These drills have become an unfortunate necessity in our schools, as more school shootings are popping up all over the world. My former district, like so many others, requires all students, staff, and faculty to wear their ID badges along with a badge-sized emergency response protocol card with reminders of what to do in different situations. Malcolm and Swearer (2018) asserted, "devising and implementing effective measures to address [school safety] will require clear-headed, open-minded, fact-based analyses of proposed policies. Our children deserve nothing less."  As administrators, it is our duty to lead this charge on our respective campuses. 

            As I think about safety policies and procedures through the lens of an administrator, I think back to the countless drill I have been part of. While these drills prepare students and staff to respond to various emergencies, I wonder about the climate of our school. Are we as educators doing enough to promote the type of school climate that will reduce the chance of a shooting incident?  Woodward (2018) outlines seven tasks that need to be completed in order to foster a positive school climate. While all the tasks listed are important, the two that stand out to me the most are demanding that active listening occur in our schools, and building positive relationships. When trusted adults such as teachers, administrators and law enforcement personnel not only listen to student and staff concerns, but also act on them, there is no way of knowing just how many tragedies could be prevented. Furthermore, active listening naturally lends itself to building positive relationships. When students feel they can trust their teachers and administrators, they are more likely to open up about things that are bothering them, and report potentially violent or harmful behavior.

        One procedure I would put in place at my new campus, if given the chance is to have grade level behavior meetings with my staff.  In my experience, these meetings give teachers a chance to address student concerns and discuss strategies to help those they consider to be high risk. This type of open communication is a great way to begin a dialogue among all interested stakeholders, which can be very empowering for those who may think they are the only ones having trouble with particular students. Furthermore, these meetings also lend themselves to updating current discipline management and safety plans, since teachers and administrators have the opportunity to share strategies that have proven successful based on individual student needs. 

Malcolm, J., & Swearer, A. (2018, March 19). Focusing on School Safety After Parkland. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/firearms/report/focusing-school-safety-after-parkland. 

TEDXMileHigh. (2018). School shootings can be prevented -- here's how: William Woodward: TEDxMileHigh. https://youtu.be/89XeX4eeulw. 

Thoughts on Handling Budget Deficits

        One of the things I  appreciated about my former principal, is that he was very transparent about budget cuts, and where funding should go and why, based on campus needs. Now that we are the other side of two very tough years, funding in many districts has now been cut for the next year.  There is much concern about surplusing teachers when it seems like our campus should be getting more teachers, due to the fact that it is on the brink of falling under restructuring because of low STAAR scores.  Harwin, Lloyd and Blomstrom (2019) asserted, "For policymakers and taxpayers alike, school

finance is an uneasy balance between effort—how much they're willing or able to spend—and equity, or how fairly that money gets spread around to schools and districts."  It is, therefore, up to principals to carefully consider where and how  limited resources are used. The problem I see in years of budget deficits, however, is that central office staff and adminstrative positions are not considered as areas where funds can be conserved. In my 23 years in education, I have noticed that even in years of budget deficits, central office personnel will still get their offices redecorated. 

         As a principal, the first step I would take is to utilize my core Campus Academic Leaders(CALs), instructional coaches  and my assistant principals so that we can go through the campus improvement plan to determine our most pressing needs. Including the CALs in this process is important because each department needs to have a voice to advocate for their respective departments and let them have a say in what their departments really need and what they can do without.  We would start looking at items that we can cut that do not directly affect student learning. We would also look at creative ways to utilize existing staff; for example, instead of having a dedicated AVID teacher, we might ask a few teachers to teach a section of AVID. In this digital age where schools have gone one-to-one with technology, we would look for areas to eliminate paper copies and challenge teachers to go 100% digital.  Finally, as a committe, we would want to look at the curriculum for each subject, to ensure that our students are getting what they need to be successful.  "When states and districts target their money toward well-proven initiatives, researchers have found, academic outcomes significantly improve, especially for poor and minority students" (Burnette II, 2019). This is especially important in a deficit year, since schools do not want to spend money on ineffective initiatives when they can invest that money in a more efficient ways. 

        As we look to remedy the immediate concerns, it is also important that we look at the long-term improvement plan to ensure that the changes we make for the short term will not sabotage best practices for years to come. Being transparent about all of the changes and giving the why behind them is a critial piece in ensuring that the faculty on our campus will buy into the necessary cuts and shifts in budget. 

References

Burnette II, D. (2019). Just How Much Does Money Really Matter? Education Week, 38(34), 13–14

Harwin, A., Lloyd, S. C., & Blomstrom, O. (2019). Charting the Continued Friction Between K-12 Spending, Equity. Education Week, 38(34), 10–13.

Thoughts on Implementing Curriculum Change

        When implementing a change in curriculum, educational leaders need to keep in mind that oftentimes teachers treat their content as if it were their children; and they tend to be very protective of it. Therefore, it is imperative that these changes are not only relevant and meaningful, but also that key teacher leaders are included in designing the scope and sequence within their respective content areas.
This empowers teachers to take ownership in the new curriculum while ensuring that is designed to meet the needs of the students on their campus and in their classrooms. A major challenge, especially for district leaders in bigger school districts, is that they are oftentimes several steps removed from the campus level (as is the case in my former district). Now that I am in a much smaller district, I see that the challenge is still the same, just on a more manageable scale. 

