Introduction

As a K12 teacher, my primary focus was on providing data-based differentiated instruction to meet the needs of every learner in my classroom. I used frequent formative assessments to inform my instruction and prepare my students for the state mandated standardized testing. Now that I am an instructional designer and teacher educator, I utilize these same ideals in my learning design. I am a proponent of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and strive to continue learning about the UDL Guidelines (CAST, 2018), as well as to guide other educators in the importance of using UDL to remove barriers to learning for all students. As a teacher educator, I intend to utilize the UDL Guidelines in my instruction and provide instruction so that students can implement these guidelines in their future classes.

When designing learning modules of all modalities, I follow the ADDIE model, and I have even designed, developed, and delivered a virtual seminar specifically about the ADDIE model for instructors at Houston Community College (HCC) (See item III-3). I like this model because it is easily accessible to instructors with limited learning design experience and those with extensive learning design experience, making it a great fit for guiding instructors at HCC in the design of their courses. It is adaptable to all types of learning, which is a benefit for me as I design various types of learning in my day-to-day work, including an undergraduate educational technology course, asynchronous learning modules, and synchronous webinars. I even apply this model in writing many of my blogs, both on my personal website and for Infobase. As I move forward in my career, I know that the ADDIE model will continue to aid me in the creation of future classes and professional development.

There are two other ideals that I hold in everything I do. The first is that all instruction should be learner-centered. I identify most closely with constructivism in that I believe that students should construct their own knowledge with guidance from an instructor. My educational technology course is designed using the flipped classroom model to eliminate the class-time lecture and replace it with hands-on knowledge construction (See item I). My second ideal is instructor presence. From the first day that I stood in front of a classroom during field observations as an undergraduate student to my current courses and professional development, I strive to imbue my instruction with my personality. When I achieve my goal of teaching full time in a teacher education program, I will continue to design and develop courses that are learner-centered. I will always ensure that students can see my personality and teaching style in any courses, whether online, face-to-face, or hybrid.

Primary Evidence

I. CUIN 3312: Educational Technology, University of Houston

This course is designed for pre-service teachers pursuing certification in the Bachelor of Science Teacher and Learning programs at the University of Houston, College of Education. In collaboration with EDUC3301/CUIN 3321: Introduction to Teaching, this course has an emphasis on assessment, productivity tools, and ethical issues for the effective integration of technology into school curriculum. It is designed to meet the requirements of national and state competencies, an integral part of the Teacher Education electronic portfolio.

Evaluation

Evaluations were scored on a 5-point scale. Scores reflect an average of all categories evaluated.

Semester	Course Details	Course Evaluation
Spring 2022	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 31 N = tbd	Score = tbd
Fall 2021	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 37 N = 7	Score = 4.6
Spring 2021	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Synchronous Online	Enrollment: 33 N = 8	Score = 4.8
Fall 2020	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Synchronous Online	Enrollment: 30 N = 11	Score = 4.8
Spring 2020	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 23 N = 8	Score = 4.7
Fall 2019	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 16 N = 3	Score = 4.8
Spring 2019	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 13 N = n/a	Score = n/a
Fall 2018	Role: Instructor Course Modality: Hybrid	Enrollment: 21 N = 8	Score = 4.6

“Professor Hebert was a great person and a fabulous teacher. She was really patient with her work and was really knowledgeable of her content in the class. I really liked her class every day because I knew every meeting would have been a new lesson with new materials to know. I really enjoyed your class, you taught me a lot!”	Fall 2021
“One of the best education professor”	Spring 2021
“Please give this woman tenure. Her knowledge on the subject matter is so impressive and her teaching style makes it so much easier and fun to learn (about technology that, quite frankly, I knew little or nothing about before). She demonstrated the utmost respect and kindness to all her students and I consider all of her students very lucky to have her.”	Fall 2020
“She was very relatable and understanding with our lives and situations. She came into class with a game plan and we conquered it together. I always looked forward to coming to this class. She was very detailed and explained well what she was looking for.”	Spring 2020
“Amazing, educated, and master teacher. All the content I learned in this course I know I will use when I am a future teacher.”	Fall 2019
“Mrs. Hebert was the was the instructor! She always had something fun and engaging for us to do and she understood that 6pm was really late to start a class. She always gave us respect and made jokes with us to make us laugh. She also made it a great environment to talk about anything and for us to share our thoughts and feelings without consequence. Amazing course but only because of my instructor it could have easily been really boring!”	Fall 2018

One week before the start of the Fall 2018 semester at the University of Houston, I received an email asking if I would be willing to teach CUIN 3312 Educational Technology. The turnaround to start the class was quick, but I love a challenge, and it was exactly the opportunity that was perfect for me. That semester was the first that the course had approval to extend from the previous 1-credit format to the current 3-credit format. I collaborated with Dr. Susie Gronseth, a Clinical Associate Professor, to expand and adapt the existing curriculum throughout the semester. Every semester since then, I have taught one section of this course in collaboration with other adjuncts teaching sections of CUIN 3312 as well as the professors teaching CUIN 3321 Introduction to Teaching, the course paired with CUIN 3312. Over the semesters, we have made various adjustments to the instruction, though we’ve kept the hybrid flipped format, even when the face-to-face meetings were synchronous online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the open textbook that was written for the course by Dr. Gronseth’s graduate students. This course has been my constant source of joy and a never-ending validation that teacher education is the setting for me.

