It is hard to believe this class has come to an end. I have learned so much over the past month when it comes to online and blended learning. This course did an excellent job of breaking down the different components of creating an online/blended prototype and provided us with the opportunity to engage with the intricate process. After careful consideration, I opted to create a blended course prototype for this class that could support what we learn in class and hopefully push my students to further their learning in French while providing them with different activities that will explore different concepts we learn in French Language Arts. When we had to pick a topic to center our course prototype around, I knew I wanted to create a resource I could use in my classroom with my kiddos and I figured French is a huge component in the Grade 2 curriculum in French Immersion that would allow me some flexibility and variety when creating my lessons.

The ADDIE template was an incredibly helpful tool that really helped me out with the development of my course prototype that allowed me to plan and organize the course content, assessment tools, and course layout. This template encouraged me to consider the reasons a blended prototype of this nature would be beneficial to my students and it encouraged me to link clear outcomes with my course objective. It was definitely a helpful tool in the development stage of my blended course prototype.

Choosing an LMS (Learning Management System) was a little tricky due to all the different options that were available to choose from. Among some of the different choices for different learning management systems we could choose from were the following: Microsoft Teams, Blackboard, Google Classroom, Canvas, and Moodle just to name a few. Seeing as I wanted to create a blended course prototype that I could use with my students in the fall, I opted for an LMS that is supported by my division that I would have access to and the kids would as well. Google Classroom turned out to be a great choice for an LMS for my blended course. It is incredibly user-friendly and this LMS has allowed me to organize my course content efficiently while making it accessible to my students. I like that there is a Google Meet link assigned to our course in case we ever need to meet online as well as a class code that will help students gain access to the Google Classroom. Classwork was super easy to set up and organize; you could easily create different topics and add assignments, quizzes, and material, or even reuse a previous post. Once my assignment – Module 1 – was created, I was able to effortlessly upload videos, activities, google slides, boom cards, Quizizz/Quizlet activities, and even Flip activities. Another nice feature was being able to write prompts for your assignments where you could provide students with additional information and instructions. I really love that we can add other teachers to our Google Classroom which is a nice feature in case you plan to work with other staff when planning the course material. I plan on adding my LRT (Learning Resource Teacher) and Administration Team so they can be aware of what we are studying now.

Having the opportunity to create interactive videos was another fun feature we learned to use in this class. I was not familiar with Lumi and did not know how to make videos interactive before this course. I was happy to have learned about this program because my pre-recorded lessons were a little long and I was looking for ways to keep my students engaged when having to watch a 20-minute lesson. Lumi allowed me to insert different activities throughout my pre-recorded lesson that I chose to use as checkpoints with my students by including some true and false questions, multiple choice questions, and links to a couple of activities on Quizizz. I am really looking forward to playing around with this tool and finding other ways to make my activities and lesson interactive.

Getting a chance to meet with our classmates and receive feedback was incredibly useful. I loved getting to see all the different courses and how everyone’s prototype was different and unique. One of my classmates used Microsoft Teams, while the others used Canvas and Blackboard. Two of us in our breakout room opted for using Google Classroom – but I loved how we each set it up in our own way to match the needs and vision of our blended course. It was super informative to get a walkthrough of all these different learning management systems. I was happy to hear from my group members that they enjoyed the Flip activity I included for my kiddos and that my course was easy to follow (so fingers crossed that my students think the same thing in the fall haha); I have made a mental note to continue incorporating Flip activities in my following modules after our group discussion and if my students end up liking them, we could plan for two or more Flip activities within each module. Looking forward to “going live” in September!

Here is a link to my course prototype walkthrough: Course walkthrough

And here is a link to my Summary of Learning for this semester: Summary of Learning – EC&I 834

“Keep your eyes on the finish line and not on the turmoil around you.”

Rihanna

Summer semester went way too quickly. It was overwhelming at the beginning of the course. There was a lot of content to learn. Now that the semester is almost over, it is time to look back and reflect on what we have learned together in this course. I am grateful to Dr. Katia and to everyone for being part of my educational journey.

