Instructional Design Welcome Packet

Move the Needle on Your Initiative

How will your initiative improve your business or empower your community? You Can’t Move the Needle Until People Take Action. To inspire people to take action, you need to teach them what to do and how to do it. Wheth Are you a creative or entrepreneur who strengthens community, empowers others, or simply brings joy to someone’s day? Then the world needs to hear more from you, and so do I! If you could deepen your impact by teaching people what you know–but the thought of creating learning experiences makes you cringe a little–you’re not alone.

From one-time presentations to full-scale online courses, there are a variety of ways you could better connect with your audience. I’m an educator whose superpower is helping people create engaging learning experiences. Going from big idea to packaged learning is a great goal, and I’d love to help! After all, learning is a key part of any successful business initiative.

Multiply Your Message

I want to help you multiply your message. (Okay, yes, I need to hear what it is first. Details!)  As an educator with 20 years of experience, I’ve helped dozens of subject-matter experts translate their content into engaging learning tools. In both nonprofit and corporate environments, I’ve served as curriculum developer on variety of print, digital, and in-person learning experiences.

Become a Pilot Client

As I transition toward self-employment, I’m launching pilot program. Right now, I have 10 hours a week to devote to pilot clients. If you’d like help designing one of the following learning experiences, you’ve come to the right place! Over the years, I’ve been an instructional designer on all these products and more.

Contact me for a free consultation, to see if we’re a good fit. Not ready for that step? Take my Education Ally survey to help me understand the needs of entrepreneurs like you.

What I’ll Help You Create

Tell me which of the following you’d like to create:

• Live presentation (digital slideshow)
• Printed curricular material
• Short training video
• Interactive online course
• In-person workshop

What You’ll Get

• Draft formats will depend on project:
  • Live Presentation 
    • Digital slideshow, in format of your choice (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote)
    • Best Practices for Presentation Design doc (Hint: Strong visuals are key! Nothing kills a great presentation like a screen full of text)
    • Own Your Delivery checklist
    • Optional service: Provision of custom visuals, including original photography or image design (See any image on Resounding You for examples of my work. All are my original designs.)
    • I’ve given presentations at many regional and national conferences, over the course of 15+ years
  • Printed Curricular Material
    • Planning Structure doc, to talk through your organizational flow
    • Table of contents
    • Book chapter, training manual, or other Word/Google doc of your choice
    • Chapters, each with learning targets identified
    • I’ve written multiple curricular materials, collaborating with 100+ subject matter experts, in nonprofit and corporate settings. My signature project was serving as Project Coordinator/ Lead writer of Teacher’s Edition of Northern Lights: The Stories of Minnesota’s Past, Revised Second Ed., used by 70,000 sixth graders each year.
  • Short Training Video
    • Storyboard  (My colorful, clean format will help you see the scenes as we plan.)
    • Content chunked into sections, with learning targets identified
    • Optional service: Though I don’t have formal video production training, I’m dying to try out my amatuer-level skills. Need a video, but don’t have the budget for a professional? Let’s talk!
    • I’ve served on several teams that have created high-quality instructional videos. Most subject-matter experts need guidance understanding the components of a video, such as on-screen text, audio narration, and visuals. Happy to help!
  • Online Course
    • Storyboard (My colorful, clean format will help you see each learning segment as we plan. Breaks down instructional content, video message, and downloadable)
    • Downloadable activities (One of the strongest components. Brings in the “meat” of the learning–critical thinking, collaboration, engagement)
    • Quizzes, as needed (These aren’t my fave pedagogical method, but there is value in sprinkling courses with reinforcement that keeps the learner kicking along)
    • I’ve developed online courses with teams of professionals. Planning at the beginning of the project is critical for nailing your instructional goals. I’ll help you think this through!
  • In-Person Workshop
    • Agenda, from kickoff activity to closing, based on your goals
    • Pre-workshop prep checklist
    • Recommendations for how to build trust in a small group or keep things moving for a large one. Need interactivity ideas? Let’s talk!
    • I’ve planned and facilitated a variety of workshops, from small groups (10 or fewer) to conferences with 4 breakouts per hour (100+ attendees)

My Process for Working with You

• We’ll start by walking through my Planning Assessment Guide doc.
  • Strategic goals for the learning experience?
  • Who is your audience, and what are their needs?
  • Key learning objectives? (Warning: This often involves shortening your list of the many amazing things you know.)
  • Parameters–time learner will spend on the experience, definition of key terms, overall tone, desired look and feel?
  • Project scope
• Then, we’ll discuss how to structure your content into a logical flow, divided into manageable chunks. Planning upfront assures a clean process that’ll meet your needs and connect with your audience.
• Next we’ll jump in to co-creating! Along the way, I’ll conduct consultation meetings, via videoconference. I’ll provide a draft at each step, where I’ve incorporated your feedback.

What To Expect During My Pilot Phase

• I’ll be a friendly face who understands your work is a labor of love–and that repackaging it can be a personal or even emotional experience
• I’m available on weekends, but rarely during weekdays.
• At the end of the experience, I’ll ask for your feedback. And yes, I really do want to hear what you say. I enjoy co-creating, and your suggestions will improve the experience next time.
• Assuming all goes well, I’d love a testimonial for my website.

If you want to develop one or more of these, you’ve come to the right place! Let me be your education ally to help show you the way.

Pilot Pricing

During my pilot phase, get my services for half price: $32.50 per hour. Prefer project-level pricing? Let’s talk!

Contact me for a free consultation, to see if we’re a good fit. Not ready for that step? Take my Education Ally survey to help me understand the needs of entrepreneurs like you.

My Instructional Philosphies

• Put your audience first.
• Make the experience warm, inviting, and fun.
• Focus on the 4C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity.
• When in doubt about what content to include, stick to your learning objectives.
• Adults are adults and should be treated as such.

My Story

I’ve long believed education is the way to change the world. And I still do, with one notable change. I’ve now come to see entrepreneurship as equally important. I began studying it in 2014, after discovering a podcast called Good Life Project. That year I’d started a blog, which revealed the power of putting one’s own voice into the world. This feeling changed me irrevocably, in ways I didn’t yet understand.

I Attend Summer Camp for Adults.

In the summer of 2015 I took a risk and attended Camp GLP, the annual meetup of this group. It introduced me to a wealth of ideas, not to mention podcasts  and books that broadened my thinking, and surrounded me with a community that felt like home. This crew of world shakers helped me see one doesn’t have to choose between making a living and making a life.

I Walk Away from a Job I’ve Loved for 15 Years

This realization led me to the difficult decision to walk away from a job I’d loved for nearly 15 years. From 2001-2016, I served as an educator at the largest state history museum in the United States. Yep, Minnesotans love their history! Prior to that I’d designed instruction for two educational publishers based in Austin, Texas–one, which included editing grammar textbooks. After the leaving the museum in 2016, I took a role as Learning Experience Designer for a franchise with locations nationwide.

What’s Next? Working with YOU?

Now, I’m ready to combine my longtime love of education with my newfound one of entrepreneurship. If I can do so by helping YOU, all the better! Do our goals overlap?

The Contact me for a free consultation, and let’s find out if we can change the world together. Take my Education Ally survey to help me understand the needs of entrepreneurs like you.