EEND 677: Artifact #2

            The second artifact I chose to reflect on for this class is my Screencast project for Module 7. I chose this artifact for a few reasons. One reason I chose this artifact is that I feel it shows my understanding of really two different projects I completed for the class. While creating the screencast, which shows my knowledge of this multimedia tool, I was also demonstrating my knowledge of WeVideo, which I had used to create my book trailer for Module 4. I feel that the screencast was a great way to show how my understanding of these multimedia tools had improved through this course. Another reasons why I chose to share this artifact is that I feel that is shows how I have pushed myself beyond my comfort zone and used a tool that I thought was too challenging in the past. Prior to this class I had seen many screencasts, but had always been intimidated by this tool. I felt that I was not tech savvy enough to create something like this, nor did I have information that needed to be shared in this way. However, I feel that through creating this screencast for this class I really pushed myself and can really see the value of making screencasts in the future.

            While creating the screencast project for Module 7, I found the experience to be very different than I had anticipated. The elements of the screencast that I expected to be challenging turned out to be much more user friendly than anticipated. However, the elements that I expected to be easy, turned out to be the most challenging. Prior to becoming more familiar with screencasts through the resources provided in Module 7, I worried about the technical aspects of actually creating and editing the screencast. However, this turned out to be incredibly easy using ScreenCastify. This app is incredibly user friendly and easy to navigate. It only took me a few quick experiments to feel comfortable with this tool. However, I found the content and the timing of the screencast to be much more challenging than I anticipated. I originally had planned on covering much more content in my screencast about using WeVideo. However, midway through my first recording I had exceeded the ten minutes provide by ScreenCastify. I was shocked by how long my screencast had run! I did not intend to make such a long video. I knew that a longer video would struggle to hold the attention of my students. I had to modify my outline to include less information to fit better into the time constraints. Additionally, having been sick with a cough and cold for the last few weeks, I found it frustrating that I could not pause and restart my screencast. There are several times when I cough during the screencast. However, as I was sick and can’t seem to go more than 5 minutes without coughing, this seemed inevitable for the time being. I wonder if I had a different app to create the screencasts if I would have been able to edit this. However, with the free app I was using I did not have that option. However, despite all the challenges involved I was proud that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and make a screencast that my students can use.

            I made this screencast because I felt that it really responded to a need I had seen in my classroom. My students had been exploring WeVideo and had used it in a few different projects. They have become much more proficient than I in using the various features of WeVideo. They have created some amazing videos and book trailers. However, the problems seemed to arise when they were finishing the videos and moving them out of WeVideo. They also struggled with sharing them so that others could view them. I had reviewed how to save the videos to Google Drive and how to open up the sharing aspect. However, each of these concepts required multiple steps and students struggled to follow through. This is why I chose to create a screencast that would help students to share their videos to Google in a way that they could utilize them and share them. I felt that screencasting would be a great way to do this because students could pause the video as they were working. They could complete one step at a time without becoming overwhelmed. I shared the screencast on our Canvas site so that they can access it whenever they need to.

            I feel that this artifact really shows how I have grown through this course work. Prior to this class, a screencast really seemed outside of my abilities as an educator. I really felt that I did not have the technical experience or ability to create a screencast. Nor did I think that I had technology knowledge valuable enough to share in this manner. However, this class taught me how technologically easy it is to create a screencast. Also, it showed me that screencasts can be created for a variety of reasons. I learned that if I saw a need I could create a screencast that would help me to share information with my students. I look forward to improving my screencasting skills and using screencasts in the future to continue to support the learners in my classroom. 

EEND 677: Artifact #1

       The first artifact that I chose to share from this class was my “Day in the Life of 4MB” infographic. I chose to include this artifact because it related to the topic that I found to be one of the most impactful during this class. During Module 5 we learned about infographics, graphic design, and typography. This module provided some information that was the most significant that I read in the class. It was in this module when reading the article/infographic, “The Power of Visual Communication” that I read the fact that people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see and do. This statistic was very striking to me. As an educator, I feel like how can I ignore this kind of information? It made me really think about how I can modify some of my teaching to improve student learning using this information. I am really excited about finding new ways to use images and infographics in my classroom to improve my students learning. Additionally, I noticed how my own interest and engagement improved while looking at these documents. I can understand why I may see similar engagement in my students using this type of multimedia.

