Check out some of the creations on SMORE (I know, doesn't it sound YUMMY) for some ideas. You can sign up from home using a facebook account if you have one!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Artifacts... err.. umm... Projects for your MGP
By now, hopefully you are well on your way to planning and creating the artifacts you will share along with your narrative. Here is ANOTHER cool, digital tool for sharing an artifact! If you are interested in creating a flier of some sort, this new & free interactive flier creator may be just the ticket for you!
Check out some of the creations on SMORE (I know, doesn't it sound YUMMY) for some ideas. You can sign up from home using a facebook account if you have one!
Check out some of the creations on SMORE (I know, doesn't it sound YUMMY) for some ideas. You can sign up from home using a facebook account if you have one!
Giving credit for pictures you use...
DON'T FORGET to give credit to the photographers that have provided the lovely photos you will use in any aspect of your MGP! From the cover page, to the Thinglink, to the artifacts themselves... you are sure to have chosen photographs that originated on the Internet somewhere. Easybib makes it well, easy, to give credit for those photographs.
You may have to include some "extra information", but it should be easy to find. For instance, if you found your image on Google Images originally, simply select the image and choose "go to site" to find where the image originated from. You can not only copy the URL, but you can look at the site and fill in as much of the information as possible in the box on easybib.
You may have to include some "extra information", but it should be easy to find. For instance, if you found your image on Google Images originally, simply select the image and choose "go to site" to find where the image originated from. You can not only copy the URL, but you can look at the site and fill in as much of the information as possible in the box on easybib. 
This is the citation for the object I found below....
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The "traditional" research aspect of your project... The Narrative (AND THEN SOME...)
You have done research for several days/weeks so far, and hopefully, you have firmed up the general assertion that you made about your subject of research at the beginning. Now, you will blend your knowledge of "show me, don't tell me" writing with the facts and information you have learned through your research. Here are some samples from the projects we ORIGINALLY viewed when looking at multi-genre projects. Notice how they take what would be mundane, boring information and weave it into an interesting and intriguing storyline... but it is ALL based on THE FACTS!! Intrigue your reader.. she has MANY OF THESE THINGS TO READ! : )
You will NOT share everything there is to know about the person you have researched in this 1 1/2- 2 page document. You will add another layer of knowledge through each artifact that you share and finally through your Thinglink oral presentation. You should be working to ensure that each part of your project compliments the other parts and that you have NOT repeated the same, boring facts in the same, boring way over and over again. If you need to brush up on SHOW ME DON'T TELL ME writing, click here and check out some strategies strong writers use.
A short & sweet tutorial-- courtesy of YouTube:
If you use new information in your writing (I SURE HOPE YOU DO), then you have to cite your source using an in-text or parenthetical citation. I will share some examples of this in class, but the OWL at Purdue is (as always) an awesome source on citations and anything else to do with research!
FINALLY---
And... Don't forget... It's all about presentation. Whether you present traditionally or electronically, draw your audience in. Be creative. Be thematic. Be dramatic. Be eccentric. Be... JUST BE! Have fun with your MGP...
Thinglink Basic Requirements
This is to be your oral presentation of the material in your
research project. You should have already
created your truism that reflects your person’s feelings & thoughts on life
in general as your interactive visual aide.
Now you will add the tags that will guide your presentation. You should
plan to talk about 3-5 minutes about your subject. Remember, you are NOT telling us every single
fact about him or her—only the HIGHLIGHTS that support your basic
assertion. YOU are NOT creating anything
NEW for a Thinglink; you are sharing resources that you have found. Here are some basic requirements and some
suggestions for your Thinglink tags:
Required—
1.
Truism with 2 pictures (one of your person &
one that represents the truism)
2.
Assertion—YOUR FINAL assertion.
3.
At least ONE link to a video that is appropriate
4.
At least ONE link to another website that has
pictures of your person
5.
