My name is Quetzalcoatl Cortes and my trade is Instructional Design.

Many people tend to be confused by this title; or in the case of my parents, believe it exclusively has to do with computers.

An Instructional Designer is basically someone that tailors instruction in a way that brings about effective learning to those that require it.

This can happen through a variety of mediums such as web-based, print or instructor-led.

For example, a long time ago I used to be a Swim Instructor.

One of my tasks, was to quickly teach young children how to float.  Some kids took to floating quite easily, however, there were a few that were always a bit afraid of drowning.  This was due to the fear that if the child wasn’t moving their arms or holding on to the wall, that they would sink like a stone.  Because this matter of logic is easy to understand for a child, presenting a different representation on how their body reacts to the water was how this training need was solved.

Using a small beach ball, I let the child hold the ball above the water to see if it would sink.  When it did not, we tried pushing it down, but it still refused to go under.  By identifying to the child that the reason this happened was due to the air in the ball; the same air that filled their lungs, we were able to draw the right parallels that allow the child to unlearn that they are less like a rock in the water, and more like a ball.

I share this example with you as a way to convey that an Instructional Designer is simply a person who is able to use the right knowledge and tools to get you to ‘float’ through your own needs.