Original Project - Unit 5

I will attach it in an email to my partner for testing. Chatchada, please post your comments here.=)

My audience is my 9th grade students in my English class. They really struggle with revision and editing. When I ask them to revise, they usually edit. I have added some specific suggestions/mistakes that are common to 9th graders. It's kind of boring, and maybe overwhelming??? Have I added too much stuff? Should I take out the questions and the suggestions and just leave the topics? It doesn't look very appealing.

Unit 4 Final Image and Justification

This image is a slide from a Poetry PowerPoint that I use with my 9th grade students. We have usually covered simile by the time we get to poetry, but they forget fast!

My original image was awful. I was obviously in a rush to put something together, and I never took the time to go back and make it better. This would have been a perfect example for Tuft!=) I'm glad that this class is giving me an opportunity to take a look at my own work that I use in the classroom with my students. It does give it more meaning for me!

In my original image there was a lot of competition going on between my background (the color gradient) with the figure (the text) (102). This is something that my partner, Chatchada, and I agreed on. I changed the background to plain white. I played with a black background, but it still did not seem to work well with the figure. The white background with the black font provided a nice contrast and the white space helped chunk/organize the information on the slide(111). I also changed the font style (as recommended by my partner) to a sans serif font because the original font was hard to read.

I made the title (figure) stand out by making it a larger font than the rest of the text, and I tried to show depth and dimension with the title by adding some color and applying an outline and light shadow (270 and 272). I used the same two colors (black and blue) that are used throughout the slide to show unity. By using these techniques the figure should improve the information the learner selects (111).

I decided to utilize two different text colors for contrast and organization. I thought that keeping all the text black would be a bit boring. I decided to leave the definition or information that related back to the definition in black, and then I made the example and the explanation of the example in blue. I thought that by using the two colors in this way would not only brighten up the image but also help organize this information (111 and 267). I think the black will help the learner select the most important information and the lighter color (blue) will be the second piece the learner will select (the example) (102). The use of white space, as mentioned above, also helps to organize this information.

I deleted one of the examples from the slide that I thought was extraneous (102). It was a bit too much information for one slide, and it was a more difficult simile for 9th graders. I stuck to one example and attempted to explain it well.

I added clip art to this image/slide as well. Knowing my 9th grade students, I need to keep them engaged whenever/where ever I can. I looked for appropriate clip art and thought that these two pieces help to emphasize the example and give the students more of a concrete visual (102).

I definitely think that my revised image will be more effective with my students. I think that the contrast and use of the colors black, blue and white will help the learner select and organize the information on the slide. The clip art will help attract and control the students' attention and help them to visualize the example (266).

Unit 4 Original Image for Independent Activity

The Independent Activities on pages 118 and 278 require you to pick your own project to work on. The slide above is part of a Poetry PowerPoint that I use for my 9th graders. The section of the unit this comes out of is a section on Figurative Language. Looking at it now, I realize it is awful! I obviously threw this together and never went back to make it better. This slide is on simile which should be a review for the students. The only way to go on this one is up!=)

Unit 3 Final Image and Justification

I chose the first Challenge Activity on page 245 for this unit. The image in the center is the Longue Vue in New Orleans (http://www.ianadamsphotography.com/store/page23.html). It is the architecture I chose to resemble a letter. The users could be a class like ours on Creating Images. Ages are from 18 and up. Users would have some computer experience. This was created for the purpose of showing how text can also be an art form, and that text can be found in the most beautiful architecture.

The image on the left is close to my original image. I thought that this piece of architecture looked like an upside down "i". I used a San Serif font because the fountain has a rounded shape (221). I made the text thick and kept the fill color black for contrast (215), and I thought that the black resembled the color of the water.

The image on the right of the piece of architecture is a revised image. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to alter the original text (the "i"). I wanted to change the style of the "i" to more appropriately match the picture. I rounded the top of the column of the "i". My partner also suggested making the dot larger to match the pool of water. I used shapes to form a new "i", and tried to show depth (215) by the smaller end of the column of the "i", and I made it wider as it approached the round pool. I used proximity with white space in between the column and the circle (203). I tried not to leave too much white space in between because I wanted it to keep the form of an "i", to show that the column and the circle were related. I aligned the shapes in the center to show they were related and to show unity (210).

I included both images because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to alter the text to create a more fitting example.

Unit 3 Original Image for Challenge Activity #1

Architecture, LONGUE VUE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

http://www.ianadamsphotography.com/store/page23.html

Okay, so I know this is very rough. The challenge was to match a letter form with a piece of archtitecture. I thought this looked like an "i" upside down. I tried working in Adobe Illustrator, and I have no idea what I am doing. I have some great ideas for improving this image, but I have no idea how to do it! I guess I'll be watching a bunch of video tutorials.

Revised Image and Justification

This is my revised image for my Literary Elements powerpoint show for my 9th graders.  This is the classic plot line sometimes referred to as Freytag's Analysis.   The design shape of my image is presented in a landscape design because of the wideness of the image (225).   In my original image, the elements of plot and the key words to define them were all the same size and boldness.  I decided to make the acutal elements bold and larger to emphasize them.  I put the definitions in smaller font.   The key words are in italics to make them stand out from the rest of the definition (64-65).

My partner suggested using gradients to show intensity.  I added light intensity/gradient at the beginning and the end.  I made the intensity of the gradient darker at the point of climax since that is usually the most intense/exciting point of the story (64-65).  Great idea Chatchada!=)

I think I have also including "chunking" as I presented each of the 5 elements of plot.  It has helped with the direction/sequencing(52).

I really wanted to make an analogy of the plot line to climbing Mt. Everest, but I thought it would be too overwhelming for one slide.  Maybe the following slide could be the analogy in an attempt to move the elements of plot into the students' long term memory (55).  Either using an analogy or having the students apply it to a common movie would help them integrate the ideas and make it more meaningful for them (52 and 66).

I was going to add a piece of clip art, but it made it look cheesy, so I deleted it.  I still hope to find the right picture to add to my overall image, but I want to find the right one.  I also thought I would add arrows on the lines, but I thought that the image made sense without them. These were two items along with the mountain analogy that I thought were extraneous, so I left them out for now(52).

I still feel that there are improvements to be made on this image and after the image (on the next slide) to make it more meaningful and effective, but I do see much improvement from my original design.

Original or Starting Image

This is the image I am beginning with. It is actually an image I created a few years ago. This image is a part of a PowerPoint presentation on literary elements that I use at the beginning of the year for my ninth grade students. This should be a review for them. Looking at the image now, I know that they are many improvements needed. I am excited to make it better.

If you click on the image you will see a bigger version.