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About Me & My Learning Philosophy
I am Julia Cochran, a lifelong learner passionate about creating meaningful and accessible learning environments.
My learning philosophy centers on COVA—Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic learning—combined with CSLE—Creating Significant Learning Environments.
I believe learners thrive when they have freedom to explore, ownership over their learning process, and authentic tasks that connect directly to their real work and lives.
My Main Focus
My primary focus throughout the ADL program has been developing an Innovation Plan to integrate the Mightier App into classrooms. This tool helps students build emotional regulation through gameplay and reflection, supporting both neurodivergent and neurotypical learners. By weaving this app into everyday routines, my goal is to give teachers practical strategies that strengthen students’ social‑emotional skills while enhancing their overall learning experience.
COVA + CSLE in Action
The ADL program challenged me to embrace a learner’s mindset—to take risks, reflect, and iterate.
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Choice: Designing modules where teachers can select pathways and strategies.
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Ownership: Building and curating my own ePortfolio.
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Voice: Sharing reflections, revisions, and insights throughout the program.
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Authentic Learning: Designing projects that directly support teachers and students in real contexts.
Visual Walkthrough
Below is a Loom video where I walk you through my ePortfolio and highlight my ADL journey. Feel free to pause and click on the links throughout the page to explore individual projects and reflections.
Projects & Accomplishments
Concepts of Educational Technology
Creating Significant Learning Environment
Developing Effective Professional Leadership
Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction
Collaboration & Community
Throughout this journey, I’ve collaborated with peers like Ben, Lydia, Shaqueta, and Jana. Their thoughtful feedback and fresh perspectives have shaped my projects and pushed me to refine my Innovation Plan in meaningful ways. In our discussions, we explored ideas around usability, authentic learning experiences, and aligning activities with outcomes. These conversations often led me to rethink my approach, adjust my designs, and strengthen the connections between what I was creating and how it would truly support learners. Their input has been invaluable in helping me grow as both a designer and a digital leader.
Where I Started
Where I Started & Who Helped Me Along the Way
When I started the ADL program, I was excited but unsure how to bring my ideas together. With the guidance of mentors, classmates, and colleagues, I grew in confidence and skill.
Some of the amazing people in this learning community include Dr. H, whose face and leadership was all over this program, and peers like Ben, Lydia, Shaqueta, and Jana—whose feedback shaped my projects and reflection through a daily discussion.
Lessons Learned
What Worked, What I Learned, and How I Improved
One key lesson I’ve learned is that clear instructions alone aren’t enough—learners need visuals, examples, and hands-on practice.
Through usability testing and feedback, I:
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Added demo videos and walkthroughs
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Streamlined navigation and instructions
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Created scenario-based activities that mirror real tasks
These improvements helped align outcomes, activities, and assessments so that learners can truly apply what they’ve learned.
Categories
Archives
To make my work easier to explore, I’ve organized my ePortfolio content into categories
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Innovation in Action – My Mightier App integration project, implementation strategies, and real‑world examples of how it supports emotional regulation.
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Design & Frameworks – Instructional design models, templates, planning tools, and resources that guided my work.
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Reflections & Growth – Blog posts and written reflections capturing lessons learned, challenges faced, and how my thinking evolved.
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Personal Journey – Milestones and insights from balancing professional growth with personal life (like my honeymoon and key life moments).
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Collaboration Hub – A space to connect with me for feedback, questions, or potential partnerships.
You can also explore my Archives to revisit the blog posts I’ve written throughout my ADL journey. These posts capture my progress over time—ranging from early reflections and initial ideas to milestone projects and final insights. Along the way, I even shared life moments like getting married and going on my honeymoon, which became part of the story of balancing personal and professional growth throughout this journey.
Navigational Structure
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Home – A welcome and overview of my ePortfolio and ADL journey.
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Innovation – My detailed project plan and resources for implementing the Mightier App.
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Learning – Module designs, planning artifacts, and other instructional design work from this course.
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Blog – Reflections, takeaways, and insights from each stage of my journey.
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Contact – Ways to connect with me for questions or collaboration.
Reading List / Books
Here are a few key readings and resources that shaped my work throughout the ADL program and my Innovation Plan focused on emotional regulation and SEL:
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Bates, A. W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age.
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Harapnuik, D. (2021). COVA & CSLE Resources.
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Krug, S. (2014). Don’t Make Me Think.
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Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators.
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Mightier by Neuromotion Labs. (n.d.). Mightier: Emotional Regulation Through Play. Retrieved from https://www.mightier.com
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CASEL. (2023). Core SEL Competencies. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Retrieved from https://casel.org/what-is-sel/
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