Developing a course prototype was a painful process. However, it helped me greatly in advancing my knowledge and skills in online and blended course. I did not know where and how to begin. I had one focus: teaching art! I had to figure out my way and fit my steps in the outline provided. This opportunity allows me to adapt to an ever-changing education and grow as an educator. Much has changed in my ADDIE format since I first shared it in my blog. I can say that the template makes more sense now and has a direction. I have included aspects of accessibility, assessment, and online collaborative learning. I have added my colleagues’ suggestions on the assessment part. The themes or contents that I wanted to include in the course are clear and aligned to the learning objectives, assessment, and teaching practices. Finally, I can produce the course prototype. It may not be the best in the class, but I am proud of my learning and accomplishment.

AP Art 2D Course

Here is the video of the course prototype: AP2D Art

Here is the summary of the knowledge and skills I learned from the course. I am forever grateful!

Summary of Learning

I am pondering taking on teaching advanced credit in art. I taught art history as an elective this past semester for grade 12 students. The students learned the historical part of art but did not have much time practicing their skills in the studio. They asked if I could teach them again in the coming school year for more studio practice.

Advanced Placement (AP) Art is a course intended for highly motivated high school students who are not able to attend a regular secondary program (i.e., pregnancy, physical and psychological health reasons, economic, etc.) Students will earn university credits while they are still in secondary school. AP offers advanced courses in art like 2D, 3D, and art history. Students will complete both asynchronous and synchronous activities for a year until they submit a digital portfolio to the AP College Board as a final assessment of their work. Passing the course will grant students an advanced credit in the university.

Students will hone their skills in 2-dimensional (2D) Art and develop an extensive portfolio. They will begin with the fundamentals of 2D composition and progress to a more advanced body of work. They will explore a variety of techniques and media to showcase their ideas and techniques. Students will work on their own and attend mandatory synchronous meetings which will have the chance to explore other artists works, learn from each other, and share their knowledge and skills.

Northern Saskatchewan communities have always been a source of fascination and inspiration for me. The land, the trees, the lakes, the light, and the people inspire me to look at life in positive and bright perspectives. It has been four years since I left La Loche, I still think about the place. It continues to inspire my art. This inspiration moved me to do something in return, to give back and to show my gratitude to the land and the people. I thought about many ways to show my gratitude. I think that helping Dene students make art and show their talents would be beneficial. This online and blended art education course for high school students answers the need to earn credit in their postsecondary while they are still in high school.

“I want to make videos that students want to watch, enjoy watching, want to watch more, and want to discuss.”

Michael Wesch

Online interactions in a blended course can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we now have a trunk of technological wealth to implement allowing students to engage and collaborate in a meaningful and supportive learning environment. In a blended Advanced Placement (AP) 2D Art course, the online community learning (OCL) tools range from using the main Learning Management System (LMS) forums; Microsoft (MS) Teams, Discord, virtual art workshops, virtual museums and galleries, and online seminars and webinars in Art.

Padlet, Discord and MS Teams

Set up online learning platforms (formal setting) as well as social media groups (informal setting) where students can post their thoughts, share their artworks, and provide feedback to each other, share their progress, seek advice, and inspire each other in both formal and informal learning environments. Instructors can moderate and guide the discussions to encourage critical thinking and constructive criticism. AP 2D Art is the LMS platform where students can access anytime.

Virtual Workshops in Art

Organize virtual art workshops where students can participate in live demonstrations, ask questions, and practice various art techniques together in real-time. There are online workshops that students can help develop their skills like Virtual Art Workshops, courses offered at the Museum of Modern Art MOMA website and Google Art and Culture. Host webinars or invite guest speakers, such as professional artists or art historians, to interact with the students online. These events can offer unique insights and perspectives on the art world.

Guidelines or assessment practices

Harasim (2017, as cited in Bates, 2019) proposed Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) where students are encouraged and supported to work together, created knowledge, invent, explore ways to innovate, and to solve problems. AP 2D Art course views students as active and engaged learners. Students must adhere to the course expectations and create artwork that are guided by the AP College Board guidelines AP Art Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Tools and other Services.

