EDLD 5302 is the only course I took this semester. As a new graduate student, I wanted to ensure that I could find a balance between family, work, and my continuing education. Essentially, I did that. While there was some uneasiness initially, I was able to find my stride, work with my peers, and develop ideas that make me proud.
When I started this course, I found discussions and Groupme to be challenging formats when connecting with other students that I have never met before. It didn’t feel like we were having conversations. Everyone was simply responding to the post without any responses to one another limiting our shared ideas. This did change towards the end of the course. More classmates began to reply to my postings and I also felt more comfortable replying to theirs. Once I joined the Groupme “ADL 2021-2023” with Dawn, Stacey, and several other classmates things began to roll and I started working ahead on the discussion questions. Around the third week, our collaborative efforts peaked. Since I completed the 5305 course in the spring semester, I shared a copy of my implementation outline and offered to assist any one in need.
During the course, I was able to complete all of the assigned readings and videos without any issues. The readings were particularly enjoyable since I have an interest in the growth mindset and how it can help students learn and me perform better as an educator. I found the assignments to be both engaging and reflective of my working life experience. This was particularly true when I completed the learning manifesto because it mirrored my education experience and highlighted the impact I want to have on my students.
With help from my peers, I was able to make quality revisions to my e-portfloio and my blog postings. Thanks to our collaborative working style, I was able to review examples posted by my peers in Groupme and in our discussions on Blackboard. When I had specific questions about the number of required posts to create in the blog, Dawn Short and Stacey Powell promptly responded. Their immediate attention made me feel like we were part of a team. With the team’s help, I was able to make revisions to my implementation outline to allocate time for the introduction of the growth/fixed mindsets.
Overall, I rate myself 90/100 for the 5302 course. While I completed all of the key contributions, I did not take on a leadership role in the Groupme discussion. I need to have more conversations with my peers in the discussions and in the larger group. Groupme was efficient in the beginning, however, I work best when I’m connected in a smaller group. The larger group did work well for sharing documents and getting feedback. Because of my needs, I made several attempts to create a smaller group by contacting students directly without any success. In smaller groups there tends to be more collaboration and accountability as it relates to sharing of resources and ideas in a timely manner. Posting ahead of time in the discussions is also something I need to continue to do while also reserving a day to respond and reply to other students.
Below are screenshots of my communication with my peers.
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