I found a teaching website on universal access that gives an example of the same site done twice; once with accessibility features and once as an inaccessible site. Here is the address:
http://www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/examples/aquaticArtsBad/index.htm
This site was helpful because it shows things like font sizes, alt tags, css, etc that should be present to help users with inaccessibilty issues.
For my final project what I need to do to make it more accessible is to create a font option and text background option that will allow for sizes and colors that will make for easier reading for the visually impaired. I also need alt tags on my pictures and the text only option for screen readers. When dealing with accessibility issues in the classroom I would be aware of what those were and work with the student individually to help meet his/her needs. When I am confronted with a learning disability in the classroom I learn about that student's particular needs and tailor the assignments accordingly. If I were dealing with an accessibility issue and could not solve that problem via the website then I'd create some sort of learning alternative (game, poster, worksheet, ) that would allow the student to show me what they have learned.
I did not find a court case.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Game Idea
We have an activity in class that I do each year to demonstrate population dynamics. I've thought through how I could turn this into a computer game. Considering that I don't have to actually have the skills to create a computer game, or simulation, I consider the sky to be the limit and anything goes as I imagine this simulation!!
My audience is a 10th grade group of students, age 16, who are being introduced to the concept of logistic and exponential growth in a population in nature. They are learning the cause and effect relationships that drive nature based on the essential needs of an animal, those being food, water, reproduction, and shelter. So, the game is based on a lush mountain. There is a population of deer (10 total deer) that a student is in charge of. This student needs to make sure that the needs of each animal are met in each year. The year is determined by a time frame of 5 minutes. In that five minutes the student has to make sure that each deer is fed a certain amount (imagine a bar that keeps track of the total vegetation eaten by each deer) and the deer must have a certain amount of water (also kept track with a bar).
There will be 12 increments of time to represent the 12 months in a year. At the end of each five minute period a count of the student's total population will be recorded so that by the end of the game there will be 12 pieces of data.
The deer can reproduce during the months of May and April and the student can choose to have those deer reproduce or not. Wolves are introduced into the game during the months of June, July, and August and those will be controlled by the computer. Random attacks will happen that will cut the deer population down.
The deer will need to roam all over the mountain to find the food and water that is needed. As the food and water is taken in an area that area will show up as a barren piece of land and will not replace itself until the next set of 12 increments of time comes along.
Seasons will occur, controlled by the computer. Some deer may succumb to cold temperatures controlled by the computer. (The computer is supposed to represent the unpredictability of nature) The vegetation and water will succumb to weather conditions. It is possible that the mountain may not be able to provide for the population of deer. In that case, some of the deer will have to die off. This will illustrate the concept of a carrying capacity. All areas of nature have a carrying capacity that limits the growth of a population.
The object of the game is to get through the 12 periods of time with the highest population of deer. There is a little strategy involved. It takes time for the animals to reproduce. Having the animals reproduce is a good thing however the females require more food and water during gestation and the young are at a greater risk of predation. So it would be wise to decide how much of the population should reproduce during the reproductive months.
At the end of the hour long game students have 12 sets of data that they need to then represent in the form of a graph. They will see how their population increases and decreases and understand that nature allows for only so much control. Populations are subject to nature and the smartest and strongest will survive.
My audience is a 10th grade group of students, age 16, who are being introduced to the concept of logistic and exponential growth in a population in nature. They are learning the cause and effect relationships that drive nature based on the essential needs of an animal, those being food, water, reproduction, and shelter. So, the game is based on a lush mountain. There is a population of deer (10 total deer) that a student is in charge of. This student needs to make sure that the needs of each animal are met in each year. The year is determined by a time frame of 5 minutes. In that five minutes the student has to make sure that each deer is fed a certain amount (imagine a bar that keeps track of the total vegetation eaten by each deer) and the deer must have a certain amount of water (also kept track with a bar).
There will be 12 increments of time to represent the 12 months in a year. At the end of each five minute period a count of the student's total population will be recorded so that by the end of the game there will be 12 pieces of data.
The deer can reproduce during the months of May and April and the student can choose to have those deer reproduce or not. Wolves are introduced into the game during the months of June, July, and August and those will be controlled by the computer. Random attacks will happen that will cut the deer population down.
The deer will need to roam all over the mountain to find the food and water that is needed. As the food and water is taken in an area that area will show up as a barren piece of land and will not replace itself until the next set of 12 increments of time comes along.
Seasons will occur, controlled by the computer. Some deer may succumb to cold temperatures controlled by the computer. (The computer is supposed to represent the unpredictability of nature) The vegetation and water will succumb to weather conditions. It is possible that the mountain may not be able to provide for the population of deer. In that case, some of the deer will have to die off. This will illustrate the concept of a carrying capacity. All areas of nature have a carrying capacity that limits the growth of a population.
