Section 6: Getting and IDT Position and Succeeding at It (Part I)

I collected the following jobs from http://jobs.atrd.org/; some of the information has been edited for brevity.

POSITION: Learning and Development Manager for Estee Lauder Companies
SALARY: $75,000.00 to $90,000.00
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Apply knowledge of instructional design and adult learning theory to the strategy, design, and delivery methods of learning programs or exempt and non-exempt audiences. Apply a systematic instructional design and development model to the design of learning solutions including methods, media and resources (internal/external) as required Consult with SMEs and others to design and develop instructor led, self study, and online instructional content that effectively engages the learner. Develop instructional plan/design document for review and approval Adhere to project plans and timelines Write instructional content and assessments Conduct learning needs assessments, identify learning solutions and present to business partners for approval Deliver and/or facilitate learning to exempt and non-exempt audiences Update and maintain learning programs to ensure continued effectiveness Establish and manage external training partnerships as appropriate Administer training metrics, program evaluation, ROI and tracking training programs Perform all other duties as assigned which may become necessary to support departmental/organizational objectives.
REQUIRMENTS: Minimum five years experience Excellent interpersonal skills including oral and written skills; Demonstrated instructional design and development experience Ability to interface with employees at all levels Experience using group facilitation skills Must demonstrate proficient computer skills in MS Office (PPT, Word, Excel) Demonstrated learning process and content mastery Must be able to work all shifts and all ELC locations as needed Certificate in Adult Learning and/or Instructional Design preferred.
PERSONAL REACTION: I feel confident that I could apply to this job in the future. I think that my five years in a corporate management and my degree would give me a powerful advantage as I have seen what it takes to be a corporate trainer and instructional designer.

POSTION: Training & Curriculum Developer for Education Northwest
SALARY: $44,178.00 to $75,654.00
KEY RESPONSIBLITIES: Education Northwest improves educational results for children, youth, and adults by providing research and development assistance in delivering equitable, high-quality educational programs. Education Northwest is a private, nonprofit corporation which has served the Northwest region since 1966 as its Regional Educational Laboratory under contract with the U. S. Department of Education, as well as other federal, state, and local
agencies and organizations. This position is within the Volunteer Leadership Center, which provides training and technical assistance to National Service programs and participants. This work is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. DUTIES • Develop and write a variety of National Service training and online learning products developed from effective practices, including training curricula, case studies, web-based modules, online tutorials, and blended learning courses. • Coordinate and facilitate online learning activities among National Service participants, program sponsors and program sites. • Participate effectively in teams comprised of onsite and at a distance members, including consultations with other Technical Assistance providers to National Service and other project partners. • Work effectively as a distance with subject matter experts, evaluators, and others to develop effective learning opportunities that support National Service programs to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency of services. • Perform other related duties as assigned.
Requirements Education/Training: Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field required. Masters’ degree in Education or related field preferred.
EXPERENCE: The successful applicant should have the following skills, knowledge, and abilities • Superior writing skills, including demonstrated experience to develop high quality training and online learning materials in a variety of formats and under tight deadlines. • Excellent understanding of adult learning modes. • Demonstrated ability to develop innovative designs appropriate for face-to-face trainings, online learning, and blended learning. • Five years experience designing and delivering curriculum that includes classroom-based (K-12 and post secondary), training (e.g. adult learners), and/or online learning formats. • Excellent human relations, teambuilding, and project organization & coordination skills. • Two years experience in designing and facilitating online learning (e.g. college/university online courses or equivalent) preferred. • Three years experience in National Service (AmeriCorps/Senior Corps) member recruitment, development, training and supervision preferred. • Expert understanding of National Service (AmeriCorps/Senior Corps) program structures, priorities, requirements, and practices preferred • Experience working collaboratively at a distance including using a variety of web-based tools (e.g. WebEx or other webinar platform, Google Apps, etc.) preferred • Knowledge of Federal programs preferred • Experience as an instructional designer preferred Problem Solving: • Self-directed • Prioritize personal work to meet deadline requirements, including due dates for multiple, time-sensitive reports. • Selecting data and information resources to use in daily work and team contributions. • Dividing personal time as a resource between multiple team efforts with different needs and schedules. • Structure reports and presentation to meet educator and community audiences. • Deciding how to collaborate with Program staff and Directors for the completion of projects.
PERSONAL REACTION: Here again is a job that I can apply for as my degree and teacher certification has trained me for the field.

