ILP "Participation" -Lynda

Getting Started in Graphic Design with Kristin Ellison

Activity Log:

1.      Discussion of core elements of graphic design are layout, color, typography

2.      Emphasis on audience and goal influence the way project is laid out

3.      Giving examples on when typography is to be visible and professional compared to creative and artistic

4.      Examples of different logos are shown and discussed in terms of how they serve as a representative for the company/product

5.      Poster that are creative and artistic in an unique manner can become art in themselves (Rosie the Riveter)

6.      Creativity is something that can be practiced, cultivated, and put into place by action.  Taking simple steps outside of a norm can constitute creativity.

7.      InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator are the main programs utilized my graphic designers today.

8.      She also discussed pros and cons which means costs, printing, and accessible.

Learning Experience:

            I felt that tutorial were simple and easy to follow.  The vocabulary was not difficult to disgust and was presented in way that allows me to feel as if graphic design is such a daunting task.  I understood the point Ellison was attempting to get across and took away pieces on both visual theory and use of visual software.  It was definitely interesting in the sense that I have recently taken an interest in graphic design.  It was also intriguing because I felt like there were easy advice that is easily applicable when learning any new skill.  In addition, there were also further resources which provided which could tailored more to my interests.  It gave me a basic overview which was really nice, as I am just now beginning to take interest in graphic design.  This tutorial gave me some points of starting and encouragement.  My personal style is learning by doing.  This tutorial was superficial informational rather than learn how to do this specific task.     

Products/evidence:

I learned that graphic design is a complex practice which requires a good amount of work to get good act.  Targeting a specific idea within graphic design allows someone to become more familiar the programs they’re working with.  For example, taking time to understand typography, play around with it in InDesign and create projects for varying audience facilitates growth in the field.  The conversation on the importance of typography, color, and layout also told me what I should be focusing on when designing.  

Blog Post 10

While working on the PowerPoint Interaction assignment, I gained many new skills within the program PowerPoint.  Prior to working on this assignment, I did not know how to hyperlink within the document, meaning I didn’t know how to hyperlink one slide in the presentation to another slide.  With this skills I can create presentations which allows for interaction between the content and the audience.  I liked how I could use PowerPoint to educate an audience without just talking at them.  I could be using PowerPoint presentation in my future career to pitch ideas or display work.

            In the field of education, data collection is crucial to measure the progress and placement of students.  When researching data collection tools I came across assessments are popular in education.  As a teacher, I would use assessments to gauge a student’s understanding of content and progression over a period of time.  In terms of middle school biology, I would begin with a diagnostic exam of content we will cover in the first semester.  As we cover content I will give tests specific to that material.  At the end of the semester, we will measure growth from beginning to end.

            First off, I found looking at my classmates’ blog was nice.  I really enjoyed just looked at how we designed differently and approach topics with our personal styles.  In addition, I really enjoyed Hunter’s blog and took some time to comment.  I enjoy the idea of electronic paper and despite having heard of it before, the way she discussed allowed me to realize how revolutionary it could be.  I also enjoyed Baylee’s blog post 5 which talked about the potential of Tumblr and YouTube in a classroom setting.  I really appreciated how she emphasized how web 2.0 tools can facilitate connections in the classroom.

            A technology I would like to learn most is probably a three-way tie between Photoshop-based graphic design, video editing/production, and audio production.  I have always wanted to get involved with creative technology which can used in the music industry, advertising, and advanced forms of blogging/vlogging.   Personally I feel the hierarchy of information exchange in our society is rapidly shifting and I want to be apart of this revolution.  Previously, all news, media, and cultural content came from long-established corporations ruled by the 1%.  Now with Web 2.0, the people of any given identity can contribute to the circulation and communication of information.  Independent music and be made and distributed with little regulation and censorship.  News articles can be written from differing perspectives and documentaries can be produced without the underlying American centrism found in most of what we watch.