         The best way for district leaders to partner with campus level teachers  to  ensure that curriculum is being followed is to make regular visits to their assigned campuses,  conduct walkthroughs in classrooms and sit in on PLCs. As a district leader, I would want to see lesson plans posted outside each classroom, so I can glance at it before walking into a classroom. Knowing what is supposed to be happening on any given day in a classroom makes it easier for campus and district level leaders to know what to look for as they walk in and out of classrooms.

        Furthermore I would also want to see the objectives and I will statements displayed clearly and conspicuously so I know what to look for. Viewing posted lesson plans, objectives  and I will statements.    These elements not only give me something to discuss with teachers either privately or in PLCs, but these elementst also help the students know what they will be working on each day, and what their goals are. Conducting learning walks and calibration walks are also great to help teacher leaders know what refinements need to be discussed in their respective PLCs. 

DeMatthews, D. E. (2014). How to Improve Curriculum Leadership: Integrating Leadership Theory and Management Strategies. Clearing House, 87(5), 192–196. https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1080/00098655.2014.911141

Accountability Incentives: It's not just about core

      While I do agree that there needs to be some accountability measures in place so that teachers can continue to improve their practice and schools can increase student achievement, the "one-size-fits-all" approach does not work. When too much emphasis is placed on the results of on arbitrary test given on one particular day, the pressure that is placed on both students and teachers is stifling. The No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) caused a lot of unnecessary stress on teachers to perform, because it is difficult to control every  student's behavior and study habits, not to mention the external factors that can preoccupy students' minds on any givien day.   It is important to recognize that "the learning process for every school, like every child, is a personalized journey of continuous improvement" (Elgart, 2016).  Students all learn differently, and teachers must have the freedom to make adjustments to their curriculum based on the needs of their students. 

        Furthermore, a child's education includes more than just the four core subjects; therefore, districts that connect monetary incentives to student achievement scores should also consider incentivizing growth and student achievement in the elective classes as well. One major advantage to including elective teachers is that they will naturally want to increase the rigor in their classes, which in turn helps student achievement cross-curricularly. As a former electives teacher, I personally felt discriminated against since I did not qualify for any monetary incentives. As an  AVID elective teacher, every skill I taught my students had a direct, positive impact on their achievement scores in their core classes. The same can be said for fine arts teachers, Career Technology Education teachers and physical education teachers, etc.. Therefore should not all of these teachers receive some credit for helping their students achieve higher test scores? I say yes. elective teachers should not be "penalized" or made to feel less important than core teachers by not including them in incentive allotments. However, diving deeper into the why behind it is  a subject best left for a later discussion. 

    

Elgart, M. A. (2016). Creating state accountability systems that help schools improve. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(1), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721716666050

The Importance of Developing a Positive Digital Footprint

   Technology and our access to it affects us and almost every aspect of our lives. I remember a time when I had midnight curfew, and my mom worked nights. My brother and I had to race home to our rotary phone that was attached to the wall and call my mother at her work before midnight, or we would

be grounded for a month! Today, both of my daughters have cell phones, and I get frustrated with them if they don't answer their phones when I call them. If I leave the house without my cell phone, I will turn around and go back to get it, even if it means I will be pushing it to be on time to work. Back in the day, I would have to go from store to store in search of the things I wanted or needed. Now, I can not only search the internet from virtually anywhere to find the best deals on those things, but also have them delivered to my doorstep. Our society has become so dependent on technology that it is very difficult to function without it.

The advances in technology have allowed schools to go one-to-one, so students can take their Chromebooks or iPads home to do homework and complete digital projects outside of school hours,
which allows them to dig deeper into topics and be more creative in their presentations. Students essentially have access to social media 24 hours a day. The problem with this, however, is that students

cannot escape the cyberbullies. I was bullied as a kid--like a lot of people, but I knew that once I got home, the bullies couldn't get to me. Today, cyberbullies can text, tweet, and post hurtful comments, and the victims cannot escape it, unless they turn their phones and computers off. Fights are oftentimes started through social media and finished in real life at school.

           Many students do not take into account that all of their time online, positive or negative, leaves a footprint. They do not realize that anything they post is out there forever, and anyone can find it, no matter how old the posts might be. Last summer, a prospective employer told me that he looked me up on Facebook and found that we had some mutual friends, which gave us an opportunity to connect. This made me really stop and think about the the

types of things I post online. Because digital footprints and tattoos can have a profound effect on a young person's future, digital citizenship must be taught from an early age. Furthermore, students need to be aware of the unintentional footprints they leave as they browse from one site to another. This unintentional foot traffic is what cultivates the types of ads that people see as they move through the digital world. Even Netflix gathers information on your viewing habits, so they can add recommendations based on your viewing habits.

           As my students create their e-portfolios and make adjustments, I try my best NOT to micromanage their content. Because most are beginners at creating their eportfolio, I do give them lots of suggestions of things they can include. Most of the portfolios assignments have a minimum requirement so they know what they have to include, but then I leave the rest up to them. I also think is important for teachers to model good portfolio development. When I introduce something new, I open up my own e-portfolio so they can see what I have included. My students like it, because I am not asking them to do something I am not already doing. Furthermore, students can see first-hand a real-world application of the e-portfolio by looking at mine. I want them to know that creating an eportfolio is not just busy work. I also want them to know that creating an eportfolio is one way they can deliberately cultivate their digital footprint.

