"Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society."
Historic Brookville Interpretive Signage Project
The most extensive project that I have been highly involved with while working at the Jefferson County History Center is one that involves the development of a walking tour. The tour features over a dozen 18" x 24" outdoor signs made up of custom graphic panels that display information and photographs related to historic people, places, and events of Brookville, Pennsylvania's past.
For this project, I acted as the lead graphic designer and assistant project manager. For all of the signs, I was responsible for the layout, content, and design. I have played a major role in deciding the topics for each sign as well as the location that they will be mounted for the public to view.
In addition to each physical sign, I have also developed a companion website that allows users to scan a QR Code found in the corner of each informational panel in order to discover more information about the topic through text, images, and video. This website is still under development but can be previewed by clicking here.
The image to the left is a preview of one of the signs for the walking tour. To view a full-scale version, please click here.
For this project, I acted as the lead graphic designer and assistant project manager. For all of the signs, I was responsible for the layout, content, and design. I have played a major role in deciding the topics for each sign as well as the location that they will be mounted for the public to view.
In addition to each physical sign, I have also developed a companion website that allows users to scan a QR Code found in the corner of each informational panel in order to discover more information about the topic through text, images, and video. This website is still under development but can be previewed by clicking here.
The image to the left is a preview of one of the signs for the walking tour. To view a full-scale version, please click here.
Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce Social Media Luncheon Presentation
On June 27, 2012, I put on an informational luncheon for members of the Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce on aspects of social media and its application to small organizations. This is a topic of which I have been educated on through graduate coursework and practical experience working at the Jefferson County History Center. So, when I was asked to present, I was more than willing.
A few things that I covered included a brief overview of what social media means, various types of social media, and some ideas for application of these media in various settings. The luncheon was attended by members of the Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce, most of which were small business owners that were looking for new ways to reach past and potential customers.
As an added feature of the luncheon, I put together a companion website with all of the information that I covered, including a Prezi presentation that I used and some additional resources. The website can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/brookvillechambersocialmedia/
A few things that I covered included a brief overview of what social media means, various types of social media, and some ideas for application of these media in various settings. The luncheon was attended by members of the Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce, most of which were small business owners that were looking for new ways to reach past and potential customers.
As an added feature of the luncheon, I put together a companion website with all of the information that I covered, including a Prezi presentation that I used and some additional resources. The website can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/brookvillechambersocialmedia/
M.Ed. Graduate Research
Through my graduate studies at Clarion University, I conducted academic research directly related to my course of study. Titled "The Impact of Formal Technology Training in the Field of Education on the Use of Technology in Instruction by Pennsylvania Teachers," I hypothesized that there is a statistically
significant correlation in the survey scores measuring the degree of technology
training and the degree of technology implementation for 20 conveniently
sampled teachers in one conveniently sampled school district in western
Pennsylvania.
Through data collection and statistical analysis, I concluded that there was a statistically significant correlation between training/professional development and implementation/use in the classroom of modern educational technologies. The research project can be downloaded below.
Through data collection and statistical analysis, I concluded that there was a statistically significant correlation between training/professional development and implementation/use in the classroom of modern educational technologies. The research project can be downloaded below.
nathan_pearce_-_ed_578_research.docx | |
File Size: | 232 kb |
File Type: | docx |
PDE Standards Aligned System Assessment Review
Click image to be directed to page.
This blog was designed to act as my submission for an assignment in Clarion University's ED 617 course, Advanced Educational Technology (Spring 2011 - Dr. Heeter). The assignment was to take a look at the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Standards Aligned System and provide a detailed review of its resources that are available online.
One aspect that I found, and you can see from viewing the blog, is the lack of valuable social studies resources available through the PDE SAS website. Having my background in social studies education, not finding quality sources on the site was somewhat discouraging, but rather than discounting the system altogether, it has inspired me to develop my own quality classroom tools and submit them for other educators to utilize.
Reviewing the PDE Standards Aligned System has given me a lot of insight into the educational standards that our students are being guided by, and I can easily say that I learned a lot about our public education system (in Pennsylvania) from this assignment.
