Wrapping

I wanted to package what I learned into a product that included visual information (photos) as well as text for facts. By combining words and pictures, I feel that a deeper understanding can occur. I was also concerned about showcasing all the different sources that I used for this assignment. I decided to make a PowerPoint presentation to control the elements presented and because I wanted to improve my skills related to the new PowerPoint capabilities.

In the last few days, I have learned very, very much about PowerPoint. I would feel confident helping other teachers or students with their projects now! This project, although more of a personal inquiry than an academic subject, could be used as an example of using graphics, sound, and text to communicate a message. This inquiry was important to me because of my interest in Italy. I was highly motivated to explore the subject which made learning fun. In Curriculum Connections, the authors write that "Students are expected to ask questions and seek new understanding" during the inquiry process (p. 4). Through my research, I was able to come to a new understanding of the country and surprised myself with the findings!

I have much anxiety concerning getting the large file uploaded to an appropriate location (accessible) and it "working". I have ran a few tests so far. When exported as a movie it forgets all the timing I put in. When ran in an alternate format like OpenOffice's PowerPoint equilavent, some fonts, pics, etc. are missing! I have spent many hours tweeking the presentation and I am concern it will not be presented over the long distance as I had hoped!