4 Lessons in Instructional Design & Training

What a wild and exciting year this has been. As we head into December I am wrapping up two big contracts, one as an instructional designer redesigning multiple pre-service training modules for a statewide non-profit that serves children and families, and one with the Gateway to College National Network as an instructional coach with Project DEgree. I've completed 27 of 30 two-day trips to five colleges in 18 months. I've also written over 30 training modules covering everything from safety and transportation to family and health services, to early childhood classroom environments and teaching practices.

Teaching Relationships Can Change Minds!

This week’s guest post is by my good friend and colleague Cindy Stadel. Cindy hired me as the instructional designer to work with her team to develop the Road to Success curriculum for adults transitioning from prison back to their communities. Together we co-trained the first team of institution transition coordinators selected to implement the curriculum in each of the Oregon prisons.

In this post Cindy shares  heartening information about the brain's plasticity and ability to rewire itself, especially through positive relationships. Teachers and trainers will want to understand and utilize this knowledge to support transformational learning in their students and trainees. So grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and enjoy this informative post about the power of relationships to literally change our minds. Here’s Cindy...

Coaching Increases Transfer of Learning

Recently I received a wonderful letter and article from my friend and colleague Jennifer Alkezweeny related to our shared faculty coaching work with the Gateway to College National Network, Project DEgree (PDE). Jennifer sent this letter and article to the instructional coaches who work in the Project DEgree Programs across the U.S. to encourage us with the astounding impacts to transfer of learning that can occur through professional coaching. I thought her letter and the article would be an encouragement for others of you doing the slow and steady work of coaching teachers and trainers to do their best work. Here’s Jennifer...

School Culture & Climate Assessment

I’m excited to welcome and introduce my dear friend and colleague, Penny Keith, Director of Professional Development for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center of Community of Caring as a guest blogger this month. Penny and her Executive Director, Paula Smith were the very knowledgeable SMEs I worked with for a year to update the Community of Caring process curriculum originally developed by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the 1980’s. It is with great delight that I turn this month’s blog over to Penny to share her experience implementing the updated curriculum. In this post she shares what it is like to train one of the activities in the curriculum, the School Climate and Culture Assessment with administrators, teachers, staff and parents. Here's Penny...

College Project Integrates Service Learning, Math & a 'Zine

The flavors of integrated college projects are as varied and exciting as the faculty teams who design them. This week I have another awesome integrated project to share, this one from the first term Portland Community College Project DEgree faculty team of Monica, Alison and Bjorn. I'll let their project do the talking as it combines service learning, a student-written 'Zine that tells the stories of their service experiences, with quantitative comparisons that build upon and add depth to the student stories. Check out an overview of the 'Zine project here, along with a more detailed overview of the Math component here.