Emerging Technologies 3- Adobe Flash CS4

In another class I am taking this semester, we have started to have the opportunity to work with a program from Adobe called Flash CS4. This software allows you to create wonderfully engaging interactive projects for students. These could be movies, virtual fieldtrips, or any other interactive digital experience you can think of. We first learned how to create a shape then make it move. Just this simple animation of making a ball bounce across the screen is very complicated, but when finished, it is really something to see. We are now learning how to import pictures and video clips and create a movie. This movie will eventually contain buttons that take the viewer from one scene to wherever they want to go within the movie. To me, the program is very complicated right now, and I am very proud of myself when I am actually able to create something. But just as with any technology, this will take time and practice. Once I am able to create a completely interactive piece of media for my students, the time spent will be well worth it.

Emerging Technology 2: Photo Editing- Photoshop

Photo editing may seem like something everyone is doing these days, but I'd had never tried it until very recently. I was required to edit some photos for another class that I am in. In doing this I was finally forced to used Adobe Photoshop, for the first time, although I have had the program for some time. With this program, one can crop, rotate, and even change the color and mood of a photo. It is very easy to use and there are many tutorials online that can help a new user like myself. I can see how this technology could be very usedful to a classroom. You can create powerpoints of course, using photos you have take yourself....and just by editing them a little, these photos turn into pieces of art. Photo editing can be useful if you want to create a virtual field trip or webquest as well. Photoshop allows you to edit photos you get online as well. You can't change them completely, but the program allows you to take let's say a plain black and white photo and really make it something to look at by changing the color or hue. If you'd like to see some photos I edited you can take a look at my blog entry title "Theaters through Time." This has several photos that I got from google. I was able to change some of them up a bit using Adobe Photo Shop. The photos look more eye catching than they did orignally.

W531 Module 4-2 Digital Literacy

The blog that I read is called Digital Storytelling:Helping Students Find Their Voice, by Suzie Boss. This blog discusses how digital storytelling can be a worth while project for any k-12 classroom. By having students tell stories about themselves or others they can gain skills in writing, research, visual literacy, critical thinking and collaboration. Also, this type of project allows for students to excel no matter what their learning style. Students also must use digital media to create these stories, so they have authentic experiences with technology. The blog gives several resources of how to get started with a digital storytelling project. You can read this blog at http://www.edutopia.org/digital-storytelling-resources