Caitlin Maynard

ITEC 7500
Reflection 2.1

2.1 Content Standards & Student Technology Standards - model and facilitate the design and
implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences aligned with student content
standards and student technology standards
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I started the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University in the Summer
of 2019. One of the first courses I took that semester was ITEC 7445, Multimedia and Web
Design in Education. During the class, we were instructed to create a WebQuest that was
content-specific, engaging, and that could ideally be used in our classrooms in the upcoming Fall
semester. The WebQuest that I designed revolved around the creation of a jingle for a soft drink
release. Students gathered information about the product, as well as popular jingle trends, before
setting off to create their own jingles in small groups. I created this WebQuest with my General
Music students in mind, gathering external resources and developing formative checks at the end
of each section, and have been very pleased with the outcome.

This multimedia project addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence for 6th
Grade General Music:
Creating
MSGM6.CR.1 – Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
C. Improvise short melodies with existing accompaniments consistent to give
style, meter, and tonality
MSGM6.CR.2 – Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.
A. Compose short pieces within specified guidelines
C. Use a variety of traditional and nontraditional sound sources and digital
tools when composing and arranging
Performing
MSGM6.PR.1 – Sing a varied repertoire of music, alone and with others
A. Sing with expression and technical accuracy in unison and simple
harmonic settings
MSGM6.PR.3 – Read and notate music
E. Use standard notation or digital software to record their musical ideas and
the musical ideas of others
Responding
MSGM6.RE.2 – Evaluate music and music performances
B. Explore and compare various uses of music in daily experiences

Students met these standards and corresponding elements through the project by creating a
15-second jingle for a fictitious soft drink company’s release of a new summer soda launch. By
using Garage Band, students improvised melodies to compose short melodies within specified
guidelines. These guidelines were given the students through criteria in a rubric. Then, students
had the opportunity to perform as they had to sing sections of the jingle and use digital software
to record their ideas. Finally, as a wrap up activity in the WebQuest, students had responded by
evaluating their personal performances as well as the performances from other groups.
 This multimedia project addresses the following International Society for Technology in
Education (ISTE) Standards for Students:
Empowered Learner
1d. Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations,
demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able
to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.
Digital Citizen
2b. Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology,
including social interactions online or when using networked devices.
Knowledge Constructor
3d. Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and
problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
Innovative Designer
4a. Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas,
testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
Creative Communicator
6d. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and
medium for their intended audiences.
Students met these standards and corresponding elements through the project by showing
their understanding of fundamental concepts of technology operations and choosing
demonstrating empowered learning. Students also developed digital citizen skills as they
engaged in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, especially as they
were on our school’s internet network on school-owned devices. Additionally, students became
knowledge constructors, innovative designers, and creative communicators as they worked in
small groups to explore the real-world issues of marketing and jingle composition, to generate
ideas, and to present customized content to meet the point of the task.

In this project, I was able to model and facilitate many different techniques for the design
and implementation of a technology-enhanced learning experience. As I used Google Sites as a
home for the WebQuest, I utilized many of the built-in features, such as image carousel and
embedded files. Some of the files that I included in the WebQuest as learning resources included
Google Slides decks, as well as Google Forms as formative assessments throughout the task. I
also created graphics using Canva that were colorful and inviting, reflecting the summer sodas in
the marketing contest. I also had to search through different external resources to see which ones
would be the most helpful for the jingle creation contest and that were appropriate for middle
school students. The evaluation section of the WebQuest was just as important as the task itself
as the rubrics I created helped to keep the students on track while working on the project in class.

While completing this artifact, I was reminded of the importance of meeting the needs of all
students. For this project, this meant making audio recordings of instructions or particularly long
reading passages and embedding them into the WebQuest. The process itself was not difficult,
especially when keeping everything in Google Drive and using Google Sites. It was something
that I wanted to learn to do and this project gave me a legitimate opportunity to test it out. Since
then, I have trained my colleagues in creating recordings for various read aloud
accommodations. Looking back at the project, I should have ensured that the school’s
technology needed for the jingle composition was up to date or at least easily accessible. Our
iPad carts are at least eight years old and are being slowly pulled without being replaced. This
means the remaining iPads do not receive updates or general maintenance and it is not
guaranteed that every iPad will have the applications needed. To improve the quality of the
project moving forward, I will look for online, cloud-based music composition websites that
students can access on any type of device. This will allow for each group to be successful in
their jingle creation.

The work that went into creating this multimedia project impacted student learning
directly as I was able to use the WebQuest as a teaching tool in my classroom. The students
learned how to navigate a Google Site and use web tools and apps such as Garage Band, read
and interpret different sources of data (charts, graphs), and develop the four Cs of 21st Century
Learning through small group participation. This impact was measured through a series of
formative “Quick Checks” at the end of each task, a self and group assessment form, and teacher
observation and feedback. Overall, the students also seemed to really enjoy the project based on
their verbal feedback and the quality of their work. It is a project that they looked forward to
continue working on each day and one that I will continue to plan with my new classes.