EDTC300 Class Fall 2024

10/6/2024 2 Comments

This Week's Challenge - Learning from Mistakes! Learning Project Week 3

This weeks goal: Use a Pre-Made Design from Cricut Design Space

This week I set out to try something new. Last week I used a Youtube tutorial video to guide me through the Cricut Design Space. So, this week I decided to check out a creator account and make a card from a design they made and posted on the design space. The creator I chose goes by "Toko Craft", they had some really cool looking card designs. Once I narrowed it down to three different designs I began to look through my materials and pick out what I wanted to use for my card this week.

Once I decided on my design I resized it to the size of my card and picked out the materials I wanted. I decided that I wanted to give the sparkly sticker paper I had a try. This was not something I have used before so I thought that it was a good idea to challenge myself! Little did I know I was about to get myself into a very frustrating card making experience.

I failed... So many times...

That's right, you read that correctly. I totally failed this week... four times... and wow did I ever get frustrated. The first time I cut out the design it came out perfectly, I was so excited and happy with how it looked. I figured it would be super easy to just pull the sticker backing off and apply it to the folded card that I had ready to go. However, I learned quickly that it was not an easy task to apply such an intricate design onto the card. The sticker ended up getting stuck together and I was unable to salvage it. So, I grabbed a new sheet of sticker paper and tried again. Only this time the cut was not perfect and I had to cancel it half way through because the sticker paper got caught up in the machine. So, once I pulled out all the pieces and cleaned off the cutting mat.. AGAIN, I grabbed some of the sticker paper and tried again. However, this time I did not measure the paper correctly and the cut did not come out the right way. So, there I am... frustrated and ready to just give up because I had tried THREE times, but I took a deep breath and tried again. Only to fail... AGAIN! This time the cut came out perfect, I had measured the paper correctly, the paper did not lift while it was being cut in the machine, it came out just the way I wanted it to. But, I struggled again with applying the intricate sticker to the card stock, I tried to slowly peel and apply instead of taking it off the sticker sheet all at once and yet, NOTHING, it still got all tangled up. So here I am sitting with a garbage can full of material that I had to scrap, feeling frustrated and defeated and seriously questioning my creative vision. But, I told myself something that I tell my students all the time... it is OK to make mistakes because they help us learn. So, I re-evaluated what I was doing and problem solved. I cut the design again, and this time instead of using it as a sticker I used my double sided tape and glue to attach the sparkle paper to my card.

So... What Did I Learn This Week?

This week I learned that even though I have experience with using a Cricut I still have A LOT to learn. I also found that some materials work better than others. It is safe to say that I probably won't use this sticker paper for this type of project again. It could be more beneficial for little designs like shapes and symbols but not for a full card design like what I was trying to attempt. I learned that sometimes something can look good in your head but don't always turn out the way you plan. That does not mean that you give up though, it just means that you need to take a step back, re-evaluate what you're doing and try approaching it in a different way. My card may not have turned out the way that I hoped but it was still a cute little card when all was said and done. This week was a trying one, but I am glad I had the failures so that I could go through this type of learning process.

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9/30/2024 2 Comments

Exploring Cricut Design Space - Learning Project Week 2

This week I sat down and watched a video about 5 different card making techniques for beginners using the Cricut Explore Air 2 machine. This is the exact model that I had so I figured watching a video directly for this machine would be beneficial for me. The creator broke this video down into 5 different steps, each step was a different style of card. Once I had finished watching the video I decided to chunk up the steps and only focus on steps #1 and #2 this week to start things slow for myself. I decided to use the Loom application to screen record myself going through the first two steps on the Cricut design space! So here's the break down:

Step #1 - Creating Basic Shapes
This step walked me through the different shapes that design space has to offer. I was also shown how to adjust the size of the shapes. This step shows you how to cut out very basic shapes that you can add to your card. Through using different shapes you are given the freedom to customize your card in the way that you want to. This step also showed me how to layer shapes together and attach them so that I can make different designs with the shapes that will cut as one piece. So, the first shapes that I worked around with, was developing a balloon shape and some hearts. You can click on the video beside to watch those first steps!

Step #2 - Cutting Out Words
This step walked me through how to create a text box, pick fonts, edit text and customize that text (bold, italicize, curve, letter spacing, and size). Something that this video taught me that I did not know I could do before was when you are using a script font you can ungroup individual letters, move them closer or father apart and then regroup them so that they can cut together as one piece. Here in the video you can see me complete the second step where I choose a font, resize the letters, ungroup them so that I can adjust them to the proper position and then regroup the letters together!

