I am pursuing a Master’s degree in the Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (MEITE) program at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Education. This academic journey provides an opportunity to advance as an instructional designer while expanding my proficiency in educational technology tools. Currently, this involves learning to code in Python and studying human learning and development with a focus on critical theories.
Current projects
Augmented reality book
One exciting project is collaborating with other MEITE students to create an augmented reality (AR) enhanced children’s book, and determine if the AR elements enhance reading comprehension. Our book introduces students to different families of instruments: woodwinds, brass, string, and percussion. We are using Adobe Aero to create the scenes, including music samples of each instrument.
Aid for diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools
For EDUC 761, Design of Emerging Technology, I am working with a small group to identify a technological aid for a wicked problem. Our aim is to support public school offices addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ve stated the problem as follows.
How might we support the Chatham and Wake County Excellence and Opportunity Offices in better communicating their work to emphasize the importance and effectiveness of diversity and inclusion in schools?
View our needs analysis, storyboard, and prototypes on our site.
Digital accessibility
In addition to work in the classroom, I also have an internship at UNC’s School of Government, where I have conducted an accessibility review of online training materials and am working to bring them into compliance with Section 508. This has been a fun journey and I am excited to share what I have learned about accessibility with others at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Innovate 2024 conference.
Career goals
Post-graduation, I seek a professional position that allows me to create and enhance learning experiences. I am particularly interested in Learning Experience Designer roles where I can approach the learner experience holistically. While I am open to various industries, I have a particular interest in institutions of higher education.
Professional experience
My professional background includes teaching adult literacy students phonemic awareness, administering classes of GED preparation, creating individual implementation and training plans for software clients, and developing curricula for new software users. I have launched online learning modules and instructor-led courses for law firm administrators. In each situation, I maximized my use of the available learning technologies. At the Association of Legal Administrators, I created branching scenarios with Articulate Storyline 3. At another organization with no budget for tools, I used the open-source tool, Twine, to create a simple text-based interactive story. I enjoy learning how to use new technology to achieve the best learning experience for students, like Vyond to make animated explainers or Camtasia for SCORM-compliant videos.
Personal interests
Beyond my professional pursuits, I have a burgeoning love of the outdoors. I have identified a total of 101 different species of birds in the last two years, a number that will hopefully continue to rise. You can catch my plant and insect identifications on iNaturalist. I am working on making my home and yard more hospitable to pollinators, birds, and other animals. I am no longer scared when I find a DeKay’s brown snake, and I am working on not screaming when I see other species.
I also love science fiction and fantasy, and can be found chewing through the latest novel by Ursula Vernon (or T. Kingfisher, as she is sometimes known), anything by N.K. Jemison, or the back catalog of Octavia Butler.