EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams GRAPHICS TOOLS GRAPHICS TOOLS: Communicating Visually Chapter 8 Computers for 21st Century Educators Sixth Ed.

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Obtaining & Creating Graphics Basic clip art –Static images –Animated “gifs” –Scalable Clip art collections (to purchase) Online resources –Amazing Picture MachineAmazing Picture Machine –Downloading from websites

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Draw / Paint Software Create original art Require some artistic skills Difficult with mouse –Graphics tablets

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Scanning Images Source of illustrations –Student portfolio artifacts Potential for abuse – Images that never were – Copyright violation

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Scanner Control Driver software –Communication & control Image resolution –Meaured in DPI – dpi for electronic use (e.g., PowerPoint, web pages) –Higher for printing

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Scanning Text All scans are “images” Optical Character Recognition (OCR) –Convert picture to editable text –Typically needs 300 dpi –Scan as gray scale, not B&W –Don’t expect perfection – fix errors later

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Digital Cameras Advantages over film –No film cost –No processing time –Use only the “good” pictures Key selection / use factors –Image storage –Resolution –Zoom type and ratio

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Image Storage Internal –Quite limited External –Multiple types of memory cards –Floppy diskettes Download –USB connection

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Resolution Measured in megapixels –More is better, but … –Prices also increase –Image size increases Exceeds display resolution of monitors Creates very large files to store

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Zoom Lens Focal length –“wide angle” to “telephoto” –Zoom = difference between extremes –More is desirable, e.g. 8x > 3x Type –Optical = in the lens –Digital = electronic trick

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Image Enhancement Few images start out perfect –Scanned or from a camera Simple enhancements –Crop –Lighten / darken Others depend on your software

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Charting and Graphing Visualization of data and relationships Interpretation of data

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Concept Maps Visual learning / understanding Easy to create with software

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Print Graphics Produce paper output in many formats: – Posters / Signs – Calendars – Greeting cards / Invitations – Stationery – Banners e.g., The Print Shop

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Print Graphics Applications – Handouts – Certificates / Awards – Fund-raising projects Bookmarks, menus, etc. – Invitations (to school events) – Class / school events calendars – Illustrated stories – Overhead transparency masters

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Presentation Graphics ‘Electronic Overheads’ or paper output Professional templates for appearance Variety in delivery effects Variety in printouts – Full images – Audience handouts with miniatures – Speaker notes – Text-only outlines

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Presentation Graphics Applications –Student projects (constructivism) – Lecture guides – Audience handouts – Display discussion questions – Images to stimulate writing – Presentations to impress school board

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Presentation Graphics Common Errors –Excessive animation / slide transitions Specific effect, not just because – Too much text Keywords, not paragraphs – Hard-to-read Simple font, appropriate size – Text only (Why not print it?)

EDT 612 Unit 6 © 2004 James Lockard, Peter D. Abrams Presentation Graphics Common Errors –Irrelevant multimedia Should contribute to content learning Limit for decoration only – Read content Talk from content Memory cues, not verbatim text