My Work
My graduate work in Applied Digital Learning gave me the opportunity to explore how people, technology, and organizations can work together to solve problems and create meaningful change.
While much of this work was completed in an educational setting, the skills behind it extend far beyond the classroom. Through these projects, I developed experience in innovation, change management, project planning, research, training, digital content creation, collaboration, and problem solving.
More importantly, I learned how to take an idea from “What if?” to “How do we make this happen?”
Innovation & Change
Innovation Proposal
Every meaningful change starts with identifying an opportunity.
I developed a proposal for rethinking how student work could be presented and how individuals could reflect on their progress through digital portfolios.
The project required me to identify a need, develop a solution, communicate the idea to leadership, and consider how the change could be implemented within an existing organization.
Skills demonstrated: Innovation • Problem Solving • Communication • Proposal Development • Strategic Thinking
Innovation Project
I developed and presented an implementation plan designed to encourage colleagues to adopt a new digital approach to documenting growth and showcasing work.
The project focused not only on the idea itself, but on communicating its value, building buy-in, and creating a vision for implementation.
Skills demonstrated: Change Management • Presentation • Stakeholder Engagement • Innovation • Communication
4DX Implementation Plan
Ideas are only valuable when they can become action.
Using the 4DX framework, I created a structured implementation plan to move an innovation from concept to execution. The plan identified key goals, lead measures, accountability systems, and progress indicators.
This experience strengthened my ability to break a large initiative into manageable actions and create a system for tracking progress.
Skills demonstrated: Project Planning • Goal Setting • Implementation • Accountability • Strategic Planning
Influencer Strategy
Successful change depends on people.
I developed an influencer strategy focused on identifying stakeholders, anticipating resistance, understanding motivation, and creating strategies to encourage adoption of a new initiative.
This project gave me an opportunity to think beyond the solution itself and consider how people respond to change and what organizations need in order to move forward.
Skills demonstrated: Change Management • Stakeholder Engagement • Communication • Relationship Building • Strategic Thinking
Learning, Training & Development
Growth Mindset Plan
I designed a professional development experience intended to help colleagues understand growth mindset concepts and apply them in their own work.
The project required me to take research and theory and turn it into a practical learning experience that could be communicated clearly to an adult audience.
Skills demonstrated: Training • Facilitation • Content Development • Communication • Adult Learning
Alternative Professional Development
I designed a professional development plan focused on helping others confidently adopt a new digital tool and approach.
The plan included hands-on learning, collaboration, practice, and continued support rather than relying on a one-time presentation.
This work reinforced my belief that effective training isn't simply about delivering information — it's about creating an experience that helps people understand, apply, and sustain something new.
Skills demonstrated: Training Design • Facilitation • Instructional Design • Communication • Change Support
Online Learning Course
I designed an online learning experience that combined technology, content, interactive activities, and authentic application.
The process required me to think about the learner experience from beginning to end: what the audience needed to learn, how information should be presented, how engagement could be maintained, and how learning could be demonstrated.
Skills demonstrated: Learning Design • Digital Content • User Experience • Technology • Project Development
Research & Problem Solving
Action Research
I developed an action research plan and literature review examining the potential impact of digital portfolios on writing and reflection.
The project required me to identify a problem, research existing evidence, evaluate relevant literature, and develop a plan for investigating the question in a real-world setting.
Skills demonstrated: Research • Analysis • Critical Thinking • Problem Solving • Written Communication
Creating Better Learning Environments
I explored how environments, systems, and experiences influence engagement and meaningful learning.
This work challenged me to look beyond simply delivering information and instead consider how design, collaboration, purpose, and user experience can influence outcomes.
Skills demonstrated: Systems Thinking • User Experience • Problem Solving • Design • Collaboration
Communication & Content Creation
Empowered Learners Podcast
I collaborated with professionals from different backgrounds to create and produce a podcast focused on learning, technology, and innovation.
Starting without formal recording equipment or a studio, we developed the concept, created the content, recorded the episodes, and learned as we went.
The project strengthened my ability to communicate ideas conversationally, collaborate with others, adapt to unfamiliar technology, and create content for an audience.
Skills demonstrated: Communication • Collaboration • Content Creation • Technology • Adaptability
Professional Writing & Reflection
Throughout my graduate work, I created written and digital content exploring innovation, technology, learning, and professional growth.
These projects gave me extensive practice in researching ideas, communicating complex concepts clearly, developing content for different audiences, and reflecting critically on my own work.
What This Work Says About Me
These projects represent more than coursework.
They demonstrate how I approach work:
I look for better ways to do things.
I am curious about how people think, learn, and respond to change.
I enjoy turning complicated ideas into practical solutions.
I communicate clearly and build relationships along the way.
And I am not afraid to learn something new and figure it out.
My background may have been built in education, but the skills I've developed are transferable to many environments.
I'm ready to take what I've learned and put it to work somewhere new.