I confess. I love my PLN (personal learning network). Engagement is the key. I am not the most extroverted person. In fact in junior high I was one of those guys standing uncomfortably next to the wall while the “cool” guys asked all the girls to dance. That’s ok, I never liked Spandau Ballet anyway. While I have definitely overcome that paralyzing shyness, I am still not one to “work the crowd” as they say. So, the social media thing kind of threw me for a loop as far as engaging with people.
Reflections
What the heck is an instructional designer? – Part 1
Being thrown back into the job hunting market has made me acutely aware of the fact that nobody understands what I do. Methinks it’s time for an intro to my world and what it is I actually do. I do not design software. I do not fix computers. I do not produce marketing materials. And I am not restricted to only working in the industry of my last job (healthcare).
I am an instructional designer. What exactly does that mean? I get a lot of blank stares and misinterpretations about my profession. First question posed to me: So, you are like an architect/interior designer? Half the time it’s architect, the other half it’s interior designer. Not so much.
On being an ID: A cautionary tale
I am an instructional designer. I am a multimedia developer. I have my Master’s degree in Instructional Design & Technology and have been working in the field for five years. I’ve seen plenty of learning examples, from paper to CBT to rapid e-learning and everything in between. I think I have a pretty good sense of what works stylistically and from a UX point of view. I have a fairly good grasp of the technology and the theory behind instructional design. With that being said, it’s hard sometimes not to be a little smug and sit on top of my Vygotskian throne dispensing wisdom to the inept SMEs who cross my path. “You want to do THAT? Oh, well, {insert choice learning theory here} states you should do THIS…”, or “we tried that approach 4 years ago and they didn’t get it” (as if it is the exact same approach with the exact same learners, tools, time frame, etc.).