tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38877851848917291772024-03-05T01:29:06.653-07:00Design + Technology EducationProjects, designs, lessons, and philosophies in design and technology education.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-8831166761709503592014-09-16T16:38:00.001-06:002014-09-16T16:39:05.948-06:00New Blog. New Digs. New... Bligs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://collettcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/icy-channel-961_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://collettcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/icy-channel-961_1280.jpg" height="146" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello internet. Let's be honest. You're probably on my blog because of <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2011/12/harry-potter-monopoly.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter Monopoly</a> and not because of my <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2014/05/four-skills-for-teachers-of-future.html" target="_blank">educational philosophizing</a>. That's ok. Maybe someone involved with education also happened to be a Harry Potter <i>and</i> Monopoly fan, they found the blog, and then they accidentally read one of my other posts and found it insightful.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've decided to move on. From Blogger, that is. No, internet, I'm not done with you. In fact, I consider it to be leveling up. Instead of using a subdomain of Blogspot, I actually have <i>my own domain</i> with what almost looks like a legitimate website. Check it out: <a href="http://collettcreative.com/">CollettCreative.com</a>. I've already transferred all my Design + Tech Ed posts, so those superfans out there can re-experience my oldie-but-goodie posts without leaving my shiny new website.<br />
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With this new legitimacy I plan on blogging more. You can look forward to <strike>rants</strike> posts about education, technology, design, and/or multimedia. Basically what I've been blogging about here, I guess, but now there's a dedicated page for the tutorials I've made, and a page with my resume information, so employers who read my blog will have an easier time hiring me.<br />
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Yep I think that's it. My last post using Blogger. So... bye.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-24936413146558784052014-06-17T21:52:00.001-06:002014-06-17T21:52:36.187-06:00Audacity Tricks + PodcastYou may have heard of <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">Audacity</a>, the free audio recorder and editor that you can download from a website that looks like it came from 1996. The interface of the software itself isn't much better.<br />
<br />
But what it lacks in style, it makes up for in power. (I already mentioned it's free, right?) I created a podcast highlighting three features that I think are rad. You can listen here:<br />
<iframe data-name="pb-iframe-player" frameborder="0" height="100" id="audio_iframe" scrolling="no" src="http://www.podbean.com/media/player/audio/postId/5194426?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdesigninteched.podbean.com%2Fe%2Faudacity-tricks%2F&skin=1&postId=5194426&download=0&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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Or you can read on for text and pictures.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3D6NIDSDJ0QK4OARLHW5D5mSPlBFwuP5z_kpWMsVKL9WvWAFkHvLgML_0UVzSKVDytbQMEqfuqqJr0P9aipEyi_hujI5kJTSl0SQUd5xtAdGC9SI7BZMGIAt5QVNtd36W9fHAQqd2yg/s1600/generate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3D6NIDSDJ0QK4OARLHW5D5mSPlBFwuP5z_kpWMsVKL9WvWAFkHvLgML_0UVzSKVDytbQMEqfuqqJr0P9aipEyi_hujI5kJTSl0SQUd5xtAdGC9SI7BZMGIAt5QVNtd36W9fHAQqd2yg/s1600/generate.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Generate menu.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
1. Generate Sounds.</h3>
I'll just explain what each does with my go-to unordered list:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Chirp... a sound that goes from one pitch to another in a determined amount of time.</li>
<li>DTMF Tones... I don't know what DTMF stands for, but it's basically the sound of dialing numbers.</li>
<li>Noise... good old fashioned white noise. It builds character.</li>
<li>Silence... use it to push everything further along on a track, that's the only use I can think of.</li>
<li>Tone... select the waveform, the hz (pitch), the volume, and the time.</li>
<li>Click Track... a tempo meter for those musicians out there.</li>
<li>Pluck... a single guitar string, for those times you need the sound of a single guitar string. Like if you're the sound guy on <i>Lost</i> and you need a dramatic way to go to commercial.</li>
<li>Risset Drum... if you really wanted to, you could make a pretty nice beat out of a bunch of different drum noises.</li>
</ul>
<div>
In the podcast I used this to create what sounds like the start of a Mariokart race.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8QRaIxVSPVN-lU8yl2Bo0WyGK84tjqan0KvhNyoziIYPGLA10CS0C_BM59tNvreKqDFQxmxVbP3HI_njkpfQMFNZT7kPuKVudfdkt6ASebqKemxtnkUH_eBPlw5KCDfRts-eMwg4hNA/s1600/effects.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8QRaIxVSPVN-lU8yl2Bo0WyGK84tjqan0KvhNyoziIYPGLA10CS0C_BM59tNvreKqDFQxmxVbP3HI_njkpfQMFNZT7kPuKVudfdkt6ASebqKemxtnkUH_eBPlw5KCDfRts-eMwg4hNA/s1600/effects.png" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of Audacity's effects.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
2. Effects.</h3>
<div>
There are a lot of effects, some very professional, some just fun, and some I have no idea what they do. Here are the ones that are most useful and easy:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Amplify... changes the volume, measured in Db.</li>
<li>Change Pitch... exactly what you think it does.</li>
<li>Change Speed... which will also change the pitch.</li>
<li>Change Tempo... will change the speed <i>without</i> changing the pitch.</li>
<li>Fade In/Out... highlight the length of the fade and apply.</li>
<li>Invert... you'll use this later to create a minus track, if you want.</li>
<li>Noise Removal... highlight a few seconds of 'silence' (room noise), go to Noise Removal > Get Noise Profile. Then highlight the whole recording, go to Noise Removal again and just click OK. Hopefully the default parameters get the job done.</li>
<li>Paulstretch... you can slow things way down in a dramatic fashion.</li>
<li>You can experiment with the rest.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
3. Minus Track.</h3>
</div>
<div>
I don't know why you'd need a minus track. Maybe you need a soundtrack with no words, maybe you want a karaoke version of a song, maybe you're trying to learn to play the song. Whatever the reason, you can get the job done with Audacity. At least, you might. It depends on the song...</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3FT0odnguMiFtrmPwl9Hj3Ndt3w_7z93SBGvoVmb59Ougs3tUjpRsRB_N2RX8M8t9wipLr10HJpNF1ShDDutQEpB_MzX8F47fnes7T2JpMKxafM-dvyTz_grr5-qy0TZ_Vm0ea4J6wI/s1600/stereo+to+mono.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3FT0odnguMiFtrmPwl9Hj3Ndt3w_7z93SBGvoVmb59Ougs3tUjpRsRB_N2RX8M8t9wipLr10HJpNF1ShDDutQEpB_MzX8F47fnes7T2JpMKxafM-dvyTz_grr5-qy0TZ_Vm0ea4J6wI/s1600/stereo+to+mono.png" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See step 2 below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Import the song.</li>
<li>(Pictured) Click the name of the track and click Split Stereo to Mono.</li>
<li>Highlight one of the mono tracks.</li>
<li>Click Effect > Invert.</li>
<li>Listen to it. The instruments might sound a little weird, and you might hear the reverb of the voice track, but for the most part you should have a decent minus track.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-7262938656715967382014-06-17T16:30:00.002-06:002014-06-17T16:31:47.117-06:00Remember Picasa?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another week, another assignment for school. This time: <a href="http://picasa.google.com/" target="_blank">Picasa</a>. In this post I'll share photos that have been edited and uploaded through Picasa.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bCdJurW3oBhfXl2tgEKf1PV7I_BjeJMd7JuZoqErmcqc36ikjSFTYQo_3cjR1GfZ-Q0cVmL-ADjcRPhyphenhyphenK69g-dlFqu8IftegUF5l48r7IRPfqcO4n645_6u8n7CcaU3WAB_0FNEKo0A/s1600/IMG_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bCdJurW3oBhfXl2tgEKf1PV7I_BjeJMd7JuZoqErmcqc36ikjSFTYQo_3cjR1GfZ-Q0cVmL-ADjcRPhyphenhyphenK69g-dlFqu8IftegUF5l48r7IRPfqcO4n645_6u8n7CcaU3WAB_0FNEKo0A/s1600/IMG_0186.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in Arches National park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There was one time, back when I used Google Sites to manage my classroom website, that I had visions of using Picasa albums to share student best-of work. After all, Google Sites had a widget you could throw on a page, select an album, and instant slideshow. But since Google Sites and I parted ways when I left it for Weebly, so did Picasa and I split up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiokTTTX8zyThcc9qYu5WF0HA5DM1wEAO8wnK-CZM00XDpLRfnGoaBpkDjRNPBGOm_2JYNcZdlpXqZ067Rm2BrEEl5E3WFTX7ZtwOGCSvl1FF0AEI5A_xcqZOTK3XW7-skOirRkWOSHc/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiokTTTX8zyThcc9qYu5WF0HA5DM1wEAO8wnK-CZM00XDpLRfnGoaBpkDjRNPBGOm_2JYNcZdlpXqZ067Rm2BrEEl5E3WFTX7ZtwOGCSvl1FF0AEI5A_xcqZOTK3XW7-skOirRkWOSHc/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Salt Lake City with mountains in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now that I'm back at it, as assigned by school, I have to say, I won't take it back. I'll demonstrate my decision through two unordered lists:<br />
<br />
<h4>
Pros</h4>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I am still using Blogger, another step-child of Google, forced to get along, it's easy to use Picasa images in posts.</li>
<li>The editing is fairly simple, you can achieve some success with straightening and adjusting highlights and shadows.</li>
<li>A few of the filters look nice.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNrWKXMNKsHkdSkMTxsuDgUnid7HgV-e1uavfoGN2a9N1nBqy9s05vea1TdF_A8TLKVl6tTYDrtc0VasxixCDTmVP2TGaCJ0wI7cPTqqevMeot-D6ZsXQPImr0YF7B836IFXGrdw-tvg/s1600/IMG_0244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNrWKXMNKsHkdSkMTxsuDgUnid7HgV-e1uavfoGN2a9N1nBqy9s05vea1TdF_A8TLKVl6tTYDrtc0VasxixCDTmVP2TGaCJ0wI7cPTqqevMeot-D6ZsXQPImr0YF7B836IFXGrdw-tvg/s1600/IMG_0244.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A black and white filter. These are hard to find. (Arches National Park.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Cons</h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The interface feels old and unintuitive. Like Blogger, this seems like another one of Google's step-children that has been forgotten.</li>
<li>Most of the filters are pointless.</li>
<li>The Google Updater is yet another thing demanding my attention to update Picasa. Why can't they just go through the App Store and then the updates would be automatic along with all the other software through there? (Random side note: why the heck is Flash still demanding to be updated?)</li>
<li>For me, there's just no need that Picasa meets that another service or app doesn't do better.</li>
<li>Just importing and uploading the pictures through Picasa for this blog post has been a huge pain.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhiDifACmcQDvPzYqQn1Cca9R8uwr5Cr-EyPVP507g9JzmI44SSoNQJutwO7Y9Qnmn7_oEAlE3hLx9-nxPRXZj5IB90ywcPoPGcskw36kFVzucxd8idUeXsnL062poPO_quQ9LdjPmJ8/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhiDifACmcQDvPzYqQn1Cca9R8uwr5Cr-EyPVP507g9JzmI44SSoNQJutwO7Y9Qnmn7_oEAlE3hLx9-nxPRXZj5IB90ywcPoPGcskw36kFVzucxd8idUeXsnL062poPO_quQ9LdjPmJ8/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Utah State Capitol Building. Before Picasa edit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Actually, writing this post has also brought up a lot of issues I have with Blogger. Look forward to a post where I bid farewell to the aging platform in favor of something new. Edubloggers maybe. Or one of the Wordpresses...</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RKJ5XvzBbCXAAtv-68OudbwVnI2L-yPFbjdsYeP-bHKgzC5uKolZw1yE8itMHrIFd1LwGeIXmkhsvt2W-P0apmA1nsPuo9kjSdw-1DTlLeoDMjERGiICMj7Xd5NlL4xBuavj6BTAqNA/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RKJ5XvzBbCXAAtv-68OudbwVnI2L-yPFbjdsYeP-bHKgzC5uKolZw1yE8itMHrIFd1LwGeIXmkhsvt2W-P0apmA1nsPuo9kjSdw-1DTlLeoDMjERGiICMj7Xd5NlL4xBuavj6BTAqNA/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Picasa edit. So dramatic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-68837761167268019892014-05-29T10:33:00.002-06:002014-05-29T10:33:28.094-06:00Unnecessary Skills: Keeping Order and Commanding Attention<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuqTMTC_k-NHZ-LsTdtTTaOk1hlFrlnqGEV4SrxUEaoEzV8CQjhyphenhyphencq0PW9ATgCwIrGCkyj5pV4uiC6D6MrBzV84eTT_-Zpm5ejjZ8bTaO0zzJvUe-ofOm1n0KbOuCRPAUJhay-fy0sqg/s1600/washington-d-c-108891_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuqTMTC_k-NHZ-LsTdtTTaOk1hlFrlnqGEV4SrxUEaoEzV8CQjhyphenhyphencq0PW9ATgCwIrGCkyj5pV4uiC6D6MrBzV84eTT_-Zpm5ejjZ8bTaO0zzJvUe-ofOm1n0KbOuCRPAUJhay-fy0sqg/s1600/washington-d-c-108891_1280.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping order and commanding attention are important for drill sergeants. Soldiers need to follow orders. But students? They're going into a world not to follow orders, but to think creatively and solve problems.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're involved in education to any degree, you should read <i>Disrupting Class</i> by Clayton M. Christensen. Almost everything I read nearly drives me into an agreement rant, but for now I'll just share this quite regarding what teaching used to be, what it has become, and what should be unnecessary in the future:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A profession whose work primarily was in tutoring students one on one was hijacked into one where some of the teacher's most important skills became keeping order and commanding attention.</blockquote>
I'm serious. Read this book.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-42236439354871102132014-05-24T16:03:00.000-06:002014-05-24T16:03:03.144-06:00Four Skills for Teachers of the FutureI'm taking an online HTML/CSS class over the summer and almost of all of it is taught via video and textbook. So it makes me wonder: how hard could it be to simply teach myself all of this?<br />
<br />
As I discuss the future of education with other educators, especially regarding how technology is changing it, we almost always end up at the same question: if this works, will it put us out of a job? But there are a few skills that might be irreplaceable by technology, and we'd be wise to develop them now.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Skill #1: Curation</h3>
