Having completed a graduate degree, I was sure I would be equipped to take on the ADL program! Of course, I knew I would have to work hard to overcome my technological deficits, but overall, I felt confident about doing “school”. Well, I could not have been more wrong. Yes, I knew how to do “school” but, my problem was I knew how to do traditional school. When I entered my first course for the Applied Digital Learning (ADL) program I was shocked. I was not prepared for not receiving explicit instructions on completing tasks, but rather certain boundaries to work within. Why were there no right or wrong answers to questions? Why did I have to grade myself? How was I so in control of my own learning? This was strange... and I had to overcome this technological hurdle.
However, I decided to stick with the program. I was intrigued when I saw glimpses of COVA instructional practices I've utilized with students, but surely that only worked with kids – not adult learners. Hains and Smith (2012) shared student-centered environments empower students, which increases accountability. Despite my knowledge of the benefits associated with a student-centered learning environment, I was still hesitant. COVA for adult learners simply made me uncomfortable.
Then came the concept of “yet”, at the perfect time. In the video Developing a Growth Mindset, Carol Dweck (2014) shared when faced with a challenge the word “yet” provides an understanding one has not failed but instead are working towards achieving a desired goal. I knew I was not proficient in technology “yet”, I was not comfortable with the current style of learning “yet”, but through readings and collaboration I began to embrace the idea of “yet”. Being open, flexible, and willing to explore what may be unknown were deemed essential to succeeding in the ADL program. I had to trust that the activities, discussions, videos, and readings would make sense, and everything would eventually come together.
Along with embracing yet, I began to focus on the idea of a growth mindset. The video Creative Thinking – How to get out of the box and generate ideas detailed the importance of thinking outside the box, promoting an environment where it is okay to make mistakes, and not focusing on a single solution (Corazza, 2014). While reviewing my growth mindset I identified areas of opportunity to further develop my growth mindset.
The power associated with a growth mindset began to become evident as I learned more and applied principles to my professional and personal life. I created a growth mindset plan with my innovation plan in mind and made sure I updated my innovation outline to ensure growth mindset learning opportunities were available for program participants.
Working towards a growth mindset has enabled me and will enable learners to succeed in the ADL program. I am ready to take a deep breath, grow in my learning, and help others in the process.
References
Corazza, G. (2014, March 11). Creative Thinking - How to get out of the box and generate ideas: YouTube. https://youtu.be/bEusrD8g-dM
Dweck, C. (2014, October 9). Developing a Growth Mindset. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ
Hains, B. J., & Smith, B. (2012). Student-centered course design: Empowering students to become self-directed learners. Journal of Experiential Education, 35(2), 357-374. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382591203500206
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