InDesign has been a interesting program to use and get used to. The first assignment was mostly easy, and was a nice review of the skills I learned in Photoshop. I am a little frustrated over the font issues. I have tried to reinstall my CS3, but I’m having some difficulty. I may just need to work with what I have and make the best of it.

I read the Step by Step Multimedia article and found it was very informative and useful as it discussed that any multimedia project should follow a series of steps to be most successful. By following the logical progression of steps, the designer can create a more effective final product that will meet the needs of the targeted audience and possibly even others who might not be the initial audience but would find the product useful and/or interesting. This article encouraged the concept of flow maps as a way to organize ideas and thoughts so that a clear focus and train of thought can be maintained, as well as a consistent flow with the appearance of the product.

The seven basic steps mentioned in this article are:

There is even a rubric suggested in this article to help the creator and the evaluator determine if this product is as effective as possible.

I’ve been teaching at Nicolet Middle School for over a year now and I’ve seen all extremes of teachers, from those who barely use their computer for attendance and grades because the district mandates this, to those who run most if not all of their lessons with multiple forms of technology. One of the biggest problems I’ve seen is that all the teachers are going to be expected to use any and all new technology that will be given to them to use. Our district needs to invest in training for all teachers, even those with prior technology skills should undergo the same training so that all teachers are on some level of equal footing. For all new teachers, they should also be required to attend the same training so they can begin the school year with the same basic understanding as the other teachers.
Even though some teachers will stay with the basic level, other will begin to “experiment” with the new technology and discover what other things are available. They can share this knowledge with their colloquies and help make the learning experience for all the students more comprehensive.

As I finish up my communities assignment, I begin to realize how much they had in common. I also realized how I don’t always realize what communities I was a member of. In fact, my finace had to point out Curves & Pi Lambda Theta. I guess it’s easy to miss when you’re the one in the middle of it all. I also realized how many have to do with “education”, in either a direct or indirect way, except maybe for Curves, but then, healthy body can lead to a healthy body.

For my final video for my EDUC 520, I chose to make a short video using the Shel Silverstein poem “The One Who Stayed.” A poem about the child who didn’t go with the mysterious Pied Piper of Hamlin.

Free TV : Ustream

This is a mock news cast staring the Nicolet ASB. Since I can’t embed the video, I’ll just post the link. Just click on the school logo and enjoy. The kids did a pretty good job if I say so.

As part of my EDUC 520 class, I interview Mr. Timothy McKean. Tim is an instructor at Azusa Pacific University as well as a middle school teacher.

Interview with Tim

As part of my EDUC 520 class, I needed to make an audio recording of one of my classes. I chose my reading class and read my students the story Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard & James Marshall. The students were aware that they were being recorded.

The Periodic Table of Elements

This podcast/video was created for my 8th grade science class as well as for my EDUC 520 class at Azusa Pacific University.