Ideas
DYI
Media Toolkit
Inspired by the cool http://www.dynebolic.org CD,
CTC VISTA Morgan Sully is creating a DIY
Digital Media Toolkit/CD-ROM. This cross-platform
CD will include a small collection of free creative tools/software
for youth to manipulate images, record sound and upload/share
their media. Morgan notes the tools can be used on their
own or with the tutorial and resource links, including
iMovie and Windows Movie Maker (for assembling projects).
In this web-based version of Morgan's toolkit you cannot
install the software but he provided helpful links below.
>>Click
here to download the
toolkit and copy/read the instructions below.
Instructions for Creating the Digital
Media Toolkit
1) Create a new folder on your Desktop called 'Digital
Media Toolkit'
2) Put the 'OPEN ME FIRST' HTML (included with this email)
into it.
3) Within that folder, create 2 new folders. One entitled
'PC' and
another entitled 'Mac OS'
4) Download both Mac and PC versions of any of the software
on the cd
and put them in these respective folders
*The software you will need can be found at:
http://www.nvu.com
http://www.picasa.com
http://gimp.org/
http://ascgen.jmsoftware.co.uk/
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
http://creativecommons.org/tools/ccpublisher
http://www.flickr.com
Note that you can freely 'remix' the 'OPEN ME FIRST'
file for your own programs!
Multimedia
Magazine Curriculum
CTC VISTA Cara Powers recently launched her new blog and posted information about
her ideas on developing a youth multimedia magazine program. The
mission is "to empower youth through creative exploration
of multimedia technology as a means of communication
and transmission of ideas and information." The
overarching goal is "to facilitate a media canvas that
will serve as a multifaceted approach to communicating
information and ideas in an interactive and engaging
way."
>>Click here to
view the curriculum and enjoy Cara's wonderful blog.
Children's
Partnership/ContentBank Youth Blogging Curriculum
CTC VISTA Danielle Martin recently posted a link to new curriculum from The
Children's Partnership that includes preparation materials, step-by-step instructions,
handouts, an evaluation form, and more.
>>Click here to
view the curriculum.
Something other resources that
Digital Media with Youth VISTAs might like to explore
with youth: http://www.graffiticreator.net/
http://www.mixxnmash.blogspot.com
http://www.5thtone.blogspot.com/
More links on the way...
New Media
in the Art Classroom: Teacher Workbook
This workbook is an overview of digital storytelling as well as teacher tips
for art classroom facilitation. Nettrice Gaskins prepared this document for a
session she taught in early December 2005. K-12 teachers learned how to create
new and interesting dynamic (time-based) stories or movies using found materials
such as photos, video clips using found materials such as photos, video clips
and text on the computer. They explored new media and how it related
to active learning. This session was an introduction to new media as a field.
From a very young age students are exposed
to technology that offers them hands-on, fast-paced
activities such as gaming. In the CompassLearning Odyssey
Newsletter on Best Practices in Education the author
writes about keeping students motivated by providing
the same kinds of engaging activities they are used
to at home.
>>Click here to
download the workbook.
Active Learning
There are quite a few web resources available that deal with moving young people
past passive learning to active learning, to find better
ways of engaging students in the learning process. But many teachers feel
a need for help in imagining what to do that would constitute a meaningful
set of active learning activities.
Consider these tips based on the Active Learning model/concept:
- Create small groups of young people and have them
make a decision or answer a focused question periodically,
- Find ways for youth to engage in real dialogue with
people other than fellow classmates who know something
about the subject (on the web, by email, or live),
- Have participants keep a journal or build a "learning
portfolio" about their own thoughts, learning, feelings,
etc.,
- Find ways of helping young people observe (directly
or indirectly) the subject or action they are trying
to learn, and/or
- Find ways to allow youth to actually do (directly,
or indirectly with case studies, simulation or role play)
that which they need to learn to do.
Also, here are some links to check out:
• http://newsletter.compasslearning.com/page7.asp
• http://magazines.fasfi
nd.com/wwwtools/m/2530.cfm?x=0&cuID=67&rid=2530
• http://icampus.mit.edu/projects/GamesToTeach.shtml
For more information feel free to join
the
discussion.
