Category: Assignments

Final Reflection

In Authentic Learning in the Digital Age: Engaging Students Through Inquiry, Larissa Pahomov writes, “For student reflection to be meaningful, it must be metacognitive, applicable, and shared with others,” and defines metacognitive reflection as taking the process of reflection “to the next level because it is concerned not with assessment, but with self-improvement: Could this be better? How? What steps should you take?” (read full article here). In light of this assertion, I would like you to write a metacognitive reflection on the final project. This reflection should address the following questions, with an aim to identify how you could improve your work.

  1. Describe your contributions to the final project in detail. What writing/research/design/management responsibilities did you take on in order to complete this project? How did you complete your individual contributions to the group? What steps did you take? What tools did you use? Did you meet your deadlines (why or why not)?
  2. Did you feel like your contributions had a positive impact on the final project? Did you feel the other group members valued your contributions? Did the reactions of your group members (revisions, suggestions, critiques) help you develop your materials in a constructive way?
  3. How do you feel you worked as a team? How did you facilitate communication and collaboration between the group members? What tools did you use? Can you suggest improvements for this process? What did you learn that would help you in future group work situations?
  4. What did you learn through the process of creating and presenting this project? How did this project help you synthesize and apply the topics we covered throughout the semester? Do you have suggestions to improve this assignment?
  5. And finally, what readings, activities, assignments, and discussions did you find particularly helpful, informative, and engaging in this class this semester? What would you suggest be changed to improve this course next time it is offered?

You may expand or add to these guidelines in any way you wish. This is your opportunity to speak directly to me about what you learned in this course.

This will be submitted as a Google Doc (title: finalreflection_yoursection_yourlastname for example finalreflection_151ON1_licastro) that you share with me upon completion. You must invite me as an editor (with privileges to edit, not just read or comment). You will complete this after our final presentations on the day of our scheduled final exam.

Also, please include this statement at the bottom of the document and fill in your name and response:

I ____________ do/ do not give Dr. Amanda Licastro permission to use my final project as an example in scholarly presentations and publications.

 

 

Presentation Strategies

Presentation

Tips

  • Format
    • What form will your presentation take? Prezi, PowerPoint, Google Slides, a skit, a song?
    • Slides should be visual! Choose images, colors, and fonts carefully. (Cite all images and videos!)
    • Follow the rule of 7 (aim for 7 words or less on each slide).
    • Know of all your material without reading it from the presentation slides.
  • Flow
    • Avoid repetition!
    • Practice together as a group.
    • Speak slowly and clearly.
  • Interactivity
    • Engage your audience.
    • Make eye contact with your audience.
    • Design a survey, quiz, Q&A, or something to solicit responses from your peers.
  • Timing
    • 15 mins to present, 5 for questions.
    • Practice makes perfect.

The goal is to be engaging and informative. Watch Shark Tank and TED Talks for inspiration.

The Circle Review

The Circle is a book turned movie that focuses on the uncertainty of technology and the amount of information it holds and knows about us. Imagine if all your social media was connected to each other and your life wasn’t as private as it was preCircle, because of the cameras surrounding you. Though they are meant to make things simpler, it’s voyeurism, which only leads to harm. The leading actress is played by Emma Watson and her name is Mae, a young woman who gets caught up in working at the Circle. In the movie, Mae’s father has an illness, that the company knows about and is seemingly supportive of Mae, they promote her to record herself basically 24/7. From this movie along with the books we have read this semester, I’ve realized technology is moving fast and the possibilities we have for it are endless. Information received from us, given our authorization (which we sometimes don’t know what we are signing for) can be used for good or bad. Surveillance and technology overall are beneficial when used in moderation. They help find criminals, helps find loved ones, or make connections, but when it is pushed into everyday life, it can be life damaging because privacy to most people is sacred.

Reliable Sources

Finding Reliable Sources

For every source you wish to use as a resource for an academic paper, you should be able to answer ALL of these questions, and you should acknowledge these findings when citing the source in your paper. Your initial assignment is to find one source for the topic you choose to share with the class. Once you find a source you want to use for this class, answer the following questions:

  1. Who is responsible for the source? What do you know about them?
  2. What is the author’s general attitude toward the subject?
  3. What is the level of originality of the material? Can you find this material elsewhere? Is it too general or too specific?
  4. How authoritative or trustworthy does the material seem? Why?
  5. How completely does the site/article/book deal with the subject at hand?
  6. If a website, what sorts of links does the site contain? If an article, book, or chapter, who or what does the source site? How do these links/citations add the authority of the site? How complete and recent are they?
  7. How is the source biased?
  8. When was the source published? If a website, when was it last updated?

If you are unsure about a source, bring the information to class and together we will determine if it would be appropriate to use for a research paper and why. You should repeat this process for ALL of your work in this class and every class you take. If possible, consult a librarian, tutor, or e-mail your instructor if you are having trouble evaluating a resource.

Pitch feedback

On each pitch post, answer the following questions in the comment section.

  1. What excites you about this project and why?
  2. What do you want to see more of and why?
  3. What additional evidence does the audience need for you to be convinced that this research is complete?

Essay in class

In this class we have discussed how technology has impacted the education system. Both The Nether and Ready Player One show a fictionalized version of our future. Compare how both Jennifer Haley and Ernest Cline demonstrate the positive and negative impacts of Virtual Reality (VR) on our education system, and make a clear argument about how you feel VR should be incorporated into our classrooms.

