Reflection 10: ePortfolio

For my final project in EDIT 4300 I developed an ePortfolio to showcase my semester's work. I added a section for my EDIT 4510 class as well. I also included place holders for my EDIT 5600 course and my EDFN 5000 course, just incase I need to add work from those classes in the future. Even though it was a lot of work, its amazing to see all the projects we worked on throughout the course of the Spring semester. We did a lot.

I am extremely comfortable hand coding and designing traditional websites, but this project was challenging because instead of using code such as HTML/CSS I used a WYSIWYG tool, Google Sites and I had to get used to the workflow. It was also challenging integrating assignments that were text-based vs. being visual based like a piece of digital art. Then creating the navigational hierarchy took some thinking because there are a lot links to the class section, and could get cluttered if not done with careful

consideration.

By the end, I managed to get the project working in a way that I had envisioned, but I could have alleviated some of my stress if I took a traditional approach from the beginning by creating a sitemap before I started building the project in Google Sites. But that might be the great thing about Google Sites, you can just dig in and start creating a website rather quickly, no previous experience needed. All the tools to get you started are right there on the screen, and you can use one of the templates provided to make the process go even faster.

Visit my ePortfolio.

Reflection 9: Got Time to Take a Survey, or Play a Game

For my one my last assignments in EDIT 4300 with Kimberly Rubal I made a digital survey, and created a quiz game using Google Forms, and Kahoot. 

For my survey I used Google Forms, which is really good tool to use for surveys, student assignments and quizzes. I use Google Forms frequently in the classes I teach. I use them for article reviews, where I provide students a form with preset questions and they look for an article to review on Dezeen.com, Mashable.com, or Wired.com. I also use Google Forms in my Web Design class for students to answer preset questions about various websites I have them critique - last website they critiqued was MLB.com.

Google forms are great for assignments where there are definitive answers for the questions asked because points can be applied to each question, and Google Classroom will tally the points up as well as post to Google classroom when they imported. When done right, teachers do not even have to grade the quiz assignments because Google has already done that for the teacher.

The other online resource I used is Kahoot to gamify a basic Graphic Design quiz. This application allows students to compete against each other, and get points for correct answers. Although it's fun to use, I really do not use it very much. It seems clunky, and also seems to target a younger audience. I have used Kahoot in class before, but to get the most out of it you have to pay for it, and I really do not use it enough to justify purchasing the application. 

Here is the Google form I made for class.

Here is the Kahoot quiz I made for class.

Reflection 8: Let's Go Riding with Google Sheets

Before digging into my assignments for Module 7, I went mounting biking in Frazier Park with some good friends. I have not been able to get much weekend riding under my belt this Spring because I have been busy with work, coaching and grad school, so it felt good to get out on the trail and escape into the mountains for the afternoon.

For one of our assignments in Module 7 I created a short 30sec video (seen above) with the GoPro footage I shot while riding over the weekend, Mountain Biking with Michael Barcellos. It made me happy to have freedom with the content of the video short. I almost filmed my dog, Porter, but thought I would share a 30 second taste of a typical weekend for me. Especially since it was such a good weekend to hangout with my friends and spend time on adventure. Porter still had a good staycation with his best pal, Miles.

For the next two assignments, Part I and Part II, I used a Google Sheets to create two different projects. Part I is a Gradebook created from scratch (with detailed instructions provided by Kimberly Rubal), and the results were pretty remarkable. It's not like I reinvented the wheel, but I added new Sheets Functions to my arsenal of Functions in Google Sheets. In Part I I used several different functions to achieve data driven results. It kinda feels like I wrote a miniature AI machine that can help sort, organize and visualize data.

Part II is creative way to show other capabilities of Google Sheets, and its ability to sort information in various ways. I called it The Berries, because I used Sheets Functions that help me figure how many different variations of "Halle Berry" were in the Column A. Column B displays the unique spellings (or misspellings) of Halle Berry and Column C displays the number each unique "Halle Berry" from Column A.

Obviously, I enjoy mountain biking, but I also enjoyed getting back into Google Sheets, using Functions to sort, and visualize data. I like how this module paralleled with the introduction of IBM SPSS from my EDFN 5000 class. I like looking at data and especially designing for it too.

Reflection 7: Digital Audio & Closed Captioning

The latest projects for my 4300 class at California State University, Los Angeles with Kimberly Rubal were a lot of fun. I feel like this class has been created for a person like me, and my skillset. My last three assignments (sans this reflection) have been on a production level that speaks to me (LOUDLY!!!), and could be the reason why I love my graduate program. I'm going to to express this reflection by providing the end result of what I had to do for this class for this reflection, with a summary.