            Although I really enjoyed this topic and felt very inspired to make some changes, I can’t say that this project was without challenges. I think that one thing that is so important about infographics is the way that they provide lots of information in a way that is appealing and not overwhelming. I think because often they try to look simplistic to engage the reader, they seem simple to make. However, as I created two different graphic design/infographic projects for this class, I learned that it is more challenging to look simplistic than one may anticipate. One way in which this is true is the many decisions to be made in regards to the aesthetics of the project. The font, color, and images used in the design are very important. Through the different resources presented in Module 5, I learned how important these elements are and how they can affect the way the reader perceives the information. For that reason, it is far more challenging to choose 2 appropriately contrasting fonts, than just picking one that looks nice. Similarly, there are design elements in play when choosing a color scheme, including number of colors used and the contrast desired. The design elements chosen are a very deliberate decision that requires some trial and error and planning. Additionally, my biggest challenge was how to incorporate enough information while not seeming to overwhelm the overall project. The project I was creating required a lot of information. I don’t think that this is necessarily a negative. Many infographics provide significant information. However, it is the way that they present this information in an aesthetically pleasing way that helps the reader to understand it. I feel that I struggled with including the necessary information, while still using white space, and not overcrowding the page.

            I ended up creating two versions of this artifact for class. The first version of this artifact provides more detailed sentences explaining the daily routines in my classroom. This version was created as a tool to help my maternity sub become more familiar with the routines of the classroom. She had requested this information, and I felt that this was a great opportunity to create a fun document to share our classroom routines. Additionally, in the past I have created an entire substitute binder. This binder held an enormous amount of information explaining routines and expectations for our classroom. There were several different resources in this binder. However, time and time again it would appear that the substitute did not read through the material provided. I hope that a shorter two page infographic would be a great resource for any substitute who is working in my classroom, rather than the binder. Additionally, I created a second version of this document that has just bullet points of the different elements of our day. I think that this version could be a great visual to share with parents or administrators at the beginning of the year to help them get a better understand of our daily schedule.

            Overall, I feel that this artifact works to show my growth through this course. I think this shows that I have learned the importance of using graphics and visual elements to support the understanding of a topic. I think that this artifact was a great initial infographic that allowed me to experiment with typography, color, and graphics to become familiar with the various resources available. I look forward to apply the skills I learned while creating this artifact to creating additional resources to improve my students’ learning next year. I would also love to share this information about infographics with my students, and allow them the opportunity to create infographics to show their understanding and mastery of a given topic. I feel that there are so many opportunities available in regards to this multimedia tool and I cannot way to continue to explore them. 

Course Reflection EEND677Y - Multimedia Tools in Education

      I really enjoyed learning about the different multimedia tools during this course and experimenting with how to incorporate them into my classroom. One type of media and article that really stuck with me was "The Power of Visual Communication" and the use of infographics. I feel that this article and the module as a whole struck me for several reasons. One reason, was there was great information shared in the article. The article stated that people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see and do. This statistic was just so significant to me and my role as an educator. My goal is to provide my students with information that they will learn and retain. With this kind of data, it is easy to see how my teaching will benefit significantly from making modifications to include activities where students will see and do, to increase their memory on the topic. Additionally, I also noticed how my own interested peaked when reading infographics. It is easy to see how this type of multimedia would grab student attention and help them to better understand the topic. 

    One discussion that I really enjoyed with my classmates was the twitter conversation for Module 3. I really appreciated everyone's insight into how they were using audio in the classroom. One aspect I appreciated was that it really made me reflect on my use of audio in the classroom. Although I feel that my use of audio as an editing and revising tool in writing has been very beneficial for my students, I realize there are so many other opportunities available. I really appreciated hearing my colleagues' ideas of how they were using audio in their classrooms. Since that conversation I have already introduced one project where I had students use audio to share some research that they completed. I look forward to using some of the ideas I heard from other members of this class and increase the way I am using audio technology in my classroom. Additionally, I really enjoyed the story clip, "The Well" and hearing my classmates' reactions to this story. It was such a moving story, I love to be able to share those conversations. Finally, I really appreciated the twitter format for this discussion. 

   I feel that this course has provided me with great opportunity to grow as a connected educator. I feel that through the multimedia tools that we have explored in this class, the ideas that have been shared by my peers, and the projects that I have created, I have really expanded my skills in using technology in my classroom. I feel that at the beginning of this school year when 1:1 technology was first introduced, I was stuck in the Substitution and Augmentation levels of the SAMR model. I was using the technology available, but not really using my resources to their fullest potential. However, as I think about projects that I have worked on in this class, and the assignments that they have inspired in my classroom, I truly feel like I am moving up in the SAMR model. I feel that through the different multimedia tools I am utilizing in my classroom I am entering the Modification and Redefinition levels of the SAMR model. 

   Although I feel that I have grown as an educator, I feel there are areas I can continue to grow my learning. One area where I would like to continue to grow and explore is the area of infographics. I mentioned earlier in the post how this topic really struck me as significant. I really enjoyed creating projects involving the infographics and using the information provided from the resources. However, at this point, although I have shared some of these graphics with students, I have not had students create graphics. I feel like this would be a great next step in my growth as an educator. I think about the significant benefits of this type of multimedia and I think a logical next step would be to have students start creating their own infographics. I can think of several areas of our curriculum where this kind of activity could be implemented. In Social Studies, students could make infographics about the states or regions we are studying. In Science, they can create google drawings to show their understanding of a certain scientific concept.In Writing, they could create a graphic that would support their informative writing pieces. I think that this would be a great next step for myself as an educator, as well as my students. 

