Student Created Technology Projects

Just as we use technology to enhance our lessons, there are many ways that students can use technology to demonstrate or further their understanding. Like the digital storytelling we've talked about before, students can create other projects from in-class lessons and independent research. These projects can be created using computer or web based software. There are hundreds of websites, programs, and projects out there. Here are just a few software and project ideas to get you started:

Software you may already find at your school:

Microsoft Office: Word, Power Point, Publisher, Excel

© Microsoft

Windows Movie Maker
Audacity
Photostory

Web Based Projects:

Glogster ($)
Prezi (There are ways around the "no one under 13" rule and allows you to be the sole owner of the account. Read about it here.)
Posters for Teachers
Big Huge Labs (create magazine covers, movie posters, or other fun items from photos.)
Weebly
Wikispaces

© Prezi Inc.

A student project can be as easy as a Word document or Power Point, or more involved like Glogster or Prezi. Either route you choose, students can add photos, embed videos, add animation, sound, timing, flashy colors and fonts, and whatever else their imaginations desire.

Ten Ideas for Student Created Technology Projects:

1. Poster : Such as: Biography, Safety, Animals, Characters.

2. Video: Such as: How-to, commercial, acting out a scene from a play, book, or their own writing.

3. mp3: Such as: How-to, Public Service Announcement, advertisement, writing and poetry.

4. Digital Storybook

5. Brochure: Such as: geographical destinations, biomes or landforms, biography.

6. Presentation: Such as: biography, animals, how-to

© Weebly, Inc.

7. Map: Geographical locations, places to travel, map routes different peoples have taken

8. Data Graphs

9. Webpage

10. Scrapbook Page


It might be the end of the school year, but it's not too early to think about projects that can be planned for next year!

Creating A Drop Down Box in Excel

Just in case your screen looks slightly different, I have Excel 2011 for Mac.
I used information on Excel 2003 to remember how to do this though, so hopefully between the two you can find the right way to do it.

1. Create a new worksheet page. Type your list into the cell boxes. Select all the cell boxes that you want in your list and then name the list.

2. Go back to your first worksheet page (Sheet 1). Select the cell where you want your drop down box to appear.
3. Under Data, choose Validate.
4. Select Data Validation

5. Under Settings, choose the information to appear as List.

6. In the box labeled Source, type an = sign and then the name of your list. (Example: =Title)

7. Click Ok. Your cell should now have an arrow and when you click the arrow the drop down box with your list will appear.

For the 2003 information, go here.