POSITION: Learning Solutions Specialist II
Job Description: Currently, Schwan's Global Supply Chain, Inc (Schwan’s), a subsidiary of The Schwan Food Company, is expanding our Human Resources and Training and Development department supporting our Houston manufacturing plants and distribution center. If you’re a professional with interests in creatively designing, developing, and delivering learning and reference materials on an assortment of topics pursuant to the business needs and objectives, ensuring program consistency and quality, take a look at career opportunities at Schwan’s.
At Schwan’s, you’ll get a competitive pay and benefits package. If you’re interested in joining a global, privately owned company on the move, this is your opportunity. To find out more and to apply for these opportunities at Schwan’s, visit our website at: www.schwansjobs.com. Facilitate live classes to a variety of audience on a variety of topics Design operator manuals in conjunction with plant subject matter experts Creates new and/or updates existing learning and reference material and delivers training using such material in addition to other reference works and multimedia visual aids, etc. Tests students to measure their learning progress and evaluates effectiveness of instructional material guides and the course itself. Creates and enhances learning measurement tools to measure training effectiveness Analyzes learning measurements and calculates learning ratios Identifies and assesses learning objectives and designs, delivers, and develops cost-effective learning options that measurably develop and improve the performance of employees and completes the learning objectives Works with development teams on a comprehensive plan to optimize talent. Helps manage the identification, development, and deployment of leadership learning across the operation Promotes collaboration, partnerships and relationships among internal customers Creates and maintains statistical information using databases QUALIFICATIONS Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent; Master's degree preferred Years of related experience: 2-4 years related experience. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Intermediate ability to effectively create learning tools and environments; intermediate ability to effectively develop, design, and deliver learning solutions to a wide variety of audiences; intermediate ability to effectively evaluate learning effectiveness and adjust as necessary; intermediate interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate, written and verbally, and establish and maintain credibility with customers, subject matter experts, peers, and leadership; basic presentation skills; basic proficiency in the operation of a personal computer in a Windows environment to include the Microsoft Office Suite and Outlook; ability to test and assess the usability and effectiveness of products and training delivery; demonstrated ability to work as part of a team; demonstrated ability to meet deadlines. Let us tell you about The Schwan Food Company. We are the largest, branded frozen-food company in the United States. Schwan's® offers home delivery to customers throughout the 48 contiguous United States as well as operating with a large presence in the foodservice channel and high visibility in the retail frozen food aisle. The company has 19 brands including Tony's®, Red Baron®, Freschetta®, Edwards®, Mrs. Smith's and the Schwan's® brand. SALARY: $45,000.00 to $60,000.00
PERSONAL REACTION: I am most well trained for and assignment like this one. I have five years of food service experience, I am familiar with the business model and product, and my training will translate well.

Self Assessment:
I did not take much away from the self assessment, mainly because I feel that I had already used these types of tools to pick my current training. I felt that

The following is a list of organizations and publications worth mention:

The Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE)
This group is a society in the Association for the Advancement of Computer Education (AACE). Their mission is to “seek to promote research, scholarship, collaboration, exchange, and support among its membership, and to actively foster the development of new national organizations where a need emerges. SITE is the only organization that has as its sole focus the integration of instructional technologies into teacher education programs.” Students may join and renew membership for $35 and professionals pay $115 in the U.S.
SITE is the peer-reviewed Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, while the on-line publication is Contemporary Issues in Teacher Education. They host an annual conference, SITE International Conference in March of 2011. SITE uses Special Interest Groups or SIGs to offer professional development to educators these groups are focused on promoting some aspect of IDT.

Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
The mission of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology is to provide international leadership by promoting scholarship and best practices in the creation, use, and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning in a wide range of settings. Their membership fees are varied and changing, but for a basic regular membership you are looking at paying $125.00 per year.
They publish the general audience peer-reviewed Tech Trends and the more scholarly Educational Technology Research and Development. They also publish many other works. AECT hosts a conference in Nov. and also hosts a conference in Second Life. Like SITE, AECT subgroups into divisions that are formed to study and promote some aspect of professional development.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
ISTE advances excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. ISTE is globally recognized as the premier partner in advancing educational excellence through innovative learning, teaching, and leadership. We are a diverse worldwide community of educational leaders actively creating a world in which all learners can achieve their creative and intellectual potential (as taken from their website). The membership fees are $90.00 per year.
They publish the following journals: Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Journal for Computing Teachers, & the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. They also publish many books and pamphlets. The area of professional development is very strong they divide twice, once by professional position held and then once into SIGs.

