APM Welcome, APM North West Network Conference, Synergies Across Sectors
Final project- Chambers
1. Images, Audio, Video- Oh My!
No need to fear- easy and free
technology ahead
By Lesa Chambers
Bolger, Ray. Lions and Tigers and Bears. Digital image. Hark. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. http://www.hark.com/collections/hzcvclthgd-ray-bo
2. Images
• According to Wikipedia, “the adage ‘A picture
is worth a thousand words’ refers to the
notion that a complex idea can be conveyed
with just a single still image. It also aptly
characterizes one of the main goals of
visualization, namely making it possible to
absorb large amounts of data quickly. The
expression ‘Use a picture. It’s worth a
thousand words.’ appears in a 1911
newspaper article quoting newspaper editor
Arthur Brisbane discussing journalism and
publicity.”
21. Hatchet animoto book preview-
upgraded version
"Hatchet Book Trailer." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 31 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03w9gYd_b0&list=PLbVRp_LTv1t2Yk9Ig9Bq8YXkivR_aCOkc&ind
Good morning,
I am so excited to be here with you today. My name is Lesa Chambers and I have been teaching for the last 10 years. Mostly in fourth grade with a few years in third grade, so my focus is on the upper elementary level, but many of these tools could also be used with younger students and middle or high school students. I have been working on my librarian endorsement since May and I have learned about these amazing tools during my course work. I was really excited when I learned about these tools and the fun and engaging ways they could be utilized with students. I hope you will find some tools and ideas that you can use and be excited about today as well. I am going to share with you several tools/websites that can be used to make lessons more engaging, and allow students to be even more creative. I will share tools to help incorporate images, audio, video and qr codes. Some of the tools are websites and some are free apps. However, they are all FREE! Some of the tools have portions that you can upgrade and pay a fee for, but all of them you can use, create, and share for free- this was an important quality in my choice of tools to share with you today. Another important quality was ease of use- if it frustrated me, then I didn’t include it- I frustrate easily as in about 5 minutes with new technology so hopefully all of these tools will be something you can use whether you are a techno-whiz or techno-challenged. I personally think of myself somewhere in the middle- although the technology class I took in May left me feeling a little more on the side of techno-challenged. So don’t be scared and give them a try.
Let’s start with images. Read text on slide. Images are powerful tools. Presentations are seriously lacking when there is text and no image, right?? Part of the power of images are the emotions they evoke. You can talk to your students about things, but adding a visual helps their brains connect in more ways which increases memory ability. They also make things more interesting. For instance, I can tell you how last winter my daughter drew a face on my car.
But my telling you, doesn’t quite live up to the actuality. Or how about my son was not happy?
Again, the image adds a layer that words just don’t reach. Last one, my son recently had a sleep study done- more torture for a little guy than you think.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Images grab attention and focus, but what if we can take the image further? What if students could take the images up a notch? Would that help engagement? What about scores? A website I love is bighugelabs.com. It allows teachers and/or students to take an image and create a variety of products with it.
Bighugelabs.com is a free website that allows people to use images to create a variety of products. It is very simple to use and to share the resulting images. You do need to create an account and the site does not have photos to use, you must bring your own. However, due to its ease of use and how quick it is to get started creating products I think it is very usable in the library or classroom.
This is a trading card that I created with bighugelabs.com. SOL Virginia Studies.7 requires students to know specific facts about Abraham Lincoln. You could use flash cards to help students remember this information, but how much cooler is it with Lincoln’s picture? Students can create the trading cards themselves as a project for a grade or simply as a study aid. Students could also create a variety of cards- perhaps on all the people they have to know for science or social studies- and use them to play a game or sequence them on a timeline. You can also create trading cards with types of architecture (such as the Greek columns in third grade), events, or objects. Pictorial flashcards- a step above.
Students can also create magazine covers which can work especially well for events. Another idea is to use it as an icebreaker activity, you could have students create a magazine cover to introduce themselves. Educators can also create magazine covers as discussion points, writing jump off points, or even hang it in the hallways or on bulletin boards. You could also show the cover and have students write the article to go with it. Here is the headline- what is the story, make sure you include the who, what, why, and when.
In my classroom, I use the Whole Brain Teaching Rules and I created these billboard signs to personalize them. This helps students remember each rule easier and makes it more fun. I can have large versions hung in my space, but I can also have slides that can be gone over quickly at the beginning of each class. I use hand motions to go with each rule and students repeat the rules with me. Demonstrate rule 1.
In my classroom, I would use pictures of my actual students demonstrating the rules instead of a generic image. Demonstrate rule 2.
Demonstrate rule 3.
Demonstrate rule 4. I also find this last rule is particularly effective when my face is associated with it. Students can use this tool to create billboards to advertise concepts, books, or even their art projects.
Using the FX tool on bighugelabs you can change the effects of your photographs. Students could find a lot of ways to use this tool-and be very creative. There are many other projects you can also create using bighugelabs.com. When we click on the website (click on link and go to webpage- scroll through items as describe 32 seconds) you can see we can create motivational posters - which could be great for vocabulary, or to pick a quote the sums up a book. Using the MoviePoster tool, you can again have students create a project on a book, or as a icebreaker activity or even on a famous person. The movie poster could also be a great way to create your own book blurbs or the library or even a classroom. Bottom line- kids can take the images and find and apply the knowledge in creative ways.
Imagechef.com is another website very similar to bighugelabs.com. It has a ton of templates that you can add text to, such as this newspaper that I added a headline for science sol 4.8, but it could work well for any person or event that students need to know. Here the headline sums up the critical point students need to remember about Copernicus. Adding a small amount of text to an image means the students must boil down the information to the one critical point- in other words- summarize. This could be used for using a graphic with text to sum up a book or to create a new title for a story or text. Click link to go to website and look briefly at some of the other template ideas and discuss how they could be used- The images can be picked to go with whatever the project is. If associating the idea with a book, pick a symbol that would go with the main idea or capture the concept. Same concept is going with a book character. Of course you can also use the headline of the newspaper or magazine to convey a main event, summary, or characteristic. Click on “view all fun” and briefly go through the variety of images.
(1:28 for website clicks- total together)
This was an image I created for my mom because she is a major coffee addict and in the mornings when we would try to talk to her before her coffee we always got the same response- “no coffee, no talkee”. End of discussion. This was a funny for my family, but you could use this same concept to have students find a quote that sums up a character or characteristic with an appropriate image. As you can see, one of the limitations of imagechef is that not all the images are as clear as one might prefer. It is also limited in the amount of text that can be included. However, it is easy and free to use. You can create a product very quickly lending itself well to enabling students to create a finished product after a lesson when you only have 45 minutes to an hour for your entire lesson.
Narrable is a website that allows teacher/students to record an audio with a picture or even a slideshow. Obviously this could add to teacher made presentations especially on days when a sub is required- you can ensure the points you want made are said. (Click on link and listen to the four examples- 3:22). Most grade levels have oral sols as part of the Language Arts curriculum (3.1, 4.1, and 5.1). Students can use narrable not only to make their presentations, but also can then self-evaluate with a rubric. This could be especially effective for extremely shy students, or students with special needs who may need an accommodation. I had a student the past two years with a severe stutter and speaking in front of his classmates always made it worse. He could use narrable to practice and record a version he was happy with and still present to the class allowing him to feel more confident and successful. Then there is always the idea that students like to hear themselves talk. Narrable, as you can see, is for storytelling. It is very easy to add your voice to the images, by computer microphone, by phone, or uploading a file. It was easy to share by e-mail, embeding, or pinterest. You do need to add your own images and at times I had a small amount of frustration in figuring out how to make it do what I wanted- such as resizing my pictures.
Here is an example of an upper grade student telling a story with the picture. This could be connected into the writing sols as well as the oral sols. It could also be used to help students hear how their stories flow- or don’t flow. It could allow for students to analyze their own work- without just seeing what they think they wrote. Listen to story- For example as part of the analysis of character development in this story- we could ask about Sir Patrick- I know he happens to be the student’s little brother who is obsessed with lawn mowers and she often makes up stories for him, but do others get the reference? How could we add to that so it would make more sense? The audio tool can allow for students to extend their thinking and analysis.
After looking at the impact of images and audio- lets combine the two for video! My favorite video tool is PowToons. PowToons has many templates and examples that you can modify to suit your specific needs, but you can also start from scratch. They have great tutorial videos on how to use their website, so it is very user friendly. One of the great things you can create or have students create is a how to video. This is my example for how I teach rounding (math sol 4.1 and 4.3). Play 50 second video. Another fun idea a friend of mine created was a how to on choosing the just right book- perfect for the classroom or library. You can also have students create a how to video to teach a skill and present to the class- as you know if you can teach it, then you have a much better understanding of it.
I love this PowToon! It is my favorite and I think the boys especially get into this. You could use this for a do now activity while you are taking care of administrative tasks or when you go back to an assignment after explaining it in detail earlier. Show video (1:22 long) One of the great things about Powtoon is that you can really edit and produce your video- adjust the timings and when items appear and disappear. However, I feel like this can also be a negative because it can be overwhelming and a little less intuitive. This tool is one that can be used simply or you can really delve in deep and use more editing/production tools. I imagine middle school, high school, and tech-savy users could really do a lot of things with it. However, it is simple enough for those tech-challenged an in elementary.