A quick internet search of "learn html" reveals a big problem in the Age of Information, or should we call it the Age of Information Overload? "Learn HTML in 6 Hours" says one video, "Learn HTML in 12 Minutes" says another. The options are endless, and I don't know where I would start.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wtk-q1PPQDaYKQKthgu82-66mxSm4vgXIJho7r7hr2m0v9b4s5TUYOH_HEEBbOspQaxflG5ArvsUI6avrg31dXFO6lBzY7P2BZVWOhUDmTbJu0h_zaN_0DooVGyFRQ35cNGOkLEWPuU/s1600/st-petersburg-russia-97166_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wtk-q1PPQDaYKQKthgu82-66mxSm4vgXIJho7r7hr2m0v9b4s5TUYOH_HEEBbOspQaxflG5ArvsUI6avrg31dXFO6lBzY7P2BZVWOhUDmTbJu0h_zaN_0DooVGyFRQ35cNGOkLEWPuU/s1600/st-petersburg-russia-97166_1280.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum curators know how to pick and position artifacts for maximum experience.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Teachers of the future will need to be content curators. They know their students, they know their abilities, and they pick exactly the right content and share it at exactly the right time to guide learners to reach the objectives.<br />
<br />
However, as I think about it, this might not be irreplaceable. Plenty of services are already attempting to curate experiences for users through fancy algorithms. For example, when I listen to Ratatat and Fatboy Slim on Spotify, it starts making predictions on other groups I might also like. Perhaps a classroom of the future will start predicting what I should learn next based on what I've done so far. That actually sounds pretty awesome.<br />
<br />
Then again, I had never heard anything like Ratatat until my brother suggested it to me. There will always be a place for humans, fewer humans, probably, but humans nonetheless.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Skill #2: Purpose</h3>
Let's say I did discover the exact set of videos that would perfectly match my abilities, but then what? I recognize that HTML is a skill I would do well to have, but I don't really have anything to apply it to at the moment.<br />
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My biggest goal as a teacher right now is to provide my students with a purpose. (You could replace 'purpose' with 'goals' or 'objectives' or 'desire.') If someone wants to do something, they'll figure out a way to do it. Instead of just demonstrating how to use masks in Photoshop, I show them how to morph two animals together. It's an attractive goal that many students really enjoy attempting regardless of the grade they get. Not all my assignments are this successful, but that's my goal. By giving students something to work on, to work toward, I'm offering them something no computer ever could. It's specific to their age group, their ability level, their local culture.<br />
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<h3>
Skill #3: Feedback</h3>
Let's say some computerized educational service provides me with fantastic educational content and I also happen to have a project I want to work on as I learn. That's great if everything goes perfectly, but what happens when I run into problems? How do I know if I'm doing it right? or what I could do better?<br />
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This is probably the most crucial skill of a teacher in the future. I'm fairly confident that computers will never be able to provide the kind of personalized feedback that a caring teacher can. A teacher can recognize when a student is struggling, can identify where he went wrong, can offer the exact hint or solution or encouragement that helps him keep going.<br />
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There are programs out there that attempt to grade and provide feedback. My district uses an essay-grading service that does a pretty good job. Regarding my current class, there are sites out there that can read your HTML/CSS syntax and point out errors. Microsoft Word has been red- and green-underlining things for ages. But anyone who has used any of these services know that they are far from perfect. Students have figured out that the trick to getting a high score on the automated essay grading system is to simply make the essay longer. HTML/CSS verifiers will notoriously point out errors that aren't errors at all because computers simply have a hard time with context. Microsoft Word will insultingly tell you that your own name is spelled wrong, and that you're not allowed to use the same word twice in a row.<br />
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<h3>
Skill #4: Motivation</h3>
Most things that are worth learning will likely be hard to learn. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes a good deal of failure. As I create my website, it'll occur to me how much more work it'll take to get to what I want to see. I'll come up with excuses to not work on it. I might decide that it wasn't a skill I needed anyway.<br />
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In college, often you're motivated by the money you're spending on it. You're not going to waste it by not finishing your work. At all levels, you might be motivated by grades. Hopefully teachers have linked grades to effort and authentic learning so that the grade actually means you learned something. But throw both of those out and there's still so much that a human teacher can bring in regards to motivating you to keep going. Maybe it's an extension of purpose by the way she gives you goals to reach for. Maybe she's using feedback to encourage you to keep going. Maybe she creates a friendly competition with other classmates, or incites a heated debate on the subject. There are endless ways that teachers can motivate you to keep learning.<br />
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Often, with motivation, gamification comes up. Codecademy, for example, is a service that teaches coding skills and attempts to use streaks ("Do some code today to extend your streak to 11 days!") and badges to keep you going. It may work for some, but not many. Like the essay grading software I mentioned earlier, there are too many ways to cheat automated systems. Additionally, gamification is still such a new, untested idea with endless examples of doing it wrong. Humans will be needed for a long time before computers can replicate the motivation they can offer.<br />
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<h3>
Beyond Skills: Proficiencies</h3>
The skills I listed are more like soft skills, and I'm leaving out software and other hard skills or proficiencies. Teachers of the future will probably need to acquire new proficiencies. Perhaps a topic for a future blog post, but for now I'll throw it out there that I think coding will be a serious contender for number one desired proficiency of teachers in the future. Teachers will need to create interactive experiences for their students as more and more curriculum goes online. I'll leave it at that for now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-25064934115314813702014-05-22T17:47:00.001-06:002014-05-22T18:20:27.942-06:00Pondering the Podcast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsn4EmS6tHFm4-W06y3JSJyhshaJbUq_1dKAy_aVEh9x6L4LV-IkBf11ttiXm1B7PitW8hNwCafFfyjlN_sHRBm4S3zBF8UlaTIZnhyphenhyphenfKBskE0MvwTz0E5-MAUsaT0UKdjuBU4QsUhAM/s1600/mixing-desk-351478_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsn4EmS6tHFm4-W06y3JSJyhshaJbUq_1dKAy_aVEh9x6L4LV-IkBf11ttiXm1B7PitW8hNwCafFfyjlN_sHRBm4S3zBF8UlaTIZnhyphenhyphenfKBskE0MvwTz0E5-MAUsaT0UKdjuBU4QsUhAM/s1600/mixing-desk-351478_1280.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, my classroom just happens to be a professional recording studio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next assignment in this podcasting whirlwind: a reflection.<br />
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So in my last post, I shared my first ever <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2014/05/i-podcasted.html" target="_blank">attempt at podcasting</a>. I used some technology I'm familiar with and some that I'm not. I've used <a href="http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/acidsoftware" target="_blank">ACID</a> since I was little. Yes, that sounds weird, but that's just what happens when your music creation tool of choice has the name "ACID." It gets better. I show my students how to use it, so I'm sure they all go home to announce to their parents, "In multimedia we learned how to use acid!" Anyway, <a href="http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/" target="_blank">Xpress</a> is their free version with a few sample loops. They release 8 packs every week or so, so you can slowly but freely build up your loop collection. I have some loops leftover from when I owned a paid version long ago, and I bought some loop collections.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Anyway, I've also used <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">Audacity</a> to some extent. It's pretty straightforward. I just plugged in my nerdy headset, hit record, and started talking. Then I went through and cut out some mistakes and excessive umm-ing, exported a WAV file, threw it in ACID, and rendered an MP3 to upload to <a href="http://www.podbean.com/" target="_blank">PodBean</a>. Simple, right?<br />
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I'm new to PodBean, and so far I'm impressed. The free version gives you 50mb worth of space, which, if all my podcasts are the same length as the one I just created, will translate into about 10 podcasts. Their cheapest paid plan comes in at $36/year which allows more space and customization. When people start subscribing to my podcasts in the hordes I'll think about upgrading.<br />
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I listen to a few podcasts myself. My absolute favorite podcast has to be <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/" target="_blank">Radiolab</a>. High quality audio, high quality hosts and content. Perfect for the commute or the road trip. Then I discovered <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/" target="_blank">Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!</a> which is a hilarious weekly news recap. And recently I've been blowing through <a href="http://howtodoeverything.org/" target="_blank">How to Do Everything</a>, which covers three random topics in about 15 minutes, also fairly entertaining. I tried to find podcasts related to education and educational technology but after being raised by those three high quality podcasts, it's hard to get into something that's just one boring person interviewing another boring person.<br />
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For my first podcast, I simply chose a topic that would be fairly easy to cover in the time allotted, and I went with it. It was fun, and I'm surprisingly not totally turned off by my own voice. I've been creating screencast tutorials for a while, now, so doing just audio wasn't too much of a stretch. However, after a Google search to page two (I don't want to use the same source as all the other kids in my class), I found a site called <i><a href="http://thejournal.com/Home.aspx" target="_blank">the journal</a></i> whose byline is "Transforming Education Through Technology" (where have they been all my life?). So in the future, you and I will follow <a href="http://thejournal.com/articles/2008/01/01/building-a-better-podcast.aspx?sc_lang=en" target="_blank">these guidelines</a> as we transform education through podcasting:<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Be Prepared.</b> I swear this is a recommendation for anything related to education. I get it. Prepare more. Though it kinda contradicts my guerrilla mentality... Then again, it doesn't mean you have to write a script. I'm terrible at reading scripts, but using bullet points is great.</li>
<li><b>Focus on Sound.</b> One thing that makes Radiolab so great is that one of the hosts, Jad Abumrad, is a sound engineer and obsesses over it. Every story has fantastic moody music and sound effects that add to the experience. I don't intend to do anything that remarkable, but I did use a nerdy headset to record my audio. And I checked the volume levels and removed excess space and content to keep the podcast short.</li>
<li><b>Edit Wisely.</b> Dangit, I just talked about how wise I was with my editing in the last piece of my <ol>. They say that kids can't handle more than 15 minutes of podcast. I disagree. They can't handle more than 6.</li>
<li><b>Be Consistent.</b> That's why I created my very professional music intro to my podcast. I'm thinking next time I'll add a teaser, then do the intro, then get into the content. Being consistent, like being prepared, is yet another staple in the advice-for-teachers arena.</li>
<li><b>Follow the Leaders.</b> I'm all for the concept of imitating the masters to learn the craft. It's why I started incorporating the heck out of Pinterest in my graphic design classes. No, we don't plagiarize. We imitate, learn, iterate, create. (Man, that would be a catchy phrase if 'learn' were replaced with something that ends in -ate. Educate? Only that's on the other end of learning.) My cheesy little music intro was inspired by the intro that Radiolab does. Pretty much just as good, right? No, I've got my work cut out for me.</li>
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With that, I'm going to look for some free images from <a href="http://pixabay.com/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a> to make this article flashier.</div>
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I need a sign-off phrase to use in my blog posts and podcasts. "Enjoy!" I like that one. I'll think about it. Hasta lueguito.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-37060311656351560412014-05-22T17:14:00.000-06:002014-05-22T17:16:49.635-06:00I PodcastedIt's part of an assignment for my schooling right now but I've always wanted to try podcasting anyway. The episode is about five minutes of me rambling about flipping the classroom. I used <a href="http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/" target="_blank">ACID Xpress</a> (intro tune thing as well as final mixdown), <a href="https://www.yakitome.com/tts/text_to_speech/Welcome-to-YAKiToMe?b=551927" target="_blank">Yakitome</a> (the voices on the intro), <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">Audacity</a> (to record and edit my voice), and <a href="http://www.podbean.com/site/userCenter" target="_blank">PodBean</a> (podcast hosting) to do this. Enjoy.<br />
