Lesson Planning & Misc. Tools

Richard Hartshorne, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Educational TechnologySkype: rhartsho49erE-mail: richard.hartshorne@ucf.eduPhone: 407.823.1861

Agenda• Media Design• Collaborative Writing/Discussion Tools• Wolfram Alpha• Zotero• Converting Files• Blogging• Your Lesson Plan

– Your Task for Today

• Questions?

Design Issues

What are some poorly designed things in everyday life?

Design

What are some things on the web that you do not like to see?

Questions to Ask?

• Who is the audience? • What is the message I am trying to convey?• What are my objectives? • What types of actions to I want the audience

to do?• What materials are available to me?• What are the limiting factors in the situation?

K-I-S-S

• Keep it simple.– Remember your first PowerPoint???– “It” should enhance the site

• Map out your site.– Indicate all links, page names, relationships (hierarchy)– Sticky notes, Inspiration, Word– Storyboard pages

Navigation Issues

• All pages should be accessible from all other pages (unless otherwise warranted)

• Organization is key• Audience will influence complexity• Should be clear

BAD DESIGN ELEMENTS

• Small text.• All caps, bold, italicized, or underlined text.• Horizontal scrolling of any kind.• Too much vertical scrolling• Large type (looks childish).• Obvious page headings.• Big navigation buttons.• Busy backgrounds.• Animations (most).

GOOD DESIGN ELEMENTS

• Clean, clear design.• Dramatic, but controlled, color.• Moderate whitespace.• Consistency, consistency, consistency

Consistency

• Spacing• Colors• Image size• Hyperlink Styles• Heading size and font stypes• Text size and font styles• Everything

Misc. Design Tips

• Use bold, underline, italics, or color to draw attention to items• Draw a box around important concepts• Use a line to separate elements• Don’t overcrowd areas• Manage colors and fonts• Avoid Comic Sans font• Avoid clip art (cartoony)• Link to site names, not URLs.• Have external links open in new windows

Collaborative Writing/Discussion Tools

Zoho

• www.zoho.com• Like Google Drive• No Gmail needed• More Functionality

Etherpad

• etherpad.org • Open Source online

collaborative editor• Real-Time• Must be downloaded• All platforms• Color-coded entries

Computational Knowledge Engine

Cloud-Based Bibliographic Tool

Converting Files

ZamZar

• www.zamzar.com• File Conversion• No Account Needed• Sends to e-mail address• All sorts of files

• A Quick Look

Convert.Files

www.convertfiles.com/

You Convert It

www.youconvertit.com

Blogging

Tools

Tips

• Be unique• Be brief, but thorough• Have singular topic posts• Use titles effectively• Tag your posts • Be positive• If critical, offer solutions• Write about your passion(s)

Tips, cont.

• Include images, media, audio, etc….when appropriate

• Use an attractive design• Be accurate• Encourage commentary• Short sentences• Write often

Let’s Create and Edit Some Blogs

Your Technology-Rich Lesson

Your Lesson Plan

• Lesson Plan– 2 days of activities (include objectives, as they will guide lesson)– Needs traditional and emerging technology– Student-centered (include what students will do)– Evaluation of learning? (rubric, checklist, etc.)

• Student Activities Page– Students could work alone– Provide step-by-step instructions– Provide resources

• Teacher Resource Page– 8-10 annotated resources– Additional tips

Your Approach

• Determine Topic• Determine Instructional Ideas/Approach• Determine Tools to Support Approach• Create Lesson Plan page• Create Student Activities Page• Create Teacher Resource Page

Your Task for Today

Tasks for today

Choose 1 emerging technology we’ve discussed and create a small product (i.e., 3 slide Google Slides presentation, brief PowerPoint and upload to SlideShare, etc.) to include in your lesson

Choose 1 traditional technology we’ve discussed and create a small product (i.e., 3 slide Google Slides presentation, brief PowerPoint and upload to SlideShare, etc.) to include in your lesson

Begin Finding/Collecting Resource for your Teacher Resources and Student Activities Pages.

Others/Thoughts/Questions???

Next Time

• Concept Mapping• Other Misc. Tools• More Work Time

Bring Content and Ideas