I have enjoyed our readings and class learning so far. In reflecting on what we have learned in  LT7100 a month in, a few areas really stick with me. I have gotten a lot out of learning the history and evolution of the Instructional Design and Technology field. Also, the Training Need or Not activity embodied another crucial concept that has really stuck with me. Moreover, I have reflected on how my 7 years of teaching experience relates to what I am learning in this course and how it can be applied to the Instructional Design field. 

The history and evolution of the field of Instructional Design and Technology has affected the way I look at and approach this class. The articles A History of Instructional Design and Technology: Instructional Media by Robert A. Reiser and Reconsidering the Instructional Design and Technology Timeline Through the Lens of Social Justice by Amy C. Bradshaw provided an outline for how this field started, changed, and what major events influenced its evolution. I believe in knowing where something started to fully appreciate and recognize my role in this field. Knowing the history has allowed my thinking and approach to class work and discussions to be more developed. For example, Instructional Designer began to develop and utilize training films because of the need for widespread and efficient training needs during World War II. This knowledge influenced my thinking because I am able to see what the original intent for these films were and how they were used today. As an Instructional Designer, I would be able to determine if utilized videos would meet what a client is really after or not. 

Our textbook, Real World Instructional Design, has been very informative and has allowed me to learn some of the important jargon used in the field. I find that the articles express similar context while also emoting more personality, humor, and a look at instructional design through different lenses. My main connection with the readings, assignments, and class work has been to the structure of all the various instructional design models and/or learning processes such as ADDIE, The Successive Approximation Model, The Essential Triangle, The Dick, Carey and Carey Model, etc. Being in the education field, I do a great deal of work related to the instructional design phase outlined in our readings. I’ve continued to develop these skills over the years of on the job experience and by attending professional developments. I found our most recent case study to be very relevant to my experience as a teacher. Though it has been an adjustment changing my lens to the adult learning side, each of the versions of the instructional design models/processes seem very similar. Moreover, comparing each model to what I do as a teacher on a day to day basis is feeling pretty natural. 

As I reflect, the class activity with the goal of figuring out whether or not training will help an issue or problem a company might be facing called Training Need or Not has been an intriguing concept. In education, our youngest learners often have many challenges in the classroom. Some have a hard time sitting still, focusing, keeping their hands to themselves, using their words, etc. It is our job as the teachers to investigate what might be causing the problem (developmental, environmental, management, approach to learning, etc), problem solve for possible solutions, try strategies, and track the progress to assess the success of each strategy. Though this process is a bit different, I see many similarities between what I do for work and what we have been reading about. The textbook is where I see the most alignment, and the idea that the process is fluid really resonates with me. Additionally, the idea of continuing to collaboratively problem solve is appealing. 

Overall, my experience so far in the course feels supported by my work experience, which I was really hoping for. The reading provides the jargon and new perspectives necessary to convert my current skills to fit that of an prospective Instructional Designer. I will continue to use the historical and evolutionary angles as a lens through which to problem-solve.