EDLD 5366 Wk 5 Reflection

As with most of the technology related courses, Digital Graphics, has been quite an eye opener and opportunity for me to learn more about a very interesting topic. I am a self trained graphics program user. I would not consider myself a graphics designer as I have never had any formal training in its concepts and I am hardly a creative person. As the course progressed I learned about CRAP, branding, animations, and incorporating gaming in the classroom.

CRAP, what a term. I had to explain this a little to my dear husband when I told him what I was studying. Contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity are all elements that must be considered when developing a design. As we studied these elements and I began to use them I found myself evaluating different advertisements and how they used CRAP. I have been working on some different designs for work and I am making sure to be very conscientious in regards to what I designed.

Branding is also another topic I was very interested in. In this digital world understanding and taking control of your digital identity and brand is a requirement for your professional progression. By taking control and ensuring that the image portrayed by your brand is what you want to convey, means that you are establishing the building blocks professionally.
Through this class I was exposed to the art of animation. I’m pretty sure that DreamWorks and Disney won’t be calling anytime soon, but I do now know how to get started in some basic software usage and can now create simple animations.
As for gaming, I certainly see how this enhances the learning process. The students of today live in a plugged in, interactive world and using “games” brings the real world into the classroom. Students can learn from not only the content of the game, but also from the design process. Games these days are an extremely complex collaboration of programming, design, scripting, and integration. I see many uses for this in the future, however accurate assessment methods need to be integrated to make sure that the content is accurately conveyed.

References
Alcantara, L. (2009). The art of self-branding. Retrieved from http://www.lealea.net/blog/comments/the-art-of-self-branding-part-one/

Yearwood, J. (2009). Basic Design Principles and Some Observations on How We See Contrast Repetition Alignment … Proximity Retrieved on December 13, 2010 from http://www.scribd.com/Contrast-Repetition-Alignment-Proximity/d/23940707

Wahl, L., & Duffield, J. (2005). Using flexible technology to meet the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-05-01.pdf

EDLD 5366 Wk 3 Animation

Goodness me!! What an adventure. Learning how to animate and use different softwares can be quite overwhelming. I am having fun though and learning practical skills.

The main thing I am learning is that I need to practice, practice, practice! Also the more I learn the easier it will be for me to work between the different programs.

Behold my Christmas animation creation!!!

EDLD 5366 Wk 1 Reflection

Artistry encompasses many different genres and that includes the beautiful works of ancient manuscripts. As we studied this topic I chose to give a closer look to The Book of Kells. This work is contains the four gospels of the New Testament and was created by Irish monks 800 ad or earlier. This manuscript is a beautiful example of artistry and the fusion of the Catholic church with traditional Irish culture including Celtic knots and mythical beasts. Most of the design included repetition of coloring, font, and intricate design elements similar to a filigree. The artists who produced this manuscript also used an array of colors that worked very well together, usually reds, yellows, browns, and purples. Alignment seems to have the graphics more predominant on the right. When the text begins the technique of illuminating the initial letter of the text is used.

EDLD 5363 Week 5 Final Reflection

This course has been a whirlwind. I feel very fortunate that I was part of a team that worked well together. We all worked together and made this process enjoyable as well as a learning opportunity.

We began our workk with a copy of the PSA document uploaded as a document in Google docs and shared with the group. Everyone signed up for the position that they thought was best for them. A separate document was presented and shared with the group members and was used to collect names, emails, job placement, and phone numbers. We have been using email, Google docs, Google chat, and the phone to communicate.

On the week three assignment in Google docs, we listed ideas for topics and chose one quite easily by chatting within the document. We discussed every part of the assignment while filling out the PSA proposal at the same time. We talked about how many shots should be made to make sure not to go over the time that was allotted. Everyone jotted down as many ideas as they could think of that would best suit the proposal and then we edited the document as we finished. In another group editing session, a second table was created so that the group could see the project in close to storyboard form and discuss ideas.

Everyone took a role based on their ability and tools that were available to them. One person in the group has technology tools that are available to create shots and will shoot the video. In the middle of week four, a mock video using captured footage was viewed by all members so that everyone could comment on video quality and consider alternate scenes. By the end of week four, all footage was shot, audio was recorded, and the PSA was ready for edit. Using Premier, Molly  encoded the video in several web formats, but most were too large. Our group settled on the YouTube settings pre-coded in Premier. It was disseminated to all members via YouTube, and all were given the opportunity to comment. Changes made included blurring names on Facebook shot, re-setting shot with students receiving text messages, and adding the Creative Commons license to the last frame.

Each person in the group has had input throughout the process and has contributed to the final product. A review of the Google Docs history and GMail shows a collaborative effort.

As we reviewed our PSA there are a few things we would do different. We would add additional audio, incoporate music and possibly add some facts. We used the approach that this was a telling a story, something to get the conversation started. Since we began working on our project I have been paying close attention to PSA's and it is about an even split between stories and facts. Ours certainly is relevant and we were all able to see how it can start the converstaion with the young people we work with.

