Matthew McHargue, M.Ed.
Instructional Designer, Northwest-Shoals Community College
ABOUT ME
My name is Matthew McHargue. I was born and raised in Alabama and have lived here my entire life. I am passionate about three things: my children, education, and music. I have two small boys, Ellison (7) and Levin (5). They are, of course, the smartest and most handsome little boys in the whole world. When I am not spending time with my family and/or chasing a tiny human, I enjoy listening to, playing, and recording music, exploring the outdoors on my mountain bike, traveling to any place I have not yet visited, watching sci-fi shows, and reading mystery novels.
WHAT I'VE DONE
My career in education began in the Alabama K-12 system. I taught junior high and high school math for five years before transitioning into the Alabama Community College System. My time in the classroom gave me invaluable experience and insight into the daily challenges of a classroom teacher. Further, it was during this time that my passion for instructional design and technology emerged as I drafted a new curriculum for each course I taught and explored technology to implement a flipped classroom model of instruction
WHAT I DO
Working in distance education has proven to be the perfect environment for me. While I do miss the classroom, I absolutely love the opportunity to build relationships with faculty and join them on their journeys to become the best educators they can be. I strive daily to facilitate a community of lifelong learners and act as a change agent in encouraging faculty to stretch their limits and step outside their comfort zones. The process of producing multi-media, training, and tutorial materials has also become a passion of mine and I continue to learn more about video production every day.