LETHA
Podcast
Once, I was tasked with creating a podcast on a new technology. We were required to research the topic, then compose and produce a podcast. I wanted to research something that no one else would think of. As I was thinking, I raised my hand to ask a question. What came out was, "can I research glitter?" As you can imagine this brought a hardy laugh from my classmates! I am sure you might be joining them right now. That's okay. My professor was skeptical as well. Dr. Williams said I would need to prove that glitter was indeed a technological advance. I took the challenge, and this podcast is the result. Are you wondering how things turned out? If you have heard of a company called Apple or of a product called solar glitter, also known as dragon scales then you already know the answer! If you have 16 and a half minutes, you might just gain a new appreciation for glitter!
Applications of
Educational Technology
I had the opportunity to co-teach ET 449, Integrating Technology in Pedagogy. This was an undergraduate class in which we were able to introduce students to a host of pedagogical practices infused with technology. Each week the students were given several examples and tools with which they needed to choose one and customize it into a lesson plan for his/her area of study. What follows are examples of the technology we introduced and utilized in the class.
This class was a hybrid class, which meant that part of the class was face to face, and part of the class took place in an online setting. This type of education is becoming increasingly popular, as are online classes. I have found that online education has a great pull for many, and is quickly becoming an area of study for me.
One of my favorite suggestions was the mini green screen. Each student was given a tin box, about the size of a mint box, and greenscreen software. They were challenged to make a green screen video in a lesson plan.
Tech
Motivation in Education
Beyond presentations
Tired of PowerPoint presentations? Enter Motion graphics! What you see below is a trailer I made to showcase a "big idea" I researched in the class.
Blog it out
This is not just a way to incorporate technology into education, it is also an innovative education that connects the learning experience with my ability to authentically share my knowledge. Additionally, blogs are a great way to showcase graphic design and instructional skills.
Below you can view the blog posts I created for class and my MA comps.
An App for that
In August of 2019 I designed and built a simple app for the New Graduate Student Orientation that I organized with for the Graduate school. The app was interactive and gave participants all of the pertinent information for the day. What you see on the left is the screenshots of each page. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to work with the UNC tech team before the event to make this prototype a reality. It was still an invaluable learning process, and I am hopeful that the knowledge I gained will allow for a paperless event in the future.
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Below is a wireframe (a prototype layout) of the app.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality creates an invisible, virtual layer over existing items. An example of this is the dots on this bulletin board. The members of the class colored dots in a way that was important to them. They then linked those dots to a video message. Voila, interactive dots! Anyone who had the app could use those dots as a gateway to the video.
Multimedia and
Computer Graphics
Adobe products, GIMP, Video editing, Canva, Pixlr, there are a million software's out there with which to create stunning graphic designs, multimodal media, motion graphics, etc. How does one choose one, and how does one balance the importance of sound, color, detail, direction, and artistic flair. Start with one, play around! Exploration, creativity, play, and wonder are powerful educational tools. These projects may not look like much, however, they are the stepping stones to the multimedia presentation video (located at the end of this section). The video was an invaluable reminder that technology has drastically developed in my lifetime. The images in the video are all within my lifetime. What seemed like a major advancement now creates pixelized and seemingly imperfect products. Technology is a tool. It will always advance, however without the appropriate skills, patience, persistence, and appreciation, technology in education will remain underutilized and often misused.
One other invaluable lesson I learned from working in computer graphics is to back everything up. Working in the lab and bringing projects home I lost a few and got to start over. Over Christmas break, my external drive crashed. I lost all of my graduate work! Thankfully, I was able to retrace my digital footprint and find copies of many of my final projects. I have learned that technology cannot replace all education, but it is a valuable tool if it is properly implemented and backed up. Furthermore, it is imperative that as we engage with the cyberspace world, we learn proper etiquette and practice safe sharing. The digital footprint and digital branding can make or break a person, so be careful what you share about yourself.