Putting it all Together
Now that I have created the shapes I want and adjusted the letters so that they will cut together I need to adjust the sizes so that they will fit on the card I have folded. Once I had my shapes and words the way I wanted them I got my card stock picked out and begin the cutting process. Because I have different card stock colours that I am using I have to change the colours of my shapes and words so that I can match them with the correct card stock before I begin cutting. Before I load the mat and start to cut I have to make sure my machine is set to cut light card stock so that it has the right cutting pressure and completes the cuts correctly. Once my card stock is set up correctly on the mat I begin the cutting. After all the pieces are cut I carefully pull the pieces off the cutting mat and begin to piece together my card. Using double sided tape and liquid glue I attach the shapes and words onto the front of my card. Once all the pieces are attached I do some finishing touches with my pen to add a bit of extra details and VOILA! My first card is complete!

The final product!

Changing the colours of my shapes and words to match the card stock.

Card stock is set on the mat and the machine is set to cutting light card stock

All the pieces are off the mat and ready to go on the card!

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9/30/2024 0 Comments

Let's Talk About Technology

Technology has become such a constant in my life, especially as a practicing teacher. Sometimes, it can be difficult to find the right balance between using it recreationally and using it for educational or professional purposes. So, I'm going to take a moment to reflect on the ways that it is used in my life. For the good... and the "bad".

My "Life in a Box" - Finding a Balance:

When I think about the websites and apps that I use on a daily basis, I think about the folder I have on the home screen of my iPhone. I labeled it "Life in a 📦" back when I was in High School and I have never changed it. My phones have been upgraded and changed over the years and yet, there on my home screen, I still have my trusty folder that houses all the apps I continuously use. In there I have my social media: Snapchat, Facebook, Tik Tok, FaceTime, Messenger and Instagram and my streaming services: Netflix, Disney+ and of course my music app! These apps have become such a permanent fixture in my life, and while the social media apps are great for connecting with friends and family, staying up to date with news/information in the world, finding a good laugh, or getting inspiration for recipes and DIY's it can also be a big distraction in my life. I can't even count how many times I have sat and mindlessly scrolled through my various social medias, only to look up from my phone and realize that 2 hours have passed by and I completely lost myself in the world wide web. I also find that my evenings are filled with coming home after a long day of teaching and logging on to my streaming sites to watch a show. Sometimes I don't even watch, it just ends up being background noise while I scroll through social media or work on school work on my laptop. (In fact, as I am writing this I currently have Boy Meets World playing in the background - LOL). Like I said, these apps are great for staying connected, but they also require a balance and self awareness. I have learned over the years that there is such thing as too much of a good thing. These apps are all great, however, the overuse of them can lead to an over-reliance on technology. We live in such a technological world now, where everything you need can be right at your finger-tips in moments. It's important to find ways to disconnect as well. For example: I used to always read books on my phone because it was convenient and easy, but now I try to read physical books (either that I buy or borrow from the library). I also try to journal or use cook books instead of always using my phone to document my thoughts or try new recipes. I also try to practice being more present. Watching TV is not a bad thing, but I don't also need to always busy myself while I watch a show, instead of multitasking and playing a game or scrolling while a show plays, I try to just enjoy what I am watching instead of sitting there with my phone in my hand too. However, I am also the type of person who likes to have background noise when I am working, maybe because I work in a job that has constant noise. So, sometimes things like music or a TV show that I've seen so many times, offer me the perfect noise I need to focus on completing a task that I am working on.

Screenshot from my phone

Apple Music App Icon

The Professional Side of Technology:

EDSBY

Canva

Seesaw

Clever

Teachers Pay Teachers

GoNoodle

Planboard

Microsoft Office

YouTube

While I use technology often in my personal life and strive to find balance in that, it also plays a significant role in my professional life as a practicing teacher. So many things we do now as teachers is online such as attendance, grading, lesson planning, IIP's, assessments, teaching tools, and the list could go on. It is crazy to think that my school laptop is what houses everything I need for the day to teach and without it my day would look very different. Because of my laptop I am able to project lessons and activities for my students so I can model a skill or outcome, have brain breaks for my students, play educational videos, lesson/day plan, find educational resources, communicate with families and so much more.

Technology in my professional life definitely make things easier as it gives me the opportunity to get creative with what I teach and how I teach it. Some of the websites that I find myself using on a daily basis include: EDSBY, Canva, TeachersPayTeachers, Microsoft Office, GoNoodle, YouTube, Seesaw, Clever and PlanBoard. All these things help to keep me organized, keep class interactive and entertaining, and allow me to create or discover different lessons and teaching tools. However, just like in my personal life, there needs to be balance with technology in my professional life as well.

Some technology use is unavoidable, like the how the use of certain division required sites need to be used in order to complete certain job requirements. However, there is other areas that can be managed. For example, my classroom has 8 tablets for student use. These tablets are great for students to use for reading, phonics, math, and developing a digital portfolio (seesaw), however, it is not something I let the students have open access to. With technology being such a big part of our world I am well aware that most of my students have technology access at home, so I like to encourage more hands on learning in the classroom with the occasional tablet time to enhance learning. This way students are able to see the value in using technology for learning but also be able to learn with the hands on materials that they have access to as well.

