Final Reflection

I enjoyed viewing Alexis Hixson and Emily McDonald's videos!

Talking It Up

After researching about internet safety I had to share some of the knowledge. I called my aunt who works with the young women in her ward and has a teenage son at home. I was surprised at how much she wanted to know. I wished that I had done some more research. She brought up the concern we talked about in class; wide spread, easy access, portable computers, not being able to only have them in public places. I told her about checking browser histories and deleting them on a regular basis and gave her a website. She was also interested in finding out about the one-time-use credit card. If you have any information on that, let me know. Overall, it was a good experience and sharpened our awareness of what is going on out there on the web.

Internet Safety Research

In reading up on and talking in class about internet safety, I have come to realize that this something that we need to be aware of because make choices about it regularly, if not daily. The internet and cyber world are becoming more and more expected, routine, normal. With familiarity, we sometimes forget the hazards and discount the dangers. We do not see it so we do not think about it. In reading an article from the Desert News, I found many statistics that show the growing problems in this generation. Cyber-bulling is not something I have been affected by or see others deal with so it was interesting to see the stats. The site talked about topics I will definitely see in the public schools and should be aware of: bullying/harassment, sexting, relationship control. It is our job, as adults and leaders, to be aware and know where to turn for help. This link is to the class website. Our teacher is good at finding accurate information and making it available.

After reading about the wide spread and influence, I wondered how I was going to prevent it in mine and my family life. I reviewed an article on lds.org that gave really good avenues of prevention and offered hope. Some advice I had not thought of included monitoring browser histories regularly and clearing them regularly. Also, the article reminded me of important things to teach my children. I need to talk to them about chat rooms, peer-to-peer sharing, spam e-mail, and how to turn off the computer immediately. Knowledge is power and kids are using the internet at home, school, and public places. We need to help protect them by staying up on technologies and teaching them how to handle their own internet adventures with integrity. We can protect our families if we recognize and address the normality of the internet. It is a great resources, but it can be used for evil.

Instructional Videos in Teaching

Videos are becoming more and more desirable and pleasurable in teaching for students and teachers. They draw the students in and make something normal and plain even more exciting with background music and effects. In the FACS realm of teaching, videos can be particularly helpful in showing shortened demonstrations of cooking, zooming in on sewing machine parts, experiencing architecture and design, and much more. Cooking demonstrations help students be successful in making mysterious recipes. It can save them from common mistakes and emphasize important tips. In clothing construction, sewing machine parts and procedures can be hard to explain and show a class all at one. A video would allow everyone to see and provide replay options when necessary. In the area of interior design, visual learning is extremely beneficial and, actually, vital. I would try to make videos of famous places and designs from the community to enhance learning. Also, I think video projects for teenagers would be a lot of fun for them, their peers, and myself. It would be fun to see what they could come up with. I would keep topics open ended giving them broad topics to create with. Topics could include teen living, adult roles, dating, and financial management.

This video was a demonstration, but I would use it more for introducing and remembering the purpose of different quick bread ingredients. I would have put narration with it, but I did not want to disrupt the people in the lab. Instead, I inserted text. I would use this video as a quiz on the day after we talked about quick bread ingredients. The quiz would already have the questions on it so that they could keep up with the movie or grab the information from memory. The movie would also serve as a demonstration, reminder, and visual of what to expect and look for as we make the bread; killing two birds with one stone.

Story Board for Instructional Video

Click here to see my story board.

Google Sketch-Up

Oh my goodness! This is such a cool program, but it took me forever to make such a simple room. I built the room one plain at a time and found that it was difficult to be sure everything lined up. You have to use the tricks taught in the tutorials and check to make sure you actually do what you think you are doing. Objects are easier or more difficult to move and size depending on what angle and position you are in. The orbit tool is essential to making sure everything as it appears.

The main focus of this design was to create a floor layout. This a project I would give to my advanced Interior Design students. To make it easier on them, I would create a few empty rooms for them to choose from and then they could find the furniture. In addition to furniture assignments, I could have them mess around with the colors they pick for the room and the materials they choose for the flooring. Each of these projects would lend well to a short write-up explaining why they picked what they did in terms of the elements and principles of design. By the end of the year students would have a really nice portfolio, perhaps of their dream home.

Here are the standards it would fill:

Objective 4: Discuss how interiors are affected by furniture arrangements and traffic patterns.

1.      Using a floor plan and templates, arrange furniture for an apartment or home
2.   .    Discuss the traffic patterns developed by furniture arrangement

Objective 2: Discuss the basic elements and principles of design.

1.      Describe the effect of color on shape, size, feelings, and moods
2.      Identify color preferences and combine color combinations to form color schemes 

Picasa & Teaching FACS

This technology would be handy and fun to use in FACS education. I feel like I could use it to be a more effective teacher and that the students could use it to enhance their learning and demonstrate understanding. I have already mentioned using Picasa collages as posters for the students to use. I could also use it to make step by step reminders of cooking or sewing processes. If I have a poor quality picture this program can enhance and clarify it to a great degree.

The before and after pictures could be used by student to show me they cleaned and rearranged their bedrooms or closets or before and after they added principles and elements of fashion to their wardrobe. Thus they would satisfy the objective to understand and apply basic principles and elements of design.

Specifically, objective two for FACS education states: Discuss the basic elements and principles of design. 

a: Describe the effect of color on shape, size, feelings, and moods

Students could easily manipulate the color and shape of photos in Picasa. I would have them take one picture of an interior or face and adjust its exposure, contrast, and color. Then write about how it changed the mood and feeling of the the picture.

Overall, I am excited to keep exploring and figuring out ways I can use Picasa in my classroom and instruction.