This quote really exemplifies my theory and beliefs on education. It is my personal belief that true education is evidenced by students applying their knowledge in the real world as using that knowledge to contribute to society.

I believe that often times there is too large an emphasis on answering questions with an ABC or D. I believe in fostering creativity and curiousity. My philosophy is, "Failure is success if you learn from it".

As an instructional designer my goal is to focus on the learning. In order to do this, it is important to know the students, their challenges, their goals and their previous knowledge/experiences.
I aspire to provide meaningful, motivating instruction that is aesthetically inviting for the learners. In the end, I hope that those who complete any coursework that I design come away confident in their knowledge and motivated to continue the learning.

Objectives for learning can be grouped into three major domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. My Instructional Design Theory is based on Bloom six-level Taxonomy. While there is value in the lowest level of knowledge, the goal is to move to the more complex intellectual levels of application, analysis, evaluation. and creation to show learning mastery.

Instructional design is based on a collection of theories, principles and norms. I do not believe that there is one perfect theory. Instead, I prefer a blended theory that combines ideas from each of the big 3. For example, while I agree that positive reiforcement can be a motivating factor, I do not believe that learning is passive. I tend to lean towards the Cognitive view that learning is active however I am most aligned with Constructivism in that I believe that culture, past experience and situations play a large role in student learning.

Activity is paramount in my learning theory. It is challenging and challenge based, but I don't ever want students to feel overwhelmed or lost. I believe that a teacher should always be there to provide guidance.

Technology is a tool for learning. As a technology integration specialist, it may be odd to hear me say that it is not the end-all be all. I love technology and feel that it makes the world more accessible. It is a fabulous way to expand students vision and provides them with answers to many of their questions. My philosophy, however is that while some students relish the opportunity to show their creativity and share their knowledge digitally, there are also many who prefer to use other mediums. Keeping in mind that the end goal is student growth, creativity and internalizing learning, all methods are valid.

My assessments tend to be mostly process/product based. I also like quick response at the end of a lesson (formative assessments). I feel that students should be constantly communicating their learning whether it is verbal, written or digital.

To improve as an instructional designer, I approach the role just as I have approached education. My assumption is that we are all constantly learning and we never really "arrive". My 1st year teaching I spent hours adding choice to a project. I was really proud of that project until I had a student tell me that she didn't like any of the choices. After some thought, I decided that as long as she had the project approved and followed the learning goals in the rubric, it was okay. Her project was the best one in the class. From that point on, I have tried to remain open-minded and flexible while focusing on learning. My assessment is based on the growth, confidence and motivation displayed by my students.

I love education. The word itself implies learning that extends far beyond the marks on a scantron or even the walls of school. It is about student growth. My goal is to inspire students to explore their curiousity, develop their passions and continue to grow. Active participation is important in my theory and I do take into account the individual circumstances that affect each student. At the end of the day, I am not just building students who can regurgitate information. I am building thinkers.