COVA & CSLE
Reflection and Application.

The essence of the demand for freedom is the need for conditions that will enable an individual to make his own special contribution to a group interest and to partake of its activities in such ways that social guidance shall be a matter of his own mental attitude and not a mere authoritative dictation of his acts.

Dewey’s

Recognition of Choice, Ownership, and Voice.

After entering the Digital Learning master’s program at Lamar University, I had a different perspective. I discovered that there are other contextualized and child-friendly learning approaches today. Theories such as those of Dr. Carol Deweck, Dr. Michael B Horn, and Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik have profoundly influenced my rebuilding of learning beliefs as a learner. Putting the power of the word Not Yet into practice and seeing how this vision impacts each of my students has been one of my best experiences. Getting to know a point of view like Joi Ito’s with his life philosophy of always being focused on learning, completely aware, and super present has influenced my learning philosophy. I can identify this moment when I became aware of the impact of COVA. It was the first time I could decide how to approach an authentic project focused on solving a real need in my environment.

In making decisions about how to structure my ePortfolio, I felt a great responsibility and, at the same time, the freedom to make it my own, which was both challenging and enriching. "Throughout the construction of it, I felt the excitement of having my voice in my educational work and the excellent opportunity to manage and direct my knowledge. Now, I plan every minute because each one has a meaning for me. Being present and learning deeply every second of this journey is the most valuable lesson I have taken away. The discovery of the COVA methodology has opened the door for me to the constant search for personal understanding. I have witnessed the profound impact that COVA has had on me. It has taught me to develop skills and acquire new knowledge from the interconnectivity with the academic universe and the novelty. It has taught me how to interact with other institutions and authors who provide us with the most truthful and innovative criteria related to education.

Reaction to Freedom and Responsibility in Learning.

I reacted to this freedom of choice terribly. I was both excited and perplexed. I had a highly traditional education; a rigid curriculum governed every move I made, and technology seemed like a distant dream. It took a lot of effort to approach something as new as the COVA approach. The idea of having complete control over my education was overwhelming. I was not ready to take on that kind of responsibility. My biggest challenge was managing knowledge outside of that traditional academic environment and using and mastering new technologies to support this learning model. Despite unconscious resistance due to the strong presence of the conventional model and in the face of that ocean of information, I decided to set small steps and achievable goals to keep me focused. I began to organize my time better, valuing every second of it. I outlined my study day using reminders and sticky notes.

Continuous reflection on how I am getting along, how I have evolved, and what aspects of the approach I need to correct also form a big part of my strategy. Also, our great work with my study team supported me outstandingly, and the discussion sections ADL set up fostered that collaborative learning atmosphere. So, all these will help me convert that feeling of uncertainty into an opportunity for growth both as a learner and educator. Today, I can confidently say that aside from my family, the COVA approach has been one of the best things to have ever happened. This is because it transformed my learning space and derailed into my personal life.

Adaptation to the COVA Learning Style.

To adapt to this learning style, I took up some phrases from Spencer Johnson's book Who Moved My Cheese. Another significant element was having been influenced by Carol Dweck's theory of NOT Yet and other authors mentioned at the beginning of this reflection. In them, I found the empowerment of trusting in my ability to do what I want; I just have to feel it and decide. I learned that intelligence is not something exclusive to some gifted people but that it is something that is achieved with perseverance and hard work. I also learned that we all have a second chance to be successful and that most people fail because they cannot free themselves from that inner voice that leads them to assume a fixed mindset. All this learning promoted a strong feeling that transformed my thinking, leaving my comfort zone to discover new opportunities. Taking this choice with me, something I would do differently today is to assume changes as an opportunity to learn and take the risk to grow. I will assume technology as a friend that tempts me and leads me to authentic and creative practices. It will take the COVA and CSLE approach to develop significant skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration necessary to meet the demands of a professional in this and future times.

Control of One's Own Voice and Organization.

The fact that I did not expect was taking control over my voice, making my organization the key audience for my work. Coming from a traditional, structured education, getting used to such freedom shaped my project with an approach that would create a real impact, but it was hard to do. I was used to following agendas and considering my organization as an audience, which forced me to rethink my goals. While initially, this freedom felt somewhat daunting, I increasingly welcomed it as a chance to create something worthwhile. This approach enabled me to relate my learning to my organization's needs and find greater meaning and motivation in my work.