<iframe data-name="pb-iframe-player" frameborder="0" height="100" id="audio_iframe" scrolling="no" src="http://www.podbean.com/media/player/audio/postId/5167692?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdesigninteched.podbean.com%2Fe%2Fflipping-the-classroom-what-and-how%2F&skin=1&postId=5167692&download=0&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0" width="100%"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-40301837807539312122014-05-22T09:22:00.000-06:002014-05-22T09:22:18.684-06:00Making the Switch to Canvas? Here's Some Advice.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsl1vEzqSCQ8YyTxA89XRJ_96pnD6IUQB3rdR0XgmAz3VDaHAYERrujCFEkFYQFlOtHDynPs-UuglzgzqT6sOPNjIYLdkvZelMkQSm6B2WdhLbb0jDRSXjvaQRW5WkgPacSFdH8sfVdU/s1600/computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsl1vEzqSCQ8YyTxA89XRJ_96pnD6IUQB3rdR0XgmAz3VDaHAYERrujCFEkFYQFlOtHDynPs-UuglzgzqT6sOPNjIYLdkvZelMkQSm6B2WdhLbb0jDRSXjvaQRW5WkgPacSFdH8sfVdU/s1600/computer.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
I just spent the last school year immersed in <a href="http://www.instructure.com/" target="_blank">Canvas by Instructure</a>. By that I mean I taught six periods a day via Canvas and I took two grad school courses per term via Canvas. Based on that experience, I'd like to offer some suggestions, some advice to teachers who are considering it, based both on how you can use it to make your life easier and your students' lives easier. It's an incredibly powerful platform, one that I <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-i-intend-to-switch-to-canvas-with.html" target="_blank">highly recommend</a>, having been on both ends, but that means it can easily be misused, misunderstood.<br />
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If you're one of those teachers who says, "It's not my job to make my students' lives easier," let me explain. You're not making their workload easier, you're just making the class experience easier. There's a difference. If you're going to be teaching blended or online classes, your job just expanded to include user experience.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much learning to do.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
1. There will be a learning curve.</h3>
From the teacher side, this is no surprise. No matter how intuitive a platform is, it takes some getting used to. The more powerful a platform is, or the more options there are, the more there is to get used to. Numbers 2 and 3 below will help with this.<br />
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On the student side, they'll need some training, some practice. Set aside a few days for students to get comfortable with it. Create easy assignments and quizzes so they get the hang of things before the pressure is applied.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAAXRCNezDo8bbvQDGD9wvYePoqhVGcCr8ozMspNr4yKOnT5mhG8u1yH21QnVn0NmbmTMtIm1f15H1GqeUjJwt3g_6J3iiyXdPwlZjUgeQWa1exn1aWLfeuYjUp7IueHPF9nvkubC5qo/s1600/pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAAXRCNezDo8bbvQDGD9wvYePoqhVGcCr8ozMspNr4yKOnT5mhG8u1yH21QnVn0NmbmTMtIm1f15H1GqeUjJwt3g_6J3iiyXdPwlZjUgeQWa1exn1aWLfeuYjUp7IueHPF9nvkubC5qo/s1600/pattern.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
2. Create a pattern and stick with it.</h3>
Ideally, every teacher at a school would use Canvas the same. Unfortunately, they don't, and they probably never will. In my program, I have some teachers who use Announcements religiously. Others simply send Canvas messages to all the students. Luckily, in my case, each teacher/class follows a pattern. One teacher makes everything on Tuesday, so my brain quickly learns that Sunday or Monday I better be finishing up some homework for that class.<br />
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Beyond due dates and communication preferences, use a pattern in your page/assignment/quiz design. If you rely in video to get the lesson out, put it in the same place each time. Use the same colors and headers and so on. You get it, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUAcFmCt6FfSOoaxhRR0Nwb69xl0qKii2xnCsFpDjDoywdTiLVjlfE4U7M1MikAMMhegaXsuRyM31kGdzFO62F_9s55reob3ZxhdjPtyjQ4DOFK06ejYZTSGNCa_CFoGWT1LrZb3SnfE/s1600/simple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUAcFmCt6FfSOoaxhRR0Nwb69xl0qKii2xnCsFpDjDoywdTiLVjlfE4U7M1MikAMMhegaXsuRyM31kGdzFO62F_9s55reob3ZxhdjPtyjQ4DOFK06ejYZTSGNCa_CFoGWT1LrZb3SnfE/s1600/simple.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
3. Keep it as simple as possible.</h3>
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This relates back to the first two suggestions. If you keep it simple, the learning curve will be easier to handle. Setting up patterns also helps you keep it simple. If you create a pattern of one reading assignment and one quiz per week, it'll not only be easier for your students, but it'll be easier for you to set it up. It'll be simpler.<br />
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If you have a bunch of PDF's or Word documents, you can simply insert them into pages or assignments, and students can view them inline or download them to view or print. This creates less work for you at first, but it should only be a temporary solution. Eventually, to keep it simpler, you'll want to convert these things into a more online-friendly format. If it's a worksheet, you can turn it into a quiz. If it's an assignment description, you can format it within Canvas or even create a video to demonstrate it. If it's a PowerPoint presentation, you can turn it into an online version that's easier to move through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph2OSD2TzYYHh8bf640Y8ax4pLx6d_9o8cAyu4Yubm8DA_Xwf9mnJ2xunSb-GZKDMeyKB0gP33KwV9rjhxTeg4tF0pC-ltDXxCE3c3igS2AgwmLzx03MW-KfTmHOIwYnLtGnM7y5tyEY/s1600/TA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph2OSD2TzYYHh8bf640Y8ax4pLx6d_9o8cAyu4Yubm8DA_Xwf9mnJ2xunSb-GZKDMeyKB0gP33KwV9rjhxTeg4tF0pC-ltDXxCE3c3igS2AgwmLzx03MW-KfTmHOIwYnLtGnM7y5tyEY/s1600/TA.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grading puts a smile on my TA's face. Either that or she's doing something else on the computer.</td></tr>
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<h3>
4. Carefully craft your rubrics and employ TA's.</h3>
One of the greatest things about Canvas for a teacher is the SpeedGrader. Seriously, on its own it warrants a switch to Canvas. Better still is when you attach rubrics to assignments. Just select each criterion and Canvas transfers the points into the student's grade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXue135pCOW8bpkoRTzWDyskH9aZpKZYpT_5X3yMq7w9CsxsxGFw1bkhp9ldQainPQ_F2PYN3u-Ne3UWDB-4YGe8m5nOhBDSOOYWhVr0hrKySxQ8FmHTO7JbWByzbUG3DHPwd5k-DRig/s1600/rubric.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXue135pCOW8bpkoRTzWDyskH9aZpKZYpT_5X3yMq7w9CsxsxGFw1bkhp9ldQainPQ_F2PYN3u-Ne3UWDB-4YGe8m5nOhBDSOOYWhVr0hrKySxQ8FmHTO7JbWByzbUG3DHPwd5k-DRig/s1600/rubric.PNG" height="304" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my better rubrics. It matches the assignment description and it's easy to use.</td></tr>
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The trick is to create the right rubric that gives credit for the right effort. It has to match the assignment description and it has to be easy to use. I like to give the assignment, see how students do, then create the rubric. If done well, and if you have a good TA, you can pass on much of the grading. Then, if a student complains about a grade, you can blame your TA.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9T8LGq_vrV2nvRF2BYeuoz6_HD2xJTLU49KnN02g8stUlH1YdElp2LkjfM3hyphenhyphen0TxJg5VJKePtVHkSGn94IM8EMF-0dIRCigP1mPkwxyb-3Ru75Jl9QLAz6UaG6sRs_a8e-0lKx0RsCo/s1600/due+date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9T8LGq_vrV2nvRF2BYeuoz6_HD2xJTLU49KnN02g8stUlH1YdElp2LkjfM3hyphenhyphen0TxJg5VJKePtVHkSGn94IM8EMF-0dIRCigP1mPkwxyb-3Ru75Jl9QLAz6UaG6sRs_a8e-0lKx0RsCo/s1600/due+date.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think most image results for "due date" revolve around pregnancy...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
5. Use due dates wisely.</h3>
Almost everything you set up in Canvas looks the same to you as it will to the students. Except for the dashboard, or the page everyone first sees when they log in. When a student logs in, she sees a list of upcoming assignment due dates, among other things.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6v5KRWs3ShVZAYtQXNSytBTu0gyH65HEVuU9wf_KD8nOUnyq2_oUYIuDtkHZ4slnb99ORVAn5dfbPsSIT4VLhIxNi_71YtwbdPFc58q-1-gHXsX8r2JP3H6VcJ3J0Q7q9JcKxdZzcWM/s1600/due+dates.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6v5KRWs3ShVZAYtQXNSytBTu0gyH65HEVuU9wf_KD8nOUnyq2_oUYIuDtkHZ4slnb99ORVAn5dfbPsSIT4VLhIxNi_71YtwbdPFc58q-1-gHXsX8r2JP3H6VcJ3J0Q7q9JcKxdZzcWM/s1600/due+dates.PNG" height="320" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Items under "To Do" that you don't actually have to do are annoying.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If set up well, this is an incredibly useful task list for students. But if you excessively use dummy assignments, or if you create a due date on the assignment but students are supposed to submit a draft earlier, it becomes very confusing.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-45937497052558979542014-05-16T08:22:00.001-06:002014-05-16T08:22:20.967-06:00Open [Photoshop] ProjectMy graphic design students have to complete two different Photoshop modules. Each module consists of several projects that I intend to be fun but also to force practice with certain tools. The goal is that when they're given a challenge, they'll remember those projects and figure out how to use tools to complete the challenge. (I listed several of those projects in a <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2013/02/photoshop-projects-for-teens-1.html" target="_blank">blog post here</a>.)<br />
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Thinking back on my own schooling, I remember that with the software I enjoyed learning, I'd always venture off into random ideas I had, but even though that was valuable for my learning, I never got credit for it. Sometimes I still did it, other times I stopped because my time was limited, I needed to focus on the content for the class.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway, the point is, at the end of each module my students complete, I give them an Open _________ Project (fill the blank with the software you're teaching). It gives students a chance to create whatever they want. When they turn it in, they basically get completion credit<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">—</span>I don't want to put pressure on something called "open" because then it would be anything but. About a third of my students waste it and just create something stupid for credit. That's fine. Another third simply do one of the assignments again because they thought it was fun. Even better. But that last third (I'm making up proportions here, it might be more like 20-60-20) do something amazing, like this:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vTZZmL6RwtCNM1k6tBWZeH7HrOPcwQOfWhvE1QNe6QeMhVRdnqJpICQNfvN_5SD5i6AaedR4ZWxhzVdz_dLt04agl3znJdVCGr-HguXyyjT0WzKow7T_1i80vbfAhVXNSP_HgiIU5wg/s1600/TOM+CRUISE+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vTZZmL6RwtCNM1k6tBWZeH7HrOPcwQOfWhvE1QNe6QeMhVRdnqJpICQNfvN_5SD5i6AaedR4ZWxhzVdz_dLt04agl3znJdVCGr-HguXyyjT0WzKow7T_1i80vbfAhVXNSP_HgiIU5wg/s1600/TOM+CRUISE+copy.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The glory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I can't imagine the thought process that went through this girl's head. "You know, Tom Cruise's hair reminds me of a lion's mane. I ought to bring that idea to life. Since it's so dreamy, maybe I'll put it against a space background. Yeah, now it totally captures my fantasies."</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-20540466283488589602014-05-13T12:49:00.000-06:002014-05-15T09:53:52.443-06:00Blogging Tool ComparisonConsidering my interest and my assignments in blogging, I'm going to compare some of the tools I've used. I've looked at a lot of options and I'm always interested in new tools coming out, but in the end these four are the absolute best options out there and I can't find any reason to look elsewhere. If you want an initial conclusion without any description, just use Wordpress. But if you want to compare your options and consider what you're trying to do, read on.<br />
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<h3>
1. Blogger/Blogspot</h3>
<h4>
Description</h4>
<div>
I don't know much about the history, <strike>but I think once it was called Blogspot and then Google bought it, called it Blogger, and subsequently ignored it.</strike> but a quick Wikipedia lookthrough confirms that Google hasn't really done anything with it for several years. It's called Blogger but individual blogs are listed under subdomains of blogspot.</div>
<h4>
Pros</h4>
<div>
It's easy to write and format your writing. It's fairly easy to customize the templates. If you get a lot of hits, supposedly you can incorporate Google ads and make some money, but I don't plan on getting that much readership.</div>
<h4>
Cons</h4>
<div>
Template choice is very limited. It looks like there are a lot to choose from, but most of them are almost identical with just a few differences. Overall Blogger just isn't as visually attractive as Wordpress, both in dashboard and actual blog. It hasn't been updated in a really long time, and I don't know if they ever plan to. It's attached to your Google account. (This is a bad thing, I assure you.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
2. Wordpress (.com)</h3>
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<a href="http://wpcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/express-yourself.png?w=300&h=159" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wpcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/express-yourself.png?w=300&h=159" height="213" width="400" /></a></div>
<h4>
Description</h4>
<div>
Something that took me a long time to understand was the difference between Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. The .com iteration is hosted by Wordpress and it has limited templates and customizability. It's basically like Blogger's good looking cousin. The .org version, on the other hand, is more like a package that you have to host yourself, which costs money. There are endless templates you can apply with endless customization. Because of this, as you can imagine, it comes with a bit of a learning curve. Because of that, and because it's not really free, I'm going to focus on the .com version.</div>
<h4>
Pros</h4>
<div>
It's prettier than Blogger. The dashboard is prettier, the templates are prettier, it just looks better in general. It's also updated, which means new templates are added periodically. Once you get the hang of it, it has more features than Blogger as well. It's not attached to your Google account. (This is a good thing, I assure you.)</div>
