Reflections on Chapter 9: Multimedia

1. How can my students use multimedia for their projects?
As Morrison & Lowther point out in Chapter 9 (2010), students can use multimedia to achieve ISTE NETS in several areas.  Multimedia can foster creativity and innovation (NETS Standard 1), for example, by using online thinking maps or story boarding software.  Multimedia use also promotes proficiency in NETS Standard 3, research and information fluency, because as students create multimedia presentations they must find and evaluate information.  This may even include original research, such as the two oral history projects I have done in which students filmed interviews with people who grew up during the segregation era.  Then students develop communication skills as they make decisions about creating their presentations.  Finally, students address NETS Standard 6, technology operations and concepts, when they use multimedia.  Completing the technical operations necessary to create multimedia helps them to develop various news skills and concepts related to technolgy use (p. 245).

2.What applications are available for creating a multimedia presentation?
My students use PowerPoint on a regular basis to include visuals, animations, and links, but there are many more possibilities out there.  My colleague in Language Arts uses Story Board software.  When I read chapter 9 from Morrison and Lowther (2010), I immediately thought, what a shame my students can't use Googledocs to create multimedia presentations!  (My district has all the big web-based email sites such as Yahoo and Google blocked to students.)

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction maintains the "Kaleidoscope" site under NC Wise Owl ( http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/index.htm), which contains many multimedia presentations for students and educators, as well as a portal for students to do research and create products.   We also have a tool for online sharing of multimedia presentations, it is called "Edmodo" (http://www.edmodo.com/).  This site allows teachers to set up password-protected groups for each class, and allows students to send the teacher documents and multimedia presentations.  It also allows teachers and students to share web content, and teachers can benefit by seeing what other teachers all around the county recommend.

In a way, these web 2.0 educational tools (such as Googledocs and Edmodo) function like the social networking sites.  They were probably modeled after them, given how successful those sites are.  Professor Fine says we are "creating knowledge" when we create web content (Centra meeting, 6/1/11).  We are also joining a larger stream of thought. 

3. Should I place limits on how my students use multimedia?
Regarding exactly how students choose to use the multimedia, I think many of them are more adept than  older people.  Often, they have a knack for taking risks and including things I might not have thought of.  That is why I specify content, but I don't get overly restrictive about presentation.  They are creative and come up with new ways of presenting things. 

It may just be a matter of semantics, but I don't think of placing limits (except that educationally inappropriate content is always "off limits"!) so much as offering guidance.  For example, I will suggest to students that they not use too many animations and other visuals on a single PowerPoint slide, but if they want to try it I let them go ahead.  Then, when they are presenting it for the first time to their classmates, their peers will tell them on no uncertain terms the same message that I tried to convey!