kadan-acm

[kadan-acm]

Final Reflection

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 11

It��s been a crazy few weeks! I missed my weekly update due to the holiday weekend, but I accomplished quite a bit in that time. I decided to omit the Voice module due to time constraints. I chose this module because the concepts within this module can be found in all three of the other modules. The idea behind “Voice” is to encourage students to educate visitors and kamaʻaina alike with aloha (which can be found in the Hawaiian Culture module). This concept in combination with the ways to “tread lightly” and care for our land (which can also be found in the Natural Resources module). Through their class discussions, the concepts of “Voice” are already integrated into the lessons, therefore I felt it might also be seen as repetitive.

Since my last update, I was able to complete the resources, about, and contact pages. I also created a footer. My biggest hurdle these last few days were the adjusting for responsiveness. I didn’t realize that the images weren’t translating to different screen sizes until I tested my website on another computer. While I did account for bugs I didn’t anticipate allocating this much time to it. Another big issue I ran into was when my site had a “fatal error.” Wordpress alerted me of this error and I had to troubleshoot to figure out how to get it up and running again. There were several steps I had to go through to resolve this by changing my site settings and in the end I have to revamp my main Modules page. The table I was using caused the main issue so I had to delete it and find a new layout. Even the footer gave me issues. For some reason the global themes page wasn’t working and I had to create a second footer from scratch.

The other issue I ran into was creating my illustrations. While I did mockups of my website, I didn’t anticipate the fine tuning I would need to do and the multiple revisions I would have to make. Overall, each page took hours of fine tuning, especially the modules. Even now, I’m still testing and tweaking here and there. I probably should have documented more of the issues, but I didn’t think about it until later. Instead, I've attached one of my Illustrator WIP screenshots and a video of the mobile version. There is also a tablet version that I will try to upload later on as well.

Anyway, here’s the link to my website! https://koacademyacm.wpcomstaging.com/

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 10

This week I finished the Community module. I have a video attached to show the planning portion (Google Doc/Slides), the completed Community page (with downloadable lesson), and the in-progress modules page. Luckily I was able to figure out how to create my own icons, but it took me a while to format and adjust them to my liking. I’m not necessarily done with this page (I might add more imagery/elements), and I did not write the blurb for the Voice module. Also, for some reason I can’t figure out how to get rid of the beige block at the bottom of the page. 

Since I’m behind on production, I will move on to the resources/about/contact pages this coming week. The About/Contact page shouldn’t take too much time, but I still need to write the copy for them. I have already collected the resource links for the Resource page so that will just be a matter of formatting. Once I have done all of these things, I will focus on the last module, Voice.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 9

Module 2 (Hawaiian Culture) is now complete. I have a video attached to show a preview. This module was a little longer with a few more discussion questions but it went a lot smoother this time since I’m a bit more familiar with the process. I also began working on the general modules page, though it is not complete. I had some difficulty with this page because I tried to upload my own icons to Wordpress but I found out that it had to be a font file, not an image. I couldn’t find icons that really fit what I was looking for, so I’ll probably do more research on how to upload my own.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 8

I think that I have a better understanding of the parallax effects after building the Natural Resources page. It took a lot of trial and error, and I ran into a lot of issues that took time for me to resolve. For example, one issue I had was that the right side of my page had a large white block that I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of. It turned out that a few objects I had were set to the incorrect width, causing it to overflow into a space larger than my original canvas. I was also able to refine the scroll/fade effects that I had issues with last week. In addition, I completed the module cards and updated my homepage with them. 

Next steps are to finish the rest of my lesson plans and implement them into the website. Now that I have completed a full set, I believe it will be much easier to streamline the process from here on out. Here’s a video attached showing a walkthrough of what I have.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 8

I think that I have a better understanding of the parallax effects after building the Natural Resources page. It took a lot of trial and error, and I ran into a lot of issues that took time for me to resolve. For example, one issue I had was that the right side of my page had a large white block that I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of. It turned out that a few objects I had were set to the incorrect width, causing it to overflow into a space larger than my original canvas. I was also able to refine the scroll/fade effects that I had issues with last week. In addition, I completed the module cards and updated my homepage with them. 

Next steps are to finish the rest of my lesson plans and implement them into the website. Now that I have completed a full set, I believe it will be much easier to streamline the process from here on out. Here’s a video attached showing a walkthrough of what I have.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 7

I finally began building my website with Wordpress! It’s definitely a huge work in progress and just shows how much I still need to do. I did part of the homepage and half of the natural resources page. It’s been difficult trying to implement the parallax effect on the modules page but once I complete it, I feel that it will be really effective for the lesson itself. The issue that I’m having is that the fade in/out is difficult to time while scrolling, leaving the top section still visible while the new section is coming into view. Even the spacing between the different lines of copy doesn’t always align properly when they are too close together. 