Attitude towards Change and Leadership.

My leading-through-change attitude became more collaborative and strategic. I realized it is not about how we can just impose this change but bring people in and make them part of the solution. Through the genuine practice of learning by implementation, you will build up the dialogue and reflective spaces to show you how effective organizational change works: trust and growth at every level. Now, I have more transparent and firm views: I see change not as a goal but rather as a steady process of improvement and adjustment that significantly benefits students and educators. Today, I feel that change leadership offers a great, enriching opportunity. I feel confident in promoting initiatives with a meaningful and authentic learning vision. This attitude toward leading change has evolved from uncertainty to excitement." I now see myself as an agent of change, equipped with the knowledge and confidence to make a positive impact. It gave me the tools to face difficulties and motivated me to offer support and guidance to those who, like me, feel insecure about the change process.

Authenticity of my Innovation Plan

My innovation plan was born from a deep desire to promote a significant change in the writing process in kindergarten. After several months of the school year, we see that students still need to learn to think of an idea or put it on paper, a recurring problem that we have year after year in our classrooms. Through this process, I understood that traditional teaching methods do not always raise their curiosity and autonomy for full development. My aim with this plan is to change students' attitudes toward learning to write by creating opportunities to make decisions and develop a sense of belonging in their education. It looks to surpass a task and aims to have a natural effect on the educational environment in which I work. It shall be an environment where students can get more genuine and meaningful learning, reaching a fundamental interrelationship with the studied content. It has been my vision and my why to take on this plan as a professional life project and an effort that will hopefully continue evolving and adapting to the needs of students and educators around me.

Aligning the COVA and CSLE Approach with My Learning Philosophy.

Of all the approaches, the COVA approach and construction of meaningful learning environments, or CSLE, have resonated most with my learning philosophy, which places student autonomy and taking an active role in an educational process first. I have always believed that learning is not just about transmitting information, but it has to be an experience for the student-participant and creator of his or her knowledge. These all go through incredible things with the vision of COVA and CSLE, where students make choices, express their thinking, and take ownership of their learning. I felt reassured by this methodology that developing an environment where every student will feel empowered to contribute and see the value of his or her contribution is crucial. A combination of all these approaches enables me to construct experiences that are not about the transmission of knowledge but more about building it with the students so that they learn to discover, question, and develop skills in an authentic and applicable way.

My vision of learning and educational philosophy has changed profoundly during this program. I used to think that learning was more guided, whereby the teacher imparts knowledge, and the students receive it. Through COVA and experiences with CSLE, however, I learned that learning can be much more powerful when learners have a voice and ownership in their learning process, relating it to their interests and experiences. I witnessed the changes this theory has brought in empowering my kindergarten students. This step further helped instill in me that students need to be active and responsible learners, and a teacher's job is to facilitate this process of giving them money and opportunities in the first place to explore and build knowledge in meaningful ways. Instead of thinking about learning as a sequence or content covered, I think of it as a journey of discovery and enjoyment in which each student would enjoy a singular and vital role. Therefore, this renewed philosophy in my head beckons me to open up further ways of how this practice of autonomy, collaboration, and critical thinking could be implemented with my colleagues and me daily.

Evolution in my Perspective and Learning Philosophy.

Part B COVA's Application in My Organization

Reference

Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The new psychology of success (Ballantine Books Trade Paperback ed.). Ballantine Books.

Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for meaningful learning [Pamphlet]. Jossey-Bass.

Harapnuik, D. (2017, March 30). COVA approach [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ft__0LE3qQ&t=3s

Harapnuik, D. (2017, October 6). The COVA approach [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ft__0LE3qQ

Harapnuik, D., & Thibodeaux, T. (2023). COVA: Inspire learning through choice, ownership, voice, and authentic experiences. Learner's Mindset Publishing.

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

Torres P. J. (2024). ePortfolio. https://joycetorresperez40.wixsite.com/learning/projects-6.