Preference of Animated Graphics to Static Images

Over the years, I have come to realize that I am a visual learner. I learn best when visuals are involved in the explanation of abstract or foreign concepts. This is especially beneficial when I am learning about scientific concepts as science is not my best subject. [A bit ironic considering I went to a math and science high school. harhar.] However, there are times when static graphics just don't cut it for me. I struggle to understand physics and I have realized that when there are animated graphics available to explain a particular concept, I understand it better than if the images were static. While I cannot recall one specific example, I do remember understanding some concepts better than others because I had seen an animated visual rather than a still image.

Perhaps the reason why I benefit from animated images is because when I encounter an abstract concept, I have no background knowledge of the topic nor am I interested. Therefore, it is harder for me to relate or become engaged in learning about the concept. This is also particularly true for many other students. As educators of today's children, we need to be utilize the various media available to engage and instruct our students, especially since they are known as the video-game generation.

Educational Video Clips

As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. have many interesting and educational videos that are often used in and out of the classroom. Personally, I have seen my younger brothers on BrainPOP checking out videos on topics that they wish to learn more about. One occasion that comes to mind is when they viewed the video about 9-11 and the events that followed. I know in public schools, 9-11 is still a relatively new and rather sensitive topic to discuss so it is often avoided or omitted in the school curriculum. At home, this is something that is mentioned at least once a year as my father and I were both in downtown Manhattan on that fateful day. For whatever reason, perhaps it is because we have discussed it at home or they just randomly stumbled across it, it was something that they wanted to be well-educated about.. after they viewed the video, they approached me with questions about the day and about terrorists. I was quite blown away that they knew so much and when I inquired about it, they shared with me the link to the video. I was amazed at how kid-friendly the video was [it is done in a cartoon-like fashion] yet how they managed to embed the vocabulary in a way that was not obvious or overwhelming. Then at the end of the video, students have the option to read more about the event or test their knowledge. This allows the student to assume a more active role in their education. The video can be viewed here.

Another educational clip that I have always enjoyed was the clip of Wakko from the cartoon show Animaniacs reciting the 50 states and capitals through song. Having grown up with this show and seeing this episode multiple times, I can see this video helping many students to memorize the states and capitals, especially those who are auditory learners or learn better through music. In fact, I do have a few friends who have credited this clip to helping them pass their geography exams in primary school! This song is so catchy and adds a bit of whimsy to such a mundane task.. wouldn't you agree?

Oh yea, quick tip for educators.. YouTube is blocked in NYC public schools, so if you ever want to access a video clip, go to SchoolTube. That site is geared more for the educational setting.. We have actually used it a few times the past year, especially when we were raising chicks in the classroom and wanted the children to understand the concept of candling an egg. There were a few videos we also wanted to show but could not get.. like the Magic School Bus video of the class hatching an egg. :(

Interesting and Educational Podcast

For this week, we were asked to share a podcast. This was a bit challenging as I had never heard of the term "podcast" before. I guess I'm not as technologically there as I had thought! I asked around and I was surprised to hear that my father knew of podcasts! He suggested I check out iTunes and Sesame Street.

Having grown up with Sesame Street, it was only natural that I share one of the many podcasts I had found from Sesame Street.

The following podcast discusses the meaning of the word healthy. I like how Sesame Street invites well-known actors, actresses, and singers to participate in each segment. For this podcast, Ellen Pompeo from Grey's Anatomy talked with Elmo about the word "healthy." As a fan of the show, I thought her appearance made this a bit more appealing to the adult caretakers. The podcast included older footage of Sesame Street episodes from my generation and incorporated a brief music video about staying healthy. In addition, there were visuals of healthy habits and healthy eating. The podcast appeals to the different learning modalities of today's children. This podcast also fits with society's increasing focus on staying fit and healthy, especially with Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" health initiative.

Good and Bad Design

In this week's assignment, we were asked to find two websites. One website serves as an example of good design, with respect to how graphics and images are integrated into its layout, and the other website as an example of bad design.

Good Design - Brain Pop Jr.

Brain Pop Jr. is the website for younger children like Brain Pop is the website geared towards higher elementary students. As you can see from the screenshot, there are distinct sections for each academic subject as well as links for educators [located on the lower left]. The coloring changes when you hover over each section so that you know which link you are selecting. The homepage does a good job of incorporating both images and flash into the navigation. The dual coding (Paivio, 1990), or pairing a visual with text, makes it easy for even the very young to identify. The brief flash video showcases the video of the week which is "spatially and timely coordinated with text to minimize cognitive load" (Moreno and Mayer, 1999; Mayer et al., 1996). An added bonus is how an auditory narration is provided when you hover over each link. All of these features are presented in different modalities, which are processed by different cognitive systems, and do not overload working memory (Moreno and Mayer, 1999).

Bad Design - Kids Know It

Navigating this site and filtering through all the text requires more usage of our working memory. There are some images but not enough to aid in searching for where you wish to go (Larkin and Simon, 1987). The graphics that are included on this site seem to be randomly thrown together and get lost in the sea of text.

Borrowing from Traditional Text and Implementing in Hypertext

For this week's assignment, we were asked to describe features we liked and wished to borrow from traditional texts and how they can be implemented in hypertext/hypermedia.

There are several features I like about traditional texts. Two of these features are:

• the smell and feel of a book
• the ability to highlight and jot notes in the margins

Ever since I was a child, I've always enjoyed holding a book in my hands and slamming shut just so I can get a sniff of the book! [Yes, I've just reread that statement and realized how much of a crazy that makes me sound.. yet I assure you, I'm not the only person who enjoys the smell of books, especially that new book smell!] However, this feature would be difficult to implement in hypertext/hypermedia unless you think of Mickey's PhilharMagic show located at Disneyworld. The show was able to incorporate the smell of a fresh baked apple pie into their 3D film. Anyway, that was my fun but impossible and pointless feature..