I would think that we could use a system much like the Deployable Learning Resource Center; since electronic access is not always available it might be advantageous to issue military grade mobile phones or PDAs. These devices could network together and a commanding officer or personnel charged with administering the Unit’s Private network would carry an external hard drive. Since, new generations of smart phones are capable of broadcasting Wi-Fi and 3G/4G networks the company of military personnel would find that they could access the technologies via their fellow soldiers’ broadcasts. Even in deployed in the field, and combat situations soldiers could continue to stay in contact. I think that I would want to pay special attention to security and power supply if I intended something like this.

To introduce the concepts of Step-Up-To-Excellence and GSTE programs I would run a meeting by these steps Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Practice, and Review. Teaching my colleagues the methodologies would be useful, but I also want to create motivation for the methodologies to be used in our district so I would present the information in a “simulation” and use summative assessments.

Planning for Our Future: The Case of Hokum ISD
Explain: We would start by providing explicit explanation of the scope and sequence, as well as purpose of the methodologies. Then I would explain the method for teaching today. I will use a simulated case study to teach.
Demonstrate: I would work on the Pre-Launch Preparation. By thinking aloud, and offering visual aids the audience will see what is needed to apply the methodology and how the product might be applied for us.
Guide: Next the audience would be divided into “Teams” to set up the first steps of the method; the instructor would walk through the room and monitor, guide, and redirect as nessacary.
Practice: The teams would continue along on their own and handouts might be designed for self-assessments.
Review: Most assessment would be summative and help the teams look at how the program and methodologies in their own districts.

Three Universities’ Faculty Development Programs

• What are the different names used for faculty development?
o Texas Christian University Koehler Center
o Hardin Simmons University Employee Blackboard Community
o San Angelo State University Center for Innovation in Teaching & Research
• What division is it under?
o Koehler Center is a group that is like a Teacher/Professors Booster Club.
o This is jointly under Technology Department & Human Resources.
o Employee Services Human Resources Training Development
• What services does it offer?
o Koehler Center offers workshops and events; lots of handouts, worksheets/documents that help a instructors develop rationales for classroom management and integration of technologies.
o This site allows the staff to enroll in classes to develop themselves.
o The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Research offers several on-line programs and workshops, most interestingly they include a syllabus development tool and a self-directed faculty development plan.
• How often are programs given and what specifically are they?
o Koehler Center offers a Train the Trainer conference that will focus on technologies, best practices, and professional development.
o The HSU eCommunity does not offer any programs.
o ASU maintains links to several Web 2.0 programs, a scheduled new faculty orientation, and on-line training classes.

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

On problem I have is that the student workers in the High School library are often unwilling to clean-up the books and resources. However, this is not an instructional issue, instead it is a performance problem. One way to handle the situation would be incentives, all of the workers want to be able to get a meal off campus, or they want to leave campus for errands and our librarian has legitimate responsibilities at other campuses. One incentive would be that no one leaves unless the book carts are empty and returned.

From a business perspective, a former Nortel Networks executive, William Bezanson (2002) provides a definition linked to application usability and organizational results:
“A performance support system provides just-in-time, just enough training, information, tools, and help for users of a product or work environment, to enable optimum performance by those users when and where needed, thereby also enhancing the performance of the overall business.”

In Electronic Performance Support Systems, published in 1991, Gloria Gery defined EPSS as:
“an integrated electronic environment that is available to and easily accessible by each employee and is structured to provide immediate, individualized on-line access to the full range of information, software, guidance, advice and assistance, data, images, tools, and assessment and monitoring systems to permit job performance with minimal support and intervention by others.”

I like the William Bezanson definition, I like it most because he talks about “Just in time” training and information and I think that we could all use a lot more computer programs that helped us look like experts and produce expert products just in time. On problem that people have with EPSS is that they have little faith that a computer can teach you how to use the computer. They see the machine as daunting and fragile; however, when you use a EPSS it almost implies trial and error activities that have been terrifying for teachers and managers alike. You can definitely see more EPSS in the future, younger generations will equate them to video games and vReaders.

