Selecting the tool.

Since I had no previous experience with any of the social media tools the first step was to watch a number of the Domino stories to see what the tools could do and how they differed. Knowing what they could do made it possible for me to choose the features I was looking for. From these viewings I decided that in some cases the ‘tricks’, for example the cube or the collage, actually distracted from the images and I didn’t feel they would work in an educational setting. I decided I wanted a fairly straight presentation without the special effects. After narrowing the choices down this way I tried a few of the sites, putting together simple presentation. From this trial I made the final choice of PhotoPeach.

Reasons for the choice.

Like most of the tools featured in the 50 ways, PhotoPeach is free. This is a big consideration in an educational setting.

PhotoPeach is one of the few tools featured in the 50 ways that has a help file. Even though the help file is limited I was impressed that the creators of the tool added this.

It was very easy to edit a presentation. Pictures can be viewed as a timeline and can be dragged to different spots on the line. You can easily go back and forth to view the timeline or watch the presentation to see if that was what was wanted.

It was easy to add photos at a later date. Some of the other tools I looked at wouldn’t allow adding photos after the file had been saved.

PhotoPeach resizes pictures automatically for best fit. This saves a lot of time manually resizing images.

The captions are large and easy to read. The captions also scroll so there is no restriction on the number of words that can be used. With some of the other tools the font is either too small or the word count too limited to be very descriptive.

I was allowed to choose my own music. PhotoPeach allows you to embed a link to YouTube so there are thousands of possible choices. This made it possible for me to choose the only piece of music I know with the words ‘egg man’ in it.

At first I was hesitant about the Ken Burns effect. I soon realized though that this really enhanced the presentation. The movement is not overbearing but it helps keep the eyes focused on the images. This is very useful where students are concerned

The tool allows the viewer to back up and re-watch a section. This is particularly useful for larger productions and for use in an educational setting.

Finally, it’s easy for the viewer to add comments, and the comments stay visible so that it is possible to comment on a comment. While this is a limited way to conduct a discussion it is useful for short observational comments.

Using the Tool in a Class

In Technology Education one of the processes we try and have students do before they begin work on a project is to complete a construction path. A construction path consists of a series of drawings and instructions that show the steps that will be used to complete the project. The construction path is particularly important, first of all, because it forces students to think about the process and be aware of important steps that need to be performed before parts are glued together, and secondly, when completed it acts as a guide in the construction of the project. Generally students begin by creating construction paths for course required projects that have been built many times and are available to look at. This is the practice they need before they begin to design their own project and create the necessary construction path.

My plan is to use PhotoPeach as a way of giving students more practice in thinking about the processes and steps involved in building a project by having them work in groups to create a visual construction path. I will start with at least 20+ photos, each showing an important step in building a project. I will then sign up for a number of different PhotoPeach sites, each with it’s own log in name and password. I will post the same pictures to each site but in a random, non sequential order. Theses previous steps will involve a bit of work but when complete I will be able to use these sites for the same project every semester. The class will be divided into groups of 4 and each group will be given the login name and password for one site. The students will go to their site and looking at the photos decide as a group the correct order the photos should be in to build the construction path. They will also be expected to write a caption for each photo describing the process involved in the picture.

I will use the guidelines set out in ‘Seven Principals for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education’ to examine the educational benefits of this project.

· Encourages Contact between Students and Faculty.

Much of the communication with students during class time is centered around me advising what to do next or how to use a particular tool. I give a great deal of information but very little time is spent in discussion about the process. In this project I will be a participant in each group and I will be able to communicate, question and advise the students about how they have developed their construction path. This will allow me to develop a different type of communication with the students, one based on conversation more the information.

· Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation among Students.

Students will be working in groups for this project and will collaborate on designing the construction path. The collaboration can occur while the students work in the same physical space or when the use the PhotoPeach site as their meeting place.

· Encourages Active Learning

In this project students will not just be memorizing a list of steps but will be forming the list themselves, talking to each other about it and deciding on the best way to put the construction path together. Students will constantly be asking themselves, ‘what should I do next?’

· Gives Prompt Feedback.

As mentioned I will be part of each group and will be able to comment directly with the students in the group via the built in comments option. If I think students are heading in the wrong direction I should be able to advise them right away to re-think part of the process.

· Emphasizes Time on Task

This project is designed in such a way that students will have to put time into it. The number of photos will make it very difficult for students to create the construction path quickly. They will probably find themselves arranging and rearranging the photos as they discuss the plan with their group. They will also have to take time and ensure that the captions they write for each photo make sense and accurately describe that step.

· Communicates High Expectations

Students will often complete tasks with the idea of just getting it done. This project will be marked and students will be told that construction paths that do not work, or do not explain the steps clearly enough will not be accepted.

· Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning.

I will pick the members of each group. This will be done to try and break up the groups that form naturally in a class. By doing this it’s my hope that not only will students experience different approaches, but that I will be able to learn more about my students in terms of how they think and approach a problem.

My initial reaction to using this type of tool for a shop class was skepticism. The more I think about it though, the more I think that this could actually work. It might be interesting to the students and would add an very different element to the class.