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!

Why Personal Learning Networks are important

 I love being part of groups that can help me grow in my field. As an AVID teacher, I belong to the official AVID website, which provides me with lessons and the curriculum I am to follow.  Being part of a learning community also helps me with networking and, quite often, leads me to others who can help with specific problems.  It also gives me confidence in helping others with similar issues, and I am able to pass on helpful hints and shortcuts to my colleagues, as they need help. As AVID Coordinator, one of my responsibilities is to provide teachers with AVID resources, and I have been sharing these resources  so they can be used digitally. 

TCEA has been a great resource as well, especially now that I am having to  teach virtually and face to face at the same time. They have also been sharing resources that address social emotional learning, which has been very important, given the current pandemic and the amount of students who are learning virtually. Additionally, John Sowash and Matt Miller have been invaluable resources for me, as I continue to stay committed to teaching 100% digitally this year. 

To further my personal interests, I watch bella coco to learn new crochet patterns and digital drummer because drumming is a passion of mine. I have  found that having hobbies is just as important as perusing professional forums. This keeps my brain fresh and helps me relax.

 

my.avid.org

https://tcea.org/

AVID Educators group https://www.facebook.com/groups/136575486926149

https://ditchthattextbook.com/

I also follow John Sowash on twitter  and youtube. He is a great resource for Google tutorials

https://bellacococrochet.com/ 

http://www.digitaldrummermag.com/

Got any interests or people you follow? Leave them in the comments below. I would love to check them out! 

The COVA Approach

COVA — is a learner centered active learning approach that gives the learner choice (C), ownership (O), and voice (V) through authentic (A) learning opportunitiesMy growth mindset voice LOVES the COVA model. (Harapnuik, 2018)

 I love to create new projects for my students to try. and I love the idea of being able to create projects that  are relevant to my own teaching. I am very right brained, so this idea of being given the creative license to complete projects with limited specifications makes my growth mindset voice very happy. However, the fixed mindset voice that has been trained to follow the guidelines to the letter so I can get an A in my class, really derail my productivity. It is this voice that makes me want to doubt myself and the validity and quality of my finished product. IT is this voice that longs for the proverbial checklist that I can check off to make sure I have followed the specifications of a particular assignment, so I can get the A. I have to tell myself that there are very few ways I could get it wrong, because the COVA approach to learning allows for creativity, ownership, my own authentic voice.

Because I have this conflict that swirls within my brain at times, I feel it is vitally important that I start using this COVA approach with my students now, so that they can avoid these kinds of fixed vs. growth mindset arguments that take place in my head on a regular basis.  I can become overwhelmed by having so much freedom to choose how I want to complete a project, that I sometime have a hard time getting started--that fear of making a mistake that will cost me the A. Once I wrap my head around, I am usually good to finish. I want to help my students AVOID this kind of anxiety by exposing them to the COVA model, starting with smaller projects and working up to the bigger ones. My goal is to help my students gain confidence in their own agency by giving them credit for the process, even if their final product is not exactly what they intended it to be. By sharing my own experiences with trial and error, and showing them that I make mistakes just like they do, I feel like it gives them permission to do the same.  I used to be afraid to make mistakes in front of my students. Now, I see that there is tremendous value in owing my mistakes and allowing the students to help me correct them. 

Source:  http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991

Growth Mindset Plan

Growth Mindset and Universal Design Learning

 Because I am teaching in the cafeteria this year (fondly referred to as the classeteria), I found it wildly important to go 100% digital. So far, it has worked well, with lots of grace and patience extended to both students AND The teacher. I do my best to maintain a growth mindset, especially with how we have had to start the year; however, I have noticed that there are some things that make my tiny "fixed mindset" voice rise up and scream in protest--like grading procedures and the idea that I don't have to grade EVERYTHING my students do. Fortunately, my growth mindset  voice wins in the end, and keeps me on the right track. 

