Integrate thematic unit about Rain forest

Assignment instructions: DO THE 5 PARTS SEPRATE
1- Spend some time exploring possible APPs, which are related in some way to Graphics. The possibilities are endless. Find one you think has value and share it here with an active link, explaining why it has value.
2- Spend some time exploring possible APPs, which are related in some way to Animation. The possibilities are endless. Find one you think has value and share it here with an active link, explaining why it has value.

3- Choose a meaningful Graphic to represent the theme of your ITU (RAINFOREST). Insert it here, indicating where you located it if necessary (plagiarism and copyright). Explain why you think this is the best representation of your ITU content and why it appeals to you.Here is mine for my Fibonacci theme:Image courtesy of http://fibonacci.ucoz.com/index/sec/0-7.
Note that I gave credit, but I did not ask permission to use the image… why?
If you said “Fair Use”, you are right… make sure you know about Copyright!

4- Go to the attached documents for the Readings. access every link; try to go to as many as possible. Use this forum to comment briefly on the content of one of them or an article/video you found on your own for value-added. Point something amazing or insightful out to us; do not summarize each one….
5- read the post of others, and comment on at least one other… this is like a class discussion, and it is so important to your participation. We learn from each other.
Classmate post so make comment : (As an Elementary teacher, I really love getting to use technology as much as possible in the classroom. With this being said, I really enjoyed this week’s articles on digital storytelling. Storytelling is a very important lesson that young students need to learn and digital storytelling is the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. Any time young kiddos get to use the computer for a project, they instantly get excited!! I love digital storytelling, because not only are they meeting many reading standards, but they are also getting to incorporate technology and practice their skills on the computer. One of the websites lists the top 20 tools for digital storytelling. I have used some of these in the classroom before, such as bitstrips, ToonDoo, and Strip Creator. I will definitely be bookmarking this link and trying these other websites in the near future!!!
Graphic Technologies Lab
Consider these applications with your Integrated Thematic Unit. Graphics are a requirement in three ways for your ITU.
1. At least one well-chosen graphic should have a strategic place on the homepage of the ITU.
2. Consider how you will use one or more of these applications below or any other of your choosing as you prepare/ present/ assess the learning as instructor/trainer.
3. Include a Graphics component where you challenge your students to work in some way with images.

You do not need to work with every idea/ application below; these are here to inspire you; this is not a complete list; perhaps you can add value to the content of this course by introducing another?!
You should have a basic understanding of the following concepts as you work with image on the Internet, etc.
Rasterized Vector
Digital images shown as a rectangular grid of pixels or points of color, viewable via a computer monitor and characterized by continuous tones and graduated shades, no text, few lines and edges.
Image quality is less than ideal. Scaling results in loss of clarity. Geometric images or object-oriented images use points, lines, curves, and polygons, which are all based upon mathematical equations to represent images in computer graphics.
Solid colors, text, lines, and sharp edges.
Scaled with NO loss of clarity.

Graphic File Formats

File Format Value
JPG
(JOINT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERTS GROUP) best on WWW due to smaller file and ability to compress. Lossy means some image quality is lost, as in JPG, and never recovered. Therefore JPG loads faster. Lossless means fully recoverable when decompressed.
best for emailing photographs
TIF
(TAG IMAGE FILE)

PNG
(PORTABLE NETWORK GRAPHIC)
best for quality with TIF as the leader for commercial printing or professional work, however results in large files.
BMP
(WINDOWS BITMAP) usedintheMicrosoftWindowsoperatingsystemforgraphicsimages.These filesaretypicallynotcompressed, resultinginlargefiles.
The mainadvantageofBMPfilesistheirwideacceptance and simplicity.
GIFs
(GRAPHIC INTERCHANGE FORMAT) Most widely supported on the WWW / format for vector images.
Stock photography/ Images
Stock Images are usually licensed for public use. They solve a problem for the user because you do not need to photograph what you want yourself or to hire a photographer, but they are not always free!
Search for them online; they can be bought online and made immediately available. Getty Images and Corbis are very popular and long-standing, but they are not your only choices.
Royalty-free means you pay one time a single license fee and can use in unlimited ways.
Rights-managed charges on how and how often you use. Most are water-marked… go to Corbis to see.
Public domain is free to use completely, but give credit to where you found it just to be sure.
ClipArt does not need to be cited in any way.
GRAPHIC Applications
Stock photography

