Every August, before my students log in for the first day of school, I have my own back-to-school ritual. It doesn’t involve decorating my office, organizing my workspace, or planning engaging lessons. Instead, I settle in with my laptop, a second monitor, and an ever-growing list of mandatory online trainings. Sexual harassment prevention. Mandated reporter. […]
Every August, I Learn Something New About Learning Read More »
In my first Working Out Loud post for this course, I shared the story of remodeling my master closet. Hidden behind one section of drywall was mold that I never expected to find. That experience became my first lesson in needs assessment: what we see on the surface is not always the real problem. At
The Problem is Never What it Looks First Looks Like Read More »
Sometimes the most polished solution hides an unresolved problem beneath the surface. This week’s learning on needs assessment challenged me to look beyond the obvious fix and ask a better question before designing the solution.
Behind the Wall: What My Closet Taught Me About Needs Assessment Read More »
Going into this second self-assessment, I felt a lot more familiar with the evaluation process, but I still wasn’t totally sure how to rate myself. As I worked through the self-assessment, I kept in mind the evaluator competencies outlined by the American Evaluation Association and the broader frameworks discussed in Stevahn et al. (2005), which
Growing Through the Process: My Evaluation Reflection Read More »
Where I Am Right Now Based on my self-assessment across five AEA domains, I placed myself at 2.3 out of 6.0, which reflects an early developing level of competence. This score represents an average across domains, but the distribution is more revealing than the number itself. My interpersonal competence scored a 4.0, while methodology was
From Responder to Designer: Rethinking My Role as an Evaluator Read More »
Communication as a Design Tool: Listening, Integrity, and the Work Ahead Most days, communication looks ordinary. It’s emails, meetings, and conversations that don’t feel especially notable while they’re happening. A quick call with a parent. A follow-up message to a teacher. A planning meeting where the agenda keeps shifting as new concerns come up. Over
Pausing Before The Path Forward Read More »
As I think ahead to my applied project in the Learning Design and Technologies program, I keep returning to the same tension: clarity versus choice. In my current role, I don’t just teach kindergarten math. I teach parents how to homeschool. I support English learner populations. I administer ELPAC. I act as a subject matter
Working Out Loud: Designing for Parents in a System Built on Choice Read More »
The Edit Expedition: Designing a Learning Journey and Discovering My Voice as a Designer When my team and I set out to create our instructional module, we knew we wanted to help beginners step confidently into the world of video editing. DaVinci Resolve can feel overwhelming at first glance—layers, tools, timelines, terminology—and our goal was
Mapping a Learning Journey: Reflections on Building The Edit Expedition Read More »
Photo: Provence, France — where I was reminded that design, like life, is built from both structure and soul.
Becoming a Learning Designer: Where Structure Meets Soul Read More »
My Personal Definition of Learning DesignI see instructional design as more than structure—it’s about people and stories. For almost three decades, my world revolved around teaching and raising six kids, and those experiences shaped the way I view learning: it should be human-centered and transformative. My perspective comes from classrooms, leadership roles, running businesses, writing
My Personal Definition of Learning Design & Technology Read More »
