Mae Guerra joined two professional organizations related to instructional technology: 1) The Denver Metro E-learning Developers group, which shares industry news and job leads via email. Members develop e-learning using tools like Authorware and Flash. The informal meetings provide learning and conversations with other professionals. 2) The American Society for Training and Development - Rocky Mountain Chapter. According to its website, ASTD-RMC aims to support human learning and performance through resources, programs, and fulfilling members' professional development. It also works to anticipate needs in the field and encourage member participation through activities and exchanges of ideas.

1. 1
Professional Engagement Assignment
IT 6750: Current Trends and Issues in IT
~ Mae Guerra
As part of my professional engagement assignment I subscribed to a professional
organization called the Denver Metro E-learning Developers group. This group uses e-mail
to share meeting and industry announcements, job leads, plus tips and techniques within
the scope of instructional technology. This is the seventh year it has been in existence and
it is growing every day. The group grew from the Denver Metro Authorware Users Group
(DMAUG).
Group members develop e-learning and multimedia using a wide variety of tools. Featured
tools include Authorware, Captivate, Director, Dreamweaver, and Flash, along with other
Adobe/Macromedia applications and various development environments. This group
provides opportunity for exchange, interaction and conversation that are vital for
improving skills within the IT field.
Known for collaboration, the group writes code and produces cross-platform programs
deployed on CD-ROM and DVD, as well as on intranets and the Internet. Questions and
activities are brought to during the informal yet educational meetings. Meetings are free
and open to the public. I enjoy this group because it provides learning activities within the
meetings and allows me to participate in conversations with other professionals within the
field. All activities are directly connected to learning more about the IT field and advanced
made within education.
The second organization I joined is called the American Society for Training and
Development - Rocky Mountain Chapter. On the website for the American Society of
Training and Development it states the purpose of ASTD-RMC is to support the goals of the
national society in linking people, learning and performance. The website also states that
the mission of ASTD-RMC, is to be a leader in the profession of human learning and
performance, to provide services, products, and resources for its membership and to
achieve professional competence and fulfillment.

2. 2
The American society of for Training and Development has established the following goals
on their website:
Ensure provision of quality resources, educational programs and member services for
professional development of its membership.
Inform and educate practitioners of human learning and performance, both within its
membership and within the workplace, about human learning and performance issues,
trends and the role of ASTD-RMC.
Continually assess and anticipate needs within the field of human learning and
performance and build programs and services to meet the needs of the Chapter's
membership.
Encourage the participation and affiliation of its members through Chapter activities,
special interest groups, Chapter publications, Web site, and other means that build a forum
through which members can exchange ideas, resources and current trends with other
members.
Create opportunities for partnerships and alliances with other ASTD chapters, other
professional societies, educational institutions, the workplace and the community-at-large.