When I started the ADL program, I was overwhelmed by the idea of COVA. It felt more like "Choose Your Own Adventure," and I was used to learn instructions and knowing exactly what was expected. I would have never expected that at the end I would be looking back and calling it one of the most transforming education experiences I've had. 

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I also did not expect to have such connection with both my peers and my professors in a virtual program. Early on, I found a small core group of classmates and they truly have become my digital learning community.  Together we navigated this program through frustration, breakthrough and celebration.  We built meaningful connections that showed me that online learning can be about more than just checking boxes. I formed relationships with professors I will not soon forget. Even though all communications were through email or a screen, they were significant and once again strengthened my belief that digital environments can be just as meaningful as face to face ones. 

 

Along the way, there were some powerful moments that shaped me. Learning about having a Growth Mindset helped me recover from early stumbles and see failure as a part of the process.  Thomas and Brown's (2011) A New Culture of Learning inspired me to bring more collaboration and gamification into my dyslexia space. I also learned that while change is not easy, it is possible. After I developed my innovation plan, and was exploring change strategies like 4DX and Influencer, I realized I had missed some critical steps in my plan. Thanks to the growth mindset I was not panicked. I was able to reflect and rethink how I would start that plan with gamification in the classroom and even used that in future assignments before we updated our plans.

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In just under a year, I built more than I ever thought I would: a full ePortfolio, blog, a professional learning course for dyslexia therapists, wrote an article about gamification in the classroom,  a measurement strategy for gamification, and a hybrid learning course for my dyslexia students. I strengthened my research skills through writing not one, but two literature reviews and utilized tools like Canva and Padlet for group collaboration. Most important of all, I gained confidence and found my voice as not just a student, but as a leader.  

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Any good leader takes time to reflect on things they would change. I would have started with Wix, perhaps done some more research comparing it with Wordpress.com, so that I would have known why it was a better platform for me. I also would have taken the time to slow down to see I needed a stronger foundation for my innovation plan. I also would have taken more risks and not tried to stay in the box as much. However, these are all apart of the learning process and it is far more valuable than reaching the final destination. 

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Now I sit here, an with an almost M.Ed., ready to not only talk about innovation, but to lead it. I have grown from someone who craved structure and explicit instructions to one who can speak boldly and build something new.  I'm ready to shake things up a bit, push the boundaries where appropriate and lead from a place of authenticity. My journey does not stop when I have my diploma in hand, it actually is just the beginning.  My innovative voice has been activated and I am ready to use it!

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In the next five years, I hope to expand my career outside of the classroom and take my use my innovative ideas and leadership skills to influence learning communities around the world.  

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References

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Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.