Manuscript/Book Graphic Design Review

After Elizabeth Blackwell’s cousin/husband’s financial woes lead him to debtors’ prison, she took it upon herself to provide for her family and erase her husband’s debts by undertaking the arduous task of creating “A Curious Herbal”, published from 1737-1739. This resourceful woman who had some background knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants, created a go-to herbal with botanical illustrations which included new plant species form the Americas. Along with drawing, engraving, and coloring the illustrations herself, she also included a description of the plants, their common names, scientific names, and their medicinal properties. She would eventually catalog 500 species, free her husband from debtors’ prison (even though he was later executed for political conspiracy), and provided for her family in a time of desperation. She may not be the most recognizable Elizabeth Blackwell (the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S.), she proved to be a pioneer and gave new meaning to the endearment “devoted wife”.

Concerning the four basic principles of graphic design, described by Robin Williams (no, not that one) in “The Non-Designer’s Design Book”, “A Curious Herbal” by Elizabeth Blackwell encompasses many qualities that prove functional and aesthetically pleasing. Though her work doesn’t provide much contrast and there is a lot of blank space on every page, its simplicity is what made this collection so popular. It was easy to find and identify the plants because her illustrations were not crowded or overbearing. The text was aligned in the same way on every page, divided by crisp clear lines and equal amounts of space and “type”. The proximity of the information presented was adequate, but predictable. The consistency and repetition is what made this collection functional and popular for centuries. Her keys and descriptions were easy to identify and provided the reader with the information necessary to make a quick decision in what was often a life or death situation.

What we’ve learned from this passage:

1. Men never learn.

2. Never underestimate a woman.

3. "A Curious Herbal” would look much different if held to the standards of Mr. Williams.

EDLD 5363 Group Multimedia Project

EDLD 5363 Review of Web Conferences

I participated in one web conference on Saturday, June 30th and viewed the conference videos from June 4th and 16th. I appreciated the fact that we were allowed to view the conferences at a later date because I often find it difficult to fit the conferences into my schedule. I love to take online classes because of the flexibility and the ease of watching the conferences at a later date really helped me get the most out of this course. I did need clarification as to what we were supposed to submit when there wasn’t an assigned section on the document. It was reassuring to see that I was not the only one confused! Web conferences are great for getting to know your fellow students, asking questions to clarify confusing topics, checking to make sure you are staying on track, and sometimes they are even good for a laugh or two! One thing that I find very frustrating is that some students tend to repeat questions that have already been answered and it seems as if they are not paying attention to what is being discussed. It ends up taking way too much time to answer questions and often it feels as if we do not get much accomplished because of this inconvenience. I value input from my fellow students and realize the importance of attending or viewing web conferences. Until next time!

Podcast: Intro to Windows Movie Maker 2.6

Here is a short podcast introducing windows Movie Maker 2 . 6. Windows Movie Maker is a wonderful program used to create videos using photos, video clips and audio from your computer or camera. There are many great features including clip transitions, narration, video effects, title and credit pages, and audio editing. Enjoy!

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Windows Movie Maker Tutorial by Tanya Henslee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Multimedia Project: Personal Story

I had so much fun making this video and the reaction from my family and friends was beyond amazing. I am honored to have been a part of this great community and have so many to call my family, friends and neighbors.

EDLD 5301 Reflections

During EDLD 5301, I have learned valuable information pertaining to the beginning steps to performing an action research project. This course has helped me recognize the difference between traditional research and action inquiry. I understand the importance of continuous evaluation and revision. I know this is going to be a long process, but it feels like a way to actually make a mark on the world.  To play a role in making a positive change in education is the reason why I became a teacher in the first place. Action research provides an avenue for reaching others and improving learning for all students. I enjoyed the interviews from week two, especially Dr. Kirk Lewis’s views on action research and how to make it relevant and practical. The strategies for sustaining improvement from week four interested me and I have already researched ways to include the Delphi method and the Nominal Group Technique into my data collection. The CARE model described in the Harris text provides a way to “examine improvement with a focus on sustainability” (Harris, Edmonson & Combs, 2010, p. 97). I plan to use all of these methods to improve the quality of my research. The discussion boards and blog entries in this course were very beneficial because it allowed us to communicate with each other and provide feedback on our topics and ideas. This provided some comfort that others were having the same concerns and obstacles. I feel confident that I will be able to aid my campus and district by providing answers to questions that have challenged administrators and hindered the growth of technology in the classroom. Even though I still have many questions, I am certain that I have enough insight to begin data collection. I believe that action research should be a component of lifelong learning and professional development. I look forward to working with administration, staff, and my site supervisor during the entire process. I know I will help others by completing this project and providing quality solutions and encouraging the utilization of effective strategies for professional development focused on the implementation of technology resources in the classroom.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps from analysis to action. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Draft Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan
Goal: What are the most effective strategies for providing teachers/staff with the highest-quality training and professional development centered on the integration of technology into the classroom?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Observe various trainings on both campus and district levels	Tanya Henslee	March 2012-February 2013	Observation Template	Record observations/self reflection
Survey and interview facilitators, trainees, and administrators on their experiences, difference of perceived and actual outcomes, and ideas for improvement.	Tanya Henslee	March 2012- February 2013	Facilitator, Trainee, and Administrator Surveys	Data analysis, report findings to Site Mentor
Compile a list of suggested effective strategies to improve current technology training.	Tanya Henslee Wendy Jones	March 2012-February 2013	Internet Research, Literature, Previous Surveys	Administrators/Site Mentor consensus based on evaluation of surveys, observations, interviews, etc.
Demonstrate effective strategies during professional development/staff trainings.	Tanya Henslee Wendy Jones	November 2012-March 2013	Presentations	Observation of trainee participation and understanding of topic.
Observe integration of technology (introduced in training) into the classroom before and after implementation of effective strategies.	Tanya Henslee	March 2012-April 2013	Classroom Observation Template	Teacher interview/classroom observation
Compare the utilization of technology with improved training strategies as opposed to previous strategies.	Tanya Henslee	March-April 2013	Continuous survey comparisons	Observations/Data analysis
Complete action research plan	Tanya Henslee	February-May 2013	Rubric, plan requirements	Completion of program