Think Critically and Reflectively

For the competency “Think Critically and Effectively”, I have selected three documents as artifacts to represent my ability to develop a personal vision of inclusive practice by thinking critically and effectively about the discipline in the broader field of education. These documents are an “Initial and Revised Reflection on my Educational Technology Definitions,” a “Multitudes of Difference: Social Class Group Project Reflection,” and a “Lesson on: Empathy & Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes.” 

The “Initial and Revised Reflection on my Educational Technology Definitions” discussion demonstrates my ability to develop a personal vision of inclusive educational practice and identify the relationship of discipline to the broader field of education. During the initial week of the course, Foundations of Learning Design and Technology, took a moment to reflect on how I defined the Learning Design and Technology field. During this reflection, my definition was based on the knowledge and experience I had at that time, which was an instructional design procedural description. Throughout 8-weeks, I became familiar with the historical and foundational knowledge of the Learning Design and Technology field. This expanded my viewpoints and built an understanding of my instructional design code of ethics. By the end of 8 weeks, I was able to cohesively refine my definition of this field and provide a holistic definition of Learning Design and Technology.

The “Multitudes of Difference: Social Class Group Project Reflection” and “Lesson on Empathy & Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes” demonstrate my ability to critically evaluate theory and practice. During this collaborative group project, we delivered a lesson plan focused on teaching students how social class affects identity and future prosperity. Specifically, this lesson plan’s focus was on building empathy to feel how others experience the world. Through several weeks of coursework in parallel with the development of this lesson plan, the discovery of how the information was designed became critical. This coursework relied on a clear definition of the audience, objectives, instructional strategies, and delivery. To accomplish this, theory and practice were leveraged to shape the objectives and outcomes of this lesson plan. Identifying the appropriate methods of instruction and content level was the next step in ensuring the delivery of the content to students was successfully met. 

As a current learning professional focused on the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion education for a global corporation, I had a very linear view of how social class should be instructed and my definition of Learning Design and Technology. When I began both pieces of coursework, I had a corporate lens view with a focus on adult learners. This coursework, however, shifted my view on education and students in K12. Finally, working with an experienced team of teachers in K-12 education provided me with an extended view of teaching the topic of social class in the classrooms.