            In terms of educational goals, I will continue to work steadily on my degree in English.  This gives me the option to working in copyrighting, publishing, and production of written materials.  Alternative routes would be to work in the education field as a teacher or professor of English.  I will achieve these goals by continuing to familiarize myself with technology both in class and my extracurricular involvement.  Creating connections both in and out of the Tallahassee community will open up career opportunities for me in the future.

 

Blog Post 9

The flipped classroom is a set-up where students watch lectures at home and then do homework in class.  They receive the content in recorded files and undergo the lecture piece of education on their own time.  Class time is devoted toward assignments where teachers can assist in explain topics students don’t understand, provide further explanation or examples.  This design does hold potential as technology is constantly being integrated into education.  According to the reading, there is still research to be done and a key piece of integrating technology is keeping it meaningful.

Source of educational videos: http://www.neok12.com/

An interesting web-resource is Lynda.com, a site offering tutorials and courses on a range of topics such as animation, design, marketing, video editing, and more.  The layout of the site is appealing and easy to navigate.  They offer accounts through organizations or users can register personally.  The videos are modern and relevant to current programs/software. The teachers of the tutorial are credible and are considered experts of the subject matter.  In addition, Lynda can be used on multiple devices such as phones or tablets.

In a terms of professional development, Lynda is a wonderful resource for a number of occupational field.  Lynda offers tutorials in audio and music.  To expand on that, music tutorials range from recording live audio, mixing, to music composition.  The tutorials can be geared to any skill level ranging from beginners to experts.  The tutorials can even be geared toward specific software/hardware.  For someone in the music industry, marketing, commercials, and anywhere audio is needed, these tutorials can be immensely beneficial.

Resource link: www.lynda.com

Personally, I really like PowerPoint.  I feel well-acquainted with the program because of the amount of times I’ve had to use it.  In the PowerPoint for Information Dissemination, I focus on informing the audience on the basics watercolor painting.  I liked the design element of PowerPoint and really playing around with the background fills and fonts.  The elements of design I tried to incorporate can play into a future career such as working in the media.  The creation of presentations is another important skill for the professional world.

 

ILP “Design” – Glogster

For my Independent Learning Project, I utilized Glogster to create a interactive poster for Club Downunder at FSU. The purpose of this poster is to inform students of the resources available to them. I tried to really make it appealing to a younger crowd, informative, and inviting. I liked the Glogster app because it allowed me to work from my phone and uses cloud technology so it can viewed online via any device.
Below is a screenshot of my poster:

And here is a link to my Glogster which includes the interactive features:
http://campbellbmarie563a7a51e1326.edu.glogster.com/club-downunder-/

Blog Post 8

In education, I believe augmented reality has the largest threshold in terms of impact compared to the other forms of emerging technology.  I believe this has the most potential because it can relate to practically any subject on a majority of grade levels. The book provides examples such as apps that provide information on building which could be useful to architecture students, constellations for astronomy students, geographic information for archeology students, and the list goes on.     

Holograms can be used for instruction, as well.  Holograms are physical objects, structures or people create from refracted light which creates an image.  Holograms give students in wide variety of subject the opportunity to experience material in a more realistic and interactive manner.  Students in biology class could watch holograms of microscopic cell reproduction or English students could realistic Shakespeare plays.  These experiences would help students better understand and retain information.  In addition, holograms could be used in the situation of class guests like having Steve Jobs or Martin Luther King come in and speak.  

The digital divide is term addressing the topic of the accessibility of technology.  Despite it seeming as if everyone has smartphones and every home has a computer along with Internet connection, this is not the reality. The skills and knowledge that are come along with the use of technology that are available to some is the focus of the digital divide. I am on the fortunate side of the digital divide. Through the majority of my educational career, I had a computer with Internet connection.  In times when I did not, my mom was very dedicated to ensuring I had the tool I needed and would drive me to library.  In my future classroom, the use of computer will be every unavoidable. As students on the side of the divide who do not have the means begin to enter my classroom, I will do what I can to prepare for the technological world. The best way to address the issue is bring it up to the school board or a form of leadership and create a mandated solution guaranteeing the success of our students. I will advocate for affordable service such as Wi-Fi connections or reduced prices on laptops for students if they fit into certain yearly income range. 