<h4>
Cons</h4>
<div>
The prettiest templates will cost you money. There's a bit more of a learning curve than Blogger. Part of that is the confusing dashboard interface.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
3. Weebly</h3>
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<a href="http://cdn2.editmysite.com/images/public/features/blogging/overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.editmysite.com/images/public/features/blogging/overview.jpg" height="314" width="400" /></a></div>
<h4>
Description</h4>
<div>
Weebly is more of a website creator (one that I <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-make-your-teacher-website.html" target="_blank">like a lot</a> and use for <a href="http://mrcollettnet.weebly.com/" target="_blank">my own class website</a>) but it has a pretty decent blogging feature that I use to share random stuff I find as well as my favorite student work.</div>
<h4>
Pros</h4>
<div>
The drag-and-drop interface is really easy to use. You never have to go into HTML formatting to embed a video, for example, you just drag-and-drop the embed code element and then paste the video's embed code. There are a lot of attractive templates that are easily customizable. Best of all, as a teacher, you can set it up specifically for teaching purposes, and you can add students so they can make their own sites. (The first 40 or so are free, but on top of that they're about $1 per student.)</div>
<h4>
Cons</h4>
<div>
Although Weebly's templates are easily customizable, the amount of customization is limited unless you know CSS. The modular format provided by the drag-and-drop interface eats up space on your page. Occasionally the interface freezes or glitches.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
4. Edublogs</h3>
<h4>
Description</h4>
<div>
Edublogs is basically Wordpress for education. In fact, on the home page, there's a little Wordpress logo with the words "Wordpress for education." It offers a very limited free version and a very affordable pro version at $40 a year. Last time I looked into it, running student blogs through Edublogs cost a little more on top of that, but they may have included that in the pro price because I can't find anything about it now.</div>
<h4>
Pros</h4>
<div>
The biggest pro is that Edublogs is built for education, but with the robust core of Wordpress. The pro upgrade is affordable, and you can create student blogs attached to your class.</div>
<h4>
Cons</h4>
<div>
The free version of Edublogs is pretty limited, so it seems like you're better off with Wordpress if you don't want to go pro or add students. As with Wordpress, there's a bit of a learning curve.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
Because of the popularity of my Harry Potter Monopoly, I've stuck with Blogger in order to increase pageviews. I'm also more familiar with the interface, but every once in a while I get the itch to switch over to Wordpress. If I were asked for a recommendation, it would really depend on what they wanted to do. Even though I use Blogger currently, I'd probably recommend Wordpress for a professional blog. If they wanted to create a teacher website and blog, I'd recommend Weebly. If they wanted to have their students blog, I'd recommend Edublogs. If they wanted their students to create their own websites, I'd go back to Weebly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Maybe I'll look into how difficult it is to transfer blog content from Blogger to Wordpress.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-78468633513686050122014-05-13T10:51:00.000-06:002014-05-13T15:48:18.602-06:00DTE's Blogging Best PracticesPartly for fun, but mostly to fulfill a course assignment, I'm going to share some blogging best practices. They'll consist of content, structure, and media selection. Most of these practices will come from my own experience, mostly reading, and partly writing blogs. A few might come from an external source. Here we go.<br />
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(I'm using a page break, #4 on the list.)<br />
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<h3>
1. Be yourself.</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorvgqkJcnSc2MjpCK_4Qr8x-8_okfoIU5mf4exMP18pRY6xJp-CyxVW7nprL795Qwnk68nyuSpQOm9NPr7hN5rfsa4bSnBlDSHft8k0BBr_MurLqw-N0IWeh1gQ_POnH7qjn5-nHG4KI/s1600/seagull-249638_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorvgqkJcnSc2MjpCK_4Qr8x-8_okfoIU5mf4exMP18pRY6xJp-CyxVW7nprL795Qwnk68nyuSpQOm9NPr7hN5rfsa4bSnBlDSHft8k0BBr_MurLqw-N0IWeh1gQ_POnH7qjn5-nHG4KI/s1600/seagull-249638_640.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
After all the excruciating academic writing I have to put up with in grad school, the last thing I want to do is endure it in my leisure time. Additionally, chances are you're blogging for your own pleasure. It'll be a lot more enjoyable if you drop the academic tone and just write the way you talk.<br />
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<a href="http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingtips/tp/TipsWriteBlogPosts.htm" target="_blank">About.com says to "choose the appropriate tone."</a> I guess I'm talking to people like me who are teacher hobby bloggers. Hobgers?<br />
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<h3>
2. Use correct spelling and grammar.</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-X0Jfxlwk2eD3CRBIMgNFxQS3uFUvn0BVNjCXR46VU4dPV5TnJWujYQcTwMFQbDQsT3XDiYh2naD-Vcete_5VXED22qvJ67FSw5ZeL31lgXI3Iqj5RpwwxylsCJn5MLVuR4aJMIfRH8/s1600/male-213729_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-X0Jfxlwk2eD3CRBIMgNFxQS3uFUvn0BVNjCXR46VU4dPV5TnJWujYQcTwMFQbDQsT3XDiYh2naD-Vcete_5VXED22qvJ67FSw5ZeL31lgXI3Iqj5RpwwxylsCJn5MLVuR4aJMIfRH8/s1600/male-213729_640.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
I know I shouldn't, but I can't really help the loss of respect that comes with glaring spelling and grammar problems. It just reeks of lazy and uneducated writing, and why should I care what a lazy or uneducated person has to say? But with me it's more of a three strike scenario. I'll overlook the occasional ensure/insure problem. I'll forgive people when they conjugate verbs for the prepositional object rather than the subject of the sentence. And some improper grammar I'll flat out ignore myself, in particular the whole business of not ending sentences with prepositions.<br />
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But if your writing is as bad as my 14 year old students, it'll be hard to overcome.<br />
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<h3>
3. Avoid cliche attention grabbers.</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLKeNVz62Yg9QMzWsIB3l0U4_4UMSn2HokM_hsqfxdQ8Kp7PuICZIGhXPYka5FnKn-JzecEY_0cc1SDYrn0aUWYxPPDjNCHLbGFF_CwUamYK4eM5KNjWPWW-NhtiXboNNE4GY50GTFsI/s1600/animal-175033_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLKeNVz62Yg9QMzWsIB3l0U4_4UMSn2HokM_hsqfxdQ8Kp7PuICZIGhXPYka5FnKn-JzecEY_0cc1SDYrn0aUWYxPPDjNCHLbGFF_CwUamYK4eM5KNjWPWW-NhtiXboNNE4GY50GTFsI/s1600/animal-175033_640.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Everything you thought you knew about ___________ is wrong. 7 things to avoid if you want to ________. Amazing new ___________ that will change everything.<br />
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Give me a break. Most of the time, some study showed a slight correlation between two things, and bloggers and paid writers try to make it sound like there's a global paradigm shift.<br />
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I admit, sometimes I'm a sucker for a good list (see the next tip), but when 90% of the blog titles have some variation of the above formulas, the other 10% will start grabbing my attention.<br />
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Back to the go-to link, About.com says to <a href="http://weblogs.about.com/od/writingablog/tp/3StepsToWriteBlogPostTitles.htm" target="_blank">pique curiosity and get attention while avoiding the bait-and-switch</a>.<br />
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<h3>
4. Use headlines and page breaks.</h3>
Better yet, make a list. Yep, nailed that one right here. When people read blogs, chances are they'll look through all the headlines first, then decide whether to read it. (About.com calls it <a href="http://weblogs.about.com/od/writingablog/tp/ScannableBlogPostTips.htm" target="_blank">scannable</a>.) If there's a list, I'll usually skip right over the introduction and head straight to the list.<br />
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Many blogs work similarly to Blogger in that, by default, every post is displayed in its entirety. This makes the blog itself non-scannable. To avoid this, you can use a page break. It makes it so the blog displays your post up to your page break, and the visitor has to click on the post to see the rest.<br />
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<h3>
5. Use pictures.</h3>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TeQ9kJpGBSeJTPl2_Bnfi4IF1ZQOYSRB2Z7M4jYciJxMvXvVutDjVM8OvcUhr6Ywy52OTkOjqM_a2rxUa9qOh3sgCuhKVWKy90JAwawdslDgyYUXj_e3O7R1_ZmtheO2F04BbcfFQes/s1600/landscape-219850_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TeQ9kJpGBSeJTPl2_Bnfi4IF1ZQOYSRB2Z7M4jYciJxMvXvVutDjVM8OvcUhr6Ywy52OTkOjqM_a2rxUa9qOh3sgCuhKVWKy90JAwawdslDgyYUXj_e3O7R1_ZmtheO2F04BbcfFQes/s1600/landscape-219850_640.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
It should come as no surprise that posts with pictures are more attractive and interesting. Most people, myself included, have little clue about what you're allowed to use on your blog. It's unlikely that you'll have a large stock of your own images to use for each topic you cover, it's time-consuming to design your own graphics. For all these reasons, just use a site like <a href="http://pixabay.com/" target="_blank">pixabay</a> that provides public domain images that, as far as I know, you don't even have to attribute. (It's where I've gotten all of my pictures for this post.) The trick is using the right search term for what will be relevant and interesting.<br />
<br />
There. You're a blogging expert.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-7310821712891538902014-05-13T09:29:00.000-06:002014-05-13T15:54:20.497-06:00Teaching and Blogging, Blogging and TeachingDoes anyone care? If so, they are few. Am I wasting my time? Probably, unless it's somehow cathartic. Why do it? Maybe it feels like productivity even though it's procrastination.<br />
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I'm talking about my blog. Each of my posts gets an average of 20 hits, except for the time I made Harry Potter Monopoly and I became a minor Pinterest celebrity. (That's an exaggeration, but I did feel pretty cool when my wife's coworkers showed her the design on Pinterest and she said, "My husband was the designer. He made it for me.") So, occasionally, I reflect on the questions above. I suppose I blog because it's cathartic to get my opinions off my chest without inflicting boredom upon my friends and family members. Then again, there's a little more to it.<br />
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<h3>
I blog because no one else does.</h3>
No, I'm not saying there's a shortage of teacher blogs, but I originally started blogging because I couldn't find any online resources for my subject areas. Back then I was teaching CTE Intro, but now I'm exclusively Graphic Design and Multimedia, which is fairly rare in junior high. I felt (and still feel) a bit like a pioneer in introducing younger students to the graphic and media arts, I might as well share what I learn so if, by some miracle, a similar teacher discovers this, they might not make the same mistakes I made.<br />
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Of course, a quick googling of the topic has led me to <a href="http://digitalarted.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Digital Art Education</a>, which apparently has a ton of crossover with graphic design. On page two of the search I found <a href="http://mrsdahl.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Dahl</a> who is sharing a lot of her students' art/design work.<br />
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Now I wonder if I tried very hard to find resources back when I started this blog.<br />
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<h3>
I blog because I agree and disagree with people.</h3>
I peruse the app Zite quite a bit, following Education, among other things. In that perusal I stumble upon articles that I agree or disagree with, and rather than count myself among the numberless rabid commenters, I instead place myself in the pool of rabid bloggers.<br />
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For example, today I stumbled upon a New York Times article/debate, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/05/12/teaching-code-in-the-classroom?hp&rref=opinion" target="_blank">Teaching Code in the Classroom</a>. I already camp on the side of yes, and the writers merely confirmed my position. Ready for rabid reaction?<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/05/12/teaching-code-in-the-classroom/teaching-coding-to-kids-is-a-scam" target="_blank">Dvorak says that it's a scam</a>, that it's a ploy by computer companies to sell more computers to schools. That's completely ridiculous! Districts pour boatloads of money into more computers in schools, with or without coding curriculum, and I don't think schools would need more computers if they did choose to teach coding. He states, as if it were a fact that he's personally aware of, "These kids ultimately end up spending more time posting pics on Facebook, giggling over online gossip, and watching cat videos. All these things are a waste of time and pathetic." Maybe he's using language specifically to incite a reaction, or maybe he's really that obtuse. It's such a ridiculous, wrong, generalized statement that it warrants no rebuttal.<br />
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Jose Vilson, on the other hand, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/05/12/teaching-code-in-the-classroom/coding-opens-doors" target="_blank">argues that it opens doors</a>, and that it should be considered right alongside STEM. In my opinion, it already is. The T is for Technology, code should simply be taught with technology. Either way I agree.<br />
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Why am I ranting about whether code should be taught when this is a post about why I blog? Well, let it be a sample of why I blog. Online comment sections are cesspools. I'll spare you the explicit analogy description.<br />
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<h3>