Animoto is another website that allows you to create videos. You can use it for free and share for free, but if you upgrade you can make longer videos and have more editing and artistic choices. With Animoto you can upload your own pictures or use their stock of pictures. You can compile them into a free 30 second video montage. You can add music and text. If you don’t want to pay, then you are limited in the length of the video, music choices and some artistic editing choices, but you can still easily produce a nice video. It is easy to share through e-mail, facebook, twitter, a link, as a YouTube video, or embed it in a website or blog. This could be a great tool for any kind of portfolio project- such as an art portfolio as seen here. (click art portfolio link and watch video- 45 seconds) In my district students in grades 3-5 have to do an i-care project (science 4.8) which is ideally documented and can be presented at the end of the year as a portfolio- this would be a great tool for documenting for a classroom or for each individual student depending on what the project was.
If you do project based learning or use makerspace in your library or school, animoto is a great tool to document the progress of the project or parts of the project. For a makerspace project in one of my classes we had to document our progress including aha moments and things that gave us a hard time. This animoto is from that project which shows the things that tripped us up. I was able to choose the theme, fire because we got burned on these ideas, and music to go with the pictures, as well as add captions for some of the photos. (Click on link and view animoto- 1:01) You could also use the tool to compile all the important people from the 20th century (Virginia Studies.9 sol) with the image and a caption of what they should be remembered for as a review. Third graders could work in groups to do an animoto on each of the different cultures they must know for social studies (ancient China, ancient Egypt, ancient Mali, First Americans ect) or fifth graders could work in groups to present on a region of the United States. Fourth graders could also do one for each region of Virginia.
Students could also create animoto style book reviews/previews. This is an example of a book preview- although as you will see from its longer than 30 second length the creator of this video used the upgraded version of animoto. (Click link and play book preview- 2:22) You can also use or create book previews to do a lesson on inferring or prediction. For example when this showed the fish and fowl without text, you could have them explain why those images might be included.
QR codes are digital images that can be scanned using a free app. The nice thing about i-nigma is that you can label the code so people (and you) know what they pertain to. They can take you directly to a website, contact information, or even an encoded message- that way we can feel like secret agents! They are super easy to create and can be used in a lot of ways. The negatives are you have to have a device (or know how to use the device) that can use the scanning app. Most smartphones, tablets, and newer ipods with cameras can do this. However, your audience may or may not have access to this technology and if they do they may or may not know to use it. Another downside is that you do have to attach the code to whatever you are trying to put it on. I have two examples on the screen feel free to scan them and see how it works. If you need the app to scan, you can download it from i-nigma.com as listed at the top of the slide. The first QR code takes you to my blog. Those of you trying it out can see, it is a very easy way to get to a website- no remembering how to spell anything or what the address was- just scan and boom you are there! The second code takes you to my contact details. Again no remembering- just scan and you have my e-mail. This can be used in a lot of ways. You can use the codes to put on your initial welcome letters that get sent home and parents/students can go directly to your website/blog/ contact details. Maybe you would rather have an introduction to your library message attached to it. For students who are allowed to have technology at school, you can attach preview videos to book posters or jackets so students could have an interactive way of seeing what a book is about.
Here is another qr code. This time I used qrcode monkey. I like this one because it allows you to add an image to the code. If you are scanning the code, then you know this takes you to the Saunders Spartans webpage- the mascot is pictured right in the code. You can add your own logo or you can also add a facebook, business card, YouTube, Twitter or many other icons to your code. Again this can be a good way to get parents or students directly to the website you want them to go to. You could also create YouTube video as a tutorial on how to do an assignment and put the code on the homework page. Then if students (or parents) are having a problem with the homework, they can scan the code and watch the tutorial to see what the student is supposed to be doing on the homework. This can also work well for project assignments, rubrics or special directions. One of the projects we do with third graders involves doing a pyramid fold with a piece of posterboard- parents and students often need several demonstrations/ sets of directions. With the qr code I can put a video demonstrating the steps to help alleviate confusion. At the upper levels students could attach qr codes to their assignments (if the teacher/librarian has the technology to scan it) to add another level to the written assignment as well.
Qrvoice is a website that allows you to connect a brief audio message. You can have the message read in a variety of languages. You may be able to use this to help esl students with directions or other important information. The message is limited to 100 characters however, so your message does have to be brief.
In conclusion, whether you are a techno-whiz or are techno-challenged the world is constantly changing and becoming more and more technology immersed. If we want to capture students and parents attention we need to include technology. If we want to prepare our students for the tasks that lie ahead of them, we need to include technology. If we want to create the leaders of a future that is not scary, we need to include technology. We need to layer in levels of content and engagement so that we are reaching multiple parts of the brain. We need to have fun and let ourselves and our students be creative and imaginative. Hopefully, the tools I have shared with you today have inspired you to try some out. They are very easy to use and they are free! Free and easy are delightful candy words in my world- I love them. By layering your lessons and assignments with images, audio, and video you engage the brain on more levels which makes students pay attention to what you are doing and what they are doing, gets their brains working on multiple levels which is going to help them to remember the lesson and the content, and helps to prepare them for the world and the workforce that awaits them.
