Flyer

Creating a flyer in MS Word was simple, and saving it in various formats (particularly as a pdf) is also simple. Using a template is the most efficient way to create special documents in word, and I found one that needed only a small number of changes (color changes, adding text and information, etc.) to suit my needs.

I created a flyer for a public library program that I would really enjoy implementing if I were to get a job in a public library (big dream, I keep envisioning myself there). I think the program would be a success (as I've heard it has been in other libraries) and even tested it on a friend who never puts a toe in a library. I presented the flyer to her and she said she would definitely attend the program. I was fairly surprised, but also excited that even a person who was not already a regular public library patron would turn out for such an event.

Basically, the program is for an adult story hour- just like children's story time, only instead of reading a children's book in one sitting, the readings would occur weekly until the book was complete, and there would be time for discussion after the reading. Somewhat similar to a book club, but enhanced by having the story read to you.

Educational Game Quizzes

The games I created were terrific in the US history (11th grade) classroom. After a brief review of the section, I used the projector to put the multiple-choice game on the screen. The students either knew the answer to each question outright, or looked up the answer in their textbook. (I only had to direct them to the proper section once!) We did not choose an answer until they were sure they were right - and they scored 100%. The game was fast and easy to make, loaded quickly and is the sort of tool that could be used for daily review in the classroom in any subject. The students enjoyed it, and felt confident in their knowledge of the section. I'm thinking about turning them loose in small groups to create similar game/quizzes for their peers. I think that will only increase their knowledge of the material, and their confidence in their knowledge.

Purpose Games

After much searching, I found a fun game creator and created two quiz games. One is map-based, and the player gets the name of a founder, and has to choose the colony from which he hailed. The other is a multi-choice quiz on the Market Revolution. I like quizzes because I think people learn from tests - there is some sound educational research on this, and I am all for research! The Purpose Games website is easy to navigate, free for players and game creators alike, and while it's not too fancy and doesn't have a ton of features, I think those will be coming in the future.

PowerPoint. Huh.

This semester I'm taking a course called Preparing Instructional Media. I would like to become more efficient in working with various tech tools to present material in an engaging way. We began with a powerpoint presentation to introduce ourselves. I had some fun with it, but honestly, PowerPoint is not my favorite tool in the techie shed. Most people use it as a teaching aid - to remember what they want to present. I tried creating a stand-alone (no presenter needed) tool for my US history students to learn the Constitution, but found the program slow to work with, bulky, and in a word, joyless. I wanted to create a game of sorts, a true/false quiz with additional information, but it was just boring. More guessing and reading, not truly interactive at all.
So, I am searching the web for a magic (free) tool through which I can create a truly interactive fun learning "game" that my students will want to use to study their history.