John Davitt

Many of you will know John as a keynote speaker on Creativity, Regular Journalist for The Guardian, Author of New Tools for Learning . . .

He was one of the first people I taught Flash 4 to, over the phone!

He said recently

"I applaud the use of Flash 4 because of the challenge it offers and the creative problem solving that it provides - something that has been sadly missing in many curriculum uses of ICT.

In Geoff Dellow's class one day an eight year old turned to me and said "This is a struggle - but it's worth it" and I thought
Hallelujah - low threat and high challenge in action!

The structured use of templates also helps to free up the teacher from having to start from scratch and allows children of all abilities to achieve.

I am Emma!

As I have disgraced myself by forgetting my Flash lesson this afternoon, I thought I'd better post on here to make up for it! I am completely new to blogs so you will have to forgive me for not knowing anything at all about blog etiquette.

I am a teacher of a class of 7 children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. I love using ICT in the classroom as I believe that it enables pupils to create products that they can really be proud of, and provides a way of showing off pupil's achievements in the best possible light.

My aim is to use Flash to make single switch activated games for children to play, and to build opportunities for choice making into these. I am better at starting things than finishing them though - but am determined to finish off a weather activity for my morning circle very soon!

Needed - Creative solutions - exercise and ICT

How can we promote exercise while doing ICT?

Kine - ICT - a difficulat nut to crack

Come on you guys - Don't we have the cream of the problem solving ICT world visiting this site?

Here I approach a problem like this using the 'brainstorming' approach:

You list as many crazy ideas as you can - one of which will lead to a possible globe shattering concept!

Idea 1 - Click title - needed Flash4 in pencil mode , Ghetto blaster, interactive white board finger on F6 or better? F7 result a time line that looks like this.

Idea 2 Cameras given out to orienteering runners to take photos of themselves (in date/time recording mode) at the check points. They then write a report - in Flash of course, about their fun run - This should appeal to Doug Dickinson Who's he and why? - Kate knows the answer!

Who's Kate? - She will come out of the shadows shortly I'm sure!

Fiona's performing dog problem

No it's not weeing on the carpet! To view this click on the title.

TYPE IN a command and see what Happens... Sit, roll over, down, stand,

Sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead etc.

And...it's also very cute if you type in a

Command that's not recognized...!!

Make sure you type in "Kiss" too, but do it last.

* * * * * *

Fiona writes:

How about this one? Please please teach us how to do this if you know

Geoff!

best Wishes
Fiona



Geoff says that he knows how to do it!

If anything it's easier to do than the egg puzzle though requiring the use of programming ie if what is typed in the box = SIT go to sit scene! similar stuff on my site with the adding file

Flash Challenge

Emma gave me an idea (without perhaps realizing it) see challenge by clicking the title of this post.

Why not have a monthly challenge to stimulate problem solving with students (age 5 to 16)?

It would need care to handle it in such a way that youngsters where not put off.

Premise - I set (and then you set) a challenge that can be solved with the free download of Flash 4 that can be obtained here.

Tutorials would be available on line with enough information to solve the challenge.

It is open to all students worldwide. A worthwhile prize is given or possibly several prizes are given for solutions (for worthwhile read £50 financed my whoever wants to gt involved ! me to start with).

Each challenge would have room for improvement - which in the case of the egg is my view - there are some 'deliberate mistakes' (- well I spotted them afterwards!) giving rise to a really high value prize £100 awarded occasionally.


The prizes would be judged by me though if the challenge becomes popular a panel of other 'experts' would do this.

Aim - to promote :-

The use of Flash 4

Problem solving in computer clubs and individuals at home whether in or out of the school system and in any country world wide resulting in a lift gained by solving a moderately difficult problem - even if this did not result in winning 'the prize'.

Requirements: All software and tutorials available on-line.

Your comments appreciated - some version of the above will be activated by October 26th with modifications suggested by you taken into account!

Known problems:

The downloadable Flash trial lasts three months only.

PC users must ue Windows XP or earlier - Vista users use in XP mode.

Mac users - Flash 4 cannot be used with 'modern' iMacs with the intel processor which came in about two years ago. They have to use the 'inferior' Flash MX which they would have to get for themselves though deals should be available through there schools - purchasable on ebay.

Some learning platforms/ Local Edication Authorities may prevent/inhibit access to sites like this and the use of attachments especially flash fles that are seen as potential viruses.(true of Kent LEA at the moment I understand)

Geoff may cease to function adequately.

Flash 4 on line Video lessons

First in the series now available at above link- Takes a while to get started!

Introduction to Flash 4 on a PC (Mac Flash 4 is very slightly different)
The layout of the software with Motion and Shape tweening
Pause button to be added!

Comments please!