   I am so excited to continue to integrate different multimedia into my classroom. As a teacher I have already integrated screencasts and infographics as resources that I have created to share information with my students. I have already begun projects where students are using WeVideo to record audio and video to show their understanding of a specific topic. I was so amazed to see the quality work my students were able to create during their first experiences with the program. I am so excited to continue to incorporate these types of learning experiences into the classroom and continue to see my students' technology skills grow. It has been so rewarding to see my students to actively engaged in projects where they are enjoying showing their knowledge and understanding.

   I really enjoyed the resources presented in Module 8. I thought the Ted Talk about the virtual laboratory was so interesting and such an amazing step and resource in higher level education. I found all the various tools out there amazing. I have seen some of these different resources, such as Google Cardboard and Google Expeditions and Aurasma shared at different tech conferences. Although these seem like amazing resources, it is not something that I have felt I have the ability to bring into my classroom. It seems like most of these apps require some kind of mobile device, such as ipads or iphones. We have just recently gone one to one with Chromebooks. I would love to incorporate some of these kinds of activities if I could with the Chromebooks, but that does not seem like an option at this point. The Google Expeditions seem like such an amazing tool that I would love to incorporate, but with a price tag of almost $10,000 for a class of thirty, this doesn't seem like a realistic option at this point. 

Graphic Design

      This week our readings focused on the ideas of Graphic Design and Infographics. I really enjoyed these readings and the different perspective it provided me. I think that through these reading's my ideas of Graphic Design changed, and similarly, I have a new appreciation of how I can and should be incorporating it more into my classroom. I think prior to these readings my basic understanding of Graphic Design was art created on the computer often for advertising. However, my point of view has changed significantly. One article that really stood out to me was titled, "The Power of Visual Communication Infographic" from the wyzowl website. Both the information presented and the way it was presented were very powerful. It really spoke to me about how using graphic design in my classroom could be so valuable. One statistic that really stood out was that people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see and do. This is a huge selling point for including graphics into the classroom. If using different visual aides would increase my students memory, and hopefully in turn their understanding of a topic that significantly, it is hard to ignore it's value in the classroom. Another article that stood out to me about the value of graphic design in the classroom was "Why Teachers Should Care About Typography"from the ASIDE blog. I found it really interesting about how the different types of typography can affect students learning and understanding. The font we choose seems like such a minor decisions, however it can have large impacts on learning. This is something I know I need to be more aware of when I am creating items for my classroom. However, as my students are becoming more creators, than just consumers, I feel like this idea has value for them as they are creating different projects. Finally, I also noticed how much more engaged I was with the various infographics that we looked at this week. It seems to obvious that this would be a great way to increase student engagement in a topic. By creating and sharing infographics and then having students' create it seems like a great way to increase student engagement and understanding about a given topic. 

       Many of the articles and videos this week discussed how people absorb information. As I mentioned earlier, the article "The Power of Visual Communication Infographic" discusses how people only remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, but 80% of what they see and do. Using this information we can modify our instruction to better support the learners in our classrooms. If we think about the traditional classroom and the "Sage on the Stage" mentality, we can see that this most closely aligns with have students hearing, of which they remember 10%, and often times reading, of which they remember 20%. This is obviously not the most effective teaching strategy and we need to modify our teaching to include more of the "see and do." I think one way we are already doing this is in math where we are providing manipulattives and integrated task problems where they are actually "doing" the problem. They are thinking through, using tools and models, and not just learning and regurgitating an algorithm. I think another way that we can improve is to include infographics or other types of diagrams to help show information in a new way. This will help students to see and remember the information. Finally, I think it is such a great idea for students to take the information they have been studying and then creating their own infographic to show their understanding and then share it with their peers to reinforce understanding of the whole class. 

     I am really excited about this type of project and already have several ways in which I would like to experiment with this new type of Multimedia tool to encourage my students' learning. One lesson where I would like to try to incorporate having students create an infographic would be in relation to our study of Nonfiction. We spend time focusing on different nonfiction genres. One idea I have is for students to do research and read about a person of their choosing. Then have them create and biographical infographic on the famous or historical person of their choosing. I think this would be great because students would have to research, read, and gather information. Then they would need to decide on what would be the most important information to share in their design. Another idea I have connects to our Social Studies unit on the Midwest. Students use a hyperdoc to learn about different states and write a report discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a given state. I think it would be a great extension for students to create a flyer advertising a state and why someone might want to visit.