Unit 6 Final Visual Activity

Unit 5 Final Draft

Section 1: Description of Project

For this project, I chose to do the Web Activity that asks you to creat an image that uses words and symbols to imply hierarchy. The image is called Partial-Sums Algorithm and it is a challenging activity that I use with my second graders. When I introduce this, they often struggle with the concept. I'm planning to use this image with my group of students to make the concept easier to learn. My goal with this image is to show, hierarchically, the steps one should take to complete a two digit addition math problem using the partial-sums algorithm. I used a different color with the words and arrows for each step to help show what it looks like as each step is done.

Section 2: Revised image

Section 3: Usability comments from project

Jamey,

I like the image. I did not know what a partial sums algorithm was so I wanted to see if I could understand it. I did. A couple thoughts.1. The arrows do not line up exactly with the rows. I realize this is maybe difficult because you need the arrows wide enough for the text, but it was just a thought.2. I do not know if it would help, but I see the word ones in red and the 14 in red, but the 6 and 8 are black. I think maybe they could be in red and the 5 and 2 in blue. The problem then, I realize is what happens with the last step? Red and blue make purple (This is just a thought. I do not know if that is helpful for 2nd graders.)I do really like the images the only big thing to me is the arrows not lining up. I think the others things could be good or bad. You know your students I trust your judgment on that.

Rachel

Section 4: Original image

Section 5: Justification Statements

When I created this image I wanted to make sure that it had a certain reading order (p. 133) so that my students know exactly where to start and end up towards the lower right corner of the image. I also made sure to place the words before the numbers (p. 139). To help with each step I numbered each step and created the three colors. I also added signal words (p. 146) to each step. With the suggestion of my partner I changed the last step from green to purple since you have to add the red step to the blue step and red plus blue equals purple, not green. My partner also thought that maybe I should try to change the numbers in the ones column and the numbers in the tens column to the corresponding colors. I tried that and discovered that it distracted too much from the partial sums that I wanted my students to notice. I kept the original addition problem black to avoid confusion between the problem and the answers.

Unit 5 Usability Testing - Draft 1

For this project, I chose to do the Web Activity that asks you to creat an image that uses words and symbols to imply hierarchy. The image is called Partial-Sums Algorithm and it is a challenging activity that I use with my second graders. When I introduce this, they often struggle with the concept. I'm planning to use this image with my group of students to make the concept easier to learn. My goal with this image is to show, hierarchically, the steps one should take to complete a two digit addition math problem using the partial-sums algorithm. I used a different color with the words and arrows for each step to help show what it looks like as each step is done.

Can you see the hierarchy in this image?

Are you able to understand the three steps for this algorithm?

Are the colors distracting?

Unit 4 Final Draft

Section 1: Description of Project
For this project, I chose to do the Independent Activity on page 118 that asks for an image that could use better figure-ground distinctions. I chose to take an image that I've used in the past and change parts of it. When I first looked at the original image after reading chapter 5, I thought that it could cause confusion because students may not know what to pay attention to when first looking at it. I felt that the original image had too many colors and that the central idea was not emphasized enough. Therefore, I chose to make the center circle bigger and change it to black since it's the first thing I want students to see. I wanted to show that the outer circles are all relationships to the central idea so I made them all the same shade of gray instead of a different color for each one. Although the original image is very colorful and interesting, I think the revised image is more effective in showing the information correctly.

Section 2: Revised Image

Section 3: Usability Comments from Partner

Jamey,

First I think the revised image is a definite improvement. In the original all the colors are very distracting. A couple comments.1.The center circle being larger does really attract attention there first. I think that is very helpful because your learners will know where to start. The circle seems like the center figure.2.So what are my eyes drawn to second…..the black lines around the smaller circles. I would think you would want to the words in the smaller circles to be what eyes are drawn too. I would consider getting rid of the black around the smaller circles.3.The text in the smaller circles still seems very small. Could you make it larger? I feel that it is so small it shows it is not important. 4.I think if you wanted to add color you could make all the small circles a single muted color. Hope that information helps. I think that you did a good job with the concept of selection and figure/ground.

Rachel

Section 4: Original Image

Section 5: Justification Statements

When I first saw my original image after reading chapter 5, I realized that my students may have a hard time trying to figure out which part to pay attention to first. The figure (the center circle) was competing with the ground (the outer circles). Therefore I made the center circle larger and black to draw more attention to it and made the outer circles a lighter grey. At the suggestion of my partner I took the black lines away from the gray circles so as not to draw attention to them and made the text larger since they were too small to read. I liked how colorful my original image was but it made the figure compete with the ground, so at the suggestion of my partner I made the outer circles a single muted color. I chose to use complimentary colors (ch. 11). I chose blue for the center circle and a less saturated orange for the outer circles (Bronco colors!).

Unit 4 Usability Testing - Draft 1

For this project, I chose to do the Independent Activity on page 118 that asks for an image that could use better figure-ground distinctions. I chose to take an image that I've used in the past and change parts of it. When I first looked at the original image after reading chapter 5, I thought that it could cause confusion because students may not know what to pay attention to when first looking at it. I felt that the original image had too many colors and that the central idea was not emphasized enough. Therefore, I chose to make the center circle bigger and change it to black since it's the first thing I want students to see. I wanted to show that the outer circles are all relationships to the central idea so I made them all the same shade of gray instead of a different color for each one. Although the original image is very colorful and interesting, I think the revised image is more effective in showing the information correctly. Do you feel the same? Should I change anything about the colors, size, etc.? Do you think a different type of chart (other than a basic radial chart) might help?