Decoding Digital Citizenship

        The word citizenship carries several definitions; therefore, one must decide which definition to use when answering this question. When thinking about citizenship within the context of this course, digital citizenship is essentially the same as citizenship. Because most young people are connected digitally in some form or fashion, the digital world and the real world often intersect with one another." It is difficult to find where one ends and the other begins (Ribble, 2015)." 

      I define digital citizenship as the ability to function safely and responsibly in a digital environment. It is up to us as educators to teach our students what that looks like, and we must model good digital behavior for our students. Exhibiting poor digital behavior often carries over into the real world, damaging others' self-esteem and physical health. Therefore, it is imperative that educators teach students how to be kind, positive, and responsible citizens both online and off. 

        Of the nine elements of digital citizenship, the one that is most important for my students is digital access. My school is 80% socio-economically disadvantaged, and I knew that many of my students had trouble with having internet access. However, I did not realize the extent of this inequality until last year. The  COVID-19 Pandemic brought to light the very real disparity of technology access among our students, and I worried about not only their inability to complete homework assignments and attend virtual classes, but also their ability to access their basic needs. Our district did its best to provide Park-and-Learn areas in campus parking lots by boosting the wi-fi signals and issuing hundreds of hot spots for students to have at-home internet access. Furthermore, they worked to provide meals for our students who would otherwise go hungry. 

         The second most important element is digital communication. Many of our students do not have a concept of what is appropriate communication, and what is not. We have students getting into serious trouble over cyberbullying, sexting, or sharing inappropriate pictures of themselves on social media. Furthermore, these types of communique often compromise their safety and security which can have unpredictable and unpleasant consequences.

         Additionally, students need to be taught how to communicate appropriately with others through email. Some just do not understand that they should not use the same language to address their teachers as they would their friends. I am constantly modeling appropriate ways to ask teachers for help and inquire about grades and assignments. I even set aside time during my class on certain days to help my students compose emails to their teachers so they sound more professional and respectful.

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Online Course Design--Final Thoughts and Wrap-up

    In these uncertain times, teachers are being required to plan for virtual and face-to-face learners at the
same time. Some districts are trying to help teachers with these skills, but there is little campus-level support.  For this reason, the Digital Learning Workshop is designed to help teachers acquire those tools necessary for delivering online instruction to their students. Communication is a key component of any course, whether it be online, face-to-face, or a combination of the two. Google classroom is an LMS that lends itself nicely for such communication. I will be able to communicate directly with my learners, keeping them updated on changes, upcoming deadlines, and the addition of new learning modules.  In turn, learners can communicate with me via private message or the classroom stream.

      I designed the modules to be self-paced so learners can access and complete the modules when they have time. However, I have given a deadline for learners to complete the modules so I can go in award professional development credits promptly. This becomes important for those teachers who have to accumulate professional development credits to renew their teaching certificates on a regular basis.   

       Google Classroom is set up to send out notifications to learners who are enrolled in the course, so when I add modules to the Digital Learning Workshop (DLW) or make changes to the existing modules, learners automatically receive an email, provided they have not disabled notifications. Because learners do have the ability to turn off their notifications for this course, I will also send a separate email informing my learners of important additions to the DLW, so they will not miss opportunities for further professional learning. 

      The pre-course and post-course surveys that my learners complete will drive the creation of future courses. Therefore, instead of creating arbitrary learning modules on tools I THINK my learners need to know how to use, I will be using my learners' responses to customize the digital learning on my campus. One thing I will do differently in creating these courses will be to incorporate more opportunities for discussion and collaboration among content and teachers.  Furthermore, as campuses continue to move toward hybrid or online learning, it will be on me, other digital learning specialists, and administrators to stay abreast of the latest digital learning trends and instructional practices to ensure that our learners receive quality professional learning that will help them continue to be successful in their classrooms.

         Finally, in order for me to continually improve each module and course that I design, learners will complete surveys that will evaluate their effectiveness, as well as offer suggestions for improvement. As I look to improve the existing courses and create new ones, my skills will continue to improve as well. Whether I end up as an assistant principal or a digital learning specialist, my goal is the same: to support teachers by equipping them to teach their students to the best of their ability. To do this, I must listen to my teachers as well as continue to research digital tools that will help them accomplish this. 

Can F2F classes go digital?

 

      For this week's assignment, we were tasked with looking at courses in our schools that could be redesigned to be online courses. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it is that any class can be converted to an online format.  In fact, teachers are doing this every day to accommodate their virtual learners. For many students, virtual learning is their new reality for many different reasons, and our teachers are stepping up and accommodating them brilliantly. AVID and College and Career Reading are two such courses that can be designed for online learning. 

           AVID is a college and career readiness program that is geared toward the academic middle. This class requires students to be enrolled in at least one course of rigor (Pre-AP, AP or Advanced). This class supports students by helping them with organization and time management skills, writing and critical reading skills, and interpersonal skills. One major piece of all AVID classes is AVID tutorials. Tutors are hired to come into the class twice a week and facilitate a sort of Socratic seminar to help them with their academic classes. Students come prepared with a Tutorial Request Form (TRF) which helps students organize their thinking and drill down to the part of the problem that is confusing or troublesome. This class is a challenge to turn into an online course, but it can be done using interactive tools such as Google meets for virtual tutorials and Google Sites or Slides to build digital notebooks. Most assignments, including the TRF, can be digitized using various apps and tools. Furthermore, due the COVID pandemic, hundreds of colleges and universities have developed virtual tours of their campuses, which allows students to their favorite colleges from the comfort of their own homes.  Moreover, guest speakers can join our class via Zoom or Google Meet, and the students can type questions into the chat, or click the raise hand button to ask questions. 

