Mole Mash App Reflection

Reflection

I continue to be frustrated by the limitations of the App Designer interface. I’m not a professional coder by any measure, but I do now how to get code to what I want it to do in most other interfaces. With that said, I had fun learning how simple it was, once you learned the logic, to get an object to move on the screen with this app design experience. I also added some simple customizations to the app that are listed below. Even with my frustrations, I continue to be amazed at the simplicity of this coding experience. I wonder if kids could be using this program, to learn programming skill and logic skills. I know there’s the Scratch project and the Alice project that have similar goals, but this would have immediate results. Definitely would be interested to hear if any schools are using this platform in the elementary, middle school, or high school levels.

App Media Credits

Game Background Picture, used under Creative Commons

Mole graphic from O’Reilly book site

Uh Oh Sound (Miss), used under Creative Commons

Gunshot (Hit), used under Creative Commons

Mirror Shattering (Reset button), used under Creative Commons

Start/Stop Sound Effect, used under Creative Commons

Download the App by scanning this QR Code:

Week 4: Paint Pot Application

This week, I built an application that allowed you to draw on a pre-loaded photograph using different colors, and different dot sizes or using a line. You could clear edits on the screen using the wipe button, and I customized it so shaking the phone would also clear the screen. Finally, you could also take a new picture to edit on it.

I wanted to tweak how the buttons displayed on the screen and added extra Horizontal and Vertical Arrangements between the buttons and image to spread out the display. I wanted to tweak where the loaded photo displayed (I wanted it to be centered, not left-

justified), but couldn’t figure out how to do that yet. Hopefully we’ll learn how to do that in the future, maybe? One other thing I couldn’t figure out how to do is add a button that allowed the image to be saved to the phone or emailed to an email address. Maybe in the future, or could this not be possible in the App Inventor?

I’m finding the App Inventor interface easy to use, but not quite logical or intuitive yet. Maybe it will be eventually, through lots of practice and patience?

 

You can download my Android app, by scanning this QR code:

Week 3: Hello Purr App Reflection

For mobile app design class this week, we designed our first, very simple app for the Android platform. Using the lesson in the App Inventor: Create Your Own Android Apps textbook and the appinventor website, we developed a very simple app using an interactive design tool. It reminded me somewhat of learning HTML — starting small at the very basic levels — and also a WYSIWYG editor, using buttons to add components of the app. As long as I was following the instructions, I found the process to be very simple. The appinventor interface was made up of buttons and palettes, similar to other design desktop applications. I’m sure this process will get complicated quickly, but I was happy with my results so far. Plus, when I would test the app, it drove my cats nuts. They don’t like to hear other cats meow!

Instructional Design Job Description Assignment

The following is a fake job description created as part of an assignment for Ed Tech 503: Instructional Design at Boise State University. It is not a real job posting. At the end of this post, I have written a brief reflection on the differences between a teacher and an instructional designer.

Job Posting

Institution: Anytown University

Location: Anytown, USA

Title: Instructional Designer and Trainer

Posted: August 29, 2011

Application Due: September 29, 2011

Job Type: Administration, Full-Time

Job Description

Anytown University seeks a full-time instructional designer and trainer to work with all academic units on campus and the library to improve the institution’s online instruction presence and impact through its website and its learning management system. This person will be responsible for helping faculty develop their online course content, including instruction modules, online syllabus, online course interactions, online multimedia interactions for courses, and online presentations. This person will also be responsible for leading the university’s professional development for online learning. This job will be a part of the university’s combined Mabee Library and Digital Information Services Center. The position will report to the Dean of Library and Digital Information Services. Anytown University is a private university of 2,000 students in a suburban community of 75,000 people.