At least ONE link to another source that you
used for your research
You will tell us about your person by scrolling through the
links, the video & the photographs you have chosen to share. Each link or tag on your Thinglink is like a
virtual PPT slide or notecard and should prompt you in what you will share with
your audience. You MAY have a notecard
to help you, but you MAY NOT read from anything on your Thinglink. You should practice your presentations
SEVERAL times at home because you will be graded for the ORAL presentation on
this portion of your project. I will be grading you in several areas: preparedness, thoroughness, attention to
detail, oral presentation skills (loudness, projection, clarity, etc.)
Suggested—
1.
A video clip of him or her speaking or being
spoken about (only pick about 30 seconds to share)
2.
Something showing a timeline of important life
events
3.
Archived documents that tell something about
your person
4.
Music, speeches or other sound clips about/by
your person
5.
A map of his/her travels, areas of influence, etc.
6.
Anything you think is relevant, interesting,
worth sharing
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
What Should I Be Working on TODAY?
You are completing several steps of your MGP at once. If you are working on a variety of pieces, you are right on track. By this point, hopefully you have several things started and in the draft phase within your Google Docs:
1. Cover page (even if you don't know the page numbers at this point)
-- create as a Word Doc, A Google Doc, a PPT slide, a Google presentation slide, etc...
I suggested to do a cover page including your table of contents on your cover page, but you can create a separate page if you wish. See some samples below:
2. Bibliography (which you can still add to as needed) shared from Google Docs
Select "Save as Google Doc" and follow the instructions on the screen to save a draft of your bibliography. Rename it once it is in Google Docs-- Draft, Final, etc....
3. Draft of your "Dear Reader Letter"-- which I will annotate for you as I get to each one.
4. One or both of your artifacts MAY be started at this point...
5. ACTION PLAN--
You are ready to start planning the remainder of your project. Following our conference, you will determine the plan of action for your last steps. We will meet and discuss your progress to this point, and you will create a simple 2-3 paragraph Action Plan (due on Monday, April 8th, 2013) for your project. You will determine what you still need to do in order to meet the deadlines for the rest of your project. You will decide how much more research you still need to do to prove your assertion. You will finalize the types of artifacts you will create.
6. THINGLINK--
I will show you sample Thinglink interactive images after we create your "truism" for your base picture. A Thinglink is like a virtual bulletin board, and you will "stick" video, pictures, etc. about your person's life on the picture you create. You will click on each of the things you stick on the image, and you will discuss each link and its significance. It will be the tool you use to present the information you learned during your research-- instead of a powerpoint or a Prezi. You will speak for about 5 minutes (give or take) about your person & your assertion about him or her.
Truisms:
MORE truisms
A truism is something that you believe (after your research) to be true about the person you have researched-- it may be something he or she believes/believed in or fights/fought for. It may be something that shows his or her basic beliefs about LIFE. Your truism will be created on a word document using word art and will accompany a picture of your person and a picture that represents the truism. You will take a screen shot of the creation and upload it to Thinglink. I have posted some samples below.
NEXT WEEK-- we will be working on the narrative portion of your project-- this is the "big part" of your final project and requires you to have ALL of your research done. You will blend fact and narrative writing to create your person's "STORY"... The artifacts just help to "tell the story"...
1. Cover page (even if you don't know the page numbers at this point)
-- create as a Word Doc, A Google Doc, a PPT slide, a Google presentation slide, etc...
I suggested to do a cover page including your table of contents on your cover page, but you can create a separate page if you wish. See some samples below:
2. Bibliography (which you can still add to as needed) shared from Google Docs
Select "Save as Google Doc" and follow the instructions on the screen to save a draft of your bibliography. Rename it once it is in Google Docs-- Draft, Final, etc....
