EDLD+5366+Reflection

Reflection Since I have had experience with digital graphics and animation, this course is one of the courses I was most excited about. The course and assignments were laid out well. Starting with the design principles of Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity (CRAP) is a great way to introduce students that have had little design experience to the process. I use the same design principles in my own classes, I have found that this acronym is a fantastic one that students remember well after the lesson is over. Each of the assignments, CRAP lesson, logo and animation helped to build towards the newsletter assignment. Since many educators are “ignorant of what goes into designing, laying out, and printing a page of text”, this lesson is one that would benefit most (Misanchuk, 1992).
 * __Self – Assessment__**

I thoroughly enjoyed each of the assignments. I would have to say the newsletter was my favorite. I enjoyed deciding how the articles were going to be placed and deciding which of the newsletter components I was going to use. I tried to keep my newsletter simple in design, keeping with another saying with an acronym, KISS (Keep it Simple Silly). All of the assignments I have completed in this course I am going to be able to use as examples with my own design students and with teachers. Having students design their own newsletters would be a great way to have students achieve higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Using “desktop publishing software to create printed documents” is at the synthesis level (Eisenberg & Johnson, 2002). This type of assignment would work well in a number of courses and any teacher could integrate it into their lessons.
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

I think all of the course articles and videos also helped to stress the importance of the design concepts and how they can be used in any classroom, not just one with a technology focus. These articles are a great resource for myself and others in this area. I know I will look back on them in the future as I am planning professional development courses for teachers.
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

In the future, I believe that the newsletter assignment is perhaps the one that will be of most benefit. It is a great way to get information out to teachers, parents, and students on a variety of topics. These “synchronous and asynchronous communication tools support collaboration” between colleagues (Williamson & Redish, 2009). I think having a weekly or monthly newsletter available to teachers would be something that I would want to implement as a technology facilitator.

Eisenberg, M. B., & Johnson, D. (2002). Computer skills in context. > //ERIC Digest//, 1-4. Misanchuk, E. R. (1992). //Preparing instructional text: document// > //d// //esign using desktop publishing.// Englewood Cliffs: Educational > Technology Publications, Inc. Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and// > //Leadership Standards:// //What Every K-12 Leaders Should Know and// > //Be Able to Do.// Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education.
 * __Bibliography__**