Making Money Make Sense
Digital Leading and Learning Synthesis
Breathe in … breathe out... Rest. Within the last 14 months I have accomplished something that has felt so grandiose and scary, abstract, and even unattainable. Through the Applied Digital Learning (ADL) program at Lamar University, I have been through an ebb and flow of growth and development, and I now leave prepared to lead innovative change throughout my educational corner of the world.
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
-Theodore Levitt
Learning and Growth:
Being a leader, as Rosalinda puts so well in her Ted ED video, is about anticipating change, building relationships with others so you can grow and learn, and building the “emotional stamina” to abandon who you are or what you’ve done previously that has made you successful in the past. Through the foundation of a self- directed learning environment, I have acquired skills to become a leader of change at my school by developing an innovation plan in this program, specific to 1:1 counseling environments. In recognizing this, I was able to take initiative for meeting the learning goals because of the design of each course (COVA). In the ADL program, collaboration and teamwork were essential for authentic learning and development skills and plans. Discussion boards and weekly meetings shaped the diversity of our personal learning networks. In addition, each course presented itself with a variety of resources for us to take in and apply to our projects. It was up to me to determine what information applied to my own situation in order to synthesize authentic products. Having this eportfolio to create authentic work through choice, ownership, voice, has given me multiple opportunities to share this work in the digital world, as well as with my school administration. Because of the ownership that eportfolios provide, every piece of work was filtered through the lens of my current experiences in the educational world, and gave me the chance to publish a variety of works that I expect to drive innovation and change.
Impact:
The foundation of a constructivist approach is to develop knowledge and construct meaning through experiences. Identifying that I am a constructivist at heart has helped me me to develop significant learning environments that support my innovation plan, for both students and colleagues, In addition, I have developed instructional design for significant learning environments , curated and action research plan to demonstrate how being financially literate can benefit our students in school.
I have learned that in order to make a great impact and lead organizational change, I have to strategically develop significant learning environments that breed and model innovation to bring a culture shift among students and learners in my corner of the world. Understanding the different policies and practices through the Department of Education only better prepares me to develop lessons and professional learning experiences that teach students and colleagues how to analyze the financial aid world.
Leading:
Often, resistance to changes in counseling and teaching strategies or initiatives stems from a lack of support and guidance that is needed from beginning to end. Leading organizational change was extremely important in the ADL program. Successful transformation and innovation does not come without building stamina and grit. By developing effective professional learning that is active, collaborative, and ongoing, I now have the ability to lead others to dig their heels into the ground as they grow and succeed in developing their own.
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“ A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
John Maxwell
The baton passes from me to the next person. Just as I began my first year as a financial aid counselor, I now have the chance to help others become skilled innovators and agents of change. Building our innovation plans in this program and gaining knowledge and support throughout each course has given me the foundation to lead others through the fast changes that technology brings to digital learning environments. It is time to lift my head, look around all corners and possible outcomes, and shape what is to come in education. This program has given me the very best tools to truly be the leader that our educational systems so desperately need and I am looking forward with my head held high in anticipation for what the future may bring!
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