My I.E.P. for Adobe's In Design

My IEP project: For my individualized educational plan I decided that I needed to learn how to use Adobe’s In Design. I have been creating worksheets and other informational handouts using Microsoft Word for most of the year. I have learned to utilize many of the different functions within Word and found ways to create some fairly good handouts for my students. After receiving the In Design software and watching Mr. Lehnhart turn out handout after handout using In Design and watching the students engagement in a piece of paper, I knew that learning how to master In Design would be essential to garnering the same response out of my handouts.

My “baseline” knowledge of how to use In Design was not very extensive. I wanted to be able to:

§ To create visually differentiated text in a way that will clarify learning outcomes

§ Layer graphics and text in a way that allows handouts to flow and more clearly spell out learning outcomes for lessons

§ Learn to be proficient enough with In Design that I am able to successfully complete a handout with minimal support.

Lesson #1: Economic Stimulus

Designed using Microsoft Word, this handout lays out some of the plans for the economic stimulus bill along with additional information that will be needed to further understand the bill so that students will be able to adequately understand the bill for in class discussion and debate as well as acting as a catalyst for student input on the bill itself. Interesting handouts can be created using Word, however, Word lacks creativity. In Design makes the process easier and does not constrict you to preset formatting and Word functions. Thus, In Design allows for more creative freedom…if you can think it you can do it with In Design.

Lessons #2-6: Alaska History Flipchart

Designed using In Design, this lesson is designed to follow in line with the important time periods within Alaska history as they correspond geographically and thematically with the history of human occupation in Alaska. As far as the designing of the handouts this was a fairly simple process with In Design and a very good “beginner” lesson in using In Design for lesson planning. There is an explanation of the format describing how the lesson should be put together.

Lesson #7: What Am I?; 20th Century American Inventions

This lesson was designed using In Design and is designed to get students to investigate and teach about specific inventions that were created in the United States during the 20th century. This lesson is a step up in sophistication from the AK Flipchart lesson and shows progression in understanding how to utilize In Design in the classroom.

Lesson #8: American History; The Cold War through films

Designed using In Design, this lesson is designed as part of a weekend project for each student to watch and analyze a film that depicts some aspect of the Cold War. This is a far more complex handout to design and should further cement my command of In Design.