The second feature I really liked from traditional texts was the ability to physically mark up a text. Personally, I try not to highlight my books because I've got major OCD issues, but that's beside the point. There are many people I know who will highlight and underline key words in texts while they're reading or studying. While we can highlight hypertext with a mouse, we still cannot jot down notes in the margins whenever we are read hypertext. Yes, with the growth of technology like SmartBoards in the classroom, it is possible to create an "Ink Layer" over the copy of the screen. Then you can highlight information and jot down notes in the margins, especially if you are teaching note-taking skills to the children. However, this option is not personal enough. The children do not have access to personal SmartBoards to highlight and jot down notes. Even then, there really isn't a way to save the page to refer back to at a later time.. unless you take a screenshot but then there's the whole hassle of saving it. Perhaps a new program could be created specifically for note-taking. All you need to do is open the program to create a frame around the current hypertext. Once you are done jotting down your thoughts and highlighting key information, you can just hit the save button to save your notes for a later time. With the growing trend of tablets and PDAs with stylus pens, this would be a great feature to implement with hypertext. With today's growing technology and children, this could be a great way to teach students to take notes in a manner that can engage them. Who knows. Maybe someone will come up with this program within the next 5 years and we will soon see them in use in the classroom, along with personal tablets for each student. I mean, there are schools who give out laptops and iPads to their students, so this idea isn't too far-fetched, right?

Good and Bad Examples of Hypermedia

After reading about hypermedia this past week, we were asked to search for some good and bad examples of hypermedia. This was not an easy assignment. I have encountered many horrible applications of hypermedia yet when it came time to look for examples, I drew a blank. I can recall flashing backgrounds which made text difficult to read or websites with virtually no contrast between the text and background.. but I cannot recall the names of these websites. :(

So it is with much deliberation and research, I present to you some examples of good and bad applications of hypermedia.. starting with the bad.

Bad examples:

• MTA's former website
  I was going to use the website as an example of bad applications of hypermedia but imagine my surprise when I logged on earlier this weekend to see that they revamped it! The old website was difficult to find the page or link you were looking for as it varied from page to page.

• My brothers' former elementary school's website
  
This is not a functional website for several reasons. First of all, it is meant to be a website to inform parents yet it has not been updated in the past year. Secondly, the site does not make use of most of the page. Everything is centered and haphazardly thrown together, like someone googled graphics that seemed relevant and put it on the page. There is no consistency and some graphics are off-center. Parents and students alike have complained about the lack of information and functionality of the site.

• Cool Math Games
  If you are viewing this lovely website on Internet Explorer or Firefox, you will find a series of geometric shapes following your cursor across the page. That is, if you can get over the black background and neon letter contrast. Although this site has many fun games for students, the color scheme takes some getting use to. All that color can be quite distracting when you are trying to play a game. Additionally, it is difficult to tell which are links in the header. This site is very text-heavy considering it is a website for math games.

Good examples:

• Stuyvesant High School
  Now, I may be partial as this is my alma mater but this website has only improved over the years. It is informational and the links are easy to see and navigate. In addition, the links in the header are consistent from page to page making it easy for one to navigate from one page to the next. The flash on the home page is simple yet gives you a glimpse of what the school facility is like. This is an example of a functional and informative school website. The sections are clearly labeled and distinguished so it is easy to glance over to the part you wish to read.

• World Vision
  From a quick glance, you can locate where you wish to go on this site. Everything you wish to navigate to or read can be found on the screen without having to scroll down. The color contrast of the text stands out in a way that is not hard on the eyes.

• PBS Kids
  For children's website, this site is very kid-friendly. It does not require a child to be able to read in order to know how to navigate around the page. The visuals are not too overwhelming. There is no scrolling required to view everything on the page. The links at the bottom could use a bit more contrast to stand out but for a children's website, it is not necessary. There is a video that begins to play soon after the page has loaded. While there isn't a pause button nor is there a mute button, it does not last long and serves its purpose for children who are not yet able to read. [It is for the "videos" link.]

Reflection: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

As I read Marc Prensky’s article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, I could not help but chuckle at the terminology. I have never heard of the terms “digital natives” or “digital immigrants” before yet I cannot think of better words to describe the two groups in our society. So which one am I? I grew up in a pre-internet era yet I had a PC which I used to type my book reports and play Magic School Bus games on the weekends. I was in middle school when the internet first became popular however my parents did not hesitate to sign up with AOL. If I had to classify myself, I think of myself as a digital native. Still, I would say I am somewhere in between the two worlds as technology was not my “native tongue” yet I do not have an accent. There will always be aspects that I will never be accustomed to, such as digital books. I love the smell and feel of holding an actual book.

In my day-to-day routine, I have encountered many digital immigrants. In fact, since I am the youngest teacher at my school, I am often the go-to person for computer or SmartBoard issues. I have helped numerous teachers connect to the server or download and install files to their computers. They are always astounded at my speed to locate and fix the problem. Yet I am always reminded of the comment my principal made to us at the beginning of the school year. She had mentioned that as we begin using SmartBoards in our classroom, the children will become more and more familiar with it until one day, they will be our troubleshooters. She could not be more right. If anything, this should be our motivation as teachers to stay current in the field of technology. As teachers, I know many of us are content to stick with the same old routine year after year because it is just easier. However, I realize remaining stagnant in our knowledge of technology hinders our ability to reach our students’ potential. In reality, it is not easier as it just creates a bigger wedge between the teacher and students and thus, creates more work for us in the long run. This makes me wonder why some teachers do not care to remain current in the field of technology.