Corbis
Fee- related, but look at the quality and scope.
http://www.corbis.com

Stock Expert
http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php.
Inexpensive, stock photos for use on the web. What does it mean to use Stock images? What does royalty-free mean?

Smart Phones
Time lapse/ Slo-Mo/ Panoramic

APPs
The Apps available to capture/ edit/ enhance/ share images is somewhat endless.

Photo.Net
A community of Photographers
http://www.photo.net

PhotoBucket
http://www.photobucket.com
Upload, manage, and share your photos.

Bing Images
http://www.bing.com/images
best of search engine images

ClipArt
No need to cite.

Screen Capture
1. PC Users
Print Screen key
Use the PrtScn key to capture the image to the computer’s ClipBoard. Use Ctrl + V to paste the image in a Word document, etc.
2. MAC users
Command Shift 4 to capture region
Quicktime x to make screen recordings

SnagIt
http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.asp
A favorite of many for its low price and extensive tools, it has proven invaluable as a creative application and time-saver.

PC users

Microsoft Paint

ArtPad
http://www.art.com/asp/artpad/default.asp

PhotoShop
http://www.photoshop.com/products
Downloada trialversionofPhotoShop;thisapplicationisthe ultimateforphotoediting. Notrequired.

TuxPaint
Free, award-winning drawing program for children. Combines an easy to use interface, fun sound effects, and a cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program.
http://www.tuxpaint.org/download/

PhotoShow
http://www.photoshow.com/home/start

SmartDraw
http://www.smartdraw.com
World’s most popular business graphics software package with free download.

Gimp
http://www.gimp.com

PicMonkey
http://www.picmonkey.com/

Adobe LightRoom

Pixelmator
http://www.pixelmator.com/

Pixlr
http://pixlr.com/

MAC APPS for graphic design
15 FREE
http://www.marcofolio.net/features/top_15_free_mac_apps_for_graphic_designers.html

Panoramic or Virtual Tour

1. Panorama Factory
http://www.panoramafactory.com/
Provide a series of still pictures, and create a panoramic view or virtual tour. Would this work in your Unit?
http://www.utah3d.net/panoramas_3/GrandView.html
http://www.utah3d.net/panoramas/SulpherCreek_swf.html
http://www.utah3d.net/panoramas/DoubleArch1_swf.html
http://www.utah3d.net/panoramas/DoubleArch1_swf.html
http://www.utah3d.net/panoramas_3/GrandView.html

2. Panorama App

3. iPhone Panorama App
http://www.serif.com/free-panoramic-photo-stitching-software/?mc=SERPPCPanS&gclid=CKzP9Y6YibUCFQWe4AodTHsAgQ

Virtual Tour Louvre Museum, Paris
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/musee/visite_virtuelle.jsp?bmLocale=en

Animation Resources
Animation is one of the key elements of multimedia. One animation is required in the Unit you are completing for this course.
Animation, though a powerful element of multimedia, should be used sparingly to prevent overstimulation when including in an Integrated Thematic Unit.
Examine as many of the applications for which you have time.

Wikipediadefinitions
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2D or 3D artwork or models to create the illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways.
The most common method of presenting animation is as a motion picture or video program, although several other form exist.

The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames, and moves at 10 frames per second.
Go now to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation to see this incredible little example.

Video, on the other hand, is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstruction a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.
File extension Value
FLIC (.fli and .flc) used to store animation files. It is similar to animated GIF.
ANI Microsoft RIFF file format, which is used as a container for storing the individual frames (which are standard Windows icons) of the animation.
GIF Basic animation
PNG (.png) Portable Network Graphics does not support non-RGB color spaces such as CMYK.

