Technology
Technology is a key component for success with instructional design. It is a tool used to create effective learning opportunities in the most efficient and user-friendly method. The task for instructional designers is to remain current with trends and challenges to using technology in order to determine the best systems and programs needed to support learning.
ETEC 676D: Coding in Education
In this course, I was introduced to the languages of coding: Python, C++, and Scratch. I worked collaboratively with a colleague to create a product that students in grades 3-5 could use to help them build their math facts skills in multiplication and division. Using Scratch block coding, we developed game-based learning apps that allow students to change characters ("Sprites") and the backgrounds so that it created more buy-in with the students. We encountered some challenges with setting the timer to cue at the appropriate time, and also for finding the right way to code a division equation. After feedback from students, we added additional games for each of the factors to allow them to focus on mastery of each one individually. Below you will find the link to the website that contains the links for all of the apps that were created. Below that is a short video of our experiences in the classroom at CSUSB with practicing flying drones and Ozobots. This was quite a fun learning experience that I was able to bring back to my classroom. My students appear at the end of the video after a two week study of Scratch coding. This class gave me the confidence to be able to support my students in learning to code and operating an MBot using block coding.
Artifacts from ETEC 676D:
ETEC 674: eLearning Technology and Media
During this course, I was able to put into practice the learning I had acquired in the previous courses and create an e-learning course for my students. Using a user-friendly Learning Management System called Google Classroom, students accessed material online during independent English Language Arts centers. Following the ADDIE model of instructional design, I determined my learner's understanding of the content. I then determined the best delivery format, and then gathered the materials needed to support their learning. Having prior understanding of my student's learning styles, I was able to design the course in a way that helps them learn best. (Because the Google Classroom website is private for student confidentiality, I am unable to post images from this course.) After completing the course, I was able to determine that the students had a better understanding of the content taught in this design product.
ETEC 692: Practicum in Educational Technology
As part of the field experience course in the ETEC program, I was able to apply the skills that I had learned in an educational setting that I work. As an assistant to the yearbook coordinator, I found that there was a need that could be filled using technology. Parents had relied on the previous yearbook coordinators to create a special dedication page for their sixth grade student. This process took hours and hours of creating, editing, and revising, which was not available to the new coordinator or myself. In collaboration with the coordinator, I developed a website that taught parents how to create their child's dedication page in a few simple steps, which was administered at a parent tech meeting. I created the instructional material (videos and step-by-step guidelines) so that it was adaptable to both the yearbook program's software and in alignment with another teacher's project of teaching parents about using the "G-suite" apps that Google produces. This project helped the coordinator immensely by cutting down on the time it takes to complete the dedications and energy and stress involved in dealing with preferences in design.
Below is the link to the website and pictures of parents using the website to help them create the dedication pages.
Teacher Yearbook Training:
In addition to training parents on the dedication page creation, I also worked to create a course for teachers to create their candid page for their classes that is published in the yearbook. Below is the website for the teachers:
ETEC 501: Foundations of eLearning
Here is a link to my blog which demonstrates the range of topics that we covered over the course of ten weeks:
At the conclusion of the course, I was challenged to explore one of the topics more in-depth, so I chose Universal Design for Learning because it is a concept that many educators use at all grade levels. The signature paper can be viewed by clicking the button to the left.