EDLD+5366+Digital+Graphics-Reflections



__** Reflections: **__ The knowledge I gained from the assignments during this course far exceeded what my original expectations were. I had originally thought that this course would be very technical and challenging. I also thought I would not be able to use the knowledge I learned from this course in my 1st grade classroom. I was surprisingly pleased to discover that it was actually fun and relatively easy to complete the projects in this course. I discovered that learning how to create a logo, animation, and newsletter are all things that can be used in my 1st grade classroom. I also learned that a lot of attention goes to the tiniest of details when designing and creating digital graphics. Learning about C.R.A.P. really has made me appreciate and understand the work that goes into the creation of digital graphics and desktop publishing.

I had originally thought this course would require a lot of brushing up on code or programming languages, but I was happy to learn about the free software that made creating the logo, animation, and newsletter very easy and cheap. I use to think that you had to buy software to do anything on the computer, but this course has taught me that you can do the same things the professionals do, but with free and easy to use software. Now when I want to create something in my classroom, I can search for a free download for software that can be used in my classroom with the students.

Since I did not have to spend my time learning html or a computer programming code, I had more fun with the creating process and felt accomplished in that I had an end product that looked very professional and put together.

__** Learn as a Learner **__ My approach in completing the assignments were to first reflect on who my audience was going to be and what my purpose or message was going to be. When creating my own personal logo, the hardest part was trying to figure out what I wanted to say about me and to whom. According to Jeff Utecht, “A brand that lets the students know they belong to something bigger than themselves. Within that the students become part of the classroom brand and take on a personal brand allows them to belong to something.” (Utecht, 2009) Since I belong to both the teaching community and to my family unit, it was difficult deciding who my audience was going to be, my students and colleagues or my family and friends.

The animation project was a bit trickier in the actual making but so much fun too. What made it difficult was trying to keep it simple. I could have spent many more hours playing with the animation and trying different things with it. The newsletter was more personal but was easier to do because I knew exactly what I wanted to say about each of the family members. It was difficult trying to pick out a limited number of family pictures because I wanted to use them all.

I am a visual and audio learner and like to see or hear the end product or view a sample. According to SEG Research, an animation with audio tap into both the visual and auditory channels of the brain and this allows the brain to accommodate more new information (p.1). Many of my own students are visual and auditory learners as well, so this makes my teaching with animations highly motivating. I also like having a clear and concise rubric to help guide me during the creation of my assignments. A rubric helps me go back and review my final assignment and check to see if everything is complete.

I did not participate in the web conferences because I have had very little success in gathering enough beneficial information from them in the past. I enjoy reading other colleagues posts in the discussion forum and this is a great way for me to interact with them. I can also gauge frustration, understandings, and common thinking patterns from the discussion forums.

__** Lifelong Learning Skills **__ I learned that motivation plays a big part in learning and that through the use of graphics, games, and animation, learning can happen with more excitement and ease. The game-based learning “has tremendous potential to transform education, [and] includes open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative games.” (Horizon Report, 2010) This means I hope to find more and more games that will help me and my students make learning more exciting, especially during those dry and boring concepts. These technology tools can improve my motivation for learning as well as teaching in my own classroom.

In a previous class I worked on a group project and did not have such a great experience. I was left with having to complete most of the assignment by myself. This has impacted me in that if in the future I am asked to participate in a group project, I will be reluctant to participate and will most likely prefer to complete the project myself.

Since I do have a hard time trusting others to do their part of a group assignment, I would like to learn how to better plan, organize, and collaborate during a group assignment and prevent one person from having to do all the work.

Utecht, J. (2009, May 1). When to start teaching self branding [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.thethinkingstick.com/when-to-start-teaching-self-branding

SEG Research (2008). Understanding multimedia learning: Integrating multimedia in the K-12 classroom. Retrieved from http://www.brainpop.com/new_common_images/files/76/76426_Brain POP_White_Paper-20090426.pdf.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Levine, A., and Haywood, K. (2010). 2010 horizon report: K-12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved December 9, 2010, from @https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1579646&itemid=W4_ASSIGNMENT0