This coming week I’m going to continue building my website and also completing the lesson plans for the rest of the modules.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 6

This past week I worked on the mockups for my website. I focused on the homepage and the first module (natural resources pillar). I still need to come up with the icons for community and voice for the homepage. The idea is that my website will use a parallax effect so each section will appear when the user scrolls through. I also created a layout for the Google Docs lesson plan I showed in my last update. On my actual website it will be available for download to be used in the classroom. 

After getting approval for this first module, I will move on to creating the mockups for the layouts of the rest of the modules/website. Then I will start the production of the actual website with the parallax effect.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 5

A major milestone that I met this past week was creating the first lesson plan for my modules. I focused on the natural resources pillar and created an outline for the plan. While I still have to create a polished version of it for teachers to be able to download, the Google Doc version is complete. I aligned this module with current DOE science standards and included the lesson objectives and outcomes. I also included the lesson implementation and assessment. I will be following this outline for the rest of the modules. 

I also created a Google Slides to show the exact questions that will show on my website, including a few notes that I will likey incorporate into the lesson plan document. 

With all of this in mind, I was able to create a draft of my site map and wireframe sketches. The idea is that my website will have 4 pages, Modules, Resources, About, and Contact. The Modules will then link to the individual module pages. As for the modules themselves, I will be using a parallax effect to display each discussion question along with relevant illustrations and photos. At the bottom, the lesson plan will be available to download. 

I’m continuing to work on the illustrations, this one in particular I’ve attached might be used on the homepage. My next steps are to complete the illustrations so I can create my more polished mockups.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 4

I was able to complete version one of my style guide. I might make a few changes and post an updated one later. My next steps are to create the wireframes and move on to the mockups. 

I don’t have too much to share right now besides the style guide, but I’m hoping to focus on the lesson plans this week.

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 3

This past week I’ve been working on creating my “mascot.” I decided on using the Hawaiian monk seal as my mascot and tried a bunch of different variations in looks. Since my audience will be geared toward elementary school students, I wanted to give it an animated/cartoon look. I also started working on the different pillar cards for natural resources, Hawaiian culture, community, and brand marketing. 

I don’t have a name for the mascot or my website just yet (I haven’t been able to get in touch with the Hawaiian language expert), but will hopefully finalize it soon. The name will be related to sustainable tourism in the classroom. 

The next immediate steps are to create the style guide. I have the fonts and colors set, but will need to take the time to create the icons and other visual elements for my website. 

A major milestone I want to achieve this coming week is to begin creating the actual lessons for the pillars. I know I’m behind on this so I definitely need to make it a priority. 

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 2

Last week, I met with Sharla and finalized my website idea. Rather than just a resource hub, I’ll be moving toward creating an online module/lesson plan/training for students to learn more about sustainable tourism. These modules will be based on the HTA’s four pillars (natural resources, Hawaiian culture, community, and brand marketing) along with the Nā Hopena A‘o: BREATH framework. 

With this new direction, I’m still deciding on a name for my website. I’m planning on consulting a Hawaiian language expert that I know from work since I’d like to ensure that I’m using the correct language. The main idea I’m hoping to convey is the balance between land and people. 

Another step I’m working on is the personification of the pillars/framework through a character. I did a brainstorm and outlined some options, including potential names for the character, and a few sketches.

I also began a list of important Hawaiian phrases/words that I would like to use on my website and included it in my resources document. 

I feel much better about the direction I’m moving in now that I have a clear goal in mind. 

[kadan-acm]

Reflection 1

I can’t believe this is already Week 3! So far, I haven’t really had my aha moment as far as my website goes. I’m currently still in the curation stage of my project. Since my website idea is a resource hub for teachers and students (regarding sustainability and the tourism industry), I have been compiling those resources into a Google Doc. I have several different types of resources such as articles, videos, documents, and links to related opportunities. 

I’m hoping that through this research, I will be able to move forward with my style guide and website name. I was actually able to find a toolkit by the Hawaii Tourism Authority that I believe I can use as a reference to better inform my style guide and user persona document. I was able to begin the user persona document, but I think I need to do a little more research before completing it. I’m really itching to start the design process, but I know that I need a better grasp on my deliverable before moving forward.