My name is Maria Santiago Rivera. I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. I am a Respiratory Therapy Technician and a teacher. I am also the proud mother of two wonderful young adults. If you would like to know more about me, I invite you to visit my "About Me" section to get a clearer picture of my background and journey. My aspiration is to contribute to my community and students. One of my top priorities is to provide my students with experiences that enable them to grow and apply the COVA learning approach, which includes choice, ownership, and voice through authentic activities or assignments. This approach is based on well-established and widely accepted active learning principles (Harapnuik, 2017). Thanks to the support of my learning community, my journey has been filled with both personal and educational growth.
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It all began with a disruptive innovation plan, where I introduced the innovative project "Teaching STEM using Makerspace in Elementary School." I had the opportunity to create a compelling proposal letter and video, implementation outline, and conduct a literature review that complements my proposal.
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I also had the chance to create an ePortfolio, working extensively with the WIX platform. Initially, it was challenging as I was new to the platform, but over time, I became more comfortable with the tool. This experience has been immensely enriching, allowing me to apply these skills in other areas of my professional life.
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Creating the ePortfolio required me to adopt a growth mindset and develop a plan to support it. This helped me craft my Learning Manifesto, where I emphasize that all students should have the opportunity to learn everything and have access to all possible resources to enrich their knowledge. Developing learning networks helped me understand that I have a team to rely on and technological tools to support my projects.
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A meaningful learning environment helped me align learning outcomes with various assessments and activities. Frameworks like Understanding by Design (UbD) and promoting a growth mindset among students have been incredibly beneficial. Additionally, professional learning is of utmost importance for continuous growth and advancement in one’s career.
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Leading organizational change was a crucial theme throughout my journey. Analyzing theories such as Sinek's Golden Circle helped me find my WHY and set clear objectives for my educational initiatives. The 4 Disciplines of Execution provided a framework to achieve these goals.
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Furthermore, instructional design for online learning allowed me to delve into creating practical courses aligned with the latest trends in e-learning. Through modules, I developed the skills necessary to create engaging and effective online learning experiences.
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Additionally, the course on resources for digital environments equipped me with the skills to create and publish compelling articles. Assessing digital learning instruction introduced me to action research, a method for systematically improving teaching practice. This approach enables iterative refinement of digital learning environments through planning, action, observation, and reflection.
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Finally, the capstone course Synthesis Digital Learning Leader summarized all the concepts acquired, helping me synthesize my learning from the ADL master's courses and apply them to real-world scenarios.
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Through the master's program, I have gained skills and knowledge that will benefit both my professional career and personal life. These insights will help me continue to be a change agent for the benefit of my students and community. I am eager to share all that I have learned. If you are interested, you can contact me through my ePortfolio page or my social media profiles.
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References:
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Dwayne Harapnuik. (2017, October 31). CSLE+COVA explained [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lby4-CQhIvI
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Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’. Education Week. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-
dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html.
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Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2015). Blended: using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Jossey-Bass.
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