I'm originally from Tyler, TX, but it's been so long since I was there that I have no idea what it's like anymore.

2. Last September, after 10 years in market research, I switched careers and became an instructional designer. I have worked for IUB's School of Public Health since last September. I fell into the career, to be honest. I had been working part-time in the school as a content writer so learned about instructional design in bits and pieces; what I learned seemed to fit my interests and skills set. When my market research job laid me off (a blessing in disguise), I was able to make the transition to instructional design.

3. I have a PhD from IU (from the now defunct School of Library and Information Science) and other degrees in communication from Penn State and Missouri State. My dissertation centered around the use of the Welsh language online (random, I know), so I was able to study in Cardiff, Wales for a while as well, which was fun.

4. I recently learned about the Ancient Greek practice of incubation, a religious practice where a person sleeps in a sacred place in order to receive a dream or vision from a god — often for healing or prophecy. It was typically associated with Asclepius, the god of healing.

5. Lots of staring at Canvas and trying to make it match the 35-page syllabi professors send me. Also learning about interesting Public Health topics as I create courses.

6. I became fascinated with Ancient Greek culture after a trip to Greece nearly a decade ago, so my off hours are generally spent reading about the culture and learning the language. I started trying to teach myself, but my head exploded after I discovered there are literally 18 different ways to say "to be". So now I take courses from an online school headquartered in Northern Ireland. I used to write urban fantasy police procedurals, but after finishing a trilogy that I will never try to publish, I'm a bit tapped out...

7. I can bend my right pinkie back to touch the back of my hand.

8. Because I fell into instructional design, I am sorely lacking in a deep understanding of the history and theoretical groundings of the IST field - a distinct disadvantage when your director wants you to publish. So I hope to get a handle on those areas, primarily.

Occupation: Retired after 34 years at a large American chemical corporation (Dow Chemical) in roles ranging from production engineer to senior executive leading business units across five continents, I transitioned into academia. I am now a full-time lecturer at the Kelley School of Business (IU–Indianapolis), teaching international business and business simulations to senior undergraduate students.

Academic Background: I am a chemical engineer with an MBA, a master’s in economics and corporate finance (all in São Paulo, Brazil), and I am currently pursuing an Ed.D. in science education at the IU SoE - Bloomington.

Most Recent Learning: I’ve been exploring how active learning strategies from STEM education can be adapted and bridged into business education. Student-centered pedagogy is my main research interest.

When Working: I teach, mentor, research, and develop instructional strategies, with a focus on engaging students in applied, team-based learning environments. I also mentor small business owners through pro-bono work with SCORE.org, a non-profit organization affiliated with the federal Small Business Administration (SBA).

When Not Working: I enjoy reading, hiking trails with my wife and friends, crafting, and watching volleyball games.

Few People Know: I am multilingual (Portuguese, Spanish, English) and have been an active board member for nearly 10 years at Indiana Repertory Theatre (Indianapolis)

Hope to Learn in This Course: This is an exploratory course for me as I consider pursuing a minor in IST.

2.     Occupation: I am an instructional designer\learning technologist but an educator at heart. I was fortunate to blend my love for learning, art, and tech together.

3.     Academic Background: My undergrad has been in Computer Science and both my Masters and Doctorate have been in Instructional Systems Technology with a minor in Adult Learning.

4.     Recent Learning: On the personal side, I am currently taking French classes and this week I learned how to order at a restaurant. On the professional side, I learned about a plugin called “Mighty” which allows you to enhance the look of your Articulate Rise course with advanced formatting options for text, blocks and transitions.

5.     When working: Meeting with stakeholders and vendors, creating design documents, reviewing courses or materials for courses, developing courses, budgeting, reporting, setting up Moodle courses, conducting training internally and externally, developing presentations and attending meetings meetings, and more meetings.

6.     When not working: DIY projects, travelling around Europe, hanging out with friends, picnicking at the park or by the lake or sleeping.