I blog to reflect.</h3>
I know that some famous author has a great quote about writing and I'm going to paraphrase and butcher it because my google skills aren't helping me find the real thing: I don't write to <i>tell</i> how I feel, I write to <i>discover</i> how I feel. I used to journal a lot for the same effect, but if it's education-related, there's something mildly exciting about the chance that someone reads your thoughts and opinions. Maybe I'm just a part of Generation Me.<br />
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<h3>
I blog because it's required.</h3>
Working on my undergrad, one of my classes required a weekly reflection post about things we learned. A year ago I was working on leveling up my teaching license, and one of the requirement options was to blog. Now that I'm in the throes of grad school, once again I'm required to blog (this post is the first assignment for one of my classes). I'm ok with that because it just gives me more incentive to write. It feels less like a waste of time because other students will be <i>required</i> to read my nonsense.<br />
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On that note, I'm required to share links to some other educational blogs. I've provided a few, but I'll throw some more out there to make sure I get all the points I need:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/" target="_blank">Free Technology for Teachers</a> - I follow this guy on Facebook and his posts show up in my feed. Usually the tech doesn't appeal to what I'm looking for, but occasionally he'll share something I pick up.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.blendmylearning.com/blog/" target="_blank">Blend My Learning</a> - I often tout the blended model, and this blog shares a lot of interesting information about it.</li>
<li><a href="http://hackeducation.com/index.php" target="_blank">Hack Education</a> - Just discovered this today as a part of this assignment. This blog may incite a few 'agree' posts from me in the future.</li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-3378434345970415432014-05-07T21:44:00.004-06:002014-05-13T10:52:08.667-06:00"Don't Use Technology Just to Use Technology." Why Not?<div>
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As I study Instructional Technology, teach a technology-centered class, and read articles about technology in education, this is a thought that repeatedly comes up: "Don't use technology just to use technology." They typically argue something to the effect of the objectives taking priority, and technology should only reinforce the objectives.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The future! Wait, how is this better than an overhead projector? She burns more calories?</td></tr>
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Frankly, that's ridiculous. Technology has a chance to revolutionize education, why are we cramming it into our existing, ancient structure? First it was the chalkboard, which evolved into a white board. We added overhead projectors and then digital projectors. Now we have smart boards.</div>
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Of all the things to get excited about with how technology can revolutionize education, and we're excited about a PowerPoint you can touch?</div>
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Don't worry, there's a lot more than smart boards to upset me, but I'll stop here.</div>
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This rant is brought to you by <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071749101/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1YEFYJT0QSWYY3CWCVBN&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Disrupting Class</a></i>. I'm through the introduction (don't skip the notes at the end of the chapter) and halfway through the first chapter. It's already the best piece of educational writing I've ever read. You should probably buy it. Or just check it out from your library, like I did. You'll still end up buying it.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-47700182137873302342014-05-06T08:09:00.002-06:002014-05-13T10:52:22.808-06:004 Things You Already Know About TeachersI've been in this business for over four years now, and I think I've experienced most of the gamut of experiences, so I'm here to tell you that all those praiseworthy and derogatory things you hear about are true.<br />
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Mostly.<br />
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When I meet new people and tell them what I do, the response varies from high praise to sincere sympathy to condescending curiosity. Every teacher is worthy of at least one of these, depending on the teacher and depending on the time of year.<br />
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1. Those who can't do, teach.</h3>
Let's get this one out of the way immediately. I'm not saying it's true for all teachers, but it is for most. Why? Because you get paid a lot more in private industry than you do as a teacher. Few people will stick with a job if they could get a better one somewhere else.<br />
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This is extremely unfortunate, because real teachers actually have to be twice the expert as doers. They have to be experts in the subject, and experts in pedagogy (that's a fancy word for 'the art of teaching'). I admit, most probably aren't, because if they're true experts in a subject, they're probably out there doing that instead of teaching. Those who are subject matter experts as well as pedagogical geniuses AND they're still teachers who figured out the right witchcraft to make a living off of low wages? They're the ones they make movies about to make all the other teachers feel bad about themselves.<br />
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They're also the ones that burn out.<br />
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2. Teachers are lazy.</h3>
Teachers re-use the same lesson plans they created 20 years ago, they create strict late policies to avoid having to grade extra work, they use multiple choice tests because they're the easiest to score. You can probably blame this on class size and prep time. (Too much of the former, too little of the latter.) The amount of work a teacher has to do rises exponentially. The amount of time it takes to grade a multiple choice quiz versus an essay is drastic. Essays are better for learning, but as a teacher you have to ask yourself, how much better? Of all the things I could assign to my students, what will give them maximum learning with minimum grading time?<br />
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Unfortunately, that's an oxymoron.<br />
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3. Teachers aren't professionals.</h3>
All too often, teachers simply don't carry themselves as professionals. I give two excuses: (1) What do you expect from someone who is around kids all day? (2) They're not treated like professionals.<br />
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And then of course there's the possibility that they aren't professionals, that they aren't subject-matter experts <i>or</i> pedagogical savants. It's disappointing to have a conversation with someone who doesn't know much about their own profession, but don't lose respect for the profession, lose respect for the person.<br />
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4. Teachers are a bunch of whiners.</h3>
Holy cow, aren't we? Maybe it's because we spend most of our days with kids, it rubs off. Then again, stay-at-home parents spend all their time with kids, too, and they don't complain nearly as much (at least the ones I know).<br />
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Let's make a deal: you stop complaining about how terrible teachers are, we'll stop complaining about how terrible students, laws, standards, regulations, and salaries are.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-66088309391587455492014-04-24T05:00:00.000-06:002014-04-24T05:00:01.838-06:00How to Make Your Teacher WebsiteI had to create a self-guided instructional module for a project in a class I'm taking. I decided to provide some tutorials and such for teachers to get a website going. I turned in the final project last weekend, and while it's still probably far from perfect, I figured I'd share it in case anyone was interested in creating their own teacher website.<br />
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You can <a href="http://teachersiteby.weebly.com/intro.html" target="_blank">click here</a> to go to the promotional video with links to the Canvas course I created (the site itself is a kind of example of what you can accomplish), or you can continue past the break and I'll embed all the tutorial videos from the project with short descriptions.<br />
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First, you'll need to set up an account with Weebly. They have a program going where if you refer someone, you both get $10 toward premium. <a href="http://www.weebly.com/link/Tl0YsM" target="_blank">Click here</a> to be referred by me and we both get $10, or <a href="http://education.weebly.com/" target="_blank">click here</a> to simply create your own teacher account. If, for some reason, you're looking to create a website for personal or professional reasons, just go to <a href="http://weebly.com/">Weebly.com</a> and create an account there.</div>
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At some point during the registration process, you'll see a screen that looks like this:</div>
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<a href="https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/851158/files/27935817/preview?verifier=vItJZ8h1evrKM8NdWrgUA5lSx7evuVvJAd3SesSw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/851158/files/27935817/preview?verifier=vItJZ8h1evrKM8NdWrgUA5lSx7evuVvJAd3SesSw" width="320" /></a></div>
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My tutorials are based on choosing "Site," but naturally you're welcome to choose whichever suits your needs. If you're considering doing a teacher blog but you're not sure, you can choose "Site" now and switch to a blog later. It's not that hard.</div>
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Setting up a basic home page</h3>
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In the top right of your window you'll see an orange PUBLISH button. You need to click that to put your website online, and you need to click it again anytime you want changes to show up online.<br />
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Next will be several videos demonstrating different things you can do with a website. If you have the time and resources, I say do them all. Otherwise, just pick the most appealing thing and start there.<br />
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Creating a Class Page</h3>
A great class page will have a description of the class with objectives, and assignment descriptions. New students can get a glimpse of the course and current students can make sure they're staying on top of their assignments. If you flip your classroom, you can use this page to link to videos, and if you use a calendar you can put that on here too. That would be an amazing class page for sure.<iframe height="338" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/92425613?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600"></iframe><br />
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Creating an Online Disclosure Document</h3>
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First you'll just put all your disclosure information on a web page. You can stop there, or create a fillable form using Google Drive which will be shown in the next video.</div>
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Creating an Online Disclosure Form</h3>
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By creating one of these forms, you'll end up with a Google Drive spreadsheet of the student/parent information, rather than a bunch of crumpled half-sheets of paper in a drawer somewhere.</div>
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Embedding a Google Calendar</h3>
Two of the most annoying questions a teacher will get are, "I was gone yesterday, what did we do?" and "When is this assignment due?" (The second question doesn't sound that bad, but it is when it's the 50th time it's been asked today.) Avoid these issues by putting a calendar right on your website. It'll have the day's activities and due dates on it, and students and parents will never wonder again. You'll need to have a Google account. (Many teachers already organize their instruction in a Google calendar.)<iframe height="338" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/92426830?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600"></iframe><br />
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Switching to and Using a Blog</h3>
An announcements blog will appeal to some teachers but not all. The nice thing about a blog (vs. the general class page) is that it shows you the most pertinent information, because it's the latest. You can use it to post the week's assignments. You can use it to remind students about projects. You can use it to show off student work, or link to something in the news that's cool, or just share fun stuff. This is incredibly easy to set up, and it only takes a few minutes to create a new post.<iframe height="338" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/92427301?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600"></iframe><br />
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Sharing Video (Flipped Classroom)</h3>
Flipping the classroom is a big trend these days, and it's a trend I believe in. When you flip the classroom, you eliminate much of the classroom management that teaching lessons requires. You also automatically help out the students who are absent, and your lessons can be a lot shorter. Flipping is a bit of an investment, but it pays off, and I'll never go back. If you have PowerPoint lessons or other computer-based presentations, we'll use Screencast-o-matic to make lessons. If you have an iPad and you do white board or transparency lessons, we'll use Educreations. Then we'll set up the class page or the announcements blog to link to these videos. Like I said, it's an investment, but it's worth it.</div>
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The video below really only shows how to share videos that have already been uploaded somewhere. Yesterday I posted about <a href="http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2014/04/quicktime-imovie-for-easy-but-powerful.html" target="_blank">recording your screen on a Mac</a>. Otherwise, I'll refer you to <a href="http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/" target="_blank">Screencast-o-matic</a> for recording your screen on a PC and Educreations for creating lessons on your iPad.</div>
