2020

My Learning Manifesto
Lamar University EDLD 5302 Dr. Kelly Grogan
EBONY WALLACE
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My learning experience as an educator more often has been the traditional approach to

education which has the perspective that passing a class is the most visible plumbline to a

learner’s success without getting any lasting educational experiences. Yet, more often learners

are failing a content drifting through a grading scale that hurdles the thought of personalized

learning.

Over the past years as a teacher, my mission took a shift as my frustration grew to the

boundary of what my students will learn in my class. I had mastered the instruction of content

dumping without any real learning plan of what they will do with the knowledge they learn.

Content is essential, but without the ability to apply the knowledge that goes beyond a syllabus

that leaves students stuck marching through content and activities with a grade scale hoping that

somehow, they have learned something they cannot show on their own confidence and beyond

myclassroom. I think one of the struggles that are emerging issues related to digital learning and

leading at a global context conceptionally are the following: How do I help learners create their

own personal pathway? How can I give my students the decision-making tools they need to

shape their own learning legacy? What does personalize digital learning and leading look like in

my classroom? Is personalize learning a practice or a product?

“In a truly personalized environment, learners play a key role in planning, developing,

demonstrating, and applying their learning, and in so doing developed great self-efficacy,

ownership, and learning independence-key preparation skills for the lives they will lead and

careers they will build. Instruction can move from being identified as something we do to

learners to something, we do with them, which account for the real power of personalization

(2016, Rickabaugh).”
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Personalized learning is not about technology. What is wrong with education is the

approach that technology is the advancement to digital learning and leading for readers. Too

often, readers spend a lot of time clicking and not thinking. Technology is a tool; is not a toy in

learning! It is just one of the tools used within the innovation process. The key is giving learners

the decision-making tools they need to shape their own learning experiences and enhance their

own thinking. My core value for technology is to be used as an enhancer not a leader, learners

should be empowered to grow as the media leader. Integrating technology with personalized

learning can be a great practice to strengthen decision-making engagement by linking learners to

a global community, influencing them as personal and socially responsible leaders of digital

media, and motivating them to practice collaboration skills that will prepare them with cross-

cultural understanding to succeed in the 21st Century.

Do I think that the COVA model to learning can change the way traditional teaching is

approached and delivered in an personalized learning? Yes! I really do believe that this could

work toward fixing the issue or shall I say in my own words, "Hacking Traditional Classroom

Teaching and Learning". Recently, I implemented the COVA approach in one of my

classrooms. I had the opportunity to allow students to have choice, voice, and ownership, with

accountability in their learning. The effect was mind blowing for me. Even though, It took me

spending a bit of time teaching some of the background of the COVA model for deeper learning

to occur. I also had to sidebar the TEKS of my content to allow personalized learning to take

place. I first learned the pressure of having "choice" was a challenge with all the students. We all

have the pressure of being controlled by content standards and not having the freedom or time to

have a practical deeper reflection in learning. The students took forever just deciding on a topic!
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I noticed they were struggling with their abilities in integrating their own product! They

wanted me to just tell them what to do, and how to do the assignment. They wanted a parameter

on completing the assignment and receiving a passing grade. I had to spend a lot of time teaching

them the philosophy of- Learning is not defined as being correct. I believe options and choices

gave a journey to my students to learn new knowledge or ideas in a new way that derived from

their own creative thinking. I saw a new normal of learning that created an innovation of what

we know to what we don't know and afraid to be different in experiences of knowing the

structure of learning outside the traditional approach. I asked my 7th and 8th graders this

question, "Where do good ideas come from?" They named everyone but themselves. The COVA

model will hack into those old background knowledge of learners and allow them to have voice,

choice, ownership, that collaborates an authentic way of learning with real life connections and

mastery level content objectives the way they want to learn.

As a teacher, my teaching mission statement: I am a mold-breaker, who is committed to

teach creative thinkers and mold individualistic mindsets among learners that motivates them to

be game changers of their generation. I believe in developing growth mindset, technologically

enhanced lessons that are relevant to the lives of my students and facilitating a culture of learning

with risk taking in a challenging yet safe educational setting. When I am being the best educator,

I want to enable learners to become powerful and creative leaders who lead from their voice and

authentic ability to apply, engage, and take ownership of their lifelong love of learning in

their chosen profession. My teaching legacy is to change the leaders of tomorrow with the skills

to succeed in the 21st Century by creating an educational culture of innovation and inquiry

learners with the creative thinking and learning skills that will develop a forward-looking

product well after they have left my classroom.

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Reference

Rickabaugh, J. (2016). Tapping the power of personalized learning: A roadmap for school

leaders. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Harapnuik, D. (2018). Cova [Weblog comment]. Retrieved from

http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991