7.     Few people know: I once jumped off a boat in the middle of the ocean and swam to shore. In my younger days, I did competitive open-water swimming.

8.     Learning:  I look forward to learning from each of you as you share your experiences and perspectives. I am also looking forward to learning more about how the field is evolving.

My hometown is Freelandville, Indiana.  It’s a small, unincorporated town of only about 800 people. The center of town is just a single four-way stop with a flashing light. My husband’s family has lived here for generations. His grandmother, parents, and great-aunts all still live here, and now we’re raising our own two kids in the same community.  We are one of many generational families in town.  Over the years, locals have jokingly called it the “Center of the Universe.”  We don’t have any stores or gas stations, but we do have a strong tradition of neighbors looking out for each other. Every month, there is a town meal hosted in our community building in the center of town to raise money to keep the streetlights on, and in the warmer months those dinners include a community market with food, crafts, music, and lots of friendly faces.  About 8 years ago, artist Robert Treece painted a mural in our market area themed “Crossroads of Family and Hard Work.” The mural reflects our town’s values of hard work, faith, and family, while also paying tribute to landmarks that no longer stand like the old school and Kixmiller’s OshKosh B’gosh store.  We also have something unique for a town our size—a nursing home that’s actually owned by the community itself. I’ve had the honor of serving on its board of directors, which gave me an even deeper appreciation for how much people here care for one another.

2. What is your occupation and why did you choose it? 

I am a professor of English at Vincennes University, where I’ve taught for 17 years. I chose this profession because I believe strong reading, writing, and critical thinking skills can empower students to succeed not only in school, but also in their careers and communities. With more than 20 years of experience in literacy and language education, I’ve had the privilege of working with students from many different backgrounds, including those with diverse abilities and multilingual learners. What I enjoy most is helping students build confidence in their ability to communicate clearly and defend their ideas, skills that I know will serve them for the rest of their lives.

3. What is your Academic Background? 

My academic background began with a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Southern Indiana in 1999. I went on to earn an M.S. in Language Education with an emphasis in English as a Second Language from Indiana University Bloomington in 2005. Most recently, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Composition Studies at Indiana University East in 2017. 

4. What is the most recent thing you learned? 

The most recent thing I learned was how to play Fortnite. My boys were excited to teach me this winter, and while I’m definitely not as good at the game as they are, it has been a lot of fun to learn from them and share something they really enjoy. It has turned into a great way for us to spend time together!

5. What do you do when working? 

When I’m working, most of my time is spent teaching developmental writing and English Composition I courses, and more recently I’ve also started teaching Diversity for the Classroom Teacher for the Education department. My days involve a mix of designing lessons, leading discussions, and giving students feedback to help them grow as writers and thinkers. Outside of class time, I work closely with students as an academic advisor, helping them set academic and career goals, and I serve on departmental and university committees that focus on curriculum and student success. Another big part of my work is finding ways to make learning engaging and accessible, whether the course is face-to-face or online. What I enjoy most is that no two days are exactly the same. I love connecting with students, learning from them, and trying to make the classroom a place where they feel supported and challenged.

6. What do you tend to do when not working? 

When I’m not working, most of my time is spent with my family.  Even though my degrees are from Indiana University, we love cheering on the Boilermakers at our house.  My husband graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Purdue.  We went to our first Purdue football game together last fall. A lot of my free time is also spent supporting my kids in their activities. My 11 year old son plays competitive golf, and I got to watch him compete in the Notah Begay tournament this summer with my brother serving as his caddy, which was a really special experience. My 13 year old son runs cross country and track, so I also spend many evenings and weekends at meets, cheering him on as he races. Supporting my kids in the things they love, while spending time together as a family, is what I enjoy most outside of work.

7. What do few people know about you (e.g., your skills and competencies; interests; quests and adventures; hobbies; famous moments; etc.)? 

