Situation:
Students were starting to be distracted by their laptop computers. During class students would watch movies and youtube videos or be on social media. This is during figure drawing class which requires students to draw the model from life. This requires a great deal of concentration. Solution:
I decided to ban laptop computers but allow students to listen to music using their iphones or ipods if they wish except of course when I'm lecturing.
I told them that if they absolutely need to check in with social media that they can do it on their breaks. I discovered that other instructors have adopted the same policy of banning laptops.
Assignment #3 - Inquiry Based Learning Presentations
Assignment #3 - Learning to Draw and Colour with Adobe Illustrator
Why?
- Learn something that is relevant to my teaching.
- Incorporate it into my curriculum.
- Keep up with the technology.
- Use techniques to Produce personal works.
- Bridge the gap between traditional and computer illustration.
- Adobe illustrator is an industry standard tool - primary tool for illustrators and designers.
- To get out of my comfort zone.
- I want to become an expert.
How?
- Looked on the internet for tutorials - Google.
- Found various levels of tutorials.
- Looked at Tutorial books such a Illustrator Revealed, Classroom in a Book, etc.
- Talked to fellow instructors for guidance.
- Decided on Lynda.com
Why Lynda.com?
- Professional, easy to understand tutorials.
- College will make it available to instructors and students alike.
- Possibility of flipping the classroom.
Process:
- Started by watching numerous tutorials to familarize myself with the process about 3 - 4 hours.
- Looked for something that I wanted to draw.
- Produced a drawing by hand.
- Scanned the drawing in.
- Placed into Adobe illustrator.Started plotting all the vector points.Put the fills and gradations in.
- Completed the finished art in about 8 - 10 hours.
Tutorials:
(These are just a few that I watched)
Introduction
Welcome
Exercise files
1. The Process
Attention to details
Trial and error in creativity
Choosing a style
Great plugins for detailing in Adobe Illustrator
2. Lighting
Understanding light
Establishing a primary light source
Establishing a secondary light source
Drawing your light source
How lighting affects colour
Artistic "lightcense"
3. Colours
Colouring 101
The digital colour wheel
The analog colour wheel
Colour dimension one: Hue
Colour dimension two: Value
Conclusions:
I found out quickly that the skills I have need to be updated.
I want to incorporate what I learned in this exercise into my assignments.
I like the idea of having students watch the tutorials and then reviewing
with them - flipping the classroom.
Jeff How the presentation worked or not:
Obviously, the type and production values were a bit low but that was big part of the charm of the presentation.
It was a very personable piece. Enjoyed it. Question to ask:
Did you find it more difficult than you thought it would be?
Amanda How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanation of the process. Question to ask:
Did you find yourself getting better at it with time?
Dan How the presentation worked or not:
I like the fact that your research wasn't just on the internet that you sourced out books.
It's interesting that the long term effects of meditation can be anxiety. Odd? Question to ask:
Do you find the meditation to be helpful?
Laurie How the presentation worked or not:
I like the fact that you didn't give up and it's something that relates to your work.
I liked the Automoto. It's great to try out new technology. Question to ask:
Do you feel that Learn is a valuable educational tool?
Doris How the presentation worked or not:
A good example of life-long learning. I like the explanation of the learning process and that Doris was tenacious about acquiring the knowledge but the presentation needed to be edited down. I like the fact that she brought the violin and demonstrated. Question to ask:
Will you start learning the violin sooner than when you retire?
Mitch How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations but could have used some visuals to communicate more to the audience.
It's great to build on something that you are interested in. Question to ask:
Do you feel this will help you continue to learn how to play? And do you feel this gave you confidence to continue?
Jennifer How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations, humorous presentations. I liked the process. Question to ask:
Do you feel you will keep trying to make Cannoli's?
Andrea, Jason and Maggie F How the presentation worked or not:
Liked the idea of one person teaching and the other two learning.
Liked that you had fun doing this and that all 3 of you benefitted from the process. Question to ask:
Did you have a big feast at the end?
Maggie L How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations. Glad you stuck with it. Question to ask:
What's the next project?
Ken How the presentation worked or not:
A bit too much information, should have been edited more. Did lots of research on the topic.
Wouldn't want to do this job. Question to ask:
Is it cost effective to do the A.I.?
Rick How the presentation worked or not:
Enjoyed the presentation, very organized and interesting.
Good that you used the college resources. Question to ask:
Do you feel that social media will enhance your work.
Tony How the presentation worked or not:
Tony did lots of research on the topic. Question to ask:
Have you implemented any of your findings or will you wait until the spring to do this?
