We experienced a few technical difficulties which delayed the start to our Skype session with Cynthia and only had about 15 minutes to chat before my class had to leave for a field trip. That being said, when Cynthia came onto the screen, students leaped to the laptop and lined up to ask questions. Talk about engagement! Students were excited to find one of her books in our library and are looking forward to a second session on Monday.
Students are also eagerly awaiting a Skype session with Ian.
Most students have finished taking their pictures and this week will photoshop them to the correct size. This has been the head-achy part of the process so far. Students' skills are not as advanced as I thought. Mine are also very limited. This is the point where students experience that projects can become bogged down, that frustration and boredom are part of the process and that persistence is the key to success. It will be interesting to see which students emerge as the drivers of the project; who will keep the class on track?
Another issue that has arisen is that several students do not have access to digital cameras at home. Lending them a school camera is risky. I've lent the camera to one very reliable student so far, Hunter, and it came back the next day photos completed. I don't know what I would do, however, if the camera was lost. I'm still thinking about how to proceed for the others.
Students realize that the end of June is looming fast. Once the app is finished, it will take 3-4 weeks to get it into the app store. We had a discussion about whether to rush the project to have it launched by the end of June or to wait until the fall. The entire class agreed that rushing it would be a mistake; they would prefer to take more time and do things well. We will have a launch party in the fall!
Students are also eagerly awaiting a Skype session with Ian.
Most students have finished taking their pictures and this week will photoshop them to the correct size. This has been the head-achy part of the process so far. Students' skills are not as advanced as I thought. Mine are also very limited. This is the point where students experience that projects can become bogged down, that frustration and boredom are part of the process and that persistence is the key to success. It will be interesting to see which students emerge as the drivers of the project; who will keep the class on track?
Another issue that has arisen is that several students do not have access to digital cameras at home. Lending them a school camera is risky. I've lent the camera to one very reliable student so far, Hunter, and it came back the next day photos completed. I don't know what I would do, however, if the camera was lost. I'm still thinking about how to proceed for the others.
Students realize that the end of June is looming fast. Once the app is finished, it will take 3-4 weeks to get it into the app store. We had a discussion about whether to rush the project to have it launched by the end of June or to wait until the fall. The entire class agreed that rushing it would be a mistake; they would prefer to take more time and do things well. We will have a launch party in the fall!
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