Weekly Reflection #4 – “Teaching With Learning Graphics & Video”
💻🍎📲👩💻📸✍️🙌
Throughout our class, we explored Multimedia learning theory and image editing, and how to incorporate these elements into education. I learned of the importance of creating our own images and graphics to help students learn more “deeply from words and pictures than from words alone” (Mayer, 2009, p. 189). We also discussed intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load. Furthermore, it was very interesting to me to understand in terms of the human brain, as I learned that we have two channels for processing information, one for visual information and one for auditory information. I am always fascinated by how the brain works, and I think it is extremely valuable to be knowledgeable about our body and health. As such, this is important as future educators, as understanding how students process information can help us make better choices to how we present content and create learning experiences that support different learning needs.
As students learn in unique ways, it is critical for educators to support their students inclusively by using a variety of visual and auditory tools. This is especially true in the primary years of elementary school, when some students are still developing their reading skills and may rely more on visuals to understand language and text. Videos can also be very engaging for students and help them better understand different concepts. I absolutely see the value of incorporating technology into teaching, and I agree that “technology-centred is learner-centred.” Before this class, I was already quite familiar with video and photo editing, but I now feel that I have learned about many more resources and new ways to use them. My favourite resource is Canva because it is easy to navigate and offers so many different tools and templates. I also learned that teachers can access Canva Pro for free, which will allow me to explore even more resources in my future classroom!
After reflecting on this class, I feel inspired to continue learning new ways to edit photos and videos so that I am familiar with a variety of useful resources when I become a teacher. Using technology is one way I can support my students different learning needs and make learning more engaging and accessible for everyone. Digital editing comes quite naturally to me, and I see it as a valuable way to create inclusive learning experiences. I want to make it a priority to continue developing these skills so I can use them confidently in my future classroom!