Unit+6++Media+Assingments

Instructions:
Create resources for your wiki (can be technology support resources or learning content) in iMovie, Powerpoint, or Flash (viewletcam). Post on your site and then write a short paragraph describing the relative strengths, weaknesses, and ease of use of the format you selected.

Bill of Rights Power Point:



 * __Why I chose powerpoint:__** I had the students use powerpoint because the Bill of Rights are basic enough that they will be able to present all of the information in a small amount of slides and provide images that helps display the information. Also they can implement other forms of media into the powerpoint like Youtube or flash. Students will also get more involved and be more creative doing powerpoint rather than just taking notes from a lecture.

I chose to have the students make a powerpoint over the Bill of Rights because it has many different strengths as form of technology. First off most schools will have powerpoint on them, so most of the students will be able to create their own powerpoint slide. Also powerpoint is a great tool to use if you are presenting and you would like to add visuals and display key words. The basics of using powerpoint is also very easy to learn and most 8th graders will already know how to create a powerpoint presentation. Powerpoint is also a form of technology you can use that won't take a long time to create, as a teacher time is very important and powerpoint doesn't take a lot it. Also students will be able to use the powerpoint to guide them in their presentation and it can even provide coinfidence while they present.
 * __Strengths and Ease of Use:__**


 * __Weakness:__** The major weekness with powerpoint is people try to put their entire presentation on the slides rather than just using it as a tool. Also powerpoint slides can look very sloppy if you don't use a proper design. Powerpoint also has many tools that go unused because they aren't easily on display. Things like posting youtube videos and other media forms is difficult because you have to search system to find the function. Finally, because powerpoint slides are being used so often now it is losing its ability to gain attention. So many people use powerpoints as a form of lecture that students lose focus and its really no a longer tool to help a presentation.

Flash Viewlet on Playing Bill of Rights Game:
How to Play the Bill of Rights: [|Bill of Rights.html] __**Strengths of Viewlet:**__ Like powerpoint, viewlet offers students another media to use while learning. Viewlet lets the user recored a video of what you are doing on your computer. Then you can edit the video to add your own comments or delete files and add other video files. Viewlet is great to use when you are trying to give instruction on how to do something on the computer, rather than trying to tell them verbally, you can show them exactly what to do and provide text where needed. I used viewlet to show the students how to play the Bill of Rights Game. Teachers can use viewlets for students who may need more help, they can provide them with a viewlet and they can go back and see how to perform a certain task as many times as they want. Also teachers can provide viewlets to students who may have missed class and missed a lesson.


 * __Weakness:__** Viewlets are a good resource but they can be difficult for students to make themselves. It takes time to learn how to use the media and many problems can occur while using viewlet. I think they are good for teachers to use but students will have a difficult time creating viewlet projects. Also it can be difficult to edit videos using viewlet, there are better editing programs to use. Also some computers have trouble using viewlet and the quality can be very poor depending on your computer.

__**Ease of Use:**__ Viewlets are a lot more difficult to use than powerpoints, but once you learn how to use a viewlet they are very useful. If a teacher creates a viewlet though students can easily watch the videos and they can use the media very easily. I wouldn't have 8th graders create their own viewlet but I would create my own viewlets and have the 8th graders use them for assignments.