The Full Story
About Me
Learning architecture should be based on asking the right questions. The question we ask shape the way we design. Traditionally, learning design asks, “How do we get learners to do what we want them to do?” Thinking differently means shifting to new questions, like “How could we equip learners to resolve their own obstacles?"
I stress-test our assumptions about learning in order to find the right questions so we can architect and build the right learning solution.
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Read on to discover how navigating through grief, being neurodivergent, and teaching actual rockstars have shaped my core design philosophies.
Good learning architecture
honors our humanity.
My love of learning began with my own experiences overcoming personal challenges in school. After my first year of undergraduate studies, my mother died in a motorcycle accident. I struggled to learn in a rigorous academic environment while dealing with the very human experience of grief.
This experience formed my first design philosophy: good learning architecture respects the context in which we live our lives.
When architecting learning ecosystems, I consider the obstacles people face, both systemic and personal, and find simple solutions to accommodate these as part of the design.
Simple learning solutions
can be life changing.
I am dyslexic. Simply put, this means my brain is wired to think differently.
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My dyslexia nearly ended my graduate studies. My brain cannot decode the musical notes on sheet music; I see notes that aren’t there and miss notes that are. Eventually, after trying many potential solutions, I discovered that a clear, plastic, orange overlay helped me see the notes on the page. With this simple solution, I was able to turn around sliding grades and graduate with honors. More importantly, I learned how how isolating it is to struggle when learning isn't designed with you in mind.
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This experience formed my second design philosophy: simple learning solutions can be life changing.
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When architecting learning programs, I partner with learners to co-design. Together, we uncover where they need solutions and find simple solutions to make learning easier.
Learners always own
their own learning
(even rock stars).
I turned two music degrees into a successful music education business. Soon I was getting referrals from award-winning musicians and voiceover artists -- including a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Despite earning respect around the world for their artistry, many of the incredible people I worked with hadn't been able to find a teacher willing to adjust their approach to accommodate the artist's music genre or priorities.
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This experience formed my third design philosophy: learners always own their own learning, and learning designers are the ones who must adjust.
When architecting learning, I focus on outcomes that matter to the learner and outcomes they can affect directly. And I always assume that I will have to adjust any design to match the learner's priorities, and not the other way around.