Competency 2

2. Create a quality product in print, video, and digital environments demonstrating the ability to:

• Use the capabilities of various technologies for teaching and learning
• Organize, create, and communicate information
• Use media literacy, message and screen design principles
• Be targeted for a defined audience (students, teachers, or parents)
  • Evaluate the quality and plan for evaluation of the efficacy of the product

Standards addressed

• DPI 1902 standards:
  • 4.j: Create visualizations, models, and simulations to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.
  • 4.k: Model, apply and teach responsible, safe, legal, and ethical use of information, technology, and resources.
  • 4.m: Recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world, and act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
  • 5.k: Use strategies and digital tools to formulate ideas to solve problems, innovate designs, or create new concepts, process, or products.
  • 8.a: Model the application of critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge.
  • 8.d: Use skills-based learning to support learners in demonstrating central concepts of information and technology literacy.
  • 8.h: Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create, repurpose, and/or remix digital assets to express ideas or generate new understanding.
• Wisconsin Teacher Standards: 1, 4, 6, 8
• AASL: 3.3

Print

I have created a range of print documents the incorporate both images and text and use principles of message design to get the message across. Examples include:

• Lab Rules targeted at users of the lab (created with a student and demonstrating the use of mainly images to convey a message)
• Flyer on 21st century skills and librarians for the WEMTA Permanent Endowment Trust Foundation, targeted at potential corporate donors to the fund. This was revised with feedback from the WEMTA PET committee members.
• Infographic on undergrad technology use created in Piktochart (while this is technically not print, it demonstrates the use of images and text to convey a message).

Digital / Web

I have created a range of web sites using different tools. As part of creating these tools I have learned to locate images that have Creative Commons licensing, modify images, format text, embed videos and other widgets, and manage the structure of files on a website using a range of programs.

I have used a content management tool called Ingenuix to create a website for my library program. This site was formerly done in HTML and housed on the school website. When that server was deactivated, the content was reorganized and put into the content management system. The content changes periodically and the images are still a work in progress, but this demonstrated my ability to use a content management system.

I have a created a range of websites in LibGuides which is a content system designed specifically for libraries. These include

• a LibGuide for a travel study program to Australia
• a LibGuide for a travel study program to New Zealand
• a LibGuide to support a research project for an online class I taught

I have created webpages for technology modules that are housed in Desire2Learn, a learning management system. These were created in Dreamweaver. Samples (taken out of D2L and loaded on another server) include:

• Online Identify and Privacy
• Copyright for Teachers

I have also created demo sites and taught how to use WordPress, Weebly, and Google Sites. I understand the basics of website development but don't have the skills to program in PHP or any of the other database-drive tools.

I have also used programs like PlayPosit and EdPuzzle to add interactivity to videos. This Introduction to Networking is based on a presentation by a technology coordinator in my class with added questions to check understanding.

Video

I have created videos in iMovie and Animoto as well as screencasts in Camtasia, Screenflow and Jing. These demonstrate my understanding of video recording, the use of still images, voiceovers, soundtracks, transitions, and file formats. I have also used VoiceThread to create an interactive site with images and voiceovers for student feedback. Samples include:

• Collaboration for Student Choice (a case study of an elementary school project where I helped do the interviews and recording and then edited the video clips into a cohesive video in iMovie). This is the shortened version of a 24 minute video.

• Technology for Teachers introduction (a short video to introduce students to a set of independent modules in a lab I run, created with the assistance of several student workers in iMovie)

• Top 10 Reasons

• VoiceThread: Information Literacy (initial ideas on information literacy in graduate class)
• Screencast: Jing Introduction (screencast created using Camtasia)

Other Examples of Communication

My job requires a wide range of communication techniques from websites for the program and classes to print documents to videos. Examples include:

• WEMTA PET Foundation promotional document
• Introductory video for Technology for Teachers class
• Collaboration for Student Choice video (created with Anne Zarinnia)
• Articles / chapters for publication such as:
  • Schroeder, E.E. and Fisher, S. (2015, Nov/Dec). Communicating the Emerging Roles of Librarians to Teachers through a Collaborative K-12 and Higher Education Partnership. Knowledge Quest.
  • Schroeder, E.E., Zarinnia, E.A., Glampe, J., Horman, V., Sanken, V. and Slowinski, M. (2012). Simplifying Teacher Collaboration through Collaborative Websites in Kennedy, K. and Green, L.S. (eds.). Collaborative Models for Librarian and Teacher Partnerships. Information Science Reference / IGI Global, pp. 145-160.
• Conference presentations such as:
  • Schroeder, E.E., Davis, J., Kotek, N., and Bertram, L. (2015). Professional Development: Relevant, Connected and Personalized. WEMTA Conference, Wisconsin Dells.
  • Schroeder, E. E. (2013). Understanding and Presenting Data Visually. WEMTA Conference. Wisconsin Dells.
  • Schroeder, E. E. (2013). Understanding and Presenting Data Visually. SLATE Conference, Wisconsin Dells.
  • Zarinnia, E.A. and Schroeder, E.E. (2012). Inquiry, Interaction and Knowledge: The Students' Library Web Site. WEMTA Conference, Wisconsin Dells.
  • Zarinnia, E.A. and Schroeder, E.E. (2011). Inquiry, Interaction and Knowledge: The Students' Library Web Site. American Association of School Librarians Conference.
  • Zarinnia, E.A. and Schroeder, E.E. (2011). WISE Scholars. American Association of School Librarians Conference.
  • Schroeder, E.E. and Skibba, K. (2013). Social Tools and Strategies Supproting Web Conferencing for Collaborating Learning. OPID Conference, Madison, WI, March 25, 2013.
• Presentations to classes / university groups:
  • Schroeder, E. E. (2014). School Library Information Specialists in the 21st Century. UW-Whitewater educational administration graduate class of Dr. Richard Mason.
  • Schroeder, E. E. (2015, 2014). New Environment for Teaching and Learning. Summer institute of the UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (handout: https://goo.gl/ggCMDn)
  • Schroeder, E. E. (2013, Oct. 29). What Do They Need to Know? New Teacher Technology Skills. UW-Whitewater Outreach / CESA 2 presentation for curriculum directors

Reflection

I feel fairly confident locating images and audio with Creative Commons licenses or in the public domain. I can do basic editing of images in Fireworks. I can also create simple music soundtracks or podcasts in Garageband. I'm able to pull this all together in print documents using programs such as Word, Comic Life, Piktochart (infographics), Smore (posters), iPad apps such as Glogster and other Web 2.0 tools. I understand the basics of designing a message for an audience and selecting appropriate images and audio to convey the message.

I have mastered the basics of Dreamweaver for creating webpages and have used some of the features of Fireworks to create navigation bars and rollover buttons to insert in Dreamweaver. I've used a range of other web design tools. I understand the organization of files on a website, graphics for the web and basic layout.

I have mainly used iMovie to create short videos to tell a story. I've used several screencasting tools such as Screenflow, Camtasia and Jing to design short instructional videos. I have also used several web 2.0 tools like Animoto and Voicethread to create online videos.