Web Wizards

Be a Web Wizard: Kids as Web Page Developers Annette Lamb & Larry Johnson The workshop will focus on unique web development projects that go beyond posting artwork or sharing papers. It will also provide tips for working with K-12 children as they become web wizards. The workshop will explore a spectrum of student-produced web projects, examine alternative project management options, and compare web page development tools.
Web Projects
Explore the Indiana Bat site. It was created by elementary students.
Think about the assignment:

What's the purpose?
What's the expected outcome?
Enhance what you do now
Create a new project

Consider making a small change at first. For example, change a traditional term paper to an online term paper like the Gibbon project.
Explore projects such as:

Examine their outcomes, activities, and assessments.

Explore student project starting points:

Explore sites that are by kids and for kids:

There's a spectrum of projects you might wish to explore.

Informational. Text, graphics, and other data are presented and links are provided to additional resources.

Instructional. Tutorials, practice environments, or simulations help teach, practice, or apply new concepts.

Creativity. New ideas are presented.

Informational

Identify resources
Evaluate materials
Organize information
Link to remote resources
Originate information
Keep it up to date or remove it

Be careful to keep your sites up to do. The Hurricane Project is a neat idea, but it contains link rot. The spider project is constantly evolving.

Instructional

Kids teaching kids
Study and review
Practice tests

For example, a student created a page to teach others about making web pages. Another student created a large project on using the computer.

Creativity

Investigations
Scientific Inquiry
Oral Histories
Communications
Focus on Writing, Visuals, Multimedia

Inquiry - Starter

What we already know
What we want to learn
What we learned
How we found out

Examine this simple banana project.
Inquiry - Advanced

Identify a problem
Provide background
Design a study
Study locally
Provide guidelines for others
Study globally
Provide FAQs
What we learned & how we shared

Explore this complex frog project.
Oral History Projects

Focus on a time, people, or place
Narratives: text, audio, visuals
Issues: text, audio, visuals
Resources: essays, timeline, glossary, bib
Background, Lessons, Reflections
Feedback

Oral history projects can be exciting. For example, high school students created a project on the year 1968. In another project at the same school, students explored women's experiences during WWII.

Focus on Writing

Letters
Journals
Diaries
Lab Experiments
Descriptions
Persuasive Writing
Poetry
Recipes

Explore a high school that posts students writing projects. Also examine an elementary project that involved a school poem and history project. Students read Laura Ingalls Wilder books and kept journals in one class, while another group wrote fun recipes.

Focus on Visuals: Paper or Computer Generated

Photos
Drawings
Paintings
ClipArt

Examine a wildflower page created by some students in South Africa. It includes great photos.
PhotoShop

Photos: enhance, combine
Titles: cool lettering, combine with visuals
Visuals: create

Photoshop is great for creating a unique look for your pages like the Farmington School page. Although students won't always follow strict design guidelines, it's fun to see what they can do. Check out this student project.

File Management Convert to JPEG: photos, gradients GIF: line drawings, simple colors Paste into web software
KidPix, KidWorks ...

Drawing
Painting
Pictures
Lettering
Sounds
Slide Shows

Explore student Kidpix projects.
Creativity Software

Imagination Express
Amazing Writing Machine
Claris for Kids
Children's Writing Center
Timeliner
Inspiration

Screen Capture

Full Shot
FlashIt
Snapz
Capture
Grabber

Focus on Multimedia Audio Video Animation Slide Shows PowerPoint HyperStudio KidPix
Web Multimedia
Runs in web browser web browser with plugin separate software
A high school government class created web projects as well as Powerpoint presentations to share online.

Sounds AU, AIFF, WAV, MIDI, Real Audio Sound Companion
Clip Art Print Shop Print Artist Art Explosion ClickArt Master Clips Online Sources Mining Co Animation NCRTEC Hotbot Yahooligans

Sharing & Credit

Make your own
Use public clipart
Ask for permission

Consider developing a policy regarding web development.
Wizard Kids Tips
Baby Steps

One page
Multiple pages linked to core
Multiple projects linked to core

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/elementary/life.htm
Use Thumbnails

Small: photographs, scanned drawings

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/elementary/plants.htm
Make it Interactive
Activity: matching, identification

Quiz
Call for participation
Call for feedback

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/elementary/balquiz.htm
Share An Experience

Guest Speaker
Field Trip
Practicum
Oral History
Play
Program

http://www.tesan.vuurwerk.nl/partblad4.htm
http://www.wcape.school.za/mickle/scrooge/scrooge.htm
Core Page Plus

Class overview + student projects
Map +
Timeline +

http://www.schools.ash.org.au/elanorah/oil.htm
Think Different

Pages
Screens
Posters
Maps
Arrows

http://www.dayah.com/periodic/
Create Your Own

Show a model, students create
Show an example, students make

http://www.nyu.edu/projects/julian/index.html
Start with Clip Art
Provide

a photograph
a drawing
a painting
a line drawing

Discuss, persuade, debate, identify ...
Reach Out!

Within school
Within community
Around the world

http://www.zip.com.au/~elanora/polygon.htm
Make it ongoing

By topic
By child

http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/joanne/timmy.html
Collaborate Snail Mail Email Web Projects stuffed animals lab equipment books scrapbooks writing and art projects
http://www.coweta.k12.ga.us/woes/Raschen/georgcal.htm
http://www.coweta.k12.ga.us/woes/Raschen/groff.htm
Share with Others

Kids sharing with kids
Teachers sharing with teachers

http://ftp1.vc.attjens.co.jp/vc_02/them/report/frm_repo.htm
Web Tools Web Development Tools Claris Home Page Adobe Pagemill Microsoft Front Page Browser Creators: Composer Freebies: AOL Applications: Word, Pagemaker Kid's Tools
7 Design Disasters

Distracting Backgrounds
Irritating Sounds
Wild Animations
Crazy Colors
Teenie Weenie Fonts
Annoying Alignment
Slow-loading Graphics

http://ghs.bcsd.k12.il.us/projects/students/oceanliners/
http://gjhs.bcsd.k12.il.us/spald.htm
http://members.aol.com/Ermine/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/1957/rocksandgems.html
Cool Design Ideas

Match the "design" to the theme
Provide background info
Use easy navigation
Include credits, contacts

http://trinculo.educ.sfu.ca/pgm/depress/greatdepress.html
Wizard Projects

Turn your frog into a prince
Take an existing project and make it new!

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/dms/projects/women/alphabet.htm
http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/dms/gallery/gallery.html
http://marin.marin.k12.ca.us/~whitehill/rome/index.html
Project Management

Students
Time
Technology
Coordinating your sheep

Manage Students

Individual vs Team assignments
Team vs Whole project
They need to know…
- who, is doing what, when
- what, is due, when
Project Headquarters Board

Manage Time

Project timeline
Team timeline
Group schedule
- Individual schedule
- Self-management
Team support/spirit

Manage Technology

Whole class access
Team access
Individual access
- Computer
- Special equipment
- digital camera, scanner, video
- Internet
Establish a schedule

Just Do It!

Explore some models, Find a friend

http://www.hisurf.com/~enchanted/
Be a Web Wizard: Kids as Web Page Developers
Find a wand and get started!
To learn more, check out the following books: Virtual Sandcastles: Teaching and Learning at a Distance Spinin' the Web: Designing and Developing Web Projects

Feel free to use these materials for workshops or your own professional development. However, keep in mind that these materials were created for use by participants in Annette Lamb's workshops, not as stand-alone materials. For additional information about the "live" workshops, contact Annette Lamb.

Created by Annette Lamb, 6/99.