Welcome to My Digital Portfolio
Hello, I'm Tenneh C. Freeman
Welcome! I'm so glad you're here. This portfolio documents my journey through the Master of Education in Learning Design & Technology program at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
I bring ten years of Special Education, structured literacy, and dyslexia intervention experience into every design decision — believing deeply that great learning experiences are built on access, equity, and cultural resonance.
"It is not wrong to go back for what you forgot."
— Sankofa · West Africa
Professional Biography
Tenneh C. Freeman is a Texas-certified Special Education teacher and Reading By Design dyslexia intervention specialist currently serving students at Alvin ISD.
She holds Texas Educator Certificates in Special Education (Grades 7–12), Generalist (Grades 4–8), and Social Studies (Grades 7–12), with specialized credentials in the Science of Reading and Orton-Gillingham structured literacy methodology. She is currently completing her M.Ed. in Learning Design & Technology at UMGC.
Her design practice is grounded in cultural responsiveness — informed by deep personal and professional ties to Liberia, West Africa — and a commitment to building learning experiences that are accessible, equitable, and joyful for every learner.
Certifications
- ▸Special Education (Grades 7–12)
- ▸Generalist (Grades 4–8)
- ▸Social Studies (Grades 7–12)
- ▸Reading By Design — Dyslexia Specialist
- ▸Science of Reading
- ▸Orton-Gillingham / Structured Literacy
Skills
Learning Theory
Foundational learning theories — behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism — and how each shapes effective learning design.
Introduction, Copyright & Creative Commons
Exploring copyright, fair use, and Creative Commons licensing as core competencies for instructional designers.
Copyright & Creative Commons
Foundational assignment on IP, fair use, and CC licensing.
View PDF ↗Behaviorism in Learning & Design
Classical and operant conditioning applied to structured literacy and co-teaching models.
Behaviorism, Dyslexia & Co-Teaching
Reflective piece on behaviorist theory in SpEd.
View PDF ↗Cognitivism in Education
How the mind processes, stores, and retrieves information — applied through multimedia video with full accessibility.
Cognitivism Visual Guide
Multimedia guide with full accessibility support.
Watch Video ↗Constructivism & Active Learning
How learners build knowledge through active experience, social interaction, and scaffolded discovery.
Constructivism Learning Scenario
Vygotsky's ZPD applied to secondary literacy.
View PDF ↗Decoding the Code
Interactive HTML5 course with quizzes and scaffolding.
Open Course ↗Connectivism & Digital Networks
Siemens' theory of learning in the digital age — networked knowledge and digital tools in modern learning.
Connectivism Project
Interactive connectivist learning network design.
Open Project ↗PLN & Professional Learning Plan
Personal Learning Network selection and plan.
View Prezi ↗PLN Selection & Professional Learning Plan
Written assignment grounding the PLN Prezi in connectivist theory and structured literacy practice.
View PDF ↗Andragogy
Knowles' theory of adult learning, grounded in my own Region 4 Dyslexia Certificate as a formal adult learning experience.
Andragogy & Adult Learning
Interactive discussion analyzing Knowles' six andragogy principles through the lens of the Region 4 Dyslexia Certificate.
Open Discussion ↗Assessment and Learning Models
6 Syllable Wonderland — a gamified structured literacy intervention pairing a learning-theory infographic with a scenario-based environment where six guardians teach each syllable type, gate progress behind checks for understanding, then assess it through a sort-based challenge with formative feedback loops.
Decoder's Quest Infographic
Single-page infographic covering the gamification model, the learning scenario, formative and authentic assessments, and the three learning theories that make game-based instruction work.
View PDF ↗6 Syllable Wonderland
An illustrated, fully animated Alice in Wonderland environment covering the six syllable types in Orton-Gillingham sequence — closed, open, silent e, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le. Each guardian appears as a living, floating character over a drifting storybook scene and teaches one rule through scenario narration and color-coded word maps, then gates progress behind three checks for understanding with in-character corrective feedback before releasing the learner into a sort-and-classify assessment. Closes with a personalized completion certificate.
Launch ↗Minicourse Idea & Learning Theory Connection
Pulling seven weeks of learning theory together into an early concept for Decoding the Code, the structured literacy PD minicourse for secondary content-area teachers. Revisited as the opening entry of the IDD capstone.
Minicourse Idea & Learning Theory Connection
Minicourse overview plus strengths, limitations, and design applications of Andragogy and Cognitive Load Theory, with APA 7 references.
Open Discussion ↗Inside the Teacher-Ready Toolkit
The three classroom-tested structured literacy strategies at the heart of Decoding the Code — syllable division, morphology mapping, and explicit vocabulary preview — each with step-by-step implementation and a nine-week rollout timeline.
Open Page ↗Portfolio Check & Course Reflection
A capstone look back across all five learning theories — the theory that challenged me most, the one that reshaped my design practice, the skills this course built, and my professional development plan heading into full minicourse development.