Does it work/ flow smoothly /easy to understand/logical /detailed/concise enough/voice/someone else please/possible improvements/ marks out of ten/ eleven not allowed!

Book for Flash 4

I recommend "Flash 4! Creative web animation" by Franklin and Patton ISBN 0-201-35470-5
You can pick up copies through Abebooks for $1 - 50p but then there's postage . . the supply seems steady!

I've been buying them up in batches and have about ten which I will sell on at £7 inc. postage - to save money buy through abebooks and wait about four weeks!

Introduction - John

Thanks to Geoff for the invite to post here. I am John Johnston a class teacher at Sandaig Primary in Glasgow, I usually blog at John @ Sandaig Primary, sometimes about flash.
I've used flash with children to create animations some using Geoff's templates (I've made some worksheets on flash for children ).

I've used flash to make wee games for children and to display work and children's video on our website. I occasionally try things that are too ambitious.

I've mostly used flash 5 and MX with children, I've upgraded to flash 8 at home but haven't really figured out the difference between Actionscript 1 & 2 never mind Actionscript 3. As I don't use flash every week (or even month) I often feel I am going back to the beginning when I open it up.

I am interested in children using flash for fun, and teachers using it to create resources for children (and having fun). I look forward to joining in the conversation here.

What Geoff is doing at present

The Tudors

My present priorities are :-

Teaching three teachers with about six ready to start in the near future

Supporting those that have already started Flash 4 with me.

Preparing more on-line tutorials - At present :editing "Introduction to Flash 4 - motion tweening and shape tweening" done with Camtasia Screen Capture.


Being ready to take on a new group of 'students' that may wish to learn Flash 4 as a result of an article in ICTOPUS "Sharing Good Practice in Early November.

Writng a short follow up article for the following week on a Year 2/3 Christmas project

Preparing a template and the use of Flash 4 with text and pictures as an alternative to Microsoft's Word

Clarifying the licencing of Flash 4 through the legal services of my union ( we need others to use their LEA legal team to do the same) Contact Geoff to clarify the issues.

Promoting the use of Flash 4 wherever possible

Working with organisations that wish to promote new Creative uses of ICT.

Getting some sleep and staying sane whilst enjoying walking other peoples dogs, gardening, making pottery, studying present day Philosophy in the midst of steady relationships !

Planet Talking heads

First Contribution

Hello everyone, just thought I would introduce myself and show you some of my little projects. Don't worry, I won't give you my life history, I will keep it brief.
I am Chris Beedham, Primary ICT Consultant for Warrington. As I visit my schools they are constantly asking me for new challenges as the children's use of ICT is outstripping the QCA by a mile. When I contacted Geoff for my 'telephone lessons', it was the answer to all my prayers! Having spent many hours dabbling, I have now plucked up the courage to set up some training sessions for teachers. I will let you know how I get on. For now, I can point you in the direction of my personal efforts so far. Please feel free to use them and let me know what you think.

On this page you will find 'Why can't a cat go to school' - a predictive text story for KS1, Warrington at War - based on WW2 landmarks in the town.
'Have you seen Sidney' is less straight forward. It is a video story based on the animals in the Children's Zoo in Walton Gardens. Unfortunately, the VLE won't cope with the video files so it is a matter of downloading all the files into the same folder, then it should work.
Oh, one other thing, these have been made in Flash CS3 but if you want the original files, just let me know.

http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupRenderCustomPage.asp?GroupID=157367&ResourceID=601658

The following link is related to supporting the Self Review Framework.

http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupRenderCustomPage.asp?GroupId=155492&ResourceId=572209

I look forward to sharing/collaborating with you in the future. Happy Flashing!

Welcome

A snap from an Emma song!

I see that Emma has accepted the invitation to be one of the authors.

Wonderful!

I'll leave her to introduce herself when she is ready!

Should any of you want to describe your interest in Flash and the kind of work you hope to do in the future feel free to to do so.

It would be good to hear from you all of you, no matter how little Flash you have done!

Participants

In order that people using Flash in education can post their own work, I have invited some of those using this software to become 'authors' which means they can post information with images and links or start a discussion themselves.

I think the procedure for doing this is fairly straightforward and I've had no unrequested contact from those (Google) who provide this service.

Feel free to contact me if you have queries!

What next?

May I suggest that some of you volunteer to be 'authors' and then you could post your URLs to your work.

Those of you that know how to use blog sites like this could give us ideas of what could be done here - I'm very new to this - started a week ago!

Could this blog be useful?

Kirti's skater

How would we try to use it?

Would a simple email circular be better?

Could both have their uses?

What if any are the advantages of having a site like this?

Would it help to take the focus away from me if we had several authors making posts and sharing their ideas and examples/work?

Would the archiving facility help teachers who come here in the future?