Media+and+Materials

=**Media and Materials**=

In this assignment, we were to create a poster using PowerPoint. We could do the poster on anything, and I chose to do mine on my Unit Plan of the Underground Railroad. Once we completed the poster on PowerPoint, we had to take a flash drive to the LRC to have it printed. Then, we brought the finished product to class, where Harold and the rest of the class gave us comments.


 * First Attempt**
 * Poster with Corrections**


 * Reflection:** My overall opinion of this assignment is positive. I enjoyed making the poster using PowerPoint because this is something I have previously never done. I did not know that you could create such a large document using PowerPoint. I liked this assignment because I think it is much easier to navigate than Photoshop. Also, I thought it was really neat that you could actually print the posters in the LRC. I am definitely glad to learn of that resource. I would use this in the classroom as a type of visual aid. Also, I would like to teach my students how to create posters on PowerPoint because almost every school computer has that capability. This would be a great way to get students actively learning while also creating visual aids that could be shared with the entire class. I would use this particular poster in my class as a conversation starter. I would first ask the students to hypothesize what they think each picture on the poster could mean. This will get their thinking moving in the right direction. I would then show and describe the different elements on the poster. I think there are two pillars of 21st Century Learning that could be illustrated using this poster. I think critical thinking is definitely illustrated when students try to decide what each element of the poster could stand for. The answers are not written out for them, but they have to infer and hypothesize from their own understanding. Also, this poster can illustrate language because the students have to engage in conversation in order to express their ideas with one another. I would improve this assignment by going over more tools that can be used to create PowerPoint posters. I would change the assignment by having the students actually present their own poster and tell why they included each component. I would not eliminate anything from this assignment. I would expand on the uses and tools that can be used to make interested posters that are not pixilated.