COVA and Me
The COVA learning approach will impact me as a learner. Because I am able to have choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning, I will take away more from the DLL program. As a learner, I am able to learn more when I have a deep interest in what I am doing because I am more engaged and invested. With COVA, I am able to make my learning more personal to match my personality and teaching environment, which will have a longer lasting impact. I can then give evidence of my learning in my ePortfolio, a component of the DLL program. According to a study by Thibodeaux, Cummings, and Harapnuik (2017), “student participants preferred to create ePortfolios that allowed them some control, ownership, and agency over the learning process in various developmental aspects of ePortfolio learning” (Abstract). With COVA, I can learn more and keep track of my learning with my ePortfolio. Resources that I can use to help develop my own voice in my ePortfolio include PiktoChart, iMovie, and the Google Suite (Docs, Slides, Forms, etc). These choices appeal to me as a learner, so I will be utilizing them in my ePortfolio.
The COVA model will also impact me as a teacher. The model is appealing because it has the ability to meet all students’ needs and give them the opportunity to learn in authenticate ways. In traditional teaching and learning, sometimes students are not engaged or not interested, and therefore not making lifelong learning connections. Some students jump ahead, some fall behind, and others ride along or are bored. With COVA, students can personalize their own learning. This means that they can learn the necessary content (standards), but in a way of their choice. The COVA model seems like it would work well with Project Based Learning (PBL), where students learn through projects rather than traditional methods. Combining COVA with PBL could help reach every learner. COVA also helps move instruction to a personalized learning environment, which Bray & McClaskey (2014) explain is “built on the idea that each learner is unique and learns in different ways” (Introduction section, para. 1).
Within the COVA learning approach, the part that may challenge me the most is voice. As a learner, I am not very opinionated and have a difficult time finding my own voice. As a teacher, I feel like voice is hard to explain and teach to students. In addition, authentic learning experiences can sometimes be difficult. There are some aspects of content that it is difficult to provide authentic learning experiences for as the environment does not support it. For example, if students are learning about the rainforest, they cannot go to an actual rainforest unless they live by one. While most things can be given an authentic experience, I believe that sometimes true authenticity cannot be reached. However, I perceive all parts of COVA as beneficial. When students are given choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity, real learning is taking place. COVA can also help to develop a sense of learner agency. According to Trend 1: Learner Agency (2014), learner agency is “when learning involves the activity and the initiative of the learner, more than the inputs that are transmitted to the learner from the teacher, from the curriculum, the resources and so forth” (Explanation section, para. 2). COVA is a student-centered model that allows for learner agency and creates independence and responsibility for students. I am excited to be using the COVA model as a learner, and I am looking forward to using it as a teacher as well.
References
Bray, B., & McClaskey, K. (2014, June 11). Personalize your learning environment. Retrieved September
18, 2017, from https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=11
Thibodeaux, T., Cummings, C., & Harapnuik, D. (2017). Factors that Contribute to ePortfolio Persistence
[Abstract]. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1). Retrieved from
http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP257.pdf
Trend 1: Learner Agency. (2014). Retrieved September 18, 2017, from http://core-ed.org/legacy/thought-
leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency
