For this assignment, I was happy to get the opportunity to create a resource that I will be using to teach one of my classes next year. As a teacher, parent and student, rarely do I have a chance to thoroughly consider my courses learning outcomes and how to bring those goals to fruition. In our current eduction system, where teachers have virtually no prep-time and class size and composition are over crowed, planning curriculum often feels like a survivalist tactic.
Please find my assignment outline and reflection below, along with a link to my Google Classroom. I look forward to adding to my Classroom in the upcoming assignments, perhaps incorporating a Google Site to run cohesively with my Media Design 10 Classroom.
Invite Link: https://classroom.google.com/c/NTUxNzI2MDc5MTM2?cjc=q5g2phg
Class Code: q5g2phg
Course Overview
I chose to base my Unit of Learning project on a Media Design 10 course, which I will be teaching for the first time next year. Media Design 10 is a project-based class using the Adobe Creative Cloud Software with a focus on Illustrator, Photoshop, Animate, and Lightroom. This course is an introduction to all aspects of Digital Art and Design. The class will be taught in a computer lab and consist of 25-30 grade 10 students. Due to the lack of consistency in technology development skills in the K-12 system, there is usually a large variation of skill levels within an introductory course such as Media Design 10. Effectively utilizing technology is vital to the success of the students. The incorporation of an LMS, like Google Classroom into an in-person classroom, can help students engage with content, collaborate with peers, stay organized, and have accessibility to course materials. I’ve also incorporated supporting technologies such as Padlet, Kahoot and Canva to help achieve the course’s learning objectives. As an elective course, in order to get students to sign up for courses, it is important to present material in a fun and engaging manner. Using new and innovative technologies is a great way to create excitement around a school program, but it is important to remember that not all new technology is an advancement over older tried and true technologies.
In the creation of my Google Classroom, I primarily focused on creating clear and easy to follow instructions and content. The use of numbering and step by step instructions are used to help guide students through the curriculum, particularly those who are not tech savvy. Using our own ETEC 524 LMS as an inspiration, which I find quite easy to follow, I began my Google Classroom with a Course Overview module. This module includes a digital space for students to communicate and ask each other questions, a breakdown of the course content, learning objectives, assessment, digital resources and contact information.
Introductory Activity
I incorporated the Introductory Activity into the course’s first unit, titled “Introduction to Design.” The activity requires students to use Canva, an online designing platform, to create a graphic profile about themselves. I chose to use this software, as it allows for students to explore the design process with a minimal amount of training. Using a premade template, students can customize and personalize their compositions. Attached to the assignment in Google Classroom is a detailed rubric with the project’s criteria.
Upon completion of their projects, students post their designs on a Padlet wall, created specifically for this task. Padlet will allow for students to share their designs and present them to the class. I have attached to the assignment, a worksheet that will act as both a self-assessment sheet and a guide for their presentations.
The Introduction to Design Unit also includes a number of other activities in the form of teacher presentations and worksheets. Capping off the unit is a Kahoot quiz that focuses on the entirety of Unit 1, with a focus on the Canva software and the elements and principles of design.
Methodology
The methodology behind this course has 2 main components: to build skills with the relevant software, and for students to use the acquired skills in order to give tangible form to their own ideas. Images are truly a universal language, developing skills in media and visual arts give students a voice to communicate with their desired audience. Being able to communicate on a visual or graphic level can help encourage engagement and connection in students who may have anxiety or accessibility limitations.
One concern with this approach is that the skill building process can sometimes be monotonous and unengaging. In order to avoid this issue, I have compiled a series of engaging and fun worksheets, activities and quizzes which run within the various programs. After completing these skill building tasks, projects become more open-ended and personalized. Students will also have the opportunity to use these later projects for their own personal portfolios, which can be then used to apply for job opportunities and post-secondary institutions.
The process of critiquing and collaboration will be a primary focus throughout this course. Some projects will be completed in small groups and require students to work together to create unified cohesive projects. Team work further instills the skills required to excel in the media design field. We will be sharing and presenting our projects within a critique setting. The feedback produced in these critiques will provide qualitative assessment and opportunities to refine and improve skills.
Theory and Practice
The theory behind this course’s construction is based on various career oriented courses specifically seen in trades programs, that prepare students for specific jobs, careers and the workforce. Considering that Media Design is categorized under Technology Education rather than Fine Arts, this approach is more aligned with the Tech Ed. department’s curricular objectives. Work-based learning (WBL) programs are often offered in lower-income areas and urban-centers but are vastly under utilized in most other school environments. “Education at the high school level and beyond is a precursor to attaining gainful employment and access to associated economic, health, and social benefits (Kenny et al., 2016).” My Media Design program will build a strong foundation and directly apply to the media design industry. I think this approach stems from my working in the graphic design industry prior to going into teaching. I often found a clear disconnect between the academic curriculum and what skills are actually needed to succeed in the field.
The other component of the course focuses on a more artist-based, holistic approach, which emphasizes the student’s self, personality and their connection to a community of learning. Using Anderson’s (2008) “Relationship between theories of learning, design and teaching practice…” As a guide, it is important to balance the modes of course content delivery and activities. In technology-based courses many learning components could easily be completed through entirely online learning environments. Technology advancements have filled many gaps in a students ability to learn, collaborate and engage through an online platform. Unfortunately, I think there are many skills that are missed or neglected with an online learning environment, particularly in the K-12 system. As outlined in Rawashdeh (2021), “e-learning might result in being less effective due to the absence of face to face encounters with instructions or teachers.”. It is vital to the learners development to not only consider the student-content relationship, but to actively engage in the student-student, teacher-student interactions.
References
Anderson, T. (2008a). Teaching in an online learning context. In Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. (pp. 343-365). Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/14_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf
Kenny ME, Catraio C, Bempechat J, Minor K, Olle C, Blustein DL, Seltzer J. Preparation for Meaningful Work and Life: Urban High School Youth’s Reflections on Work-Based Learning 1 Year Post-Graduation. Front Psychol. 2016 Feb 26;7:286. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00286. PMID: 26955365; PMCID: PMC4767925.
McTighe, J., and Wiggins, G. (2004). Introduction: The logic of backward design (Links to an external site.). Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook.Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (PDF)
Rawashdeh, A. Z. A., Mohammed, E. Y., Arab, A. R. A., Alara, M., & Al-Rawashdeh, B. (2021). Advantages and disadvantages of using e-learning in university education: Analyzing students’ perspectives. Electronic Journal of e-Learning. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.19.3.2168