Capstone Portfolio Journey Journal - Module Seven Reflections:
"It is better to know how to learn than to know."
- Theodor Seuss "Ted" Geisel (1904-1991)
"It is better to know how to learn than to know."
- Theodor Seuss "Ted" Geisel (1904-1991)
Sunday, February 28th, 2021:
Module Seven was yet another module where I set aside a few blocks of time to just sit down and reflect on not only my past learning journey and goals, but on my future as a lifelong learner and where my journey might take me next. For the most part, the tracks that lay behind me from my MAED program journey are still fresh (and were just refreshed in Module Four). Module Seven, however, was asking for the exact opposite. It was all about looking towards the future and trying to find a new and fresh set of tracks or sharing any new paths that have been identified for future learning travels. At the center of Module Seven was not just the identification of future goals, but the identification of the tools with which I can equip myself and that can be used for us to accomplish and achieve my future learning goals.
This was where I decided that I would break up my future learning goals into the three categories that reflect my life's learning passions: coaching, educating, and my role as a technology professional. My goal was to provide at least two tools for each of these areas that will help me reach my goals. This was also when I realized just how much overlap there is between my role as an educator and a coach. For me, coaching has always been a bit like teaching but instead of an academic subject you are teaching a sport. This was also when I remembered what my Junior Varsity (JV) basketball coach at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, California, Russ Peterich, would always tell us during practice when he thought we might not be working as hard as we should be: "The moment you stop working to get better is the moment you are finished. It's the moment you are going to get passed by. It is the moment you are going to get left behind." At the time, I thought he was referring to the team and getting into the starting lineup, but now that I am bit older I'm not so sure that there wasn't a much deeper meaning. It's here where, reflecting back over the years, this same principle applies to my learning journey as well. The moment you stop looking to learn new things - stop trying to become better, stop putting out the effort and applying yourself - is when you are going to get passed by and left behind.
I had allowed myself to fall victim to this 'lack of effort' so many times when I was younger that now there is almost a feeling of anxiety and fear when I find myself not looking for new learning opportunities or trying to seek out new knowledge irrespective of the field. The negative stimulus that resulted from my educational apathy in high school (and immediately after) is still something that is fresh in my memory and feels, in many respects, like it was just yesterday. So, knowing that my MAED journey is coming a close I decided that this module was perfectly timed and had the exact impact I hoped it would have on me. It forced me to stop and think about what the future holds and where I am going to apply myself next.
Here are my old-school notes that I jot down as I make my way from module to module each week. I use these as my guide when I am preparing to pull together the tasks for the week. There was a lot to prepare for this week and so I actually ended up with two pages:
Module Seven was yet another module where I set aside a few blocks of time to just sit down and reflect on not only my past learning journey and goals, but on my future as a lifelong learner and where my journey might take me next. For the most part, the tracks that lay behind me from my MAED program journey are still fresh (and were just refreshed in Module Four). Module Seven, however, was asking for the exact opposite. It was all about looking towards the future and trying to find a new and fresh set of tracks or sharing any new paths that have been identified for future learning travels. At the center of Module Seven was not just the identification of future goals, but the identification of the tools with which I can equip myself and that can be used for us to accomplish and achieve my future learning goals.
This was where I decided that I would break up my future learning goals into the three categories that reflect my life's learning passions: coaching, educating, and my role as a technology professional. My goal was to provide at least two tools for each of these areas that will help me reach my goals. This was also when I realized just how much overlap there is between my role as an educator and a coach. For me, coaching has always been a bit like teaching but instead of an academic subject you are teaching a sport. This was also when I remembered what my Junior Varsity (JV) basketball coach at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, California, Russ Peterich, would always tell us during practice when he thought we might not be working as hard as we should be: "The moment you stop working to get better is the moment you are finished. It's the moment you are going to get passed by. It is the moment you are going to get left behind." At the time, I thought he was referring to the team and getting into the starting lineup, but now that I am bit older I'm not so sure that there wasn't a much deeper meaning. It's here where, reflecting back over the years, this same principle applies to my learning journey as well. The moment you stop looking to learn new things - stop trying to become better, stop putting out the effort and applying yourself - is when you are going to get passed by and left behind.
I had allowed myself to fall victim to this 'lack of effort' so many times when I was younger that now there is almost a feeling of anxiety and fear when I find myself not looking for new learning opportunities or trying to seek out new knowledge irrespective of the field. The negative stimulus that resulted from my educational apathy in high school (and immediately after) is still something that is fresh in my memory and feels, in many respects, like it was just yesterday. So, knowing that my MAED journey is coming a close I decided that this module was perfectly timed and had the exact impact I hoped it would have on me. It forced me to stop and think about what the future holds and where I am going to apply myself next.
Here are my old-school notes that I jot down as I make my way from module to module each week. I use these as my guide when I am preparing to pull together the tasks for the week. There was a lot to prepare for this week and so I actually ended up with two pages:
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With all of the feedback from both Sarah A. and Ryan M. (and it was definitely some GREAT feedback yet again!) I was ready to pull together my FlipGrid video review for Module Seven. Here is my review and request for feedback:
It is sort of ironic to say that Module Seven is now in my rear-view mirror, when the goal was to peek into the telescopic crystal ball that will become my future learning goals as they are still in front of me. That said, the waypoint of Module Eight is the next one I see as I continue to make new tracks along my journey up the mountain of the Capstone Portfolio course!
Cheers,
Travis
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