Exploring Various Multimedia: Google Lit Trips

GOOGLE LIT TRIPS

If you're looking for an opportunity to explore a book in a new and exciting way this might be a great choice for you!

Pushing the Limits

The study of multimedia covers such a wide range of topics.  It is reflected in various forms of audible and printed text.  This can be displayed through pictures, animation, interactive videos and content.  When diving into an area with such diversity, it can be difficult to narrow your focus.  Since my interests revolve around literature and film, I decided to explore an area that would incorporate one of these areas and can be used immediately.

I am currently exploring “Traveling Across America” with my third grade students.  One of our objectives was for the students to be able to identify the fifty states and their capitals.  This journey involves “traveling” across the United States through websites, video, Skype, books and various other resources.  Classes are assigned a particular state and then divided into teams.  Each team will the search for the symbol for that state (tree, flag,
song etc) and then create a video for that item.  All of these items will then be
 combined into one video.  

We began our journey to the Northeast region of the U.S.  While brainstorming the best way to meet these goals we considered using Google Earth to explore that area of the country.  It was an absolute fail!  It took so much time to discover how to navigate the software effectively that it seemed to be a waste time in the grand scheme of things.  I still however had an interest in mastering this software and then integrating appropriately with my instruction. 

Therefore, when I read about Google Lit Trips, it seemed like a great option for our third grade project and I was all in!  This tool allows the participant to travel along the path of a character in a particular piece of literature.  You can search among several trips that already exist or you can create your own.  

As I “played” around with two of the trips, I found them entertaining and interesting.  My selections were “The Armadillo from Amarillo” and “Make Way for Ducklings”.  This last selection was perfect because the setting of this story takes place in Boston which is the capital of Massachusetts.  There were several images and discussion questions that coincided with the story but I wondered if my 3^rd graders would have enough patience to wait for the computer to load each excursion.   I’m talking about today’s “Pokemon Go!” generation.    Never the less, I continued in my pursuit, hoping to find an enthusiastic group of kids when the final product was complete.

Tech Infusion  was one of the first sites that seemed to offer a relevant amount of information about the use of this tool.  It provided an overview of how Google Lit Trips can be used in the classroom by teachers as well as students.  There were also several videos on YouTube that offered instruction on how to create your own trip…. So here we GO!

The purpose of the project was to provide students with an overview of several fascinating places across the country and to give them another way to explore the many locations and landscapes of our nation.

Storyboard:

I began by creating a story board for the trip.  The book that I decided to use is called How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.  by Marjorie Priceman.  While the flow of the story seemed a little random at certain points, I believe that its focus  is accomplished, which is introducing our students to various parts of the United States.  I incorporated several images and links that would hopefully gain the attention of my 8 year olds and maintain their attention as we traveled together.  Providing a variety of videos, images and discussion questions was my initial goal but I can eventually see myself including several independent activities in this lesson.

Google Earth Pro: 

After completing a good portion of the board in Word, I decided to start plugging it into Google Earth to see if I was on the right track.  While I had several great ideas, I still needed to go back and do quite a bit of editing.  Most of my pictures did not transfer so I discovered a more reliable URL to use so that my images would display on the screen correctly.  By selecting "Copy Image Address", all of my images were displayed and the entire process moved along much more smoothly.

I also found that the images with a smaller jpeg, which was a much better fit for this setting.  Bigger most definitely was not better!  In addition, by using a little html coding (<br> - which means break or space) I was able to put a little more space in my presentation which improved its readability. 

Skill Set

Prior to beginning Google Lit Trips I had a tremendous amount of difficulty when I attempted to accomplish what I needed.  However this medium gave me a little more practice and it was very specific in its goals which worked perfectly well with our third grade objectives.

Google Lit Trip Demonstration Part 1

Google Lit Trip Demonstration Part 2

In Conclusion

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting experience.  I will continue to return to my Lit trip until I believe everything is in place.  One of my concerns was that I don't believe that encouraged higher level thinking with the format of this activity so it still needs quite a bit of work.  So few of my students have an opportunity to travel across the country.  What a wonderful opportunity to take them to a place that they have never been by way of the internet in such a realistic setting.  I believe that once I am done, they will truly enjoy it.

Video of Google Lit Trip

http://screencast-o-matic.com/u/nNpJ/LTolbertGoogleLitTrip





REFERENCES

Awesomeamerica.com

natgeokids.com

wikipedia.com

HOW TO USE PODCASTS IN THE K12 CLASSROOM

Purpose: Providing creative ideas for podcasts in the classroom

Podcast Audience: K12 Classroom Teachers

Tools used to create Podcast: I used Audacity to create the podcast.  I was able to combine the music and the poem in this podcast and convert it to an MP3.  Once completed I used Archive.org to upload the project and then add it to the blog.  I found this link to provide the most assistance in instruction on how to add a podcast to a blog (How to Add Podcasts to your Blog).

Brief Reflection:  Podcasts can provide a creative addition to the classroom experience.  Teachers can record their instruction and then make this available to students when they are absent. Students can also use it to review instruction for that day or when they are unable to attend class but they are still interested in participating.

Teachers can also use this as a collaborative tool for their students to create podcasts on literature of all kinds.  This can be especially helpful for our ESL students.  This provides an opportunity for them to collect their thoughts and practice their English before making a presentation. Students can also design podcasts in honor of a particular author.