One problem is that students move from class to class and they are not approached holisticly, I might have a student that receives bad news in first period, but this does not reach the second period teacher and they treat the outbursts of behavior as “emerging.” It would be better if we had training on how to see students’ behaviors as cumulative and progressing; and included we could collaborate in teams for a certain set of students, we would all share the same students and we could discuss progressing problems, emerging positive changes, and patterns in learning. Also, the teachers all could look for ways to connect to the students and parents in a more effective and sincere way.

My grandmother taught me how to make “Aunt Nell’s Homemade Ketsup” and I have saught out my mom to get her to teach me how to make jelly and can. I wanted to learn these things because I knew that if I did not learn they would be lost to our family along with the family stories that are tied to these experiences. With my grandmother, it was a wonderful experience, she is a capable teacher and she wants to have the learner, grandchildren, participate as much as possible. Grandmother is slow, steady and intense, so I can still write about the experience and the recipe even three years later with vivid language and great detail. Mom does not like to share her kitchen space, so she has to not watch. Instead, she explains the recipe in detail oversees preparation and then leaves you to “independent study. She comes back to evaluate the finished product or answer a question, but it means that she will take back over and you must watch. Oddly both experiences were engaging, one left a clear memory of a collaborative effort and the other taught me the muscle memory of the activity. What I found in both cases was that the fact that my products were needed by the family and immediately relevant made the learning easier to assimilate; where as I have read and listened to lectures and not been able to apply the information a month, a week, even a day later.

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

Constructivist Evaluation (or Fourth Generation Evaluation)
This is a form of evaluation that suggests that all people need to be involved in instructional evaluation. Since, our experiences are assumed independent of any foundational truth, and our understanding of stimulus depends on prior knowledge and sophistication to use that knowledge, we must use a hermeneutic-dialecticism, a process of discovery and negotiation, to evaluate education. In other words, everyone sees the world as they see it. So, it is important for evaluators of education to include all the people who are touched by the education process. Then the group works out a system to determine the essential criteria and the standard to meet the criteria. This is followed by a report from the evaluator that inducts this meeting of stakeholders into further rounds of discussion. The benefit is that no one is left out, evulation is on-going, and the group is ultimately responisible to itself. The down side is that it adds hour of hard work to everyone’s schedule, and it leaves room for students and other to shut down since this is a confrontational debate. I might use this in parent/student/teacher conferences and I might use it departmentally, but sparingly.
Key Evaluation
This form of evaluation is centered on facilitating the client to develop the ideal for the instruction, thus allowing the evaluator to determine true merit, worth, and significance. Merit is define as the internal value that someone places on something, worth is defined oppositly as the value that is given by the community and significance is the intensity of merit and worth. So, a restaurant’s to-go service may have low merit for the employee’s and high worth to the customer, but the manager/owner ascribes the significance.
In Key evaluation the evaluator elicits (m/w/s) and the essential processes needed to function and then the evaluator devises the test and method of evaluation, carries out the methodology, and reports the results. This system shares many points ontologically and epstimologicly with fourth generation evaluations, but it differs in that the client is considered as the only necessary source of input and no consensus is necessary, though the process is ongoing. I would use this sort of evaluation measure first year of performance.
A recent technological innovation at the Riggs house was the inclusion of Netflix movies on the Wii. My wife and I decided to add the service to our household. It provided the relative advantages of on-demand movies and television, and it allowed us to lower spending in the household, since we downgraded cable. Unexpectedly, we have found that this practice also limits the amount of time our children watch television and cuts out commercials, definitely adds to the adoption. The compatibility was a plus, too! We already enjoyed movies and used Netflix, but the system was complex! We had to sync our wireless router and the Wii, we then took several days to receive the software, etc. Finally the screen is difficult to navigate and the movie selection is limited. Overall however the system is adaptable to all member of the household and everyone finds reasons to watch, so I would say Netflix on the Wii is defiantly institutionalized here.

Section 2: Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction.

I will want to teach my students how to read and analyze poems and poetry. I want incorporate Schema Theory and Situated Cognition to teach this skill set. Since, comprehension and analysis of poetry can happen on many levels schema theories ideas on narrated visuals, presentation of simple to complex ideas and students working on half-finished issues would allow us to build from a simple idea like identifying rhyme scheme to more complex systems of naming verse and meter. While situated cognition helps the students develop as a community, students who are ahead of our target can be challenged to teach and share with students under the target. Learning in the community can be powerful.

