Assessment of Video Technology

Creating videos at the high school level would allow for each student to work with technology that they will most likely need in the future.  They can play with scenery, setting, music and acting.  I would assign each student to a partner and then allow each group to choose what they would like to make a film about.  Each student would need to contribute both in front of the camera and behind it.  This would allow them to understand where their talents potentially lie.  They would be able to cover anything from environmental issues to the latest literature assignment.  I would have them discuss the modern implications for their topic and have them discuss, in detail, why these implications are important.  At the end of the project, the class would view several films and discuss whether or not we agree with the conclusions that were reached by the filmmakers and why.  This assignment would bring in diverse points of view and interests from each group.  This would also give me the opportunity to utilize the students interests in later lesson plans.

Educational Videos!

Animated video

GoAnimate.com: Gemma and Christine by bahama.mama47

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com.
Using animated technology in a high school English classroom would open the door for a lot of self-expression on the part of the students.  GoAnimate.com allows for a certain level of creative license without allowing the students to become overwhelmed with the program.  There are scenes already set on the free level that would allow the introduction of the concept of animation as a valid expression of literature.  The characters are also present in the program itself.  There is no need for in depth technical knowledge about how to write programs for animation.  The characters all have a dialogue that is written by the student.  I would have the class incorporate their interpretation of a piece of literature into the scene.  This would also require a bit of decision making on the part of the student, as they would have to determine which scene and characters best fit their interpretation of the literature.  This is also a great way to help the students gain a firmer understanding of the concept of narrative voice.

Voki

I really enjoy the Voki application!  It is really easy to use (when the computer is working) and it lets my creative side go!  In the high school classroom, Voki would be a great way to create an anonymous discussion.  Each student could create their own avatar and post responses to questions that might engender ribbing from their classmates if they knew who the person was.  The site also prevents many lewd uses that teenagers would definitely find simply due to the fact that it is not completely freestyle in the character creation.  There are set parameters that are present in the software itself.  For example, although the character may not have visible clothing, only the head and upper shoulders are visible.  This would prevent actual nude characters from parading around in the classroom.  The biggest issue that I see with Voki is the fact that the students can write anything that they want their avatar to say.  This is where an in depth explanation of what will be acceptable for the assignment must be made completely clear before the first word is written.

Autism Wiki

Autism Wiki!!!

To be honest, I'm not sure that I would use this in the classroom.  I found it difficult to use for a group project.  The class presentation made it sound like multiple users could be on the wiki at the same time.  This was not the case.  A group might be able to use this if individual work time were assigned to each student.  Otherwise, work would be lost and students would become very frustrated.  It was suggested that each student could be assigned their own page.  This makes more sense to me than using it as part of a group project.  However, if there was a need to use this as the modem for a group project, I would make sure that every student had a separate aspect and page to work on. This would ensure that each student is able to work whenever they felt like it and not have to worry about losing something due to someone else editing at the same time.

Villain vs. Hero Ning Profile

Social Networking

I think that there are several ways to use social networking.  The first way is to have a group research project about a different culture.  This method would allow the students to find out about various peoples from around the world by interacting with the people that live in that culture.  First hand experience is always a better way to learn than through the use of books or other second hand methods.  Subtle nuances can be found and explored that may not be seen as important by a researcher.  The students can also be exposed to a variety of cultures in just a few minutes through social networking.  The use of narrative voice can be explored as it was in the activity that was done in class.  One of the biggest drawbacks is the potential of unwanted persons being involved.  There is no way to screen the people that respond to verify their identities.  This allows for the students to be involved with potential predators and all around bad guys.  Another issue with this type of media is that students can be playing games or chatting with friends that have nothing to do with the project assigned.  The only way to avoid this seems to be joining a specific site that is geared for the classroom.  This may not seem like a big deal, but rarely are these sites free as are the larger ones such as Facebook and MySpace.  The idea of social networking is a good one, but it needs to be thought out well in advance of its implementation in order for the site fees to be present when the class is ready for the project.