Having a background as a Technology Applications teacher I started the course with a solid understanding of how to use various software packages to create graphics, animations, and newsletters. However, I lacked a solid graphic design foundation. I was clear on the how to create certain layouts and how to position the text or image on the page but I did not understand the Principles of Design completely. I knew about the rule of thirds and the need for white space, but now I understand the importance of C.R.A.P. - contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.
I started this class with the desire to learn new information about Graphic Design. So each week I watched the video and read the articles before looking at the assignment. After completing the reading and reading the newsletter assignment I decided to create a newsletter for teachers centered on the topic of Digital Storytelling. A large percentage of the students enrolled at the middle school where I teach are English second language students. According to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory article, Meeting the Needs Of Diverse Learners, "Classrooms and schools must provide [ELL students] many avenues for exploring, learning, and practicing reading, writing, speaking, and listening"(n.d).
To complete the assignment I first typed my content for the newsletter in Microsoft Word, so I would only have to past it into my newsletter. While typing my content I focused on making the instructions provided clear and provided pictures when needed. Then I sketched out the layout of the newsletter with pencil and paper. As a visual learner I needed to see the big picture before I could set up my layout in Microsoft Publisher. I like to be able to get a second opinion on the work that I complete, which is what I liked about sharing the Principles of Design Teaching Tool for critique. I use this technique at school to get a second opinion about the lessons and assignments I plan for my students.
One thing that I learned from completing the Newsletter assignment is to setup the entire layout and save it as a blank template. Only having one page setup caused me trouble when I need the text to flow to the next column. A newsletter is not just a great way to communicate with parents. It is also a great way for students to demonstrate what they have learned about a topic or a number of topics. The student newsletter can be sent home to share with the parents what students are learning in class (Lamb, 2005).
In the videos that I create for my students to introduce a topic I can use strategies such as including narration and video instead of narration and text to improve the effectiveness (BrainPop). My goal is to continue to improve the Multimedia I create for my students and use of multimedia for assessment. I will continue my work with animations and Digital Story Telling to help develop strategies to assist our ELL students. With the help of Blooms Digital Taxomy I can easily show the high level of academic rigor involved in creating animations and digital stories. (Churches, 2007)
Resources
Churches, A. (2007). Bloom’s digital taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8670
Lamb, A. (2005). Planning newsletters. Retrieved from http://eduscapes.com/sessions/publishing/planning.htm
Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d) Meeting the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/pub/sec3.pdf