Contribution to My Learning & Community 5317 & 5304

As I continue my journey through the program I will analyze my learning journey through my strengths, weaknesses, and contributions. I feel that self-assessment is crucial in all aspects of life to evaluate growth.

 My self-assessment is:

• Course 5317- 98

• Course 5304- 98

-5317 main learning community consisted of: Samara Marin (https://samaramarin.com/), Anna Gonzalez (drg127.blog), Audrey Parcell (https://www.teachtechmath.com/), & Sara-Ann E Oro Santana (www.elementaryedtech.blog)

-5304 main learning community consisted of: Samara Marin (https://samaramarin.com/), Anna Gonzalez (drg127.blog) & Maria Montemayor (Maria’s eP) 

I enhanced both my own learning and that of my classmates by actively participating in all activities. For each course, we formed two team groups to facilitate discussion and provide feedforward during the eight-week courses. My strengths in these programs included attending all live webinars for additional clarification and taking comprehensive notes on the topics discussed. If I required further understanding while working on assignments, I would refer to recorded sessions. These notes were also valuable when members of my learning community had inquiries about the subjects. Although Zoom meetings were not mandatory, I attended all of them, finding them immensely helpful for seeking clarification on questions that my group had discussed. Additionally, these meetings were advantageous as they sometimes brought up questions I hadn't considered, providing useful insights for assignments I had yet to begin or offering opportunities to enhance my work further.

I actively contributed to various course forums, ensuring timely posts to facilitate responses. I regularly checked for replies to my discussion posts, as well as emails, chats, and team pages. I adhered to APA formatting and properly cited references in my work and discussions. Additionally, I provided feedforward to assist my classmates' learning. I reviewed peers' assignments, offering suggestions and correcting grammatical errors. My feedback/feedforward was consistent across both courses. I also clarified due dates and shared my strategy for managing overlapping course content. When reviewing teammates' work, I highlighted any discrepancies with requirements, allowing them time to rectify errors before grading. Our groups openly discussed any assignment concerns. Comments and suggestions from my groups on my assignments were considered and incorporated before submission. I completed all readings, watched all videos, and engaged with all additional resources, ensuring a thorough understanding for all discussions and assignments. This comprehensive approach significantly enhanced my learning experience. Our groups were mutually supportive, and I was always ready to assist others. As deadlines approached, I reminded my peers of due dates and expectations to ensure we all met our obligations.

While recognizing my strengths, I am also conscious of areas where I can improve. Although I have improved in group work, I sometimes revert to my old habit of working alone and not reaching out within my groups. This tendency to hyperfocus on my own tasks rather than checking on others in my groups became more pronounced over the past eight weeks. This may have been due to my job search, interviews, and preparing for a new position, all while balancing schoolwork and personal life. However, I acknowledge this is no excuse, and I intend to be more proactive in offering help, even if it hasn't been directly requested. Additionally, I did not form two groups as I had in the past since a classmate had already done so. I saw this as a chance for others to gain experience in creating and managing groups. This resulted in larger groups, but I was still able to form smaller subgroups for collaboration, which proved effective. I continue to struggle with APA formatting for references, but after consulting with Anna early in the semester, I've made significant improvements and aim to become more proficient as the program progresses.

To sum up, these two classes and my peer groups have been incredibly educational. I've occasionally had to push myself out of my comfort zone and remind myself to maintain a growth mindset. This semester, I took the initiative to engage with instructors, ask questions, and even challenge grading decisions on an assignment when the criteria were not specified in the rubric. This proactive approach was new to me, and I consider it personal growth. Working together on assignments has allowed us all to fully engage with our learning journey. We have the opportunity to contribute our ideas when crafting assignments, yet we also have the chance to step back, review the work of others, and engage in self-reflection. The act of collaboration offers a wealth of ideas that can ignite new insights within us and potentially steer our own work in new directions. By building upon our own abilities and assisting others in finding their voice, we enhance our collective growth. This collaborative experience was new to me before this program and is something I will always remember. I had not fully appreciated the importance of peer collaboration, but now I recognize it as a precious resource to be seized whenever possible.