October 2004 — Web/Net
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The Software Picture Book: The Complexities of Teaching Informational Text to Elementary School Children
- Seasons
- Colors
- Shapes
- Alphabet study
- Bears
- Dinosaurs
- Insects
- Communities
After their topics were selected, groups selected both the structures for writing text and the appropriate art styles. Groups then created a table to report their choices for their respective picture books. The completed tables were a form of authentic assessment and a meaningful use of technology (e.g., creating a table, merging cells and using appropriate fonts). A sample of a table submitted appears below:
Mini-Lessons on HyperStudio
Mini-lessons were used to teach the various functions of HyperStudio 4.0. The functions emphasized were as follows:
- Creating a storyboard
- Opening a new stack
- Creating a card
- Inserting objects
- Cutting and pasting
- Drawing illustrations
- Animating using buttons
- Animating illustrations
- Animating objects
- Writing text with appropriate font size and color
- Editing text
- Adding transitions between cards
- Editing and revising
- Adding backgrounds
- Linking individual cards
- Adding sound
- Saving work and locating it
Each option identified above was demonstrated using the instructor's computer and a projected image visible for the entire class. Participants shared multiple copies of the HyperStudio Manuals (Fleck 1999 and Isbister 1999) for reference as they worked on their picture books. The instructor circulated and offered assistance as needed.
To facilitate the continual assessment and evaluation of the work, each group had to submit a “reflection sheet” at the conclusion of each session. The reflection sheet had to be created by each group using appropriate Microsoft 2000 options. The reflection sheet utilized had to follow the following format:
Presentations
Participants completed their picture books after six weeks of work. A great deal of the work was completed during class time; however, most participants required additional time outside of class. Computer labs were available for this purpose, and the time was logged and reported back to the instructor using a simple form found in all labs. The work completed was stored temporarily on desktops and copied to rewritable CDs, because the files were too large to permit the use of floppy disks. In addition, the use of CDs facilitated the need to produce multiple copies so that individual students could include them in their student portfolios.
Since there were six groups of four students, a lottery was held to determine the order of presentations. The presentations took place during two separate classes, with three groups presenting their picture book for a 20 minute time period. Groups presented their picture books using the instructor's computer with the image projected onto a large screen on the wall. Each member of the group presented their own contribution to the picture book and would stop when the next group member's work appeared. The transition between individual group members took place almost seamlessly. Even quiet, reticent group members presented their work with purpose and a sense of satisfaction.
