Storyboarding

Storyboards are a creative tool that help children to get their thoughts out and into action. The actual definition of a storyboard is a graphic organizer such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. These storyboards can be used at many different grade levels and in many different subjects. For instance, when children are just learning to write short fictional stories they may have trouble getting their thoughts organized. By using a storyboard, the children can draw their thoughts out in a short sequence that may help them get their thoughts together for their paper. I think that storyboarding sounds like a new age way of constructing a rough draft. When I was in grade school we would be required to write a rough draft before all major papers. These rough drafts were usually in the form of some chart that would demonstrate our flow of thought. Storyboards sounds strikingly similar with a bit more fun built in. I would like to see further research done to prove if this method of previsualizing is indeed more effective than some older methods that have been used for years. Also, I wonder how well these storyboards would work if they were group assignments in which each student contributed a little of their own original thoughts. Storyboarding sounds like a fun activity for individual students and for classrooms as a whole!!

Article Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard

WIKIS

A Wiki is a website that allows people to collaborate on a piece of work from different computers using a word document. A wiki allows anyone with access to it to edit, delete, or modify the content via the web. Wikis keep track of previous documents each time they are changed so that one can see the progression of change. Each time the document is revised the new draft is saved as well as the old one. Teachers have become very familiar with wikis and have incorporated them into their lesson plans as a way to do group projects. Students are now able to work together more efficiently outside of school. Just a few years ago, group projects were a hassle because it was always a challenge to get each member of the group at one place after school hours. Some students would not be able to meet at all, and their group would take the fall for it. Now students can simply get their computers at home, or at school and actively participate in the group project.
It is no secret that technology has glitches. I would like to see further research done to show how dependable wikis are at saving information. What would happen if two students were working on the document at the same time from separate locations?
I had never heard of wikis before this assignment, and would highly consider using them in my own classroom in the future. They are a great way to get kids involved and familiar with technology. I would also have a way to see just how much revision was done on a work and exactly how my students produced their finished product. Wikis just may be the next big fad in classroom technology.

Article Link: http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.php?title=Using_wiki_in_education