I have designed and built modules on topics ranging from “Emotional Validation” to “Number Talks” (an instructional format for teaching math) for a range of audiences and contexts. Modules I’ve produced incorporate a variety of media (audio, video, animations), user interactions, and progress-assessment features. They also illustrate my commitment to tailoring e-learning materials to the needs and preferences of specific audiences and the requirements of particular learning scenarios. For example, a client may need a module that works equally well for (a) asynchronous, self-directed learning by individual learners working at their own pace and also for (b) in-person, guided learning by groups of learners working through the content together. My job isn’t done until the materials I’ve designed meet your specific needs and requirements!
Sample e-learning modules:
I have designed and facilitated professional development (PD) on topics ranging from Project-Based Learning to Supporting Social-Emotional Learning in the Elementary Grades, and from Text Structures as Tools for Thinking to Graphical Literacy in High School Social Studies.
The research on PD is clear that PD is most effective when it is responsive to local context and needs, when it is conceived and planned in close consultation with stakeholders, and when it supports participants not just with learning new concepts and skills but also, over time, with the messy work of actually implementing new learning and making necessary adjustments. I pride myself on working closely with my clients to design and deliver PD that embodies these best practices.
The consultation piece is especially important to me. It stems from my respect for the experience and expertise of the other educators in the room and from the fact that, to move ahead, we need to find or build bridges from current curriculum and teaching practices to the new curriculum and practices I am introducing. This collaborative work—the nitty gritty of getting from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow—is a crucial ingredient of successful PD.
I have 20+ years of experience developing curriculum on a wide range of topics and for learners of all ages. I have done this work on my own, in collaboration with small teams of colleagues, and as part of school- and district-wide curricular initiatives.
My go-to framework for curriculum development is the “backward design” framework pioneered by Wiggins and McTighe that has us begin by (a) defining learning goals and (b) deciding how we will ascertain students’ progress toward these goals. Once these pieces are in place, we can be strategic in our choice and design of learning activities, assignments, and learning materials. At the end of the day, it’s not enough for curriculum to be engaging and memorable; it needs to advance learners toward intentionally chosen goals.
Drawing on my years of day-to-day lesson planning, along with my experience designing entire courses from scratch, I can contribute to curriculum-design work from a range of angles and perspectives—from zooming in on just one piece of the larger puzzle (e.g., finding ways to incorporate additional formative assessment in daily lesson plans to help teachers and students see where to focus their efforts) to the big-picture work of reviewing the alignment of curriculum across entire courses or grade levels.
