|
|
||
 | ||
       | ||
INVITATION How can we utilize streaming features in QuickTime so students are able to use video or audio on demand for immediate access? How do students utilize instant access to media on a network and incorporate visual media into class presentations? How will immediate access change the way students view the world in which they live? |
 |
|
|
TASKS Students develop a multimedia presentation that incorporates a single or multiple live video or audio stream of current events. The video/audio on demand will enhance and improve presentations by "tuning" into a live presentation or discussion. |
||
|
TOOLS Computers; the Internet. AppleWorks; Director Academic; Final Cut Pro (optional); Inspiration; QuickTime Pro. Mac OS X Server (optional). |
||
|
INTERACTIONS Students work in groups on a project that will allow them to include video streaming. The teacher may choose to do this activity in an individual setting depending on the availability and bandwidth of the network. Group activities may provide for better streaming within a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), as the number of streams moving through would be fewer in number. |
||
|
STANDARDS To identify the curriculum standards for your state that correlate to this student project, select the state in the popup menu below and then click the Go button. View Detailed Standards in |
||
|
SITUATIONS Students will meet as a group with the teacher to discuss video streaming and review examples of QuickTime streams that currently exist on the Internet. Following an understanding of how streaming works and after viewing examples, students will work individually to create their own interactive presentations involving QuickTime streaming. |
||
|
ASSESSMENT A checklist can be used to assess the extent to which students demonstrate the understanding of QuickTime streaming and its integration into class presentations. A rubric can be developed to assess student presentations. The rubric can focus on the apparent accuracy of the information, the clarity of the organization, and what the presentation stresses about student research, development, integration of media, and the use of QuickTime streaming. |
||
 |
||
|
Advancements in video technology and Apple's QuickTime technology have given students opportunities that never existed before. Students are now able to "tune in" to video and audio across network protocols that allow for real-time exchange of video and audio files. With this technology, students will create a group presentation that focuses on current events and incorporates QuickTime streaming. The streaming will be incorporated into the presentation either from the local network, allowing students to create their own video and audio streams, or from QuickTime streaming sites such as ABC News or CNN. More information about Apple's QuickTime streaming can be found at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/tutorials/streaming.html. |
||
|
Phase 1: Streaming or downloading Students may have experienced working with the Internet and may have downloaded files or viewed a QuickTime file within a Web browser, but does this constitute a QuickTime stream? You will need to explain to students the difference between QuickTime streaming video and a QuickTime movie that is simply viewed in a browser or downloaded to the local computer. Explain and show examples that show the difference between downloaded files and streaming files. During this discussion, prepare students for an understanding of data transfer and how bandwidth works in regard to working with text files, graphic files, audio files, and video files. A discussion or demonstration of how these files are affected by processor speed and, more importantly, network connection speed, should be emphasized. This will help keep students focused on adequate file sizes and streams that occur either during the stream from another server or setting up a stream from the school or district's local servers. |
|
|
|
Phase 2: To stream or not to stream Students working on presentations and are not limited to access behind a firewall are able to create presentations that involve QuickTime streaming. This can be done in many of the applications included in this kit; the two primary choices are Director Academic and AppleWorks. Discuss with students the importance and validity a streaming video would have as compared to a downloaded and inserted video clip. Schools that are running their own Mac OS X servers and are utilizing RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) will be able to stream their own video/audio clips. This function would be very helpful if real-time information is accessible to students during any time of the day. |
|
|
|
Phase 3: Create current event groups Students divide into groups based on topic areas concerning current events. These group categories can be decided through class discussion and might include domestic politics, foreign politics, domestic finances, foreign trade, the war on drugs, homelessness, foreign political disputes, and others. |
|
|
|
Phase 4: Lend me your ears Groups begin discussing possible topics for their class presentation. Students use Inspiration or AppleWorks to organize their thoughts and create a working outline. Each student should be responsible for an equal amount of research and development. Discuss with students different approaches to group research and development: Do the students research as a group? Do students assign subtopic areas and research on their own? Is there a shared folder on a network server for group members to drop off information to share with others? Is it beneficial for students to work in pairs within the group and research together based on similar subtopic areas? Do students take the research and develop the project as one entire group or is it more productive to have students be responsible for the development of their assigned subtopic area individually? Discuss with students which approach would be most beneficial for the entire group. |
|
|
|
Phase 5: Developing the project Students bring all research together and begin discussing how to assimilate information into a similar presentation. The presentation application should be decided on before the research begins. Is it a full presentation involving text, graphics, animation, sound, and video? Is AppleWorks or Director Academic going to be the development engine? Do students need to create non-streamed videos of their own in Final Cut Pro or QuickTime Pro? Once the development engine is decided, students need to plan the logical order of the presentation. If students are going to be responsible for creating a portion of the presentation, the group should work on the presentation interface together. When the presentation is actually shown, it is important that continuity occur during the sharing of information. A simple question to ask during evaluation is "Does this presentation look as if it were created by one student?" If the answer is "yes," students have done a good job in working together to create a consistent presentation. |
|
|
|
Phase 6: What is balance? Discuss with students the importance of multimedia balance. Can a presentation be balanced if a large portion of the media is graphics only? What about sound? Where is the content? What about streaming video? When students are creating portions of the presentation, their research should also include a checklist, created by the class ahead of time, that allows students to see a visual representation of what data and material they have gathered. |
|
|
|
Phase 7: Putting it all together Following research, group discussion concerning presentation format, organization, and assignment of tasks, students begin to assimilate all research into the final presentation. Much of this phase also involves researching streaming video and audio sites. You and the students will need to decide if students will be using video streams already created from the Internet or will create their own video streams and upload them to the school or district servers. Video streams such as CNN and ABC World News are important sites to visit but remember that information in many cases is real-time and therefore the information will change on a moment's notice. If the presentation is set up to allow for this quick change, these sites are invaluable. Students may want to create their own QuickTime clips of specific information, using QuickTime Pro, and upload it to a server and do their own streaming. In order to do this, the school would require a Mac OS X server, which supports HTTP streaming and RTSP streaming. |
||
|
PREPARATION
Students should be familiar with applications such as QuickTime Pro, AppleWorks, Director Academic, and Final Cut Pro. Work with network specialists to ensure there is adequate bandwidth and that streaming is possible. Collect examples of presentations that incorporate QuickTime streaming. Show students how QuickTime streaming is different from downloaded QuickTime movies. Discuss data transfer QuickTime streams and the relation to bandwidth. Check to see if your network is behind a firewall. |
|
|
|
OPTIONS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Consider utilizing QuickTime streaming for video conferencing and have students work on a similar project with other students from across town, city, state, or country. Host a Current Events Night at your school and invite local community members to view student projects. Submit your projects to local, state, and national multimedia contests. Challenge your students to become the expert in a specific area and have the students "teach the class." For example, assign the topic "How video data is sent through a network" and allow students to present this topic to the class. Utilize video conferencing and streaming to create video penpals with another school and culture. |
|
|
 |
||
|
INTERNET RESOURCES
Apple Learning Interchange--QuickTime TV for Learning
QuickTime
QuickTime Streaming Server
QuickTime Streaming Channels
About QuickTime Streaming
QuickTime Authoring
|
||