Open Page ↗Instructional Design Models
A comparative study of major instructional design models — ADDIE, Dick and Carey, UbD, Rapid ID, and SAM — applied to structured learning design.
Introduction: History, Ethics, Accessibility, and Artificial Intelligence
Introduction: History, Ethics, Accessibility & AI
Foundational slide deck covering the history of instructional design, ethical practice, accessibility, and the role of AI in the field.
View Slides ↗ADDIE Design Model
The ADDIE model applied to Decoding the Code, with a full learner profile of the practicing 6–12 educators who will take it.
ADDIE & Target Audience Infographic
Single-page infographic covering ADDIE phases, implications, strengths and limitations, and the full learner profile.
View PDF ↗Dick and Carey Design Model
The Dick and Carey systems-design model applied to Decoding the Code, with finalized course type and modality decisions for the minicourse. Artifacts for this unit live in the IDD.
Understanding by Design (UbD)
The Understanding by Design backward-design model applied to Decoding the Code — an overview of all three stages, implications for learning design, and a strengths-and-limitations analysis tied to the minicourse. The six Course Learning Outcomes drafted here carry into the IDD.
Understanding by Design & Course Learning Outcomes
UbD overview with all three stages in plain language, implications for learning design, strengths and limitations applied to the minicourse, and the six draft Course Learning Outcomes, with APA 7 references.
Open Page ↗Course Learning Outcomes & Reflection
LDTC 605 Unit 4 assignment with the six finalized Course Learning Outcomes and a 416-word reflection on IDD alignment, learner differentiation, and feedback mechanisms, with APA 7 references.
Download Doc ↗Rapid Instructional Design
The Rapid Instructional Design model applied to Decoding the Code — a five-stage overview, strengths and limitations for a self-paced PD build, and six learning activities each mapped to a Course Learning Outcome and differentiated with UDL.
Rapid ID & Six Learning Activities
Rapid Instructional Design overview with its five stages, strengths and limitations tied to the minicourse, and six CLO-aligned learning activities with APA 7 references.
Open Page ↗Learning Activities & Reflection
LDTC 605 Unit 5 assignment with six learning activities mapped to the Course Learning Outcomes and a reflection on alignment, VARK differentiation, and engagement, with APA 7 references.
Download Doc ↗Escape the 6: Six Components of Structured Literacy
A scenario-based escape room for CLO 1 — six locks, six components. Diagnose each student’s breakdown from the evidence to open the door. Mastery gates, guided hints, and a non-punitive clock (UDL 7.3).
Enter the lab ↗Successive Approximation Model (SAM)
Learning Objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy
Sequencing, Assessment, and Alignment
Digital Media Design
Digital media artifacts grounded in accessibility, UDL, and evidence-based instructional design.
Multimedia Introduction
UX/UI Design
User experience and interface design for learner-centered digital environments.
Instructional Design Document
Capstone synthesis from LDTC 600, 605, and 610. Working draft of the design specification for Decoding the Code — a structured literacy minicourse for secondary educators.
Minicourse Idea & Learning Theory Connection
The origin point of this capstone — pulling seven weeks of learning theory together into an early concept for Decoding the Code, grounded in Andragogy and Cognitive Load Theory. Revisited and expanded in Unit 1 below.
Minicourse Idea & Learning Theory Connection
Minicourse overview plus strengths, limitations, and design applications of Andragogy and Cognitive Load Theory, with APA 7 references.
Open Discussion ↗Minicourse Idea, Knowledge Gap & UDL Reflection
The minicourse vision, the learning gap in secondary structured literacy instruction, and the UDL framework that anchors every design decision in this capstone.
Minicourse Idea, Knowledge Gap & UDL Reflection
Foundational IDD artifact introducing Decoding the Code — the minicourse vision, learning gap, and UDL reflection.
View Slides ↗Target Audience & Learner Profile
The full learner profile for Decoding the Code, built around three composite personas — Marcus, Rosa, and David — who represent the range of 6–12 content-area teachers the minicourse is designed to serve. The profile drives every downstream design decision in the IDD, from course type to modality to assessment.
Target Audience, Learner Profile & Reflection
Finalized learner profile with three composite personas (Marcus, Rosa, David), differentiated enrichment pathways, and a reflection on technology, cultural relevance, and iterative feedback.
Download Doc ↗Dick & Carey
The Dick and Carey systems-design model applied to Decoding the Code, producing finalized course type and modality decisions for the minicourse plus a 484-word reflection on diverse learner needs, learner barriers, and the ADDIE versus Dick and Carey decision.
Course Type
Decoding the Code will be delivered as a self-paced asynchronous professional development minicourse built for practicing 6–12 content-area teachers in general education, special education, and ELAR, social studies, and science classrooms. The course runs across four short modules — Reading Brain, Adolescent Reader Profiles, Structured Literacy Moves for Secondary Settings, and Implementation in Your Subject Area — and finishes with a Teacher-Ready Toolkit of three classroom-tested structured literacy strategies — syllable division, morphology mapping, and explicit vocabulary preview — each with step-by-step implementation guides and a nine-week rollout plan teachers can follow at their own pace.
A minicourse is the right format because the learning gap is specific and bounded. Secondary teachers need foundational structured literacy knowledge translated into age-respectful classroom moves, not a full reading specialist certification. Short focused professional development respects what the audience can realistically absorb and apply between Monday and Friday, and it matches the way most districts already deliver continuing education credit (International Dyslexia Association, 2020; Texas Education Agency, 2024).
Course Modality
The minicourse runs fully online and asynchronously, hosted in Articulate Rise or a Canvas instance, with one optional 30-minute live coaching call per module. Every concept is delivered in at least two modalities — captioned video, downloadable transcript, and a visual organizer — and the culminating performance task offers three submission formats: a written lesson plan, an annotated lesson video, or a recorded think-aloud. This design honors all three UDL principles directly — optional coaching for engagement, multimodal content for representation, and three submission formats for action and expression (CAST, 2018).
This modality is the only one that reaches secondary teachers nationwide while respecting the actual working conditions of a classroom educator who teaches six class periods, runs two duty stations, and has no consistent block of time. It also models Universal Design for Learning for the very educators who will go on to design instruction for students with dyslexia.
Dick and Carey, Course Type & Modality
Single-page infographic covering the ten steps of the Dick and Carey Model, implications for instructional design, strengths and limitations applied to the minicourse, and finalized course type and modality.
View Infographic ↗Course Type, Modality & Reflection
LDTC 605 Unit 3 assignment with finalized course type and modality, the 484-word reflection, and APA 7 references.
Download Doc ↗Course Learning Outcomes
Draft Course Learning Outcomes for Decoding the Code, written for the 6–12 content-area teachers who take the minicourse and mapped to the six components of structured literacy. Each outcome closes a piece of the learning gap named in this IDD.
- Identify the six components of structured literacy — phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics — and explain how each supports reading in adolescent learners.
- Analyze samples of student reading and writing to locate where a decoding, fluency, or comprehension breakdown is happening.
- Apply morphology-based strategies — roots, prefixes, and suffixes — to teach the academic vocabulary specific to their content area.
- Design a content-area lesson component that carries explicit, multisensory literacy support without lowering the rigor of the material.
- Select assistive technologies and accommodations — text-to-speech, decodable digital text, specialized fonts, audio scaffolds — matched to a specific student profile.
- Evaluate their own instruction against structured-literacy principles and set one measurable goal for their classroom.
UbD & Course Learning Outcomes
The full Unit 4 discussion page — UbD overview, implications, strengths and limitations for the minicourse, and these outcomes in context.
Open Page ↗Course Learning Outcomes & Reflection
LDTC 605 Unit 4 assignment with the six outcomes and a 416-word reflection on alignment, differentiation, and feedback mechanisms.
Download Doc ↗Decoding the Code: Six Learning Activities
Each one closes part of the learning gap named in this IDD — secondary content-area teachers who can tell a student is struggling but do not yet have structured-literacy tools — and each maps to a Course Learning Outcome drafted in Unit 4. These are brainstormed overviews, not fully designed lessons.
Escape the 6: Six Components of Structured Literacy
Short explainer segments introduce the six components of structured literacy — phonology, sound–symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics — and the tell that gives each one away. Teachers then enter a timed escape room where six locks each hold a piece of real student evidence; naming the component behind the breakdown is what opens the lock. Mastery gates and guided hints mean a wrong call earns coaching, not a score. This builds the shared vocabulary every later activity depends on.
Readers of the Ark: Diagnostic Lab
Teachers work through de-identified samples of adolescent reading and writing and decide whether the breakdown is decoding, fluency, or comprehension. Each choice opens a short feedback branch that explains what the evidence shows. Teachers are enabled to spot where a reader is actually stuck instead of guessing.
Area Code: Morphology in My Subject Area
Each teacher pulls five to eight academic terms from their own content area and breaks them into roots, prefixes, and suffixes. They then draft a short word-study routine they could run in their own class next week. The activity turns morphology from a reading-teacher idea into a content-area vocabulary tool.
Lit Bit: Literacy-Embedded Lesson Build
Working from a template and a worked example, teachers design one lesson component that carries explicit, multisensory literacy support without lowering the rigor of the content. This is the course’s culminating artifact — proof a teacher can build the thing, not just name it.
Tech Elect: Assistive Tech Match
Teachers move through three student profiles and match assistive technologies and accommodations — text-to-speech, decodable digital text, specialized fonts, audio scaffolds — to each learner’s specific need. A case-based decision path gives feedback at each fork, keeping tool choice tied to a real student rather than a generic checklist.
Self-Audit and One Goal
Teachers use a structured-literacy self-audit checklist to look honestly at their own instruction, then set one measurable classroom goal. It connects to the three tracks — Marcus sets a foundation goal, Rosa a framework goal, David an intervention goal — closing the course on the teacher’s own next step.
CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Piskurich, G. M. (2015). Rapid instructional design: Learning ID fast and right (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD.