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My Journey with COVA and CSLE

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Finding My Voice and Focusing on My Organization

When I began this program, one of the hardest challenges was taking control of my own voice and focusing on my organization as the audience. For years, I had been conditioned to follow directions, meet deadlines, and check boxes. That was the norm in traditional education—do what is expected and move on. This program disrupted that pattern and asked me to think deeply about what I believe, what my organization needs, and how my voice could become a catalyst for change. That shift was uncomfortable at first, but necessary. Over time, I grew more confident in my ideas and intentional about how I communicate them.

 

Attitude Toward Leading Change

Leading change is never easy. Initially, I had mixed feelings about stepping into that role. Change often feels risky, especially when it challenges long-standing norms. However, this program helped me understand that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight—and it doesn’t happen without someone willing to take the first step. My attitude shifted from hesitant to hopeful. I now believe I can inspire others to think differently and create environments where innovation thrives.

 

Authenticity of My Innovation Plan

One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey was developing my innovation plan—a goal-setting app for middle school students. This app helps students set academic and personal goals, track progress, and reflect on achievements. It promotes accountability and self-efficacy, skills essential for lifelong success. Creating this plan required vulnerability and openness to feedback, which strengthened both the plan and my leadership skills.

 

COVA and CSLE Alignment with My Learning Philosophy

At first, the COVA approach and Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE) felt foreign. Traditional education emphasizes compliance and content delivery, not choice and ownership. Embracing COVA required a mindset shift. Over time, I began to see its value. In my COVA presentation, I point out how it gave me freedom as a learner and allowed me to design projects that mattered to me. CSLE complemented this by showing me how to create environments where students feel empowered, not controlled.

The video “COVA and CSLE: Empowering Learners” by Harapnuik (2020) reinforced these ideas. He explained that when learners are given choice and ownership, they become more engaged and motivated. That insight resonated deeply with my experience.

 

Changes in My Learning Philosophy

My learning philosophy has transformed. I used to believe learning was about delivering content and measuring mastery through grades. This program shifted my focus from grades to growth. Through authentic assignments and freedom to explore, I learned more deeply and retained more knowledge. I now see learning as a dynamic, student-centered process that thrives on engagement, relevance, and reflection.

 

Applying COVA to Create Significant Learning Environments

Knowing what I know now, I plan to use COVA to design significant learning environments in my organization:

• Choice: Students will select how they demonstrate learning—videos, blogs, or presentations.

• Ownership: Students will set personal goals and track progress using the goal-setting app.

• Voice: Students will share ideas through discussions, peer feedback, and portfolios.

• Authenticity: Assignments will connect to real-world problems and interests.

To prepare colleagues, I will lead professional learning sessions that model COVA principles. Teachers will experience authentic learning by designing flipped classroom lessons and project-based activities. As Velazquez and Thibodeaux (2019) emphasize, leveraging technology effectively supports these outcomes by enhancing collaboration and engagement.

 

Influencer Strategy for Change

My influencer strategy will help win over hard-to-change adults and students. By identifying key influencers among staff and students, I will build trust and demonstrate the value of COVA through small wins and visible success stories. These early adopters will model the benefits of choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning, creating momentum for change.

 

Creating a New Culture of Learning

Ultimately, my goal is to create a new culture of learning—one that values curiosity, collaboration, and continuous growth. By embedding COVA and CSLE principles into daily practices, we can shift from a compliance-based model to one that empowers learners. This transformation will rejuvenate teachers and inspire students to take ownership of their learning.

 

Challenges and Solutions

Resistance to change and time constraints are inevitable. To overcome these challenges, I will start small with pilot projects and share success stories. Collaboration and trust will be key to gradually shifting toward learner-centered practices.

 

Impact and Vision

My vision is to create a campus culture where both teachers and students embrace growth, creativity, and ownership. Authentic learning is not just possible—it is powerful. By applying COVA and CSLE, I hope to inspire a ripple effect of innovation that transforms classrooms into spaces of curiosity and empowerment.

 

References

Harapnuik, D. (2020, October 13). COVA and CSLE: Empowering learners [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eZ-c7rz7eT4

Velazquez, J., & Thibodeaux, T. (2019, February). Coaching up: Support student learning outcomes using technology. Texas Computer

 

     Education Association TCEA Techedge, 3(2), 15–17. Retrieved from http://www.tcea.org/about/publications