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<iframe height="338" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/92427437?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-47917339589072060552014-04-23T09:40:00.001-06:002014-05-13T10:52:42.748-06:00Quicktime + iMovie for Easy but Powerful ScreencastsIf you're on a PC, hands-down I recommend <a href="http://screencast-o-matic.com/" target="_blank">Screencast-o-matic</a> for free screencasting. No need for explaining, it's just simply the best option out there.<br />
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However, I haven't had the same success with Screencast-o-matic on my iMac. Then recently I realized I didn't need to. Quicktime has a built-in screen recording feature, just open it, click File>New Screen Recording.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaertN0wpE8x-n0fT1jNiyCbbQl4uLScTR3VqWkdUuijmbghOKszOLWqwkmajkg1ooNQibyS91L3oHR9lHYECLe58v-GLNUkim7yxgLftrKDoM0EAX-iTtA-omf1hg7nfRQK7PGCmbmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.16.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaertN0wpE8x-n0fT1jNiyCbbQl4uLScTR3VqWkdUuijmbghOKszOLWqwkmajkg1ooNQibyS91L3oHR9lHYECLe58v-GLNUkim7yxgLftrKDoM0EAX-iTtA-omf1hg7nfRQK7PGCmbmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.16.01+AM.png" height="148" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you had a hard time finding File>New Screen Recording.</td></tr>
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The screen recording feature has a few options. I'm pleasantly surprised by how well the iMac's built-in microphone works. The little bar at the bottom of the little window will show volume levels from your mic so you can see whether anything is working. You can also choose to add a little animation anytime you click the mouse, but I didn't like it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4RZJii6svFCBq7P6iNS2EAolrSwBux-m8U7sIZTQLJEAIMFgY_LgAp4QDm3EamemjQn4b7d0Hzjvzx8v_uVobwrOvncyLwK8pdGV6ACltlCJBT8fGanew1dPiEDnPzNMFZCgTK5plbQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.16.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4RZJii6svFCBq7P6iNS2EAolrSwBux-m8U7sIZTQLJEAIMFgY_LgAp4QDm3EamemjQn4b7d0Hzjvzx8v_uVobwrOvncyLwK8pdGV6ACltlCJBT8fGanew1dPiEDnPzNMFZCgTK5plbQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.16.21+AM.png" height="122" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who the heck knows what Soundflower is.</td></tr>
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When you hit the record button, a message will tell you to either click to record or drag a box to select the area you want to record. This is a nice way to hide all the other windows and tabs you have open while you record.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUaiLBeca2I6-UiDljsulzGMOB-WRWx1AW45JTVj2_S-v_ANYmD_Tk2D_FpHET-y9aqJu-bQSNFLs1RaIUuHOnpQaJ6baUvyu4p4K0QM4YX5IlZm-NPh6vs-riJ7bjEk1AxbGooVDF0w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.18.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUaiLBeca2I6-UiDljsulzGMOB-WRWx1AW45JTVj2_S-v_ANYmD_Tk2D_FpHET-y9aqJu-bQSNFLs1RaIUuHOnpQaJ6baUvyu4p4K0QM4YX5IlZm-NPh6vs-riJ7bjEk1AxbGooVDF0w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.18.56+AM.png" height="235" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't want my viewers to know about my Pandora addiction. Also, what's with my banner? Who let this happen? I should fix that...</td></tr>
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To stop the recording, there's a little square inside a circle (your basic stop symbol) in your menu bar, or use the command-control-escape shortcut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikzXK2hrcAR2H-UWDRZ7adfgVcDRiRuvuiH3a3kpSbkPYbrtOmI5UI1cVJw72gb6s80QIDKQSuczPfxf_E0cdgOZ6PNfNyIeFCQYpfUhJ7_MlndZM9Ek9IcMQVJea9mjZhxWhZQlks6A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.26.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikzXK2hrcAR2H-UWDRZ7adfgVcDRiRuvuiH3a3kpSbkPYbrtOmI5UI1cVJw72gb6s80QIDKQSuczPfxf_E0cdgOZ6PNfNyIeFCQYpfUhJ7_MlndZM9Ek9IcMQVJea9mjZhxWhZQlks6A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.26.13+AM.png" height="65" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the far left, next to my endless array of cloud storage options.</td></tr>
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Simply save the video, and if you're happy with your performance, you can upload it straight to your favorite hosting site. (I prefer Vimeo mostly because it isn't blocked whereas YouTube is. Well, I also like their interface a lot more.) But if you want to cut anything out, add a title, boost the audio, import it into iMovie. I won't tell you how to edit, but I will tell you to get rid of the cropping that iMovie really wants to do. Open up the adjustment settings on the clip, go to crop, and select "Fit" from the options.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcqbbS3XBHGZ1YmI5Zdc4AJ8T9X9wDXLrX7tAMFYw3g7dIrBOOWYN4QzA9-B0usZlIZt7pZ6_k-Gr9qmqlFSdvkdo7Tp8rC0fGqJn0tctGmyucmullqKd6SOIDapOMw6SShvBTWHHfWo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.21.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcqbbS3XBHGZ1YmI5Zdc4AJ8T9X9wDXLrX7tAMFYw3g7dIrBOOWYN4QzA9-B0usZlIZt7pZ6_k-Gr9qmqlFSdvkdo7Tp8rC0fGqJn0tctGmyucmullqKd6SOIDapOMw6SShvBTWHHfWo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.21.48+AM.png" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Normally I'm all for getting rid of black bars on videos, but in this case it's a necessary evil.</td></tr>
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As for myself, in my latest round of screen recording, I added titles and intro/outro music to my videos before uploading to Vimeo. As for that, iMovie makes it easy. Just click share, then select which form of sharing you want to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme1Geh8ZiApa8Kt625e2IyoJMPFBTRk-g-ABRamzHdnBEKUyqRmtLnkZGObeYr3fSy_cHQxgDTRnOcYe3B2h_H0wqo_b_93gOCF9wUd7E913LemxIFvk0X_Q5CwSQyXwErw6APpp-dFk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.22.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme1Geh8ZiApa8Kt625e2IyoJMPFBTRk-g-ABRamzHdnBEKUyqRmtLnkZGObeYr3fSy_cHQxgDTRnOcYe3B2h_H0wqo_b_93gOCF9wUd7E913LemxIFvk0X_Q5CwSQyXwErw6APpp-dFk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-23+at+9.22.24+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CNN iReport? Never heard of it.</td></tr>
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That's all. iMac+Quicktime+iMovie=quick and easy screencasting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-21012175864388205592014-01-07T08:04:00.000-07:002014-01-07T19:16:56.764-07:00Why I Don't Like Traditional Grading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://repairman.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/10000-teachers-grades-reeves-2009.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://repairman.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/10000-teachers-grades-reeves-2009.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm not a fan of the traditional letter grade system, but I have a hard time describing why. Hugh O'Donnell did it for me in his post, <a href="http://repairman.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/return-to-traditional-grading/">Go Back to "Traditional" Grading?</a> Some points I particularly agree with:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The teacher isn't concerned that another teacher in the district, the building, or just down the hall, who is teaching the same subject, has different grading criteria. Your child could get an A in one class, and a C in the other class—for the same level of actual achievement. (#4)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kids don't learn from mistakes—they get hammered for mistakes. (#7)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The teacher’s most effective tool – feedback to the student about learning – is compromised by attaching “credit” to everything a student does. (#10)</blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-4272345908987566912014-01-06T13:53:00.000-07:002014-05-13T10:53:14.853-06:00Student Opinion of Blended and Pathway Learning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUjzEx0vFCl5f81c9YgicaMDDRzzWdZYFXQpgpzz2jYERQZ4xDSZmno_tju4vNBexjQgKk81pTohKzy1-mZSI7yxrGvR1wVjhmOHfh-MkVr-LOcTREBjdBjNAugx5keuSvFZuulwIeCI/s1600/blendedlearning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUjzEx0vFCl5f81c9YgicaMDDRzzWdZYFXQpgpzz2jYERQZ4xDSZmno_tju4vNBexjQgKk81pTohKzy1-mZSI7yxrGvR1wVjhmOHfh-MkVr-LOcTREBjdBjNAugx5keuSvFZuulwIeCI/s1600/blendedlearning.png" height="148" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very literal representation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What's Blended Learning?</b><br />
<div>
I have a computer lab, so I created a course in Canvas and put assignments with video descriptions that students could watch whenever they needed to. Students would work at their own pace but I was available to help out in person during class.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Tower_Hill_Botanic_Garden_-_pathway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Tower_Hill_Botanic_Garden_-_pathway.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choose your own adventure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>What's Pathway Learning?</b></div>
<div>
With the flexibility of the blended course through Canvas, I created multiple modules that students could choose from, essentially making their own path through my class.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Survey Results: Blended Learning</b></div>
<div>
99% of students prefer blended learning to the traditional setting, according to the anonymous survey. Here's the actual breakdown:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>40% Loved it/way better than regular class</li>
<li>47% Liked it/better than regular class</li>
<li>12% It was OK/slightly better than regular class</li>
<li>0% Didn't really like it/worse than regular class</li>
<li>0% Hated it/way worse than regular class</li>
<li>0% Absolutely no opinion</li>
</ul>
<div>
I gave the students a place to write any feedback they wanted. This quote demonstrates the biggest reason I wanted to try blended learning, because it gives them more time to learn by doing:</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This class is so fun! Its not like you are sitting and watching a teacher say boring stuff! You're actually doing it yourself!</blockquote>
Next is very good feedback regarding the implementation. Not every assignment had a tutorial video attached, and some assignments were described in more detail than others.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
he needs to explain hands on and show us or make a video. It would also be helpful if he in the description of the project would be more precise, not just make this</blockquote>
Apparently it simply works better for some students than others:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sometimes even after watching the video it is still hard or confusing to do the assignments.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I liked the videos a lot and how they explained how to do the assignments... </blockquote>
<b>Survey Results: Pathway Learning</b><br />
81% of students prefer pathway learning to the traditional setting. Here's the breakdown:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>38% Loved it/way better than typical class style</li>
<li>29% Liked it/better than typical class style</li>
<li>14% It was OK/slightly better than typical class style</li>
<li>15% Didn't really like it/worse than typical class style</li>
<li>1% Hated it/much worse than typical class style</li>
<li>0% Absolutely no opinion</li>
</ul>
<div>
Pathway learning didn't start until the second term. First term was very directed; every student was basically working on the same assignment/project and got a taste of every subject in the class. Second term, having tasted a little of each subject, they picked which subjects to explore further.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
i like on first term you show us all of the stuff and on second term you have us pick what we like.</blockquote>
Here's one of my fears of pathway learning:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...I am a horrible decision maker and can't decide what modules to use.</blockquote>
Another problem with pathway learning is that you have to create a lot more content than normal, which means that some modules or assignments aren't as fleshed out as they should be:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I didn't like pathway learning as much because some of the stuff I wasn't that great at and if I had a video and I would know expectations just a little more then. I think I could have learned a little more instead of figuring it out on my own.</blockquote>
Pathway learning makes it hard for students to know what they're supposed to be doing and where they stand grade-wise:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[it] was a good idea but it was easier to waste time cause we never really new where were supposed to be.</blockquote>
Some of pathway learning's problems could be the LMS. I chose not to use Edmodo partly because it's very linear, as in it basically showed the most recent assignments at the top, whereas Canvas let me organize my modules however I wanted. But Canvas has its own limitations. I still haven't figured out how to set it up to make it easier for students to know what they have and haven't done:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
sorry but I prefer to be told what to do for school projects, and when to turn it in so I can stay on track. When you give me to many options I often end up behind because i can't decide what and when to finish and I can't keep track of what I have done.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sometimes it was hard to see where you were and compared to where you should have been with how many modules being completed.</blockquote>
Of course, one of the main reasons to try pathway learning is summed up in the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A lot of the assignments were fun but some of them sucked. </blockquote>
<b>Reflection</b><br />
Basically, if I have a computer lab, I will implement blended learning. Students can get way more done during the limited class time, plus it gets me out of that pesky classroom management stuff I'm so terrible at. If I don't have a computer lab, I'll probably consider the flipped model or beg for a class set of devices that students can watch videos on. To improve it in the future, I need to be more thorough and more specific in assignment expectations.<br />
