Connecting & communicating my innovation plan

As part of Lamar University’s Masters of Education in Applied Digital Technology program I was given the opportunity to develop an Innovation Plan for my district. After some of the course readings and learning about COVA (Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic Learning) I was inspired to be able to give my students the opportunity to experience COVA, which led to my desire to devise an implementation plan over blended learning. This plan will also help give teachers extra time to build a rapport with students through creative learning environments which will also help teachers center instruction around student interests. Although my plan is still in the beginning stages I feel that it has the potential to change how we teach in the classroom as well as make a positive impact on our students.

After coming to the decision of developing my innovation plan on blended learning I laid out a proposal for my principal and my district. My plan outlines the benefits of my proposal and the resources I will need to get it started. Of course, I had to do a lot of research on blended learning in elementary schools so that I could ensure my approach would have a significant impact on my school. This led to me completing my Literature review which highlights the positive effects of blended learning as well as student achievements and engagement. I was able to use this information in my proposal letter while trying to introduce the topic to my principal to seek permission to start implementing the program. 

Once I completed my research, I came up with an implementation outline with the hope of inspiring collaboration within my district and the goal of implementing blended learning throughout my school. This outline demonstrates critical thinking on how the program will be developed, tested, and assessed over the next 24 months. My plan for ongoing data collection and check dates along with feedback from students and teachers shows a comprehensive approach to improving the learning experiences of our students. As with anything new there will be setbacks and things we will need to tweak along the way, so I made sure to add time to make changes based on data, and feedback throughout the implementation process. This will help guide me along the way to ensure that I stay on track, and I continuously track data and program progress along the way.

After building my outline and gaining more knowledge through the literature review, I was motivated and excited to inspire others to join me in my journey of changing education as we know it today. I created a motivational video to help gain the support of other teachers, administration, and principals at my school. Once I finished and played it back, I am even more excited to get started with my implementation plan.

Towards the end of my first two courses, I was able to sit back and self-reflect on my learning journey focusing not only on my strengths but weaknesses and contributions within the program as well. This reflection is crucial with a growth mindset, and I want to be able to continue to evaluate my growth in all aspects of my life.

I know that this is just the beginning of discovering new innovative ways to enhance my students' learning. To help with that I have listed a few books I have already read since starting the program as well as books that I plan to read to help me identify other opportunities for change within my district. As a lifelong learner I feel these books will help me deepen my understanding of positive learning environments. They will also help me fully embrace the growth mindset and foster innovation while providing my students with a collaborative and creative learning environment. As I continue my journey I will continue to read and add more books to my list to continue to grow my knowledge. 

Books that I have read:

Books that I want to read: