Multimedia has become an imperative and dynamic tool in
educational technology. Multimedia aids
students in remembering key concepts by providing a more tangible resource when
covering topics. Multimedia, or “a
combination of media”, are photographs, sound, motion video, animation, still
graphs, and text items (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 172). Hypermedia is the concept that grew out of
multimedia and has become increasingly more utilized in classroom
settings. Hypermedia, or “interactive
media”, is software that allows information stored in various media to be
connected, usually via the Internet (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 173). Roblyer
& Doering (2012) state that the, “combination of media such as video and
audio with text makes them multimedia; the ability to get from one media/information
element to another makes them hypermedia” (p. 174).
Commercial Hypermedia Products
Commercial Hypermedia Products are complex programs that use
a combination of multimedia. One
specific type of Commercial Hypermedia are reference materials. As technology has developed over time,
reference materials are increasingly more accessible at little to no cost
(Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 175).
Reference materials include almanacs, newspapers, encyclopedias, and
conference proceedings. Archives.org is a vanguard website that
has photographed or scanned primary documents from court proceedings and
uploaded them to the internet in an animated format. The link below presents the official court
proceedings of Alabama’s 1901 Constitutional Convention. This constitution, which Alabama still
enforces today, disfranchised blacks and poor whites while reestablishing white
supremacy in the state. John B. Knox,
president of the 1901 Constitutional Convention stated that, “But if we would
have white supremacy, we must establish it by law—not by force or fraud” (Second Day, 1901, p.12). Having accesses to court proceedings like the
above will enlighten students not only to the concept of disfranchisement and
white supremacy, but also to the language used and prevailing themes expressed
by those in attendance.
Multimedia Authoring Tools
Audio and video production and editing systems, one of four
types of multimedia authoring tools, are of growing presence in the
classroom. Roblyer and Doering (2012) declare
that, “There has been an explosion in video editing and production to rival the
rapid increase in word processing of documents” (p. 188). Although these systems are most often used to
produce school news programs or broadcast the morning announcements, video
editing and production programs can be an exciting and engaging tool for
students. The primary issue with
utilizing these programs in a classroom setting is that video production can be
time-consuming. I would group students
in pairs when assigning a video production project and allot time throughout
the year for in-class collaboration. The
students would produce and edit a ten-minute video on their chosen historical
event or character, explain or act out the phenomena, and embed images and text
into the video. The pair will turn in a DVD of their video to me at the end of the year. The link below provides
information on how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, a multimedia authoring tool that I
would encourage my students to use.
The embedded video depicts classroom uses for AdobePremiere Elements 8, the student version of Adobe Premiere Pro.
References
Journal of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention
of the state of Alabama. (1901). Montgomery, AL: The Brown Printing Company.
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating
educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice
Hall.
Archives.org sounds like an excellent resource for primary documents. I have found primary documents more difficult to find than secondary—this would be a helpful reference for students. The textbook lists reference materials as existing in Internet as well as CD/DVD form (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 175). Do you have a preference for either? I love having access to references over the Internet (I use libguides from the university often), but I find the Internet to be unreliable at times—especially whenever it rains in town. In spite of or because of your preference, would you have non-Internet resources available?
ReplyDeleteAlso, just a side note, the Alabama Constitution is so outdated and incredibly long. I occasionally hear about calls to have a new convention and redo it, but apparently we are still stuck with this for now.
As technology advances, Internet connection has become increasingly reliable and my preferred method of accessing reference materials. Some students will not find the Internet as easily accessible, whether for financial or distance reasons, so I would keep non-Internet resources available for student use. Additionally, I would suggest alternative assignments or allot time in class for projects.
DeleteSide note: Have you noticed Southside Birmingham lately? It has the elements of big cities in the North. At least Alabama is progressing culturally, but now is the time for modernizing our state legally.
I love how you mentioned that video productions are used for “broadcast”. I know at my high school, we had morning announcements on these old television screens that really did not give the video the justice it deserved. Roblyer and Doering (2012) stated, “Video production is now a growing presence in school activities” (p.188). I know that with the technology that is now placed in most schools, they have better production software than before, when I was in school. With that being said do you think teachers are implementing video productions more into their lessons?
ReplyDeleteI remember back in elementary school, the teachers would choose one student from each grade that stood out above the rest and award them "Student of the Month". Along with other cool goodies we received, they let us do morning announcements and recorded a short video of our interview with the Principal. Our "five minutes of fame"on camera is what every kid strived for. Roebyler & Doering (2013) mentioned that another source stated "Film making crosses several cirrriculum areas (English,, visual arts, drama, and media studies) and is an excellent way to engage students in their learning and develop their practical skills"(p. 191). I really like your idea of a group project video using Adobe PremierElements 8. Not only will they be able to share ideas with each other and allow their creative minds to take the lead, but it also gives them the oppurtunity to control the production of the video and the message to the audience. Have you thought about using your idea of a video as their class project instead of submitting a research paper? What are some other ways you coulf utilize this software in your classroom?
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