5315 & 5317 Score: 98
Summertime, but the living wasn’t easy…
On to the summer semester! Indeed, it would be so much easier because I wasn’t working, right? After all, I loved the new, organized Blackboard layout. Also, I improved my organization for classes ten-fold. I also knew my classmates well and continued to work collaboratively with them throughout our time together. Finally, and most importantly, it was SUMMER! I had all the time in the world! I engaged in but ONE job this summer – grad school!
As usual, my expectations didn’t meet my reality. I found myself planning around vacations instead of a 40-hour work week. In some ways, this was actually more difficult. While I completed my work in more beautiful venues, it was harder to focus in a space that isn’t your space. However, as usual, I learned a lot about myself along the way and continued to contribute meaningfully in both courses.
Key Contributions
Glows & Grows
Glows:
I am proudest of my leadership skills this semester! Because I was working away from my home and had very specific travel dates, it was vital that I completed assignments in a timely manner. In 5315, that meant jumping on the lit review. While my husband drove to Florida, used my hotspot and an offline google doc to take copious notes. Then, while I was visiting family in Florida, it meant skipping fun outings to type my lit review. In 5317, it meant organizing my groupmates – Kimberly Purvis and Stephen Lewis – so that we may complete our assignments early. For example, I knew that I was leaving to go home on July 16th, so I wanted to be done with the Media Pitch by the 15th. I also spearheaded the article rough draft by organizing our ideas and scheduling Zooms for my group.
Second, I am quite proud of the connectedness I maintained between the two classes. It was Stephen Lewis’ idea, to be honest. He suggested that we use our action research plans in 5315 as the basis for our media pitch. Not only did this create less work, but it also helped to keep me focused on one general concept throughout the semester, which reduced the brain space that grad school took up!
Grows:
The workload this semester helped me to reflect on my main goals as I work through the ADL program:
- Build confidence: I can implement my plan innovatively! I know that I have the right pieces in place.
- Increase flexibility: I am going to listen to feedforward regarding my innovation plan for the paperless office. It will keep me from getting stuck. I definitely have room for improvement here.
Both goals were consistent with my work in 5305, 5303, 5302, 5304, 5313, and 5389. As I grow as a leader, I will continue to build confidence in my abilities. Also, I will continue to hold my ideas loosely that I am open to change. That way, I can refrain from getting stuck.
Collaboration
I continue to be a proud participant of two collaborative groups for 5315 and 5317. The larger group consists of Charlie, Kelvin, Ileana, Erica, Andrea, Kim, Stephen, Danielle, Pedro, Andre, and others. I am a self-identified empath. That is, I enjoy helping others so much that I have to work to identify my own needs. This semester, I kicked up my involvement in the larger group even more than last semester. Not only did I share my class with everyone in our chat, but I also heavily supported my peers with questions. Finally, I shared my assignments with my larger group of classmates.
In our smaller group, I continue to grow my professional and personal friendships with Stephen and Kim. The three of us – coined by Stephen “The Three Amigos” – rarely go a day without chatting. I continue to grow with each assignment we share. I found it interesting that all three of us struggled with our focus this semester. Regardless, without their moral and intellectual support, I am certain I wouldn’t have performed as well. I’m grateful for their friendship on this path.
Peer Reviews
This semester, the publication for 5317 required a special collaboration – peer reviews of our work! Sara Garza reached out to me and we gave each other’s work feedforward. It was so helpful to get another set of eyes on our work. Sara made many suggestions and it was yet another opportunity to grow with my team as we reviewed, applied, or denied her suggestions!
Revisions
I made revisions constantly based on comparison and feedforward from my peers and from class, 1-on-1 meetings, and feedforward from Dr. M, Dr. Still, and Creighton. Examples include:
- As I tighten up my ePortfolio for my final grade, I improved my front page.
- I made minor improvements on each assignment for 5315 and 5317.
- Specifically – in 5317 Creighton suggested altering the introduction for our publication. I did so.
- Finally, my drafts were continually changing with the support and feedforward of my group.
This semester, I read every book, watched every video that I found, and read most of the other required readings listed in the Classroom Modules in Blackboard. My intention in grad school – and in life, really – is to keep learning, reading, reflecting, and connecting as long as I can. I see this as a constant need for improvement. I met all of the various course deadlines.
Supporting Contributions
Leadership Responsibility, Participation, and Communication
I’ve mentioned my love of writing in past Contributions to Learning. My blogs continue to be the basis of my learning in ADL – the opportunity to reflect and connect “dots,” or big ideas. By modeling my learning process, I believe I help others grow. Not a week goes by without a comment on one of my discussion board posts about how much someone enjoys my writing or how much they learned. That’s not to brag, but more to reflect the importance of the active role I take in my own learning. Really, the active (or inactive) role any of us takes in our learning.
As I said, I love to write. However, I feel like I am unable to put into words how much the ADL program means to me. The connections I make – from people to ideas – continue to push me to be a better leader, communicator, and person.