<br />
As for pathway learning, despite the fairly positive outcome in the survey, my gut feeling is that it's not worth it. I really like the idea of offering choice but too many students choose based solely on what looks easiest, not on what looks most interesting. A better way to offer students choice without losing them to indecision would be to basically set up the class to follow a single 'recommended' path, with other options available for students who actually care.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-1934363548217793612013-11-11T21:38:00.000-07:002013-11-11T21:38:33.545-07:00Factory Teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/AssemblyLine.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/AssemblyLine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm currently pursuing a masters degree so I don't find much time to blog. I don't have much time now, so I'm just going to pass along this passage from my textbook, <i>How People Learn</i>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the early 1900s, the challenge of providing mass education was seen by many as analogous to mass production in factories. ...Children were regarded as raw materials to be efficiently processed by technical workers (the teachers) to reach the end product (Bennett and LeCompte, 1990; Callahan, 1962; Kliebard, 1975). This approach attempted to sort the raw materials (the children) so that they could be treated somewhat as an assembly line. Teachers were viewed as workers whose job was to carry out directives from their superiors—the efficiency experts of schooling (administrators and researchers).</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The emulation of factory efficiency fostered the development of standardized tests for measurement of the "product," of clerical work by teachers to keep records of costs and progress (often at the expense of teaching), and of "management" of teaching by central district authorities who had little knowledge of educational practice or philosophy (Callahan, 1962). In short, the factory model affected the design of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in schools.</blockquote>
So... has anything really changed? Does it even need to? Is my rhetorical questioning getting my opinion across well enough?<br />
<br />
That's all for now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-85208439911221308732013-11-01T09:52:00.002-06:002013-11-01T09:52:45.585-06:00Initial ConclusionsToday marks the end of the first term of school for me. This year has seen a very significant change in how my class works, i.e. blended learning, but at the moment I'm short on time. Instead of sharing my own initial impressions, here's an article that talks about an entire high school of blended learning:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blendmylearning.com/2013/10/31/initial-conclusions-hybrid-high-first-yea/">Initial Conclusions of Hybrid High's First Year</a><br />
<br />
I've come mostly to the same conclusions, and I'll share those later.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-40076894606070925022013-10-02T13:53:00.000-06:002013-10-02T13:57:13.648-06:00Principles of Design WideoI made another Wideo. Check it out:<br />
<br />
<iframe width="540" height="310" src="http://www.wideo.co/embed/155501366854366574?height=282&width=500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen ></iframe><br />
They've just added some new features that are pretty cool. I'm a fan.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-83539697184467290102013-08-04T23:52:00.001-06:002013-08-04T23:52:56.819-06:00May I Submit My Class Website?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5CvksKQkE8d6pcPQDj1x98hukqtw81l86ZrPZkvNG_XcdH_fV_ucMVrnWyh-WZR008ixjXGf1PIBL2RF0unHjDdxP6M6MYX7-moDMkDlglPHp14HKB0NKLfLWA0quFZp-xVMzO_LaDs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-08-04+at+11.46.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5CvksKQkE8d6pcPQDj1x98hukqtw81l86ZrPZkvNG_XcdH_fV_ucMVrnWyh-WZR008ixjXGf1PIBL2RF0unHjDdxP6M6MYX7-moDMkDlglPHp14HKB0NKLfLWA0quFZp-xVMzO_LaDs/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-08-04+at+11.46.52+PM.png" width="309" /></a></div>
I'm entering my fourth year of teaching, and I've had some sort of website up pretty much since I started. I've used iWeb, Google Sites, Hype, and most recently, Weebly. About once or twice a year, I get the website-redesign itch. It usually comes with a sort of revamp of my classes themselves.<br />
<br />
This summer has been particularly big on the revamping. I'm trying to automate as much as I can so I can have less stress and more time to work on my masters degree.<br />
<br />
Anyway, check it out at <a href="http://mrcollett.net/">mrcollett.net</a>. For right now, only the main class pages work, and the disclosure information is still in progress. (So much for destressing my school year. I spent too much time developing the logos for my classes and units.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-48693550361374530212013-08-02T15:34:00.000-06:002013-08-02T15:34:03.421-06:00Building a Blended Class: Graphic Design Term 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ga-CGOx9V8q8NkIKZjtQjIeqDRJWTCdFIeQwDExMnjhUX1P0wzXzIYDVa5uahG4Eo4tKzarkD7cufKOlaf1IdcK7HVa5_WKa-6QXjKZrwFacIh-8TgTS5PBnoh1beyJ1mkjeRljxLlk/s1600/blended.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ga-CGOx9V8q8NkIKZjtQjIeqDRJWTCdFIeQwDExMnjhUX1P0wzXzIYDVa5uahG4Eo4tKzarkD7cufKOlaf1IdcK7HVa5_WKa-6QXjKZrwFacIh-8TgTS5PBnoh1beyJ1mkjeRljxLlk/s1600/blended.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too literal?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This coming year I'm going all-in on blended learning through Canvas. I plan on taking advantage of the format and platform to give students more choice in what they do with my class. During the first term, students are guided through an introduction unit, followed by elements & principles of design, web design, vector graphics, raster graphics, and architecture. During the second semester, students can choose from a variety of units that focus on parts of previous units. Read on to see an outline of the first term. Second term outline coming soon.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Term 1: Design Introduction, Limited Choice</b></span><br />
This is something I learned from user interface design: you must limit the amount of choice that goes into an experience. (It's one of the reasons I never go to Subway.)<br />
<br />
During the first term, every student works in the same unit at the same time. Students are given some choice in which assignments to complete in order to finish the units, but otherwise are limited to the plan.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSALsTPfwEHsAWOvmvyIF0Rt6WNuvC87kxq_rVSPTA0iXogzN0HAz5UWQxWmHgqjsZWKIVhSV9pue_lwWqtzNw5XFJeCyoXQ77zxxT6yqadZMXZQXtlAHtZCyjXdiyQpjWHFgcD4P68rQ/s1600/d_d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSALsTPfwEHsAWOvmvyIF0Rt6WNuvC87kxq_rVSPTA0iXogzN0HAz5UWQxWmHgqjsZWKIVhSV9pue_lwWqtzNw5XFJeCyoXQ77zxxT6yqadZMXZQXtlAHtZCyjXdiyQpjWHFgcD4P68rQ/s1600/d_d.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The almighty pen tool, my symbol of design.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Unit 1: Introduction</b></span><br />
I have four main purposes for this unit:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Give students a quick, easy, fun taste of design. Show them the liquify tool in Photoshop, text in Illustrator, interior design in Floorplanner. I'd rather have them experience a preview of the class rather than just listen to me explain it.</li>
<li>Pre-assess design skills. I'm going to give them the assignment to design a cover for a journal. They can use whatever they want: crayons, Microsoft Word, Paint, etc. I can check their prior knowledge and get a sample to compare their final work with, which demonstrates to myself and my superiors that students learn things in my class.</li>
<li>Go over rules & procedures. It has to happen, but I do this a little bit later to help the information stick. At this point they've turned in a few assignments, they've used the computers, so the official procedures will have a place in their brains.</li>
<li>Make sure they can use a computer right. There are a few terms and shortcuts that are crucial for designers to understand. I'll also force some file organization and naming on them.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eG7xTPRVY7pFT3z07HGvTQPQehiMGB405fjFqlwIQr4Xra7RPnQzGNV3Q0VQOCwxM95OOq7pbZe4r6Zy4_hTVg3L36Xy0wZKT4p4sRHb5sghDPFEsHx2J22F029ebpDcW54SE9r7iWU/s1600/d_elp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eG7xTPRVY7pFT3z07HGvTQPQehiMGB405fjFqlwIQr4Xra7RPnQzGNV3Q0VQOCwxM95OOq7pbZe4r6Zy4_hTVg3L36Xy0wZKT4p4sRHb5sghDPFEsHx2J22F029ebpDcW54SE9r7iWU/s1600/d_elp.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Unit 2: Elements & Principles</b></span><br />
<div>
Here are a few assignments I use to give students practice with the elements and principles of design:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>album cover using line, repetition, and rhythm: use only the line tool and stroke weight to create a cover for an album, using repetition and rhythm to make it feel musical</li>
<li>shape logo: use only simple shapes and the pathfinder tool in order to create a logo mark for a specified brand</li>
<li>circle balance: arrange a bunch of given, colored circles in order to make it visually balanced on a page</li>
<li>value emphasis: draw several of the same shape on a page, changing only the scale and value (greys) in order to create the feeling of being pulled to a single spot</li>
<li>shape+repetition=pattern: draw a shape and repeat it over and over, organizing it all into a pattern</li>
<li>triangle art colorize: students are given a piece of triangle art that is all the same color, and they will change the values to make it look three dimensional</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7ACcSpRvBl4ebk1SwFkd0QXLH_JjVClCzeSvk3KCADRseyRONA_Dqid2Rm_P7Ek5WruMopT9nMx-dlNoIrzoJpeofeSLqnixMehZyV4AVQeKm8ZFVilvU3uU71TO6O-G0dD-o_O1L7Y/s1600/d_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7ACcSpRvBl4ebk1SwFkd0QXLH_JjVClCzeSvk3KCADRseyRONA_Dqid2Rm_P7Ek5WruMopT9nMx-dlNoIrzoJpeofeSLqnixMehZyV4AVQeKm8ZFVilvU3uU71TO6O-G0dD-o_O1L7Y/s1600/d_web.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Unit 3: Web</b></span></div>
I use Weebly both for <a href="http://mrcollettnet.weebly.com/">my teacher site</a> and for students to create their own sites. At this stage, they're really just doing the basics: creating new pages, adding headers and footers, uploading a favicon, etc. I do this early so their site can be up and running for later assignments when I make them do blog reflections.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEBgY-FYXaiWmskhxImuBIRsrMWY4Exxv4Grq_3TIpkejbNNFrlgt2U9PQnwX-g47L5F9hBNyKO4li4lcoMDT3qSet-IwA97RaBziK9YABceySAAmoSPujMhurhzdDh3yQ5FRgsFoHpA/s1600/d_vector.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEBgY-FYXaiWmskhxImuBIRsrMWY4Exxv4Grq_3TIpkejbNNFrlgt2U9PQnwX-g47L5F9hBNyKO4li4lcoMDT3qSet-IwA97RaBziK9YABceySAAmoSPujMhurhzdDh3yQ5FRgsFoHpA/s1600/d_vector.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Unit 4: Vector</b></span><br />
By this point, students have actually had a lot of experience with creating and editing vector graphics in Illustrator. This unit will round out that knowledge and explicitly cover how tools work. Here are a few assignments:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>monster selections: use only the selection tool to move, scale, and add color to the different parts of a monster in order to create your own monster</li>
<li>pen tool trace: use the pen tool to practice drawing straight and curved lines on objects</li>
<li>simple gradients: create simple yet neat backgrounds for designs with linear and radial gradients</li>
<li>alignment, spacing, and arrangement: use these essential tools to appeal to the OCD of design</li>
<li>anchors: use the direct selection tool and the convert anchor point tool to draw more complex vector shapes like hearts and the Nike swoosh</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF9H3NfC23JtZkNE-y2hwubLJw808AeBrr0Uh1N-EvUjTcKWXj72JJc-vUkNhPFhkkv5XZSVdsSPfgwTYsa1hyphenhyphen1Wm9cUuPB2be78FIHEtCU9LjPuqfDOe6TKuAzCU3WlqQH4TqQfKBI0/s1600/d_raster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF9H3NfC23JtZkNE-y2hwubLJw808AeBrr0Uh1N-EvUjTcKWXj72JJc-vUkNhPFhkkv5XZSVdsSPfgwTYsa1hyphenhyphen1Wm9cUuPB2be78FIHEtCU9LjPuqfDOe6TKuAzCU3WlqQH4TqQfKBI0/s1600/d_raster.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Unit 5: Raster</b></span><br />
<div>
I teach vector before raster because, for some reason, I found that students had a much harder time transitioning from raster to vector than the other way around. Sample assignments:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>paintbrush: learn how to change the size of the brush, as well as the hardness and overall shape, and draw something (anything) with those brush skills</li>
<li>simple mask: do cheesy things with masks like a single colored flower in a black and white image</li>
<li>filters: play with various filters, choose three</li>
<li>footprints: use the clone stamp to cover up someone's footprints on what was otherwise a pristine beach</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjTVP1BrI82JRtyhA7O4qSVjP7O8l5A-HXThw1l2zPYHsvdWS3gEODvW3nAIXRErJvTrPujCBEVE9yQVdo3C_SU7FGG-acTCg91uer9qEFPy9vyHsFcBJob_jEP_YAGVsiLPjctlf-zw/s1600/d_arch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjTVP1BrI82JRtyhA7O4qSVjP7O8l5A-HXThw1l2zPYHsvdWS3gEODvW3nAIXRErJvTrPujCBEVE9yQVdo3C_SU7FGG-acTCg91uer9qEFPy9vyHsFcBJob_jEP_YAGVsiLPjctlf-zw/s1600/d_arch.png" /></a></div>
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Unit 6: Architecture</b></span><br />
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This doesn't belong in graphic design, but it does belong in design, and students love it. <a href="http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/?__utma=67784003.350578706.1375478646.1375478646.1375478646.1&__utmb=67784003.1.10.1375478646&__utmc=67784003&__utmx=-&__utmz=67784003.1375478646.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)&__utmv=-&__utmk=125777485">Home Designer</a> has mostly been wonderful, just trying to make it work since we upgraded to Windows 7. I created very simple assignments to baby-step students into designing whole houses:</div>
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<li>walls: draw exterior, interior, and invisible walls to finish off house designs</li>
<li>doors and windows: front doors, french doors, closet doors, garage doors, and windows added to their design</li>
