BLIZZdesign - Visual Concept Learning

I’m an educator (20 years) and instructional designer with experience creating learning materials for classroom and informal education settings. My work focuses on helping students move beyond surface-level tasks toward genuine understanding. BLIZZdesign creates visual learning resources designed to make complex ideas clearer and more accessible. Each resource uses clean visuals and intentional structure to support conceptual thinking, reduce cognitive load, and address common misconceptions. The store is currently launching with science-based concepts and will expand across subjects. Resources are designed for flexible use in upper elementary to middle school classrooms.

My teaching style emphasizes sense-making and conceptual understanding. I design learning experiences that help students actively think about ideas, notice patterns, and explain what is happening rather than follow steps without understanding. Instruction is supported through clear visuals, intentional structure, and opportunities for students to reason, discuss, and revise their thinking. The focus is on reducing cognitive load, addressing misconceptions, and helping learners apply their understanding in new contexts.

A defining moment in my professional journey was moving from the classroom into a science center role, where I was hired specifically for my approach to teaching and learning. My focus on sense-making, conceptual understanding, and designing experiences that help learners actively think through ideas translated naturally to informal education settings serving diverse, single-visit audiences. In this role, I have designed and taught hands-on lab experiences, large-group programs, and instructional materials where clarity, visual communication, and conceptual precision are essential. I have also been tasked with creating digital learning experiences that work alongside onsite visits, using visual concept learning and application to help students prepare for, connect with, and extend their in-person learning. This work continues to inform the way I design instructional resources that prioritize understanding, reduce misconceptions, and support meaningful learning in a limited amount of time.

Bachelor of Arts, North Greenville College (now North Greenville University) Teacher Education Program, University of South Carolina Upstate Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology, Anderson University

My work sits at the intersection of teaching, instructional design, and visual communication. I enjoy translating complex ideas into clear, approachable learning experiences that support student thinking across different settings. Much of my professional work involves designing learning experiences that must be effective within limited timeframes, which has shaped my emphasis on clarity, structure, and conceptual precision. These experiences continue to influence how I design instructional resources intended to support meaningful understanding rather than surface-level completion.