Contribution to Learning In 5318

During this Fall session, I took EDLD 5318 and EDLD 5320. At the end of our 8-week course, students are required to reflect on their time in class and assess their contributions. For this course, I rated myself a 98. I achieved this goal by completing my assignments ahead of the deadline, engaging in all of our class discussions with multiple responses, taking the initiative, and communicating frequently with fellow classmates, even outside the class via our GroupMe chat (which I created for both courses). I have also been told by my classmates that they used my work as an example to follow for turning in our assignments. They also reach out to me for help and guidance. So, I am valued among my peers.

I also give myself this rating because I busted my butt. I sacrificed family time, parties, and weekends with the kids because I had to write a paper or work on a project. Because I worked hard to get here. To this finish line. To this goal. The end of class. For not giving up and making it this far while taking two classes per session over 12 months. For the late nights, blood, sweat, tears (yes, literal tears- ask Dr. Johnson), and 2 a.m. chats with others and research papers. But if not for any of that. because I did it. I put in the effort, time, and work, and made it to this day. GRADUATION DAY!!!! The day I submit my final assignment. The day I never thought would be here, but it did come. The day I am most proud of!!

Personal Reflection:

Things that worked for me were working on my assignments ahead of time and not waiting until the last minute. I made an effort to complete all my readings, discussions, and replies, providing constructive feedback to multiple people. I worked during my school conference period, stayed late, and even worked nights after making dinner and tucking the kids into bed. I tried to plan accordingly, so I was ahead of the game.

This class was a lot of fun!! It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it.

For my first assignment, "Instructional Design," I detailed my context, the LMS I was using, and my stakeholders. I also created my Google Classroom, uploaded the material needed, and started mapping out my lessons. I also laid out the design approach and which model I would be using. This really helped me map out my vision and what I needed to make it cohesive.

For my second assignment, "Implementation Overview Outline," I created my video showcasing my Google Classroom setup and class material. While we were only required to map out the first two units, I mapped out the entire year, pretty detailed. I combined some class material from another teacher on campus, using her career exploration material, but then built out from scratch the VR assessments students would do with the equipment (if we had them).

For our third assignment, "Usability Testing & Reflection," I asked our stakeholders to review our classroom materials and provide feedback. We also had to record a video showing our results, things that worked, and what we would change after we received feedback. Overall, I'm very proud of the results I got. I need to make minor changes, and it was even suggested that we bring in someone from the real world to speak to the class about their careers, which I agree with. I received a lot of great feedback and data from my users. I believe they gave me honest feedback, and if something did not work or needed to be changed, they would have suggested it. Overall, I am proud of what I created and would actually teach this material in my classroom. I've reached out to the district about bringing VR into our district, and they said they would like to start it at the elementary level first. That high school doesn't think it would be something they'd like for their classes. So, I suggested they bring it to our CCR and Think Tank classes for their career exploration. Only time will tell.

Core Collaboration Group:
My core collaboration group comprised Kelsie Adams, Leslie Gutierrez, Veronica Mata, and Ayla Rightenour, These girls have been my group since day one, when we met in 5302 with Dr. Harrison. We have been in most classes together and talk daily about life, schoolwork, our actual classroom work, and life/motherhood. We've had Zoom call chats, and I've even driven across Texas to see two of them this summer and hang out for a bit. Leslie actually works across the street at the high school and came to my room during my conference at the beginning of our classes to work on her portfolio and learn how to use Wix.

When we had Dr. Johnson, we established ourselves as the ✨The Extras.✨. Kelsie came up with it for our discussion posts, and it just stuck. So, we've been doing that because we've always gone above and beyond with our classwork, giving more than what was asked of us.

I also created the GroupMe discussion board for the class. Throughout this course, numerous discussions took place, ranging from clarifying assignments to discussing graduation. I posted reminders for upcoming due dates and even shared a positive message with the group, expressing my pride in their hard work, not only in this class but also in the program.

I also talked to Benjamin Portillo, who graduated over the summer. He helped explain things. Our paths weaved throughout this course. He was a semester ahead of me, but we still had several classes together. He was my other buddy. In fact, we still talk about life, work, and school.

Conclusion:

So, in conclusion, I have gained considerable knowledge regarding this course and the other nine I have taken. As I reflect back on my 12 months, it was a lot. I get lost in the thoughts. The memories of staying until 6:00 p.m. writing lit. reviews, researching online in the school database, mapping out 3-year innovation plans, creating videos, outlines, and so much more. I am beyond proud of myself and everything I have created in this program. We have had some great discussions and thought-provoking talks. I have made friends in this course and grown both as a person and as an educator.

I look forward to the future and to applying this knowledge to help others in our field grow and become better, not only from within but also for our students.

Thank you, Dr. Bellard! Thank you for pushing us to think outside the box and for always being so supportive.