Expertise

I have a wealth of knowledge of a variety of educational technologies and a proven ability to quickly learn and implement technology into professional development and instruction. My skills include:

My preferred instructional design approach is the backward design process from Wiggins and McTighe, beginning with the desired learning outcomes in mind to intentionally guide all instructional decisions. It is critical to develop measurable objectives, create authentic assessments directly linked to the learning goals, and strategically scaffold activities to provide learners with the building blocks they need to achieve the desired learning. 

In crafting learning experiences for learners, I incorporate principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support accessibility for diverse needs through engagement, multiple means of representation, and offering students choices in expressing their learning.

Research on transformative learning theory also informs my instructional choices - designing reflective exercises that challenge assumptions and promote engagement for adult learners. Assignments integrate real-world issues to spur the deep learning levels required for critically examining the world.

Additionally, my learning environments leverage social constructivism, where students co-create meaning through discourse, applying concepts to solve ill-structured problems. The learning opportunities I develop with others and for my own students emphasize learner agency through choice, connecting to prior knowledge and lived experiences, and making student thinking visible through metacognitive practices. 

We must help students advance new literacies, including AI, digital, media, and information literacies, to prepare students for the critical thinking skills they will need in an evolving information ecosystem. Frequent self-reflection, peer discussions, and instructor feedback promote motivation, transparency around evaluation, and necessary course adjustments that guide students toward deeper learning. 

Conference Presentations

• Educause Live Virtual Session. (November 2024). Unlocking Potential: Empathetic and Accessible Instruction for the Whole Student.

• Educause Poster Session. (November 2024). Ignite Curiosity with Launch Activities: Transforming Online Engagement. 

• Course Hero Engaged Learning Academy, Virtual Professional Development. (October 2024). Using AI to Uncover Deeper Learning.

• Course Hero Education Summit, Virtual Conference. (2024). Cultivating AI Literacy: A Roadmap for Educators to Thrive with Technology. 

• Association of Private Colleges [APC Conference]. (2024). Inclusive by Design: UDL Strategies for Learner-centered Courses. (Co-presented with Cara Ruggiero and Katherine Wu).

• Teaching Professor Online Conference, Virtual Conference [TPOC]. (2023). Building Skills with Bots: Using AI throughout the Writing Process (Co-presented with Cara Ruggiero). 

• Teaching Professor Online Conference, Virtual Conference [TPOC]. (2022). Engaged Teaching to Advance Student Learning (Co-presented with Cara Ruggiero).

• Association of Proprietary Colleges [APC] Innovation Summit, New Paltz, NY. (2022). Centering the Student: Connecting with Students for Engagement Across Various Learning Modalities (Co-presenter with Berkeley College CCIT Team and Monroe College).

• NYSCATE, Virtual Presentation. (2020, 2021). Is it Real, or is it Fake? Future-Ready Info Lit Skills.

• ISTE, Philadelphia, PA. (2019). Is it Real, or is it Fake? Future-Ready Info Lit Skills.

• Southern Tier ConnectEd Conference, Endwell, NY. (2018). Is it Real, or is it Fake? Future-Ready Info Lit Skills.

• NYSCATE, Rochester, NY. (2017). Coding Skills from Scratch (Hands-on session).