EDLD 5364 - Week 4

After much video watching, book readings and group collaboration.  Our group has now tied in the actual technology projects based on brainstorming and UDL design.  It has been exciting to see how this entire unit study of animals, food chains, and ecosystems has come together.  We have designed a unit that will address students of all needs from Gifted and Talented to hearing and sight impairred.  Our technology projects include research, interactive websites, use of software such as Kidspiration and PIXIE.  We have incorporated tools such as the MOBI and SmartBoards that are found in the classroom.  We have also used Web 2.0 tools such as Glogster.edu. The concluding assessment will be a project created in groups on an assigned biome, using PhotoStory3 and then presented to the class. 

This week has been exciting for me as a Technology Facilitator - I enjoy seeing how technology can make a project or unit of study come alive for our 21st century learners.  When I was in the elementary school level the past six years, I would have loved to had my third grade teachers implement this project. 

EDLD 5364 - Week 3

Throughout week 2, our group learned about the UDL principals and design and in week 3, we now applied those principals and created a set of UDL lesson plans based on a unit of ecosystems. Our group choose a unit on animals, plants and their ecosystems.  We divided the unit into three parts and each member of the team choose a piece of the project.  The excitement of this week was actually taking a unit of study that occurs every year in the third grade classroom and incorporate technology.  We analyzed our classroom scenario, focused on the techniques highlighted in our readings and integrated our learning from the UDL website into our group assignment.  In the end, we have an exciting project that not only educates students on ecosystems but we have incorporated many technology tools that will excite and engage all students at all learning levels.

UDL - Ecosystems Unit

EDLD 5364 - Week 2

Teaching with Technology - Week 2 has presented an opportunity to learn about UDL (Universal Design for Learning).  This type of design for curriculum allows for lesson(s) to be created incorporating differentiated learning.  The days of a teacher-centered classrooms must go by the wayside and more learner-centered classrooms should take the place. The UDL lesson plan accomodates learning for students from gifted and talented, to learner difficulties, to those students with physical impairments.  The materials and methods teachers can develop into their lessons will allow students greater opportunities to learn through the use of technology.  Technology allows for the differentiated learning to take place through new instructional resources in the form of computers, digital media and assistive technology tools. Teachers should provide multiple ways to engage students interest and motivation through the use of UDL lessons.

EDLD 5364 - Week 1

The knowledge that I have gained in the first week of "Teaching with Technology" includes three types of learning theories.  These theories include Constructivism, Contectivism and Cyborg.   Constructivism is based on students constructing new learning based on their baseline knowledge.  In a constructivism classroom, students are more involved in the traditional classroom.  The are synthesizing information and they ask more questions.  The classroom is learner-centered instead of teacher-lead.  A Contectivism classroom is where learning is considered to be a continual process and more about knowing where to find knowledge needed within various methods. The Cyborg theory is based on how humans interact with machine.  Watching the videos on futurist Ray Kurzweil, was to me, a bit scary. I truly enjoy technology but not to the extreme of effecting the human brain, nervous system, etc.

I also enjoy learning about how to use Web 2.0 tools and integrating these tools into the high school curriculum.  The tools that I have discovered from this book, have already begun to be used in my school and I look forward to learning more from the book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" and how to use adaptive tools into the classroom.

EDLD 5366 - Course Embedded Reflection - Newsletter

In the creating of my own newsletter and reflecting on the techniques learned and tips specified in the readings, I was able to create a product that I am most proud and will post on my teacher website at school. I based my newsletter on the technology that I have taught to students and teachers, the information that I have learned from both my job and the graduate program, and the tools that have been given to us for use in the classroom. I also incorporated the knowledge gained from readings based on the design principals for a successful newsletter.

As noted in “Planning Newsletters”, Annette Lamb (2005) states the essential component before the creation of the newsletter is planning. During the development of the technology newsletter, thought was first given to the subject matter that would be represented, the sections that the information would be divided into and the content within each of the sections. Decisions were also placed on who the audience would be and what was the purpose of the newsletter, all crucial components for a successful product.

After deciding on the audience, the purpose and the content, the next crucial step was the layout. I immediately referred back the C.R.A.P. method presented by Dr. J. Yearwood (2009) in “Design Principals”. The newsletter headings maintained contrast and repetition, while the photos were aligned properly on the page and maintained proximity to the article of reference. Upon completion of my newsletter, I consulted with several of my colleagues to verify that I had produced a successful newsletter that contained both content and meaningful flow. I verified that the white space contained in the newsletter did not cause their eye to wander but to stay focused on a continuous flow from beginning to end (Yearwood, 2009).

Through the planning, design and execution of my technology newsletter, I have become at ease with the concepts that I have learned and feel prepared to teach others these techniques in order to execute their own newsletters, flyers or other graphical designs.



Lamb, A. (2005). Planning newsletters. Retrieved from http://educscapes.com/sessions/publishing/planning.htm

Yearwood, J. (2009, July). Basic elements of page design. Retrieved from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1581016

Yearwood, J. (2009, July). Basic Design Principles. Retrieved from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1581016

EDLD 5366 - Digital Graphics and Animation

Ancient Manuscript - Ethiopic Bible (using Design Principals)

My first impression from the Ethiopic Bible of the depiction of the Nativity scene is similar to our representation of the Nativity scene in my modern day home. The Christ child is being held by his mother Mary, Joseph standing in adoration, the presence of the angels and the animals of the manger scene.

The design elements found in this manuscript include: Contrast – how the beautiful reds and golds contrast against the blue background. Repetition – is represented by the same repeated colors for all of the figures in the portrait. Alignment – this depiction of the Nativity actually contains two separate alignments in scene. The one scene at the top has all figures leaning to the left as if flying across the sky. The second scene takes place along the bottom of the page with most figures aligned across the bottom except for the shepherd preparing to sacrifice the sheep for the Christ child. Proximity – in the scene at the top the figures are placed either inside of or around the long red cloak and the figures are placed in a line across the bottom to depict the second scene.

The author provided an explanation of the two scenes taking place depicting the Nativity.