Trying something new
I have always had a deep-seated love for writing and have been an avid writer for as long as I can remember. However, I've never taken the leap to publish any of my work; it remains a beloved hobby, an intimate part of my life. On occasion, I muster the courage to share my stories with a few close friends, but beyond that, my writing has remained confined to my personal world. Perhaps it’s about time for that the change.
The ADL program at Lamar has been a transformative journey, pushing me to explore new horizons and embrace unfamiliar challenges. One such endeavor is my Innovation project, which centers around revolutionizing the way students learn. While I currently hold reservations about publishing my work from this course, I've come to realize that the future is full of endless possibilities.
The course, Resources in Digital Environments, has opened up a realm of possibilities, illuminating fresh avenues for me to connect with like-minded individuals through the publication of articles. The act of publishing articles allows me to share my thoughts and insights with the broader academic community, creating an opportunity to resonate with others who share the same passion for my chosen field. This newfound endeavor unveils the thrilling prospect of engaging in various collaborations with fellow scholars and researchers.
Moreover, this course has served as a gentle reminder of the core principles and foundations of effective writing. With everything that was going on at the beginning of this course in my home like, I was plagued with anxiety at the prospect of crafting a lengthy article, but I soon realized that by adhering to basic steps, the process became significantly more manageable. Our initial assignment, which tasked us with creating an outline, took me back to the basics, reinforcing the fundamental steps necessary to streamline any writing process.
In the context of this course, I did not engage in collaborative efforts with classmates within 5317 for my article. Instead, I found a collaborative haven in a group I formed during the second semester of my ADL program. Comprising of Rebekah Ard, Katie Beauchene, Ashley Karr, Paul Schofield, and Lance Moran, this group has been my unwavering support system. Although this semester, coinciding with the start of the school year, has posed challenges in scheduling group meetings. We've still remained connected and continue to brainstorm ideas daily through group messages.
In addition to my invaluable group, three individuals from the Resources in Digital Environments course stand out in my journey: Angela Deshner and Barbara Zuniga. With our shared start in the program, I have always cherished their insights and contributions. In a discussion board dedicated to Digital Tools in Digital Environments, Barbara introduced a plethora of intriguing digital resources such as Gimkit, Blooket, Quizziz, EdPuzzle, Gizmos, Peardeck, and Flocabulary. I cannot wait to explore these resources further to enhance my digital toolbox. Furthermore, in a separate discussion on Audio and Visual Digital Tools, Angela and I discovered that both our school districts transitioned to Microsoft for enhanced security, and we share a mutual admiration for the versatile design platform, Canva. In all of our courses together, I have always enjoyed their involvement in class discussions. Both ladies remain quiet during a lot of it, but when they do speak, it is always amazingly helpful. So often, I have had a question or been confused but didn’t know how to even ask my question; one of these two ladies would inevitably ask the question I needed answered. I will always be thankful for that.
Like all of our classes in the ADL program, we have to give ourselves a grade, a sort of self-assessment. With my article, I would have liked to put a little bit more into it. In the future, I do hope to publish articles on hands-on learning and how technology can be properly used in the classrooms. Thanks to this class, I now know how to go about doing just that. While there was a ton of stress at home this semester, I was still able to keep up with my readings and assignments. I was also able to contribute to my core collaborative group as well as class discussion boards. The grade I would give myself this semester is a 90.