TOM How the presentation worked or not:
Clear presentation - liked how you incorporated what you learned in making the video. Question to ask:
How will you use this in work?
Alan How the presentation worked or not:
Would like to have seen more of the information that you learned in the presentation. Question to ask:
Have you put into practice anything that you learned?
Danh How the presentation worked or not:
Incredible amount of work in the learning process. You're a really good uncle - lucky nephew! Question to ask:
How much money did you put into this project?
Assignment #4 (continued) February 19 - Sugata Mitra and Readings:
Sugata Mitra
I thoroughly enjoyed this TED talks. The idea of the "hole in the wall" was astounding. There were a number of statements through the talk that I liked:
1. Children will learn what they want to learn.
2. A teacher who can be replaced by a machine should be.
3. If children have an interest they will learn.
And in the end where he said that "Education is a self-organizing system where learning is a phenomenon". I think it would be interesting to explore his theories and incorporate them into our education system.
Readings
Using blogs in learning and teaching - I agree with the accessibility and the reflective nature of blog being a valuable teaching and learning tool particularly in higher education. Using Role Play Simulation - I like how he gives the example of the different parties and an election. Students can learn a lot about politics this way. Role playing is a really good example of student-centered learning and could be adapted to a lot of different scenarios. Transforming Your Teaching Style: A Student-Centered Approach - A lot of instructors can relate to this one, I like how he shifted from himself to the his students using student-centered approaches. Teaching with Technology - Lots of great links here to wiki's with an explanation of the types of resources you will find under each heading. A great resource page. How Technology Can Improve Learner-Centered Teaching - I like the idea of transferring power to the students so they can master the material at their own pace. I like to use wikis in my courses but online quizzes, blogs and discussion boards would be helpful too.
Danh Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
All the learner-based methods - cooperative learning, work stations and problem-bases learning were well thought out and suited to what he teaches.
- No outcomes shown? What improvement do you see with student learning?
Danh could try scaffolding and flipping the classroom.
Dan Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Didn't address the objectives of the assignments.
Didn't think he identified the student-centered approach in any of the examples.
No learning outcomes? What improvement do you see with student learning? I know it's a trade but maybe try to incorporate more student involvement.
There must be an inventive way to have students learn the code book.
Laurie Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Well-organized presentation. All the examples were excellent.
Especially, enjoyed the first one, journals. I like the idea of putting the student in the shoes of the patient. What improvement do you see with student learning? These were all excellent examples. You might try flipping the classroom.
Mitch Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Popplet, webquests and technology are not categories of learner-centered approaches, although there were a lot of learner-centered approaches in the presentation. Learning outcomes unclear and they could have been better categorized.
Loved the video and the humour put into the presentation, made you think. What improvement do you see with student learning?
I think you're on the right track with the examples, perhaps and you might already do some scaffolding in your courses.
Jennifer Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Well-organized presentation, nice to see a "Prezi". Well-written learning outcomes.
Good examples in all approaches - flip the classroom, simulation and inquiry learning.
I liked the approaches especially simulation which sounded like a real-life situation. What improvement do you see with student learning? Opportunities for scaffolding and flipping the classroom if you could create good videos.
Ken Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Student-centered approaches are good. Especially liked flipping the classroom. Learning outcomes need to be more defined, re-worked What improvement do you see with student learning? Good examples but scaffolding is a natural fit for the course.
Alan Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
The student-centered approaches - cooperative learning, problem-based learning and scaffolding were all good. Learning outcomes need to be more defined, re-worked What improvement do you see with student learning? Like Ken I can see flipping the classroom would be beneficial.
Andrea Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Really excited about her presentation.
Student-centered approaches were excellent.
I liked the first one, flipping the classroom the most. Learning outcomes are well-defined. What improvement do you see with student learning? Good examples. I'd like to say incorporating scaffolding would be great but don't know if it would work with what you teach.
Jeff Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Case Study
Flipping the classroom - Start your own, buy existing businesses
Inquiry Based Learning - I like the idea of working with Social Issues.
The research that they do educates the class. Learning outcomes were good. What improvement do you see with student learning? Look at pushing environmental concerns with the students.
Could try webquest for 3rd approach.
Eva,
This is the point where I lost all my notes so I reviewed as many presentations as I could to jog my memory and to generate these reviews:
Maggie F Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Flipped classroom - Excellent way to get students to do the research.
Discovery Learning - Great idea to use real companies
Graphic organizer - Popplet idea is good. What improvement do you see with student learning? I thought that a good student- centered approach for her course would be simulation.
Give the student the basic material then they would have to set up the financial statements.
Doris Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Role play - I like the set-up for this one. Learning outcomes need a bit of refinement but good.
