Cobb, Kari SIS - Sandwich Project-Reflection

ISLT 9484 Fall 2013 Dr. Howland September 26, 2013 - Session Tuesday, September 24, 6:30PM

SIS Reflection Kari Cobb

A. Session Details
I. II. III. The two classmates that attended my session were Donna Hogan and Deborah Garten. My session occurred on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 6:30pm Central Standard Time (7:30pm EST). The grade level for this session included 9th-12th grade students. The content area of focus is to obtain a better understanding of Photoshop layers by creating the layers of a sandwich on a plate. Utilizing layers effectively is a key skill to have in order to create efficient and fully editable graphics. If layers are not used effectively, it can be detrimental to the success of your project. The purpose of this session was direct instruction, targeting those students who learn through listening and viewing the material. Upon request the students will be able to receive the tutorial file to read during and after the session. Upon completing this session students will be able to: a. Use layering tool to produce a multi-layered image. b. Manipulate backgrounds using the masking tool. c. Effectively demonstrate the brush tool for added effect. Outline: a) Prepare lesson on Collaborate and test technology (in advance) b) Test classmates technology (day of) c) Help solve issues i. Hold class late enough for working colleagues but early enough for me ii. Class started a little late due to technical difficulties on my Mac (I had to download the Collaborate Launcher) d) Introduce lesson-What are layers? i. Who I teach it to ii. Why I was considering moving to an online format that supplements the current face-to-face format iii. What I was hoping to get out of lesson from my classmates. I wanted my classmates to feel like they were my partners in developing final photo product and develop an openness that would lead to discussion/ participation. e) Demonstration f) Verbal Formative Assessment
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Cobb, Kari SIS - Sandwich Project-Reflection

ISLT 9484 Fall 2013 Dr. Howland September 26, 2013 - Session Tuesday, September 24, 6:30PM VI. Because of the inability of students seeing the pull down menus in Adobe Photoshop while I was sharing my screen through Blackboard Collaborate, I tried to assess student learning by asking after each layer within the photo if they had any questions or needed any clarification. They did not seem to have a lot of questions at the beginning or the end of the session as they asked questions throughout the demonstration. The students were also good about speaking up and participating in a sort of conversation as the session progressed, so I used that to assess their engagement. I also asked them periodically to give some of the information that was a goal for them to learn (i.e. do they use Photoshop, will they use Photoshop in the future). Blackboard Collaborate features used: a) Audio & Video b) Whiteboard c) Application Sharing Desktop Sharing and Adobe Photoshop Elements d) Record e) Chat f) Other Interaction features

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B. Summary of your students feedback:

Both students enjoyed the session. I was described as knowledgeable concerning my subject and both thought I did well with preparation, presentation, and time control, despite Collaborate technical issues. Both were able to follow my demonstration easily however due to my inability to load sound with the video, direct instruction was the only instruction. One student stated, Kari did a terrific job of getting everyone involved. She did not let technical difficulties get in the way of her teaching. I think the screen sharing was difficult, but I am not certain if it was that process in general or if it was due to the fact that Photoshop and Photoshop documents require a great deal of resources. Kari did a great job of describing what she was doing when we students could not see it clearly. Both said that the learning goals and general purpose were met in an excellent way. One student stated, I feel that I am definitely more informed about how to use Photoshop. I feel more confident in trying the program now that I have seen it work and know what it can do. I am fascinated by the possibilities of this program and I think that I will give it a try--especially now that I have a free 30-day trial. Thank you and well done. Both agreed that I gave excellent descriptions of what I was doing and why these steps were useful in the process of layering images. I was also credited for addressing students by name and asking for specific responses. I agree with the feedback and will in the future incorporate a structured rubric for the students.

Cobb, Kari SIS - Sandwich Project-Reflection

ISLT 9484 Fall 2013 Dr. Howland September 26, 2013 - Session Tuesday, September 24, 6:30PM

