EDLD 5398 - Final Reflection of the Use of Web 2.0 Tools and Web Conference/Discussion Board Collaborations

By the very nature of what I teach in the Business and Finance career pathways of the Career and Technical Education Department at Angleton High School, I have the great fortune to work and teach with Web 2.0 tools every day. Currently, the utilization of an online gradebook, the creation of a faculty blog through Edmodo and various professional development ideas to encourage my colleagues to use more and varied technology tools in the classroom are all ways myself and other teachers can model the importance and benefits of technology for our students and each other.

In my classroom, I use Web 2.0 tools such as emails to submit assignments, Collaborize Classroom (blog), Wordle, Tagxedo, Animoto, Windows Movie Maker, Glogster, Quizlet, Dropbox and Poll Everywhere, where students can respond to questions using text messaging on their cell phones. Students are always so open and responsive when you share technology that can assist them in the classroom. They can always think of multiple ways and classes that the technology can be beneficial. In addition, they love to be engaged in their own learning activities, and technology tools allow them to be an active part of the process. I will continue to introduce many technology features to my students in the future, and will continue to grow and learn about new tools so I can share them with my students.

The availability of web conferences and discussion boards has been a great source of information and collaboration as I have journeyed through graduate school. Many times I have felt frustrated and confused about assignments along the way, but the web conference and discussion board opportunities have lessened the anxieties. The professors have always been accessible, and in an online environment, that was crucial to our success. However, the greatest reward has been the collaborations and relationships with some amazing educators who I know will now be life-long friends and colleagues. A special thanks to Kimberly McKay, Dana Chelette, Blaine Locheed and Vicki Mason for always being there when I needed assistance, guidance, advice, or just to vent. You are amazing!

EDLD 5366 - Reflections on Digital Graphics and Web Designs

Reflections on Digital Graphics and Web Designs

                                                                Janet Lumpkins 

          As I reflect on the topics I learned in this class, I have to say that the CRAP principles applied to all of our assignments was a new and enlightening focus that I had never thought about previously. When I think about how the new information affected my perceptions, I have to admit I had really not thought about it. However, I am subconsciously directing my students with assignments that incorporate contrast (colors on flyers and charts), repetition and alignment (using bullets and numbering) and proximity (creating logos and letterheads). Due to the concentration of the focal points addressed by the CRAP principles, I had a heightened direction to creating projects that highlighted these concepts. In addition, as I look at documents, advertisements and even the visual assignments I present to my students, I am more cognizant of the way in which I present them. Will they be more attentive because I have presented the material with contrast or repetition? Will they notice important facts because they see alignment and proximity? This is the knowledge my classmates and I used on our website project and I will definitely take back with me to my classroom.
          The website team worked with the concept of creating the project with a focus to concentrate on context rather than content, as we felt this was the primary mission of the assignment. Utilizing the CRAP principles on our individual pages as well as consistency throughout the website was an important spotlight of our total endeavor. Although I feel that we were successful both individually and as a group in creating the final task, it was for me not nearly as important to be accomplished as an entity as it was as a unit. Pulling together all of the concepts and ideas was a feat, especially as we tried to find time in our busy schedules to meet in Google documents and by email. However, we were all committed to be an integral part of the group. Our final website project is proof that our collaboration was meaningful and successful.
          In terms of lifelong learning skills, as I stated above, I have a heightened sense of the CRAP principles and how they affect what I read, view and see every day. As I view documents, advertisements, and even school assignments, I will be aware of the principles and how they are displayed. As in previous classes, I learn through every class that collaboration is available and possible regardless of where you are – you just have to commit to it. The challenges I face ahead and using the ideas, concepts and principles that I have learned in not only this class, but in my other classes, is being able to develop meaningful, challenging and relevant assignments for my students that engage and include them in their own learning process. I will continue to research and learn whatever I can to help my students achieve to their highest potential.
          Websites in the classroom are a way in which students can engage in obtaining important information, class discussion, and creative projects. Currently I am using a classroom blog, Collaborize Classroom, in my Career Preparation and Business Law classes to connect further with my students and engage them in forming opinions and reflecting on various current events and topics. “A reflection is mostly for helping the learner become aware of his or her own learning experience and communicate that to the teacher.” (Aguilar, 2009) These are students who are primarily 11th and 12th graders, and they are discovering and researching how these events affect their daily lives. I post a question weekly that they must respond to, not just with “agree or disagree”, but they must expand on their thoughts and opinions. I was pleased that one of the readings this week parallels what I have been doing, as it states, “Teachers monitor these discussions and push them to become more substantive.” (Yoshida, 1997) I don’t encourage my students to give only yes or not answers – they are urged to continue their thoughts through substantive discussion of the topic. In another one of our readings this week, “The most powerful learning often happens when students self-monitor, or reflect.” (Gerstein, 2011) It has been a fun and enlightening experience for all of us, and I intend on expanding the use of this blog in my other classes. In addition, I would like to create a class website to post projects and discussion for my 9th grade Principles of Business, Marketing and Finance and Principles of Information Technology classes, as well as the classes listed above. I am still trying to work through the technical issues involved in making this happen, but I feel certain I can work through these concerns with our IT Department. I am fortunate that I have a computer lab as my classroom, and the uses of the graphic design and website principles I have learned will only benefit their learning environment as I increase the application of these concepts in the future.

                                                                     References 

Aguilar, E. (2009, June 09). How to foster student feedback. Retrieved from              http://http://www.edutopia.org/fostering-student-feedback.

Gerstein, J. (2011, August 16). Where is reflection in the learning process? Retrieved from http://http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/where-is-reflection-in-the-learning-process/.

Yoshida, C. (1997, July 1). Creating a culture of student reflection: Self-assessment yields positive results. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/creating-culture-student-reflection.

EDLD 5366 - Analysis of Ancient Manuscripts and Books

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/alice/accessible/introduction.html

                I chose this manuscript because it was a story I was familiar with and I thought it would be interesting to research. I was not disappointed. My first impression was one of curiosity and initially it was the type of design that I expected. Looking through the manuscript and being aware of the design elements of contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity allowed me to evaluate the document in more detail. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of these elements were included in this manuscript.
            As I reviewed the manuscript, there were several examples of each of the four principles of design. First, contrast was displayed in several passages of text being darker and in all capital letters. Some passages were also indented and in quotations, appearing to be set apart from the regular page text. Additionally, color, font and introductory graphics at the beginning of the chapters were written in the colors of red, black and blue, displaying contrast with the other text. On one page, the text was written to wind down the page, creating a design that enhanced the story. Examples of repetition included pages utilizing the same font throughout, pages laid out with the same format and the same font being utilized throughout the document. Alignment was displayed in several areas, including graphics being drawn sideways and taking up the entire page. The reader must turn the book around to look at the picture, focusing the reader on the pictures’ relation to the story. There was one graphic that was drawn down the entire left side of the page in alignment with the text. Finally, graphics were embedded in the manuscript, with the text wrapping around the pictures. The proximity of the drawings helps give the reader a visual image of the story being told.
            Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll for a young girl named Alice who was the daughter of a friend. Carroll’s use of graphics throughout the manuscript to enhance the story signifies his devotion to this story and its importance. In addition, he wrote an introduction at the beginning of the manuscript, dedicating his book to Alice, which was complete with fonts, colors and graphics that covered the entire page. All of these factors support the author’s desire to impress the importance of the manuscript.