Journals / Blogs - I like the idea of connecting the journal to theory learned in class. A good tool for sharing.
Learning Centres - Lots of great hands-on activities. Outcomes are excellent What improvement do you see with student learning? Is simulation a possibility in your course?
Maggie L Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Role Play - I like how you set up an emergency situation.
Jeopardy - An excellent and fun idea but not sure which approach it is.
Fork lift game - Again another great idea for learning but unsure of the approach. Would be effective especially with younger students.
Learning outcomes need revising but are in the right diretion. What improvement do you see with student learning? Lots of room for scaffolding in the teaching.
Amanda Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Scaffolding - Excellent way to teach driving skills.
Role Playing - This is an essential approach especially self-defence. Didn't know there were so many assaults.
Flipping the classroom - Good idea to watch videos on the air breaks. Would have to do testing to insure that people did the viewing. What improvement do you see with student learning? In scaffolding, perhaps have the student drive more to build confidence.
Jason Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
I like how this all started from the webquest. Excellent idea to expose students to other food from around the world.
Co-operative Learning, Discovery Learning, Learning Centers and Scaffolding are all good student-centered approaches to incorporate in your learning. Learning about different cuisines and approaches from around the world will produce better chefs. What improvement do you see with student learning? Outcomes could be more defined. What wines would go with each course?
Rick Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Flipping the classroom- Good idea to watch the videos on cross-connection control. You would have to have quizzes to insure they watched the videos and to give them incentive.
Inquiry Based Learning / webquest - Webquests are always a good idea. It follows the pattern of how we all find information now days.
Scaffolding - Would work great in this type of course. What improvement do you see with student learning? Student outcomes need to be tweaked. How about simulation?
Tony Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Inquiry Based Learning / webquest: excellent idea, good to share info using a google doc.
Flipping the classroom - This would work well with appropriate videos. What improvement do you see with student learning?
Probably can use scaffolding.
Tom Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches? Graphic organizer / popplet - Excellent for student engagement but analyzing the course is not really a student-centered approach. Flip the classroom - Lots of research-based learning. Co-operative learning - Good idea for this type of work especially when it comes to safety inspections. What improvement do you see with student learning?
The learning outcomes need refinement.
Opportunities for scaffolding and simulation as well.
Assignment #2 - Blogs
My BlogAssignment #4 - Classroom Management
Situation:Students were starting to be distracted by their laptop computers. During class students would watch movies and youtube videos or be on social media. This is during figure drawing class which requires students to draw the model from life. This requires a great deal of concentration.
Solution:
I decided to ban laptop computers but allow students to listen to music using their iphones or ipods if they wish except of course when I'm lecturing.
I told them that if they absolutely need to check in with social media that they can do it on their breaks. I discovered that other instructors have adopted the same policy of banning laptops.
Assignment #3 - Inquiry Based Learning Presentations
My Presentation - Randy
PDF:
TEXT:
Assignment #3 - Learning to Draw and Colour with Adobe Illustrator
Why?
- Learn something that is relevant to my teaching.
- Incorporate it into my curriculum.
- Keep up with the technology.
- Use techniques to Produce personal works.
- Bridge the gap between traditional and computer illustration.
- Adobe illustrator is an industry standard tool - primary tool for illustrators and designers.
- To get out of my comfort zone.
- I want to become an expert.
How?
- Looked on the internet for tutorials - Google.
- Found various levels of tutorials.
- Looked at Tutorial books such a Illustrator Revealed, Classroom in a Book, etc.
- Talked to fellow instructors for guidance.
- Decided on Lynda.com
Why Lynda.com?
- Professional, easy to understand tutorials.
- College will make it available to instructors and students alike.
- Possibility of flipping the classroom.
Process:
- Started by watching numerous tutorials to familarize myself with the process about 3 - 4 hours.
- Looked for something that I wanted to draw.
- Produced a drawing by hand.
- Scanned the drawing in.
- Placed into Adobe illustrator.Started plotting all the vector points.Put the fills and gradations in.
- Completed the finished art in about 8 - 10 hours.
Tutorials:
(These are just a few that I watched)
Introduction
Welcome
Exercise files
1. The Process
Attention to details
Trial and error in creativity
Choosing a style
Great plugins for detailing in Adobe Illustrator
2. Lighting
Understanding light
Establishing a primary light source
Establishing a secondary light source
Drawing your light source
How lighting affects colour
Artistic "lightcense"
3. Colours
Colouring 101
The digital colour wheel
The analog colour wheel
Colour dimension one: Hue
Colour dimension two: Value
Conclusions:
I found out quickly that the skills I have need to be updated.
