The Majestic Poppy
Course: Technology and the Curriculum
Designed Mindtool for a Curriculum Initiative: The Majestic Poppy The concept for this unit of study, which was created and designed as a mindtool in support of the Ontario Grade 6 Arts Curriculum, could not be realized in its original form as the varying components were not compatible in one format. Instead the project morphed into three separate segments, each created with the use of a different technology. Although the image to the left indicates four components, I have not included the mind mapping software, 'The Personal Brain', as it requires compressing the files, emailing the URL, and downloading the software, which is not something everyone is willing to do. However, the software is introduced on my home page with the zipped mind map file should you be interested in looking at that technology. |
Why is it Important & What Have I Learnt?
While other courses in this program covered topics on technology and curriculum studies, I have chosen this artifact because it was my first effort at designing a unit of study with the use of a mindtool in support of an arts curriculum. Having acquired most of my teaching experience as a college instructor, the Ontario Curriculum documents were completely new to me, as was critical examination of educational policy and designing units of study for grade 6. Although most of my courses focused on adult education, it was highly beneficial to gain an understanding of the Ontario curriculum and the technologies students are using in classrooms today.
Despite the fact that my curriculum initiative was not as cohesively intertwined as I had initially planned, having to use several technologies instead of one provided me with more in-depth knowledge of creative software and their capabilities, as well as adding to my growing spectrum of expressive avenues in which to explore. In addition to that, I gained access to educational policy and curricula documents, which prior to undertaking these studies I had been unaware of, and in so doing have gained valuable knowledge to better inform my past and current practice.
Furthermore, this project was specifically chosen for its multiple components as a way to illustrate some of the considerations required when technology is involved. As fun and exciting as online media can be, it is also far more complex than simply writing a paper, though the learning possibilities are usually much greater. Since my original concept did not develop as planned, this artifact is a good example of what can and did go wrong; such as problems with software compatibility, file size and extensions, the limitations of free software, and HTML codes that cannot be embedded. Each of these issues must be taken into account when creating a project with varying technologies.
Besides the need for greater technical knowledge, I have also learnt the importance of determining the requirements of the project before over-extending my imagination, that at times surpassed what was actually possible with the applications at my disposal. As well, it was very easy to get ‘wowed’ by some of the innovative technologies available, only to be confronted after hours of painstaking work with the many limitations of open source software. From my experiences using technology in each of my courses, I found it wise to keep an open mind when it came to project-based learning, as the original concept generally changed over time and was not always successful or creatively possible. However, whether my projects were major triumphs or utter disappointments, each provided me with numerous opportunities to further development my critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
Despite the fact that my curriculum initiative was not as cohesively intertwined as I had initially planned, having to use several technologies instead of one provided me with more in-depth knowledge of creative software and their capabilities, as well as adding to my growing spectrum of expressive avenues in which to explore. In addition to that, I gained access to educational policy and curricula documents, which prior to undertaking these studies I had been unaware of, and in so doing have gained valuable knowledge to better inform my past and current practice.
Furthermore, this project was specifically chosen for its multiple components as a way to illustrate some of the considerations required when technology is involved. As fun and exciting as online media can be, it is also far more complex than simply writing a paper, though the learning possibilities are usually much greater. Since my original concept did not develop as planned, this artifact is a good example of what can and did go wrong; such as problems with software compatibility, file size and extensions, the limitations of free software, and HTML codes that cannot be embedded. Each of these issues must be taken into account when creating a project with varying technologies.
Besides the need for greater technical knowledge, I have also learnt the importance of determining the requirements of the project before over-extending my imagination, that at times surpassed what was actually possible with the applications at my disposal. As well, it was very easy to get ‘wowed’ by some of the innovative technologies available, only to be confronted after hours of painstaking work with the many limitations of open source software. From my experiences using technology in each of my courses, I found it wise to keep an open mind when it came to project-based learning, as the original concept generally changed over time and was not always successful or creatively possible. However, whether my projects were major triumphs or utter disappointments, each provided me with numerous opportunities to further development my critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
Smilebox Video; The Majestic Poppy
Artifact: Part 1
Below is an introduction to the magnificent poppy, which is previewed in the form of a subtitled slide show. This component of the lesson serves as visual stimulation to initiate student thinking on the topic of study.
Alternatively, the Smilebox video can be viewed at the following link:http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d6a63784e7a63334d44553d0d0a&blogview=true
Design Handbook
Artifact: Part 3
The third segment in this unit of study is a design handbook created with the help of Google images and a variety of other creative websites. My idea for the publication was to provide students with an easily accessible reference manual on design elements should they require assistance in the creation of their projects. The handbook was published with Yudu software and can be viewed by clicking on the book to the right. The Majestic Poppy is also available in this online library. |
A Designed Use of a Mind Tool
Artifact: Part 2
This online publication was designed as a unit of study in support of the Ontario Grade 6 Arts Curriculum Document section D 1.2. This project was originally created in PowerPoint and then published as a magazine for its accessibility and as an initiative to encourage students to develop their own online libraries. Unfortunately some of the text did not convert properly when published and the video elements would not play, which is a good example of compatibility issues, as well as serving to illustrate the need for constraint in the design, alternative technologies should one not work, and perhaps just more time to learn the full capabilities and limitations of the software being used. Click to set custom HTML
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