         College and Career Readiness is a class that prepares 8th graders for college by helping students discover their interests and passions and introducing them to the many high school endorsements and tracks they choose from. These endorsements have been developed to help students gain experience in their areas of interest, thereby paving the way for entry into their chosen college or career path. This class is one that can easily be turned into an online course. Edpuzzle makes it easy to turn any video into a lesson. PearDeck can also be used to turn slides into interactive and collaborative lessons. Every unit can be taught exclusively online, while the teacher facilitates via web conference on a daily or weekly basis. In this instance, the teacher becomes not only a facilitator, but also a valuable resource that students can utilize when they need clarification on lessons and concepts. Teachers can also utilize apps such as Screencastify to record how-to videos or visual aides, and other apps such as Quizlet and Gimkit that can help students learn vocabulary and other facts through the various interactive games and challenges that these kinds of apps have to offer.  Furthermore, there are dozens of  free quality apps and extensions  that teachers can utilize, as well as many more that can be paid for by the district for educational use. In today’s digital world, there are many ways for any class to be redesigned for use as an online course. 

Asynchronous Learning for Teachers

          With the exception of their own lessons, the resources my learners need to successfully complete each module are housed within the course in Google Classroom. Learners will complete and submit each assignment in Google Classroom.  While the modules are self-paced and fall on completely online on the continuum outlined by Bates (2015), I set a deadline for turning assignments so I could award them PD credit in a timely manner. Most teachers do not like to simply complete arbitrary assignments that they will soon forget in order to earn their professional development credits. The most engaging professional learning courses for me have been the ones in which the end product of the course was something I could take back to my class and use immediately.

        My overarching goal for this course is to give my learners the opportunity to use their own curriculum to complete some of the assignments. Most of the modules have a tutorial assignment to familiarize learners with the app, followed by another assignment that requires them to utilize their skills to digitize one of their lessons.  This piece, I believe, is the key to making the modules in Digital Learning Workshop more meaningful to my learners. They will learn new skills while building lessons and activities that they can take back to their classrooms and teach, as well as share with their fellow content teachers. My learners are much more likely to engage with the assignments in each module if they get  to experience the ways that the tools and apps taught within Google Classroom can apply to their subject areas.  I also planned some collaborative pieces, such as the lesson share Padlet and the Flipgrid reflections.  My hope is that these collaborative reflections will inspire conversations among content teachers that will lead to more lesson sharing and more consistent curriculum delivery.  

      As more OERs become available to learners, I envision the role of the teacher as more of a facilitator (Bates, 2015).  I think school districts need to look into the possibility of starting an online school in order to relieve some of the burden currently placed on most of our teachers. Since virtual teaching is most likely here to stay, it makes sense to open a school that houses the virtual teaching format. Virtual students deserve to have teachers who understand the ins and outs of virtual teaching and can provide a much more robust online curriculum. As one who must teach virtually as well as face to face, I have learned that it is difficult to cater to both face-to-face students and virtual students at the same time. In order to streamline lesson planning, I have designed most of my lessons to cater to  my virtual students. However, my f2f students have really appreciated the shorter lectures and longer work time in class. 

Bates, A.W. (2015) Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning (Chapters 8-10). Retrieved from

https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/

The Digital Learning Workshop-Making Adjustments

      The Digital Learning Workshop is coming along nicely. It is hard for me to believe that this course is almost complete. I was really nervous about it when I started this class. How was I going to design a 5-week course in such a short amount of time???? How would I chunk the information, and how would

I build the assignments in a manner that my learners would be able understand and complete them? Is it too late to change classes (kidding, not kidding)? These are just a few of the questions that went through my head as I began thinking about this course. HOWEVER, once I wrapped my brain around what I wanted this course to be, and I did A LOT of research. It finally began to flow. 

     One thing that has worked to my advantage is my process:  I tend to build and experiment as I outline. I do this with my writing, and I do this with projects.  I guess it goes back to me being a constructivist at heart. I am also one who needs to see the project I am outlining so I can add the details and resources that goes into tackling an endeavor such as this class. Creating this course has been an eye-opening experience for me; I have taken many online courses but have never built one before. I was reminded of  something I have said many times in the coaching world:  It is one thing to participate in a sport, but it is quite another to coach it. A coach has to break down the skills needed to play a sport, chunk the learning into sections so her athletes don't go into cognitive overload, and differentiate the teaching of those skills based on the skill level of her athetes. 

    That saying has played a huge role as I began putting my course together in Google Classroom. For example, as I was outlining the last half of my course this week, I realized that the assigment I was writing for my Google Sites module was too long. Consequently, I chunked it into two assignments.  As I was designing another module last week, I realized that the skills I was wanting to teach really needed to be broken into two separate modules, so I had to cut a big chunk and go in a slightly different direction. Moreover, once I roll this course out and  I get some feedback from my learners, I will undoubtedly go back and refine certain pieces to make it better for the next round of learners! 

     In summary, building this professional learning modules has made me appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating online courses (or any course for that matter).  Building this course has stretched my thinking and helped me grow as an educator by making me look at teaching through a completely different lens. Not only will this experience make me a better teacher, but it will also help be become a more effective administrator. 

