Contribution to Learning and the Learning Community

Reflections

When I first started the Applied Digital Learning Program, I began in the summer, and even then, I struggled with time management. Finding a good balance remains a challenge. I was very worried about how I would be able to work full-time and keep up in the accelerated program, but it looks like I have almost completed two more courses successfully. During this session, I took 5303 and 5313. This time, I felt I knew a little about what to expect. Unlike the summer session, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that I would be working on my ePortfolio in some manner. I also knew my innovation plan would be at the forefront in both classes. 

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One of the first things I looked at during the course syllabus was the assignments. I was shocked that there were only two assignments for the 5303 course. I felt a little relief because one was the ePortfolio, and I knew I had already started one. I was thinking with more of a fixed mindset than a growth mindset. I didn't consider how much time and effort it would take to update and make improvements. I have made many changes since submitting it in the summer. I have added more blog posts, renamed and restructured pages, created new pages, and more. 

 

What worked

In 5303, I focused on posting blogs regularly. Although many of my blog postings were derived from discussion posts, I knew I had to be sure to post regularly. In my summer courses, I made the mistake of getting behind and struggled to create posts and complete assignments towards the end. Another thing that worked for me in 5303 was already having an ePortfolo. I didn't have to start from scratch. Although I know my site has a long way to go, I was grateful I had some experience rather than none. 

 

As I reflect on 5313, I am having difficulty thinking about what worked. One thing that comes to mind is I did not give up. I persevered! The assignments seemed to increase in intensity each week, and I was not sure if I would be successful, but I kept moving, and it all worked out.

 

What can I do better

One thing I could do better for both classes is balance time. Another thing I could do to get a deeper understanding of the course material is to take notes while watching videos and clicking on various links. When I started to study, I often read or heard information that I could have used later, but I would forget where it was. So, I would have to go back and try to find it, which took a lot of time. 

 

Learning Community

I am grateful to have classmates to collaborate with on various assignments. I worked in both classes with James Rawls, Stacey Powell , Anna Diemecke, and Adrianne Ortiz. I worked with Kelly Skillingberg, Valary Patterson, Tonya Logan, and Chris Hill in 5303. We conducted zoom meetings and communicated frequently in group me. I met all of the key contributions for both courses and all except one of the supporting contributions.