Final Reflection 

        As I reflect on these past weeks in this course, I believe I have gained further insight into the field of instructional technology and design. I really enjoyed this course in particular because I have a passion for content creation, I love creating instructional material in particular. I have gained more knowledge about multimedia design and principles. I now feel better prepared for this field and I have been able to put my learning into use as I am actively applying various methods learned throughout this course. My multimedia toolbox has grown in a result of this course, and it was a wonderful experience overall. 

My Final Project 

        For my final project, I chose to use the applications of Thinglink, Canva, and Screencastify to create my design. I would say yes, I was able to successfully integrate the components I envisioned for my project. I began my project with the ideation of the digital divide affecting ELLs (English Language Learners). Then I shifted my focus to creating a cohesive format in which I can share actual resources that support ELLs in their language acquisition. As a bilingual teacher, I have struggled year after year to find resources and applications that aid my ELL students in their transition from  Spanish to English. The resources provided in my project are some of the ones we use daily. I am sharing this actual project at my campus and conducting a PLC (professional learning community) meeting, where the principal has allowed me to use it to train my fellow educators on how they can integrate these applications in their classrooms. My hope is this is a useful resource to them on how to integrate these technologies into different instructional practices.

 

        While working on my final project, I focused on utilizing Mayer's Theory of Multimedia Learning. I learned that this would produce a more cohesive and effective project. Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning provide a blueprint for how to structure multimedia elements to maximize learning outcomes (Digital Learning Institute, 2023).  I focused on using the Coherence Principle where people learn better when extraneous words, pictures, and sounds are excluded rather than included. I made sure to apply this principle in my final project as I did not include extra information, graphics, or videos that were not necessary. In addition, I integrated the Spatial Contiguity Principle so that people learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or screen. I made sure to place the example image of each resource next to their topic. I made them subtle and not distracting. Furthermore, I embedded the Multimedia Principle where people learn better from words,  pictures, and videos than from words alone. 

        Lastly, I envisioned my project to have clean lines, a calming color pallet, and a catchy title that educators will remember. So I came up with the title: Stand TALL for ELLs. It is something I came up with to be part of my design, the acronym TALL stands for : Translation support, Auditory support, Language support, and Literature support. I embedded an instructional video on each support resource so that educators can view examples of how to integrate them into instruction. All the videos will serve as reference materials as they learn how to use them further. My hope is this catchy title along with the acronym can better guide educators on how to integrate these resources. Overall, I am satisfied with my project outcome and I am excited to share it with my fellow educators, so they too can build up their toolbox. 

Project Explanation Video

Project Image

Click on my>>>MY PROJECT THINGLINK<<<

References 

Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. (2023, July 18). Digital Learning Institute. https://www.digitallearninginstitute.com/blog/mayers-principles-multimedia-learning/