Virtual Learning in the 19th Century – The Stereograph
Welcome to my video documentary on THE STEREOGRAPH which was a popular technology in the early 1900’s. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.
While completing my research I was enlightened by the fact that the challenges to create virtual learning experiences of the past are the same challenges we have in the 21st century. One of the biggest challenges being, “how do we train teachers to use technology effectively when integrating it with current curriculum?” More on this in my documentary…
One of my greatest challenges when completing this assignment was choosing the tool to create my video documentary. I really wanted to try something new so I could add the experience of another tool to my toolbox. I played with a few web-based applications like Animoto and UtellStory. Animoto’s features were great, but it isn’t designed for voice-over. You can add a voice file, but this leads to challenges with timing the media with the voice. UtellStory had all the features that I was looking for, but the application does not allow for sharing to Youtube. I will be trying UtellStory out with classes this fall though as a digital story creator, it definitely has potential. In the end I decided to stray from web-based apps and use iMovie, which I have used before. I did not want to sacrifice my goal of trying something new, so I tried the iPad version. It is likely that I will have an iPad for use in the classroom in the fall, so this gave me the opportunity to try it out for myself. It does not have all of the features of the desktop version, but it was pretty slick and relatively easy to learn and use. The iPad microphone quality is excellent and importing, exporting and sharing is easy. I ran into trouble when wanting to create blank slides with text, but worked around this by taking screen shots in other apps and importing those clips. I wanted to create the look and feel of a modern media production while honoring the technology of the past. I feel the theme choices of the iMovie app let me do that. I can see the potential for using this app in the classroom.
Overall I enjoyed completing this assignment. I am hoping you will take the time to watch it and provide some feedback. Peer review is always valued.
Here is a link to my script: Stereoscope Paper
Image Source
Franske, B. (photographer). (2009, July 11). Hand held stereoscope with stereo card inserted [digital photo]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hand_held_stereoscope.jpg
Extremely well done, Corinne!!
Your overview and documentation of the Stereograph is very thorough and well cited. It is obvious that you put a tremendous amount of work into this project and the end result is very eduational and enjoyable to watch.
As a child I remember being jealous of my cousins who had a “View Master”. When I would go to their house I loved to sit and click my way through the circular slide disks. I have not thought about that in a very long time! Good memories! I did not realize they had double images, but it now makes a lot of sense.
In particular, I like how you compared the challenge of incorporation of the “new technology” sterograph into the curriculum with the challenges of computers and other tech today. It resonates with the reality that teacher training is pivotal to the successful implementation of any technology in teaching.
In regards to your video format, iMovie proved to be an excellent choice! In particular, I like how the background music got quieter during the speaking parts and how the images “floated”. This simple movement made me focus my attention much more than stagnant images. I have iMovie on my iPad but have not yet used it. Apparently it is time!
Once again, well done!
Tina
Thank you Tina. I too loved to click through the slides on the ViewMaster as a child. I appreciate your feedback and recommend that you do try iMovie. My son uses it to edit his gopro videos and has made some pretty amazing outdoor adventure movies. We love our tech!