Presentation Script (10-15 minutes)
~My Knowledge Spread (intro)
~Three of my program "loves"
~Three of my program artificats to exemplify my loves
~Describe career/program emphasis (Where am I going?)
~Faculty questions
Introduction
My "Knowledge Spread"
Hi and thank you so much for being here!
I have a book and card set called the Sacred Path Cards that I sometimes refer to for personal guidance. These cards are similar to Tarot cards but are based on American Indian traditions. I would like to make an analogy to a model that I found recently in the book that I feel relates to where I am in the program and in my career path.
The American Indians have a model for inner knowing and proper perspective they call the Sacred Mountain Spread. It represents a place inside us of internal balance.
It is also referred to as a “Working Spread” because the Indians believed that we must climb to the top of our inner mountain using our own courage and strength, and not rely on others.
When I came across this, I decided to refer to what I have learned in the program as my “Knowledge Spread." I feel that I must use the ideas, concepts, principles, and technologies wisely and to the best of my abilities so that I can make a positive contribution to the field of Educational Technology.
My program "Loves”
Instructional Design
I love creating or re-engineering content and making it useful and aesthetically pleasing. I think I would enjoy the challenge of tailoring learning experiences based on variables such as learner audience and mode of delivery. Having models such as ADDIE, CLAM, and ICARE give me something tangible to work with in designing learning products.
Performance Improvement
I love making things better and I have been doing that in my job with the School of Teacher Education the last few years. Credential admissions consists of a plethora of prerequisite requirements and a somewhat convoluted application process. I have attempted to present vast amounts of information in a streamlined and user-friendly manner. Again, having a systematic process for getting to the gist of a problem gives me confidence in my abilities to assess a situation. Attending the ISPI conferences have been very inspiring and I would love to be a part of that community.
Learning in regards to the mind-body connection and Emotional Intelligence (EI)
I am particularly interested in the mind-body connection in learning and would like to explore this further. For kinesthetic activities, the process of practicing something until it becomes automatic (automaticity) and then adding layer upon layer of skill intrigues me. I am now able to look back at my horseback and trumpet playing learning experiences, and see how the the principles of ID were involved.
Also, the concept of emotional intelligence seems to be key in both individual and organizational performance. My readings about the nature of the 21st Century workplace indicate that organizations will require more collaboration so the types of portable skills associated with EI will become more valuable for both the employee and the employer/client.
My favorite program artifacts and why.
What's New in Instructional Design: Current Challenges, Trends, and Practices
-798 Special Study
This project gave me the opportunity to deeply research the field of Instructional Design and see what the current trends and practices were in the summer of 2005. Until that time, I still did not feel that I really knew what ID was all about. I particularly liked that I promoted the project myself and came up with my own idea of what I wanted to accomplish, as opposed to being prompted by an instructor. With Allison Rossett's guidance, I prepared a literature review. In order to do go beyond my readings, I communicated with several people doing ID in the field to see what they were doing and what their ID challenges were. To wrap up my research, I had them participate in a short questionnaire. Spending the entire summer on the project gave me a good understanding of what was happening currently in the field.
Booz | Allen | Hamilton web site (performance support tool) - 795A Internship project
I appreciated this project because it was one of my most “real life” endeavors. I had the opportunity to collaborate with my partner, which improved my interpersonal skills in creating a product together. I learned some technical skills and had the opportunity to re-engineer some very verbose content and streamline it for web readability. I got to utilize ID principles such as the contiguity (text and graphics together) and modality principle (utilizing quotes to make it more personal) . Having worked in the arena of higher education for so many years, this project allowed me the opportunity to spend some time in a private industry organization.
I have a tie for my final favorite project so I will briefly mention both.
Introduction to Dressage web site - 541
At the time I built this website for my prerequisite class, I didn't even realize I was doing Instructional Design. What I did realize was that I need to take a topic that had a vast amount of information and succinctly present the pertinent points to an audience that may not know anything about the topic. In addition, it was a lovely combination of designing a site and creating content.
Second Life Rhythm of Life - 670
This project also helped formulate my love for Instructional Design. Although I experienced some discomfort for the medium that we were working in (I am not a gamer!), I loved creating the content and graphics for the informational cards that were part of our Second Life Drum Circle. Again, working with two other partners helped tune my abilities. We had quite a stream of consciousness going trying to determine what our project would be. We bounced ideas off of each other, and once we agreed on our task, we distributed the work load based on our strengths.
Career/Program emphasis 
Maybe I have gotten too philosophical in this reflections process. Having been in the program for 4 years, I am having a combination of sadness, excitement and fear as my program nears its end. It is scary and exciting to be embarking on a new career. I don't really have a clue as to what lies ahead. I just know that I am looking for a change and want to contribute to the field.
I still have an internship to do this summer that will give me more experience, guide me, and perhaps offer me an opportunity for a new job. In addition, I am jazzed about my latest fortune cookie fortune!
At this time I see myself as a generalist. Because I do have some depth of knowledge in music, perhaps at some point I can combine that knowledge with my instructional design skills.
What I do know is that regardless of the content, delivery, or audience I am given, I have the proper scaffolding and tools to be an effective instructional designer.