Blending these online community learning forms with in-person or face-to-face interactions in the classroom can create a well-rounded and enriching experience for students in AP Art course. It fosters a supportive and interactive learning environment that promotes creativity, communication, and collaboration.

“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” – Tim Berners-Lee

Accessibility cannot be disregarded in an online learning environment. A stellar course outline is futile if accessibility and potential challenges to learners are ignored. While online learning has the potential to be more accessible in certain ways, it also presents its own set of challenges and ethical considerations.

A few considerations were included in the Advanced Placement (AP) Art Blended course. Designed for highly motivated and skillful high school students in art, the course allows them to earn an advanced college level course in Art. Although the online part of the course is designed to be accessible to all interested students, there are possible issues that may impede their learning. Accommodation is offered to potential students who may not be able to attend synchronous classes due to work, family commitments, or living far from the school. Also, to students with physical limitations, mobility impairments or visual impairments. In these cases, flexible learning environments and materials that can be adapted for various needs, like screen readers and closed captions are available for them. Seeing AI is one good example of an application that students can use.

Issues related to accessibility and equity are considered in the course. These issues are significant challenges that need to be addressed to ensure true accessibility and equity in online learning. Some students may not be able to afford a computer at home. Another is individual knowledge and skills in technology. Some students may face difficulties in using technology due to their limited knowledge. The course also considers some ethical or social considerations like inclusivity, differentiated instruction, individual privacy and security, and responsibility in technology use. Accessibility and equity in online learning is significant for students’ success in the course. It requires collective efforts from the senior teachers, school administration, parents, and school division to address the challenges and ethical considerations to create a truly inclusive and equitable blended course.

Building a sense of community and belonging is important in both online and in-person classrooms. Teaching is a profession that is rooted in communication and fostering relationships with one another. Furthermore, it is these two key concepts that are fundamental to building a sense of classroom community. More importantly, “establishing community helps a group of learners bond and work together [which] is particularly important in online courses given the potential for students to feel isolated and alone” (6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Courses, Barkley).

In a blended classroom setting, teachers are fortunate because we have time with our students in class and face-to-face to work on establishing a strong classroom community that can then trickle into the online component of our blended course. Educators take time in planning well-thought-out lessons and hand-picking activities that will not only let them meet curricular objectives but also help students connect while strengthening the classroom community. Lessons and activities are well-organized and have a purpose. Teachers provide opportunities for meaningful discussions to take place where students can ask for clarification, learn from one another, interact with each other, and further their learning. Moreover, Bates emphasizes that “discussions need to be well organized by the teacher, and the teacher needs to provide the necessary support to enable the development of ideas and the construction of new knowledge for the students” (Teaching in a Digital Age). Additionally, Bates references appropriate technology, clear guidelines for student online behaviour, student orientation/preparation, clear goals, appropriate topics, appropriate “tone”/requirements for discussions, monitoring/responding accordingly, and instructor presence as principles that can lead to successful online discussions.

For my blended course prototype, I thought long and hard about what I could provide for my kiddos to engage in building online interactions and discussions. Grade 2 and Grade 3 students are not always the most fluent and capable of expressing themselves in French. The language and lack of vocabulary can make online interactions (writing activities) a daunting task for some students. At this grade level in French Immersion, it is much easier at times, and given the content, to express themselves orally rather than in writing. For this reason, I chose to incorporate weekly Flip activities for my students to encourage online interactions/discussions. I enjoy Flip as a tool to organize, facilitate, and monitor discussions with my students for various reasons that coordinate with Bates’ principles for successful online discussions. For starters, I love that I can provide my prompt through a video as well as in writing; the video option works really well for my students that might be struggling with reading/writing because they can just listen to me read and explain the weekly prompt (it also works well if I want to provide examples). When preparing the prompt, I can make sure I have picked relevant/appropriate topics and I can make sure that I have explained the requirements for these online interactions with my students. Students can comment on classmates’ posts/submissions and provide little reactions in the form of an “Emoji” if they are not able to write a response; I can also comment on students’ submissions and provide feedback. Moreover, I need to approve all posts and comments before they become visible on our class forum which allows me to monitor our discussions and respond accordingly. I believe Flip to be an excellent tool to use with our younger students that allows them to build an online presence as well as an online classroom community in a safe and structured environment.