I want to incorporate what I learned in this exercise into my assignments.
I like the idea of having students watch the tutorials and then reviewing
with them - flipping the classroom.
Jeff
How the presentation worked or not:
Obviously, the type and production values were a bit low but that was big part of the charm of the presentation.
It was a very personable piece. Enjoyed it.
Question to ask:
Did you find it more difficult than you thought it would be?
Amanda
How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanation of the process.
Question to ask:
Did you find yourself getting better at it with time?
Dan
How the presentation worked or not:
I like the fact that your research wasn't just on the internet that you sourced out books.
It's interesting that the long term effects of meditation can be anxiety. Odd?
Question to ask:
Do you find the meditation to be helpful?
Laurie
How the presentation worked or not:
I like the fact that you didn't give up and it's something that relates to your work.
I liked the Automoto. It's great to try out new technology.
Question to ask:
Do you feel that Learn is a valuable educational tool?
Doris
How the presentation worked or not:
A good example of life-long learning. I like the explanation of the learning process and that Doris was tenacious about acquiring the knowledge but the presentation needed to be edited down. I like the fact that she brought the violin and demonstrated.
Question to ask:
Will you start learning the violin sooner than when you retire?
Mitch
How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations but could have used some visuals to communicate more to the audience.
It's great to build on something that you are interested in.
Question to ask:
Do you feel this will help you continue to learn how to play? And do you feel this gave you confidence to continue?
Jennifer
How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations, humorous presentations. I liked the process.
Question to ask:
Do you feel you will keep trying to make Cannoli's?
Andrea, Jason and Maggie F
How the presentation worked or not:
Liked the idea of one person teaching and the other two learning.
Liked that you had fun doing this and that all 3 of you benefitted from the process.
Question to ask:
Did you have a big feast at the end?
Maggie L
How the presentation worked or not:
Good explanations. Glad you stuck with it.
Question to ask:
What's the next project?
Ken
How the presentation worked or not:
A bit too much information, should have been edited more. Did lots of research on the topic.
Wouldn't want to do this job.
Question to ask:
Is it cost effective to do the A.I.?
Rick
How the presentation worked or not:
Enjoyed the presentation, very organized and interesting.
Good that you used the college resources.
Question to ask:
Do you feel that social media will enhance your work.
Tony
How the presentation worked or not:
Tony did lots of research on the topic.
Question to ask:
Have you implemented any of your findings or will you wait until the spring to do this?
TOM
How the presentation worked or not:
Clear presentation - liked how you incorporated what you learned in making the video.
Question to ask:
How will you use this in work?
Alan
How the presentation worked or not:
Would like to have seen more of the information that you learned in the presentation.
Question to ask:
Have you put into practice anything that you learned?
Danh
How the presentation worked or not:
Incredible amount of work in the learning process. You're a really good uncle - lucky nephew!
Question to ask:
How much money did you put into this project?
Assignment #4 (continued) February 19 - Sugata Mitra and Readings:
Sugata Mitra
I thoroughly enjoyed this TED talks. The idea of the "hole in the wall" was astounding. There were a number of statements through the talk that I liked:1. Children will learn what they want to learn.
2. A teacher who can be replaced by a machine should be.
3. If children have an interest they will learn.
And in the end where he said that "Education is a self-organizing system where learning is a phenomenon". I think it would be interesting to explore his theories and incorporate them into our education system.
Readings
Using blogs in learning and teaching - I agree with the accessibility and the reflective nature of blog being a valuable teaching and learning tool particularly in higher education.Using Role Play Simulation - I like how he gives the example of the different parties and an election. Students can learn a lot about politics this way. Role playing is a really good example of student-centered learning and could be adapted to a lot of different scenarios.
Transforming Your Teaching Style: A Student-Centered Approach - A lot of instructors can relate to this one, I like how he shifted from himself to the his students using student-centered approaches.
Teaching with Technology - Lots of great links here to wiki's with an explanation of the types of resources you will find under each heading. A great resource page.
How Technology Can Improve Learner-Centered Teaching - I like the idea of transferring power to the students so they can master the material at their own pace. I like to use wikis in my courses but online quizzes, blogs and discussion boards would be helpful too.
Assignment #7 - Learner-Centered Approaches
My Presentation - Randy
Danh
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
All the learner-based methods - cooperative learning, work stations and problem-bases learning were well thought out and suited to what he teaches.
- No outcomes shown?
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Danh could try scaffolding and flipping the classroom.
Dan
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Didn't address the objectives of the assignments.
Didn't think he identified the student-centered approach in any of the examples.
