Reflection
As I look back on my participation and collaboration in EDLD 5315, I see that I was able to successfully complete most assignments and readings on time. The one assignment I did not complete on time was this reflection. This is the first time a course has required this type of reflection and in the midst of all that has been going on in my personal and professional life, I overlooked the assignment that was posted in the Week 1-3 Class Module. I deeply appreciate Dr. M’s support and guidance with helping me identify the location of this assignment. While I watched all of the recorded course meetings, it probably would have been better if I had prioritized participating in the live sessions. I doubt I would’ve forgotten to complete it if I had participated in the discussions both before and after the sessions began.
Unfortunately, this school year has proven to be way more time-intensive than any of my previous years teaching. Learning to balance the emotional and mental health impact of teaching this year with the required course assignments was a challenge for me. As I near the end of the program, I am beginning to recognize the importance of balancing how to be a lifelong learner with my profession. There is certainly a balance for it all.
Currently, I am able to complete assignments and readings. The format of this course has allotted plenty of time to complete readings, watch videos and collaborate with others. The challenge for me is ensuring that I am successfully understanding course expectations.
It appears that my core group of collaborators for this course included Jarrett Lindsey, Robin Ballard, Lindsey Wallace, and Vonn Miller. Jarrett provided support to me with rewording my key question for my action research and was a source of encouragement throughout the course.
Lindsey Wallace provided great support to me through help understanding submission format details and mentioned in one discussion post that avoiding a “neutral” category in the Likert scales for research helped prevent skews in data. Robin Ballard frequently contributed interesting discussion posts that helped me see common themes in education, such as student voice. Her posts helped me recognize the importance of including student voice in my action research project.
Vonn Miller helped me visualize the connections between the 7 Essential Life Skills (Galinsky) and the 7 Skills Students Need for their Future (Wagner). Doing so helped me ensure my action research addressed these specific areas. Critical Thinking and Problem solving, as well as critical thinking from Galinsky’s ideas were addressed through my action research because conceptual understanding is necessary in order to critically think. Additionally, both Wagner and Galinsky mentioned the importance of communication. My action research addresses the need for communication within the blended learning environment and attempts to determine how to support communication between students.
While I would not be able to say I truly took on a “leadership role” as much as Jarrett did, I still feel like I was able to contribute and learn from my peers. I posted my discussion posts in a timely fashion to allow others to contribute, connect and collaborate. When necessary, I used APA formatting to help communicate my ideas in an organized fashion. I did my best to contribute to others’ learning through my posts.
Looking back and reflecting on all of these ideas really helps me understand how I can improve my communication and collaboration for the last course. I now understand and grasp the significance of this assignment and can see the future impact this assignment will have on my learning.
Education with Meaning 