Reflecting on EDU 776: Designing for Access, Purpose, and Professionalism

 The course EDU 776 required me to select technology tools that support equity while maintaining clear objectives and establishing a professional digital presence. The three main elements that influenced my teaching practice included Accessibility & Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the implementation of technology frameworks (SAMR, TPACK, Triple-E) for strategic decision-making and the creation of a professional online presence that showcases my values and achievements.

GIF from Giphy

This course completely changed how I think about accessibility.

The process of creating these three posters required me to establish accessibility as the fundamental principle of visual communication instead of treating it as an optional addition. I designed each poster to function as a usability assessment which tested whether someone with different vision abilities and language requirements could locate key information from 6–10 feet away and perform necessary actions.

Instead of blindly following the latest tech trend...

I learned to be more intentional about the tools I use. A few frameworks—SAMR, TPACK, and Triple-E—were a huge help in figuring out the "why" behind my choices.

They gave me a simple set of questions to ask myself. With SAMR, I'd consider using tech to substitute an old method, or to truly redefine the task. TPACK was my gut check to make sure my teaching style, the subject matter, and the technology all actually fit together. And with the Triple-E framework, I'd focus on the students: will this tool really engage them, enhance their learning, and extend it in a meaningful way?

Thinking this way helped me cut through so much tech clutter. If a tool wasn't genuinely improving clarity, access, or student outcomes, I learned it was okay just to set it aside.

Professional Web Presence: Evidence, Not Just Aesthetics

The portfolio work forced me to articulate a concise About/Philosophy, link to work samples, and curate a Professional Online Library. I treated the site as an evidence map, not a scrapbook: Navigation stays within three clicks to key pages (About, Work Samples, Contact).Captions and attributions model ethical use of media. Every artifact is paired with a one‑line statement of purpose and the corresponding learner outcome it reinforces.

What Changed for Me

I began the term by focusing on efficiency as my main priority. The design criteria now consist of three essential elements which include accessibility expansion and purpose clarity and professional integrity demonstration. Technology delivers actual value when all three elements align.