Way of the Master
  • Setting
    • My Story
    • My Blog
    • The Artifacts
    • References
  • Learning
    • Bushidō: ETEC 500
    • History: ETEC 511
    • Politics: ETEC 510
    • Poetry: ETEC 540
  • Training
    • Swordcraft: ETEC 512
    • Martial Arts: ETEC 531
    • Conditioning: Discussions
  • Service
    • The Lord: ETEC 532
    • The Scholar: ETEC 533
    • The Merchant: ETEC 522
  • Rōnin
    • The Future

Politics: ETEC 510
Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments

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Politics shape the landscape that we operate in. A savvy Samurai knows the ins and outs of political intrigue. Not only does political know-how help a Samurai serve his master astutely, it protects his continued survival in a milieu of uncertainty. Through service to various princes and warlords, I learned the intricacies of palace life and began to see the tangled logic in the chaos of the battlefield. Often, victory in an engagement could be assured if our side was able to dictate the location and terms of the combat. One cannot change the rising and falling of the sun, but one can ensure it is in the enemies eyes and not his own. 
Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments was concerned with the the spaces that content is delivered and skills are learned, whether they be physical or digital. ​A variety of learning theories were used to analyse and create formal and informal learning spaces. This course led me on an exploration of learning management systems, websites, curriculum guides, games, collaborative/participatory culture, and assessment. All of these topics, and more, were approached with the transforming nature of technology in mind. ETEC 510 was a core course and much of the literature and resources had continued utility throughout the program. 
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Artifact #1: Stop Motion Animation​
​In the spirit of constructivism and participatory culture, ETEC 510 engaged in a student-produced Design Wiki. The ever-growing site is itself a great resource that I can return to for a variety of theoretical references and practical use. This is a Stop Motion video I made to complement the material of our Wiki. My contribution added to the work on Information Literacy. It provides arguments for expanding our definitions of literacy. Information literacy, the ability to find, evaluate, organise, and synthesize information, is becoming ever more important in our data and media driven world. 
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Artifact #2: Design Project
This website is a collaborative effort to create a interactive lesson for Grade 9-12 students. All the information you need to complete the lesson with a class is available on the website and summarised in a concise curriculum guide that we compiled to aid the user. My specific contribution was the entire lesson entitled Radio & Propaganda.
Our guiding principles included the creation of a participatory learning culture and the use of primary sources in the teaching of history. The idea was to use these theories of learning in a completely online context. A physical class can take it, of course, but it can be utilised simultaneous by anyone with access to the internet. 

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Artifact #3: Design Proposal​
This is the design proposal for the above website. It exemplifies the process that goes into producing a finished product that is so important to its success. There was a great deal of research, discussion, and development that went into the site before we could consider it a final product. This design proposal, too, falls short in illustrating the process of connection, compromise, delegation, and discussion that our group conducted throughout the course of this project. 
Reflection:
​Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments was a tour de force of technical skills. Our primary task was a multimedia based introduction, similar to the introductory discussion posts of other courses. Further multimedia manipulation was necessary for the Stop Motion project that contributed to the Design Wiki. Finally, it was my first use of the website creating platform Weebly. All of this multimedia creation was like a crash course that aided me throughout the program. It was a good thing I took ETEC 510 early on because the technical lessons that I learned here improved my future projects, not just in their mechanical execution but also in the expanded range of possibilities that I became aware of.

One particularly strong lesson I drew from this course was the importance of relevance in designing projects and learning environments. Each of the projects that we took part in had real life application. You can use our website to teach a history unit or explore the wiki for a wealth of practical information. I noticed that this authenticity of purpose positively affected my motivation. Therefore, I will endeavor to create assignments that have some functional purpose outside the scope of the assessment. ​

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  • Setting
    • My Story
    • My Blog
    • The Artifacts
    • References
  • Learning
    • Bushidō: ETEC 500
    • History: ETEC 511
    • Politics: ETEC 510
    • Poetry: ETEC 540
  • Training
    • Swordcraft: ETEC 512
    • Martial Arts: ETEC 531
    • Conditioning: Discussions
  • Service
    • The Lord: ETEC 532
    • The Scholar: ETEC 533
    • The Merchant: ETEC 522
  • Rōnin
    • The Future