Allnutt, Sterling, VA
Allnutt Homepage for Teacher Resources:  http://www.erols.com/allnutt
Allnutt email   -  allnutt@erols.com

  If you've ever used more than one approach while teaching a lesson - given a lecture, showed a filmstrip with a cassette tape narration and then maybe used written expression as a follow-up --you've used multimedia.  Multimedia student projects are constructed by using the computer to combine text, sound, graphics,  and movies.  These constructivist projects create much more than just an old-fashioned written report.  There are many purposes for Student Multimedia Projects:  demonstrating knowledge learned, sharing information with others ( a larger audience), meeting the needs of a wider variety of student learning styles, providing an authentic assessment strategy  for evaluation, gathering  and citing information from many resources.

 Computer technology can assist the student in creating a wide variety of multimedia projects.   Computer software such as Hyperstudio, Powerpoint, Clarisworks, Kidpix, and Netscape 4.0 Composer are helpful applications that allow the combination of sound, graphics, text, and video to create multimedia programs.  Information and images are available on the Internet for multimedia projects. Pictures, videos, sounds and information can be used from CD-Rom disks to help compose a multimedia report.   Images can also be scanned from books or student work.  Students can draw original pictures and animations on the computer which enhance a multimedia project.  Digital cameras can transfer images easily from a field trip into a multimedia report.  More sophisticated computers  can download video movies and images from a video camera to be saved and used in multimedia projects.  Sound can be added using a student's voice  or taping music and sounds from a CD or a cassette into the computer application.

Multimedia reports like those described above have been utilized by teachers for the past several years.   Now a new way to create lesson plans is to  ask the students to search the Internet for information and photos which will be recreated into a Multimedia Project.  Below are some examples of Multimedia Projects created this year by  teachers and students from info & graphics found on the Web.
 

Plate Tectonics Slide Show created in Powerpoint by a teacher for teaching kids about the 5th Grade VA SOL's in Landforms/Science
Bugquest  webpages created in Netscape Composer by a teacher for introducing a Webquest about Arthropods, the 6th Grade VA SOL's in Life Science
Creative Writing Slide Show created  in Netscape Composer by a teacher introducing narratives for Writing in 8th Grade English SOL's
Japanese Internment  Show created in in Hyperstudio by a teacher introducing a project for students in research in 7th Grade English SOL's
The Planet Mars lecture created in Powerpoint by a teacher for a unit in planets with students in 6th Grade Science Astronomy SOL's
Dr. Seuss created in Hyperstudio by a teacher for alphabet practice with students in grades l and 2
Hawaii, a travel brochure, created in Clarisworks by a student in Social Studies for a 7th grade SOL in US Geography
Astronauts, a student report created in Clarisworks for a 7th grade English research SOL
Molly Pitcher, a report and slide show, created in Clarisworks by a 6th grade student for an American History SOL
Mexico, a Clarisworks slide show, created by a group of students for a 5th grade SOL in World Cultures
Butterflies, a class project created in Netscape Composer, by students for a 3rd grade SOL in Science
The Moon, a Hyperstudio project created by students for a 6th grade SOL in Astronomy
Luisitania, a student webpage created in Netscape Composer, while studying for SOL's in Civics
Southwest Native Americans, a student slide show created in Kid Pix, while studying for 6th grade SOL's in American History
Antietam, a student project created in Hyperstudio, for a study in llth grade American History SOL
 

Steps to Create a Multimedia Project Using the Internet

Step l. Plan the content objectives for the unit

Start backwards with what students are expected to know, then create the project guidelines.  Gather your print resources you always used for the unit, then go to the Internet and gather those websites and Internet addresses that you want students to use

Step 2. Decide on the Multimedia software that fits your project

  Factors to consider:
                Type of Graphics to be used:  PICT vs GIF vs JPG
                Ease at adding sound or video (Kidpix, Hyperstudio)
                Linear project  (Claris Slide Show, Powerpoint and Kidpix)  versus
                Hypertext (Netscape 4.0 Composer, Powerpoint, and Hyperstudio)
                Audience  and Usage -  stationary project that loops (KidPix and Claris Slide Show)
                    versus interactive (Netscape 4.0 Composer and Hyperstudio, Powerpoint)

Step 3. Design a handout/webpage with the directions and live links or URL addresses

 Written directions will help students remember the steps, especially when you are expecting
 them to work independently while you are teaching the rest of the class

Step 4.  Describe the assessments/project evaluations using clear rubrics

Step 5. Train the students for the computer skills needed

 Students need training on how to use Netscape or Explorer and the acceptable use guidelines
 you have created for this class.  Students may need training on how to find  information using a
 search engine and  how to record bibliographic information.  Students may need training on
 how to use the Multimedia Project computer application (Netscape, Powerpoint, etc)

