EDLD+5366-Digital+Graphics+Course+Reflection


 * ======I was not sure what I would gain from taking Digital Graphics, as I am a technology teacher and have taught Digital Graphics for the past three years. I was pleasantly surprised at the value I gained from the course curriculum and related assignments. The wonderful and frustrating thing about technology is that it is ever evolving and you must commit to continuous improvement if you want to stay current on the newest trends. This course allowed me to utilize my current skills while exposing me to current trends in my own field ======

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Although I have taught design principles countless times, it was refreshing to be charged with creating a creative work demonstrating the principles. It allowed me to step into the shoes of the student and remember that it can at times be difficult to determine how to come up with a creative way to demonstrate the required information. I have assigned students projects on creating logos and I have designed logos for clients as a web designer, so I thought I knew all there was to know about planning and designing one but I was struck by Lea Alcantara’s description of a brand in one of the course readings. According to Lea (2009), the brand is more than simply a logo; it is the idea or perception of the company by the viewer. She also suggested that you get other opinions of you when planning for your logo, which is an approach that I must try with my students the next time we create logos. ======

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Week 4 was my favorite week of the course as I partnered with a great group of ladies to create a professional and useful website on integrating technology into education. I have worked as a webmaster so I am familiar with creating websites and integrating design principles in web design but this project allowed me to work within a group to create content together. It allowed me to use Google Sites to create documents and web pages that all group members could edit and add to. It was an excellent opportunity to explore the ease of Google sites and to test out working as a group remotely using Web 2.0 tools. We all worked collaboratively from our separate locations to produce a quality result. As Inger (1993) said in //Teacher Collaboration in Secondary Schools,// working within a team can “reduce individual planning time while greatly increasing the available pool of ideas and materials” (p. 1). ======

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In week 5, we read a research paper on Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement by Helen Barnett (2005). In it, Barnett (2005) discusses the merits of using electronic portfolios for educational purposes. She lists assessment as an important use of an e-portfolio and she asserts that the portfolio items and the rationale behind them tell an important story of the student’s learning process. In my classes, I have students create a final portfolio which serves as a course reflection where they choose representations of concepts covered and reflect on their importance and what they learned.I have begun using wikis in my classes with my students to create e-portfolios of their work throughout the year. I am considering allowing them to use Google to store all their work and Google sites to present it. This would allow students to use one tool to store all their work, collaborate with their peers and present their final e-portfolio. ======

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A wonderful outcome of this course was the enhancement of my ability to work within a team on technology projects. The ideas discussed in the discussion forums and web conferences have provided me with practical applications for my classroom. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to test out leading a group on a project remotely using free Web 2.0 tools. I have never bothered using templates or free tools, I typically work alone and use Web software but I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality website that came together in a harmonious manner, even though it was done by 4 different people. As a technology leader on my campus, I am always looking for ways to utilize technology to improve staff meetings and trainings and to allow groups to effective work together without countless face to face meetings. This team experience has proven to me that it can be done with ease using free tools. ======  **References **  Alcantara, L. (2009). //The art of self-branding.// Retrieved from [|http://www.lealea.net/blog/comments/theart-of-self-branding-part-one/#c79] Barnett, H. (2005). //White paper: Researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement//. Retrieved from []

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Inger, M. (1993). Teacher collaboration in secondary schools. //CenterFocus.// Retrieved on April 1, 2012 from [] ====== ||= == Course Files ==

media type="file" key="week2.swf" width="360" height="270" Digital Graphics Group Website Ancient Manuscripts Reflection- EDLD 5366

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