Professional Learning Plan
I truly believe that learning is a lifelong opportunity. As I continue to work my way through this Master’s Degree program, I have outlined opportunities that I would like to focus on before and after graduation.
*I am often a lurker on social media site and groups- I join and read the posts but rarely actually engage/comment. You will see many of my goals revolve about actively participating in groups and opportunities! All of the social media groups listed are full of people working in or exploring the field of ID, and can help me build my learning design knowledge and reach with my professional goals!
Professional Development
Learning is and will always be an essential component of my future plans. As I complete my Master’s Degree, I look forward to filling my “free” time with all sorts of new opportunities:
True Colors I have been a True Colors for many years and have loved its commitment to helping everyone “Value Differences and Create Unity.” I have been wanting to explore even more certifications through True Colors, including in the areas of Teaching and Learning Styles, Team Building, and Communication. By earning these three certifications, I would also become an “Elite Facilitator,” which is a long-term goal of mine!
LinkedIn Learning I hope to take advantage of workplace-provided LinkedIn Learning to learn
more about Articulate Storyline, storyboarding, Kirkpatrick evaluation model, and other ID tools and topics. (Initially, I intend to focus on Articulate 360 Storyline. My current position mostly uses 360 Rise, so I plan on taking all opportunities to build my Storyline skills!)
Professional Learning Networks The Association for Talent Development (ATD) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) will keep me up-to-date on the latest research. ATD will be useful because I am leaning toward talent development jobs as my next career move. Joining ISTE will keep me current on instructional technology, which was the subject of my first Master’s Degree. It will be interesting to join from my new perspective as an Instructional Designer for adult
Networking
Building my professional network is essential to continuing to learn and grow. Below are just a few of the networking sites that intend to utilize:
LinkedIn LinkedIn is an important source of learning and job opportunities. I hope to be more active on this site, posting regularly, following Learning Design/Instructional design professionals, and engaging in professional discussions in groups such as Instructional Design Central (IDC), Instructional Designers and Curriculum Writers, Learning Experience Design Community, and True Colors Facilitators Group.
Slack I already joined Devlin Peck’s ID Slack channel, but, I have not been active. I hope to have more time to contribute to this networking opportunity. I also recently joined the L&D Collaborative, which also has a Slack channel.
Facebook I am already in The Hangout – For Aspiring Instructional Designers & eLearning Developers and Become an Instructional Designer and Online Learning Developer. I hope to become more active in these groups.
My Portfolio
While my current portfolio, built for my M.S. in Learning Design and Technology, is a great start, I have big plans for this site. I want to utilize more WordPress features to showcase actual interactions built in Articulate. I also plan to utilize Articulate’s eLearning Design Challenges, to build more artifacts for my portfolio.
Now that I have purchased my URL and webspace, and built a solid framework for showcasing my skills, I look forward to continuing to add to my portfolio to represent my growing ID experience.
Career Growth
I am always looking for opportunities to grow professionally, either in my current setting or by seeking new career opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown me the benefits of working from home, which is a working situation that I would love to continue.
My goal is to be in a new, ID-related position (hopefully fully remote) before fall 2022. As an added bonus, job descriptions also offer intel on the latest tools and techniques that employers are looking for!