Following this week’s lecture, I started reflecting on the topic of accessibility and equity in online and blended courses. Bates mentions that student demographics, accessibility, and differences in how students learn should be considered when choosing media and technology to use with our students (Teaching in a Digital Age). Furthermore, Bates states that “of all the criteria in determining choice of technology, [access] is perhaps the most discriminating” (Teaching in a Digital Age). It is incredibly difficult to ensure students have the same tools at home to access different learning materials online. Educators are not able to confirm if all students have access to the internet, computer, or tablet at home to view online content and we honestly can not demand our students have all these appropriate tools to access online content when we are not fully aware of the restrictions that may prohibit their accessibility. “Another important factor to consider is access for students with disabilities. This [could be for example] providing textual or audio options for deaf and visually impaired students” (Teaching in a Digital Age).

In any learning context, I believe it is imperative that we take the time to get to know our students and thus become aware of their instructional and educational needs. Each student is unique with their own set of needs and preferences to help them achieve success within the classroom. It is important for educators to get to know their students so that they can identify what they need to be able to complete a variety of tasks – especially when we are wanting to integrate technology into their learning repertoire. By talking with families or students we might be able to determine if they require any additional information, tools, or guidance to partake in online and blended classroom initiatives. In these types of interactions, we might come to find out that perhaps some of our families do not have technology at home that their child could access to complete components from an online or blended course; we could then approach the school and explore the possibility of letting some families borrow some technology so their child can partake in an online or blended learning initiative. It is also through these discussions that a teacher might find out their student has a hearing difficulty and could start planning to use subtitles or voice typing programs to include in online lessons so that all students can follow along. Moreover, we also discussed instances where our students’ religious or cultural beliefs might impede them from partaking in online or blended classroom initiatives which prompted many of us to consider what would be the optimal way to proceed; the majority of us agreed that we would not ask families to use any tool that went against their religious or cultural beliefs and that given this type of situation, we would find alternate solutions for students to complete the course work such as providing a paper copy of PowerPoint Presentations and printing off hard copies of activities for these students.

I feel that there are indeed some aspects of my blended course that considers accessibility for all my students. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I have included pre-recorded lessons that contain content in French and translations in English for my second-language learners to follow along. Additionally, I have included PowerPoint slides to go along with my pre-recorded lessons for there to be a visual component as well to help students follow along which is essential in any language course. However, there are areas where I can tweak a few things to make it more accessible to students. Following our lecture, I contemplated including some tools to help students with auditory disabilities where I could perhaps add subtitles to my pre-recorded lessons or use some type of “Speech-to-text” program. For example, when uploading videos to YouTube, there is an option to add subtitles in various languages and it will even provide graphs of the most commonly spoken languages in the world; the “Accessibility Toolkit” is a great resource to use for additional information, tools, and tips. Chris Hawkins’ article “The best dictation software in 2023” provides different “Speech-to-text” apps that are available as well. What I plan to do before starting my blended course with my students in the fall is to get to know them and discuss their needs before I start assigning modules. I will provide them with detailed walkthroughs of every program/app we plan to use for our blended course. I plan to also set some time aside with each student individually so we can address their questions or concerns before we start our blended course and I will be contacting families as well as asking them to communicate any needs they might have before we begin. These interactions with students and their families will be a key component to ensuring our blended course runs smoothly and that the students get the most out of this instructional initiative.

This has been quite the informative week in EC&I 834! It has been so much fun creating all my material and setting up my module to use with my students in the fall! It is always so refreshing to take the information we cover in class and apply it to our teaching which is what I focussed on doing this week when I got to explore Lumi to later on incorporate into my module with the hope that it would help engage my students with their online grammar lesson in French.

