Keeping promises, resolutions…

I was doing so well with blogging! Life gets busy. It truly does. Now, if my main job function was to blog post all day, I’d be DYNO-MITE at my job 🙂 I’m pretty great at the things I’m actually supposed to be doing, so that’s a plus.

I just started two MOOCs today: Instructional Design Service Course: Gain Experience for Good & Web Accessibility MOOC for Educators.

My main focus for these two MOOCs is to check out their structures, network, and find out how other people implement IDD-focused strategies and accessbility into their courses.

One of my professional goals is to create a MOOC – I’m building one at ERAU-WW! I am SO thrilled to be given this task! It’s important to be able to showcase what we do and how well we do it. Yippee!!

#Trends in #elearning

Universities won’t survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast.” – Peter Drucker, 1997

The article below is a great read. A lot of the trends listed are obvious, but the reasons behind them dig deep into that quote. Wow, 1997. I was just venturing into second grade at that point. Little did my brain know that my career would engage in the wild and crazy future of education.

IF, and only IF universities do not survive, what does that mean for the world as we know it? Forget freshman year on campus and Leadership Safari – I did not build my social skills from those instances.

My main focus and worry is the lack of human-to-human interaction. If universities do not survive, what does that mean for K-12 education? We are already glued to our electronic devices and human communication is dwindling- where do we go from here? Is this a world we want to be a part of 20 years from now? 50 years?

All these trends are great and will keep a nice cash flow in my bank account, but that quote is something to really think about. That means that it is OUR job as IDDers to incorporate as MUCH human interaction as possible.

How? What is the best method of including human interaction in e-learning courses? Do you think the quote is valid? Why haven’t universities crashed and burned yet? Will it ever?

The following article was created for my virtual presentation “Global Trends in the eLearning Industry” at the International Congress on eLearning 2013 organized by the Philippine eLearning Society.

Source: Future eLearning Trends and Technologies in the Global eLearning Industry

Balancing the Holidays and Your Education

lol, look at that floppy disc!!

You’ve taken this vow of completing your Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. online because you have X, Y, Z reasons that you’d rather go online than to a brick and mortar.

I get it. I’ve been there. I don’t even have kids, and I get it.

What happens when it’s the holidays, kids are home, family is around, shopping is not done, you STILL NEED TO CLEAN THAT LITTLE CORNER BEHIND THE CANDY DISH BECAUSE GOD FORBID ANY OF YOUR GUESTS LOOK AT THAT LITTLE FLECK OF DUST…

oh… AND school? Wait, what?

Brick and mortar schools are off on vacation before you can sound out the D in December and then leisurely pick the pace back up sometime in the middle of January. You don’t have to think twice about any sort of obligations during that entire month! NBD…

But you chose an online education because it would be beneficial to your lifestyle! Sometimes online education never truly stops until your mind stops because there’s always something you could be doing or you want to get everything done beforehand because some genius decided to make this term overlap over Christmas and nobody got time for that.

I went to Western Governors University. This school run by six-month-terms. You can complete as much or as little of your degree within those six months. That meant I got as MUCH as I could get done prior to driving all the way up to MI from SC for Christmas and didn’t look at a single thing while I was there. HUGE reason why I loved attending that school. If life was happening, my school didn’t need to be my number 1 priority.

Did I mention I finished all of my coursework for my degree in 15 months? Yep.

How do you complete your course work before and during the holidays?
Have you had to shorten your vacation because of school obligations?
Do you change your study schedule to fit the needs your many gatherings?
How understanding is your family of your obligations?
What comes first, family or school during this time of year?

Wow…you go, ERAU!

Embry-Riddle To Offer Reduced Tuition for Newly Accepted-Florida Students

“Creating opportunities and access for these students is a win for everyone,” said Embry-Riddle Interim President Dr. John R. Watret.

I think it is fascinating to be a part of this incredible institution. Every day I am reminded of why everyone boasts about the university, working here, and the community feel that people get when they arrive on campus or speak to anyone with a connection. I can definitely say, “they know how to pick ’em” because I sure do work with some intelligent and astounding individuals who have one goal in mind: Let’s do better for future generations.

The decision to move and start my new career here has already been incredibly rewarding…in just four months!

And it Begins

Four months ago I was traveling from Charleston, SC to my new, but temporary, home in South Daytona, FL. Weeks away from graduating with my Masters in Instructional Design from Western Governors University, I earned a position as an Instructional Designer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide.

I left behind my husband and dog to sell our townhouse and meet me in temporary housing while our new home was being built. A month prior, we had three days to pick where to spend our next part of our lives together.

At the same time, I started my new job and learned to be flexible and transition with ease. However, if we fast forward to today I have developed so many relationships and have already enhanced my craft. My superiors are so motivating and supportive in my creative decisions. I’m learning about new and innovative software and simulations.

My goal for this blog is to connect with other instructional designers and e-learning fanatics as well as showcase my opinions from my many experiences.