Valerie Holmes

I first started working at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide in September of 2009. I started off as a student assistant where I worked on various projects, mostly for one Instructional Designer in the department. One of the major projects I worked on was completing all of the fixes that were required after we upgraded to a newer version of Blackboard. It took around 2 months to complete all of the changes in every course we offered. Shortly after this project ended, I finished my last class for my undergraduate degree and was offered the position of consultant with ERAU Worldwide. I accepted and continued working with the Instructional Design and Development department. I worked as a consultant for 6 months on varying projects under several different Instructional Designers. At the end of the 6 month contract, I had the option of moving to Florida to work as a full time Instructional Designer but living in Florida was not in my plans at the time so I declined. A year and a half later, another position opened up, I applied, went through the interview process, and was offered the job which I began in April 2012 after a cross country move from Napa, California to Daytona Beach, Florida. 

Being an Instructional Designer is more rewarding than I would have thought it to be. Taking a course from start to finish is a lot of work but once it's done, it feels amazing! I have learned so much about Instructional Design since starting this job. I'm always seeking out new things to learn about what I'm doing and ways to improve myself and my work. I've recently been assigned as the Instructional Designer for all of the Project Management courses which has been a lot of fun. Being able to see the big picture of how a program fits together and work with the same people on all of the courses gives me the opportunity to ensure continuity throughout not just each course but the entire program.

I was able to attend my first conference in Clemson, SC in November 2012 and that really opened my eyes up to the world of ePortfolios. The conference was put on by The Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL) and it was all about reframing the e in ePortfolio. The Project Management program capstone project is an ePortfolio so this was a very beneficial conference for me to attend. I definitely have some new and exciting ideas that I can't wait to implement.