A few things people might not know about me are how much I really enjoy podcasts, music, and sports. I listen to podcasts almost every day, and two of my favorites are The Dan Le Batard Show and Pablo Torre Finds Out. They’re such a fun mix of humor, storytelling, and sports commentary, which fits me perfectly because I’ve always loved sports. One of my favorite “fun facts” to share is that I was actually WNBA star Dearica Hamby’s fifth-grade teacher, and it has been such a joy to watch her career take off and to see her using her platform to advocate for working mothers in professional sports. I also love music and listen to a wide range of artists, from Fleetwood Mac and Dolly Parton to Beyoncé, Adele, and Taylor Swift.

Outside of that, I also really enjoy being outdoors, especially gardening and raising chickens. After a tough winter when I lost my flock to raccoons, I’m now raising a new batch of Erminette Ameraucana and Barred Rock chicks. It’s been both a challenge and a lot of fun, and it’s something that always makes me feel grounded.

8. What do you hope to learn in this course?

I hope to learn how instructional technology frameworks and strategies can strengthen the way I design both online and face-to-face courses. Because I teach English Composition and Diversity for the Classroom Teacher, I want to explore approaches that will help me make these courses more engaging, inclusive, and effective for students. I’m also especially interested in blended and hybrid learning environments, since this is an area I don’t know much about yet but see as valuable for reaching students in different ways. My goal is to leave the course with strategies I can immediately apply to create richer learning experiences in the classes I teach.

I was born and raised in Western Indianaa. I spent my childhood in in Brazil, IN, and my teenage years in a tiny little town called Montezuma, IN. Neither were particularly noteworthy in any way, other than Montezuma is in Parke County, known for their annual Covered Bridge Festival. Each fall tens of thousands of tourists converge on the sleepy little county to see the bridges, have greasy food, and buy way too many knick-knacks.

2. What is your Occupation and why did you choose it?

I've been a lifelong tech nerd, and from a young age, I often got myself into trouble by breaking or taking something apart and not being able to fix it. By the time I was a teenager, my parents were tired of paying to have the family computer fixed, so they told me to learn fix it myself. 25+ years later and here we are. :)

3. What is your Academic Background,?

This is actually an interesting one. I went to a private school for elementary, I was homeschooled for grades 7-12, then I paid my way through college at ISU in Terre Haute, IN thanks in part to some generous friends who gave me crash space.

4. What is the most recent thing you learned?

I learned using an export pack for a Canvas course should allow the Ally Accessibility score to be transferred between courses. (It didn't the last I tried it, of course, because Ally in Canvas is terrible, but that's how it is supposed to work.)

5. What do you do when working?

I work at the Kelley School of Business in their IT department, on a small team that specifically focuses on Learning Technology and helping our staff and faculty use and navigate it. This includes things like Canvas, Zoom, and Kaltura, but also occasionally things like TopHat, PlayPosit, Gradescope, and all sorts of other things that plug into Canvas.

6. What do you tend to do when not working?

I'm a huge gamer and social butterfly. I enjoy board, card, and video games equally. Board and card games are when I get a lot of my extroverted social batteries recharged, and video games are generally what I do to wind down by myself. I also LARP, which takes up most of the rest of my free play time.

7. What do few people know about you (e.g., your skills and competencies; interests; quests and adventures; hobbies; famous moments; etc.)?

I'm a pretty good cook, I'm a sucker for a good urban fantasy novel, and I once got second place in a jellybean counting contest by missing the correct number by 1. :P

8. what do you hope to learn in this course?

I want to round out my knowledge and confidence about the world of IST and beyond so that I can continue to move up in my organization. (Or move to another, perhaps.)

2. I am in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and I work as a Prevention Officer with hopes of getting back into the training field. I may not do the “exciting” missions, like Kali, but my job in Prevention ensures that we maintain safety of life at sea. I inspected foreign and US commercial vessels, investigated marine casualties (i.e. loss of propulsions, passenger injuries, deaths, collisions, etc.), investigated violations of law and regulations, and conducted suspension and revocation of merchant mariner credentials. I decided to join the USCG because I wanted to serve others and to be part of something bigger than myself.

