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tbj 23 Hello everyone and welcome to another fantastic
episode of Ed Up Ed Tech. My name is Holly Owens and.
My name is Nadia Johnson and we're your host and we're really
excited about the guests that we have today.
With us we have Mariah Okoye and she is a learning designer at
the University of South Florida. Mariah, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me. Welcome, Mariah.
We're really excited to chat with you because we know you
have a lot to share when it comes to learning design and you
know your most recent transition into the higher Ed space.
But before we get into all that stuff, we want to know more
about your journey. Tell us a little bit, how did
you land where you are today? Tell us about your educational
journey. Sure.
And I'm excited to be here. So yeah, I.
I've shared before that my journey started well, My journey
in instructional design and as a learning designer started before
I even realized it was going in this direction.
So ever since I was a child that was really engulfed in education
and what was happening at school, I always wanted to be
there. It was like my getaway from the
realities of home. And so I knew that I was going
into education. When I started my undergraduate
degree, so everything was going amazingly well in my undergrad
degree or in my undergrad plan, I guess you can say.
And I went in as an elementary education major.
Come senior year when we have to do the final internship it was.
It was too much for my finances to put to to put all of that
attention to being in a full a full year or semester of an
internship without pay. So I changed my degree at the
very end to educational studies. But I still went into education.
I still taught. I and I absolutely loved it.
But I wanted to get a master's degree because we're taught that
we need master's degrees in order to be successful in
education. But the route that I went in in
educational studies, I couldn't get the traditional master's
degree, so I went with instructional design.
I did not know that it was exactly where I should be.
It was creating content and and creating learning experiences
for any type of learner was really where I thrived and where
I found joy in education. So I continued to dabble with
that in the classroom and in my. At my school sites and more and
more started to realize that I wanted to branch out and do more
with instructional design and learning design.
So in October of 2022 I started my journey.
I started watching a ton of YouTube videos and working
really hard. You're definitely a good company
there. I watch YouTube all the time.
Absolutely a ton of YouTube videos and then.
I I found Holly and we connected on on LinkedIn and then I joined
the professional journey and with her help and the help of
YouTube and colleagues and friends and family, I landed my
role at the University of South Florida.
So awesome. So awesome.
I want to go back to something that you said and it might this
and Nadia, you can tell me this might be another episode that we
have to do. When you said it resonated with
me that you have to have a master's degree in academia to
be successful, that's the expectation, right?
Yeah, so that was almost like. It was a given.
Like that's what you do. That's that's the path that you
follow. And to be quite frank, we were
also kind of taught that if you wanted more money, you needed a
master's degree as well. But the part that isn't really
explained is that in many different school districts and
things like that, you have to pick up a degree that follows
under a certain. A master's degree that follows
under a certain qualification. So even after I had gone and
gotten my master's instructional design, it didn't count for a
race. So right.
And that's the thing, like the whole master's degree thing.
I think it's funny. I've always thought it was
funny, like in education. Like they're that is like the
only industry or sector that really like makes you go back to
school to get more money or to gain any type of growth in your
position. And I think it's just always
like we've always been trained that way because I know we both
we kind of connected because we both are working on our masters
or have worked on our masters and instructional design.
And I just think it's it's. So I think that that's a little.
I think it's just funny because in any other sector, you know, a
master's degree is seen as cool, but it's not like a required
thing for you to progress. So I've always thought that that
was interesting. Do you feel like I have a
question for you in regards to your master's degree?
Do you feel like that it really prepared you for what you're
doing now within your role? Like do you feel like it that it
was one of those things that is really made a difference in you
being able to like be more confident in your role as a
learning designer? Thank you so much for that
question because I've actually had conversations about this
before and while I respect my program, I feel like I learned a
lot more by trying things, practicing with different tools
and doing my role now. Now did I get like a?
An overall shell and idea, Sure, yeah.
But I didn't really. I had to get kind of nitty
gritty and dirty with the with the tools that are available to
really understand the scope of what instructional design is.
So I do think that there's quite a lot of people that can be
very, very successful without the degree, but there's there
are places that will. Require you to have it.
So if it's something that someone wants to go for and do,
I think that they should, but I don't think it's necessary to be
successful. Yeah, I kind of agree with that.
I think it gives you a good foundation as to like what
instructional design is. But I think the the more you
like get into the field and practice and learn.
I think you're learning just as much as you would like in the in
in a Master's degree program. So another question I have for
you is. Thinking about your journey from
like education or educational studies and instructional design
into learning design at USF. What?
Who has maybe inspired you along your journey?
So I would say first and foremost my my aunt.
She was in instructional designed.
