Are you a Student Whisperer?

I just saw the amazing documentary Buck, the story of Buck Brannaman, a horse trainer (although he might say people trainer) and technical consultant for the movie the Horse Whisperer. In addition to its perfection as a film of integrity, beauty, insight and sensitivity, it resonates with me in a powerful way as a teacher and trainer who works frequently with, or on behalf of, some of our most vulnerable learners.

Parenting Curriculum Study Findings Available

I've written a few posts about my work as first author of the Parenting Inside Out (PIO) curriculum currently being used in all of Oregon state prisons and offered for sale nationally and internationally. As the instructional designer, trainer and coach of the trainers who delivered the curriculum during the NIMH randomized controlled trial run by the Oregon Social Learning Center, I've also written a few times about the experience of teaching PIO in prison classrooms.

Five Reasons to Hire an Instructional Designer

One of the things I hear most often after I finish an instructional design project for a first time client using their first instructional designer is, "Ahh, now I see the value of using an instructional designer." This is music to my ears because much to my frustration, when an organization wants to develop a curriculum or training, they often advertise for a subject matter expert rather than an instructional designer. So here are five reasons you will want to hire an instructional designer for your curriculum design project.