So I’ve started the Instructional Design & Educational Technology graduate program at the University of Utah. The typical response when I tell people this is a momentary blank look, then a comment along the lines of, “Oh, good. We need more of those.” It’s true, we do. But why? What does “instructional design” even mean? Those are good questions with complicated answers. Let’s see if I can begin to articulate an answer here:
Ever had a class where you were bombarded with information, and you weren’t sure what any of it was for, why it was important, and what the main points you were supposed to get out of it were? (My most recent experience in this was my final Mass Media Law course, but that’s another story.) The answer is yes, you have. But in case you can’t remember it, here’s a fun video that illustrates the point:
Admit it. You’ve been in a class where you thought you were supposed to focus on the passes the white team makes — and then found a question on your final exam about a moonwalking bear.
Right there we get an answer to the first question: properly designed instruction is more than simply dumping information on people and expecting them to know what to do with it — Instead, it’s about helping the learners make sense of the information. And not only that, we help them focus on what’s important, and build up their knowledge in the right order and under the correct circumstances. (Learning theory calls this “scaffolding.”)
For example, think of all the things the narrator could have asked you to keep track of in that video. How many people were there? Where do you think they are? Get three sentences said by the players. What type of ball? Is that an ambulance or a police siren in the background? Which team is better? See? There’s a lot going on here. And what if the video had been in another language? What if you have poor eyesight and can’t see it very well — but you’re still tested the same as everyone else on what you see?
Instructional design helps learners get the information they need while skipping what’s not (or not yet) useful, and presents it in an appropriate manner, which all ends up saving time and money. And we like saving time and money.
There’s a whole lot more to it than this, but that’s scratching the surface. We’ll get deeper into the details later. As far as this post goes, Tom Kuhlmann explains it all in more depth over at articulate.com.
Aaron is the best daddy ever. He LOVES playing with Lilah and is so sweet with her. He arranged his work schedule to spend more time with her and it shows- she lights up whenever he is around! It is so wonderful to see these 2 play together and talk together. For a guy who had never even held a baby before she was born, he’s come a really long way. And there are things that only a daddy can do with a baby. Here is my new favorite daddy story:
Yesterday Aaron was having a really bad day at work. I knew this, so when it was time for me to come home I called and asked if he needed me to bring him a shake to help him feel better. (Arctic Circle, we love you more than is good for us. Curse you and your amazing shakes!) But he was delayed in picking up the phone, and when he finally did pick up all he said was, “Sure. I have to go. There is poo.” Well, being the ever-comforting wife, I went and got shakes and then drove home. When I walked in the door I was greeted by a disaster zone, the kind only babies can create: laundry baskets, car seat pieces, towels, a very happy baby in a clean onesie, and an optimistic, but frazzled, daddy in a clean t-shirt. So I went to pick up Lilah and asked Aaron what happened.
He sighed and related how the events had unraveled: Lilah was sleeping peacefully in her car seat when she woke herself up by pooping. Recently we’ve adopted the policy that any time she poops, she goes on the changing table immediately! But, since she had just fallen asleep, he left her in the car seat hoping she would go back to sleep when she was done pooping. (She’s done that before, so it was not an unusual thing to hope for.) Alas, she did not fall back asleep, so he went to get her out of the car seat and discovered, to his horror, EPIC amounts of POO! All over! Completely out both sides of her diaper and now all over the car seat. It required a complete outfit change and a shower and then a dismantle of the car seat for washing. I apparently had called in the middle of all of this! But they had finished cleaning things up now and everything was going to be fine. Lilah went in her swing when all was done, happy as a clam.
So, not really that funny of a story. But I could not stop laughing the WHOLE TIME he was telling it. Here’s why:
So, we’re about 2 weeks into this trying to be healthier and here’s what I’ve discovered: this is not going to be as easy as I thought. Which I pretty much planned on. I have 2 broken pedometers and no idea how many steps a day I am taking. A small set back to be sure. I just need to get a newbattery for the one pedometer and I’ll be on my way. I hope. Also, watching what I eat is mostly easy. I have an app on my phone that lets me input the food I’m eating and keeps track of my calories for me. It’s very hard to miscalculate and I’m getting much better at thinking before I eat.
