05/07/2026
✨ Today, we're excited to spotlight Parker Lewis, who recently passed his master’s defense! Read below to learn more about Parker’s journey in ID&T. ✨
My name is Parker Lewis. I am a master's student in the Instructional Design and Technology program at ISU. I was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho, and I still live here with my wife and two (soon to be three) kids. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, writing, and being out in nature.
I graduated with my bachelors in Secondary Ed in 2022 with emphases in English, Biology, and Social Studies. After going to work as a middle school English teacher, I was initially directed to the program by a friend and fellow middle school teacher. I was eager to learn how to build more engaging lessons for my students. This colleague recommended that I look into the ID&T program to learn how to build effective and engaging instruction from the ground up. With a little research into the program, I quickly realized that it was exactly where I wanted to take my career.
Within the program, I have learned how to use digital tools and resources to maximize the effect of instruction. I have enjoyed making resources, as part of my program classes, that I have then been able to apply in my middle school curriculum. Gamification is a concept that has been of particular interest to me, likely because one of the many titles that middle school teachers juggle is that of an entertainer. I believe that when my students are engaged in productive collaboration and competition, they tend to show more growth. As I have exercised my skills as an instructional designer, the community within the ID&T program has given me invaluable feedback and encouragement that has led me toward success. My professors have taught me many important skills, and the other students have been immensely supportive. I passed my masters defense on May 1st of this year. It is a website that displays the skills that I have learned over the course of the program and portrays them as a portfolio for future employers to demonstrate my capability as an instructional designer. The title of the website is "Parker Lewis, M.Ed", and to look at my project, go to: https://sites.google.com/isu.edu/parker-lewis-m-ed/about
Over the course of the program, my understanding has transformed from seeing instruction as singular events of learning to an ongoing process of building skills that lead to mastery. As I look toward the future, I will be moving positions next school year from English to science. The curriculum that the school district has purchased for middle school science is relatively new and somewhat dry. I have been invited to attend unit development meetings this summer to learn the new curriculum and to help build engaging instruction on top of the curricular foundation. I am excited for the opportunity to broaden my skillset and experience. I am not certain that middle school teaching is going to be my lifelong career, but thanks to the ID&T program, I believe that I have been equipped with the skills to be successful, no matter where in the field I land in the next several years.
🎉 Congratulations, Parker! 🎉
