Travel Aids: Useful Resources for Instructional Design

Since I have decided to enter the field of Instructional Design, I have been spent some time looking at the requirements of the job, the importance, and of course the pay ;.), but it did not occur to me to seek out and read about the experiences of those in the field.  The first website that intrigued me gave me a look into the diversity of ID.  Bloggers involved provide insight and advice on what to expect and what mistakes to avoid as a Instructional Designer. I found myself immersed in a post titled,

"Instructional Design for Beginners – What Motivates People To Learn?"

. I was curious to see how the learning theories discussed this week translated into the field.  The post provided a clear explanation of theories used in ID and strategies for motivating learners with engaging activities.  I will definitely be spending more time on this post to look at more resources offered by the blogger.

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/tag/instructional-design/

I was introduced to thinkfinity.org in a professional development training over the summer.  I am always looking for creative ways to improve my students' learning experiences through technology, and this website provides the necessary tools.  The internet can be daunting to navigate when looking for useful resources, however, Thinkfinity compiles lessons for every content area and grade level in one place.  The website has lessons already completed and aligned to state standards and the resources needed to implement it successfully.  I think educators will be impressed with the interactive activities this website has to offer.

http://www.thinkfinity.org/

Numerous businesses and educational entities have found good reason to block out websites that play media.  Unfortunately, that includes YouTube, which provided hours upon hours of videos for every guilty pleasure--hence the roadblock.  Yet, Youtube has numerous videos that can be used for educational purposes, and many learners learn best from having visuals.  Luckily there's TeacherTube, a website where those in the educational field upload videos they have created or come across to provide reinforcement for any concept being taught.  Like YouTube, viewers can post comments on the usefulness of the video how they incorporated it into their lessons.  TeacherTube allows you to search for a specific topic, or you can view channels that compiles videos that relate to a content area. 

http://www.teachertube.com/channelList.php