Teaching and Leadership

Yes, my heart is in teaching and leading, not unlike the ranger from Denali National Park pictured at the top of this page. The knowledge I’ve gained in the Learning Design & Technology program has provided me a sturdy foundation upon which I will build the rest of my career in adult education and leadership. Here are some samples of the teaching and leading I’ve done through the course of my degree work. I have included the years I created them hoping you’ll notice an evolution of both content and style.

semicolons solved! (2018)

Everything you need to know about using semicolons correctly every time -- in three simple steps.

business writing and the seven buffaloes (2018)

Word play is fun for word nerds (confession: I am one). But it probably doesn't belong in your business writing.

10 ways to make your traveling trainer job the best (2019)


our favorite grammar and style resources (2019)

This was my Curation project for INTE 6720. As the co-author of a grammar guide myself (years earlier), I was curious and excited to see what the internet had to offer. The paper I’ve linked you to also contains a link to the Explore page of this website.

how’s your grammar? (2019)

This is a grammar quiz I built in Google Forms. After learners submit it, they are immediately granted access to their results and the explanations for why each correct answer is the correct choice. You can take the quiz right here. When you submit your answers, you will be presented with a View score button which will open a page with your results and explanations.

Take this quick quiz to find out how familiar (or expert!) you are with American English grammar. By entering your email address, you're agreeing to receive email from us. (It will come from mpoley@denalitrainingsolutions.com.)

podcasting from start to finish (2020)

This is a recording of the team webinar that I created and presented with yet another wonderful teammate, Zelma Soto. Our talents meshed perfectly and we were both delighted with how this longform webinar turned out.

Recording of April 27, 2020 live webinar with Zelma Soto and Michelle Poley. Learn how to plan, produce, post, and promote your podcasts. PLEASE NOTE: This recording begins with a VERY BAD EXAMPLE of a podcast for early arrivals to "enjoy" while they wait. (COMICALLY bad, as a matter of fact.)

leadership for tech innovation course checklist (2020)

I became interested in pursuing this Masters degree in early 2014. It was my last semester of a BA in English Writing that I finished here at CU-Denver. As I was registering for those last courses, it dawned on me that there wasn’t a law prohibiting me from enrolling in a graduate level course. Len Scrogan was teaching INTE 5250. I had been a traveling corporate trainer for almost 25 years and the possibility of creating a fully online or blended program for my clients was exciting. Every moment of that class was a revelation and a delight. I’d had no idea that such a career could exist. And it is those memories that brought me to what was then called the ILT program at the beginning of 2018.

It seems fitting, then, to display my completed course checklist from Len’s INTE 6999 (Spring 2020). Click through the four slides below to explore the lessons of leadership I learned. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to put an almost perfect bookend on my experience in the ILT/LDT program. (I still had one course to complete this Fall.) While the class did talk about tech innovation, it was really about the communication and leadership that’s required to advance tech initiatives in education. I learned — and practiced — so much.



NPS photographer: Zach Johnson