C. Reflection:
I thought planning the lesson was interesting. I had a prepackaged idea of what I wanted to teach and how I wanted to go about doing it. This is evident in my plans that I posted previously. The general idea of the lesson was based on how I teach layering in Adobe Photoshop Elements to secondary students. Having an idea on how I wanted to teach the lesson and actually getting it onto Collaborate was a challenge. I followed the instructions on importing a Power Point, but was not able to do so. I am not sure if it was a Mac thing or not, but I ended up giving up on a PowerPoint. I also was unable to share my desktop or applications until I downloaded the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher. This solved the issue of sharing what was on my computer. Based on my experience in others sessions, I am glad I went through the trouble of testing my tools before my class, however, I just wish I would have tested them on my Mac, not my pc at school. Even though things didnt go perfectly, I feel my session was not that bad. Overall I think Collaborate is a promising tool for online teaching. Getting the video and audio to work was easy and in my opinion the best way to run a synchronous session. The ability to import video or share the web was great. I think I need more training on Collaborate prior to using it again. Of course I am a Mac user and have come to expect that from my technology. For me personally, I prefer asynchronous sessions. They allow me to take time to process new information. They also allow students to log on whenever is convenient for them to learn, not a scheduled time. What do I know about myself? I am a very busy person (like all of us); I need to be able to log on at 3:00am if needed or go three days without logging into class if I am coaching or fulfilling other teaching obligations that week. I. Successes of the lesson: Overall I think my session went well. The whiteboard worked as planned. The discussions with my classmates provided evidence they were learning and understanding layers within Adobe Photoshop Elements. The audio and video features worked well. Challenges: Getting everyones systems to work properly was a minor issue in my session. The students were unable to see the pull-down menus I referred to and demonstrated so I had to rely on verbal queues to lead instructions. The other challenge was when I shared a video tutorial; the students couldnt hear the sound. I shortened the playtime and demonstrated. Evaluation of the Collaboration features you used: a. Video: Very good, easy to use
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Cobb, Kari SIS - Sandwich Project-Reflection

ISLT 9484 Fall 2013 Dr. Howland September 26, 2013 - Session Tuesday, September 24, 6:30PM b. Whiteboard: Overall good feature, trouble importing layer images. c. Application Sharing: Desktop sharing works well, however, would like to share Adobe Photoshop Elements better. d. Video/ Audio chat: Worked well on Mac, no set-up needed. IV. Changes or modifications that need to be made to the session plan: I think that adding a video tutorial prior with sound to my demonstration would benefit the session next time. The quiz did not work as planned so I just didnt use it for assessment. I relied on verbal formative assessment instead to gauge understanding. I got the information I needed from my classmates, but my final audience would be secondary students and I would question their ability to adjust like my classmates. The quiz gives me self-evaluation data on student progress and would be extremely important. If I were to implement this with my students, I would have to spend time instructing them on how to take a quiz. At this time I can use Quia, email it to my students, and get results with little to no instruction on how to use it as they are already used to using it as a resource. The biggest tip I have for others is to test all the technology you are planning on using on the computer you plan on using during your session. I tested mine on a pc and ended up using a Mac for my session. There were differences that threw me off a little during my session. This is probably the biggest difference between a smooth presentation and a chaotic one. It is my opinion you are better off by loading your material to Collaborate before class as apposed to just sharing your desktop. The students were not able to actually engage and complete the exercise with me. They were only able to watch. This eliminates things that can go wrong in your lesson. I would also suggest that people limit how much material they want to cover, both sessions I attended went much longer than their estimated time, including my own.

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D. Peer Sessions Session 1: Donna Hogan: Oovoo 9/24/2013 7:30pm Central Time. The purpose of this session was intended to introduce Oovoo, a free online communication tool similar to Skype, to teachers of asynchronous, F2F, or hybrid classes, who utilize collaboration in their courses. I enjoyed the session very much and I learned about Oovoo. Donna is knowledgeable concerning her subject and I thought did very well with preparation, presentation, and time control. The learning goals and general purpose were met in an excellent way. Session 2: Kyle Davis: Running a Zone Read Offense 9/29/2012 7pm Central Time. The lesson is designed for students that are looking to further their coaching career at the college or professional of football level by understanding modern trends in the sport. Students will be able to recognize, teach, implement and install the Zone Read, which is a very popular form of offense in American Football.
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Cobb, Kari SIS - Sandwich Project-Reflection

ISLT 9484 Fall 2013 Dr. Howland September 26, 2013 - Session Tuesday, September 24, 6:30PM I enjoyed the session very much and I learned quite about the zone read offense. Kyle is highly knowledgeable concerning his subject and I thought did very well with preparation, presentation, and time control. I was able to follow the demonstration easily and the PowerPoint, diagrams and videos were excellent instructional supplements. The learning goals and general purpose were met in an excellent way.