My first module focuses on sentence structure. Seeing as my kiddos will be in Grade 2 and Grade 3, we are focussing on proper sentence composition. We are also concentrating on identifying the subject (le sujet), the verb (le verbe), and the object (le complément) in sentences. Like with most lessons in a French Immersion classroom, exposure to different vocabulary is key to widening our students’ database in French, and we are always translating and providing new vocabulary throughout our lessons when we can.

As I mentioned in my course profile to ensure consistency throughout the school year each of my modules will have the following:

• PowerPoint Presentation of the new concept
• Pre-recorded lesson of PowerPoint Presentation in French (with English translation included to help all students understand/follow along)
• Both interactive and paper worksheets/workbooks (to be completed at home or in school if needing extra help/time)
• Boom Cards
• Quizlet or Quizizz activities
• Flip video
• Formal evaluation – Quiz (summative assessment) to be completed in class as a whole group.

The first thing I proceeded to do when setting up my module, was take the PowerPoint presentation for my lesson and I recorded a video of the slides. This video provided lots of translation throughout its entirety to make sure my students would be able to follow along when accessing it from home. I used Screencastify to record this video and it was very user-friendly while also making it easy to “export” my video. I did feel like the video was a bit long and worried if it would be able to keep my students engaged (especially when they will most likely be working from home without me around to “help them focus” haha).

I then went on to take my pre-recorded lesson and make it interactive with Lumi. In my opinion, Lumi was the perfect tool to help me insert pauses throughout my video and have my students review different concepts at precise times throughout the lesson. I explored a few of the different interactive activities and selected a true and false question, a multiple-choice question, and a summary task to include in my presentation. I also went on to create two different Quizizzes for this lesson and added two different links to the interactive video that takes students straight to our mini quiz. It was pretty easy to use but I do wish we had more options to add audio to prompts/interactive activities (if anyone knows how or has figured this out, please let me know ). I did have to play around with inserting my interactive activities correctly and at precise moments throughout the lesson; I would hope that as I get more comfortable using this tool, I will not need as much time adding the interactive activities correctly.

From that point on, I went on to prepare worksheets on Google Slides that students could submit back to me for review and went to select BOOM cards that I would also include in my module. I also prepared a video that walks students through both the Google Slide worksheets and BOOM cards activity where I translate a good chunk of the content for students to help them complete these assignments. Additionally, I provided one extra Quizizz for students who were wanting some extra practice.

I also created a Flip prompt/activity to go along with this module where I ask students to come up with a few of their own sentences, write them out at home, and then record themselves sharing their sentences with me. I emphasized that when they share each sentence with me, they need to also identify the subject, the verb, and the object in the sentence. This not only helps the kids review what they learned but also provides them with the opportunity to practice speaking in French. I do plan on using the kiddos’ Flip responses as a formative assessment to track their progress.

Lastly, once I had all my material prepped and ready to go, I went into my Google Classroom and set up the module for my students. I wrote up a prompt that provided instructions – this was done in English for parents to understand what to do in case they are helping their child. Adding the activities to Google Classroom was quick and efficient; we are able to add different media, videos, and links to our assignments in Google Classroom which makes it easy for the kids to locate all the activities and have access to them in one place.

Moreover, I think it is important to consider that younger students will need help gaining access to their Google accounts and log-in information. More precisely, teachers will need to walk their students through step by step all the different activities and components of their blended course before allowing them to have access. In previous years, I have set up times for whole-group instruction to take place when I am introducing a new tool, application, or website. I like to project my computer screen on the whiteboard and have students follow along on either an iPad on Chromebook depending on what is available for them to use. For example, when we started using Kahoots, we practiced how to type in the correct address in the URL bar, insert class code correctly, choose names properly, and submit answers correctly. With any new tool – especially relating to technology – it is essential to walk children through all the steps to access and use it correctly. I anticipate setting a couple of weeks aside where I walk my students through Google Classroom, BOOM cards, Quizlet, Quizizz, and Flip so we can do a couple of practice activities together before starting our modules for our blended course. Additionally, at the beginning of each module, I will be explaining all the activities so the kids know how to access all their resources on Google Classroom and feel confident completing the assignments for me from home.

