TEE 255 Portfolio Continued

Final Project - Redesign for FastFill Systems

Main Logo - We kept the original logo design, more or less just brought the logo to a higher standard, a more 21st century look with sharper edges and corners and cleaner and clearer text so that the whole logo would become more scalable and bring a higher level of identity.

Here we have the secondary oil drop/tire logo - This logo I felt was a huge addition to the project, bringing an overall unity to the website and catalog. Originally we used it as part of our nozzle logos, but felt in the end we found better use of it elsewhere due to stressful debate.

These were some of our product logos. Here we stayed with simple line and design, focusing on typefaces to unify and color or symbols to more or less add to the logo-type (aside from the check valve logo).

Nozzle logos - With these product logos we were looking to form individual identity for each underlying nozzle, but at the same time keep them unified by doing all logo-types.

Here is a brief sample of the catalog, computer or ipad version. Color was an emphasis here with the varying pages. It was i the catalog and web where we were able to implement the secondary logo which more or less became our specialty item for the company.

The printer friendly version varied in color, contrast, and emphasis held up next to the computer version. The content remained the same, the main difference leading to easier readability and cheaper costs if it were to be printed.

This is the only web page I have, but either way it shows the layout and overall design of the website we recreated. We used a dark, brushed metal background to help give the website a feeling of masculinity yet remain professional. Such also provided excellent contrast to the site and helped the other colors to stand out in greater emphasis. The content areas of the site remained white for means readability. The site is set up in an F-shaped layout with the navigation bar on the left side.

TEE 255 Portfolio

Logo Recreation and Fresh Concept

I chose to redesign for my fathers company "Wilson Custom Cabinets and Furniture." I felt the simple, yet precise layout capture the individual and company I was designing for.

................................................................................................

Awareness Poster

I chose to do an awareness poster focusing in on bear safety and awareness. The photo I chose I felt was striking and would draw in people to want to know what the poster was about, thereby then being drawn into the text.

................................................................................................

Square It Up Booklet

This is an original rather then the modified version of my pamphlet, but such shows the idea. Updated version was done on CS5, something the reg. computers don't have. Either way, I chose to do a how to pamphlet focusing on squaring up a board. I felt the picture gave sufficient visual, whereas the text helped to guide the user step-by-step as to how to work safely and efficiently.

................................................................................................

Swedish Fish Package Redesign

In redesigning the packaging for Swedish Fish I found that I had more fun playing with the simple graphics and colors, contrast, and layout. This project was a boost in spirits for me due to the positive feedback I was receiving as well as it being a fun and playful design.

Capture/Reflection 10 - 11/16/2010

So this last week I didn't have class, we don't have any more readings due technically, and so I thinks it's safe to say that these reflections are hard because I don't have a whole lot directly related to the class to reflect on. Outside of all such though I do feel I can reflect on experiences I've had with others and teaching. Over the Thanksgiving break my wife taught a simple two and a half hour workshop for one of her classes in her major. She is not in a teaching major but rather in family studies where they still do do a lot of teaching and program development. As far as reflection to such an experience I look at the importance of planning and preparation. Now my wife worked very very hard to plan and prepare for this workshop she gave, and do to such gave an amazing workshop. She could have done just enough to slide by in the class and, but she didn't because of passion and her desire to really learn and prepare for future career opportunities. Due to her preparation the two and a half hour program was not a bore or disaster, but very informative and interactive. As teachers we need to realize the importance of preparation and planning, something I am striving to better realize and apply. We know that it's important, but do we know just how important it really is. I hope that we as teachers will have that passion my wife does, catch the vision of the difference we can make, and plan and prepare.

Capture/Reflection 10 - 11/16/2010

I found much of what I read from the book very fascinating! What seemed to really catch my attention was the importance of homework. Now I plan to teach middle school and or high school, preferable high school so much of what I read I feel directly applies to me and my understanding and preparation toward homework. According to a studies done by Cooper, homework only has a great effect on students of a certain age. He says that homework really only begins to have positive effects about sixth grade and in high school as teachers give well thought out homework it can jump up percentile gain by as much as 30 percent. As I'm learning about this now I can only imagine how much I would have appreciated knowing this while I was in high school. I won't lie, my high school was lame and absolutely easy. I remember getting homework and often thinking, how is this to help; why do they give us this? I'm sure I'm not the only one tho have these thoughts and feelings while in attendance at school. I feel the same way still at times, especially when I sit back to do my capture/reflections for this class. Though those thoughts have crossed my mind I feel more motivated now than ever as I see numbers and associated with homework. Cooper specifically talks well thought out homework though. He states that there are two types of homework that we can give our students, the kind that designed to prepare the students and the kind that provide opportunities for practice. Homework should fit within one of these two categories and then there should be a grade value or a mode of following up. As I look at my own experiences that makes complete sense because I know that I am one that if there isn't a grade I will most likely not do it, or at least not put forward a full effort. This chapter gave me a better understanding and realization for toward the importance of homework. In the future as I go to assign homework I will better understand how I can help my students achieve greater understanding and success in their learning's.

