Innovation Project Update: The Journey of the Forest of Reading and Writing

Where My Forest Began: A Journey of Growth and Purpose

At this point in my process, I recognize that this stage has been a valuable opportunity to improve, strengthen, and deepen my Innovation Plan. Reviewing my journey with greater intention allowed me to see how each piece of the path, including the initial ideas, the reflections, the courses, the conversations, and the classroom experiences, has contributed to giving more clarity, structure, and meaning to my project, Explorers of the Forest of Reading and Writing. This more intentional perspective not only reaffirms what I have built but also opens new possibilities for continuing to advance and enrich it with purpose My Innovation Plan, Explorers of the Forest of Reading and Writing, marked the beginning of this journey. I envisioned it as a hybrid, creative, and bilingual space where my students could explore reading and writing with curiosity and intention. Over time, this forest grew into a more robust and intentional environment, one increasingly aligned with the real needs of my students. It has been inspiring to see how this initial idea continues to grow and evolve as I move forward in my practice.

Today, I feel that my educational philosophy and my Learning Manifesto have been enriched in deeper and more meaningful ways. This journey has allowed me to view my practice through new lenses and to recognize how each experience, including each course, reflection, dialogue, and classroom moment, adds layers that strengthen my convictions as an educator. Updating my Innovation Plan did more than organize ideas. It expanded my vision, deepened my intentions, and helped me better understand what I truly want to cultivate in my learning environments. Today, my philosophy has stronger roots, a clearer purpose, and a more intentional direction. This became even clearer as I developed my article , a process that made me more aware of the importance of hybrid learning and of how it blends the best of digital and in-person experiences. Writing allowed me to deepen my ideas, validate my pedagogical intuitions, and give form to perspectives that had already begun to take shape through my work in the forest.

Revisiting the evaluation of my project was also a key moment. Observing my students’ responses, analyzing their participation, and seeing how they connected with the forest activities allowed me to recognize my growth as a professional, as a person, and as an educator. I gained clearer insight into which elements were generating meaningful impact, which aspects resonated most with my students, and how reading and writing took on a richer sense when blended with purpose, play, and creativity. Now, as I look at this entire journey, I realize it has been productive, transformative, and truly inspiring. Each reflection, each discovery, and each interaction within this process has strengthened my vision and my ability to design learning experiences that are more human, more intentional, and more deeply connected to my students.

Today, I understand that innovation is a living forest, one that grows with every step, every idea, and every moment in which we allow ourselves to learn, listen, and build new pathways for learning together. Below, I highlight how each course in the program contributed to updating and enriching my Innovation Plan, expanding its scope, strengthening its foundations, and giving it greater clarity and purpose in its implementation.

The Roots of My Journey: what I have learned and experienced.

Every journey begins beneath the surface, where roots quietly grow before anything blooms. The roots of my journey were formed through reflection, perseverance, and the desire to teach with intention and heart. Each experience, achievement, and challenge has nourished these roots, reminding me that true innovation does not begin with tools but with purpose, curiosity, and the courage to keep learning.

The Seeds I Would Replant: what I would do differently.

Looking back is also a way to keep growing. At this stage, I recognize that some seeds could have been planted earlier or with greater intention. I don’t see that as a mistake, but as an opportunity to grow wiser to replant with deeper understanding. Every decision, even the uncertain ones, has taught me to value the process and to see learning as fertile ground where each attempt leaves a lesson.

The Branches Still Growing: what I will continue to do.

Learning never ends; it transforms and expands. Today, I keep nurturing new branches that reach toward the light more collaboration, more purpose, and stronger student voice. My commitment is to keep learning, sharing, and designing experiences that connect technology with emotion, and knowledge with hope. Because every educational act, when it comes from the heart, holds the power to inspire and transform.

Everything I have learned through Explorers of the Forest of Reading and Writing has transformed how I understand educational innovation. I have learned that innovation is not about creating for the sake of novelty, it is about bringing meaning, emotion, and purpose to learning, connecting the minds and hearts of teachers and students. Moving forward, I will strengthen three key pillars: pedagogical intentionality, teacher collaboration, and student voice. I will design hybrid and authentic experiences that connect the digital with the human. True change does not come from tools but from clarity of purpose and passion for people (Sinek, 2009).

Inspired by the COVA + CSLE model (Harapnuik, 2016), I will continue to create environments where students exercise choice, ownership, and voice, and apply action research (Mertler, 2019) from the start to keep learning and improving. I will also use educational storytelling (Duarte, 2010) to communicate results that inspire other educators to innovate with heart and purpose. Ultimately, every experience and challenge has become a seed of change, ready to grow in new projects where technology, emotion, and language intertwine. Today I understand that to innovate is an act of authenticity and hope to believe, to design with intention, and to dare to begin again.

Teaching with purpose transforms education into a living experience that grows through connection and meaning. Its deepest impact emerges when we walk together sharing knowledge, empathy, and the belief that learning is stronger in community.

References

CAST. (2022). Universal Design for Learning guidelines (Version 3.0). CAST.

Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2017). Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences. Wiley.

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses (Revised and updated ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high-stakes accountability. Center for Public Education.

Harapnuik, D. (2016). COVA: Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning [Manuscrito no publicado]. Lamar University.

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Adopting CSLE + COVA to design significant learning environments [Trabajo presentado]. Digital Learning and Leading Program, Lamar University.

Hill, H. C. (2015). Fixing teacher professional development. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(7), 47–52.

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). SAGE.

Sinek, S. (2009). Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Portfolio.