The object of the game is to get through the 12 periods of time with the highest population of deer. There is a little strategy involved. It takes time for the animals to reproduce. Having the animals reproduce is a good thing however the females require more food and water during gestation and the young are at a greater risk of predation. So it would be wise to decide how much of the population should reproduce during the reproductive months.
At the end of the hour long game students have 12 sets of data that they need to then represent in the form of a graph. They will see how their population increases and decreases and understand that nature allows for only so much control. Populations are subject to nature and the smartest and strongest will survive.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A List of Serious Games
I found this list of Serious Games from Michigan State University that I though might be of interest to you guys.
http://woz.commtechlab.msu.edu/sgd/games.php
http://woz.commtechlab.msu.edu/sgd/games.php
Games and Learning
Pro gaming factors:
- Ideal for introducing new topics. Games are engaging to a student because they are not static, they demonstrate cause and effect relationships and they nurture imagination.
- Create better retention because they are more engaging than a traditional classroom or an online classroom.
- They can be a compelling learning experience because they can provide scenarios that a classroom cannot.
- Can teach information literacy because students will find the information they need when faced with various challenges in a game because they are interested!
Con gaming factors:
- Takes a long time to learn a game, for both teacher and student. As we know time is a precious commodity in the school year.
- Games must be used wisely by a teacher as a learning tool not a babysitter.
- Games can be expensive and a school must have IT support for using them.
Research facts:
Successful games should have four components:
- A competitive element to motivate the student
- Engaging content
- A reward for participation (recognition generally)
- Content needs to be relative to the learning objective.
The students need to understand that the game is a teaching tool, not just a form of entertainment while in school. They should be required to reach certain goals so that their time is spent progressing in the game.
Games can bring together people with different skills that complement one another. Players should have a need to get information from other sources, explore, communicate and cooperate with others in order for these groups to come together. This eliminates the concern that gamees take away from the social skills of a student. In fact, the argument could be made that they enhance those skills by putting the student in touch with people around the world.
Games are "worlds in a box". They can allow you to create an identity in a world of your interest. This helps a person to think about and value the decisions that must be made in this world. Say for example, you would like to be a zookeeper. You must make the decisions a zookeeper would make in order for this world to remain successful. Trial and error and study is going to help you know what to do so that your "world" does not find itself in peril.
Do I agree?
I think so. I have never used a game in the classroom. I can see how they would be beneficial but I also think first and foremost about the time that I am going to have put into learning the game so that I can be prepared to mentor my students through the experience. Quite honestly this sounds like a huge headache to me. I shouldn't be so negative however. I need to give it a try at least a few times so that I can learn from my own trial and error of leading a group of 35+ kids through a gaming session. I understand that the game is meant to be an independent activity but I'm concerned about those students who come to a crossroads in the game of some kind and they don't know what they should do next. I'm not real interested in running around to each computer as hands are up only to find that they are not thinking for themselves. I get impatient with that. But if they're going to learn to think for themselves it's going to have to happen somewhere right? So why not in my classroom during game day???
Articles I used from the source recommended were called:
- Game-Based Learning: How to Delight and Instruct in the 21st Century
- Serious Games: Making a Difference
- Use of Video Games in the Classroom
Friday, February 13, 2009
Discuss the new tools you have found...
- http://www.webquest.org/search/index.php Here is a site that allows you to search by topic and comes up with lesson units on the topic. I searched genetics for example, a huge piece of my curriculum, and found a bunch of interactive sites on genetics and lesson plans that I could use. I also searched history and up came a load of sites on all different types of history.
- http://www.animationlibrary.com/ The thought occurred to me that perhaps the students could add some animation to a presentation they create to enhance it. Here is a library of free animations that are simple and easy to use. This has the potential to become a distraction really but it's worth a try at least once!
- http://www.dailyblogtips.com/create-a-widget-for-your-blog/ Here is a site that discusses widgets and how to create them. I think it would be cool for the students to create widgets on the classroom topic and watch that topic being discussed on the net. You can also create widgets on http://www.widgetbox.com If you had a class blog you could put different widgets on the blog as the topics change throughout the year.
- Another thought I had was to teach a student to use news websites such as newsvine (http://www.newsvine.com) or digg (http://www.digg.com) where they can take a look at a large collection of different news stories and comment on them. This gives them a chance to think and develop an opinion as well as share it. You can customize the accounts on these pages to focus on certain news genres such as history or science, etc. I could have my students follow science news and comment on what interests them. This would be a good way for the students to see how science is being used in everyday life.
