“I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does” (Montgomery, 1992, p. 330).
This life is such a journey! As I complete my last writings for this semester and for this year, I can’t help but reflect on how life never turns out how you plan. In my experience, this is a very good thing. I have learned so much in the past few months as I not only began working on my master’s degree, but also transitioned to a new professional role. I did not plan it this way, but I wouldn’t change a thing. The best absolutely lies ahead.
One of the biggest things I have learned so far in the ADL program is that the keys to deeper learning are connection and application. The content itself is not the end goal. What we DO with the content is what matters. I appreciate the actionable nature of this program. I have learned so much about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. It is so key to progress that I developed a growth mindset plan to help myself and others within my organization to understand and work towards a growth mindset.
It has been such a gift to have time and space to reflect and dig deep into my passions and motivations. Developing my personal learning manifesto required taking a close look at what is wonderful about education and learning, but also what is lacking or flawed. I tend to be a very positive person. In fact, positivity is my number two top strength in the Gallup Strengthsfinder assessment. I believe that everyone I have met working in education has good intentions and wants the best for students. However, there are certainly things that need to change. I am working hard in my professional life to eradicate illiteracy and revolutionize education.
I can’t revolutionize education all on my own. It takes a movement! The good news is that there are many like-minded people working in education today. I am seeking out learning networks and communities that allow me to both consume information and ideas, as well as contribute to the resources available to others. This give and get among professionals in my field provides me with a sense of camaraderie, information about trends in the field, and current research. Participating in learning networks also ensures that I have opportunities to apply and accept feedforward. I love the concept of feedforward because it focuses on improving for the future rather than harping on the past. It is actionable and positive.
As I continue to experience the COVA learning approach in my master’s program I am thinking about ways that I can shift towards COVA with the learners in my professional learning sessions. It is eye-opening how much more invested I am in the authentic projects I am working on. I believe this is due to the real-world application and having a strong belief in why I am working on the project. The Universal Design for Learning framework helped me to understand the various neural networks involved in learning. I posit that the “why,” or Affective Networks are where the magic happens. I look forward to continuing around the next bend in the ADL program!
References
Montgomery, L. M. (1992). Anne of Green Gables (Vol. 1). Bantam.
Facilitation Innovation 