<li>floors and stairs: learn how to create new floors, and how to draw stairs and make sure they reach those floors, with auto-stairwells</li>
<li>House Wizard: a feature specific to Home Designer, it gives you room boxes to combine, and when you say the word, it draws walls and even guesses where to put doors</li>
<li>basic house: students finally create a simple house from scratch</li>
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Term 2: More Choice, More Specialization</b></span></div>
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I'll create a separate post to go into detail, but right now I'll just say that within each of the above units are two to five specialized units. Stay tuned.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-38548658361403605042013-07-16T10:38:00.003-06:002013-07-19T10:34:57.383-06:00The Gamification Revolution I Hope For<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Selections from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification">Wikipedia</a> (emphasis added):<br />
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<li>Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context to <span style="color: #45818e;">engage users</span> and solve problems.</li>
<li>Gamification techniques strive to leverage people's natural desires for <span style="color: #45818e;">competition</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">achievement</span>, status, self-expression, altruism, and closure.</li>
<li>A core gamification strategy is <span style="color: #45818e;">rewards</span> for players who accomplish desired tasks. Types of rewards include <span style="color: #45818e;">points</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">achievement badges</span> or <span style="color: #45818e;">levels</span>, the filling of a <span style="color: #45818e;">progress bar</span>, and providing the user with <span style="color: #45818e;">virtual currency</span>.</li>
<li>Competition is another element of games that can be used in gamification. Making the rewards for accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing leader boards are ways of encouraging players to compete.</li>
<li>Another approach to gamification is to <span style="color: #45818e;">make existing tasks feel more like games</span>. Some techniques used in this approach include adding <span style="color: #45818e;">meaningful choice</span>, onboarding with a <span style="color: #45818e;">tutorial</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">increasing challenge</span>, and adding narrative.</li>
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Now you're all experts on some of the main ideas behind gamification. Thanks, Wikipedia.</div>
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How Gamification Can Revolutionize School</h3>
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<li>The Holy Grail of education is <i>student engagement</i>. It goes under multiple names, such as intrinsic motivation or a desire to learn, but whatever we call it, we want students to be actively pursuing their own learning. We want them interested in the subject matter. According to the very definition that Wikipedia provides, gamification can create that.</li>
<li>Secondary to the Holy Grail (we could call it the Ark of the Covenant if we want to stick to religious/Indiana Jones references) is <i>accurate measurement of student learning</i>. This is the backend of education, where the teachers administrators, and Arne's lurk. Frankly, the current practice of doling out letter grades and standardized test scores is perhaps slightly better than rubbish. Gamification can do that, too.</li>
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If you believe me so far, then we're agreed: gamification can revolutionize school. If you need more convincing, read on.</div>
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Engagement: Experience Points (XP)</h3>
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Most teachers probably already use points as a measurement of student learning, but there's a key difference: so far it's used as a measure of <i>performance</i>. Within a gamification framework, points become a measure of <i>progress</i>.</div>
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In school, with every assignment and quiz, you get points as a part of a fraction. Such grades are basically telling you how you didn't measure up in your attempt. In gamification, points are points and simply add up.</div>
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In the school of the future, XP can be earned beyond just academic settings. Students will earn XP by participating in extracurriculars, by being good citizens, by showing up to class on time, and so on. Grade-wide and class-wide leaderboards would privately inform students where they stand, and quietly motivate them to earn more points.</div>
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Engagement+Assessment: Level Up</h3>
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As a student amasses XP both in general as well as in specific classes and units, she then levels up in the corresponding category. It's a big motivation boost to see your level increase, and it's also a way for staff to get a rough gauge of how students are progressing. Leveling up could also come with a coin bonus.</div>
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Engagement+Assessment: Achievements</h3>
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Achievements, in this school, would be awarded specifically for behaviors. In essence, they'd be a sort of replacement for the citizenship grade, but purely positive reinforcement. For example, if you show up to class on time, five days straight, there's an achievement for that. Zero missing assignments at the start of the month, helpful comments in every active discussion board, helping other students complete their assignments, and so on.</div>
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Achievements would also come with coin or XP bonuses so they're not completely fruitless.</div>
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Engagement: Currency (Coins)</h3>
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To add yet another layer of motivation, we'll add coins to the mix. Students can spend their coins either at the school store to buy apparel and memorabilia, or they can spend it in class on hall passes, treats, or special privileges.</div>
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Engagement: Random Bonuses</h3>
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You've already seen how leveling up and achievements can earn you coins and/or XP, but the system could be set up to give out random bonuses. For example, you go to the volleyball game and scan your card (or check in via smart phone), and the system randomly selects five students to receive a coin or XP bonus. These random bonuses could be linked to attending other school events, being on time to first period, checking out a book from the library, and so on. It would be huge for increasing student participation in whatever you wanted.</div>
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Engagement+Assessment: Badges</h3>
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This is probably where the biggest switch would happen: badges would replace letter grades. Whereas achievements measure citizenship, badges measure academics and learning. Better than letter grades, badges don't measure performance in an entire class. Like XP, they don't measure performance at all, but rather progress.</div>
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If you're a slow learner, you're not given an F because you only completed one unit; you're given a badge to demonstrate the fact that you completed that unit, and currently you're working on the next unit. You're not forced to move with the rest of the class.</div>
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Better still, these badges and units are organized into trees. By completing one unit and earning the badge, you unlock two more, and you can choose your own path. In the end, most students will have completed a lot of the same units, but in very different orders, and for very different purposes.</div>
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When you turn 18, you apply to colleges not with a grade transcript and a test score, but with a collection of badges that demonstrates exactly what you've accomplished so far. No more packets to complete for graduation. You just have to pick up where you left off and earn the badges just like everyone else.</div>
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Engagement+Assessment: Teachers</h3>
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No matter how awesome the gamified system is, it still comes down to teachers who create equally engaging work and who do their best to help students along the path. Gamification can work here, too. Attend meetings? XP. Consistently take roll at the beginning of class and report it? Achievements. Complete professional development? Level up.</div>
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Students and their parents can be in on giving XP to teachers, too. If a parent emails a teacher and the teacher responds in a timely and helpful manner, the parent can click something that says, "Yes, Mr. Spano responded quickly." At the end of a class or rotation, students could take surveys to evaluate their teachers, which turns into XP and coins. Teachers wouldn't be motivated by fear, but by positive reinforcement.<br />
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Now all I can do is hope, expect, and wait. (In Spanish, they're the same thing. <i>Esperar</i>.)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3887785184891729177.post-32516648800087173722013-07-11T09:27:00.004-06:002013-07-11T09:27:56.484-06:00Using Game Design Tricks to Motivate Students, Part 1Let's all be honest here: we've all played a game much beyond enjoyment because we just wanted to unlock that one item. No? Just me?<br />
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The thing is, school isn't inherently fun, unless you're one of those kids we make fun of. But it could be. It should be. When I was interviewing for the job I have now, I used the word 'fun' to describe how I wanted my classes to be, then thought that sounded bad and corrected myself, using the word 'productive' or something. The principal stopped me and said 'fun' was the right word. These are kids, if we can make class fun, without skimping on content, we should.<br />
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So, on that note, and after spending a few hours playing <i>Mass Effect 3</i> and <i>Where's My Water </i>yesterday, I'm going to list a few ideas we can take from video games and apps that can make class more fun, or at least motivate them to keep going. (I'm going to put them in the context of a Graphic Design class using <a href="https://canvas.instructure.com/">Canvas</a>, but hopefully the concepts can translate to any class. I'm also keeping my eye on <a href="http://3dgamelab.com/">3D Game Lab</a>, it might be something to invest $10/month someday.)<br />
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Part 1: Unlockable Content</h3>
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I hinted at this one in my first sentence. There's something so satisfying about unlocking things in games. Sometimes it's new levels or challenges, sometimes it's new tools for your avatar to have, sometimes it's prizes, and other times it's simply recognition of achievement.</div>
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Unlocking challenges (assignments and projects)</h4>
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I'm no psychologist, but my theory is that we get satisfaction from unlocking new challenges because it's as if the game is telling us we're worthy of tougher challenges. In Canvas, this can be done by adding prerequisites to modules. By completing the prerequisites, students 'unlock' that module. I always have my students learn vector graphics in Illustrator before moving to raster graphics in Photoshop, so when they finish the former, they see a screen that says they've unlocked new challenges, which are the raster assignments.</div>
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Unlocking tools</h4>
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When they unlock the raster challenges, they have a few things to accomplish before going back into the computer lab. When completed, they unlock Photoshop. Now that they've proven themselves worthy to use the more powerful tool, it's unlocked for them. They can now complete challenges more quickly, just like in Zelda when you unlock the Master Sword, you can kill enemies and progress more quickly.</div>
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Earning prizes</h4>
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Just so students don't see through your ploy where all they ever unlock is more work, you have to throw in prizes. By completing certain modules or challenges, or maybe by earning a certain score, or by accomplishing some other combination of tasks, students can earn a prize. It could be a sticker, a treat, a t-shirt, a free period to play games, a hall pass, whatever. But I'm going to keep these prizes secret. With the challenges, tools, and achievements, students are able to see what they need to accomplish before unlocking them. That's fine, because those rewards are intrinsic. You can't hold Photoshop in your hand, but the fact that you can now use it is an intrinsic reward. Prizes, however, are extrinsic rewards, and extrinsic motivation is the lesser motivation. But when students are randomly awarded a prize, that surprise element can be huge. (I know I've read something about surprise rewards being much more motivating.)</div>
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Achievements, Levels, and Badges</h4>
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There's a lot I wish I could do with these three gaming ideas, but I'm limited by my tools. In my case I'm using Canvabadges, which are tied to module completion. It could be as simple as <i>complete this module, earn a badge</i>, or <i>complete three of these five modules, earn a badge</i>.</div>
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As such, I think I'll use these badges in two ways: to represent achievements and to level up. When a student completes a beginning vector graphics module, he earns a badge that says, "Vector Beginnings." In the description they see that it was earned by completing that first module. However, when he completes, say, three of the intermediate modules, he earns a badge that says, "Level Up! You have reached Level 3: Design Intern."</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2