Building a vision or a "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" as an educator does not come without challenges. The challenge of BHAGs is getting your organization as a whole to get on board with the vision in mind collectively. When designing a course, there are various factors to consider. These factors include students' technology skill levels, allotted classroom instruction time, number of students, identifying learning goals, etc. While reflecting on ideas for a course design, I pondered on the needs of my students. Previously, I created an Innovation Plan, which required that teachers utilize blended learning in their classrooms. Using the 3 Column Table allows us to think about what it is that we want our students to be able to do and then work backward, creating the environment, activities, and assessments for the students to excel.
When reflecting on a course design, I desired to provide my students with a course to increase their technology skills. In addition to enhancing their tech skills, I also sought to create a method that would boost their academic confidence. My goal is to design courses that will improve the student as a whole instead of just focusing on academics.
My course will allow students to create and innovate in a student-centered learning environment. Learners will develop and enrich critical thinking skills and problem-solving and employ ownership of their assignments throughout the course. I am seeking to engage students and allow them to positively impact technology and each other by fostering meaningful connections early.