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Brian Quakenbush

Welcome to my Instructional Design and Technology Portfolio
This is an opportunity to present a collection of work that represents my experiences of learning and working with the diverse field of educational design and technology. Presented with coursework that was complete in educational theory as well as technological application, the Instructional Design and Technology program at Virginia Tech (ITMA) has offered me the prospect of incorporating my studies straight into my working classroom.
If there is anything I bring from this experience of learning Instructional Design is the reminder that everyone learns differently. My students demonstrate unique strengths as well as weaknesses in my classes. It is my desire to focus on structured instructional practices uniquely to the work developed through the ITMA program. I find that the developed approaches are quite refreshing and distinctive, especially in my field of music education where student experiences and participation energize classroom and overall individual successes.
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Programs include:
Synergy educational platform used for communication, record keeping and grading
Blackboard educational technology LMS
Microsoft Office
PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Forms, Outlook, One Drive, Share Point, Visio
Weebly web service for producing and servicing web sites. https://www.cavespringhsband.com/
Word Press open-source content manager for online services
Survey Monkey online survey development software
Quizlet online study application
Spotify audio streaming and media provider
MailChimp marketing and email platform
Pictochart is a web-based graphic design tool and infographic maker
Adobe Premiere Rush video/sound editing software
Adobe Acrobat software application to view, edit, manipulate, print and manage files
Audacity open-source digital audio editor and recording application software
Smart Music music learning and practice software
YouTube online video sharing platform
About Me
I live and teach in Roanoke, Virginia, with my wife Jenny, who is an elementary educator, and my sons Jason, Sam, and Drew. Originally from the middle of North Carolina, I moved while finishing college to the hills of Southwest Virginia and fell in love with the mountains. After graduation from East Tennessee State University, I taught music and Music Education at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels in Bristol, Lynchburg and Roanoke areas of Virginia.
I live and teach in Roanoke, Virginia, with my wife Jenny, who is an elementary educator, and my sons Jason, Sam, and Drew. Originally from the middle of North Carolina, I moved while finishing college to the hills of Southwest Virginia and fell in love with the mountains. After graduation from East Tennessee State University, I taught music and Music Education at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels in Bristol, Lynchburg and Roanoke areas of Virginia.
In 2016, I began working on a Masters in Arts through Virginia Tech. The degree is in Instructional Design and Technology, or ITMA. While questioned about why I would want to proceed into a Master’s degree outside of the music field, my response was that I believe that the core of teaching was to provide the best tools and training to educate today's learners. Working with learning concepts, educational theories, and curriculum design as being the focal point of this program has given me a richer understanding of the progression and advancement of scholarship through learning models and how the use of technology has influenced the scope of teaching and learning in today’s world.
Update
During, and continuing through COVID, I have been requested and referenced on how best to successfully organize and produce quality instruction for both online and in person teaching. As soon as our school system went to a hybrid/online model at the crest of the pandemic, I went straight into my Instructional Design mode and began with a plan of purpose to deliver the best instruction I could considering the many drawbacks and limitations that were presented. My students, parents, and administration comment often on the quality of communication, reinforcement, and follow-through I present in my work.