Something I can do professionally is monitor my usage of technology for teaching. While it can be a very helpful tool it does not always have to be my go to in class. By doing this I can model to my students that tech does not always have to be used. For example, instead of always using GoNoodle for brain breaks I can use brain breaks like quiet ball or 7 up, instead of showing educational videos I can read fiction and non-fiction books that connect to the topic. By finding a balance in technology use in the classroom I am helping my students to see the value in not always relying on technology.

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9/21/2024 1 Comment

Welcome to the Art of Card Making: Introduction to my Learning Project!

I am sure that many of your have heard of a Cricut machine before, however, for those that may not know I will give a brief description. A Cricut is a smart cutting machine that allows you to create, customize and decorate using a range of different materials (some examples include paper/card stock, sticker or heat transfer vinyl, felt and more). There are three different machines: the Cricut Joy, the Cricut Explore and the Cricut Maker. Each one has it's own unique qualities, but all of them connect to the same easy to use Cricut Design Space.

My interest in the Cricut machine started when I was in my internship 6 years ago! My Co-operating teacher had one of the original versions, which only did the most basic designs, however, it was still so helpful with making letters and other decorations for bulletin boards and other classroom needs. I ended up using her machine multiple times over the process of my internship and raved about how great it was and how easy it made bulletin boards. My Grandparents were so sweet and gifted me a newer version (the Cricut Explore) as my convocation gift and from there the projects begun. I got very familiar with cutting out paper for letters and symbols (making a few banners and bulletin boards), and I also got really into cutting vinyl to decorate different things. I did designs for signs, wine glasses, tumblers, stickers, decals for my car, t-shirts and lots more! It became such a fun pass-time (especially during the lockdown times during COVID).

Just a few examples of projects I have created

Something I have yet to explore is the card making abilities that my machine has. With its many different additional functions such as drawing, cutting, folding and writing, there are definitely certain aspects that I need to learn which is why I decided to make card making my Learning Project. I plan to start by watching the video "Cricut Design Space Card Tutorial for Beginners". This video will assist me in learning the different pre-made card options that the Design Space has to offer, it will also inform me on the materials I will need in order to complete different projects. I then plan on moving on to learning how to make a basic birthday card that is already developed on the design space to get myself familiar with the process and different settings. Then I will learn how to make cut away cards that add a 3-D/multi layer effect to the card. I plan to learn how to write and draw designs inside and outside the card using the Cricut pens after that. Once I have learned how to do that I will move onto learning how to emboss and deboss words and images onto the cards. Finally I will learn how to make different envelopes for my cards! I hope that by the end of this learning experience I will be able to design and create my very own card from scratch (without using a pre-made template or step-by-step tutorial. Throughout this entire experience I plan to use mainly the Cricut Design Space as it is the main hub for using the machine. However, I also plan to use Canva to help with designing once I am comfortable with making my own designs. I will be following different "Cricut Experts" on Youtube to help guide and teach me as well!

I am definitely looking forward to embarking on this learning journey!

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9/17/2024 0 Comments

All About Me!

Hi all, my name is Miranda Hammett! I am a grade 1/2 teacher in Regina and I am currently working towards my Inclusive Education Certificate.

Fun Facts About Me:

I am a huge Taylor Swift fan and I got the chance to go to the Era's Tour in L.A in 2023, it was truly one of the best experiences of my life!
I love Photography and it is something that I like to do in my free time.
I have a Cocker Spaniel named Sadie. She is my family's dog, and no longer lives with me but I go to visit her often.
I am a HUGE Disney Adult, some of my favourite Disney movies include Frozen, Lion King, Hercules, Robin Hood and Inside Out. I love getting to go to the Disney Parks, I have been to Disney Land four times, Disney World once and I am hoping to go to Disneyland Paris in July!
I love creating things on Canva! It is one of my favourite teacher tools.
When I am bored or need some stress relief you can find me scrolling on Tik Tok.
I have played Ringette for 20 years and I still play in an adult league! It is one of my favourite ways to stay active.

Me at the Eras Tour in LA!

My pup Sadie

My boyfriend and I in front of the Castle at Disneyland

Ed Tech Experience:
I have some experience with using technology in education from both a student view and a teacher view!
When I was in High School I took some online courses as well as a Media Studies course which required me to blog my experiences throughout the course! I learned how to blog using the Weebly site, and I have stuck to it ever since because it is my comfort zone!

From a teacher side of things I was an online teacher in my first year of teaching (thanks to COVID). So, I developed my own course site (through Moodle, similar to URCourses), and utilized both Seesaw and Microsoft Teams on a daily basis! Through this experience it opened my eyes to all the educational possibilities that come with technology and helped me to become more comfortable with using it in the classroom.

I feel pretty comfortable with blogging as I have done it before for both High School and University courses. I always find it fun to play around with developing my own website/blog and learning new things to help improve my skills, so I am excited to get the opportunity to blog throughout this class!