Tamara's Reflection

The symbol posted on this page is "aya", it literally means fern, and represents strength, endurance, and resourcefulness. It is my son's middle name and one of my favorite adinkra symbols. As you read this blog, I hope you will have a better understanding of my experience in the Teaching with Digital Tools course, and why I chose to center my website around adinkra symbols.

When registering for this course I was hoping to learn more about how I could better utilize technology in the classroom and as an everyday tool. I have learned many new things that I have shared with others. I have been doing research on adinkra symbols since my undergraduate years, and was excited to created a project around one of my own interests. I have a great interest in homeschooling and think that the use of technology can be a great way for homeschoolers to learn in a safe space.

My website (https://tkaewill.wixsite.com/adinkrawebquest/webquest-guide) is a site designed for a social studies webquest. The "A World of Adinkra" web quest aims to connect students with a rich and vibrant art culture in West Africa. Acting as researchers students learn more about the importance of adinkra symbols in the global community. A final project will be completed to showcase their findings over the course of two weeks. Students have the opportunity to choose from two different final projects: a museum exhibit or newsletter.

I used wix to create my website. I was comfortable using this platform, as I have used it many times before, but never for an academic site. Wix allows you customize a site almost exactly as you want it, which is great for creatives like myself. It also has an ADI feature, which designs a website for you based on your taste. The only thing I did not like was the fact that I had to install a comments section into the blog; I think it should be a feature that is already included.

My advice for future students as they work on this project are to have clear goals for a final product. The imagination can be a great thing, but it must be carefully though out. Also, remember to create a rubric that will challenge you to produce the best website possible. It is important that you pace yourself when building a website, as things can easily overlooked, such as providing correct links.