So, have I lost any weight? I dunno. Probably not. But also maybe. It’s kinda hard to tell when I loose weight by pumping. However, I’m certainly feeling much better. I have more energy now that I’m paying attention to what I’m eating and I don’t feel like a giant tub of lard. Just a regular sized one. Progress.
I really want this to work! I want to be the active parent of a healthy girl. And I REALLY want her to have a positive image of her body. It’s tought being a girl and getting messages from everywhere about the way you should look. I have strong feelings about that, but that’s a different post for another time. The point I’m trying to make: I know that Lilah will feel better about herself if I feel better about myself. So I’m working on it. The new mantra: eyes on the prize. Don’t sacrifice long term happiness for immediate pleasure. Eyes on the prize.
Today’s victory: I didn’t eat the second cookie or get a candy bar from the vending machine on my way out of work!
Ok, everyone knows that having a baby totally morphs your body into an unrecognizable blob of weird. But I also keep hearing success stories from people who have not only lost the baby weight, but more besides! (There was even an article about it on Yahoo yesterday.) So, I’ve decided to make some lifestyle changes and I’ve decided to post them so that I have to stick to them. Then when I’m out I know I’m not the only one who knows about my goals and I’ll feel responsible to someone other than myself. Because I am way too nice to myself and I let myself cheat way too often. So, I’m sharing my goals and I will post weekly how I am doing. Here’s the main goal: I have this pair of jeans I want to fit in again. That’s the master plan! Here’s how:
1. I’m going to wear a pedometer. I hear 10,000 steps a day isideas, so that’s where I’ll start.
2. I’m going to count my calories. Right now I’m sticking to a 2,000 calorie diet so I can breast feed, but I will cut that back. I’ll update you when I do!
3. I’m going to maintain a schedule. As much as possible, knowing that Lilah will dictate changes at her leisure.
Holla’ if you love Mr. Rogers!! I can still sing, “There are many ways to say I love you.” Today I understand that song! Here are the ways I’ve recently been told someone loves me:
1. Aaron is cleaning the kitchen. (If you’ve seen my kitchen in the last week, you’ll know what an epic task this is!)
2. Lilah rests her head on my shoulder and gives a content sigh. (favorite!)
3. A fridge with delicious cheese inside and a bag of brownies on the counter. Thanks Ali and Steph!
4. People who invite me to hang out with them.
5. Strangers at the Gateway telling me my baby is beautiful.
6. Milk shakes as a reward for surviving crankiness
7. Good Ensign articles
8. People who watch my baby while I go to a movie.
9. Lilah’s laugh
10. A recharging hug
So, I’m interested. How did you hear “I love you” today?
The funny thing about babies is that they change size. Lilah can go from looking teensy to me to looking huge so fast! When I hold up her clothes I think, oh she’s so small! Then when I look at pictures from last week I think, you’ve grown so much- you’re huge! When I hold her and she’s napping she looks so small. But when she’s playing daddy dance party she looks so big. It’s amazing every time.
Lately we’ve started laughing in response to things. She’s happiest first thing in the morning, after a good night’s sleep and before she remembers that she’s hungry. (I think that pretty much describes all of us- don’t you?) She always laughs when dad pinches her cheeks and she usually laughs when mom makes faces at her. I would go to the ends of the earth for that laugh.
My favorite Lilah moment is when she’s full from eating and she lets out a burp only grown men should be capable of making, she will lean her little head on my shoulder and let out a sigh that says, “Thanks for food mom. That was delicious.” I live for that sigh. <3
She’s started liking being naked and loves taking a bath. We’ve started bathing her every night because it is calming, and because she usually barfs enough during the day to warrant it. Last night our rhythm was off and she was naked for several minutes before getting in the tub. The whole time she was naked I knew the clock was ticking… any second I could be peed on! But she was either empty or held it in. She had a great bath, we wrapped her in her towel, Aaron dumped the bath water and I was carrying her to the changing table when she POOPED (not peed, pooped!) all over! And not just a little! Well, what will the parents do? We did what any lazy, burned out parents would have done. We held her over the sink and sprayed her off! Poor girl went from calm and happy to looking at us like we were crazy to crying the “what the fetch are you doing???” cry. But the fun didn’t end there. Oh no, she had pooped in her towel and our other towels were in the wash, so she got to be dried with a wash cloth instead of swaddled in something warm. If we thought the crying was bad when she was being sprayed… Well, then we booked it to the changing table and strapped on that diaper fast! No repeat performances, thankfully. Once she was wrapped in the teddy bear jammies and swaddled in her softest blanket, she felt much better. And so did we.
