I have identified a range of artifacts that demonstrate my competency in the ability to engage in professional development.
Competency Artifacts
- Artifact 1 for Competency 6 Participate Actively in the Profession_EDCI 6600 Learning Design and Technology Program Seminar
- Artifact 2 for Competency 6 Participate Actively in the Profession_followed podcasts
- Artifact 3 for Competency 6 Participate Actively in the Profession_Professional Organization Membership
This narrative explains various artifacts that support the primary characteristic of participating actively in the profession, which is identifying and participating in communities of practice within the field of Educational Technology.
Artifact 1: Finding a network of mentors within the field.
I have connected with a performance improvement firm to do a job observation of their instructional designers and project managers. My initial contact with the firm, Innovative Learning Group, was when I interviewed the CEO, Lisa Toenniges, for an instructional design interview, which was for EDCI 6600 Learning Design and Technology Program Seminar. I have stayed in touch with Ms. Toenniges, who has given me advice regarding different instructional design models, software, and podcasts. Through my interactions with the firm, I have been able to have a realistic idea of the day-to-day operations of a design firm and opportunities to stay relevant.
Artifact 2: Podcasts that I follow.
I have found podcasts helpful in learning about trends and understanding perspectives on those trends within the field. Some of the podcast I follow are:
- The Future of our Learning
- Learning Trends – Beyond the Buzz
- E-Learning Stuff Podcast
- Classroom 2.0
- The Online Course Coach
- The eLearning Coach
- Trends & Issues
Artifact 3: Membership in a professional organization.
Now that graduation is upon me, I will take membership in professional in one of the following organizations:
- Association for Training and Development
- Society for Human Resource Management
- International Society for Performance Improvement
Until I feel I can invest more time in participating in membership, I will continue to follow their blogs. After graduation, I will seek more opportunities to participate formally in the profession. In the meantime, I will continue to listen to blogs and read articles.
Allison Brinkerhoff 