Your experiences and ideas for the web 2.0 programs introduced in this lesson:
- I'm not in the classroom at the moment but if I was I would definitely have my students gather data and input it into gapminder to create a visualization of the data. We always graph our data out but this would be a fun and more engaging way of doing things. I have a unit where we collect data on wildlife and then have to present our findings and explain them. I'd like to have the students use an online presentation program such as sliderocket.com to create a presentation of their data and add their gapminder images into that program.
- I'd like to try voicethread also. I think it would be challenging for the students to create a tutorial using voicethread. Say for example, how to create a line graph. They could find images and record text to explain this basic task. This would be good exposure to the program.
- One last idea I have is to take the students into a lab and have them log onto newsvine or digg and check these sites out. I'd like them to become familiar with the sites and learn how to do things like create their own column of news that interests them and make comments. I think making the students aware of a resource like this helps them to start thinking and composing. Anytime you can get a student to write about something that interests them you're making progress right? So why not here??
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I found another poor website today...
Hey girls I found another poor website this morning while at work. I happened to come across it and wanted to share it with you. Here's the address: http://www.cinemajik.com It has major issues with font, coloring, and spacing. It lacks any sort of interactive feature. It's worth taking a look at.
take care,
Michelle
take care,
Michelle
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Poor Multimedia Example
The website I choose as a very poorly designed example of multimedia was: http://www.airspaces.com/
CONTENT
--Who is the target audience for this multimedia piece?
It’s hard to say really but I suppose it must be anyone who is looking to remodel or possibly build anything from a residential place to live in up to a commercial office building.
--How well is the information (including text, graphics, music, animation, and video) communicated to the target audience?
Not that well. There is hardly any text at all in the site, excepting the links. Some of the links change text as you drag your mouse across them. I can’t see the point in that. The links take you to a picture that illustrates the link, for example a link that says “cable” leads you to a picture of an aviary at the Bronx Zoo. I can’t really understand how cable and aviary connect however. There could be cable in the aviary but there is no explanation. The viewer is left to come up with that on their own. There is no animation, audio or video to the site but there are graphics. These look like poor quality digital photos. Some of them are embarrassingly bad. Others are almost clear. There is one paragraph giving information about the architect and the mission statement of the business. If you drag your mouse across this paragraph it changes to another paragraph that doesn’t make any sense. I had to read it at least three times and think it through a bit in order to determine that some of it stood for the name of the company which is AIR. The other bits and pieces I don’t know about.
--How would you evaluate the information for its clarity, usefulness, and ability to arouse interest in the target audience?
I don’t think there is an interest aroused from the site for whatever audience they are trying to appeal to. They have no information other than pictures that accompany each link. They don’t attempt to highlight any special skills they may have as a company. It’s not a user friendly, flowing, informative, captivating site.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to the content on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
STRUCTURE AND NAVIGATION
--How well is this piece organized for the target audience?
The organization is mediocre. There isn’t any issue with the user getting lost in the site because there isn’t enough information to get lost in. The site has a column on the left with 17 links and the pictures that come with the links show up on the right hand side of the page. Nothing more than that.
--How easy and intuitive is it for a user to figure out how to move through it?
It’s not a hard site to use because there isn’t much to it. It’s a hard site to understand though for that very reason.
--Is the breadth and depth of the information easily apparent, and how efficiently can a user move through the multimedia piece to learn the extent of what is being presented?
Breadth and depth of the information is not easily apparent. You can move through it pretty efficiently because there isn’t much there to go through.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's structure and navigation on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
VISUAL DESIGN
--How would you describe the visual appeal of this multimedia piece?
I did like the blue color on the site. The color is peaceful and nice. The fonts do not change on the links. The pictures have a location description on the bottom of them that is hard to read in several of the pictures because the font color is white and sometimes the background colors are very light. There isn’t enough contrast in a few cases for that text to stand out.
--How suited is the design to the target audience?
Well, I’m going to assume that the target audience is anyone who is in the market to build something, whether it be a house or an office building. In this case the audience is probably looking for a website that gives the feeling of professionalism and ability. In a best case scenario that site also allows them to play around with different options the company has to offer.
--Would this design appeal to users other than the target user? If so, which ones? If not, why not?
The design is boring and too simple. When a user isn’t challenged at least enough to stimulate their intelligence I think they steer away from a site. I don’t think the target audience or any additional audiences would appreciate this site. The learning that is meant to take place (I’m assuming), just isn’t.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's visual design on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
FUNCTIONALITY
--How appropriate is the technology used on this piece for the type of content being delivered to target users?
There is no technology used. I mentioned before that there is no audio, animation or video on the site. It is strictly limited to graphics.
--Would this piece work on a dial-up connection or does a user need a high-speed connection? Probably not that well. There are a lot of pictures that would take a bunch of time to load.
