EDLD 5303 & 5313 Contribution to Learning

I will be one of the first ones to admit that I was a little apprehensive about the new courses upon the first week. This was my second session of taking courses in the ADL program and I felt that the first session was a struggle. I was still trying to figure out the concept of how many of the assignments were “open to your interpretation”. However, I feel like I have taken giant leaps forward in not only the content area but also the designing and presenting of my work. In the CSLE course, I started out slowly. I had trouble grasping some of the information and how it could be applied to my innovation plan. However, as I started gaining the concept and making the assignments as my own, I was able to finally feel more confident in my professional opinion and how I presented information. What I have learned from this course is that, although I play the role of the teacher, I am also a learner. During this fall session, I am also taking the E-portfolio course with Dr. Harapnuik. One of the biggest things that really hit home with me is how to capture my audience. When I was constructing my e-portfolio, I could always hear Dr. Harapnuik in my head “Who owns the e-portfolio?”. This is something I thought of constantly. It’s me! My e-portfolio should not only reflect my work as an ADL student, but also who I am as a person. This made me think of elements of myself I could include such as social media posts, pictures, and even my teacher podcast I created during COVID.

During this fall session, I have truly been blessed to be surrounded with professors and classmates who are supportive and want to see us succeed. It is not a competition between us students to see who can develop the best graphics or whose e-portfolio looks the best. It was always about building each other up through constructive feedback and virtual pats on the back while saying “You got this!”. During this session I was able to collaborate, offer and accept support from many of my classmates. Some of my fellow classmates that stick out to me are Dawn, Jasmine, Ashleigh and Bethany. The constant support of these individuals was something that I always felt like I could count on. During this session, I was able to collaborate with them through our Groupme chat and Zoom meetings. For my score for both 5303 & 5313, I am giving myself a score of 92. During the summer sessions, I feel like I was missing the collaboration component of this ADL program. However, having noticed that it is very difficult to complete the ADL without ever saying a word to anyone else, it became imperative that I had to get over my shyness and embrace my classmates by offering and receiving their support. What I hope to improve on in future courses is my continued communication with my classmates. I still sometimes have a problem with speaking up at times, however as I continue the program, I know it is something that I will need to do better at. However, to end on a good note, I am beginning to feel more confident in how I showcase my work. As I mentioned earlier, I was nervous about the “open to your interpretation” method of showcasing work. However, I am becoming more comfortable with modifying standard templates and models to fit my own uniqueness and style. This will truly benefit my students in the near future when they begin building their own e-portfolios.

September 6, 2022