This assignment was not one of my most favorite. The instructions called for saving the Excel crossword in .jpeg format which isn't even one of the options in the save drop down list. I tried cute pdf save, html save, everything I could think of, but couldn't import it here in the blog seamlessly (after many hours of attempts). I could not follow Dr. S.'s recommendations to Eric of my group in an e-mail, namely, CTRL + Print Screen and paste, don't have photoshop, etc. So, while the task was extremely time-consuming, it was also frustrating at the end not to be able to transport it to where I wanted it to truly go. The best way to access it is on my assignments/artifacts subpage of my personal web page, http://www.freewebs.com/wmcgillicuddy/.
I think the concept of integrating learning about software with learning content is a good one, as it "kills two birds with one stone." Our students are learning the "what" and "how" at the same time. The flip side to that, though, is that if the students are stressing over creation of the software product, will they really absorb the subject content beneath the software? In this case, given the laborious nature of this assignment, I tend to doubt it. Better to give them the crossword already prepared and let them play with it and collaborate to answer it, if you want to avoid boredom and resignation.
If you do desire integration, I think you have to use a much easier software task than something so intricate as designing a crossword puzzle in Excel. It is not that the concept is inherently flawed, but I simply don't think Excel is the right platform for this dual type of learning envisioned, software and content simultaneously. It might be better to give them lists of terms, have them define the words collaboratively, and then hunt down images on the web which they could assemble on a flickr page of their own or even a newsletter format such as LetterPop. Or mind-map the vocabulary words, breaking them down into consitutent elements as branches, or forming associations with the particular words as branches. Or they could research the vocabulary terms in books and online resources and use a wiki for group expressions of definitions and specific examples.
1 comment:
William,
At first, I did not know how to save the crossword as a .jpeg file. I finally figured out that you can save it as a .pdf file, and then open it and save it as a .jpeg file. Hope this helps.
Liz
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