This post will present ideas in an effort to provide a more pleasurable computer lab experience for all….really!
Preplanning
- Create timelines, rubrics and a checklist - share prior to the beginning of the project, so students are fully aware of your expectations.
- Assign group projects instead of individual projects - presenting 4 - 5 projects instead of 18 - 22 individual projects is far less time consuming.
- Incorporate a critical thinking question for one of the cards, by utilizing a higher level question strategy (i.e. If you could.., In your opinion, what is the relationship between…and…, Prepare a list of criteria you would use to judge…etc).
- Introduce/teach a lesson on citing sources and note taking.
- Discuss plagiarism/cut and paste plagiarism.
- Provide student examples of a well-designed project.
- Create a template and/or use a storyboard.
- Students need to direct their focus from the really cool things the program can do - and direct on the content of the project itself.
- Everything should have a purpose and point to the content…Remind them that Content Rules!
- All drawings/graphics/animations/colors should support the content not upstage it.
Templates:
- Your students are early stage users.
- Younger students of 2nd grade or below.
- You are working within a limited time frame
Storyboard:
- Require students to use a storyboard on Manila paper, divided into sections.
- Require each group, or student, to complete a detailed storyboard prior to beginning work in the computer lab.
- Text should be saved in a word document if there is considerable information. Have students cut/paste word document into slides.
- All pictures should be, both, sketched and colored in detail.Include background and text color.
- Include placement of title/font/color of button(s).
- Students or groups with incomplete storyboards have the most trouble in the computer lab.
Limit Student Choices
- Offer a choice of 2 to 3 fonts to choose from (i.e. Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana).
- Use the same background for all slides.
- In PowerPoint, limit slide transition, object effects, Word Art style/color and sound, to only 2 - 3 choices.
- These limits will prevent the student from wasting valuable time checking out the different fonts and transitions.
Students in Lab
- Make sure students have everything they need (storyboard(s), notes, source information, etc).
- Request assistance from the specialist. The students and you are their number one priority—UTILIZE them!
- Present multimedia projects via videoconferencing. Presentation provides purpose and relevance to the multimedia project.
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