Duties

  • Manage and maintain the university’s LMS, Moodle
  • Train faculty on using Moodle
  • Coordinate with the university’s web development team to research, select, migrate, and implement to a more user-friendly web contentment management system, so more faculty can have an online presence of their own that is easy to maintain
  • Manage and train on the university’s webinar platform, BlackBoard Collaborate to be used more widely in courses
  • Work with faculty to develop more instructionally friendly online and in-class presentations through various platforms
  • Work with faculty on course development to incorporate appropriate learning technologies in the face-to-face and online class environments
  • Develop and lead professional development workshops for faculty and staff to develop their online teaching and development skills
  • Facilitate faculty technology learning communities to help them develop online course modules
  • Travel, attend, and present at national conferences in the instructional design field
  • Keep abreast of emerging trends and technologies in instructional design; some institution funding will be provided for this
  • Coordinate with the university library staff to make sure electronic library resources and information is implemented into online classes
  • Supervise student learning community support staff for online learning at the institution
  • Perform other job-releated duties as required

Required Qualifications

A master’s degree in instructional design, instructional technology, educational technology, or related field, plus three years experience in instructional design and training in higher education. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Extensive knowledge of web content management systems, from the end-user point of view. Experience developing digital tutorials. A working knowledge of HTML. Ability to travel. Ability to train users from a wide-range of technological experience. Knowledge and understanding of andragogy theory and curriculum development. Project management skills. Flexible.

Preferred Qualifications

A second degree or concentration in adult education or library science. Experience with Moodle, BlackBoard Collaborate, and selecting a web content management system. Experience coordinating a campus technology learning community for faculty.

Application Requirements

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three references to hr@anytownu.edu by the deadline to be considered.

Reflection

Teachers and instructional designers appear to have similar jobs, when looking at the jobs from a distance. Both are focused on instruction, but from different directions. When one looks closer stark differences can be seen.

Teachers are expected to have a large body of knowledge of their course content and field at the level they are teaching. They plan and deliver the instruction and content. They manage the classes, plan and create evaluation activities (papers, quizzes, and tests), and grade the course content. They know best how to tailor necessary knowledge into instructional form for each class or unit. Finally, teachers interact with and motivate their students. For example, I had an American History teacher in high school who brought history alive for his classes. He planned, organized, and delivered lectures and discussions on American history in each class. He also carried out evaluations, expecting research papers, mixed tests, and the occasional pop quiz. He graded class material. He delivered his lectures in an engaging manor for the class and used discussions and group projects to further enhance the learning. He also knew how to motivate every student in the class, encouraging and pushing them toward their interests for projects or during discussions. He definitely was a teacher.

An instructional designer, on the other hand, works with a teacher to structure the learning activities. This person designs the platforms the learning is delivered in, may help design presentations or online class modules, provide frameworks for online class meetings. An instructional designer will help select the best way to present course information to enhance the learning experiences. An instructional designer will also help the teacher become aware of user needs, including providing for different learning styles or class needs, if this information is known. If it is not known, needs assessments and evaluations can be carried out to help redesign class materials. The instructional designer rarely interacts with the students. I have not had the personal experience of working directly with an instructional designer, but I have helped colleagues develop presentations and online presentations for training purposes. Much of that consulting work matches what I’ve described an instructional designer as. An instructional designer doesn’t have to a working knowledge of the subject at hand. That is up to the instructor or teacher. But, the instructional designer does know how to better display information in a variety of manors to enhance the learning process.

In summary, then, one might say there are three major differences between an instructional designer and a teacher. A teacher delivers the instruction. The designer creates how the instruction is displayed or delivered. The teacher creates the content of the instruction. The designer packages the content into the best format for optimal instruction. The teacher evaluates the work of the students. The designer evaluates the impact of the instruction design on learning. The teacher and instructional designer jobs are similar, yet handle out very different but important parts of the instruction process. Every teacher needs a good instructional designer to make the most impact with his/her students, regardless the level of instruction.

Job Postings Links

Ed Tech Master’s Degree: One Semester Completed!

I started yet another grad school journey this summer in June, beginning the Master in Educational Technology online program through Boise State University. I’ll also be completing a graduate certificate in Online Teaching for Adult Learners along the way.

The summer semester pretty much kicked me in the rear end — I don’t necessarily recommend taking 6 hours, right off the bat, in the summer semester, while working full-time. But I survived, had understanding co-workers, learned my limit, learned how to cope again with lack of sleep and full brain.

The projects, reflections, and readings of the program have all confirmed that this path was the next correct step in this journey called life.

