If I can learn, I believe anyone can learn. Before embarking on my ADL journey, I was at a standstill. I became comfortable with where I was in life, not really accomplishing much and not learning anything new. Graduate school was always in the back of my mind, but I knew I didn’t want to become a principal, counselor, or reading specialist, which is what I always saw on graduate school brochures. Then one day I got an itch. I was ready to take the plunge. I began researching graduate programs at a few different universities when I came across the title, Applied Digital Learning. This intrigued me. Learning. Now in my second semester of the ADL Program, I have learned so much about learning and learning how to learn that I can now consider myself a  lifelong learner. I am a digital learner and I’m going to be able to apply my learning in my organization.

 

In thinking about education today, I’m passionate about making a change. I believe we all have extraordinary minds, but we all think in different ways. Some students learn best by themselves and some learn best with the help from others.  How can we engage every learner and influence them to keep learning? If students were immersed in a significant learning environment in which they were given the opportunity to choose their own path at their own pace, and work on projects with their peers, I believe they would be motivated to learn and be highly engaged in their learning. If students are enjoying what they’re learning and doing, they’ll retain more information. This in turn will create self-directed, lifelong learners, which is what I'm passionate about. I believe students can be more innovative and successful in life if given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and be in control of their learning. Blended learning creates that significant learning environment (CSLE) that removes the standardized one size fits all approach by providing a way for students to become “self-directed learners who are responsible for managing their own time” (Farah, 2018).

 

The traditional classroom, in which the teacher is regurgitating information in front of the class, is not engaging for students. State standardized tests are degrading for students who have difficulty taking tests and also doesn’t allow students, nor teachers to have choice, ownership, and voice in their learning and teaching. Given the ever-growing technology available, we have the world in our hands, if used correctly. If teachers are properly taught how to implement technology in their classrooms, students would be able to get instruction digitally and teachers would be able to act as facilitators for their students, which is much more advantageous. Teachers should guide students down the path, but allow students to steer. I believe that a digital blended learning environment, implemented at its fullest potential, will enhance learning by closing achievement gaps, motivating and engaging students, creating thinkers, problem solvers, and self-directed, lifelong learners.

 

I have learned so much about learning in the last four months. I have learned that learning comes from challenges, making mistakes, frustration, making connections, asking questions, communication, failing forward, creation, collaboration, choice, taking ownership, passion, and engagement, all of which I’ve been able to apply while in the ADL program at Lamar University. This is the kind of learning I want our students to experience. The kind of learning that will create successful human beings. It’s up to us to learn how to learn, so let’s teach our students how to learn by implementing blended learning and preparing them for the world of the future.

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References
Farah, K. (2018, October 25). Blended learning - Getting rid of the lecture

           bottleneck. Edutopia. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from

           https://www.edutopia.org/article/getting-rid-lecture-bottleneck