Who I Am.
It is my priority to understand the unique needs of each stakeholder and design learning experiences that go beyond checking off a simple box. With a background and degree in Education, I approach learning design as an alchemist - blending the art and science of instruction to create transformative learning cultures and experiences that empower stakeholders to reach their fullest potential and that drives lifelong curiosity.
For me, it's not just about creating learning content -
it's about creating a culture
of learning.
My Story.
I am a proud graduate and Redhawk of Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio - where I majored in Education and gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that have proven invaluable to my career as an instructional designer. While studying at Miami University, I had the opportunity to engage with a multitude of instructional design principles, concepts, and responsibilities. I was exposed to various learning methodologies and strategies, including: backwards planning, instructor-led training, and blended learning. I gained hands-on, guided practice with designing and developing many effective learning experiences, assessments, and evaluations that were grounded in sound instructional design principles. I even was given the opportunity to take courses centered on studying and leveraging technology in learning spaces and in learning content creation.
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Outside of the learning field, I was elected by my peers as Secretary for Diversity and Inclusion for Miami University's Associated Student Government (ASG). In this position, I designed, developed, and delivered learning experiences that focused on fostering an inclusive and equitable campus environment. I consulted with student organizations on their diversity and inclusion strategies in order to integrate these values into their mission, principles, and purpose. And I worked collaboratively on a variety of committees with campus faculty and administration to develop university-wide action plans that would support our campus community.
But, ultimately, at Miami University, I witnessed firsthand the power nurturing a genuine, inclusive learning environment has in promoting personal excellence and empowering individuals from all backgrounds. I developed a deep understanding of the systemic barriers that can impede inclusivity in our learning spaces, and as a direct result of this, I began to design intentional learning experiences that fostered equitable practices because I avidly believe that every learner deserves to be supported, valued, and empowered in their pursuit of knowledge.
Video produced by Miami University.
After graduating from Miami University, I applied, interviewed, and was selected from over 49,000 applicants to be accepted into the Teach For America Chicago-Northwest Indiana Corps. I packed up my all of my belongings and made the bold decision to move from a small-town in Ohio to the infamous Windy City. I was drawn to this opportunity because I wanted to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young learners and help address the disparities in education that I had witnessed first-hand.
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As part of my commitment to Teach For America, I was assigned to a placement school where I was entrusted with the responsibility of designing, developing, and implementing full-scale learning experiences that would effectively meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for five different year-long courses. Developing learning experiences for these courses was a challenging responsibility, but it was one that I took seriously. I took a full-scale, systematic approach and conducted thorough needs assessments, reviewed relevant content literature, and action mapped & storyboarded with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to create learning experiences that were interactive, scaffolded, and aligned with their target learning objectives and KPI. Throughout the implementation phase, I closely analyzed learner progress and made adjustments to the learning experiences based on ongoing evaluations. This iterative process allowed me to continuously improve the learning experiences I was constructing to ensure that they were truly effective and empowering for all learners, and the outline process I designed was adopted by others colleagues within my department.
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Although, when my placement school unexpectedly shifted to remote learning due to the Coronovirus pandemic, the five courses that I had worked so hard to design and develop had to be completely reconstructed to fit a virtual platform, and I had a short timeline to do it in. At first, the challenge was daunting to me, but with a willingness to learn, I was able to transform my approach and translate these relevant learning experiences to an online platform and to an online setting - both synchronous and asynchronous. And soon enough, I found myself waking up way before the sun would rise just to create impactful learning content, upskill in new technology, and action map or storyboard for future content. As a result, my attendance rates for my placement school's year of online learning remained strong, and I even saw an increase in my course retention into the next year. Learners mastered the content material and were consistent with their engagement in the online learning experiences as we held in-depth learning discussions, participated in social learning activities, and learners even piloted their own online learning experiences as part of an assessment.
This experience has solidified my interest in pursuing a career in instructional design and eLearning development because it was nothing short of transformative. I have had the awesome opportunity to witness, firsthand, the power well-designed and engaging online learning experiences have in empowering learners throughout their quest for understanding. I have learned that adaptability, creativity, and resourcefulness are key in a constantly evolving digital learning landscape and love the challenge of always being on my toes. I find immense satisfaction in outlining and mapping out content through storyboarding and action mapping because I love the process of taking complex ideas and breaking them down and transforming them into easily digestible content that learners can relate to and find value from.
But, ultimately, my goal is to make a meaningful impact in the world of learning. As an avid learner myself, I believe that cultivating a culture of learning that is inclusive, feels empowered, and encourages curiosity is the key to unlocking one's full potential. And I am eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals and to join a team that shares my vision for this future of learning.
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Although, most importantly, the experience that has shaped me the most is being a dog mom to my two Shih-Tzus, Milo and Sophie. While my passion for creating empowering and equitable learning experiences runs deep, my love for my furry companions is unmatched.
I would love to make an impact, together.