1.1: Reflections for Course-Embedded Assignment-Web Site
Week 5 1.1: Reflections for Course-Embedded Assignment-Web Site
When I learned that EDLD 5366,
Digital Graphics was to be my replacement course this semester, I immediately
started to wonder about how the content learned in this class would directly
impact my effectiveness as an administrator.
To be quite honest, I couldn’t see the connection between the two at
first, but as the course started to develop, I started to see that this course
offered great insight into web design, use of technology tools, and important
design principles. With technology becoming
one of the central components in education today, I realized that this class
would provide me with great information and tools to utilize and implement both
as a teacher and a future administrator.
In this course I was first
introduced to the C.R.A.P. design principles and how to create a brand. I already had some knowledge of what branding
meant, but I didn’t know that design principles such as contrast, repetition,
alignment, and proximity were essential components in order to create
successful and appealing logo. My
initial thoughts of branding were that you chose something that you liked, or
that represented you and include your favorite colors for contrast. It wasn’t until I learned about C.R.A.P. that
I really started to reflect and look closely at how my choices of colors,
images, font, and alignment would make my logo and brand a true representation
of my identity and beliefs. I was also
surprised by how intensively one has to reflect on values, beliefs, and even
philosophies in order for it to effectively reflect on your brand. As administrators, we will be defined by our
values, beliefs, and actions. That in
itself becomes our brand, therefore it is important for us to engage in
self-reflection constantly and make sure that anything that we put out there,
whether it’s a personal logo, mission statement, or vision, that it is a direct
reflection of our self-brand. Lea Alcantara (2009) said it best in her blog post
The Art of Self-Branding, when she stated:
“If you can’t justify a type choice or even a sentence of body copy,
then you don’t have a brand. Always have
a reason”.
The web tools and the creation of a
webpage also provided me with great learning experiences. At first I was a bit skeptical about working
on a group project, mainly because I thought we would not have many
opportunities to communicate back and forth because of our busy schedules. This was not the case at all. Through the group webpage project, I learned
how to work with Google Docs, and it has been one of the greatest discoveries
for me. Technology has never been one of
my strengths, so when I discovered the use of Google Docs, I was hooked. My colleagues and I were in constant
communication, and we were able to have full conversations and share ideas on
our project like we were face to face.
This is one tool that I can definitely see myself utilizing as an administrator. I can see so many uses for it, such as
sharing and discussing new initiatives with colleagues around my districts,
hosting learning discussions with my staff, etc. Also, if every student had internet access at
home, this would be an excellent tool to use for homework assignments, class discussions,
projects, etc. These technology tools
are a great way to not only help students become interactive and successful
learners, but it’s also a great way to provide them with differentiated
instruction. Perhaps this is one of the
reasons why multimedia learning is becoming more popular in classrooms across
the world. Multimedia learning allows
students to interact with their own learning in a way that traditional teaching
methods don’t. Our generation of students are constantly
accessing and interacting with some sort of technology outside of school, and
at times there seems to be a disconnect between technology use outside school
and within the school. An article
written by the Center for Implementing Technology in Education (n.d) stated
that “integration of multimedia into instruction can help to reduce curriculum
barriers and improve learning for all students”. Furthermore,
an online article on integrating multimedia in the K-12 classroom retrieved
from Brainpop states that “when students are able to control the pace of the
presentation, they learn more” (2008, September). Technology is increasing in demand in
schools and I’m glad that through this class I was able to gain some great
insight as to how utilize technology not only as a teaching tool, but also as a
reflective tool.
Another thing that I’ve discovered
during the course of this class is the effective use of social media for
learning, sharing ideas, and collaborating on group projects. Our discussion board is a really great tool
to share with colleagues any of our ideas and our Facebook group has been
phenomenal. These discussion groups have
really given me the opportunity to become part of an online learning group and
they really played a big part in the completion and success of my class
assignments. Every time I had a question
or concern regarding the content of the assignment I know I could just post a
question on our discussion board or Facebook group page, and anybody would come
to my aid within minutes. I am very
interested in doing further research on the use of social media for education
purposes, and see if this is something that my students can benefit from. I know it’s been really beneficial for me,
and I’m wondering if it could bring the same benefits to my students.
All in all, this course has not only
taught me how to utilize technology tools for teaching and learning, but it’s
also helped me to get rid of some of my fears in regards to technology. I’ve always tread with care when it comes to
technology since I don’t consider myself very savvy in that department, but
after this course, I can honestly say that I feel more confident in my use of
it, and I can’t wait to implement many of the things I learned as a future
administrator.
Citation:
Alcantara,
L. (2009). The art of self-branding. Retrieved from http://www.lealea.net/blog/comments/the-art-of-self-branding-part-two/
Multimedia
Applications for the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cited.org/output_pages/printDefault.aspx?page_id=106
Understanding
Multimedia Learning: Integrating Multimedia in the K-12 Classroom. (2008,
September). Retrieved from http://www.brainpop.com/new_common_images/files/76/76426_BrainPOP_White_Paper-20090426.pdf
Week 5--1.2 Implementation in the classroom
After creating a website in EDLD
5366, I can honestly say that the sky is the limit when it comes to
implementing websites in the classroom.
This generation of students thrives on the use of technology and I think
that websites are a great way for students and parents to stay informed,
engaged and interact with their learning on a day to day basis.
When implementing websites in the
classroom I would make sure to make it as user friendly as possible. I would want to make sure that this is a
website that both student and parent can benefit from. Some of the pages that I would include in my
website would be the following:
·
Teacher
page
·
Class
Schedule
·
Class
Rules/Expectations
·
Grading
Policy
·
School
Events
·
Homework
·
Educational
Games
·
Parent
Informational Page
By
including these pages in my website I feel I will provide both students and
parents with the necessary tools to have a successful school year. Students would be able to access their
homework assignments from home, and even enjoy some educational games to
enhance their learning. Parents would
also be able to monitor their child’s learning on a day to day basis and be
informed of any major events happening at school or in class.
