Project:

INVITATION

How can we move students toward using technology to create a visual documentary of their skills and talents? How do we teach students to become independent learners and develop skills that provide quality information to the community? How do we help students create and organize ideas into a presentation form for the purpose of providing literate representations of themselves?

TASKS

Students create an interactive portfolio that emphasizes their skills and talents. This interaction can be used as a visual resume for applications into colleges or the job market and might include video clips, interviews, articles, papers, and projects. The final project can be created on a CD for students to send to colleges or to potential employers.

TOOLS

Computers; the Internet.

AppleWorks; Final Cut Pro; Inspiration; Photoshop LE or Photoshop Elements.

Director Academic (optional); QuickTime Pro (optional); SmartSound (optional).

INTERACTIONS

Students meet as a group and discuss with the teacher what components are important to an outstanding multimedia portfolio and what software can be used to create the project. The students review examples from CDs or the Internet. After students have an understanding of good visual portfolios, they work independently to build their own portfolio. Students meet again as a class to present each portfolio.

STANDARDS

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SITUATIONS

Students work in the classroom, in the computer lab, and in the community. The initial project, including class discussion time and development, will last three weeks. Because students will continue to add examples of their work to the portfolio, the actual project will continue for an indefinite period of time.

ASSESSMENT

The teacher and student assess the project based on the depth of the tour. Students may want to create their own rubric to present to the teacher what they plan to ask of themselves for the depth of their tour. The teacher can help the students set high expectations and assess the project based on whether or not students met their own expectations.

Students create an interactive tour of their skills and strengths for use in a digital portfolio. With the new technology and instant access, employers and institutes of higher learning will have the ability to gain quick access to student portfolios and thus gain a better perspective of student abilities and skills. These portfolios will give students the ability to demonstrate strengths and skills that would not be evident in traditional paper resumés.

Students can approach this project by asking these kinds of questions: What can I include in this tour that will show what my strengths and skills are that cannot be shown on paper? How do I incorporate different types of media to show versatility in my skills? What media elements should I include? Do I make this fancy or is it better to simplify the presentation? What is the best mode of navigation for the user and how logical will the interaction be? Many of these questions will be answered as the student begins to work through the project, knowing that many changes will occur before the product is finished.

The process of development for the students will continue as they learn different applications; including these applications into the final product may be time-consuming. Many teachers have incorporated this unit as the overall product to use in teaching each of the applications. For example, Final Cut Pro may be a specific unit in the technology portion and then once understood, incorporated into the digital portfolio project. Photoshop LE or Photoshop Elements may then be taught as another application using the project as a way of integrating graphics into the overall concept.

Phase 1: Organization and planning

Students should begin by discussing what makes a good digital portfolio. Questions and classroom dialogue can be generated through a visual display of examples. Students should also compare actual video resumes with television documentaries and discuss the elements that are applicable to both. What might be included in a video documentary that would also be beneficial in a digital portfolio? What types of information would be important for the user to know about? Do film documentaries leave anything out that a portfolio might take into consideration?

Once students understand the importance of relevancy, they begin brainstorming or creating a rough outline of what their personal portfolio might look like. This can be done in AppleWorks or Inspiration or a combination of both. Students might also visit with local colleges or businesses to discuss what their vision of a digital portfolio would be.

Phase 2: Setting up templates

Ask each of the students to create, in AppleWorks, Photoshop LE, or Photoshop Elements, a rough image of what each of their sections of the portfolio will look like. This image does not have to be detailed but can be more of a draft of ideas. What type of interface will the document use? Where will there be navigation buttons? What will the background look like? How will the user return to a main menu for navigation purposes? Will there be similarity of branched areas from the main menu for consistency? Areas may include QuickTime examples, sound bytes, project examples, examples of writing, discussion of school projects, community involvement, and other categories. Many of these questions can be answered early by discussing with the students the importance of page layout, navigation, graphics, and other elements of multimedia design.

Phase 3: Creating the navigation layout

After students understand what can be included in the portfolio and what type of interface the final product will include, it is important that they plan each step of the development. Investigate and discuss the different approaches to multimedia development. Examples of layout should include one-way linear, two-way linear, and spoke; each should be discussed. Once students understand the approach to presentation layout, they should choose a method and develop their outline using Inspiration or AppleWorks. Students should be as detailed as possible in the layout and should include any information that will help in the creation of the project. Please refer to the "Multimedia Design Template" included in this kit.

Phase 4: Storyboard and multimedia elements

Have students ask themselves the question, "If I could develop the perfect or ultimate portfolio, what would it include?" Without any boundaries on either software, development tools, or substance, allow students to plan a very specific storyboard for the ultimate project. This storyboard should involve all details of the envisioned final project. Have students create a pre-planned screen for each level of navigation or category. Teachers should feel free to use the example as a template or develop a different one for classroom use. The following categories should be included:

Graphic layout of each page of navigation
Buttons or navigation tools and placement on the screen
Sounds or voice-overs and projected length/file size
QuickTime video clips and projected length/file size
Outlined boxes to represent where text will be inserted
Specific graphics or titles

Phase 5: Assembling the portfolio

Once students understand pre-project planning and storyboard development, they will be better able to understand the importance of organization in regard to the final outcome. Remember that all solid projects develop from a plan. Students should now begin to develop the individual areas and content of their portfolio. They will need to develop graphics and Final Cut Pro videos; record and edit sound bytes; conduct research and organize it into topic areas; and plan the overall layout of the project along with a rational sequence of navigation. Your classroom may be chaotic at times, but remember that in the age of informational technology, the most chaotic-looking labs or classrooms are in many cases the most productive ones. If the technology is available in labs, teachers might want to set up particular stations for development and schedule students to rotate among the stations. One station may serve as the video-editing station, while another may be for Internet research. Others may include graphic development and CD burning. Each of these skills is important for students to understand and utilize in order to better understand multimedia development.

PREPARATION

Plan the entire unit ahead of time and teach the lessons and software in chronological order. Ask yourselves questions such as these: Is it important that students know Inspiration before we begin brainstorming? When do I incorporate lessons in multimedia layout and design? Do I give an assessment test to determine a working base of technology knowledge?

Show students examples of digital portfolios and help them analyze them for structure, content, and delivery. Students should understand the importance of content and delivery methods.

Students should arrange all interviews and prepare all personal videos in Final Cut Pro.

You may need to discuss analog-to-digital video and audio conversion, as many video clips may have been stored on analog tapes.

Ensure that all equipment is operational and all peripherals are working.

If server storage is being used, check on the amount of hard disk space available.

A lesson on file size, especially the relationship of file size to video and audio files, should be included in this unit.

OPTIONS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Projects like the digital portfolios can be rather large in size and adequate storage is necessary. Discuss file sizes and limitations with students before the project begins.

Allow students to press portfolios to cross-platform CDs and then share them with each other for critique purposes.

Have students watch famous documentaries to discover the world of content and obscure information.

Allow enough time for numerous additions and revisions.