When I began devising a plan to influence change in my organization, I felt 

unsure but excited for the road ahead. Reading the book, Blended by Horn

and Staker (2015), taught me so much about blended learning and inspired

me to implement blended learning not only on my campus but in Dyslexia

labs throughout the district. Going district-wide is my ultimate goal.  Knowing

that things are easier said than done, I knew this would take a lot of time,

planning, and effort. 

 

Throughout my ADL journey, I’ve learned all about the little details that go into implementing authentic innovation. In order for me to “know my stuff”, I, along with my colleagues Erika Peña and Veronica Balli, wrote a literature review about blended learning and then updated it in a later course to explore more about adaptive digital programs in a blended learning environment. With an action research plan, we discovered that using adaptive digital programs in a blended learning environment did, in fact, close achievement gaps, leading to higher student motivation and academic growth. 

Knowing there would be setbacks in the implementation of blended learning, we developed a Growth Mindset Plan and gained knowledge about creating significant learning environments (CSLE) through the new culture of learning (Thomas & Brown, 2011). With everything we have worked on, I ensure to keep true to my learning philosophy which in short is: in a significant learning environment, teachers and students coexist and impart knowledge to one another. In order for this to happen, my organization must be on board with blended learning. To lead this change, we must start with our Why, then harness a culture of learning through our Influencer Model and 4DX Plan. Once our organization is hooked, we will hit them with our Go & Show Professional Learning in a blended learning way. 

I’ve learned through each phase that making a change takes time and patience, but being consistent and persistent through it all, will eventually lead to success. 

 

My colleagues and I have been able to pilot the station rotation model of blended learning in our own classrooms, but haven’t presented it to our colleagues just yet. Veronica Balli and I share a classroom and have made many positive changes to our environment based on what we’ve learned in the ADL program. In fact, we still make changes every day. We actually had a walk-through by our principal this week and her feedback was that she loved how our stations were organized and how everyone was engaged in the learning. One setback we have right now is we had to implement an additional Dyslexia program this year called Take Flight, which doesn’t allow for blended learning. It is completely teacher-directed, however, we still plan on going blended after we complete the CALT in Training program with Take Flight. This is not the end. This time will only allow us to strengthen our fight for blended learning.

 

Working through the ADL program and my innovation project has given me more confidence in myself and in my work. It has made me feel smart, important, and full of knowledge. I find myself confidently sharing my ideas and giving my input instead of just staying quiet and taking a back seat. I am definitely a lifelong learner. It is such a great feeling to learn something new and share it with others. 

 

In thinking about promoting our innovation project, I’ve casually talked to a few colleagues about our innovation plan just to get my feet wet and get some reactions. I’ve also shown my principal our Call to Action video and she loved it. If the stars align, my colleagues and I plan to promote blended learning on a district Professional Learning Day. We want to convince our principal to have a “Learn from Each Other” Day where staff would volunteer to present their great ideas. The staff not presenting will travel to different classrooms to learn. Erika, Veronica, and I will present our Go & Show PL to our staff in hopes of capturing their hearts and minds…and maybe even their stomachs with snacks!

 

I still have a lot to learn so I am so grateful that the ADL program has taught me how to be a self-directed lifelong learner. I’m also grateful that I know the necessary steps to take to promote change in an organization. Having a growth mindset is vital when creating change. Things don’t always go as planned, but with a growth mindset, I can take what’s not working, make necessary improvements, and try something even better. 

Although I have not fully implemented blended learning in my organization, I am already thinking about my next innovation project: ePortfolios. I’d love for every student at Victor Fields Elementary to go to middle school with an ePortfolio that showcases the projects they worked on in elementary school. How cool would that be?

 

References

Horn, M., Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. 

           Jossey-Bass A Wiley Brand.

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

          CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.