  • Use in-text citations for paraphrasing, summary, and quotation in MLA format.
  • Use direct evidence from both texts.
  • Aim for at least 2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, size 12, 1 inch margins.
  • Make sure to have a thesis statement and transitions.

Final Assignment

For your final project you will use all of the readings and discussions we have had throughout this semester to inspire your own creation: a virtual reality experience that focuses on the education system. You may draw from your own personal experience, the readings we have done, and outside research to design a short VR application intended to educate your audience. Consider using the NYTimes VR applications as inspiration ans models for your work. You will design this simulation as an entry to the grant competition being held by the U.S. Department of Education:

https://haptic.al/department-of-education-virtual-reality-42f5ce1187dc#.bvdpaqmgi

Please review the specific criteria here:

https://www.edsimchallenge.com/

Grant Winner Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used to select the winner(s):

  • Learning Outcomes.
    Contains clearly defined academic, technical, and employability learning objectives; (1) spurs change or improvement in the user’s knowledge and skills; and (2) evokes empathy in the viewer.
  • User Experience.
    The simulation prototype demonstrates an engaging user experience on par with commercially available entertainment games.
  • User Interface.
    The simulation prototype exhibits a thoughtful user interface design on par with commercially available entertainment games.
  • Commitment and Research.
    The submission (1) demonstrates the entrant’s evolution and improvement of currently available VR applications; and (2) illustrates the entrant’s ability and intention to improve upon and scale the simulation beyond the prototype.
  • Implementation Strategy.
    The submission describes a detailed plan for implementation that takes into account potential barriers such as cost and technological constraints, including integration with existing and future technology, and proposes potential solutions to overcome such barriers.
  • Long-term Vision.
    The submission: (1) demonstrates a plan for encouraging collaboration among the developer community, including making aspects of the solution available through open source licenses; and (2) provides a vision of how the entrant’s plan will stimulate the broader educational simulation market.

To accomplish this task, the project will be broken down into steps.

  1. Individual pitches: each student will conceptualize and present their idea for a project in 3 minutes. The class will vote on the top 4 or 5 projects. (10 points)
  2. Group contracts: in small groups of 3-4, students will outline their plan for this project and assign roles and responsibilities for each student to accomplish. A timeline and due dates will be established. (5 points)
  3. Formal proposals: each group will compose a 5-7 page proposal for their project meeting the criteria of the competition. The proposal will include outside research, citations, and a bibliography. (50 points)
  4. Storyboard: each group will create a demo of the simulation by making script and storyboard for their prototype. (20 points)
    Storyboard (Hints and Tips)

  5. Final presentation: this is your mock presentation to the U.S. Department of Education. You will present all of your research and your prototype using: PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, Emaze, handouts, poster, etc. You have 12 minutes plus 3 for questions (15 total).
    The final presentations are during our final exam period. Feel free to bring food/drinks to share!100 points total

Provocation

Summary: In Scene 9 Morris interrogates Doyle for breaking the law in the Hideaway. He began his questions by bringing up how Doyle joined and if he joined as a guest or not. Doyle responded by saying he joined as a guest first. Morris then began to inquire information about Papa. He wanted to know if Doyle has had any contact with him in the Hideaway. Morris also asks about Iris and the little girl that looks similar to Iris. Doyle tells him about how she was sent to boarding school. Morris immediately thinks that when one is sent to boarding school it’s because they’ve done something bad to get them sent there. However that is not always the case. Children can be sent to boarding school for multiple reasons.

Question: Do you believe it was fair for Morris to question Doyle as he did?

Scene 10: A Sunny Spot (Group 2 Provocation)

Summary: In Scene 10, Iris and Papa are spending an afternoon together. Iris is talking about a couple of the other children, and papa comments on how they’re all jealous of each other. He proceeds to ask Iris if she believes there’s enough affection to go around. She says “Maybe” (Iris). The conversation continues about the affection, and suddenly Papa comments on the same affection that he gives is the same Mr. Woodnut seems to be showing. Papa talks about the axe again, and Iris agrees with it. Papa then gives Iris and Iris Day cake. She hears some children like sounds, and Papa says the sound must only be for children to hear, which makes Iris ask is that why he never wants her to grow up. Papa says he doesn’t want to lose her. Papa proceeds to tell her about the real poplars that grow. She continues to listen to the miraculous story of the real world, and Papa’s garden. At the end they both say they miss the trees, where Iris says “I love you” (The Nether), and Papa has no comment on it.

Question: Why do you think Papa didn’t say he loved her back even with the affection he claims to have?

Provocation Scene 11

Scene eleven begins in the interrogation room with Sims and Morris. In this scene, to me it became rather intense especially at the beginning. Morris attempts to get Sims to reveal where his server is located and describes what is actually happening in the Hideaway. Basically, a plethora of girls all looking alike are represented behind someone no matter who they are. They are allowed to get close with people; however, they cannot become emotionally attached or they are sent to boarding school. The guests are only allowed to choose through a variety of appearances. Sims is the creator so he controls everything of this world from the music to the how anything else appears. Morris describes the music that the users dance to as “dancing to his nightmare” (Morris, 47). In order for Morris to tell Sims what happened to Iris, Morris demands Sims to tell her where his server is located once again. Morris slips up and reveals that Sims looks the same as his person in the Hideway. Sims finds out Morris is a member of the Hideaway.

Is Morris just as guilty as Sims since she earnestly participated in the Hideaway as well? What legitimate intentions did she have behind joining the Hideaway? Is she trying to get Sims to directly confess by incorporating herself with the Hideaway?