Welcome to The International Educator — a professional learning journal documenting my growth as an instructional designer, literacy educator, and technology-integrated curriculum developer.
My name is Ronelle Dunkley. I am a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the American College of Education, currently completing my Ed.D. with a focus on technology integration in blended learning environments. I have over 22 years of experience as an English Language Arts educator, having taught in Jamaica, Florida, and Washington, D.C. My career has spanned classroom teaching, instructional coaching, and curriculum design, and I currently serve as an Instructional Leader at a Title I middle school in Washington, D.C., where I support teachers in designing rigorous, engaging, and equitable learning experiences for diverse learners.
This blog was created as part of CI6163: Technologically Driven Curriculum and Social Media at the American College of Education. Its purpose is to document the design and development of a blended learning course for 7th-grade English Language Arts students focused on narrative writing and identity. Each entry reflects on a specific aspect of that design process, the decisions made, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned along the way. As the course progresses, this blog will grow into a professional portfolio that captures the full arc of the work, from the theoretical framework to the final publication.
Beyond education, I am passionate about storytelling in all its forms, from the personal narratives my students write to the larger stories communities tell about who they are and what they value. I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with family. I am deeply invested in the professional development of teachers in Title I settings and believe that when educators grow, students grow with them.
My professional goals are to complete my Ed.D., publish research on technology integration and literacy instruction in urban schools, and continue building instructional leadership capacity in the schools and communities I serve. This blog is one small part of that larger journey, and I am glad you are here for it.
The International Educator 