Before I even knew what it was, and she was very coming up, she
really wanted me and my siblings and my cousins to be very
involved with technology and the new different learning tools
that were available. And we just thought she was
just, you know, wanting us to keep busy.
But now I now I know and understand that she was really
kind of helping us become technology literate.
Yeah, and it really helped. What a fantastic aunt I want.
One of those. And and again, I didn't know it
then and it took me quite a while to to really understand,
whoa wait a second. She's been doing for years what
I've what I'm trying to do now. And I also, I really want to
give my applaud and respect to Holly because you supported me
when I was just so stressed and concerned about so many little
pieces of the process. So.
I definitely appreciate Holly's advice and encouragement along
the way. Y'all Nadica said the same
thing. I was like, it's very nice and
you're so welcome. But I feel like, and I told
Nadia this too, this is like a reciprocated relationship, like
where we're helping each other. And that's what I love about,
like, the professional journey in the LinkedIn community is
that we're all here supporting each other and trying to figure
out our way. Because I've been there, Nadia's
been there, we've all been there.
And it's just so nice to turn the people that you know you can
trust and just figure your way through.
Especially I don't think there's enough set out there about how
to deal with the stress of it. Although a lot, I'm seeing a lot
come across some people's LinkedIn post, especially with
recent layoffs about like, you know, the different interview
rounds, how many there are like connecting with people and
getting, you know, information back, like when you apply for a
job. So really it's something that
needs to be talked about and it really does impact like your
mental health and overall like how you feel about your talents
and your potential. And The thing is is.
I, I, I, I don't think you understand how much the
professional journey like this job market is absolutely insane.
I really don't know what I would have done without like you and
all of the people and connections that I've met
through the professional journey.
Like it has really helped that this whole transition, this
process for for many of us. So I think that's that's really
what it boils down is just having that community was so
helpful, I agree. Same, same everybody gay.
So Mara, I know that you said you were an educator before and
thinking about your whole transition, and you already
talked about some of the stresses.
Are there any, like some pieces of advice that you could give to
people who are in that situation right now where they're kind of,
like stressed and they don't know what the next step is to
take? They maybe they got laid off or
maybe they're looking to step out of education.
Can you give them any you know, just some advice on what to.
Sure. So I would say there's a lot of
like tech programs and tools and resources that are already like
in districts they're already funded, whether that's as simple
as like a class Dojo or it's near pot or whatever have you.
I would encourage people to utilize the tools that are
already in their districts already have.
And try to find a way to practice with those tools so
that you're familiar with with those learning technologies and
how you can transfer that onto tools that that you may not have
access to like Articulate and beyond and such.
I would encourage those to start working on a portfolio now.
I actually started working on a portfolio before I really even
knew what jobs. Like where I really wanted to
go, I was still, I was still unsure if I really wanted to
leave education. But I started working on it just
so that I I was prepared and I had that practice.
And I also would encourage those that let's say you've decided,
you know you want to leave education, This is something I
really want to do, and you've been applying and applying,
applying and you just you just can't get it.
To just continue applying and I've shared this with you guys
before that my thought process on it is to every denial is one
step closer to the to the approval to that e-mail to the
next interview to that to that offer.
And that sounds very, I guess you could say it sounds toxic
positivity mindset, but it really helped me get through
those at some .50, a hundred denial emails because that that
offer will be there as long as you.
Put that effort in to better yourself and and really show and
leverage the skills that you've obtained.
I I was just going to that's great.
I love every denials. One step closer to approval.
That's a great quote and also too like I don't know when
positivity became toxic. I don't know when positivity
became something negative. I don't quite understand that
because I feel like through your experiences in life, like that's
the positivity and the hope is what really keeps you going,
especially in these these sorts of situations.
So thank you. That's, that's great that that
might be the title of the episode or that's definitely
going in the show notes somewhere.
That's a great quote and we're putting your name beside it,
giving you credit. Thank you.
Yeah I always say rejection is
redirection like. And sometimes rejection is
protection because sometimes you don't know why you're being
rejected, but it could just be it redirecting you to something
better and or protecting you from something that you have no
clue that you're being protected from.
So yeah, I'm totally, totally down with that, that quote.
So, Mariah, you work at, you work in higher Ed and it's quite
different from education. So what are the some of the
things that you you've seen, like some of the differences
you've seen between working like in a classroom and then going
into higher education and working at it, you know, a
larger institution that's pretty well known, I'll say.
Yeah, I would say even as small as the way that higher education
uses canvas compared to how we may use it in like K12 systems
when it comes to online learning.
Use it heavily and I'm sorry. We use it heavily and I find
that I've learned so much more about canvas than I thought I
knew. I I thought I was this Wiz about
it and I've learned so much more with it.
Also just the way that adults work together.
I mean it's still it can be high stress in certain.