Digital Learning Workshop-Learning by Doing

          The course I have designed  stems from my Professional Learning Plan I created in another class. With the exception of the initial web conference, it is 100% online and asynchronous. Since this pandemic has forced school districts to rethink their approach to meaningful lesson delivery, developing a Digital Learning Workshop seemed the best way to help teachers and staff develop the skills necessary to thrive in a blended environment. I have developed 5 modules for this course, with plans to add more as I continue to gather information on teachers' digital learning needs. Most modules are chunked into 2 assignments.  The first learning activity is basically a tutorial of a Google app such as Google Docs. In the second activity, teachers will apply their new skills to transform one of their lessons into an activity that both face-to-face students and virtual students can complete. I have incorporated a variety of tutorial videos for learners to watch as they work through the initial assignments. These videos are also there for them to review as they begin building their digital lessons.  Their assessments will the completion of each lesson, and will be graded based their inclusion of a set of required skills. In a way, they are formative since they will be required to use a standard set of skills within the activities. 

       As I read Chapter 6 of our book, Bates (2015) explains the difference between technology and media. I found it helpful because it helped me recognize that I am using technology to provide my learners with modules that will help them differentiate their lessons and teaching methods through the use of various media platforms. Furthermore, Bates said it best when he said, "we need to know how best to design and apply media (rather than technology) to facilitate learning (Bates, 2015)." This statement resonated with me, since my big goal for this year has been to go paperless. I have experimented with many different digital learning apps and extensions in order to find ones that work well for me and my studentse in order to utilize our Chromebook technology on a greater scale. This is the very reason I utilized apps such as Padlet and Flipgrid for the module reflection pieces. I want my learners to experience different ways to give and receive feedback, so they can take those apps back to their classrooms and incorporate them into their own lessons. 

            Since learners will be creating their own e-portfolio with Google Sites in Module 4, I would say that activities for my course fall somewhere between constructivist and connnectivist (Bates, 2015). I know that teachers are busy and don't want to waste their time doing busy work. Therefore, I want my learners to actively engage with the material to not only create something they can use with their

classes, but also share their with fellow teachers in their respective content areas. Sharing lessons is a great way for teachers to collaborate with their teams to build a pool of activities that all can use. For example, one teacher may create a Google Slides presentation introduce a unit, while another teacher creates a HyperDoc that contains links to videos, websites, and a variety of activities that will help their students gain a deeper understanding of that unit. 

             As I have continued to build this course, I have made several adjustments to ensure that I have chunked the learning into meaningful increments that do not overwhelm learners with too much information at once. For example, once I began outlining Module 2 Google Slides and Peardeck, I have recognized that, in order to teach both apps properly, I need to chunk the information further by creating a separate module for PearDeck. I have no doubt that I will continue to make adjustments as I progress through the remaining modules in the course. Furthermore, because a lot of teachers are still not comfortable with my LMS, I felt it necessary to build a tutorial on Google Classroom. I want my learners to be comfortable using Google Classroom as they work through the other modules, especially those who may come from a district that uses another LMS like Schoology or Canvas. 

Bates, A.W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Retrieved January 30, 2021from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/ 

Planning my Online Course-Where to Start?

   As I  have said many times, this pandemic has permanently altered the face of education.  Teachers and administrators alike have had to rethink everything they know about lesson delivery and content mastery. While some have embraced the change and are moving forward at full steam, others are still struggling with the technology tools that have become a requirement. I am sure that higher education institutions are adjusting their instruction to help future teachers incorporate these digital learning tools into their lesson plans; however, there is still a bit of a learning gap. For this reason, I have chosen to develop professional learning modules using an experiential approach. My main goal for this workshop is for teachers to create lessons that they can take back to their classrooms for immediate use. My thinking is that I don't want this PL to be "one more thing" they have to do; rather I want teachers to experience using various Google apps and add-ons, and seeing how these apps can be applied to their content.

      Learners will have to submit their projects and will be assessed based on a rubric, which will lay out all of the required elements. Since I fully intend to use this online course as professional development, I am hoping that my learners will be able to earn PD credits once they successfully complete each module. Although I plan to have a Google meet to kick off the workshop, this course be self-paced course that learners can work through on their own time. This will, in theory, reduce the cognitive overload that can happen during traditional lectures  or PLs. I know I have felt at times like I was being fed information through a fire hose, so-to- speak. That is never fun, and I rarely walk away from  those PLs remembering anything useful. I want my learners to enjoy building lessons that will work for their virtual students as well as their face-to-face students, so they will be more apt to embrace digital learning and the richness it can provide to all students.  Furthermore, by modeling an online learning environment, I feel that my learners will see that there a variety of ways to deliver curriculum and see the value in redesigning their lessons to meet the needs of all of students, 

      One  piece I will be incorporating into the modules is reflection. I strongly believe that a great educator engages in reflective practice, which helps self-evaluate and refine teaching skills. By having my learners  reflect on their learning as well as the execution of their lessons, I will be able to only refine the existing modules in the digital workshop, but also help me plan for further learning on my campus. Another important piece to online learning, in my opinion, is collaboration. As humans, most of us need interaction with others. Sharing lessons with one another is a great way to collaborate and get feedback. Furthermore, having a partner or a group of people who are working on similar content is a great way to "work smarter, not harder."  Under ideal circumstances, I envision content teachers trading lessons that they have created, so that teachers can have a digital database to pull from as needed. This is the reason that I will be including a padlet for teachers to post the lessons they create. 

