D. Moore Design Process

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Background and Need

The school

This research was conducted at a newly reopened, small, K-8 school, with a 40% population that uses “free and reduced” lunch. This “free and “reduced” status is an indicator to researchers that nearly half of the students enrolled at this school are“at risk” due to their socio-economic background and the education levels of their parents (Dunmire, 2010). Because of this, they are sometimes limited in their ability to have the same access to the curriculum that students on the other side of town may have. This challenge creates inequity between student groups and is a concern for the teachers at the research site. VUSD is a district which has 1:1 devices in almost every classroom but many teachers are still unsure of which websites will bring their students the most benefit. Keeping all of this in mind; I felt that it was important to continue the use of digital tools in the classroom, but with so many to choose from I wanted to make the best choice for the needs of my students.

The Learners

Sociocultural: Sixth grade students look primarily to their peers for acceptance. They have a strong desire to “fit in” and enjoy what those around them are working on. They fear sticking out or seeming “different” in any way.

Technical: Social media and smart phones are their primary source of comminication. They belong to applications such as musical.ly, snapchat and twitter. They text and facetime. They are exceptional computer and chromebook users and have the ability to manipulate these devices with ease.

Informational: They use YouTube, Google and have been introduced to Google Drive and many of its resources. They have used flipgrid but due to their delicate sense of self at this age they struggle with the idea of being on camera.

Educational: Sixth grade is a time when students transition from primary to secondary education. Sixth graders are expected to enter seventh grade with a solid foundation of all mathematical concepts. These concepts will them be explored in more depth as they matriculate.

SITE Model and Initial Analysis

To learn a little more about the needs of my students and why this project was so important, please take a look at my SITE Model and Initial Analysis below.

Diana Moore - Initial Analysis.doc by Diana Orfanides Moore on Scribd

Research

Support and Next Steps

Prototype

The Logo

My first thought when given the directive to create my own logo was "where do I even begin?" I am so thankful though, that we have had a little bit of time to examine other logos. Looking at form and color and in some cases, hidden meanings. When it came to designing a logo for my capstone though, the hardest part was coming up with an idea that I felt would be unique to my project. For my first draft, I used logomakr. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the software was to use. It was really simple to find a number of images by searching for just a simple word. Their two minute video made the whole process even easier.

I have to admit though, my "first draft" is not really my first draft. I had a few other logos made and ready to go, but none of them spoke to my capstone the way that my current first draft does. I wanted to create something that would make a connection to math, but also to 21st century skills. This led me to my first draft. An acute mathematical symbol. This was meant to tie together mathematics and how to close the gap. This issue with this was that I felt like it didn't include anything digital, and since that it a big piece of my capstone, I went back to the drawing board.

My next attempt had me thinking more about the brain and how for many, it seems that math remains a struggle. For many it is the missing piece. I also wanted to include the idea that digital tools and 21st century skills would help to make that connection. This was closer, but there was still something missing. I wanted math and "Digital Connections" to stand out... enter color; and my "first draft."