To meet certain deadlines and things like that, but just the
level of respect that everyone has for each other is really
warm and refreshing. And the availability to
different tech tools that I would dreamed of being able to
be able to use, I love it for that.
Isn't that so? My gosh, it's like this whole
world opens up. Yes.
I before I'm like okay. I can get a week free trial
here. I can get a 30 day here and now
you can get it and. Now I can really play around,
and when I have that time, I can use tools and things that I
didn't, that I didn't get to use before.
So yeah, I think that's really where the big changes show up.
Cool. Awesome.
So thinking about. What you know all that you've
accomplished moving into this new role as a learning designer,
what are some of your goals for the rest of this year or even
the upcoming year? I'm just thinking kind of ahead,
what are some some things you want to accomplish are some
things that you have to look forward to as far as some goals?
Sure. So I have.
I have a couple I definitely want to get.
More comfortable and confident with some of the tech tools that
we use because I feel good about it and then I'm, I may be thrown
a project and I'm like what? Wait, I didn't know that it
could do that. So I'd like to learn a lot more
of that and I really enjoy. I just got back from a
conference today and I really enjoy conferences.
I like that opportunity to share what you've learned and really
like bounce ideas off of colleagues and peers.
So I would love to. And it may be, I guess you could
say adventurous, but if I I'd like to present at a conference,
even if it's something small like about AI use or something
like that, I'd really love to present at a conference because
I think it would help with my fear of public speaking, but it
would also let me. Share what I really enjoy and
that's creating and learning and diving into new tools and things
like that. And AI is such a huge topic
right now. So I would love to be involved
in an AI conference with an instructional designer learning
design. And I know that my institution
is is also really curious about AI as well.
So I think they would definitely back me up on that.
That's awesome. That's a great.
Opportunity there. Yeah, that's fantastic.
And I think that you should definitely go for that.
And so this time next year when we're catching up with you,
you'll be you've you, you have will have presented at a
conference, offices are so cool. Yeah, yeah, we're putting that
on to the universe and there's a really close conference.
Well, not super close because it's here in University of South
Florida. But so one of the things is one
of the conferences that's actually close to you, Maria, is
the OLC. Oh, they're in DC this year, but
they're usually in Orlando. And I love presenting at that
conference. It's so many different topics,
like so many different people you can meet.
It's huge. So I would definitely recommend
that as something to you present and other people who are
thinking about going into it too.
Yeah, for sure. I love walking away from those.
Well, the moment that I, It could be something that I
already know about or it could be something that I've never
heard of, and my wheels start turning immediately.
I'm like, how can we use this? What can we do differently?
I just, I guess I'm a nerd that way.
I really love. I really love learning.
Learning. I love it.
Absolutely. So we've had a wonderful
conversation with you. We've learned a lot about your
journey, some of your advice and things that you would recommend
to people. We have two final questions we
like to ask on the show. So the first one is release 3.
Is there anything we miss and anything else you'd like to
share? And then what we really want to
know from you, and you're kind of already talking about this a
little bit, is what does the future of education look like?
So anything that we miss and tell us about the future.
So I don't think there's anything that we miss.
I I really love this conversation.
It's a joy to talk to you guys. Well, when I look at the future
of education, I think we're kind of at like a breaking point
right now when it comes to K12 and higher Ed and a I does have
a part in that. But just what's what's happening
in the world and the way that that learners look like how
learners look now we're at a point where we really got to
read. We've I really believe that we
have to revamp what we know education and learning to look
like. And I'm excited to be a part of
that because like I said I like to, I like to see, I like the
wheels turning. I like to think of those plans
and ideas even if they fall flat, I like to be a part of
that. So I really do think that
education is going to, if we want it to be successful, it's
going to have to look very, very different than it does now.
And I think that's OK. It's going to be different and
it's going to be scary. But that's where growth comes
from. So we'll see.
I can't wait. I'm ready.
I mean, they need to be at a breaking point.
They need to figure something out here, absolutely.
Yeah, I agree. We need, we need a
transformation of education. There's just going to have to be
some things that change. And I'm hopeful, let's just say
that as well. I'm like I'm hopeful for that.
And like Mariah said, I'm excited to be a part of that
too. So that's a great, great answer
there. Yeah, well Mariah, we can't
thank you enough for coming on the show and sharing your.
Experiences. I put you in all kinds of public
speaking situations now, so consider this your practice.
So when you go and you get accepted to the conference,
you're already ready. You've already had a few few
mock sessions, but we can't thank you enough for your time
and talking to us here. Yes, so much you guys.
You definitely are helping me break out of that shell, so I
really appreciate it. Having to be.
Yes, absolutely. It's so great talking to you
again, Mariah. Thank you guys.
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