Online Course Design: The Future of Education

    School is back in session, and this course is going to be quite the challenge. We are being tasked with building an online course. I am both excited about this challenge and a bit nervous about it at the same time. 

       After watching the video outlining the different theories (LearningDctr., 2010),  I definitely feel I that I have adopted  a constructivist approach to teaching. I learn by doing, so I tend to teach my students in the same manner. Moreover, I find that my students are more engaged in the learning when I give them enough information to get them started and let them work through the lesson/activity, asking questions as needed. As I design my course, I will take a constructivist approach, while making sure that my learners have an opportunity to reflect on their learning (cognitivism) and apply what they have learned in their own classroom setting (connectivism).   Since "the primary objective of any eLearning course is to give ... learners the information and skills they need to improve some aspect of their lives" (Pappas, 2019), applying Gagne's 9 Events to my online course works very well, providing a path on which to follow. Therefore, I feel Gagne's 9 events will prove invaluable to me as I plan a comprehensive course that  will help my learners meet the objectives. 

          As I began reading about the UbD (Understand by Design) framework, I realized that I already utilize the backwards design process to some degree in most of the lessons I teach already. Now that I am teaching face-to-face and virtually at the same time, I do tend to state  objectives and goals more clearly, in the way of "I will" statements on a daily basis.  When I let students know what the goals and expectations are, they seem to feel more confident in taking the first steps toward reaching those learning goals. Even though this year is my first true experiece teaching virtual students, I have pushed myself toward blended  learning over the past few years. Because I teach in the cafeteria (affectionately referred to as the classeteria), I made the commitment to go 100% digital. I feel that this has prepared me, in a small way, for this course. For this project, I will definitely have to shift my thinking a bit more, so that the modules I create can be completed with little or no face-to-face interaction. 

     Since I will be interviewing for assistant principal and digital learning specialist positions in the very near future, my audience will be adult learners on my prospective  campus. I want to design an online course that will help my teachers gain the skills they need to help their students thrive in a blended or 100% online learning environment. I will use the UbD framework to flesh out  the professional learning plan I created for a previous course, essentially putting that plan into actionable, authentic professional learning modules that I can present to prospective employers. One of the common questions that I have been asked in interviews is "What can I bring to their campus/district?" This online professional learning course will be a great piece to "bring to the table'" so to speak.  One thing has become evident to me: this pandemic has changed the face of education, and we must support our teacher in developing a different approach to teaching to increase their effectiveness in their classrooms (Bates, 2015).

References

Bates, A.W. (2015) Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning (Chapters 1 & 2).Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/

LearningDctr.(2010, June 17). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism & Learning and Instructional Theory [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOqgXjynd0 

Pappas, C. (2019, September 24). How To Apply Gagné's 9 Events Of Instruction In eLearning. Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://elearningindustry.com/how-to-apply-gagnes-9-events-of-instruction-in-elearning

MY e-portfolio--Putting the Pieces to Together

       One thing I have both appreciated and feared about the COVA approach is the freedom I have been given in the creation of my e-portfolio. However, the fact that I have such freedom is what has helped me to not only own my work, but also spend a great amount of time making sure that my voice is heard when people look at my e-portfolio.  Voice plays a huge role in how I want to be seen as well as the information I want to include. I am already seeing the value of documenting my educational journey, and I know that I will be able to look back in a year and be able to see what I have learned, as well as how much I have grown professionally and personally. 

      Over the course of the semester I have gained a whole new perspective on building an e-portfolio with purpose and creating it to be a living entity that will continue to grow and change as I continue my educational and professional journey. Not only will I continue to utilize my e-portfolio to document my educational journey as I progress from this program into my doctoral program, but I also plan to include my e-portfolio on my resume as I seek employment as either a digital specialist or an assistant principal. My e-portfolio will give prospective employers an in-depth look into who I am and what I can offer, which is much more than what is listed on my one-page resume. 

      Looking forward into next semester, I plan to use my e-portfolio as an example for my own students. As I have said in previous posts, I feel like I approached the teaching of the e-portfolio all wrong. Furthermore, I have come to realize that showing my students what I have built will help them get a feel for the content they might want to include, as well as the ways they can customize their siteto reflect their own style and voice. Additionally, they will see that I am not asking them to do anything I have not already done. I feel I am a much more confident and competent Google Sites user, and I will be able to guide them, piece-by-piece, in navigating the construction of their very own e-portfolio masterpieces! 

      Thus, I plan to start the new semester by re-introducing the e-portfolio with the COVA approach, which will allow my students to have more freedom to build it in a way that not only makes more sense to them, but also in a way that will be for FUN for them! Furthermore, I hope that I can teach my students the value of building and maintaining a portfolio that they can use in high school and beyond.

         FINALLY, I have included the link to my e-portfolio below. I hope you will take time to look it over, find some great information, and get to know who I am a bit better. Any feedback you have on my portfolio is welcomed and appreciated. Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

www.digitalshoe.org

Portfolio Show and Tell

       One thing I love about looking at other  portfolios, is that I get to see all the cool and creative ideas that my colleagues have come up with. The best portfolios I have seen are the ones that make me feel like

I have gotten to know their authors a bit better. When I feel a connection to the author, I tend to want to read more or dig deeper into their content. Furthermore, it gives me confidence to know that I am on the right track with my own portfolio. Another thing I have enjoyed about looking other portfolios from the DLL program, is that I get a sneak peek at what is expected from the remaining courses that I will take. 

