I think of the two H's when it comes to the experiences that I have had professionally in medical education. I am humbled and honored that I was chosen to help launch and grow the Lead.Serve.Inspire Curriculum at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Little did I know that it would allow me the space to grow as an Instructional Designer, let alone a person. I was surprised. I did not have a technology or computer science background. I did not graduate with a Masters Degree in Instructional Design nor did I have experience as a teacher. I dove in because there was a great need for one in our growing Medical Education Department.
Someone believed in me and saw how much I love working with people and technology. The love and joy is my driving force. People. And this is how I taught myself to focus on their needs. Because of my respect for people and their uniqueness and gifts, I accepted that learning happens when the user is empowered to drive their own knowledge. The role of the teacher is to provide the information as clear and concise as possible. From my experience with working with subject matter experts (the teachers, in this particular case, the physicians, our teaching faculty), I discovered that the Instructional Designer has a vital skill to harness that beautiful mind of the teacher and learner and bridge the gap between what is being taught and seeing what the learner values and needs. Establishing and cultivating relationships is the key to launching a robust curriculum. The instructional designer creates a safe space for the teacher and the learner. That space allows risk, trust, respect and creativity and innovation in learning new technology or implementing something new or foreign. One sure thing. Change is scary. People at first will resist. This is inevitable. Give them space and be a guiding force without judgment and you would be surprised. There are amazing people in the world. Embracing their uniqueness is fun. Why not have fun along the way.
Exercises:
Sit upright. Close your eyes. Meditate on this. "Change is inevitable." Watch your breath. Notice how deep or how shallow the breath. Watch it. See it, observe it without judgment. No need to follow the thoughts. Keep watching the breath. There is nothing to fear.
For you all technology lovers out there who love to bridge the gap between wellness, meditation, access, technology, it’s been my experience to find an app that works. Apps that are cool and what I enjoy to use for it’s simplicity and design: Headspace