 LibriVox is a site of recordings made by a community of volunteers from all over the world.  This site includes public domain audio books such as Pride and Prejudice, Uncle Tom's Cabin and A Children's Book of Virtues.  With this in mind, I recruited my family to assist me in recording Spaghetti by Shel Silverstein in the podcast below.

PROJECT 2: SCREENCAST

AN INTRODUCTION TO PADLET

Title: An Introduction to Padlet

Audience: Grades 4 through College

Purpose: If you are searching for an alternative to the traditional collaborative tool, then Padlet is for you. Watch this brief demonstration on how you can post information and collaborate on ideas and suggestions for an upcoming event with your group.

This can also be an alternative to the traditional poster project. Are you seeking an alternative to draining your ink cartridge dry when placing images on your tri fold? Choosing Padlet will allow you to place text, images, audio and even video on your presentation. Simply create your "Wall" and provide your teacher or professor with a link. They will then have access to your project.

My Uses: This particular tool will provide students (and teachers) with an alternative to presenting a project on the traditional poster board.

Students can also use this as a method of collaboration when planning for a particular event or presentation.

My Learners’ Uses: As my 5th grade students begin studying the events of the Civil War, they will create a timeline. The students will be placed in groups of four and each student will select 3 events surrounding the Civil War. They will indicate a date, write a paragraph about the event and find an image for their selected event. Each group will place their events in order and then present the information to the class.

REDUNDANCY PRINCIPLE #2

Sunday, September 4, 2016


What is the Redundancy Principle #2?

The Redundancy Principle indicates that when preparing a lesson, you should use audio or text but you should not use both at the same time.  When designing a course, students will become distracted if the words are displayed on the screen in conjunction with the audio.  While your desire might be for your students to learn about the graphic that is displayed, they will follow along with the audio and read the text.

The Redundancy Principle 2 focuses on the exceptions to that rule.  When students are learning a principle but there is no graphic to be seen, then you can use both audio and text.  This is a result of  having only one image on the screen in which to focus, the text.  Another instance can be when the students are learning to speak a second language.  Allowing students to view the new language and hear it, is crucial to helping them read and verbally  express the language in their own voice.


Demonstrating the Redundancy Principle 2 (or not)

The Redundancy principle emphasizes that we make a choice to either use audio or text when generating a lesson .  However when reviewing a series of instructional videos Learning to Speak Spanish we see that they allowed the words to be on the screen along with the audio.  It is during these exceptions that the Redundancy Principle 2 will be executed.

REFERENCES

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designmers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer

MODALITY PRINCIPLE

Sunday, September 4, 2016


What is the Modality Principle?

The Modality Principle supports the fact that students are more likely to experience deep learning when the text is presented in an audible format.  This is highly recommended for e-learning courses when "the graphic is complex, the words are familiar and the lesson is fast paced." (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 118).  When audio is present it allows the student to listen to instruction while focusing their attention on the graphic.


Examples of the Modality Principle (or lack thereof)

The Interactive Sites for Education is lacking in this principle on several of its presentations.  While the words are familiar to the student, it takes a moment to really comprehend what is occurring in the graphic.  This just extends the patience of the learner and it can sometimes lead to frustration.  In the graphic below, the student is directed to select the up and down arrows to observe the change in the radius/diameter and the diameter/circumference of the circle.  Providing an audio commentary to accompany this graphic would clear up any misunderstanding of what is being presented and it will only increase a depth of understanding.

REFERENCES

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designmers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer

CONTIGUITY PRINCIPLE#2

Sunday, September 4, 2016



What is the Contiguity Principle #2?

Contiguity Principle #2 addresses the need for graphics to correspond with the audio presentation.  According to Clark and Mayer "..spoken words (narration) that describe an event should play at the same time as the graphic (animation or video) depicting the event." (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 102).




Example of the Contiguity Principle #2 (or maybe not)

I had a difficult time finding an accurate representation of the Contiguity Principle #2.  I was hopeful when I came to the Harcourt School Website, unfortunately I did not find an audio presentation.  I primarily found interactive presentations with musical sound effects to indicate that a student had made the correct selection.  While these tones were affirming, it would have been so much more effective if they used a voice to provide additional instruction along with the positive musical tones.

One of their lessons included a wonderful image of the Alaskan Mountain Range but their was no audible information found.  Instead there was a link which lead to the image below.  It's actually quite confusing.  While the definition of a mountain range is provided, it goes on to discuss some of the highest mountain ranges in the world.  Since this tab was listed under the category of US landforms and terrain, I think the presence of this information is confusing without an instructor to explain why it was there. 

Alaskan Mountain Range 

REFERENCES

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designmers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer

CONTIGUITY PRINCIPLE #1

Sunday, September 4, 201


What is the Continguity Principle #1?

When choosing to add graphics to a set of text,  one should ensure that the graphic is within close proximity to the text in which it is referring.  This can be demonstrated in several ways.  When looking at a chart or table, numbers can have a mouse over or rollover effect.  This is when the text will appear when the cursor glides over each number providing the information necessary.  The text appears within the same screen as the image being displayed.


Example of the Contiguity Principle #1 (or not)

Missouri Botanical Garden (MBGnet.net) offers a website that provides information on the different biomes of the world.  Their newest feature offers information about the parts of a plant.  The presentation begins well.  The first screen labels the parts of a plant and provides a description for the roots and stem.  Unfortunately, in order to see the remaining descriptions you have to scroll down to another screen in order to read the descriptions for the final parts.  This could have been adjusted by having the descriptions linked to the text indicating the parts of the plants.

REFERENCES

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designmers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer