During this course I was able to feel out of my comfort zone and having a growth mindset. I learned how to reach out to others and develop a partnership with each team member. The set up of the course allowed me to network with my small professional community and develop ways to communicate with them. For example, my Professional Learning Network (PLN) got together once a week to discuss the articles shared in the course and how they positively impacted the work each team member was performing at their own schools. What was my goal as part of the PLN? I wanted to become a contributor. At the beginning of the course, I was a consumer. I devoured the articles posted, watched all the videos, reflected upon those and changed parts of my teaching style due to such a learning. However, I did feel I needed to give back to the small learning community I had. It was not an easy step for me. I consider myself a person who is very introverted. However, the more I got into the course, the more I learned that I had the responsibility to become a better educator, thinker and citizen to this world. My teaching, and learning experiences make me unique and through the collaboration I had with the team, I learned others can benefit from what I am doing in my classroom, which is the same way I benefit from reading others’ work. I had never thought of how my own learning / assessment / reflections were able to make any difference in others. The peer feedback we dove into with my PLN gave me an opportunity to think outside of the box. That was exactly what I needed. Others providing feedback that not only pushed my thinking but also make me research more and learn more. For example, one of the forums addressed how others personalities might affect the dynamics of the group. Such a conversation came up due to Margaret Heffernan’s TED Talk about Super Chickens. Digging deeper into the interpretation of the video, I shared in the forum a Business Chemistry survey that was used at my partner’s school as a way to know others and be able to understand where they were coming from. When I did the survey, I was able to understand my colleagues and have conversations in which I was seeking for understanding.
What I have done throughout this course has caused a shift in my thinking. I have developed a habit to reflect upon my practice on a daily basis. The feedback I got, which I consider assessment for learning, led me to have a growth mindset. Self-assessing, self-reflecting and thinking critcally about my work is one of the biggest take aways.Engaging in the discussions, responding to others in a promptly manner thinking deeply about the topic allowed me to grow as a learner. Reading others’ blogs ignited ideas, and pushed my thinking. It is amazing how others create their own videos and have such a great ability to express their ideas. My goal is not to replicate what others do, but to look at their posts with the lens of learning from them.
References:
Business Chemistry®. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/solutions/business-chemistry.html
Fernando Herrera 