One aspect that I found, and you can see from viewing the blog, is the lack of valuable social studies resources available through the PDE SAS website. Having my background in social studies education, not finding quality sources on the site was somewhat discouraging, but rather than discounting the system altogether, it has inspired me to develop my own quality classroom tools and submit them for other educators to utilize.
Reviewing the PDE Standards Aligned System has given me a lot of insight into the educational standards that our students are being guided by, and I can easily say that I learned a lot about our public education system (in Pennsylvania) from this assignment.
Jefferson County History Center - Exhibit Design:
Throughout my time as a graduate assistant at the Jefferson County HIstory Center, I have had many experiences and opportunities to model digital-age work and learning. The museum setting has really allowed me to be creative in the ways that I accomplish these two tasks. I constantly strive to utilize what I have learned about the use of technology in the creation of educational materials from my coursework. My work for the JCHC, in terms of exhibit design, reflects this goal.
Map DesignA major portion of my contribution to "Drumbeat to War" came in the form of designing of custom historic maps. Using graphic editing tools on my computer, I was able to manipulate blank outline maps to present information in a way that was both effective and visually pleasing.
This task was difficult because there were no free outline maps available online that showed all of the states that needed to be presented together and in a large enough format. This meant that I had to take large images of each individual state outline map and scale the images until they were all the right proportions in the correct locations. A lot of effort went into the creation of these resources for the Jefferson County History Center, and I am proud of my hard work and application of my technological skills and abilities every time I walk into the exhibit gallery and see the maps hanging on the wall.
Because one of my hobbies is playing various musical instruments, I have some experience working with audio editing software. Through the use of Apple's GarageBand, I crafted the audio file by using free sound effects from the internet and recording my own voices. The final result can be heard in the "Journeys" video or by downloading the original .mp3 file.
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Jefferson County History Center - Informational Brochures:
Sharing of information is a huge part of working for a museum and historical organization. Since starting at my position at the Jefferson County History Center, a lot of major changes have taken place at the JCHC. There has been a drastic shift toward the inclusion of technology within the organization, from the integration of social media to the creation of digital databases for genealogical records. With all of these changes came the chance to use technology and change the way in which the organization is advertised to current and potential visitors. Therefore, I have designed a few informational brochures that target different audiences and do the job of information sharing in exciting ways for the organization.
Visitor GuideAlthough the Jefferson County History Center isn't located in the largest of buildings, there was a lack of information available to visitors that presented the layout of our museum, gift shop, and offices so that they would know what to expect while exploring the facility.
I took it upon myself to design a guide pamphlet for first time visitors to the JCHC. Included within the brochure are images museum's floor-plan along with descriptions of what to expect in each of the exhibit galleries. I was able to custom design all of the images and information included within the pamphlet through the use of technology. Microsoft Publisher was the main tool used, but I also had to utilize Adobe Photoshop to customize the floor-plan graphics to fit the style and needs of the overall design. The final result is a bi-fold pamphlet that offers a lot of basic information about the organization that would be very useful to somebody that is unfamiliar with the History Center.
Teachers & Principals GuideThere is a huge emphasis on education and the presentation of historical information to the visitors of the Jefferson County History Center. We want our guests to learn about local history whenever they explore the museum galleries and read our publications. Probably the biggest target audience for the JCHC are students. Students are the historians of tomorrow, and a major goal of the organization is to inspire learning through local history.
The director of the Jefferson County History Center thought it would be a good idea to put together a brochure of information that highlights what the organization offers on an educational level. These brochures would then be sent to local school districts and distributed to the appropriate teachers and principals in hopes of forming a cooperative learning experience for their students. Again, using Microsoft Publisher, I put together this informational brochure based on the JCHC's key offerings that would attract educators to view the organization as a valuable classroom resource. One interesting aspect that I chose to include within this brochure is the Jefferson County History Center's QR code that, when scanned with a reader on a smartphone, allows users to easily contact the organization via phone, email, and web.
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© 2011 Nathan J. Pearce