     Being part of a program that fosters a highly collaborative environment is great because, isn't collaboration what we want to teach our students? I believe that more we learn to collaborate with each other, the more effectively we are able to teach our students to do the same. As a future administrator, I will be able to move my campus forward by facilitating the implementation of e-portfolios, as well as speak to the different ways they can be used as faculty not only build their own portfolios, but also teach their students how to begin building theirs. 

    As I have progressed through this semester, I have also gained a totally different perspective on what an e-portfolio should look like, as well as how I should approach it when teaching my students how to build one of their own. Furthermore, looking at various portfolios has helped me gain a better understanding of COVA and the freedom that comes with embracing its concepts. As I continue to organize and finesse my portfolio, I am confident that it will grow into something I will be proud to share with friends, colleagues, and prospective employers. With that being said, I welcome any and all feedback on my portfolio. I have included the link below. 

https://sites.google.com/view/digital-learning-and-sel/home

Who owns your e-portfolio?

     
  My first thought in answering this question is absolutely yes, it is mine! I feel that if I put the work in, then I should own it. However, after I read the articles, I realized that it really depends on what kind of information you are including in your portfolio. If I am simply working from a template or completing assignments that do not require original thought, then I would say that the teacher is the one who owns it. However, if I want my students ownership of their portfolios, then I must give them some control over what they include in their portfolios as well as the design of their portfolios. Rikard (2015) says it best when he states, "giving a student ownership over data means nothing if it doesn’t allow them to determine that data." While I do believe my students need a rubric to work from as well as a list of assignments required by our campus (i.e. the data tracker), they need the freedom to design their portfolio in  a way that  makes sense to them. 

      One of the ways I can help my students take ownership of their portfolios is to have them reflect on their learning in each class on a weekly basis. Reflection can take many forms, so having them explore their options  is a great way to help them figure out what works best for them. For example, one week I

could have them create an infographic that highlights their learning in science and how it will impact their lives.  The next week I could have them create a PowToon video that discusses their learning in Social Studies and its impact. They also should be exposed to blogging, which is a great platform for journaling and giving feedback to each other--much like we do in this discussion board. The great thing about all of the examples I have mentioned, is that I can show them personal examples of each of those. As Harapnuik (2019)points out, "[effectively modeling] what we expect our students to do with their e-Portfolio by showing them ours" makes the feedback we give them "much more valuable and more openly received." I also think that being transparent about our own struggles with the trial and error of designing our own e-portfolios gives our students permission to ask for help from others, which can lead to healthy collaborative discussions about how to build their own portfolios. When I hear my students having these kinds of collaborative discussions, I get a sense that they are beginning to take ownership of their work. 

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References

Harapnuik, D. (2019, May). Who Owns the portfolio? Retrieved November 30, 2020, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6050

Rikard, A. (2015, August 10). Do I Own My Domain If You Grade It? - EdSurge News. Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-08-10-do-i-own-my-domain-if-you-grade-it

My WHY for keeping an e-portfolio

  At the beginning of this school year, I decided that I would go 100% digital, and my students would keep a digital notebook--an e-portfolio. I took every online professional development course that the digital learning department in our district had to offer and became a Level 2 certified Google educator. I could not wait to impart my newfound wisdom to my students! I even created a Google resources and tricks site as one of my PD projects, so I could share it with my students and colleagues. My goal was to help my students become experts in the Google world, and help them create a digital presence that they could be proud of, and that my principal would be proud of as well.  I worked diligently to design a couple of different formats for my students to use, thinking they could simply duplicate one  and make it their own.  They added their own classes, but I told them how they needed to set it up. I told them what they needed to add to each page. I treated it like a traditional three-ring binder, which is totally the wrong thing to do.  In other words, I did not REALLY give them ownership of their portfolios. In fact, most of them are just regurgitated versions of the original portfolio template. As we are nearing the end of the semester, it is no small wonder that my students see their e-portfolios as just another assignment they have to keep up with.

       Now that I have had the opportunity to begin building my own e-portfolio through the Ed. Tech Leadership program, I have finally realized that I have done a great injustice to my students. I have taken AWAY their agency and creativity instead of facilitating it.  I have essentially taken the fun out of building their own portfolios, because I have not  allowed them to use their own voices.  As I was preparing to write this post, I was drawn to this quote: "An eportolio helps teachers see learning through the eyes of students and through effective feedback helps learners become their own teachers." (Harapnuik, 2019). By this time of the year, I should be seeing more of my students in their portfolios, and, although I have been giving my students a grade for doing what I have asked of them, I have not been interacting with them the way I should have. More importantly, my students are not interacting with each other's portfolios at all! I have become painfully aware that I have completely missed the mark on teaching my students the why behind the e-portfolio. 

        I tell this story as a part of my own reflective process, because "part of the reflective process is to have students tell stories about their experiences which brain research shows can help students embed these experiences into their long term memory. " (Barrett, n.d.) I have discovered the joy of blogging--of telling my story of growth and self-discovery.  It is through this candid reflection that I have realized the gross error in my initial approach with my students. Furthermore, realizing that I have taught something incorrectly to my students is perhaps more valuable to me than always reflecting on the stellar lessons. 

