Throughout this journey, I have been exposed to the COVA learning system.

Over the past 7 years,

my district has been moving to a similar style of learning without the exact structure of the COVA

systems. With that being said, I have been using the ideas of COVA with my students over that time, but

it was much different to see it from the student perspective.

I learned I had choice, ownership, and voice during the first class I took for the DLL program. I was

looking for those predefined parameter for the assignments, discussion boards, and reading. I quickly

realized it was up to me to come up with how I feel it should look, and represent. At first, it was as scary

beginning the program itself. What if they don’t like it? What if it is not what they expect? What if my

thinking is completely wrong? I quickly begin to see that the projects we would be working on were

going to be unique to us, and it was our place to explain and describe them. The right and wrong of the

classes were irrelevant. The fear quickly subsided, and I really begin to take ownership of my learning.

My innovation plan evolved into something I needed in my class. It was something my entire campus

will need. With time, I became more and more comfortable with what my role was becoming, and my

responsibility as a leader. Giving my students that same ability, but at the same time supporting their

growth. That was the part I was missing. I supported them, but I never factored in a fear element of

failure.

How did I adjust to changing my way of learning? I put myself in my student’s shoes, and thought

about what they feel and fear in the process. Once that became my focus, I could better prepare for

what I need to do to engage in my learning as I want my students to. By that, I means I looked at myself

as I do my students when they try to lay off an assignment, or what information they voice when they

have questions. By doing this, I was able to see for myself where my questions were coming from, and

what expectations I should have for my results.

 It wasn’t difficult once I began to understand the flow of how the idea worked. It also has never

been hard to lead change within my campus, but putting the two together made so much more sense.

In the past, I really struggled to answer some questions in ideas or projects I would lead or support on

my campus, or in my district. Using the COVA system, I have been able to pass the information within it

straight to the people I am working with. It has also given me a direction to take ownership of the

problem. With that, I can then create a direction to lead the answer to those questions. I can lead to

make the plan or project what I want or need it to be, and not what someone else is expecting.

My plan is very authentic. I created it to help my students reach a goal. It just so happens; it will be

useful to all students in the end. Further proof that is it authentic comes from the fact it will be

implemented after the course is complete, but I will continue to build upon it and make it successful.

I don’t think my philosophy of learning has changed too much. As I stated in the beginning, we have

been doing something very similar for many years. Now, I just have a more defined blueprint to follow.

My class is a daily hand on adventure for students to work at their own pace to strive to make it to grade

level math before they leave me in fifth grade. Now we work outside of the box of year to year and

blend “what they need when they need it” into their learning. This means they take what they know

and apply it to gaps they have made over the years. We build their knowledge in their time.

COVA will be with me moving forward in both my teaching, and my leading. As I have used it with my

colleagues as we have been working together on my innovation plan, many teachers have asked

questions when I mention COVA. They have the same epiphany I do about what we have been doing,

and realize they now could also have the roadmap they need to make learning environments for their

students so much more engaging and creative. By doing this fellow teachers can develop CSLE’s for

students for years to come.