If you want to follow my journey of learning, feel free to check out and read my Ed Tech Learning Log, a required blog for reflection on the classes I’m taking to help build a portfolio at the end of the program. I may occasionally cross-post here, but more often than not, will keep the two blogs separate.

Also, I designed and completed several learning activities for the Internet for Educators course (web design), which can all be found through this homepage. I designed many of these with a target audience for the librarians I work with.

The projects I created and designed included:

My goal from the ed tech program right now is not to end up in a classroom with K-12 students (not certified, anyway), or even a college classroom. It’s to continue working for an organization like where I’m at right now or another continuing education or professional development organization, developing training using online learning and blended learning tools. Or, it could be in Higher Ed working with faculty to develop online learning/blended learning/technology integration.

Also, the library is about lifelong learning. I’m hoping to learn ways to incorporate ed tech concepts into libraries to reach patrons at whatever learning level they want to be at.

Finally, one surprise from this program has been resurrecting my design skills that have remained dormant since high school web design and newspaper days. I still have a lot to learn, but it will be interesting to see what I get out of instructional design this fall. I sure enjoyed designing the final two projects in the web design course!

7 Things You Should Know about Personalized Digital Magazines

This post was shared on the forums during EdTech 502: The Internet is for Educators:

In the one of the latest Educause Learning Initiative (ELI)’s 7 Things You Should Know About series, ELI explores Personalized Digital Magazines (direct link to PDF document). These are tablet applications such as Flipboard, Zite, and Taptu that aggregate users’ social media network connections such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google Reader, transforming the information into an interactive magazine format. The guide answers several questions about the technology, including who’s using it, its implications, its downsides (including copyright questions), and its significance and provides a scenario for a student’s use of this technology in a college program.

I’ve actually heavily used Flipboard and Zite since getting an iPad, and found both apps to be quite useful in quickly getting through my social network streams. I don’t use them all the time, but it’s a different way to interact with the streams.

The ELI 7 Things You Should Know About series provides concise overviews of emerging technologies, especially in relation to their impact on higher education.

100 Informative & Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators

This post was shared on the forums during EdTech 502: The Internet is for Educators:

If you need a weekend/new month starting pick-me-up, ideas for professional development, training, or student inspiration ice-breakers, you might find the videos on the list of 100 Informative and Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators inspiring and useful. Several are TEDTalks, including several of my favorites by Sir Ken Robinson and Adora Svitak.

The videos cover the topics of creativity and learning, technology, philosophy and social studies, educational excellence, inspiration for teachers, science and math, language arts, special education, physical education, and business education and entrepreneurship.

They are focused for education, but really, they are for anyone interested in learning.

Finally, the Accredited Online Colleges blog that this resources if from, is full of great lists and resources about online technology, especially for education.

MOOCs: Massive Open Online Course

This post was shared on the forums during EdTech 502: The Internet is for Educators:

Has anyone heard of or participated in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) before? I had never heard of the term before this summer, when the University of Illinois announced a MOOC on Online Learning Today for this summer.

What’s a MOOC? Check out this YouTube video, explaining what it is.

The MOOC course from University of Illinois looked interesting, so I signed up, hoping to participate. Well, with classes and work, that became impossible, but I plan to look at the content later.

This past week, I ran across the article, “Explore a New Learning Frontier: MOOCs” in Learning Solutions Magazine. MOOCs still look to be a very new trend, but it will be interesting to see what comes of them. Their impact, especially for adult continuing education purposes could be quite interesting.

Tech Use Plan Presentation

This presentation outlines the technology planning process, while also beginning to plan the idea behind a digitization project that is ongoing at work.The speaker notes are attached or can be separately viewed and downloaded here or viewed inside the presentation.

I learned that while creating the different elements of technology implementation does take time, the planning process only helps the project succeed. When thinking about the digitization project, the constant implementation, evaluation, revision process already has gone on, as the interface, cataloging mechanisms, and content display have all been tweaked. A possibility at changing the platform if the current one doesn’t work, has already been mentioned. Having a plan in place will only make the process easier in the future. Also, having training guidelines beforehand will also help the project succeed!