    I love the idea of Universal Design Learning, because it helps students to understand the "why" behind the lessons. So often, teachers focus so much on content that they forget to stop and explain the reasoning behind what they are learning. Over the last several years , I have done my best to explain to my students WHY we do some of the more complex things we do, the way we do them. I have found that when I do this, my students are able to focus better on competing their work. Conversely, when I tell them they have to do it a certain way "because I said so," fewer of my students will engage with the lesson or the work. Like most people, they just want to know that they are not just wasting their time by doing busy work.  

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

 For more years than I can remember, I have lived by the motto, "Improvise, adapt, and overcome."  This school year, more so than the last 20 years, this motto has served me well.  As a coach and a teacher, I have tried to teach my students that "I can't "  should not be part of their vocabulary; but over the years, I have learned that simply adding the word "yet" to the end of that sentence has made all the difference in their motivation for improvement. Over the years, I have seen those students who really grab hold of the "yet" work their way from lower level middle school sports teams to varsity level high school teams--a few even to college teams. This growth mindset is what I try to instill in every one of my students. 

     As I have gotten older, I have discovered the NECESSITY of maintaining a growth mindset. Without it, I just don't think I would have survived this long as an educator. This pandemic  has changed the face of education, and I have watched teachers with a fixed mindset panic, cry, and even quit. Those who continue to improvise, adapt and overcome, still get frustrated ( and maybe cry a little), but they keep pushing through, finding solutions to the problems they run into, and working collaboratively with others to help them along the way as well. 

Flipped Classroom Discussion-Why should we do it?

 

    I have heard of flipped classrooms before, but did not really think they would really work for me; however, now that "Rona" has forced us to redefine the way we view education and rethink our lesson delivery, I am thinking now that I want to give it a try. Using a flipped classroom style may be the answer I have been looking for--a way to connect my F2F students and my virtual students in a truly collaborative manner. By recording my lectures ahead of time, I can play them in my class, then walk around the room and help my students with the pieces they need extra time with. Furthermore, I can have a couple of my more responsible students log into the Google meet so they can interact with my virtual students, answering questions, or helping them get the attention they need by asking those questions for them. I am figuring out that my students WANT to help each other, and this may be a great way for them to engage. 

       I think this type of PL needs to be modeled because this type of learning model can be very intimidating to those who have never seen it before. For example, before watching the videos, I never would have considered trying a flipped classroom. I did not think that I could do it, given my subject area. However, watching the videos on flipped classrooms has inspired me to search out more FC videos and try this style in my classroom this next week! As a future digital specialist or assistant principal in charge of digital learning, it is important that I  take these types of risks in my classroom, so that I know exactly what I will be asking of my teachers. 

Grace and Patience!

 As I think about the start of this year, I think about what a crazy time we are living in!  If we are not comfortable being uncomfortable, then wHe might as well just quit our jobs right now and go work at Walmart, HEB, or McDonalds! We are all navigating through uncharted waters with virtual, face-to-face, and blended learning, all while wearing a smile under our facemasks.  We have been in school for three weeks now, and the rules have changed no less than seven times.  I KNOW I have made many mistakes already, but the key for me is to own those mistakes and ask my students for forgiveness, grace, and patience.  I want them to know that I am ok with them making mistakes, just as my principal is ok with me making mistakes. I want them to take risks with their learning and let me know what they want to learn about. I think is incredibly important for our students to know that we are learning right beside them, as we all navigate this school year, and we are ALL going to get through it together.  Whether they realize it or not, I am helping them develop a growth mindset, which will help them for the rest of their lives. 

Why do we need digital coaches?

   

Why do we need digital learning coaches?   

    I have been teaching for 22 years. In that time, I have ALWAYS had a classroom. However, this summer, I find out that I will NOT have a classroom of my own this year. This caused me to rethink lesson delivery and design, as well as what to do with all of my STUFF! As I was preparing for this school year, I made the decision to go completely digital. Our  students grew accustomed to working out of Google Classroom during the spring when the pandemic chased us all into the comfort of our own homes, and I could simply digitize all of my handouts. To go digital, I knew I needed to spend some time learning how to use the different apps Google had to offer (we are a Google district), so I spent the second half of my summer becoming a Level Two Google Certified Educator. I did not mind doing this, since I embrace technology and enjoy using various programs and apps to learning for my more engaging. This is already paying off, because we are having to post all of our lessons in Google Classroom for our virtual and face-to-face students, in preparation for any micro closures or quarantines that may occur because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Not all teachers are comfortable with technology.