--Do all the links work? All the links worked.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's functionality on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
INTERACTIVITY
--In what ways does this piece encourage users to interact with the content? List all that apply. This site does not encourage users to interact with the content. It does give contact information so that anyone interested can call the company. It shows pictures of different examples but doesn’t explain them. It doesn’t show any options that the architect offers.
--How does this interactivity enhance a user's understanding of the content?
Because of this lack of interactivity the user doesn’t come away with a solid understanding of what this architect has to offer or is hoping to teach his/her target audience. The interactivity is so narrow that text is not offered on the site in a simple attempt to explain the message the site is trying to convey.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's interactivity on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
CONTENT
--Who is the target audience for this multimedia piece?
It’s hard to say really but I suppose it must be anyone who is looking to remodel or possibly build anything from a residential place to live in up to a commercial office building.
--How well is the information (including text, graphics, music, animation, and video) communicated to the target audience?
Not that well. There is hardly any text at all in the site, excepting the links. Some of the links change text as you drag your mouse across them. I can’t see the point in that. The links take you to a picture that illustrates the link, for example a link that says “cable” leads you to a picture of an aviary at the Bronx Zoo. I can’t really understand how cable and aviary connect however. There could be cable in the aviary but there is no explanation. The viewer is left to come up with that on their own. There is no animation, audio or video to the site but there are graphics. These look like poor quality digital photos. Some of them are embarrassingly bad. Others are almost clear. There is one paragraph giving information about the architect and the mission statement of the business. If you drag your mouse across this paragraph it changes to another paragraph that doesn’t make any sense. I had to read it at least three times and think it through a bit in order to determine that some of it stood for the name of the company which is AIR. The other bits and pieces I don’t know about.
--How would you evaluate the information for its clarity, usefulness, and ability to arouse interest in the target audience?
I don’t think there is an interest aroused from the site for whatever audience they are trying to appeal to. They have no information other than pictures that accompany each link. They don’t attempt to highlight any special skills they may have as a company. It’s not a user friendly, flowing, informative, captivating site.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to the content on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
STRUCTURE AND NAVIGATION
--How well is this piece organized for the target audience?
The organization is mediocre. There isn’t any issue with the user getting lost in the site because there isn’t enough information to get lost in. The site has a column on the left with 17 links and the pictures that come with the links show up on the right hand side of the page. Nothing more than that.
--How easy and intuitive is it for a user to figure out how to move through it?
It’s not a hard site to use because there isn’t much to it. It’s a hard site to understand though for that very reason.
--Is the breadth and depth of the information easily apparent, and how efficiently can a user move through the multimedia piece to learn the extent of what is being presented?
Breadth and depth of the information is not easily apparent. You can move through it pretty efficiently because there isn’t much there to go through.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's structure and navigation on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
VISUAL DESIGN
--How would you describe the visual appeal of this multimedia piece?
I did like the blue color on the site. The color is peaceful and nice. The fonts do not change on the links. The pictures have a location description on the bottom of them that is hard to read in several of the pictures because the font color is white and sometimes the background colors are very light. There isn’t enough contrast in a few cases for that text to stand out.
--How suited is the design to the target audience?
Well, I’m going to assume that the target audience is anyone who is in the market to build something, whether it be a house or an office building. In this case the audience is probably looking for a website that gives the feeling of professionalism and ability. In a best case scenario that site also allows them to play around with different options the company has to offer.
--Would this design appeal to users other than the target user? If so, which ones? If not, why not?
The design is boring and too simple. When a user isn’t challenged at least enough to stimulate their intelligence I think they steer away from a site. I don’t think the target audience or any additional audiences would appreciate this site. The learning that is meant to take place (I’m assuming), just isn’t.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's visual design on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
FUNCTIONALITY
--How appropriate is the technology used on this piece for the type of content being delivered to target users?
There is no technology used. I mentioned before that there is no audio, animation or video on the site. It is strictly limited to graphics.
--Would this piece work on a dial-up connection or does a user need a high-speed connection? Probably not that well. There are a lot of pictures that would take a bunch of time to load.
--Do all the links work? All the links worked.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's functionality on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
INTERACTIVITY
--In what ways does this piece encourage users to interact with the content? List all that apply. This site does not encourage users to interact with the content. It does give contact information so that anyone interested can call the company. It shows pictures of different examples but doesn’t explain them. It doesn’t show any options that the architect offers.
--How does this interactivity enhance a user's understanding of the content?
Because of this lack of interactivity the user doesn’t come away with a solid understanding of what this architect has to offer or is hoping to teach his/her target audience. The interactivity is so narrow that text is not offered on the site in a simple attempt to explain the message the site is trying to convey.
--Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's interactivity on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent).