3. Draft of your "Dear Reader Letter"-- which I will annotate for you as I get to each one.
4. One or both of your artifacts MAY be started at this point...
5. ACTION PLAN--
You are ready to start planning the remainder of your project. Following our conference, you will determine the plan of action for your last steps. We will meet and discuss your progress to this point, and you will create a simple 2-3 paragraph Action Plan (due on Monday, April 8th, 2013) for your project. You will determine what you still need to do in order to meet the deadlines for the rest of your project. You will decide how much more research you still need to do to prove your assertion. You will finalize the types of artifacts you will create.
6. THINGLINK--
I will show you sample Thinglink interactive images after we create your "truism" for your base picture. A Thinglink is like a virtual bulletin board, and you will "stick" video, pictures, etc. about your person's life on the picture you create. You will click on each of the things you stick on the image, and you will discuss each link and its significance. It will be the tool you use to present the information you learned during your research-- instead of a powerpoint or a Prezi. You will speak for about 5 minutes (give or take) about your person & your assertion about him or her.
Truisms:
MORE truisms
A truism is something that you believe (after your research) to be true about the person you have researched-- it may be something he or she believes/believed in or fights/fought for. It may be something that shows his or her basic beliefs about LIFE. Your truism will be created on a word document using word art and will accompany a picture of your person and a picture that represents the truism. You will take a screen shot of the creation and upload it to Thinglink. I have posted some samples below.
NEXT WEEK-- we will be working on the narrative portion of your project-- this is the "big part" of your final project and requires you to have ALL of your research done. You will blend fact and narrative writing to create your person's "STORY"... The artifacts just help to "tell the story"...
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Pictures Anyone???
Are you looking for royalty-free pictures to use in your MGP? I have compiled some links for you!
Pixabay has many free, quality graphics for your project. FREE clipart & Public Domain Images looks like a comprehensive site with many clip arts and backgrounds as well. It has several sub-topics for specific types of art work. There is even historical clip art here. The site also explains the ins and outs of copyrights for you.
Here are some other links to more web 2.0 tools!
Pixabay has many free, quality graphics for your project. FREE clipart & Public Domain Images looks like a comprehensive site with many clip arts and backgrounds as well. It has several sub-topics for specific types of art work. There is even historical clip art here. The site also explains the ins and outs of copyrights for you.
Here are some other links to more web 2.0 tools!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Experimenting with Web 2.0 Tools for Project Publishing
I am working with some WEB 2.0 Tools in order to determine which are easiest to use. I started with SCRIBD, and it seems like a winner. Here is my sample upload. It is a lesson we will do together in class next week, and it started out as a power point. You can upload a variety of resource types to Scribd and combine them for an online presentation of your project. I will add to this blog as I try out new tools.
Sample Scribd
I also BRIEFLY checked out Weebly. As you can see, I have not added anything to the page I created, but I did want to see what it was like. It allows you to change your background and to upload multi-media artifacts. It is basically a website that you create. This is the link for you to create your OWN Weebly. You must use your email address and create an account, but it looks VERY cool and easy to use. You can create your own subdomain which allows you to have something like this blog except only YOU add to it unless you add people as contributors. The cool thing is that once you sign up, it will send a tutorial link to your email telling you EXACTLY how to go about adding all the cool things you want to add!! Let me know how you like it if you decide to use it!
Other tools
2011 Best Tools
Web 2.0 Wiki
Web Tools
Sample Scribd
I also BRIEFLY checked out Weebly. As you can see, I have not added anything to the page I created, but I did want to see what it was like. It allows you to change your background and to upload multi-media artifacts. It is basically a website that you create. This is the link for you to create your OWN Weebly. You must use your email address and create an account, but it looks VERY cool and easy to use. You can create your own subdomain which allows you to have something like this blog except only YOU add to it unless you add people as contributors. The cool thing is that once you sign up, it will send a tutorial link to your email telling you EXACTLY how to go about adding all the cool things you want to add!! Let me know how you like it if you decide to use it!
Other tools
2011 Best Tools
Web 2.0 Wiki
Web Tools
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