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Assignment 1: Digital Audio

Download Digital Audio File

"It's through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good" –Paula Scher

Paula Scher, The goddess of graphic design, is one of my all-time favorite graphic designers. If you have ever seen her Abstract episode on Netflix, it really says a lot about her thinking and approach - typography. So amazing!

While finishing this blog post, I'm listening to the the Netflix episode, Just listening to the episode is mind-blowing, and super nerdy - I'm fine with that

Assignment 2: Screen Casting

This is a Computational Thinking integration to my lesson plan on Low Poly Portrait. Gareth David has a really great tutorial on Low Poly portraiture, but I think with the Grid Hack, a student in my class can really excel with this project.

Assignment 3: YouTube Close Captioning

I know what you're thinking, this is boring work. I definitely agree because eons ago, I had to add closed captions to a Flash project for a bullying campaign, and it was extremely painful. Like Comic Sans painful. 

However, YouTube's tools for closed captioning is light years ahead of where I was at in 2010. If you are doing short, chunked, video production that could use extra articulation to enhance understanding, this is a really great tool. Even if you have the application close caption the video for you - I highly recommend it, especially if you live in an area where multiple languages are used. Last I heard there were over 120 language dialects in California alone. WHAT!?! Check the facts, please.

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Thank you for reading. And I hope you played the Paula Scher Netflix episode for background noise during this read because I'm still gushing over it. It's a great listen, even if you can't watch it. 

Reflection 6: 01000011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01110101 01110100 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 01100001 01101100 00100000 01010100 01101000 01101001 01101110 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100111

Computational Thinking in binary, and that is the topic of reflection for this post.

For Part I of Computational Thinking in 4300 we used a binary language to write our favorite color in binary code, and submit it to a class Google Doc. I chose Aqua as my favorite color, and when translated for Part I it looks like this: 10011110 10001110 10001010 10011110.

After decoding twenty student responses for Part II, out of 20 respondents, two students chose pink as their favorite color, blue got majority of votes, and lavender is the name of a plant.

Google Sheets: 4300 Binary Favorite Color

Reflection 5: Integrating Computational Thinking

I recently took on the task of integrating a Computational Teaching micro lesson into my lesson plans for the Low Poly Portrait project I assign at the beginning of the semester for my second year students. The lesson includes a brief Google Slide presentation with an introduction to why using a grid could be helpful. It also has a couple videos that explain grids in detail and shows students how access the grid tools in Adobe Illustrator.

Overall I just want the students to realize there is a Grid Tool in Illustrator and that it will make their Low Poly Portrait come out with better results. 

I hope the information in the presentation helps lead to a Grid Systems discussion going forward with the class. I liked this assignment (aka task) because I could build on this small presentation, and incorporate it into more lessons I have planned to reinforce the Grid System theory in Graphic Design.

This lesson integration is versatile, and the lesson seems more meaningful. I feel that integrating this simple presentation into more lessons is going to help improve results with the final composition and give the students more confidence when they approach layout design, helping them organize their visual communication.

• Lesson Plan
• Google Slide Presentation

Reflection 4: Low Poly Remix

For my EDIT 4300 class I have been working on a lesson plan using the ISTE education standards.

I remixed a lesson I created from my New Media Design class - Low Poly Portrait. My students typically love the project and it shows by what's produced as an end result, hopefully by reworking the lesson it helps get even better results because the way I had it written, or planned before seems meager compared to the updated version.

Old way with CTE standard

vs.

New way with ISTE standard

I usually do the Low Poly Portrait as the first assignment for my New Media Design students, and it's pretty extensive. With the updated lesson plan I feel like it is more thought out, and has a criteria guideline that makes sense for evaluating the project.

With my lessons I use typically CTE standards because I am a pathway teacher where I teach. I use a generic rubric provided by the AIGA for their Graphic Design curriculum. Creating a lesson in the updated format helps me plan the project better and gives students a better idea of what is expected. I can use the new version as a template and improve it going forward.

I really liked this module in my 4300 because I got a chance to revisit a lesson and make it stronger. I like the idea of incorporating Padlet into my new instruction, which was a recent adoption of mine because sometimes I am a laggard. I included it in my updated lesson plans as a way to invoke a discussion about the Low Poly project.

Currently I have two Padletes for two different classes because I like how it can help initiate a class discussion at the students pace. 

New Media Design I & II Business Card Roughs

Graphic Design Collage Final