1
Redesign Ideas for AIR.com
Now, I've thought a lot about my evaluation of this website over the last 24 hours and how I would improve what I've seen. Keeping in mind I don't have the skill for the improvements, meaning I couldn't actually do what I think should be done, but I do have plenty of ideas of how this website can be revamped and made into a great learning tool.
- My first idea is to add several video clips to the site. These videos show the details of this persons work and how nicely her creative architecture comes together when completed. These videos should fall under specific categories and should be used to enhance those categories. Audio should be included with the videos so that the audience can understand what the video is trying to explain. The average viewer may not notice many of the details the architect thinks are obvious so explaining them in a concise and informative way is important. These explanations and videos need to be short and to the point so that the viewer doesn't get bored. When I say short...I'm thinking...1 minute and 30 seconds maximum.
- Flash animation that can be manipulated. I think it would be really interesting if you could choose a blueprint layout that is offered on the site and make changes to it so that it becomes something that you want. Creating that sort of interactivity with the audiences is going to catch their attention and increase this architects chance of getting a phone call from the customer. Other animations that would be fun to play with would be to change colors say on the exterior of a building or the interior kitchen space for example. Also being able to change materials, like cabinets or countertops and change room sizes would be cool too.
- Text is needed here badly. There should be a mission statement first and foremost. The audience needs to know what this architect is trying to do. Is she selling her work, is she showing it off, what?? At this point we don't know. Text needs to be included with the graphics that she provides on the site. This text needs to briefly explain the graphic. For example, why is the graphic important, what are the distinguishing features of the work, etc. I also think it would be much more interesting if she included a brief story behind these pieces of work that she is showing off. What was her inspiration or how did this piece come together. Now when I say brief I mean it. Not many people are going to take the time to read a page of info. but most of us will read a few lines. If you can see the end of the story easily at the beginning of the story then many of us are willing to at least skim it.
- And finally, the graphic quality must be improved. Not much more needs to be said here. Improve it. It looks bad.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Multimedia Strategies
• How does multimedia keep the learner motivated to learn?
Multimedia helps to maintain or strengthen the interest of the learner. When the learning styles are mixed up throughout the unit (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) it stimulates the learner and keeps the mind active and engaged.
• Is there an “entertainment” factor needed for today’s student?
Without a doubt. Sadly, teachers are competing with video games, movies, TV, etc. This technology provides a fast paced relay of information that students get used to. Put them in a classroom that doesn’t offer multiple methods to teach them, almost all at once, and they seem to go crazy. Behavior issues arise and the classroom isn’t operating like a well-oiled machine.
• Do you think the student has to always interact with content just to stay focused?
No. I think there is power in imagination. I think having a student take some information and imagine the possibilities that could be with that information can maintain focus. In fact, I think it’s usually pretty entertaining for a student to imagine something different than the normal and become creative with it.
Multimedia helps to maintain or strengthen the interest of the learner. When the learning styles are mixed up throughout the unit (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) it stimulates the learner and keeps the mind active and engaged.
• Is there an “entertainment” factor needed for today’s student?
Without a doubt. Sadly, teachers are competing with video games, movies, TV, etc. This technology provides a fast paced relay of information that students get used to. Put them in a classroom that doesn’t offer multiple methods to teach them, almost all at once, and they seem to go crazy. Behavior issues arise and the classroom isn’t operating like a well-oiled machine.
• Do you think the student has to always interact with content just to stay focused?
No. I think there is power in imagination. I think having a student take some information and imagine the possibilities that could be with that information can maintain focus. In fact, I think it’s usually pretty entertaining for a student to imagine something different than the normal and become creative with it.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Interaction Types
Age Specific
The Interaction Type that seems to be the most age specific to me is the Learner-learner where there is interaction in groups or one-to-one. Group interaction doesn’t work that well for young kids, such as my toddler who engages in parallel play and does not function in a group. It will be another year perhaps before she is developmentally ready to play in a group and interact that way. The teenagers that I work with are ready and willing to engage in group interaction, although they will put up some fight if I assign the groups versus allowing them to pick their own. One on one interaction is a strong interaction I think for any age. My daughter will respond to one on one and so will my teenagers. I think we all respond to it as long as it’s not intimidating.
As for all other interaction types I don’t find them to be age specific necessarily. No matter the age a learner will benefit from interacting with actual course material, receiving feedback and encouragement from an instructor, as well as interacting with the tools of instruction. As for observing, we all do that from a very young age.
