Module 7 Discussion: Web Accessibility

Hello classmates - 

I live in a small town in SW Georgia and for this module, I wanted to use our local high school's website to do my evaluation. 

https://sites.google.com/early.k12.ga.us/echs

This website actually had a lot of great information for students. I am of the opinion it could have been organized more efficiently and have had increased visual appeal, but what really matters is how accessible it is for everyone. The problem was that it blocked a LOT of these tools from accessing the website. I was really surprised but I understand this could be because of firewalls and school information being sensitive. 

A LOT of the information we were provided in the link with accessibility tools turned up link errors and pages not found, as well as services we had to pay for   - I chose to use WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. 

WOW - There are so many places with room for major improvement. I would first start by ensuring all images have alternate text so they can be identified with an audible alert to the viewer, when using the site as someone with specific needs would. I would also be sure the text and imagery has high contrast and visibility...black text on light colors and vice versa. 

I did some searching on my own and found there are MANY people, developers, researchers, and companies providing WATs and I better understand their importance after this module. 

Module 5 Discussion: Digital Storytelling

High quality content and intention to deliver, entertain, and or educate viewer or readers is what a good story starts with and technology, if used properly can help see that to intention to fruition. If orchestrated in well planned manner and executed with expertise and style, digital storytelling can be an effective classroom learning tool. If you have compelling material to be presented it is likely to be more well received by students if it is relevant and interesting in its delivery. To me, those feats can be accomplished and improved upon with creativity and the use of technology. If I were in a history class learning about West Virginia, I would remember more of the content after seeing it presented like in http://hollowdocumentary.com/ by McDowell County Community Initiatives. This was an incredible use of digital storytelling about a broad topic that was focused in on a particular location. Music videos, to me, are an amazing example of how digital storytelling engages viewers by putting visual cues with the lyrics, bringing more meaning to the songs – leaving a more lasting impression. If education were designed in digital storytelling formats across the board, I would be that more students would remember a magnified amount of material. If the material is lackluster in its visual presentation, it is less likely to engage students. There is also always a risk in that students aren’t passionate about or interested in the material itself so it will be additionally difficult to engage them. If instructors spend time and energy to create an engaging story, students will notice. It is imperative their skills are honed and they are well versed in the creation of the story using technology. Is it possible for an instructor to get it right and be successful on their first try?

Module 2 Discussion: Productivity Tools

"Productivity Tools" are a wide range of software and/or virtual platforms that enhance your ability to be productive or accomplish something. Whether you want to be digitally organized, collaborate with a team, or track your time - there is, quite literally, something for everyone. 

For me, from that list,  Google Drive and a derivative of Map My Fitness, Map My Ride, are the two that I can speak to most effectively. I have over 10K hours in on the Drive platform and use it for more reasons than I can count. I have included some screenshots of the depth of use in just one of my Drive accounts. This specific account is used to keep all of my clients' print files needed to produce their wholesale goods, that I produce, that they retail using my art. 

Map My Ride is an app that I use to track my biking adventures. I love this platform because it allows me to pre-create routes, save a spontaneous route, and it collects distance data. There are several spokes to the "Map My" wheel of programs...Map My Run is another. 

As far as an app I am interested in learning more about, it would be OneNote. I operate, mostly, on my MAC computers but recently purchased a PC laptop for a class I am taking and am going to dive back into the Microsoft/Windows arena. I think OneNote will be great for someone like me that likes to make lists.

I will continue using all of the possible apps within the Drive platform as they are efficient, robust, and FREE. There were quite a few in the list that I am excited to learn more about that I will be recommending to some of my business consultant/web design/marketing customers. I even have a couple of my own ideas for productivity apps I may embark on creating one day!