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/11/7-ways-holographic-technology-will-make-learning-more-fun/

Blog Post 7

      In a classroom setting, tools such as PowerPoint can be greatly beneficial in the process of educating students. For example, I could be teaching a lesson on racial oppression in America in a high school class. To achieve the first level of Bloom's Taxonomy the students would have to show that they could recall facts. I could use PowerPoint to present the lesson with visual and other engaging features offered by Microsoft Office.  After the lesson is taught, I could have a slide with a quick quiz testing their ability to recall some key terms from the lesson.  To reach level 2, I could include some short answer questions asking students to describe or even display some discussion questions and facilitate conversation on the topic.  For level 3, I could examples of racial oppression displayed and encourage them to interpret the situation with our lesson in mind.  This ties into the next step where we could have students differentiate what is and is not racial oppression and discuss the idea of reverse racism.  Then we could use a PowerPoint presentation on effective debate and then set up a debate topic regarding racial oppression.  The class would then participate in formal debate and have the ability argue their points. With the top tier of Bloom's taxonomy in mind, students will create their own PowerPoint in groups on a specific topic within racial oppression.
     Alternative input and output regarding the use of computers for educational purposes is an example of adaptive technology.  Hardware such as joysticks or tracks balls can allow students who do not have the ability to use a mouse to partake in the use of these resources.  Voice recognition systems can also be utilized for those who have trouble typing.  In addition the use of a magnified screen or screen reader allows for students who are visually-impaired to receive information from web resources, visual files, and so much more. Personally, I do not know anyone who has used these technologies, but my father is partially blind.  He was schooled in a very poor region of Jamaica and did not have resources such as these at his disposal. I don't see any challenges other than funding because some schools are better equipped than other and it is unfortunate that people's education will be compromised based off of their current economic standing.  
     Through the web design project I learned more about the design of websites and how to navigate Wix.  I focused on including the required content and making it as aesthetically pleasing as possible!  I enjoyed the project because I am really happy with the end product and I think my website is kind of solid. It was just difficult because the website I was working from is so loaded with features so it would lag as I worked. In my future, this is beneficial because the world is digital-based and having the ability to build a website is crucial.  Next time, I will reach a little further with the design and see where I could take it.
My website can be found here: http://campbellbmarie.wix.com/collegegenetics

Blog Post 6

When looking at a few class pages for a school website I see photos, videos, a course description, archives, online resources, and summer assignments.  All of these options are open to the public.  The school’s name is Stevenson School and I mainly focused on checking out their Chinese class page.  The grade levels run from PK-7^th, so the page is fairly broad regarding the age of the students.  Some videos require a login and the site is based off of Weebly which is a web 2.0 resource we have previously discussed.  Some video require a log in to view them.

The site can be found at this address: http://stevensonmandarin.weebly.com/

            The set up for the website I viewed was very effective in the way that it allowed for parents to see what their students have been working on and gives students a place to display their work.  I would utilize a class website to encourage parent involvement which is crucial to a student’s success.  Having the parents set up on a notifications system so each time something is posted they are alerted would help increase their knowledge and involvement in the students’ studies.  In addition, adding maybe a calendar for the semester would help parents better understand what is going on.  I could also post PowerPoint presentations or supplementary materials for students to aid them in learning and studying.

            While working on the current project, I learned how to create a wiki in a group setting and format a wiki page.  These skills can be useful to me in the future.  I felt as if the assignment was doable in the amount of time given to us.  Group projects in general make me anxious because I am consistently afraid I’ll be the only one doing something but the organization of our group and the division of the working being equal and purposeful was helpful.  The only thing that I say could have been fixed was the clarity of the instruction because I consistently found myself feeling confused.  I can use these skills in my career as I want to take the journalism route and since news is becoming so digitized, simply working with technology is beneficial to me.