This data gave me much insight both predicted and unpredicted into the information that I felt made a significant difference in the learning process of my students as well as affected my understanding of how to better teach them. Using Microsoft Word, I built a series of graphs to visually display the data outcomes that I received from the survey rather than just share with the students their collective answers.
In sharing this data in a visual way, I found that the students took an added interest into the information which in turn gave them a better understanding of themselves as a whole class as well as the different levels. This gave me a reinforced interest in information-visualization and presentation design.
From the "Go2Web2.0" link provided in the FSO Assignment list, I found an external link to the Blog site visualizing.org This website is an amazing resource of information visualizations from designers and creators from around the world. The depth and sophistication of the visualizations covering world topics and issues that display the information in new and creative perspectives.
In determining the focus for my research, I've decided to generate my data cycles in either an interactive (flash based environment) or a graph style color coded format that will be easily accessible and understandable to the average viewer. While this website isn't immediately a traditional Web 2.0 resource in terms of its ability to provide online content creator software, the fact that one can contribute to the community on the blog site allows for the sharing of information which is the best of the Web 2.0 initiative.
If you are ever in need of gathering data and referencing it from a visual standpoint, visualizing.org is a great place to start in searching for such information.
Visualizing.org Retrieved October 4th, 2010 from www.visualizing.org
Graph image is the property of David Steinke. All Rights Reserved.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteThis is Tremeris Sanders, also a musisc educator. I like the way that you used the graph to represent the type of suppoet that your students have at home. I was interested in the same information about the students I work with too and now I have a method to find out plus they can submit it anonymously. I will look at visualizing.org as you mentioned and see what it has to offer but I want to mention Zamzar.com to you. It is an online conversion tool. You can record video clips of your band at games or concerts and convert the videos to audio and burn them to cd's so the students can listen to them at home or you could sell the cd's as a fundraiser. Just an idea.
Great idea to help motivate your students. I bookmarked the sight, it seems it could be very useful in many different ways. Feedback from the students is so important!
ReplyDeleteVery useful tool for elegantly displaying information that might otherwise be very mundane. Digging through the examples on the site was very inspiring. I foresee many visits to visualizing.org in the future.
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