STEM+ Camp Website

I created this website to facilitate understanding of participant families about what STEM+ Camp is, to market the program, and to coordinate the registration process.

www.ecstemcamp.org

St Mark STEM+ Camp Facilitator’s Site and Facilitation Guides

STEM+ Camp Facilitator’s Site

 

 

Graphic Design Work

The provided artifact, reflects on the fact that I do not consider myself an expert in the field yet.  I desire to improve in the areas of estimation of time needed for tasks and risk identification, and lay out my plans for future learning of project management skills via LinkedIn courses.  I have established a goal of focusing on a new skill to improve with each project I undertake, so that I may continue to grow in these areas.  This includes skills such as, risk identification, time estimation, work breakdown structure, and so forth.  I have already begun to implement this goal as I manage the STEM+ Camp project that is currently underway.

In addition to my studies at Purdue, I have been trying to attend at least one professional development webinar or presentation each month.  Some of the interesting topics I have been able to learn more about have been:

• The Vision for Human Capital Engagement
• Innovative Corporate Learning Drives Enterprise Performance
• Shifting Paradigms from the Inside Out: Instructional Designers as Change Agents
• How to Play the Right Games: Move Over Gamification!
• Motivating Real-Time Peer-to-Peer Social Collaboration
• Managing Performance in the Post-Review Era
• Credible Coaching with Jim Negrini

Additionally, I participate and follow some personal learning communities on social networks and feel confident in my ability to reach out to these communities should a challenge or need arise I am unable to solve on my own.

If you have an instructional design need, please contact me:

kristin (at) everydaycelebrations.com

or connect with me via linkedin

Identifies and analyzes learning and performance problems

Artifact: EDCI 569 E-Learning Project Proposal – The Atmosphere Debate

This artifact demonstrates my ability to both identify and analyze a learning problem and design a solution to bring about the desired performance in the learner.  The provided materials for instruction on this topic were old, in curriculum terms, for science instruction.  This could lead to lost time in the classroom for students who might be able to move through the content on their own, with some guidance, and participate in more engaging labs and activities while the instructor could assist and guide the learners.  While the project evolved quite a bit as it was developed, this initial proposal was an example of a motivating and effective use of seat-time with the classroom students.  I learned that, while more effective and motivating, designing a module such as this is significantly more time and labor intensive for the teacher, but in the end, the students did benefit from all the work.

Design, plans, and develops instructional interventions using appropriate strategies and techniques

Artifact: EDCI 569 E-Learning Project and Final Report – Dr. Sphere is Missing Digital Prototype

This e-learning project allowed me to pull from my knowledge and experiences in the courses leading up to EDCI 569.  I incorporated a number of motivational techniques I picked up from EDCI 588 as well as my study of the ADDIE model and Dick & Carey model (Dick & Carey, 2015).  The instructional interventions I used as I designed and developed this module include, social learning, incorporation of different modes of representation of the content, and the motivational elements of gamification.  I learned through this process and improved on the effectiveness of my use of game elements.  In this game, students needed to fully understand the concepts being learned about the atmosphere in order to proceed.  In addition, I incorporated the use of story to build the students interest in the game and it’s inherent content.  This game had a stronger call to action than previous games I had developed as Dr. Sphere was missing and the students needed to help save Dr. Sphere and the planet to succeed at the game.

Develops an evaluation plan for a project based on stated goals and recognized standards

Artifact: EDCI 577 Evaluation Report: Flipping the Classroom Evaluation Report

The goal of the project in the provided artifact was to report on our design and development of an evaluation plan for a couple of learning modules found online at what is now known as LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com.  I worked with a partner on this project.  Together we designed a plan based on the primary objective of, “Does the Flipping the Classroom module from Lynda.com provide enough training for teachers to be able to successfully flip their own classrooms?” (Waun & Knickelbein, 2016).  We used the Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick (2006) four levels of evaluation as a framework for our design and both learned a lot along the way.  We focused on our designated goal, but also on the goals of each of the evaluation levels of the Kirkpatrick model (2006).

Plans for Future Growth

I plan to grow as I gain experience in the field as well as through continued participation in personal learning communities through social media and through studying what others in the field have found to be effective via learning design blogs, and instructional design peer-reviewed articles on design principles, gamification, motivational theories, and current research on effective intervention strategies.

Reference:

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J.O. (2015). The systematic design of instruction. New York: Pearson.

Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Waun, K., & Knickelbein, K. (2016). Flipping the Classroom Evaluation Report(Rep.).