AnimationVideo
http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vsAnimation_by_alanbecker.swf
Animated GIFs
Clip Art
Animation Station.com
Math/Science animations for content
Search for these; they make complicated concepts easy to understand.
Creating Animation
jhepple
http://www.jhepple.com/gif_animator.htm
Very cool and FREE

Alchemy
http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/alchemy.html ULEADGifAnimator5
http://www.ulead.com/ga/

MSNucleus
http://msnucleus.org/membership/guide/storybooks.html
PhET
http://phet.colorado.edu/index.php
Gif_animator.html
Anime Studio Debut
http://anime.smithmicro.com/animestudio8/index.html
Similar to Flash

MacromediaFlash
Thisdocumentservesto explainsimplythecreationofaFlash file.Notethatbythe timeGILT520istaken,moststudentshavetakena DigitalMediaclass,whichexplainsFlashin greaterdetail;thisis simplyan exerciseto showyoutheeaseofanimating. You must show that you can create a Flash file for this Lab.

*Flashistheindustrystandardforinteractivevector-basedgraphicsandanimationfortheWWW.
Createa folderto houseyour website.Thisfoldermustcontainthe.swffileinorderforthefiletobevisiblewhenviewedona browserandwhenpublishedto theInternet.

Therearetwofileextensionswhichwillcomeinto playwhenyouworkwithFlash;.flaisthefileextensionfor theraw
Flashfile,and.swfisthefileextensionforthefilepreparedfortheInternet.

OpenMacromediaFlash;ifyou donothavethe application,youcouldcompletethisin theMultimediaLabinFisher
(youCANhaveanextensionon theduedate),oryoucandownloadthe30daytrial.

Noticethat youareopeninganewMovieintheTitleBar.
ClicktheWindowtab;clickToolbars,andbesuretheMain,Status,andControllerToolbarsarechecked.

Remember thatthis isjust anexercise;useyourtoolsto becreativeincreationofananimation foryourITU, orifyouare outofyourcomfortzoneandtime,just followthesestepstocreateone.

We willcreatejusttwoKeyframes,wherethescreenchanges.We willalsocreatea simpleMotionTween,so thatthescreen GRADUALLYchanges.
OntheTimelinewithFrame1selected,

go to File-Import-andBrowsetofindanimageor logorelatedtoyourUnit.

Clickonasubsequentframe(Noticebelowthat forthisexampleFrame20wasselected.).Click
Insert-Keyframeto makeitaframe wherea changewilloccur.

ClickModify,Transform,andnoticeallofthewaysyoucanmodifytheimage. Becreativewith yourownideas.
After modifying your image, select a frame halfway between the initial frame and the second Keyframe. (For this example, notice that Frame 10 was selected.)
Choose Insert- Create Motion Tween to make the changes you made gradual.

Click Modify- Movie Properties. (Note that the default is Frame Rate 12. This is an ideal rate.) Select your graph on the Stage; it will be outlined in blue (default).

SelectModify-Instance,anddecideifyouwantitto LooporPlayOnce. Notethatyoumayneedto qualifythiswithyour web editor,aswell.
ClickEnterto viewyourmovie;if youare pleased,clickControl-TestMovietocreatea.swffile.

Go to your webeditor,andinserttheFlashfile.(NotethatitwillnotshowuntilyouPreviewinBrowser.)Be sure yousavethe.swffilein your editorfolder!

Again,thiswasonlyasampleexercise;consideranimatingtextorshapes(drawings)youcreate withtheFlashtools.

Pivot Animator
free
http://pivotanimator.net/
Flash
Free
http://www.adobe.com/products/flash.html
How to Create a Flash Animation Wiki
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Flash-Animation
Pencil Animator
free
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pencil-planner/files/latest/download?source=files