Oh sweet pea, where would we be without these evening adventures? I’m so glad you put the pizzaz in our lives!
We have Windows 7 Home Premium 3-bit on one computer and suddenly couldn’t change the wallpaper. This seems to be a problem out there. There can be various ways to fix it. This one worked for us:
Hit the Start ball
Type “adjust appearance”
A link called “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” will appear. Click that.
Toggle the top check box “Animate controls and elements inside windows”
I love being a mom. I really really really love being a mom. Didn’t think I’d love it this much, but I do. It’s incredible! My baby is beautiful and sweet and beautiful and cuddly and beautiful and soft and beautiful. And beautiful. Even when she’s up at 3 in the morning and she thinks its time to play, I still love being her mom! Now that she’s been here one whole week (far out!), I’d like to document my favorite moments:
It was late and I was tired and cranky and was trying to get things washed and put away and nothing was going the way I wanted it to. I was starting to reach maximum frustration when I decided to give up and sit down. Lilah was squirming, so I picked her up to rock her and instantly felt better. She and I just sat and cuddled and she made cute faces at me. It was delightful. She is all light and sunshine!
Getting ready for her first bath, we braced ourselves for screaming and crying of epic proportions! She really hates being cold. But, instead she let us wash her and she seemed more content in that bath water than she sometimes is all wrapped up in blankets. It was fun to check out all her little limbs again and count her fingers and toes and realize that she really is as perfect as we imagine her to be.
After she was born the doctor put her on my chest for me to hold. Aaron’s head was next to mine so we could both see her. He said something, and the instant she heard her voice she turned her head, looked right at him and smiled. She recognized his voice and was glad to hear him.
…said my husband as we sat here on the couch, NOT having a baby, like we thought we were going to ALL FREAKING DAY. Oh my gosh the waiting is killing us. Deep breaths… deep deep breaths….
So, what creative things should I share with all you peeps out there? He keeps suggesting food. So, here we go!
Things I would eat right now if they were placed in front of me:
1. Taco Bell bean burrito (So bad for me, but tastes so good!!)
2. One dozen chocolate chip cookies. (I have eaten a dozen by myself.)
3. Chicken taco salad
4. Onion rings
5. A bowl of grapes
6. Strawberries and cottage cheese (If you’ve never had this combo, I HIGHLY recommend it)
7. Steamed spinach with parmesean cheese
8. A bowl of guacamole. With chips of course.
9. Banana cream pie
10. Pot roast
Things I would not eat right now if they were placed in front of me:
1. A pasta dish of any kind. Not feeling the pasta at all. Weird.
2. Snickerdoodles. Not as much favorite.
3. Twizzlers. But I never eat those.
4. A hot dog
5. M&M’s
6. A turkey sandwich. We talked about this last night actually, I don’t like turkey or ham on sandwiches. It may be a little strange, but unless the bread is exactly the right texture and the turkey or ham is the right thickness, I think these 2 meats make the most disgusting sandwiches! BLEH. And if there’s American cheese on the sandwich- forget it!!
7. French fries. Sometimes I like them, but the occasion is rare and there MUST be fry sauce.
8. A baked potato
9. Pepperoni pizza
10. Castor oil. I’m desperate, but not that desperate.
Please pray we’ll have this baby soon. Like in the next 10 minutes. The patience is gone. GONE.
However, I’m certainly feeling much better. I have more energy now that I’m paying attention to what I’m eating and I don’t feel like a giant tub of lard. Just a regular sized one. Progress.