Neo, T., & Neo, M. (2009). Using Gagne's Instructional Design in a Computer Graphics Course: Malaysian Students' Perceptions and Attitudes. International Journal of Learning, 16(11), 373-386. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

When teaching students how to research for a paper I realize that I will need to use the techniques of scaffolding and mathemagenics to teach the concepts in a whole-task approach. Research is something that falls by the way side in secondary school because you cannot test for it. However, no one skill could be more important, I know that even now I struggle to stay on top of research. By scaffolding the students, I would be able to gently introduce proper library function, reading techniques, sources and citing. Mathemagenics would be very useful, because students need to be adaptive and fluid when approaching new libraries, this technique would help the students find information that is useful, people to help and the right questions to present. English, research, and reading will be skills that students use in life and on-line a great deal; these three methods are important for integration of reading and language arts into the students everyday life.

This is an incredibly helpful amount of research, I have had a couple of “Ah, Ha!” moments. I noted that motivation is a strong part of my philosophy of education, but I had not been able to articulate what I wanted to focus on. Now I have a few different ideas to pursue as I develop my classes and incorporate TEKS into the lesson. Also, I like the ideas in mathemagenics! Defiantly.

Defining the Field

All of the definitions that the book talked about all hope to do the same thing: explain to our mother’s what we do, and explain to our father or spouse how we think we will make money doing it. I am not joking, talking about the “emerging field of Instructional Design and Technology” is so important, because unlike doctor, lawyer, and teacher; no one has any idea what an instructional designer or a educational technology specialist does- not to mention the fact that is smacks of A/V club sponsor.

Worse, though very few no what we are doing; every teacher needs help learning how to utilize modern instructional design and technology. So, what is it? Are we just the sorters of the media: librarians, overhead projector clerks, and laptop watchdogs? Are we (as popular in 1950s, 60s, and 70s) some subset of anthropologist studying the process that the class uses when they get new chalk and blackboards in the room? Don’t even think of handing Mom Instructional Technology: The Definitions and Domains of the Field, and not hearing about how your childhood friend is making a name for themselves as a podiatrist. No, we need a simple clear definition that reassures our loved ones and focuses us.

Instructional Design and Technology is studying how students learn, teachers teach, and what tools we can use to make the process as successful as possible. We can take our expertise into the classroom, the administration office, the district/regional/state level, or even out on the practice field. There will always be a need for people who study our educational system and how the tools we use can be best applied.

Instructional Design in Freshman English








The internet and the World Wide Web will not be leaving anytime soon, they will only become more attuned to our real world lives and gather more purpose. In K-12 we will see teachers cashing in on the use of social networks and personal communication devices to teach, because as current college students and high school students enter the work force they will continue to demand jobs that integrate their technologies. Already schools see the attractive benefits of issuing laptops to students; we can expect this to lead to textbooks being replaced with eBooks and instructional video games. Blogs and wikis will replace papers and hardcopies for my class; and this also will let parents have a new level of interaction at school.

Reflection of this Class

I gotta be honest, I did not have an "Aha!" moment; I did have a giddy moment when I thought, "Can I get away with that in class?" I was listening to the idea of podcasts and blogs. I suddenly thought, "I can set up a website (given enough time and polish) I can make an on-line, multimedia review of English Language Arts!" One of the biggest obstacles I saw in the schools as a student, job interviewer, and now as a substitute teacher; every time the teacher says,"Well, they are not on level." The Internet has an answer to this.
So, they idea that I can cover extra ground by employing the web and getting my kids to read, write and create on-line is great.
This Friday, I was subbing in a classroom were 80% of the students had an iPhone. The teacher leaves the room and her parting shot to me is, "They can use their iPod- If you don't mind!"

I wanted to say, "MIND?! I would love it! I prefer it! Do you think we could download a geography quiz/vocab test/map/app to all of them? Could I get them to sync up with me to take attendance? Can we show them that their smart phone not only helps them learn about world geography, but they can plan a trip across the world."

I had to sit, mere feet away from literal mobile supercomputers and unlimited information; and the teacher was fully prepared to back me up, if I wanted to power down all these devices. Needless to say, the only people more bored than me, where the students.