No learning outcomes?
What improvement do you see with student learning?
I know it's a trade but maybe try to incorporate more student involvement.
There must be an inventive way to have students learn the code book.
Laurie
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Well-organized presentation. All the examples were excellent.
Especially, enjoyed the first one, journals. I like the idea of putting the student in the shoes of the patient.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
These were all excellent examples. You might try flipping the classroom.
Mitch
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Popplet, webquests and technology are not categories of learner-centered approaches,
although there were a lot of learner-centered approaches in the presentation.
Learning outcomes unclear and they could have been better categorized.
Loved the video and the humour put into the presentation, made you think.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
I think you're on the right track with the examples, perhaps and you might already do some scaffolding in your courses.
Jennifer
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Well-organized presentation, nice to see a "Prezi". Well-written learning outcomes.
Good examples in all approaches - flip the classroom, simulation and inquiry learning.
I liked the approaches especially simulation which sounded like a real-life situation.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Opportunities for scaffolding and flipping the classroom if you could create good videos.
Ken
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Student-centered approaches are good. Especially liked flipping the classroom.
Learning outcomes need to be more defined, re-worked
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Good examples but scaffolding is a natural fit for the course.
Alan
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
The student-centered approaches - cooperative learning, problem-based learning and scaffolding were all good. Learning outcomes need to be more defined, re-worked
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Like Ken I can see flipping the classroom would be beneficial.
Andrea
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Really excited about her presentation.
Student-centered approaches were excellent.
I liked the first one, flipping the classroom the most.
Learning outcomes are well-defined.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Good examples. I'd like to say incorporating scaffolding would be great
but don't know if it would work with what you teach.
Jeff
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Case Study
Flipping the classroom - Start your own, buy existing businesses
Inquiry Based Learning - I like the idea of working with Social Issues.
The research that they do educates the class.
Learning outcomes were good.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Look at pushing environmental concerns with the students.
Could try webquest for 3rd approach.
Eva,
This is the point where I lost all my notes so I reviewed as many presentations as I could to jog my memory and to generate these reviews:
Maggie F
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Flipped classroom - Excellent way to get students to do the research.
Discovery Learning - Great idea to use real companies
Graphic organizer - Popplet idea is good.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
I thought that a good student- centered approach for her course would be simulation.
Give the student the basic material then they would have to set up the financial statements.
Doris
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Role play - I like the set-up for this one. Learning outcomes need a bit of refinement but good.
Journals / Blogs - I like the idea of connecting the journal to theory learned in class. A good tool for sharing.
Learning Centres - Lots of great hands-on activities. Outcomes are excellent
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Is simulation a possibility in your course?
Maggie L
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Role Play - I like how you set up an emergency situation.
Jeopardy - An excellent and fun idea but not sure which approach it is.
Fork lift game - Again another great idea for learning but unsure of the approach. Would be effective especially with younger students.
Learning outcomes need revising but are in the right diretion.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Lots of room for scaffolding in the teaching.
Amanda
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Scaffolding - Excellent way to teach driving skills.
Role Playing - This is an essential approach especially self-defence. Didn't know there were so many assaults.
Flipping the classroom - Good idea to watch videos on the air breaks.
Would have to do testing to insure that people did the viewing.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
In scaffolding, perhaps have the student drive more to build confidence.
Jason
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
I like how this all started from the webquest. Excellent idea to expose students to other food from around the world.
Co-operative Learning, Discovery Learning, Learning Centers and Scaffolding are all good student-centered approaches to incorporate in your learning. Learning about different cuisines and approaches from around the world will produce better chefs.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Outcomes could be more defined. What wines would go with each course?
Rick
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Flipping the classroom- Good idea to watch the videos on cross-connection control. You would have to have quizzes to insure they watched the videos and to give them incentive.
Inquiry Based Learning / webquest - Webquests are always a good idea. It follows the pattern of how we all find information now days.
Scaffolding - Would work great in this type of course.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Student outcomes need to be tweaked. How about simulation?
Tony
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Inquiry Based Learning / webquest: excellent idea, good to share info using a google doc.
Flipping the classroom - This would work well with appropriate videos.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
Probably can use scaffolding.
Tom
Did the presenter apply the student-centered approaches?
Graphic organizer / popplet - Excellent for student engagement but analyzing the course is not really a student-centered approach.
Flip the classroom - Lots of research-based learning.
Co-operative learning - Good idea for this type of work especially when it comes to safety inspections.
What improvement do you see with student learning?
The learning outcomes need refinement.
Opportunities for scaffolding and simulation as well.
Question to ask: