Karla Ray Thompson, M.Ed., M.S.
With more than 25 years of experience in program management, curriculum development, instructional design, and elearning, I have successfully managed complex and diverse projects for stakeholders in the early childhood and K-12 education sectors.
My Approach
Community-centric
I believe in a process where program development and implementation are centered around the needs, desires, and participation of the community it aims to serve. From inception to completion, my driving question is: How do we engage in mindful, reflective, and responsive praxis?
Collaborative
I rely on collaboration to forge partnerships dedicated to co-creating impactful solutions. I love that I have a career dedicated to helping others grow and being part of teams that create engaging and impactful learning experiences.
Competent
My core competencies include program management, strategic design thinking, curriculum development, and instructional design.
My superpower is recognizing the connections between people, places, and ideas, identifying resources to facilitate learning, growth and development.
Professional Profile
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Maryland Public Television | January 2019 – Present
Manage end-to-end course development for target audiences, and instructional resource design and development across K-12 content areas.
Design standards-based elearning courses and instructional media resources for K-12 students, and professional development materials for educators.
Produce and administer early childhood online courses serving over 11,000 Maryland child care providers and provide technical support to course participants
Supervise production teams including content SMEs, technical writers, interns, consultants and creative production staff to develop learning resources and professional development materials on time and within budget.
Conduct quality assurance reviews for all instructional media to ensure training content is instructionally sound.
Manager, Early Childhood Education | 2006 - 2019
Created curriculum materials, conducted profession development trainings, and implemented outreach programs for children and families as part of MPT’s federally-funded Ready to Learn program activities.
Maintain oversight of programmatic and financial project deliverables for several multiyear projects.
Collect and evaluate program data to report program outcomes to partnering agencies and funders.
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Catalyst: ED | May 2023 - August 2023
Project Manager/Instructional Designer for the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) Teacher Residency Program project.
Designed and developed:
Set of core technological competencies, including basic and intermediate skills, aligned with the ISTE Educator Standards.
Auto-scored prerequisite technology assessment, delivered on Canvas LMS, to evaluate teacher candidates’ level of proficiency with the digital literacy skills outlined in the technological competencies.
Self-paced technology skills course, delivered on Canvas LMS, comprised of 20 competency-based modules.
Victorious Attitudes for Living | December 2021-August 2022
Designed and developed the Permission for Self-Care self-paced, online course delivered on Thinkific. Course includes eight modules with interactive video lessons, hands-onactivities, printable handouts, self-reflection exercises, and a virtual café for the student community.
Instructional Resources
Concept and creation of standards-aligned website developed as a companion to the documentary films on Harriett Tubman and Frederick Douglass produced by Maryland Public Television and PBS.
Role(s): Project Manager, Instructional Designer, Web producer
Work Examples
Online Course Development
Designed and developed the Permission for Self-Care self-paced course including eight modules with interactive video lessons, printable, hands-on exercises, and a virtual café for the student community.
Role(s): Project Manager, Instructional Designer
Professional Development
Led the design and development of this on-demand professional development series to spark inquiry learning with K-12 students, and to support educator practice through action research.
Role(s): Project Manager, Instructional Designer
Education