We can actually provide software, we can provide materials, we can provide resources that present material to a child in a way in which the child will find interesting and will be able to use his or her intelligences productively and, to the extent that the technology is interactive, the child will actually be able to show his or her understanding in a way that's comfortable to the child. (Howard Gardener, 1997)
I was first introduced to Howard Gardener's Theory of Multiple Intelligences during my PDP year at UBC. It was a theory that I quickly bought into and has impacted my teaching practice dramatically over the years both in the ways I present lessons and in the choices I offer students to present their learning. There are a vast number of Web 2.0 tools that can offer even more ways for teachers to present their lessons and students to present their learning. Many of these are free, offer educator accounts, and allow for multiple intelligences to flourish. I have chosen to highlight 4 of these tools: Prezi, Voice Thread, Animoto and Glogster. Prezi
I was first introduced to Prezi during LIBE 461. A classmate chose to present her final reflection in this format and I quickly became intrigued. After some initial research on the Prezi site, I came to understand that the name Prezi refers to this tool's zoom function. This tool allows for the presentation of information in a non-linear and multi-layered manner. Text can actually be "hidden" in an image, waiting to be zoomed in on when the presenter requires it.
Prezi offers a EduEnjoy education plan that is easy to sign up for and is free for active students and teachers. Unlike other presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Slide Rocket, you don't work on individual slides but on a blank canvas. It helps to watch the Learn Prezi tutorials as the editing tools, such as the Prezi Transformation Zebra which allows you to manipulate objects on the canvas, can be a bit tricky to use. Prezi allows you to upload your own images (as I did the example below) or work from provided templates. You are also able to add links and upload video. It took quite some time to create this Prezi for my Community Analysis Assignment during LIBE 467, but the final product was worth the work.
A colleague of mine used Prezi with his students. Having some experience with the tool, I was able to help his students. Like myself, the students found the zoom function a bit difficult to work with, as it is easy to "lose" the miniaturized text on the canvas. I found it helpful to determine obvious and specific areas to conceal text in (such as the trees leaves in my example above), in order to be able to retrieve it more easily. The pathway function allows you to order the information your presenting; creating linear organization in a non-linear, visually engaging presentation format. Students can also work on Prezis in groups using the Create Together function. Although it is not the easiest tool to use, I would recommend it for use with students.
Voice Thread
My first attempt at Voice Thread was for this course, LIBE 477. I wanted a creative to present my Autobiography of a Technology User illustrated with original comic drawings.
This tool was incredibly easy to use. After scanning and uploading my drawings to my computer, I followed the easy 3 step Create process: Upload, Comment, Share. I uploaded my images from my computer to Voice Thread, commented on them using the built in microphone in my lap top, then shared my my presentation with my class! It was honestly just this easy.
You can sign up as a Single Educator or through a School Subscription which provides accounts to students and teachers within a secure collaborative network. I can see this tool working very well as an alternate way to present student work. In fact, there are many great examples of this on the Browse page of the Voice Thread site. Included is Art & Weather, a collection of student poems illustrated and read by the students, Letters from the Internment Camp, historical fictional letters by fourth grades, One Busy Day, a whole class written choose your own adventure story, and book reviews by students. There are over 130 examples to inspire you! As an art educator, I hope to use this tool to have students present their art and accompanying artist statements. The comment function allows others to comment on the work, which would serve wonderfully as another means of conducting an art critique. The interactive nature of the tool is definitely a plus. One function I wish to explore further is the doodle feature which enables you to draw on the media you are creating as you comment. All in all, this is a fantastic tool which allows educators and students a creative, multi-sensory, interactive way to present their work.
Animoto
The TL from our sister High School taught her principal how to create an Animoto which he presented at the AGM last spring to showcase a student field trip. This tool allows you to turn photos, video clips and music into a video. I was inspired to use this tool to present my student's art and used this assignment as a chance to experiment and explore. I produced the Art Animoto below for free and in very little time.
Like Voice Thread, I found this tool remarkably easy to use. I began by selecting a template from a number of free examples. I then chose a song from a bank of music provided on the site; you are also able to upload your own. I then uploaded images of my student's art work which I have been documenting all year. The presentation will stop when the images run out or when the song stops. Finally, I added text. This feature limits you to 22 characters for the Header and 30 for the Text, so it really is meant more as captions for the images. I then clicked on Produce Video and waited for Animoto to send me the final product via email. I have posted the Animoto to the VCS Art Blog and plan to show it at the school's Spring Concert. This was an excellent tool that could easily be used by students to present their work, by teachers to showcase student pieces, or to create video presentation of school trips or special events. I will definitely use this tool again.
