The world is constantly changing and, as a learning professional, your role is constantly evolving. To remain relevant and have a positive impact in your profession, you must continually acquire and expand your knowledge and skills to improve yourself in your craft

Gardner, Joel

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Franklin University FUSE (Franklin University Scholarly Exchange) The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog International Institute for Innovative Instruction 1-30-2017 How to Develop Yourself as a Learning Professional Joel Gardner Franklin University, joel.gardner@franklin.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://fuse.franklin.edu/i4blog  Part of the Instructional Media Design Commons Recommended Citation Gardner, J. (2017). How to Develop Yourself as a Learning Professional. Retrieved from https://fuse.franklin.edu/i4blog/17 This Blog Post is brought to you for free and open access by the International Institute for Innovative Instruction at FUSE (Franklin University Scholarly Exchange). It has been accepted for inclusion in The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog by an authorized administrator of FUSE (Franklin University Scholarly Exchange). For more information, please contact karen.caputo@franklin.edu. How to Develop Yourself as a Learning ProfessionalJanuary 30, 2017 | By Joel GardnerInstructional DesignEducational TechnologyThe world is constantly changing and, as a learning professional, your role is constantly evolving. To remain relevant andhave a positive impact in your profession, you must continually acquire and expand your knowledge and skills to improveyourself in your craft.In this blog post, I will share some of my ideas regarding setting professional development goals, defining possible areas ofdevelopment, and improving your general and specialized knowledge. Four Strategies for Setting Professional Development Goals1. Be clear about how you will impact people’s lives . If you have this clarity, then your next step often becomesmore clear. I have articulated my professional purpose in this manner: “My professional purpose and mission is todiscover and share knowledge that inspires, empowers, and equips others to succeed in their careers and lives.” Betotally clear about how would you like to impact and improve others’ lives.2. Envision your future self. What kind of a person do you want to be? What do you want to become? Look atexamples of people you want to be like and identify the traits, skills, and expertise you would like to develop. Who doyou want to become in a year? In three years? Create a compelling vision of yourself and work to make it a reality.3. Set career goals. Your career is going to happen, so you might as well be deliberate about what you want tohappen within your career. What position will help you impact others’ lives in the way you envision? What is the nextposition that would move you toward becoming your best self? What is the dream job you want to worktoward? Align your career with how you want to impact people’s lives.4. Create clear actions for reaching your goals . Be specific about the steps you will take – the skills you willdevelop, the people you will meet, and the knowledge you will gain. It’s sometimes helpful to create a timeline forwhat you would like to happen, realizing that timelines and paths are fluid and ever-changing. Identify the mostimportant step you must take and focus on that step.Four Areas of Personal Development in Instructional DesignThere are 4 basic areas of professional development within the field of instructional design:1. ProcessThis category includes developing knowledge and skills regarding project management and workflow. The result of skillsdeveloped in this category is increased efficiency, quality control, and empowerment of designers. What knowledge orskills would increase your efficiency or effectiveness in your design processes?2. TechnologyThis category includes developing knowledge and skills regarding technologies that deliver or enhance the learningexperience, track design processes, evaluate learning, and manage the overall learning experience. What are yourtechnological gaps as an instructional designer?3. TheoryThis category includes researching and understanding theory on how people learn (learning theory) and how to help themlearn (instructional theory). There are many theories and models for learning that are pretty innovative, and improving andrefining your understanding of how to help people learn is quite important. In addition, younger generations experienceinformation and knowledge differently than perhaps older generations do, and understanding their experiences andexpectations will also inform how you design. How might you deepen or refine your theoretical knowledge?4. SelfYou are the instrument through which all design takes place. You must make yourself the most effective “technology”possible. How could you improve and optimize your attitudes, beliefs and habits? How could you improve your health andmental sharpness? What could you do right now to make yourself a more balanced, well-rounded individual?General vs. Specialized DevelopmentI have a high level of specialized knowledge in learning and instruction, which is due to nearly 20 years of teaching anddesign experience, two advanced degrees, and years of teaching instructional design.  However, I have realized that I usea great deal of generalknowledge and skills to make my work meaningful and useful. These general skills are notnecessarily design-specific and might include communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and project managementskills, among many others. Design skills are essential, but so are the general skills.I close with a challenge. Think about the following two questions and apply them to your own professional development:What design-specific knowledge and skills (e.g. technologies, processes, theory, etc.) do you personally need todevelop to make yourself more effective as an instructional designer?What general knowledge and skills (e.g. communication skills, critical thinking, project management, political savvy,etc.) do you personally need to develop to make yourself a more effective professional?As you continually expand your abilities as a learning professional, you will stay current in the field and have greatercapacity to impact the learners you work with. Ultimately, you will impact others’ lives in the way you envision. What canyou do now to move forward?About the AuthorJoel GardnerDr. Gardner is currently an instructional designer and department chair for the International Institute for InnovativeInstruction at Franklin University.

How to Develop Yourself as a Learning Professional

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How to Develop Yourself as a Learning Professional

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