. . Reading Assignment # 4 . .

Florida Center for Instructional Technology – Multimedia Writing Guidelines





Multimedia is the integration of text, graphics, animation, sound, and/or video in the classroom. Multimedia is everywhere and includes such activities and tasks such as PowerPoint presentations, commercial software, concept-mapping software (such as Inspiration), spreadsheets or graphing calculators to record data and produce charts, digital movies, and class websites. The possibilities are endless!
As educators, we should use multimedia resources and activities in the classroom. It is so important to do so because these activities encourage students to work in groups, express their knowledge in multiple ways, solve problems, revise their own work, and construct knowledge. Students can gain so much knowledge through multimedia activities. They acquire real life-world skills related to technology, as well as the value and importance of teamwork. Students also learn effective collaboration techniques, the impact and importance of different media, and the challenges of communicating to different audiences. The advantages of integrating multimedia in the classroom are many. A few other rewards of integrating multimedia into the classroom are: how to present information in compelling ways, techniques for synthesizing and analyzing complex content, the importance of research, planning, and organization skills, the significance of presentation and speaking skills, how to accept and provide constructive feedback, and how to express their ideas creatively.
    There are four steps involved in implementing multimedia activities in the classroom. The first step is to decide. You must decide on relevant standards and benchmarks, if the multimedia is appropriate, which learning outcomes are desired, and you must decide on appropriate assessment measures. The second step is to design. You must inventory available hardware and software, determine the grouping strategy and roles, specify length/duration of activity, and design a lesson/unit plan with a multimedia activity. The third step is to deliver. You must deliver media development skills, classroom management and configuration, and facilitate multimedia activities. The forth, and final step, is to evaluate. In this step you must complete student checklists, go over evaluation options, and reflect and revise on the activity.




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