Glogster
Glogster, the last online presentation tool I explored, allows users to create interactive online multi-media posters one can embed with hyperlinks, videos, music and more. The concept of the tool is intriguing and I see the potential for use with students- offering an interactive online alternative to the traditional poster project option. The school premium account is almost free at $2, however, I used the free trial. This option may have not been the best choice, as I found it was limited in the features I could use. For example, I was not able to draw on my poster, add data, or embed it onto my blog. I created this Art Styles Glog which provides examples of styles from art history with web links that explain more about each style. In terms of application, I could embed this Glog onto my Art Blog as a resource for students or use it as a visual while I lecture in class.
Compared to Animoto or Voicethread, I found this tool much trickier to use. You begin by choosing a background Wall design from a large selection of choices. Then you are able to add Graphics, Text, Images, Video, Sound, Data or Draw on your wall. Glog uses a drag and drop interface which in theory is easy to use (they claim even a four year-old can use it) but I found this method quite finicky. It took quite a while to upload my images, retrieve them once I had, and even more time to format the poster just the way I wanted it to look with links to appropriate sites. I do not think the final product was worth the hours of work I put into it and question whether using such a tool would be a "time-sucker" for students. I like that this tool allows for a multi-media presentation with the potential to link to good web resources resulting in an interactive product. However, I question whether the platform of "poster" is the most creative way students can present their learning and also feel a lesson on lay-out and composition would be essential to student's producing successful Glogs. I don't think I will use this tool again to create teaching aids, but would offer it as an alternative choice for students to present their own learning.
Conclusion
One theme I keep coming back to in this course is the notion of technology to better teaching and learning, not technology for technology's sake. What I like about these online presentation tools is that the multi-sensory format of these tools engages multiple intelligences and provides students with alternate outlets for demonstrating their learning. Others of you who appreciate Gardener's work may be interested in his GoodPlay Project which "...explores the ethical character of young people’s activities in the new digital media." He comments on this project in this video.
Question: What online presentation tools have you successfully used with students to enhance teaching and learning?
Glogster
Glogster, the last online presentation tool I explored, allows users to create interactive online multi-media posters one can embed with hyperlinks, videos, music and more. The concept of the tool is intriguing and I see the potential for use with students- offering an interactive online alternative to the traditional poster project option. The school premium account is almost free at $2, however, I used the free trial. This option may have not been the best choice, as I found it was limited in the features I could use. For example, I was not able to draw on my poster, add data, or embed it onto my blog. I created this Art Styles Glog which provides examples of styles from art history with web links that explain more about each style. In terms of application, I could embed this Glog onto my Art Blog as a resource for students or use it as a visual while I lecture in class.
Compared to Animoto or Voicethread, I found this tool much trickier to use. You begin by choosing a background Wall design from a large selection of choices. Then you are able to add Graphics, Text, Images, Video, Sound, Data or Draw on your wall. Glog uses a drag and drop interface which in theory is easy to use (they claim even a four year-old can use it) but I found this method quite finicky. It took quite a while to upload my images, retrieve them once I had, and even more time to format the poster just the way I wanted it to look with links to appropriate sites. I do not think the final product was worth the hours of work I put into it and question whether using such a tool would be a "time-sucker" for students. I like that this tool allows for a multi-media presentation with the potential to link to good web resources resulting in an interactive product. However, I question whether the platform of "poster" is the most creative way students can present their learning and also feel a lesson on lay-out and composition would be essential to student's producing successful Glogs. I don't think I will use this tool again to create teaching aids, but would offer it as an alternative choice for students to present their own learning.
Conclusion
One theme I keep coming back to in this course is the notion of technology to better teaching and learning, not technology for technology's sake. What I like about these online presentation tools is that the multi-sensory format of these tools engages multiple intelligences and provides students with alternate outlets for demonstrating their learning. Others of you who appreciate Gardener's work may be interested in his GoodPlay Project which "...explores the ethical character of young people’s activities in the new digital media." He comments on this project in this video.
Question: What online presentation tools have you successfully used with students to enhance teaching and learning?
Works Cited:
Gardner, H. (2006, January 12) Big Thinkers: Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-howard-gardner-video
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