Culture Specific
Major cultures that come to mind are the Latino, Asian, and American cultures. There are other cultures that could possibly be considered that are not geographical, such as religious cultures. I think the Learner-learner interaction in groups would appeal to the Latino culture who tend to be more extroverted and social. The Asian culture may not care for this type of interaction as well as the one-on-one interaction. Asians tend to be more reserved and achievement oriented, generally speaking. Interaction by observing may also appeal to this culture. The American culture I think is going to be split on the group work versus the one-on-one interaction. It seems to me that the Americans are going to thrive off interacting with the tools and technologies used to deliver instruction. We like to get our hands on things and work with them.
Gender Specific
Women are more social by nature. They enjoy talking with and working with other people. Any interaction that has them doing that is going to be gender specific to them, such as the Learner-learner. Men are not as social but prefer to interact with materials and learn without all the discussion. Men may enjoy Learner-content and Learner-interface interactions.
Difficult to match to my learners??
The vicarious interaction that has the student interacting by observing is a hard one in my classroom. Most of the time they are given instructions and put to work. They learn as they go in many cases but don't spend enough time observing. They interact with the course material and the tools used to deliver that material and the discoveries come. However, they are more focused on completing the assignment then on any observations made. I would love to be able to incorporate more Learner-learner into my classroom where I am working one-on-one with my students. However, due to large class sizes this is rarely possible. I do try and make up for it by providing feedback and encouragement to the class and of course assisting when needed. Wouldn’t it be great to have a class size of 20 or so kids that you could work with individually as needed and really get to know??
Preconceived Biases
I do have ideas on what is best for my age group and that is the Learner-learner interaction with groups and the Learner-content and Learner-interface where they are interacting with the course material. I don’t use the Learner-environment much and that’s because I don’t place a lot of value in that interaction type given the constraints on classroom time. It’s a difficult interaction for me to monitor because it has to be done outside of the classroom and can be easily made up and I wouldn’t know it. I also don’t do enough Vicarious-interaction in my classroom. I think the students need to be taught how to observe and my classroom would be a great place for that to happen. We do observe plenty of scientific information happening in a lab but actually paying close attention and thinking through the steps of the process is a difficult thing to come by. I really feel that it’s a weakness in my teaching actually. I think I get so caught up with the business of the classroom trying to conduct a lab with a lot of students that I become task oriented and forget to remind the students to slow down and pay close attention to what is happening and why.
The Interaction Type that seems to be the most age specific to me is the Learner-learner where there is interaction in groups or one-to-one. Group interaction doesn’t work that well for young kids, such as my toddler who engages in parallel play and does not function in a group. It will be another year perhaps before she is developmentally ready to play in a group and interact that way. The teenagers that I work with are ready and willing to engage in group interaction, although they will put up some fight if I assign the groups versus allowing them to pick their own. One on one interaction is a strong interaction I think for any age. My daughter will respond to one on one and so will my teenagers. I think we all respond to it as long as it’s not intimidating.
As for all other interaction types I don’t find them to be age specific necessarily. No matter the age a learner will benefit from interacting with actual course material, receiving feedback and encouragement from an instructor, as well as interacting with the tools of instruction. As for observing, we all do that from a very young age.
Culture Specific
Major cultures that come to mind are the Latino, Asian, and American cultures. There are other cultures that could possibly be considered that are not geographical, such as religious cultures. I think the Learner-learner interaction in groups would appeal to the Latino culture who tend to be more extroverted and social. The Asian culture may not care for this type of interaction as well as the one-on-one interaction. Asians tend to be more reserved and achievement oriented, generally speaking. Interaction by observing may also appeal to this culture. The American culture I think is going to be split on the group work versus the one-on-one interaction. It seems to me that the Americans are going to thrive off interacting with the tools and technologies used to deliver instruction. We like to get our hands on things and work with them.
Gender Specific
Women are more social by nature. They enjoy talking with and working with other people. Any interaction that has them doing that is going to be gender specific to them, such as the Learner-learner. Men are not as social but prefer to interact with materials and learn without all the discussion. Men may enjoy Learner-content and Learner-interface interactions.
Difficult to match to my learners??
The vicarious interaction that has the student interacting by observing is a hard one in my classroom. Most of the time they are given instructions and put to work. They learn as they go in many cases but don't spend enough time observing. They interact with the course material and the tools used to deliver that material and the discoveries come. However, they are more focused on completing the assignment then on any observations made. I would love to be able to incorporate more Learner-learner into my classroom where I am working one-on-one with my students. However, due to large class sizes this is rarely possible. I do try and make up for it by providing feedback and encouragement to the class and of course assisting when needed. Wouldn’t it be great to have a class size of 20 or so kids that you could work with individually as needed and really get to know??