    In fact, I have been helping several of the teachers with digitizing their lessons and coaching them on how to use the different Google apps. I enjoy helping them, but this takes time away from my own curriculum planning time, and quite often I am up late making sure that I have prepared lessons for my own students. This made me think about our district professional learning model and how it really has not prepared our teachers for the level of digital competency needed to thrive in a blended learning environment. The professional learning is offered, but one has to go looking for it. Because they are intimidated by technology, technophobes will not see the value in taking advantage of digital learning courses. This has caused me to really think about our current PL model and what our district can do to help teachers on all levels of digital competency. I have come to the conclusion that teachers would greatly benefit from having a Digital Learning Coach assigned to each campus. This would ensure that teachers would receive the type of personalized, ongoing digital professional learning that they are so desperately in need of. 

Watch my Call-to-Action video below:

You can't talk the talk; you must walk the walk!

 One of the best things our district has done is create Content focus sessions (CFS) that allow content teachers to gather together and receive  professional  learning that applies to their subject area. However, I do know that not all CFS's are created equal...For example, when I was a writing teacher, the PL I attended was more "sit and get," and I rarely walked out of a PL with strategies that I ended up using. However, when I moved into AVID, the CFS's tended to be much more engaging. Our district leaders model teaching strategies and activities that are part of our curriculum; therefore, I am much more likely to "go and show" those strategies  to my students.

  As with anything, collaboration without purpose is pretty much useless, and it usually ends with people being frustrated, wishing they could be doing something more specific to their content area.  It is interesting that when we talk about teaching our students to collaborate, we emphasize the need to make it meaningful, yet we forget that adults need a common goal as well.  

One theme that has been developing on our campus, is the need to help our students socially and emotionally... We have heard a LOT of talk about it, and there has  been some PL established to really help our teachers; however, I am not sure how many of our teachers are aware of it. I feel that if we had an SEL coach on our campus on a regular basis to model for teachers , this would be a major game changer. Not quite sure if this is what I will do my Call-to-Action on, but I am definitely leaning in this direction...

Professional Learning: What works?

     In my experience, most PL is ineffective because of the "one size fits all" approach to teacher inservices. Up until the last 5 years, our district PD has been geared toward core teachers, and EVERYONE had to sit through it, even if it did not pertain to their subject. WE were required to attend a certain number of PD workshops throughout the year, which meant we had to secure a sub and leave our students. IF we could not get a sub, then we were stuck with not getting to go and having to figure out how we were going to make up the learning.  

    Over the last few years, however, our district has embedded Content Focus Sessions into our academic calendar at least once a six weeks.on these days, our students get the day off, eliminating the need for subs (a HUGE savings for the district), and giving teachers time to collaborate with other content teachers across the district (i.e., all secondary ELAR meet together,all math, etc. ) This model allows us to address content specific needs and make sure that we are aligning vertically as well as horizontally across the district. As an elective teacher, this PL model has been much more engaging and prescriptive. Furthermore, we have technology specialists who attend our PLCs once a month to help us with digital learning tools that we can use in our lessons. 

    Because of COVID, our district (like many others) has had to adapt our teaching methods to accommodate virtual, face-to-face, and blended learning students. This has forced our teachers to be more open to learning technology than ever before. Because I consider myself to be a "high flier," I have had an easier time with this transition. I consider myself to be a digital leader on my campus; however, most of the teachers on our campus are low-tech and average tech users.  As I think about our approach to digital learning PL, our district still teaches to the low tech teacher, which leaves the high fliers a bit frustrated.  I am hoping that I will be able to come up with a plan that will differentiate PL for teachers, just as we are expected to differentiate for our students. If teachers can personalize their PL, then they will be more apt to own their learning... and isn't that what we want for our students as well?