Capture/Reflection 9 - 11/9/2010

I reflection of class this last week, or actually moreso of today, I got thinking a bit about colaboration and cooperation. Now our group of eight seemed to have a hard time with such a thing. We began on the right track with brainstorming out ideas of things we can teach and things we would like to teach. That was easy because we had a lot of options, but when it came to finally decideing between our gathered thoughts and ideas it was a little more difficult. We had a difficult time deciding at first on the dates of history we wanted to cover, then our objective, then who does what... Either way it was a learning experience. The reason I am reflecting on such an experience is because to me it was another example of how we are all so differet, not only in our interests, but also in our teaching styles. Some of us wanted to really hone in on activities and hands on learning styles while others were so worried about state core testing that I believe they were losing sight of how we ought to really try and teach. I mention such an example not because it's not important that we focus preparing our students for such tests, but because we ought not to let such tests tell us how we need to teach. Also, another thought I had was on the colaboration and cooperation that district or state commitees must have in order to develope curriculums. What kind of disputes do they hae on what's important and not important? How do they come to an agreement and understanding with eachother? This was and will always be a lesson to learn as I become a teacher because each district and every state may vary.

Capture/Reflection 8 - 11/2/2010

Reflection for the week again was on or from the teaching that took place. Now I taught today, but I don't want to reflect on that because there is a seperate assignment for such. As far as the teaching this week there is always so much to learn. Geoff gives very insightful feedback as well as many of the class. Feedback that really got me thinking, much of the reason is because I tend to struggle with it, is the idea of lecturing or presenting. We are supposed to be teachers, and it's hard to not just settle in as a presenter or lecturer. Why? Because we're at college and that's most of our experience over the past few years. All the general classes required by the school are lecture based and generally a very boring presentation of knowledge. Now I am a individual who thrives on activities and most of the time gets far more out of doing then just listening and jotting notes. In class we discussed various methods of teaching and the importance of being teachers and not presenters. How do you avoid falling into the lull of presenting o=vs. teaching? I suppose it's through better planning, yet also there is a level of avoidance in experience. Today I did teach, and I planned to avoid talking to much and spending more time on the activity I had planned, yet I failed. I planned well, so I thought, yet I didn't accomplish my plan at all. I'm sure there is plenty of room for improvement in my planning, yet due to lack of experience I struggled to succeed in my desires. THere needs to be careful planning, but also very careful time management and distribution of material. Does teaching come naturally? Is it something that takes years of experience to become an effective teacher? Is theory or practice more effective or are the equal? I suppose the answer is specific to the individual or is it clear and I'm not seeing it? I learned way more today from my own teaching as far as what I did or didn't do then from watching or listening to others teach, though they were beneficial too. Proper planning and effective classroom management is key, even if that management is only toward managing yourself. I want to be a teacher, not a lecturer or merely a presenter, though both have their place, yet it should not be front and center.

Capture/Reflection 7 - 10/26/2010

This week captures and reflection evolve around what was taught in the classroom by fellow students. In class last tuesday and also today we were taught by peers. The subject matter in my reflection has no significance but rather the ways in which it was taught does. I found throughout many of the teaching moments that assessment was something rarely touched on. As teachers I feel that assessment can be easily overlooked on a day to day basis, yet it is something that is crucial in helping the students to stay focused and continually progressing. Now there are various ways of assessing student learning, before, during, and after teaching the subject matter. Pre-testing is often easy to do with students because rarely is a score or grade associated with such. Asking the students simple questions or even those you may have on a final exam should indefinitely happen because as a teacher this is an opportunity for you as a teacher to finding a starting point for the lesson, or rather if necessary take the opportunity to review on what they know. From here you lead into the opportunity to better scaffold on the material that the students already know. Another form of assessment should be that done while you are teaching, meaning follow questions or reflective, or review question to assess that the students are understanding and following the lesson. Too often we as teachers depending on the material just assume or rather don't feel that the time needed is worth it if there is a lot of material to cover. As a student I don't always like it when the teacher calls on me unless I'm confident in the subject matter. Pride tells me I don't want to say the wrong answer, that I care what other students might think, yet assessing during the lessons helps me stay on track and gives the teacher a better idea if what he/she is covering is being understood. Such assessment wasn't being used as much as needed in the teaching moments during class. Lastly is the final assessment, at the end of a unit or term, or the year. Now most students hate these assessments because it puts them on the spot, yet as a teacher they are necessary besides the fact that they are required often times by administration and such. These assessments are also for the teachers benefit because once again one can look at the test scores and gain an overall understanding of class understanding and whether or not your styles and method are affective in the classroom. I've gone on long enough on assessment so I won't continue on other thoughts, but if my reflection for the week was to be summed up it would be on the importance of assessing students for more than just the student but rather for the sake of becoming a better teacher.