Cyberbullying PSA





Cyberbullying is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

EDLD 5363 Week 4 Reflection

My initial reaction to group work is always pessimistic and 95% of the time I am proven wrong. This project is no exception. I have been very fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of ladies. The interaction has not only been professional and productive, it has been fun. I believe that we have all worked well together and our PSA is really good!

I still have a lot to learn, but it is coming slowly. I look forward to using the skills learned in this class in the future.

One more week of edititing and I'm just sure I could go straight to work for Disney!!  Well maybe not Disney . . .


Below is our PSA on Cyberbullying.





 
Cyberbullying is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

EDLD 5363 Week 2

What can I say but WOW!!! I am learning so much and at this point I am completely overwhelmed. Not only by the shear number of video editing options out there, but by the complexity and technologically advanced options. I have dabbled in creating very elementary videos using digital images and audio, however I had never explored true video editing. This is an exciting new world for me however I am pretty sure that five weeks will not be sufficient for me to figure it out. When I am learning a new technology and/or software I have to get familiar with one and then branch out to others once I am familiar with basic terminology and features.




This assignment has been particularly difficult for me in that I don’t have the background knowledge to make an informed decision. I need to more time to explore and learn video editing in general before I can make educated and valid critiques of software.

Ahhhh Digital Storytelling

What an adventure! Digital storytelling. This was a pretty new experience for me. My dabbling has only been through this program so this has been exciting to say the least.

It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed using Photostory. I wasn't entirely sure how to approach this project as it is supposed to be personal, but I didn't want to do something to personal. As I discussed this with a classmate, I decided to do a very brief narrative about where I am from, the mountains of West Texas.

Enjoy!

Wk 5 Musings . . .

As this course comes to a close I am once again contemplating my topic for my action research. Is it something that needs to be addressed or are there more pressing matters? Unfortunately life might dictate what I can and cannot do. I have been discussing this with my site supervisor and he has suggested that we revisit my topic and possibly start over if I need to.

Luckily most of the timeline in my plan can stay the same if necessary, but we shall see. It will take some discussion and careful consideration before my final decision is made. Hopefully I will have that done in the next week.

I am thankful for this class though. As I think about what goes on around me and what I can do to help, action research is a perfect tool. It gives me my tool and guidelines.

I'll just have to make sure and keep myself on track and not loose sight of what my goal is and get lost in more wanderings.

Action Research Plan - At Last!!!

Well it has taken a while, but I finally figured out a way to get my whole plan up here, not just a very poor picture.

Click on the link below and it will take you to my plan.

Thanks in adavance for your help and commentary!

Action Research Plan

My wonderings keep wandering . . .

I believe that I am fully embracing the process of refining my wonderings. As I go through this process I find that I am constantly addressing the verbiage of my wonderings. This is allowing it to become more succinct and focused, which in the end will only benefit my plan and results.

I worked on my plan and here it goes so far. Mostly it is data collection and observations. Fun stuff though, I enjoy it.

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Well bummer!!! After fighting with my computer for a while, I just can't get the table to post!!! Oh well, I'll figure it out.

Ok - well this is the best I can do for now, a picture of my action plan timeline. Not the best for readability, but I'll keep working on it.

EDLD 5301 Action Research Wk2

Reflections in action research . . .

What has been impressed upon me the most this week, is how much I truly like action research! When reading about the different "Passions" as well as listening to our guest scholar videos, I realized that I tend to gravitate towards Professional Development and Leadership. Where this will lead and how it will evolve, who can tell. I do know, however, that the more I learn about action research, the more I see its relevance to all careers and professions.

EDLD 5301 Action Research Wk1

To me action research is the practical application of research. It is the product of the wondering or musings of a person on a particular issue and how that issue can be addressed in an effective and productive manner. I am intrigues by this type of research because it is action oriented, and not just an academic study on theoretical application by outside observers. This is a real world evaluation and systematic approach to any issue that could come up in any workplace. In some instances it is an internal review of the practitioner and how they have dealt with an issue in the past and how they can address this same issue in a more effective manner in the future. It can also be a tool for members of an organization to identify, evaluate, and plan for practical and effective solutions to the issues they face in their own work environments. By using this structured action oriented approach the participants feel that they are working towards a true solution that is tailored to their unique circumstances. This alleviates the process of implementing strategies that may have worked elsewhere, but will not be effective based on the new environment.

I believe that when working with people, especially in a committee atmosphere, that the participant’s time should be respected. This being said, effective action research is valuable use of their time and efforts and can bring positive results to their immediate work issues.

Educational leaders can use action research in the following ways:

• Determining the correlation between parental involvement and higher reading scores
• Identifying different learning styles and how implementing multiple instructional methods in the classroom.
• How an individual can effectively communicate with a particular segment of their school environment.