I waited many years to go back to school. Throughout those years, I read Master’s degree descriptions from multiple universities, but I was never impressed or motivated to make a decision. I wanted more than anything to learn, grow, and challenge myself. I mostly wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between technology and pedagogy so I could grow myself and others around me. The ADL program has done all of this and more. It has been an experience I truly did not expect. This is the first program I’ve ever been a part of that models the expectations. I am actually learning how to create learner-centered environments by experiencing a learner-centered environment as a student. The COVA approach has provided me with this opportunity. I am given the choice of how to show my learning and am constantly reminded that the work I create isn’t for the grade but for myself and my career. Because of this authentic learning environment, I take great pride and ownership of my work. After years of searching and waiting, I am thrilled to have found the ADL program at LU as it has inspired me time and time again.
Furthermore, this program does not only affect me and my growth. It allows me to gain greater depths of knowledge so that I may share it with others. Simon Sinek (2009) says, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” It’s not the what or how but the why that pulls people on board. As an administrative leader who has an innate passion for teaching and a deep love for educational technology, I want to further develop my “why” so that I can make an impact and positively influence and empower the teachers I lead. As I continue to implement the COVA approach as well as my innovation plan across the district, I want our teachers to feel like they are part of a movement, not another program. As Sinek (2009) explains, Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream” speech, not the “I Have a Plan” speech. The greatest impacts start with why.
Tedx Talks. (2009, September 28). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA
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