Lab+activity+week+8

//**Identify three educationally valuable ways in which children can create multimedia that can be then uploaded to the web or made available over the internet?**// ﻿There are various means children can use to create their own multimedia products for an online audience.

1-Working with images
Students can use devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones to take pictures of anything in the classroom or at home. They can create new folders called “media library” and save all their pictures related to any topic to use in class. They can use them to produce powerpoint presentations to upload to their websites. They can also upload their pictures to online programs such as Animoto to create a video and give it a “wow” factor. In English, this can take the form of presenting their own interpretation from a story or they can create their own digital stories. They can use programs such as **Photostory** in which they can upload their images to retell a story. If we want to develop more sophisticated skills in image manipulation, trying **Photoshop** is not a bad idea as long as it’s available in the schools’ computers and we spend considerable time teaching the basics.

2- Working with sound
Students can record their own voices in the same digital storytelling example mentioned above. They can also search for sounds at Find sounds. They can download them in different formats to use for their presentations.

3- Working with video
I don’t think we can underestimate the power of video in teaching. Regarding video available on the internet, I find so many useful videos online for my class, but can’t get them to access them in the classroom because of DET’s blockage of youtube, for example. I do think it is a great idea to download some videos to show in class or encourage them to attach videos to their presentations at home. One great video for discussion I found on the Japan Tsunami is one from the dashboard camera of a car as the tsunami hits In the English classroom, it is also a good idea to i.e. get them to shoot their own videos when performing scenes from a play. Students get involved in higher order thinking when they analyse, interpret and summarize ideas of a play and represent them in a role-play which can be videotaped. They can edit their work using any video-editing software but I think Windows Movie maker is the most widely available one at school.

4- Working with animation
It would require a good amount of instruction time to get students to work with Flash but it can be done if necessary. Another option is to get them to download animated clipart from the internet. Some websites that may be useful are Useless graphics Animation central and Gif animations Online programs such as GoAnimate is quite simple and fun for younger and older students alike. Another program could be Blender which can be downloaded and used by more mature students as it allows for more sophisticated and complex productions.

5-MM production packages
Software such as Kidspix (a slide show) and **Powerpoint** are widely used and best choices for this. They give you the chance to save your work in different formats to upload to a class wiki, or website and this can actually be quite motivating for students as they can see other people’s work and other people can also see theirs. It builds a sense of community and helps learning in a social sense. It also fosters online collaboration and students can come back after getting comments from peers to do some self-reflection and self-correct their work. Kidspiration is another software which can extend their learning using MM principles. As a graphic organizes, it also allows them to organize their writing and it can incorporate images for manipulation and creation of projects.