Here is the link to my interactive lesson “La structure de la phrase” (sentence structure). I am excited to see what everyone else has set up!

Art is not about pretty things, it’s about who we are, what happened to us and how our lives are affected.

Elizabeth Broun

Northern Saskatchewan communities has always been a source of fascination and inspiration for me. The land, the trees, the lakes, the light, and the people inspire me to look at life in positive and bright perspectives. It has been four years since I left La Loche, I still think about the place. It continues to inspire my art. This inspiration moved me to do something in return.. to give back and to show my gratitude to the land and the people.

I thought about many ways how to show my gratitude. I think that helping Dene students make art and show their talents would be beneficial. This online and blended art education course for high school students answers the need to earn credit in their postsecondary while they are still in high school.

Advanced Placement in Visual Art Education

It provides means for developing and maintaining physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of students. There is a need for rich, wide array, differentiated resources and instruction to develop skills in art. It provides opportunities to learn and use of natural and indigenous materials in visual art. It will showcase talents and skills, and use of indigenous resources in art. Students in Northern communities face different social and economic issues that hinder learning, like lack of resources, transportation problems, and family issues.

ADDIE Template

This course is designed for High school students needing credits for Advance Placement (AP) who are not able to attend a regular secondary program (i.e. pregnancy, physical and psychological health reasons, economic, etc.). Advanced Placement course is a college level course developed by AP Program. Interested students earn one semester introductory college course in 2-D art and design. There is no prerequisite course which makes it accessible to anyone. However, there will be AP exams administered once a year.

Learning Environment

There are opportunities and limitations based on the following perspectives of the learners, facilitators, the domain and discipline, learning technologies, access and cost. The program is flexible in different aspects like time. Students have access to a wide range of learning activities and materials.  Although, students need to work independently, there are also opportunities for personalized and collaborative learning. In this course, students will develop self-discipline and motivation. There are limitations that students must take into consideration. They need to consider technological requirements and accessibility. There may by limited hands-on and practical experience. Since it is an online course, there is a potential isolation. Students may feel alone and isolated.

As the AP teacher, there are opportunities that I can take advantage of. The program offers enhanced accessibility, flexibility in content delivery, increased student engagement, and personalized learning experience. There are also limitations like limited non-verbal cues, technical difficulties, reduced social interaction, self-motivation and discipline.

In the domain and discipline, the following opportunities are possible: access to a wide range of learning resources, flexible learning schedules, and collaborative learning opportunities. lack of immediate feedback. Limitations like limited face-to-face interaction, and limited practical hands-on experience. In learning technologies, opportunities like flexibility and accessibility, interactive and engaging content, personalized learning, collaborative learning experience, and access to global resources. However, there may be some limitations may ensue like technical challenges, lack of social interaction, self-discipline and time management, limited hands-on practical experience, and digital literacy requirement.

Access and cost is another that needs attention. The program provides opportunities for global access of information and learning, flexible schedule, diverse course options, and it is cost saving. The students need to consider technological requirements, digital literacy, limited hands-on learning, and reduced social interaction.

Design

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Develop 2D skills through materials and processes: graphic design, photography, collage, printmaking, fashion illustration, and others.

• Create artwork that reflects learned knowledge, skills and own ideas

• Skills:

Investigation – materials, processes, ideas of artists and designers used

Communication – own ideas about works of art and design

Practice, experiment, revisit ideas as you create your own work

Instructional Approach

Learning experiences or activities

• lectures , inquiry-based learning, simulations using screencast lectures and demos

Assessment:

Formative: observation or art making processes during synchronous and asynchronous activities

AP art examination – once a year

Major Platform

List the LMS and/or other educational technologies that will be used.

Advanced Placement College Board

ZOOM

Google Arts and Culture

Kahoot

Mentimeter

Educational Technologies

List the ways that the platform and other educational technologies will be used to support student learning.

individual and group conferencing

Online studio work

Artwork presentation and feedback activities

Course Design