Through the Lamar University DLL program, I constructed an innovation plan to create significant learning environments on my campus by incorporating blended learning (BL) formats. This was set out to be a year-long endeavor after the initial pitch to my administrative team and a semester of planning. So far, I have proposed the plan to the administrators and received an enthusiastic response. This commenced phase 1 of my plan. I, along with two other teachers in my department, was able to pilot BL concepts with 7th and 8th grade students. I intended to gain experience with BL before extending it to the rest of the staff. You can’t teach a man to fish if you’ve never gone fishing yourself. We informed the staff of our efforts to convert the AVID classes into blended learning environments (BLE) during faculty meetings. Our progress was celebrated and shared with the staff along the way. Choosing to first comprehend and establish BLE in my class has prepared me to be a better leader for organizational change.

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In the spring semester, my principal transitioned to a new position, I was temporarily out on maternity leave and COVID-19 shut down schools for the remainder of the year. I was unable to fulfill my BL plan and instead had to modify my ideas to remote learning. Through remote learning I was still able to utilize COVA+CSLE, however, learning opportunities were limited. Many students did not have equitable access to technology or the internet. The unexpected move to distance learning forced many teachers to trek unknown territory with technology. This led to overwhelming stress on students. Since I teach an elective class, I significantly altered my lessons to lighten the workload for students in my courses. With that being said, I plan to get back on track with my innovation plan this upcoming school year.

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I will pitch my BL plan to the new administrative staff for approval. Through this pitch, I will also include my blended PL plan. Virtual learning opportunities are a necessity as remote learning continues to be a mandated option during this pandemic. I will pitch my plans to the new principal this summer and begin my innovation plan from phase 1 in the fall, pending approval.

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Through my progress thus far, I saw success in using the COVA Approach. Student engagement increased and many were more willing to advocate for themselves. I received lots of positive feedback from students after concluding the Canvas course I designed through this program. I was grateful to apply my understanding of Backwards Design to fulfill the objectives of that course. Across campus, I also noticed an overall increase in the use of digital resources across content areas. Sharing resources with staff and showcasing student work via email and social media served as an inspiration to others. Going forward there are two areas in which I want to improve: student resources and learning in the collective. I want to make my instructional videos more appealing to students. It would be neat to have students create videos based on their experience to serve as guides for future students. I also want to provide more opportunities for students to interact online. Utilizing discussion boards and digital communication tools could help them self-advocate in their learning community. I will research more resources to fulfill this objective.