1/31/09 Flash Session Two

Flash today went relatively good. We almost completed everything except for motion guides and filters. The morning I feel like could've been better introduced with the ball review activity. I think we should've shown the bouncing ball animation and reviewed the steps of motion tweens and then gone into the ball revolving around the pole. Also, I think on the first day we should emphasize that students should try and follow us exactly. For example, Letarra said she learned best by watching then doing, which is good that she knows this. However, she would watch for the first ten steps and then try and work and then be way behind so either Kevin or I would have to be one on one to catch her up. This "I do best watching" may have been because she was tierd this early in the morning. The converting to vector activity was nice and easy and a good break from the ball exercises that the students wanted. We let the students play around and all of them converted at least one picture.

By the time we finished converting to vector, Chou came in and did his drawing activity. I went into Lance's room and looked at how he taught the fish drawing activity. He did a sort of step by step with the students versus what I had planned with a challenge and have the students figure it out. Lance's way ended up being a lot better. The students really made some creative fish. The following picture is Williams. The only problem that occured in Lance's room was how we drew the fish and converted to symbol. We should have the students first make a new symbol called fish. As we draw the body and other parts, we should convert those to symbols immediately. Then, we should distribute to layers. Students still don't understand the concept of nesting however. Next session, we are going to continue with the fish animation and add bubbles which will require nesting.

Going back into the room, I gave the students the quick lecutre on the dawing quirks. Some of the students followed along with the worksheets. The American Flag activity allowed students to make the holes option in Flash. It was not as effective as drawing the fish. The only major problem I had that day was with Corrin. While Kevin was teaching she had her headphones on. I told her to put them away and she immediately replied that AJ lets them listen whenever. I feel like AJ must have meant that they could use them when they were working but not during instruction. Since that, she was very short and uncooperative. She even told Kevin "I f-ing hate Flash; I don't want to be here; I should just quit this stupid program" all because before the students were allowed to leave I wanted them to give me one idea for their showcase project.

as quick and easy but I don't know if it really taught the students as much as drawing the fish.