3. I earned my bachelor’s degree from UCLA – double majored in Asian American Studies and History (2003). I wanted to become a Filipino History Professor, but decided that my personality did not "fit the mold" after being exposed to the field. I earned a master’s degree in Intelligence Studies from American Military University (2015) while working full-time in the USCG. I believed that I wanted to get into the Intelligence community but ended up in the Prevention community for a better work-life balance. 17 years in the USCG (10 years in Prevention) and I would not change any part of my journey.

4. I learned how to use the USCG’s Manta Virtual Desktop. This allows members to access our work email and official databases without using a government computer. I had to troubleshoot and find creative ways to reinstall the software since all the jobaids and walkthrough videos were only accessible when connected to the official network.

5. At my last assignment, I was Chief of the Investigations Division at USCG Sector San Diego. Our area of responsibility spanned across 4 states (Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California) and south of the Mexican Border Line - out to the Pacific Ocean. We conducted a lot of training within the USCG, with other government agencies, and with the public. When I worked in this position, I had to prioritize everything based on urgency, time sensitivity, needs of the service, and my boss’ expectations. To keep my mental health sane, I mentored others and participated in unit morale groups (Mental Health Advisory Council, Victim Advocate, Mentorship, Partnership in Education, etc.).

6. When not working, I spend most of my time with my 5-year-old son with visits to the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, Sea World, Balboa park, the beach, the local park, and basically anywhere outdoors. I love going to Hotworx where I have access to a variety of virtually instructed exercises in a heated 130 degree sauna (i.e. hot yoga, hot pilates, hot core, etc.). I would like to get back into running (half marathons) again.

7. I’m afraid of heights, and because of this, I went skydiving once.

8. I hope to gain a better understanding of what IST consists of and I hope to gain a strong foundation so that I can better serve the USCG. I believe that our people are our biggest assets, and in order to remain successful, we must continue to invest in improving our performance-based training programs to keep up with new technologies and trends.  

2) Until this past Friday, I was a Failure Analysis Engineer at Intel. I initially joined Intel as a Production Engineer but was transferred to the Failure Analysis group last August. While I didn’t specifically choose the Failure Analysis role, I enjoyed my time there. I left Intel to focus on my education.

3) I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Arizona State University in 2021.

4) The most recent skill I learned is how to use Microsoft Power BI. I used it to build reports for our lab group at Intel to present to upper management.

5) I’ve been a working professional for about two years, during which I taught K-12, developed and coded software products, and analyzed computer chips using a transmission electron microscope. In essence, I acquire diverse skills to contribute effectively to my team.

6) When I’m not working, I stay active, read, play music, and volunteer at my church.

7) Something people may not know about me is that I can speak and read Italian. I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in northern Italy, which required me to learn the language. I was fluent at one point, but it’s challenging to find Italian speakers in Arizona to practice with, so I’m not sure I’d claim fluency now, haha! I do try to maintain my skills as much as possible.

8) I’m eager to explore the history of Instructional Systems Technology. Understanding the past is essential for shaping the future. For those of us in the IST program, learning from history will help us adapt to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, which will require educators to guide their effective integration into people’s lives. I’m also excited to engage with the readings and recorded lectures to understand the problems instructional system designers tackle and their approaches to solving them.

             
What do you hope to learn in this course:
              Generally, I’m hoping to obtain formal knowledge regarding ID. What I currently understand regarding the field of ID has just been from the lens of my current job. One of topics, I fundamentally would love to learn more about is Learning Experience Design and how to incorporate those ideas better.

I grew up and was raised in Lynn, MA (about 11 miles north of Boston).  It was a large city (80,000) and only a couple of miles away from beaches (Atlantic Ocean).  Although I left a while ago, my “Boston accent” comes out once and a while and reminds me of a great time growing up and correctly “pahking my cah!”