Unit 3 Final Draft

Section 1: Description of Project

This design is from the challenge activity on page 245. I chose to design words to express their meaning since this is something I would do with my second graders. The words I chose are vocabulary words that we learn about with our reading program. I normally don't use Word Art but I chose to use it with the words slithering and swooped since it helps show movement. With the word speckles I chose to put blue speckles around the word. Basically, I want a second grader to get a better grasp of the meaning of these words after reading a definition and then seeting these images.

Section 2: Revised image

Section 3: Usability comments from partner

Jamey,

I do think that a second grader could comprehend these words.Recurring- I love this one. It is a great use of repetition.Broken- looks great also. The only thing I could think of adding is making a letter or two look like they are broken. Maybe part of the “K.”Swooped- looks great. This sounds cheesy, but I can also most hear the sound. Fading- I think you used contrast great in this image. Slithering- My only thoughts on slithering is this word makes me think of a snake. I think of a snake slithering more left or right than up or down. Speckles-I really thought about this one. I like it. I like that dots look like paint drops. I think that the blue is a good color. I feel like it is different enough from the black, but it does not over power the word itself.

Rachel

Section 4. Original image

Section 5: Justification statements
Contrast, " . . . differences between elements in a visual" (p. 201) is what I used for the word fading. I wanted to be able to see a difference the in the color between the front and end of the word, as well as the bottom to the top. I used alignment for swooped and slithering because they follow an ". . . imaginary line or path" (p. 201). I wanted to show movement with those words. My partner metioned that the word slithering makes her think of a snake, which is what comes up in discussion with my second graders. I decided then, to add texture to the words to make it look somewhat like a snake. Repetition was used for the word recurring. Proximity was used for the words broken and speckles. With the word broken, I wanted to separate some of the letters from the rest of the word to make it look as if it broke off. Also, some of the letters are not completely formed, making them look broken. With the word speckles, I chose to add speckles of color close to the word, but not so much that it didn't overpower the word. Edward Tufte may not like PowerPoint, but I was able to effectively create these words using it. PowerPoint allowed me to maniputlate the letters and words as I needed in order to show meaning.

Unit 3 Usability Testing - Draft 1

This design is from the challenge activity on page 245. I chose to design words to express their meaning since this is something I would do with my second graders. The words I chose are vocabulary words that we learn about with our reading program. I normally don't use Word Art but I chose to use it with the words slithering and swooped since it helps show movement. Do you think that is effective? With the word speckles I chose to put blue speckles around the word. Should I do anything with the color or the speckles? Basically, I want to know if you think a second grader might get a better grasp of the meaning of these words after reading a definition and then seeting these images.

Unit 2 Final Draft

Section 1: Description of project
I chose to do the challenge activity on page 67 since chapter 3 was so complex.
The learner in this case would be someone like me, taking this class and trying to gain a better understanding of this chapter. The one part of the chapter that I kept confusing was the Cognitive Load Theory. I decided to do a simple hierarchy chart to organize the information. At the top is a short statement about the theory, followed by descriptions of each category of the theory.
Section 2: Revised image

Section 3: Usability comments from team partner
RACHEL SAID:
1. I like the organization. The three rectangles are a great use of the shape.
2. I think the numbers are nice, but might not be required because it is my understanding that they are not a sequence. (ie. 1. does not have to be completed before 20.)
3. The images in each rectangle are confusing to me. I am still trying to figure out what they are, how they relate and if they are needed.
4. The fill color of the box around the cognitive load is almost too dark. I am not sure. We have not read the chapter on color yet. I usually try not to use a dark color on top of a dark color.
5. The definition of intrinsic load states that "The type of load that". The other two definitions start "The type of cognitive load that". For consistency you might want to change the first one.
6. Please do not think that I am being picky and I totally understand how it can be difficult to build images, but the two vertical lines right under cognitive load are not lined up directly on top of each other. It just distracts me from the content.

Section 4: Original image

Section 5: Justification statements

Chapter 3 (p.61) states that ". . . learners are more likely to think about your visuals the way you want them to if you organize or present information in a way that the mind is predisposed to grasp." I chose the hierarchy chart because it does allow the learner to easily grasp the idea of the three categories of cognitive load.
Chapter 10 (p. 250) states that "Squares and rectangles can contain information . . . and show hierarchy." That was my exact intention when I created this image. When I started building this image, I knew that each rectangle was going to contain information and I wanted it in a hierarchy to help chunk the information in a way that made it easier to understand.

Unit 2 Usability Testing - Draft 1

I chose to do the challenge activity on page 67 since this was such a complex chapter. The learner in this case would be someone like me, taking this class, trying to gain a better understanding of this chapter. The one part of the chapter that I kept confusing was the congnitive load theory. I decided to do a simple hierarchy chart to organize the information. At the top is a short statement about the theory, followed by descriptions of each category of the theory.

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Jamey. The picture you see to the right is one of my favorites because it was from a vacation I took to Cancun, Mexico in June 2008. I've always wanted to swim with dolphins and I got to on this trip. I loved it!!!

Besides swimming with dolphins, my favorite things to do are fishing and riding my horse. I live in Middleton, Idaho where I train my horse and show with Idaho State Horse Show Association.

When I'm not playing, I'm working as a second grade teacher.