Running Head: Reflection on learning Final Paper 1

Reflection on Learning Final Paper

Njemele Y. Bush
MEDT 7490
University of West Georgia

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What Do You Feel You Learned?

As I reflect back on my work during this semester, I can truly say that it was an outstanding
experience. Around my school, I am known as the resident techie junkie. As I have been able
to use a computer since the age of 10, I have had a wonderful opportunity to see it transform.
This course has me understand visual literacy concepts while at the same time allowing me to
infuse web apps for learning application. Because of the course, I am now able to relate
technology and visual concepts to display their relation to student learning.

What Issues Have You Discovered About Visual And Media Literacy?

I have learned that interpretation is definitely an issue when considering literacy. From this
course, I now understand that authors (writers) must be specific and detail when defining their
material. Also, images must be clear and definite. The text that accompanies them must relate as
the learner associates text to graphics by nature. The combination of both must be well
organized and relative. Lastly, the writer/author must create or make available additional
resources to help readers further understand the visuals. This will allow them to be able to apply
their learning and create formalized interpretation.
How Do You Hope To Apply What You Have Learned?
I plan to apply what I have learned my current classes as well as upcoming career opportunities.
I would like to pursue a career in instructional design as well as corporate training. The skills
that I learned in this class can definitely be taught to others on an exploratory basis as well as
information understanding. Also, I would like to continue to use the skills to help other teachers

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further engage their students in learning. Lastly, I would like to pass this knowledge on to my
family to enhance their skills on upcoming projects for their personal growth.
What Important Differences In Yourself Would You Care To Comment On?

I have seen my level of creativity improved. I have always felt comfortable with certain apps. I
now have additional knowledge about working with infographics and comic strips. I was
concerned at first because I had to learn their structure and placement of the use of graphics.

It

was because of this class, I was able to practice and create for the purpose of learning and
understanding. I have always told my students that when they explore during the learning
process, you are creating in a great space. The ore you practice, the better you become at your
craft.
What Was The Most Challenging Issue About This Course?

The most challenging issue about this course was at the accessibility of the applications and
having g too much fun and not enough time. There was plenty of time allotted for the
assignments, but once one is involved, you want to continue to create and not limited the ability
of interest. At times, as I am perfectionist, my processing would become time consuming and
when I would run out time, I made sure that the work was presentable and up to standard.
Another challenge was making sure that I understood the directions and I had to be careful not to
overthink the assignment. This helps when I chose to be creative and engaged throughout the
semester. It was these challenges that helped me to be most progressive and involved in my
work.

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What Did You Enjoy The Most About This Course?

What I must enjoy about this course was the fact that we were allowed creative freedom. The
two assignments that I enjoy the most were Assignments 1 through 6. I enjoyed taking the
pictures and noting meanings of images. This allowed me to spend time with my daughter
enjoying the outdoors. I have already used coding and decoding with my students as they used
their cell phones to display content related to ethical behaviors at our school. They seemed to
truly enjoy taking the pictures and creating stories. Assignments 3 and 4 provided a safe space to
create graphical representations in new areas of learning. It also gave me an opportunity to work
with new tools that could enhance the learning environment. Lastly, assignment 6 was my most
favorite, because as a visual learner, I love television. I find that with my family, we are always
watching commercial and noticing subliminal messages. This assignment gave me yet another
opportunity to have more insight on programming and to become intuitive at the messages that
commercial and media make an effort to portray and searching for the answers to that message
within them.
How Would You Suggest Making This Course Better For Other Students?

What I would suggest to make this course better is to continue providing new avenues for
educators to explore different tech tools. From gamification to 3D design, educators need to
learn more about how presenting graphics is so ideals for everyday learning. Learning the
technology tools helps to boost their self-esteem level as well as further engage todays students
for curriculum changes. As teachers now have to assess different standards, using the technology
tools helps with making the learning space a great experience for creative exploration. I enjoyed
this course and hope to continue to use what I learned in a functional way for my classroom and
beyond.

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Njemele Bush
Nbush1@my.westga.edu
(404) 271-0325
December 5, 2015