 

        NOW, as Paul Harvey would say, is "the rest of the story..." I have now decided that it is time for my students to scrap their e-portfolios and start at the beginning. I must teach my students the WHY behind keeping an e-portfolio, and WHY they should care about continuing to keep one long after they leave middle school. Although there are many great benefits to maintaining an e-portfolio, the one major idea I want to convey is "they will learn and begin to practice a process that will be used in life long and life wide learning pursuits." (Barnstable, 2010).  Beyond that, it is imperative that my students discover their own "why" behind creating an e-portfolio that they are proud to share with the world.  For me, I intend to use my e-portfolio for many years to come. I have already added it to my curriculum vitae so that those who are reviewing my doctoral application can  get a sense of what I have learned, who I have become, and what I have to offer. I have also added the link to my resume, so that potential employers can get a better picture of who I am and what I can bring to a campus as an assistant principal. I also designed my e-portfolio so that I can use it to collaborate with my colleagues. I have also created space where colleagues can go back and review professional learning that I intend to share in PLCs.  

        Ultimately, the time has come for me to share my e-portfolio with the scariest audience of all-- my own students-- and allow them to provide feedback, to create a dialog for learning, and to set them on the path to discovering their own "why" for building an e-porfolio one piece at a time. 

Why keep an eportfolio?

 Since I started this program a little out of order (EDLD 5389 and THEN 5302), I was a little confused and intimidted about the idea of creating an eportfolio for all the world to see. I then realized that this was exactly what I was asking my students to do. This brought me to the thought, "If I expect my students to maintain an e-portfolio, why not me as well?" This thought has really opened my mind to not only keeping my portfolio updated, but also sharing it with my students so they can see that I am sharing this journey with them.  As I read through the material for this week's discussion post, this quote  really jumped out at me: "A purposefully designed learning portfolio, ideally in the form of an electronic portfolio or eportfolio, would give students a platform that they could show future employers what they have done, what they are capable of doing and perhaps most importantly how they learned how to learn" (Harapnuik, 2015).  Because one of my main passions is figuring out ways to connect my virtual learners with my face-to-face learners, I designed my eportfolio to be a working portfolio that teachers can use to revisit learning modules that have been presented in PLCs. My hope is that my portfolio will become a place where teachers can come to glean ideas and plans, as well as share their own thoughts and ideas. I even have a page that is labeled Share Central for just that purpose. I wonder, however, if I am on the right track, or if I need to take my portfolio in a different direction. I guess that is the beauty of this course... we get to experiment with it and get some great feedback! 

Harapnuik, D. (2015, May 26). Making meaningful connections in an ePortfolio. It's About Learning. Retrieved November 19, 2020 from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5790

Lessons learned about COVA, growth mindset, and the importance of keeping an e-portfolio

 I have gained  a lot from my learning in Ed Tech Leadership program so far. I have been able to use the lessons, projects and assignments to facilitate conversations with my students as well as colleagues on my campus and within my my district. We have been learning about growth mindset in my classes, and the fact that I can share my own educational journey with my students has been both powerful and empowering. I have actually incorporated some of the assignments I have created in this program into my own lesson plans, and my students have responded very positively to the fact that we are all learning together! In fact, I cannot wait to write this next week's blog post, since I will be including some great insights from my very own students, and some seem to be SUPER impressed that I am an actual blogger! 

   

 

   

             Furthermore, because I have gone completely digital this year, I have asked my students to create their own e portfolios, in lieu of the traditional binder. Being able to show my students the practicality, functionality and--quite frankly-- the necessity of building an e portfolio has inspired me to continually update my own. I have found that when students can wrap their heads around the "why" of keeping their  e-portfolio, and experience the freedom of customizing it to fit their own needs and personalities, that they, too have begun to invest more time into creating something they can not only look back on and see their own progress, but also something they can truly be proud of. 

            Another reason for keeping up with my e-portfolio, is that I can include it on my resume as I apply for administrative positions, and on my curriculum vitae as I prepare my application for admission into the Educational Leadership doctoral program. I have found that an increasing number of employers are asking for e-portfolios either in addition to or in lieu of a traditional resume; therefore keeping my e-portfolio current is imperative as I look to move into other leadership positions.

         Utilizing the COVA model in my own personal learning has been both empowering and terrifying at the same time. I love the fact that I have the freedom to create an e portfolio that reflects not only who I am as an educator and professional, but also as a person. The fact that I am not merely creating a portfolio and checking items off of a list to receive a good grade is the part that has me feeling a little uncomfortable (one of my fixed mindset triggers). However, as I have become more comfortable with being uncomfortable, I have begun to invest more time into the "personality" of my e portfolio, so that it accurately reflects who I am and what I believe.

          Finally, one of the most important lessons I have learned thus far, is that I can give myself permission to allow students to exercise their own creative license as they complete assignments for me. Just today, one of my students asked me if she could use a different format to complete an assignment. I said yes, and I could just feel the confidence rise within her!  I have also learned that it is okay for me to share my failures with my students, which teaches them to embrace the process and discover the lessons in the mistakes they make as they travel along their educational path. It is exciting to hear them ask, in my opinion, one of THE most important questions--- what can I LEARN from this mistake, and HOW can I do better next time? The second most important lesson I have learned so far, is that, by helping them develop a growth mindsets as well as my own, I have been completely blown away by how quickly some of them have embraced it. Moreover, when I ask them to show me how brilliant they are, they DO just that! 

   If you are interested in experiencing  the  brilliance of  my students, be sure to read my blog post in Adventures of a Classeteria Teacher this Sunday, as I will be sharing some of their responses to this week's growth mindset question!