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. 

EEND 676B: Artifact #2 Reflection

Another artifact that I created for this class is my State Advantages and Disadvantages Project using Google. I created this lesson for Module 4:Google Tools. I chose this lesson for a few reasons. One reason I chose this lesson is the variety of Google Tools that are required for students to use. Students need to use Google Slides, Google Forms and Google Sheets to complete this assignment. I think that it is important for my students to have more experiences with all of these tools. At this point in the year my students have used each of these tools at least once in my classroom. However, this lesson requires them to not just use the document, but to create their own forms and graphs using these tools. I would like to incorporate more of these kinds of learning opportunities for my students. Another reason I chose this lesson is the content. The idea of advantages and disadvantages of the different geographical regions is something that my class has struggled with. When I implement this lesson at the end of the school year, my students will have spent more time exploring these comments. I believe this lesson will allow them to show off how their understanding has increased through the school year. 

I found the creation of this lesson to be very challenging. The idea that I needed to use three different Google tools in one lesson seemed a little overwhelming when I got started. I knew I wanted to create a lesson based upon our Social Studies curriculum. This is an area that my students would really benefit from. Additionally, the curriculum is much older than the other curriculum and could benefit from some updated lessons. However, I struggled to find a way that students could use multiple google tools while still staying focused on a social studies task. However, after debating a few different options, I thought that it would be beneficial for students to be able to reflect upon their peers' reactions to their slides. Hopefully the Google Form and the collected data on the Google Sheet will help students to reflect and understand why one advantage and disadvantage was viewed the best by his/her peers. 

My goal is to use this lesson towards the end of the school year. At that point students will have learned about the 5 different geographical regions and will have spent more time developing an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the regions. Currently they struggle with providing evidence to support their thoughts about advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the year students are also assigned a state to give a presentation about. I feel that this lesson would be a great supplement to the State Project. Finally, I feel that this lesson really shows how my understanding of collaborative web tools have improved through this class. Google is such a wonderful resource with so many options. I feel that prior to learning in Module 4, my students worked almost solely on Google Docs. This lesson shows how I have learned ways to incorporate different Google elements into my lesson. Similarly, in the past I had only used Google Forms as a way to gather information about students. This lesson, however, allows students to create their own Google Forms and collect and analyze that data using Google Sheets. This class has truly inspired me to expand my use of Google in the classroom.

EEND 676B: Artifact #1 Reflection

One artifact from this class that I really enjoyed creating and implementing was my Human Body Lesson.  I created this lesson for Module 6: Writing and Assessing a Collaborative Task. While creating this lesson I chose to use the Gallery Walk discussion strategy to introduce my students to the content that they would be using. Students were divided into small groups. Each group had to move to the 6 Gallery stations, read information about a different body system and take notes about the system in their science journals. Next, students worked collaboratively to create a Google Slide deck. Each slide focused on one of the body stems and students had to identify the function of the body and explain how that system is necessary for students to be able to rock climb, their current gym class activity. Students also were asked to comment on the work of their peers and self evaluate themselves on a provided rubric. 

While creating this lesson, one of the greatest challenges I had was being able to assess how well students collaborated on the project. I want all students to have some responsibility for completing the Google Slide deck, however I did not want to dictate how this would look for the different students. While assessing this aspect of the assignment, I looked at both student self evaluations on the rubric as well as looked at the version history on the document to see what each student contributed. This helped me to have a better understanding of each team members' role. 

I used this lesson during my science class on our Human Body unit. The lesson took place over 3 different class sessions. Students were actively engaged in the content and were excited to work with their peers on the project. I was happy with the completed assignment and the way that students had understood the information. I think this project shows how much I have learned through this class. Students truly worked collaboratively while completing this assignment. Students were all able to access the content at the same time and work simultaneously on the project. I am so proud of the work of my students. I am excited to use this lesson again next year and modify it to fit other content areas later this year. 

Canvas at Different Grade Levels

Technology is becoming a more constant and invasive element in education. However, as with many things, the benefits we can get out of the technology available is often dependent on the effort we put in and the way that we as educators are utilizing these resources in our classroom. I have been using Canvas for the past five years, since I was hired in district. However, the way in which I have utilized this technology in the classroom has varied significantly based upon the grade levels I have taught. 

When I taught kindergarten, I found Canvas to be a great way to communicate with parents. I was able to share out classroom newsletters and photos so parents could feel like they truly understood what was happening in our classroom day to day. I was able to post resources for parents to use at home and links to various websites that students could use. There were also times where I had students post videos of some of the work they had been completing in class. However, these occasions were very much supported by myself and the TIS available. 

While teaching second grade, I was able to modify the way I was using Canvas in the classroom. I would still post newsletters, photos, and resources for parents to feel connected to our classroom. However, I was able to have students become more involved and independent in the way they utilized Canvas. Students were able to participate in group discussions, post their work, and comment on their classmates posts. They became more comfortable with independently using the site and uploading content. The Canvas page began to belong more to the students than the parents. 

This year I am teaching fourth grade and am so excited about the way that my class is utilizing Canvas. Between the combination of being 1:1 with the Chromebooks, and the independence and technological ability of this grade level, Canvas has become an integral part of our classroom. Students are accessing Canvas throughout the day. This can be as basic as using the Student Resource page to access other sites, such as Dreambox or StoryWorks, or more complex lessons. I have created pages on our Canvas site for specific lessons that allow students to link to copies of different Google Docs, had students collaborate in classroom discussion, and share content on the site. However, I am most proud of the Canvas Modules I have worked with my team to create this year. 

This year, as my grade level team began planning for our math intervention block, we struggled to determine what would be a beneficial independent activity for our students were were performing at level 3 or 4 on the skill we would be focusing on. We worked together to create a Canvas Module that students could work on at their own pace, focused on the identified skill, but that they could expand on. Using Khan Academy and FrontRow resources, created a multi-step module. Students would have to watch instruction videos, complete sample problems, complete assignments on Front Row, and finally create their own instructional videos. This module allowed students to work at their own pace, to engage with the topic, and then to show their mastery through their own videos posted on the discussion board. Students were engaged and excited to participate in the module and were able to show their understanding in the videos. Our team is looking forward to creating similar modules for different topics as we change our focus during this time. 

I have found the ways that I have used Canvas in my classroom has been very dependent on my grade  level and the technology available. How do you use Canvas at the grade level you teach? What Canvas activities are you most proud of?