Occupation:

After 25 years in the workforce as an organization leader and recruiter, I transitioned to academia and currently am a Lecturer in the Communication, Professional, and Computer Skills area at the Kelley School of Business at IU-Bloomington.  I currently teach 8 unique courses (core and overloads) and focus primarily on 1^st through 4^th year students in Professional Development pathway courses at Kelley (Personal Brand, Recruiting Preparedness, and Leading Virtual Teams/Positive Impact of EQ).

Academic Background:

B.A. in Political Science/Public Policy, University of Rochester.  M.P.S. in Organization Development & Change, Penn State.   Doctoral candidate in Instructional Systems Technology, IU-Bloomington School of Education.

Recent Learning:

I am cautiously passionate :>} about Generative AI (best practices, risk mitigation, recruiter expectations) and recently had a proposal accepted to facilitate a workshop on “Flipping the Flipped Classroom with Gen AI” at a Lilly Teaching Conference in Asheville, NC (above picture).  What I am learning, like the introduction of the calculator many years ago (and IU’s recent investment in Gen AI awareness and resources), is the opportunity to embrace this influential technology to responsibly, ethically, and compliantly instruct my students -  through the lens of higher education as well as recruiter expectations (companies are seeking this skill set aligned to recent workforce research and trends).

When Working:

I strive to foster an experiential learning and collaborative environment inside and outside of the classroom.  I believe in leveraging one’s strengths (Appreciative Inquiry – the other AI) and focus learning (self and others) around what we do well – not just deficit-based opportunities.  While important to learn from mistakes and failures, it is also important to me to celebrate all experiences to balance the experience through a growth-mindset perspective.

When Not Working:

I play the acoustic guitar and enjoy traveling to see our families in western NY (Rochester area) and New England (Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

Few People Know:

I follow and respect the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen to keep myself grounded on continuous improvement principles.  I also enjoy a whole-foods/plant-based nutritional lifestyle.

Course Goals:

While being a current client of faculty development centers on the IU campus, I want to learn more about instructional design from their lens to be able to leverage research and scholarly work in my own pedagogy and course design – and possibilities to collaborate with my colleagues on innovative practices – to best support the success of our students.

Occupation
I’m a Clinical Assistant Professor and Junior Clinical Coordinator in the dental hygiene program at IU South Bend. After six years in clinical practice, I found myself not burned out, but bored. I joined the faculty about five years ago, and I can honestly say I haven't been bored since. Teaching has given me the opportunity to share my passion for dental hygiene, and the fulfillment I've found in this role has been incredibly rewarding.

Academic Background
I began my undergraduate studies at Ball State University with a major in secondary education. After switching majors five times, I eventually discovered dental hygiene and knew I’d found my path. I transferred to IU South Bend, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, and now, full circle, I’m back as a faculty member. Currently, I’m pursuing my Master’s in Educational Technology for Learning.

Recent Learning
Our program is currently undergoing its accreditation cycle, which is a first for me. The process has been eye-opening, and I’m learning something new nearly every day as we navigate it.

Working
My role involves teaching the fundamentals of dental hygiene, preventive dentistry, and clinical practice to future dental professionals. I also spend a significant amount of time on faculty calibration, curriculum development, and mentoring students in the clinic as part of my clinical coordinator responsibilities.

Not Working
Outside of work, I focus on quality time with my family, gardening, and cheering on my two boys at their various extracurricular activities. Life is full and busy right now. Balancing work, school, family, and personal well-being can be overwhelming at times, but I’m doing my best to stay afloat in this busy season.

Few People Know
Even though I’m a dental hygienist... I don’t floss on the weekends. (Yes, really!)

Learning Goals
I’m eager to make my hybrid courses more engaging for students. I'm hoping to pick up new strategies and tools to create a more interactive and enriching learning experience.