Preconceived Biases
I do have ideas on what is best for my age group and that is the Learner-learner interaction with groups and the Learner-content and Learner-interface where they are interacting with the course material. I don’t use the Learner-environment much and that’s because I don’t place a lot of value in that interaction type given the constraints on classroom time. It’s a difficult interaction for me to monitor because it has to be done outside of the classroom and can be easily made up and I wouldn’t know it. I also don’t do enough Vicarious-interaction in my classroom. I think the students need to be taught how to observe and my classroom would be a great place for that to happen. We do observe plenty of scientific information happening in a lab but actually paying close attention and thinking through the steps of the process is a difficult thing to come by. I really feel that it’s a weakness in my teaching actually. I think I get so caught up with the business of the classroom trying to conduct a lab with a lot of students that I become task oriented and forget to remind the students to slow down and pay close attention to what is happening and why.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Connect the Message and the Audience
Rinso Soap
The intended audience for this advertisement is the good old fashioned housewife. I am wondering how current this ad is?? My audience, the teenage group of 16 year olds, wouldn’t pay much attention to this ad. It doesn’t appeal to their situation in life.
The elements of color, layout and font are used nicely. I think the ad looks nice actually but the one thing that catches my attention is that the woman in the ad is hanging a sheet on a line. This is why I wonder if the ad is current. I would guess that not many people hang their clothes on lines anymore but instead are using dryers. The ad wouldn’t related to the current audience of housewives.
I don’t believe there is any humor in this ad.
Las Vegas
The audience for the ad is the young, single, risky, party mentality person. My teenage audience would really find this ad interesting. It appeals to their mental state of mind, that being a have fun all the time mentality, and the woman in the ad is young just like they are. This ad is going to catch their attention.
The elements of color, layout, and font are used effectively I suppose. It’s hard to say quite honestly. Ironically, I made the comment I did about the disturbing advertisements that I had seen in Las Vegas over Christmas. The ad turned me off and this ad does the same. It means something to me that is very negative and very upsetting. Trying to look at it objectively is difficult but I suppose the risqué position of the woman is catching the attention of many and the ad is probably pretty effective. Vegas is a large city and it draws enormous crowds all year round so the advertising is clearly working.
Humor doesn’t always work in advertising for the mere fact that everybody understands humor to mean something different. I can see the attempt to use humor in the Vegas ad but the humor doesn’t impress me. An advertisement that uses humor that I find quite intelligent is the Chik-fil-A advertisements where the cows are standing up holding signs that say eat more chikin! That’s good humor.
My teenage audience would find this advertisement humorous and attractive.
Data Computers
The intended audience for this ad is the young business person, perhaps the entrepreneurial spirit. My intended audience wouldn’t pay much attention to this ad. It’s too far in the future for them. I’m afraid the teenage audience can’t see or think far enough ahead to consider a career most of the time.
The elements are good in the picture. I like the angle of the two people back to back in the ad because it draws the eye away from the large guy in the front of the ad. I didn’t care for the guy up front who almost has an evil sneer across his face. It’s a little disturbing to me!
I’m not really seeing any humor in this ad but I do think it has a sense of positive energy. My audience wouldn’t really find this ad funny but they may sense a positive energy in it.
The intended audience for this advertisement is the good old fashioned housewife. I am wondering how current this ad is?? My audience, the teenage group of 16 year olds, wouldn’t pay much attention to this ad. It doesn’t appeal to their situation in life.
The elements of color, layout and font are used nicely. I think the ad looks nice actually but the one thing that catches my attention is that the woman in the ad is hanging a sheet on a line. This is why I wonder if the ad is current. I would guess that not many people hang their clothes on lines anymore but instead are using dryers. The ad wouldn’t related to the current audience of housewives.
I don’t believe there is any humor in this ad.
Las Vegas
The audience for the ad is the young, single, risky, party mentality person. My teenage audience would really find this ad interesting. It appeals to their mental state of mind, that being a have fun all the time mentality, and the woman in the ad is young just like they are. This ad is going to catch their attention.
The elements of color, layout, and font are used effectively I suppose. It’s hard to say quite honestly. Ironically, I made the comment I did about the disturbing advertisements that I had seen in Las Vegas over Christmas. The ad turned me off and this ad does the same. It means something to me that is very negative and very upsetting. Trying to look at it objectively is difficult but I suppose the risqué position of the woman is catching the attention of many and the ad is probably pretty effective. Vegas is a large city and it draws enormous crowds all year round so the advertising is clearly working.
Humor doesn’t always work in advertising for the mere fact that everybody understands humor to mean something different. I can see the attempt to use humor in the Vegas ad but the humor doesn’t impress me. An advertisement that uses humor that I find quite intelligent is the Chik-fil-A advertisements where the cows are standing up holding signs that say eat more chikin! That’s good humor.
My teenage audience would find this advertisement humorous and attractive.
