Edmodo Review

In the Ted Talk, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, Allen says, “flexibility trumps perfection” (2012, 16:21). This quote resonated with me because when I started teaching, I was focused on doing things perfectly. I learned quickly that I cannot control what happens. Unexpected events will pop up throughout the day, but that shouldn’t stop us from achieving our goals. There are tools that can help us organize our thoughts to better prepare ourselves for those events. This week, I was challenged to use a tool that will improve my workflow, using the GTD system (collect, process, organize, review, and do). I wanted to focus on organizing my events, so I decided to explore Edmodo.

Edmodo is organized and simple to use. I used the calendar to briefly plan my week, which I had an easy time navigating. This calendar included weekly and monthly options, “coming soon” section, and “someday” section. It’s great that the teacher site is for those who want to connect with others and share information, but I would like to see an option where a section is just for me to see. When you want to add events to the calendar, you need to add a recipient to create that event, which is a constraint for those who wants a more personal site. You could send it to yourself, but it can be a hassle to put in a recipient each time a task is added.

There are many features and tips and tricks on Edmodo! One tip that I recommend when you first sign up for Edmodo is to familiarize yourself with the site. Even though it’s very organized and simple to use, again, there are lots of features that can be created for teachers to use (e.g. groups/subgroups, importing and exporting documents, etc.). Starting anything is difficult, but the more we practice and use a tool, the better we are at using them.

 

References

TEDx Talks. (2012). The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: David Allen at TEDxClaremontColleges. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHxhjDPKfbY&feature=youtu.be

A “Minnie” Reflection

Drawing Minnie Mouse is harder than it looks! This week, I used this YouTube channel and website to learn how to draw Minnie. First, I needed to start off with a circle, which was difficult because each time I drew it, it looked lopsided. The perfectionist in me wanted to make it look as nice as the picture on the website. After a couple of tries, I finally moved on. I did not think it would take me that long to complete one step!

The second step is to draw construction lines, which are two intersecting lines. I have seen people draw these lines before, but I wasn’t too sure why. I learned that these lines help the artist to draw features on nicely. I found that I had an easier time drawing on Minnie’s features because of these lines.

Here is a short video clip that I recorded on Boomerang, of me drawing the construction lines.

Throughout this process, I did a lot of sketching and erasing. It started off simple (sort of), but as the instructions became more detailed, it got more difficult. There were times where I had to overlap the details on her face and bow and it got confusing because I did not know where to start the next detail, which is why the video came in handy.

The instructions only show what the outcome should look like from one step to the next, but the video showed what was in between. This is exactly why I prefer watching the video as the instructions became more difficult. The artist shows where to start and what and how to draw each detail. I was also able to see which features were sketched lighter or darker and this helped me to move along quicker.

I can see a huge learning progression from my first drawing to this drawing. However, I did find another website to show me how to draw the rest of Minnie because the previous site only showed me how to draw her head and face! This is the site that I used. Before using the instructions, I did not know how to draw the details on Minnie. Everything also looks very flat with no dimension. I can tell now, with my new picture, that it looks more dimensional and neat. It may also have to do with the fact that I used a pencil and instructions this time! ;P And now, you can tell that this is Minnie!

Please see my progression below:

Throughout the next two weeks, I will practice drawing other characters: Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and Belle. These are the resources that I will be using to help me learn to draw these other characters.

Daisy Duck (Website with embedded YouTube video which shows step-by-step instructions and someone drawing Daisy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1zA9z5Ef3s

Donald Duck (Step-by-step picture instructions. No video embedded or words):

Goofy (Same website as Daisy Duck):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U99Z07nqGk

Pluto (Step-by-step instructions on a video):

Belle (Picture instructions are used. There are no words):

Learning to draw Minnie was challenging. In the beginning, I was so worried about drawing Minnie perfectly, that it stopped me from enjoying my learning process. After I let go of those worries, I started to enjoy drawing a lot more. It became very relaxing and therapeutic. I am excited to continue to practice drawing! Hope you enjoyed this blog. Be sure to see my next blog post that will show the drawings of the other characters! If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to leave a comment. Thank you!

References

EasyDrawingTutorials. (2012). How to Draw Minnie Mouse. YouTube. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC1cEykHtI4

EasyDrawingTutorials. (2017). How to Draw Minnie Mouse. Retrieved from http://www.easydrawingtutorials.com/index.php/disney/125-draw-minnie-mouse

 

Professional Learning Networks

The education world has evolved so much throughout the years and it continues to change into a more innovate and advanced learning space. To keep up with this transformation, it is important for teachers to continue learning more about curriculum, teaching, learning theories, technology, and so on, through many different professional learning networks.

This week, I was challenged to create a mind map using Popplet! My popplet shows what I go to for information and who I rely on for good information. There are many different sites and people that are out there, but it can be difficult to find accurate information, especially through informal sites. However, the more we connect with others and validate information, the more we learn and better educate our students.

I (and I’m sure many others), use mostly social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Instagram, and Pinterest to connect with educators all over the world. I also learn from my colleagues, classmates, and other sites on the internet. For more information, please take a look at my popplet below. If you would like to give me some ideas about other important resources I should check out, please let me know! I hope you enjoy the popplet! 🙂

Network Learning Project #1

I was challenged to think about one thing I want to learn how to do using only YouTube videos and help forums. After a lot of brainstorming, I decided to learn how to draw; This week, I will learn how to draw Minnie Mouse and eventually expand my skills to draw a variety of Disney characters! One of my favorite Disney characters is Minnie and one of my least favorite tasks is drawing.

Here is a video of me drawing of Minnie (Without any instructions or pictures to copy) Don’t laugh!

Drawing is challenging especially when you draw with just a pencil, paper, and your imagination. It is easy to visualize the picture in your mind, but it’s different to translate that visualization onto paper.

When I thought about why it was difficult for me to draw, I thought about my experiences throughout school. I had art class, but most of the projects that I did, was coloring, painting, and crafts. One of my friends is very good at drawing, so I asked about her experiences. She told me that since she was little, she practiced drawing many different pictures at home. Because of her enthusiasm, she took art classes outside of school. She had the encouragement at home and the passion for it, which gave her the skills needed to create a plethora of pictures. We all have something we enjoy and are good at, but that does not mean we should avoid learning things we are not too good at.

I think if I learn some new drawing skills and accomplish this goal and challenge of drawing Minnie Mouse, this will encourage me to learn how to draw a variety of characters in the coming weeks. I will be using this website and YouTube video to help me learn to draw Minnie. Eventually, I would like to learn to draw her without any instructions! I think my overall goal is to be more confident with something that is challenging. Even if it does not go as planned, at least I know I did my best!

Here is the final product… I hope to show a growth in skills and improvement in the next two blogs!

 

 

Learning, Understanding, and Conceptual Change

This week in CEP 810, I learned more about learning and understanding. After completing Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000) readings on How People Learn, I was challenged to write an essay that included my thoughts and beliefs about what learning is, how the learning processes of experts and novices differ, and the importance of these foundational ideas in a program that focuses on educational technologies. The full essay (953 words) can be found here.

To me, learning is acquiring knowledge through experiences, observations, activities, conversations, etc. We use our senses and experiences to make sense of our world. How we learn is important to know, so that as teachers, we can provide our students with meaningful experiences that will stick with them for a lifetime. Please enjoy my reflection on learning. Comments and reflections are always welcomed!