II. TL1621 HCC Online Learning Certification Training

Evaluation

Two of my colleagues who played a major role in this redevelopment project have provided the following letters of recommendation regarding my role in leading this project.

The task of leading the redesign of a training that is required of all full-time faculty at Houston Community College was a daunting challenge, especially so early in my time as an HCC instructional designer. It was a rewarding experience during which I learned a lot about myself as a leader and a course designer. We started by using Microsoft OneNote to organize our notes regarding the needs of faculty, outlines of the modules to be included, and feedback for every step of the process. The task of designing and developing the modules was divided among the instructional designers. The course went through several phases of evaluation during the development to identify and rectify issues. As the course has been implemented with HCC faculty, it has continued to be revised as needed. This process helped me gain important project management skills that will aid me in my future career.

Supplementary Evidence

III. Professional Development Seminars, Houston Community College

1. Coffee Corner: GroupMe for Collaboration and Communication, Spring 2022

Format: Webex Virtual

Session Recording:

2. FT7500: Flip Your Course! Promoting Active Engagement, Spring 2022

Format: Microsoft Teams Virtual

Seminar Description: Put your students at the heart of the learning experience by implementing a Flipped Classroom Model to optimize the time spent in the classroom. With a Flipped Classroom model, you can focus on active engagement in the classroom while moving the presentation of information outside of the class. Come to this seminar to explore this research-based strategy to help your students take ownership of their learning!

3. FT5100: Course Design 101: Back to Basics, Fall 2021 – Spring 2022

Format: Microsoft Teams Virtual

Seminar Description: Are you looking to improve your course but don’t know where to start? You know all there is to know about your field but aren’t sure how best to transfer that knowledge to your students? Then this is the seminar for you! Jumpstart your course design with a crash course in the ADDIE instructional design model – an easy map to create an engaging course that aligns with your Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs).

4. FT1100: Elevating Assessments with Rubrics, Spring 2021 – Fall 2021

Format: Webex & Microsoft Teams Virtual

Seminar Description: Are you looking for a way to improve student work quality and cut your grading time in half? Join us for this interactive seminar where we will discuss ways to elevate the quality of your assessments using rubrics. We will explore the flexibility of rubrics and how they can benefit both students and instructors. You will leave this session with a completed rubric for instant use in your course.

As a part of my job as an instructional designer, I frequently design, develop, and deliver professional development seminars. Usually these are 60-minute interactive sessions presented virtually through Microsoft Teams or Webex, but we also produce 10-minute “Coffee Corner” sessions one week each month. These exercise my learning design muscles in two ways: first in the design and development and second in the content. I followed the ADDIE model in the creation of my seminars, starting with an analysis of the need for the seminar, then designing and developing the slides and interactive activities. I then presented each seminar to my colleagues twice for feedback, using the feedback to further revise the seminar. I implemented the seminar with HCC faculty who can submit a feedback survey at the end. The content of the seminars is grounded in learning design as the intention of these seminars is to provide professional development for instructors. These skills will be essential in developing future teachers as a teacher educator.

IV. Conference Presentation

Hebert, W., & Ramirez, A. (2022, April 7-8). Sharing the love: Open educational resources for all [concurrent session]. Texas Distance Learning Association Conference. Galveston, TX.

I believe in the benefits of open educational resources, but I understand that many instructors have valid reasons to be reluctant to use them. The purpose of this presentation was to equip instructors and instructional designers with the responses to help guide instructors to the benefits of OER and how to use them. All of our recommendations were supported by existing research.

V. Conference Presentation

Hebert, W., Silva, C., & Khan, S. (2022, April 7-8). Reducing the barriers to UDL: Making the case for access [concurrent session]. Texas Distance Learning Association Conference. Galveston, TX.

The goal of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to reduce barriers to learning for all students. However, many higher education instructors today still only address accessibility when presented with ADA or 504 paperwork. This session encouraged all attendees, whether instructional designers, supervisors, accessibility coordinators, or faculty members, to consider the instructors with they work on a regular basis and how they can help them see UDL as a benefit.

VI. Certifications

Texas Education Agency

I still hold my current and active Texas Educator Certificates. I am certified to teach English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) in grades 4 through 12 and Social Studies in grades 4 – 8, though I’ve never taught a social studies class. I also hold the supplemental certification for English as a Second Language (ESL) for grades 4 through 12. Keeping these certificates active is important to me as a teacher educator, though I have allowed my original Ohio Educator Certificate to expire as I cannot obtain the requirements for renewal without living and teaching in Ohio.

Google for Education

When I was a classroom teacher, I used the Google for Education tools with my students frequently. As a strong proponent of educational technology, I completed the Google Certified Educator exams at both Level 1 and 2. These are tools that I now teach pre-service teachers to use and integrate into instruction.

Quality Matters

At Houston Community College (HCC), I am a part of a team of instructional designers who have all completed the Quality Matters training; however, I am the only one who is a Certified Higher Education Peer Reviewer because I do currently teach a higher education course. Our team reviews and certifies HCC courses according to our internal course review rubric, which is based on the Quality Matters course review rubric. I also aid instructors in preparing their courses for our HCC internal course review.

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