Data Computers
The intended audience for this ad is the young business person, perhaps the entrepreneurial spirit. My intended audience wouldn’t pay much attention to this ad. It’s too far in the future for them. I’m afraid the teenage audience can’t see or think far enough ahead to consider a career most of the time.
The elements are good in the picture. I like the angle of the two people back to back in the ad because it draws the eye away from the large guy in the front of the ad. I didn’t care for the guy up front who almost has an evil sneer across his face. It’s a little disturbing to me!
I’m not really seeing any humor in this ad but I do think it has a sense of positive energy. My audience wouldn’t really find this ad funny but they may sense a positive energy in it.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Audience Analysis
Analysis of the students I teach regularly
Age - 16 years old
Gender - Male and Female; roughly half and half
Location - Las Vegas Nevada/Sierra Vista High School
Life Experience - Varied. Some students come from high socioeconomic class with minimal worries while others come from homeless situations. Most students are in the middle of these extremes.
Technical Experience - Varied. Most students have home access to the internet. Many are quite proficient in their use of the internet. Others lack access and therefore don't have the proficiency.
Experience with the Topic - Minimal. This is the first exposure they have had to the Biology course. Some basic life science work was done in 6th grade assuming they've been in the district since then. A majority of the students are transient and have come from other states.
Technical Skills - Varied just like the experience and access. See above.
Education level/Prior Courses - 10th grade educational level. Some life science exposure in previous grades but this is the first time they are taking a concentrated life science course.
Motivations/Demotivators - Motivators: Activities. Students love to participate in activities which come mostly in the form of labs where they are measuring, playing a game, interacting with other students using the course materials, etc. De-motivators: excessive lecturing and note-taking, yelling in the classroom, lack of appropriate classroom control.
Learning Styles (VARK) - I believe most of the students are going to be strongest as visual learners. A few auditory learners are always present as well as the kinesthetic learners. The visual and kinesthetic learners really enjoy the labs and visuals that go along with demonstrations and discussions. The auditory learners like the lectures.
Language and Literacy/ESL - Half of the student body at the school is Hispanic and many of which are ESL kids. Their ability and skill with the language is as varied as the students themselves. I would say that 80% of these ESL students are proficient enough in the language that they can perform and function well in the classroom. I do not speak Spanish but really wish that I did.
Introduction
Hey Susana and Alison
My name is Michelle Davis and I'm working on my Masters degree while I am home taking care of my two babies. I have a little girl who is 2 and a son who is 1. I plan to go back to teaching this year in August. I'm currently getting my teaching license transferred from Nevada to Wyoming and I hope that goes smoothly. I teach High School Biology primarily although I've worked a lot with Middle School as well.
My email address is michelleteaches2002@yahoo.com which is the best way to reach me.
My name is Michelle Davis and I'm working on my Masters degree while I am home taking care of my two babies. I have a little girl who is 2 and a son who is 1. I plan to go back to teaching this year in August. I'm currently getting my teaching license transferred from Nevada to Wyoming and I hope that goes smoothly. I teach High School Biology primarily although I've worked a lot with Middle School as well.
My email address is michelleteaches2002@yahoo.com which is the best way to reach me.
The worst advertising message I can remember was something I saw in Las Vegas over the Christmas vacation. My husband has family in Vegas which is what takes us there. We actually moved away from Vegas a year ago and I'm so grateful for that because I don't like the message of the city. When you drive down I-15 you are bombarded by billboard advertising and I would say that 80% of it is sexual. I saw a billboard with a woman pulling a man's tie and it said on the bottom of it "have you been tugged?" The billboard was advertising a clothing store but was using sex to attract or sell the product. You see a lot of that everywhere really but I'm especially sensitive to it because that message of sex has taken ahold of someone that I love very much and torn my family apart. So it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
One of the coolest advertisements I've seen lately is a hair commercial silly as that is. I really like the hair color that I see on that commercial and the reason why it captures my attention would be that I think my hair color is drab and I want to change it to the advertised color. Sorry, that's kind of dumb I know but the point being that I pay attention to something like that when I'm in the market for it. Otherwise I probably wouldn't even notice. I'm looking forward to learning in this class. I'm thrilled to find that I am learning a lot of applicable information in this degree and each class teaches me something better and better :)
Michelle Davis
One of the coolest advertisements I've seen lately is a hair commercial silly as that is. I really like the hair color that I see on that commercial and the reason why it captures my attention would be that I think my hair color is drab and I want to change it to the advertised color. Sorry, that's kind of dumb I know but the point being that I pay attention to something like that when I'm in the market for it. Otherwise I probably wouldn't even notice. I'm looking forward to learning in this class. I'm thrilled to find that I am learning a lot of applicable information in this degree and each class teaches me something better and better :)
Michelle Davis
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