EDCI 660B: CAREER PATHWAY—PERSONAL REFLECTION 1 Career Pathway—Personal Reflection: Ina Whitehead Introduction For almost 10 years, I worked as an editor at a private university in a school of nursing. Throughout the years, the university began offering more online courses. Faculty members who taught classes on campus were also being asked to use more technology in their classes. I noticed some faculty members did not have a background that prepared them to adapt to these changes, and there was a need for those who could design e-learning and provide technological assistance. My goal is to work in a university assisting faculty by developing online courses. For my personal reflection, I have focused on reviewing materials and resources related to e-learning. Speaker Videos Helping Teachers with Technology Integration: Dr. Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich This video by Dr. Ottenbreit-Leftwich. She is a graduate of Purdue’s Learning Design and Technology Program and is currently a professor at Indiana University. Her presentation focused on how she assists teachers in learning how to integrate technology into education by working closely with teachers in a coaching role and encouraging them to gain field experience. I knew before watching this video that I would like to perform in a similar role, and I found this video to be very informative. The video helped me to understand more about what types of barriers teachers face and how I can work with teachers to help them overcome these barriers. From the Field: International Career in LDT: Dr. Dana Ruggiero Dr. Dana Ruggiero is a graduate of Purdue’s LDT program who is now working in Bath, England. In the video, she discusses how she went from graduating from Purdue’s PhD program to become a tenured professor (Learning Technologist) at Bath University who travels internationally. She began the video by showing pictures from some of her travels before EDCI 660B: CAREER PATHWAY—PERSONAL REFLECTION 2 discussing the evaluation system in the UK. Dr. Ruggiero then discussed projects she has worked on with international students as well as some of the cultural differences she has encountered. Lastly, she discussed how she obtained a job at Bath University. I was accepted into Purdue’s Bath University Internship Program this spring, and Dr. Ruggiero is my mentor. My internship has just begun, and Dr. Ruggiero’s video helped me to understand the differences between instructional design in the U.S. and U.K. and also helped to prepare me for my internship. Maestro E-Learning: Jennifer Randall Jennifer Randall is president of Maestro E-Learning, an instructional design company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mrs. Randall stated most of her employees have backgrounds in academia. Maestro E-Learning has approximately 50 clients and 70% are in the medical field. These clients need e-learning courses for their staff and consumers, but do not have knowledge of how to design courses and do not understand adult learning. After the introduction, she showed storyboards for one of Maestro’s clients, Dannon, and examples of e-learning courses developed for other clients. Although I would like to work in higher education immediately after graduation, I would also like to also work as a freelance consultant on a part-time basis because I think it provides additional job security. Although Mrs. Randall’s company is only five years old, she has already secured major clients, such as Dannon and Amway, which shows being a successful business owner is possible within a short period of time. Job Skills/Instructional Design Competencies I have begun looking for a higher education position in instructional design. One of the main resources that I use is Indeed.com. I also regularly check my Purdue e-mail for job postings and was able to secure an interview. Jobs from the Society for Applied Learning Technology are EDCI 660B: CAREER PATHWAY—PERSONAL REFLECTION 3 also sent by e-mail by a Purdue faculty member to everyone in the program. The ASTD (ATD) Job Bank and HigherEd Jobs also advertise positions as well. Purdue University lists eight competencies that it requires students to demonstrate before graduating. I feel confident in my abilities to meet the first four competencies (synthesize knowledge, create knowledge, communicate knowledge, and think critically and reflectively). Due to time constraints, I have not had time to meet competency 5 (engage in professional development). I have subscribed to several LinkedIn groups and attended a ISPI conference, but I have not had time to become an active member of any organization. My goal is to join ASTD (ATD) before the year ends, which will also help me to meet competency 6 (participate actively in the profession). I feel some of my past assignments, particularly my evaluation class with Dr. Ertmer, help me meet competency 7 (apply instructional design principles). Competency 8 (apply technology to solve instructional problems) is a competency that I hope to meet through participation in my Purdue internship at Bath University. Relevant Organizations I have listed resources I have found that pertain to instructional design and technology careers in higher education. Several of these organizations are listed below:  American Educational Research Association—This organization focuses on educational research.  Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education—This organization is focused on the use of technology in education.  Association for Talent Development (Formerly the Association for Training and Development)—This organization is probably the most well-known in instructional design and offers a wide variety of excellent resources for those who develop instruction. EDCI 660B: CAREER PATHWAY—PERSONAL REFLECTION 4 ASTD (ATD) publishes Training and Development, one of the premier journals for instructional design.  E-Learning Guild—This organization is advertised as the oldest organization in existence for distance learning professionals. The organization has almost 65,000 members and produces courses, conferences, and Learning Solutions Magazine.  LinkedIn—This is a social network for professionals who wish to learn about jobs and advance their careers. Members can join groups, which allow them to ask and respond to questions from others. I have already joined LinkedIn, and I am currently a member of several LinkedIn groups: Purdue Association of Learning Design and Technology, ASTD (ATD), ISPI, Adobe Captivate, E-Learning Guild, and Instructional Designers. Conclusion Due to my previous work experience at a university, I was certain of my career direction. My goal is to utilize the resources that I and my classmates have discovered and begin preparing for my practicum experience. In addition, now that I am aware of Purdue’s competencies, I will begin preparing for the portfolio review. I will also begin to more actively network by joining professional organizations on the national and local levels.