Identifies and participates in communities of practice within the field of Educational Technology

Artifact: Member of Northwestern Wisconsin Association for Talent Development

Northwestern Wisconsin Association for Talent Development Website

As a local member of the Association for Talent Development, I have been able to attend presentations including “Credible Coaching with Jim Negrini” and grown through the local community of practice.  I have included the above image of the confirmation email from my registration with this association and the link to the association website.

Artifact: Workshop for Elementary Educators: Formative Assessment Tools

I had the opportunity to participate in the field by presenting to a faculty group of PreK-8th grade teachers regarding the benefits and uses of formative education and some formative education tools for the classroom.   The above artifact is the Google Slides presentation that I used as I presented on the educational technology tools, Kahoot in the Classroom and Socrative, and their uses as prospective formative assessment tools for teachers.  Through the presentation, the teachers learned about a few tools they could use, but I also learned from the experience.  The adult learners ranged from being able to easily navigate a new educational technology tool to struggling to login or even type on a computer.  A formal learner analysis may have prevented this from becoming an issue during my presentation.  If I had been able to do a learner analysis, I would have discovered the wide range of abilities and planned my instructional activities accordingly.  I learned through leading this workshop about this potential for complications during face-to-face workshops.  This also allowed me to further develop my educational philosophy, upon later reflection, regarding situated learning theory (Wenger, 1998).

Plans for Future Growth

My future plans to build on this competency include acquiring a professional position in the field, continuing to participate in the communities of practice I subscribe to via social media, and blogging about my experiences in the field on a professional portfolio site I plan to develop following the conclusion of this program.

Reference:

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice : Learning, meaning, and identity (Learning in doing). Cambridge, U.K. ; New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press. P. 4.

Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice

Artifact: Initial Definition of the Field of Learning Design and Technology – 513

The field of learning design and technology involves the design and development of learning materials as part of a curriculum (formally or informally).  It involves analyzing current materials and the learners and may include the creation, evaluation, revision and adaptation of instructional materials to be used for instructing or training students in order to reach a predetermined goal as determined by the stakeholders.  The learning may occur in the form of face-to-face instruction and/or online presentations, materials, and communications.  It may also include additional technology and media as needed.

Artifact: Final Definition of the Field of Learning Design and Technology – 513

Learning design and technology involves using empirically grounded educational theory and principles to improve instruction, enhance learning opportunities, and improve performance and educational outcomes by capitalizing on emergent technologies.  The instructional design process involves developing, implementing and evaluating systematically designed materials for effective training and education along with evaluating needs and determining solutions for those needs.

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These definitions examine the relationship between the field and the distinction of educational technology.  The idea behind them is that educational technology enhances the broad field of education.  One key concept that came out of the exercise of defining the field is the emphasis on finding a solution for a specific need or gap rather than casting a wide net, imparting as much knowledge as possible and hoping to gather minds with it, as has been some of my previous educational experience.  The addition of technology to the field deepens the ability for educators to provide that solution.  This artifact illustrates that connection and highlights the distinction.  I suspect my definition will continue to evolve as I gain more experience in the field and the technology available changes, as it so rapidly does.

Critically evaluates theory and practice

Artifact: Instructional Theory Synthesis: Application of the Knickelbein Game Mechanics Theory of Instruction for Enhanced Learning – 531

While creating the Knickelbein game mechanics theory of instruction for enhanced learning, I needed to evaluate each theory in order to draw from the best parts of each of them, determine how they might fit together, if at all, and reform the theory into a cohesive package.  In practice, learners moving along the continuum of experience as described by Ertmer and Newby (2013) who ultimately reach the point where the learner is continuously reflecting and making decisions based on those reflections led me to make the comparison to the process an individual participating in a strategy game experiences.  This evaluation led to a proposed theory of practice that involves using game mechanics to enhance learning, increase self-efficacy, encourage higher-order thinking skills, promote social learning opportunities and skills, and develop life skills.  This artifact demonstrates my ability to critically evaluate theory and current practice and build upon that evaluation by developing a theory of my own about potential for practice in the field.

Plans for Future Growth

As I continue to learn through industry articles, courses, blogs, webinars and personal learning communities, I will use the filter I have created through the courses in this program to check the information I am receiving.  The foundation of theory I have gained through the courses in which I created these artifacts will allow me to continue to be critical as I evaluate scholarly and informal materials throughout my years to come in the educational profession.

Reference:

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. http://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143

GSA Government-wide Section 508 Accessibility Program. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2017, from https://www.section508.gov/