Macromedia Flash

I teach a high school animations class in which we utilize macromedia flash 8. I wanted to know if anyone has additional ideas for projects that I could possibly incormporate into my lessons? I like to give them animations to create that are not in the book, but go along with the material. Thanks...

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tammy Moore on April 15, 2009 at 10:06am

I have always puzzled at why shop classes don't make classroom desks, carts, and other real-need items for the school. I think this qualifies as being in the same vein. How about working with instructors in other subject areas to get design ideas of what can be used in their courses - the kids make something the teachers can use? The kids get the pride of creating something that will be used year after year and the school benefits with free, customized teaching resources. I bet your science teachers will have lots of requests. Perhaps the other teacher will even agree to offer extra credit to the students in the other class as well since the student will be going deeply into that course content to create the animation. That would be a double bonus for the kids.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Gibbs on April 15, 2009 at 11:40am

Hi Tammy, those are some very good suggestions. Why not make things that have a real-need?
I know m,y students would love to see that their work isn't going to be filed away or deleted, but actuall used. Thank you!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by C. Hutcheson on April 15, 2009 at 1:34pm

Hi Stephen,
I taught web design/Flash/Fireworks for the last four years at our high school. We have had GREAT fun! My students incorporated their Flash projects into their websites, which helped make them "real" for the students. We participated in "ThinkQuest" (http://www.thinkquest.org/en/), which is an international competition you might find applies to some aspects of your students' work. You might also consider using Flash to create "teacher tutorials". If you have a site-specific tech program that new teachers need to learn or "old" teachers need refreshing on, students can create those tutorials in Flash (or in Captivate, another Adobe product). We also had students creating teacher classroom websites for our less tech-savvy teachers. Flash was frequently used in that. How about primary Flash animations demonstrating borrowing in Math, or fractions? Then have those posted on your school website forever!
Hope that helped~ and if you have any suggestions, let us know~
Enjoy!!!
Clair

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Gibbs on April 15, 2009 at 9:13pm

Hi Clair, thank you for the wonderful ideas, and yes the students love to do create different projects. I will certainly look into ThinkQuest. I like the idea of teacher tutorials. Did your students create a teacher tutorial in Flash only? I would love to see a rubric. I plan on incorporating Dreamweaver and Fireworks in a Animations 3 class. Presently I teach a 1 and 2. The math animations are interesting as well, I am definately going to steal some of these ideas. Thanks!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Gibbs on April 16, 2009 at 1:11pm

Hi Claire,

A while ago I worked with our webmaster as to getting some flash samples onto our school website, but we were having difficulty. To put them on our site, don't we just need to embed the .swf file?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jody Watson on April 18, 2009 at 6:48am

Hey Stephen,

Jody again, I think you would just have it embedded as a swf. Let me know if you have a problem, I have some set up before but it escapes me how I did it right now.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on April 16, 2009 at 6:11am

Stephen,

Get them to create animations to illustrate various events in history, or a story/book they have read. They could create animations to illustrate how things happen in government (bill become a law). Suggestion: let the students work on different stories that they are illustrating using whatever techniques the book prescribes.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by C. Hutcheson on April 16, 2009 at 9:00am

I like this one, Anne!!! I think we'll try it for Dr. Seuss day next year (I'm excited!) and post the Flash animations to our site! My students could illustrate simple Dr. Seuss stories in Flash then read them aloud to our kinders while their Flash played on the screen~ Thanks!!!

And Stephen~ we are currently using the Adobe CS3 version but I used Macromedia for several years prior. If you get hung up on any of those little nitnoid things feel free to give me a holler~ it is sometimes easier to tap a resource than hunt for an hour for that "one little thing"!
Happy Thursday!
Clair

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Gibbs on April 16, 2009 at 9:41am

I have CS3 on my computer as well, I am going to teach an adult class using it. What are the major differences between the two? I played around with CS3 a little bit, but couldn't figure out the differences in the action script between Flash 8 and CS3. In CS3 I just changed the action script back to 2.0, so I wouldn't give myself a headache :) . I will definately keep in contact, networking is the greatest resource we as educators have. I want to do so much but don't have the time for all the trainings. Thanks!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on April 16, 2009 at 11:09am

I have used Macromedia Flash in the past, and have some stuff I'd like to use as a template and make more. Unfortunately, I don't remember how I originally did them, and trying this and that didn't help.
What I have are the first five letter of the alphabet with the words from a story that the kids have to recognize the picture for. http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/language/Game-A.html is an example.
I'd like to make the rest of the alphabet, but can't remember how I got down the where I could change the words and pictures. The flashfile is at http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/mrsp/flashfiles/A-Game.fla

I made the games using the quiz templates, the two that allow application of pictures. I can break them apart, but can't get to the place where I can set the right answer. Also, putting the pictures puts them underneath the field that is there. Anyone who can help, using my email: apembert@erols.com may make it easier. Old age is such a problem when you forget what you were once able to do easily!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Gibbs on April 16, 2009 at 12:01pm

I will be able to take a look at it this weekend, if somone doesn't already reapond to you by then.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by C. Hutcheson on April 16, 2009 at 12:17pm

Hi Anne,
When I click on your link for the Flash file it says the file can't be found. I'd be glad to take a look at it for you (might not get anywhere but we can try!). I think the multiple choice quiz option in Flash would work...If you can fix the link, let me know and we'll take a peek!
Clair