Step 6. Publish your multimedia project using school intranet, school webpage , Back to School PTA Night,  Computer Shows, student contests

Search Engines can help you find graphics, sound  and video

 These search tools allow  searches for specific multimedia components like: images, audio, & video:

 http://www.altavista.com
 http://www.lycos.com
 http://www.hotbot.com

Software Application Companies have helpful websites to help you use their software

 Microsoft's PowerPoint Web Page - How to Create Presentations

 http://www.Microsoft.com/PowerPoint/default.asp

 http://www.wsanford.com/~jgoodwin/misc_help/clarisworks/cw-slideshow_howto.html

 http://www.hyperstudio.com

 Apple's Site for help with quicklime video

 http://www.apple.com

 http://www.netscape.com

 http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/sjl/clipart.html
 http://www.eecs.nwu.edu/~jmyers/other-sounds.html
 http://www.kodak.com
 http://www.sgi.com

Student Samples of Multimedia
 

 http://ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu/supp/creative.html
 http://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/SEP/SEP.html
 http://www.advanced.org/thinkquest

Biographical Sketches - In any content area, there are famous people to research - Scientists presidents, artists, musicians, writers, etc. The Internet along with CD-ROM disks and library books can help students create an interesting multimedia project using any of the multimedia applications - Powerpoint, Clarisworks, Netscape, Kid Pix.

Create your Own Game - Students create a computer game with buttons that can be designed to elicit specific responses (if the student answers the question incorrectly, the next card reveals a dungeon or prison, while a correct response leads further in the game.  For instance, a small group of students could research a country in the world, collecting  information and pictures from the Internet, CD-rom disks and library books.  They  then use Netscape Composer or Hyperstudio to create sets of cards or files with buttons, pictures, sounds, and text.

Electronic Books - Living Books like Grandma and Me can be created with Hyperstudio using invisible buttons.  A sample project is a Rainforest Project.  Students can gather info, pictures, and sounds from CD-Rom disks, library books and the Internet.  They create a stack with invisible buttons so that when a part of the rain forest is clicked on, information about that animal species or endangered plant pops up for the reader to learn about.

Class Magazines - Students can create a thematic electronic class magazine with original student art and poetry or stories, reports and current events from the Internet that have been featured for the class magazine, editorials, etc.

Portfolio Reports - Students can choose special individual work they have done this year  to be highlighted in an electronic portfolio: artwork can be scanned into a digital art format, stories can be read aloud, Internet Projects Reports can be included.

Polls and Graphs - Students can create and conduct surveys about an important issue (global warming, women in history, substance abuse, role of immigration in America), after they have researched on the Internet first to collect pictures and seek information about both sides to the story.  They can present their survey results using the computer to create a multimedia presentation with cool graphs and charts, Internet and other digital images and perhaps some live video footage.

Electronic Timelines - The class can be divided into smaller groups to research  a topic that will be shared using a timeline approach (creation of a volcano, the American Civil War, our day in Kindergarten, the life of George Washington, etc).   The students complete their research using Internet resources, and other library media.  Hyperstudio and Netscape Composer are good applications for timelines because they can help students create buttons to jump to another spot on the timeline.

Examples of Multimedia Student Projects using Netscape Composer
    Memories of George Washington (middle school)
    Famous Native Americans
    Butterflies (primary classes)
    Science Webpages (upper elementary)

Below is a rating sheet we have developed as a class to grade our multimedia projects.   In pencil, rate your project be sure to include your particpation comments.
Your teacher will also complete a rating.

Content of My Multimedia Project  SCORE___
4 - Over 250 words used in text, accurately spelled, using appropriate vocabulary
3 - Over 100 words used in text, interesting information
2 - Over 50 words used in text
l - Words and phrases used to help navigate thru project

Use of Resources  SCORE___
4 - Bibliography describes accurately ten  Internet, CD-rom, and print resources
3 - Bibliography describes accurately five Internet, CD-rom, and print resources
2 - Bibliography describes resources used
1 - Resources were used

Graphics and other Visual Components  SCORE___
4 - Every html page has color and an Internet (5), scanned,  or original picture or clipart
3 - Every html page has color and several pages have pictures, including 2 Internet pics
2 - Every html page has color and there is at least one Internet picture
1 - Every html page has color

Navigation throughout the Project, the Project has  SCORE___
4 - Title Page, Table of Contents, 5 Report Pages, Bibliography and working links
3 - Title Page, Table of Contents, 3 Report Pages, Bibliography and working links
2 - Title Page, Table of Contents, 3 Report Pages, and working links
1 - Title Page and  report pages

Comments about My Participation in this Project:
 

Teacher Comments: