Day 10: Digital Images

Over the past few days you have utilized a number of technologies on the computer, Inspiration, Kidspiration, PowerPoint, and Word. In each of those programs you probably worked with images and animations (clip art). You either inserted clip art from the library within the application or navigated to the Internet to gather clip art. Fortunately with the advent of digital cameras (and scanners) we are able to insert any number of various images into computer applications. Today we are going to spend some time working with digital images.

Why use a digital camera in the first place? This page lists some advantages and disadvantages. Once you make the decision to use digital cameras in your classroom, what is the best way to proceed? There are a number of resources you can take a look at to see how others have used them.
Students with special needs
ESOL students
Science
Math
Writing
This page offers a compilation of various lessons across grade levels and subject areas.
The Apple Learning Interchange offers an abundance of lessons and ideas on using digital images. From the home page use the key word iPhoto in the search box. From there you should have several pages of lessons and ideas to look through. Here are 3 different ones for you to take a look at:
Past and Present Social Studies, grade 9-12
Fabulous Fairy Tales Language Arts, grade 4-6
Mystery Numbers in Everyday Life Math, grade K-3

Once you have a digital image there are a number of ways you can manipulate them. We are going to use Fireworks in order to work with the images you will capture. However, there are several other programs out there: Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Digital Image Suite 10, and iPhoto are just a few.

Today you will explore Google Images. The images you are looking for should relate to the content area you have chosen for the educational software you are creating. Find a few tips for taking better pictures at the Kodak website. Download the digital images template. Use the template to create a lesson idea using digital images. For example, you may find an image of a house being built. That image may serve as a story starter for your students. A math teacher may insert several pictures of buildings with odd shapes. The purpose of that lesson could be for the students to identify whether the angles and the buildings are acute, obtuse, or right angles. Use the images you found today to complete your assignment. The Digital Images assignment is due Friday, June 24 at the beginning of class -- you should bring a printed copy of the completed template.

For the remainder of class we will work on manipulating images in Fireworks. You will begin building your Autobiography page and your Menu page for your web-based portfolio. You will need 4 or 5 personal pictures to include on your Autobiography page. Both of your Fireworks elements are due Wednesday, June 29 at the beginning of class.

Thursday's class will focus on creating a layout for your website and adding content to web pages.

Before Thursday's class, download the 30-day trial for Fireworks and Dreamweaver.