Establishing My Learning Design Personal Brand Reflection

I was drawn to the field of learning design and technologies through my experience as a secondary education Social Studies teacher. Skills and competencies of learning design and technology integration were a major focus of my undergraduate coursework in Secondary Education at Arizona State University. Since graduating, I have spent the last seven years as a secondary education Social Studies teacher, both at the high school and middle school levels. During this time I have continued to develop my learning design and technology integration skills within my own classroom and through participation in various district professional development programs. 

My areas of expertise include designing and implementing effective and engaging curriculum. Using district guidelines, I design effective curriculum scope and sequence plans for the school year and individual semesters and quarters, develop unit plans that integrate a variety of research-based learning strategies that build standards based-skills and competencies in the learners, and design and implement individual lesson plans. My lesson plans include a variety of different components, such as Google Slides presentations, readings, videos, images, simulations, and discussions. I also design and implement assessments that showcase student learning, such as essays, one-pagers, group presentations, and more traditional tests and quizzes. I am also proficient in utilizing Canvas as a learning platform. 

Additionally, I have experience in teaching online through Zoom and the Mesa Distance Learning Program (MDLP), where I also revamped an entire course for the program to align it to updated state standards and the district’s Portrait of a Graduate vision. I have spent the last six years teaching at a public middle school with a high percentage of at-risk students, including a large population of students with disabilities. My experience in working with this demographic has sharpened my skills of designing inclusive instruction through Universal Design and personalization to meet the needs of a diverse body of learners with many different individual learning needs. 

The skills I have developed as a high school and middle school Social Studies teacher directly correlate to the field of learning design. Many higher education learning designers develop the necessary skills and competencies as K-12 classroom teachers (Ritzhaupt, Kumar, & Martin, 2021). Some of the skills I have developed as a classroom teacher that translate directly to skills required for learning designers include: Conducting needs analysis, conducting task assessments, writing learning objectives, creating with PowerPoint, creating instructor-led training, leveraging assorted learning platforms, data analysis, and content curation (Wagner, 2021).

I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in education, with learning design and technology as one of my focal areas. I selected learning design and technology as one of my focal areas to deepen my skills and competencies in learning design and technology integration, so that I can apply them as a classroom teacher and continue to refine my craft. In the future I also plan to pursue a position as a district learning designer, Social Studies content specialist, or instructional coach. 

According to a conversation with Samantha Rodriguez, an experienced learning designer (Matthias Cole, personal communication, July 5, 2024), integrating learning design skills into my Social Studies teaching practice can significantly enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and create a more dynamic classroom environment.  I will effectively utilize learning design skills in my teaching practice by applying instructional design models like the ADDIE framework, incorporating technology through blended learning approaches such as Google Classroom and interactive simulations, and designing engaging and interactive content with tools. Additionally, I will differentiate instruction through personalized learning experiences and apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. I will foster collaborative learning by designing group projects and encouraging peer teaching, enhance assessment and feedback through formative assessment tools, develop clear rubrics and encourage self-assessment, leverage data and analytics, and create a positive learning environment through social and collaborative learning strategies.

My primary focus in enhancing my effectiveness as a classroom teacher will be in refining my skills and adding more tools to my educational toolbelt. I’m particularly interested in delving deeper into the ADDIE framework, which consists of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (Ritzhaupt, Kumar, & Martin, 2021), in order to be more strategic in my learning design and foster continued growth through reflection. I am also really interested in learning how to effectively use A.I. to create learning experiences.

In preparing for a future transition to a district learning designer or Social Studies content specialist, Samantha Rodriquez offered several insights for next steps that I will need to take (Matthias Cole, personal communication, July 5, 2024). To enhance my education and skills, I plan to familiarize myself with popular instructional design tools and technologies. I will gain practical experience by creating my own learning design projects and volunteering to help with curriculum development in my current school district. To showcase my work, I will create a digital portfolio that includes examples of my curriculum designs, technology integrations, and other relevant projects. Networking and collaborating will be key, so I intend to become a member of professional organizations and attend conferences and workshops. I will stay in touch with current trends and research by reading relevant books and articles and engaging with thought leaders in the field through social media, blogs, and professional networks. Finally, I will reflect on and adapt my teaching by seeking feedback from my students and colleagues. By applying these next steps as I continue to practice as a classroom teacher I will prepare myself to apply the learning design skills to a potential future shift to a district learning designer or Social Studies content specialist. 

I plan to contribute to the broader community of learning design professionals by collaborating with other educators at my school and within my district and being a leader in innovative learning design practices. I hope to make a significant impact on the students I teach, by making the learning more meaningful and engaging for them. I also hope to nurture an attitude of continuous learning and growth and development in the area of learning design within my educational community as a district learning designer or Social Studies content specialist. In this capacity I can provide training and personalized support to drive learning forward as we continue to see shifts in society and within education, to effectively meet the needs of the diverse learners of today and tomorrow. 

References

Ritzhaupt, A. D., Kumar, S., & Martin, F. (2021). The Competencies for Instructional Designers in Higher Education. In  S. Conklin,  B.  Oyarzun,  R. M. Reese, &  J. E. Stefaniak (Eds.), A Practitioner's Guide to Instructional Design in Higher Education. EdTech Books. https://dx.doi.org/10.59668/164.4268

Wagner, E. D.  (2021). Becoming a Learning Designer. In  J. K.  McDonald &  R. E. West (Eds.), Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/id/learning_designer