From: Leo.Fedoriw@f202.n701.z89.fidonet.org (Leo Fedoriw)
Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher
Subject: Using Amiga Computers in the classroom
Date: Sun, 05 Apr 92 18:37:54 PST
Organization: FidoNet node 89:701/202

Hi Jean!

I have accumulated 15 Amiga A500's and one A2000HD with A2300 Genlock.  We also have 14 Apple IIE's in the same lab.

Last year we were able to acquire 20 unit site licences for:

DeluxePaintIII from  Electronic Arts
Advantage and PageSetterII from Gold Disk
Textcraft Plus from Commodore (Canada)

My Junior High curriculum is based mostly on these software packages.

Grade 7's generally learn keyboarding skills and still graphics on DPaint.

Grade 8's learn basic animation techniques on DPaint and produce talking programs using very Basic "ABasic"

Grade 9's utilize DPaint for more advanced animation techniques and a kind of pseudo CAD (houseplans and elevation blueprints).  Advantage spreadsheet is utilized to solve math problems.  PageSetter II is utilized in producing a bulletin, tickets and finally in importing one of the "CAD" images from DPaint into PageSetterII as a sales promotion package to sell their blueprint.


Student animations are compiled each year into a school Graphics Production which incorporates Music (from QCCS productions in Eugene, Oregon). and sound-effects from the amiga.  The production is completed with the help of my part-time-low-success video production company - Alpha Concept Video Productions.  I use low end industrial editing equipment and my own Amiga 2000 and a Vidtech Scanlock (genlock).


I have found that students are much more motivated in the lab than in the regular classroom setting.  Concepts such as x,y,z movement and rotation seem quite easy to grasp for students which have motivational difficulties in mathematics.

To date we have completed two spreadsheets.  In many cases I am amazed that students which I have little or no success with in the classroom find it surprisingly easy to understand the spreadsheet.

It is really evident to me that this is a way to reach many unmotivated individuals.


Our schoolboard is currently "making efforts" in this direction.  "We" realize that future education must be moving more toward the "MULTIMEDIA" approach to teaching.  The Amiga Computer is ideally suited to this task due to its Analog NTSC format, custom graphics chips, inexpensive authoring programs like DeluxeVideoIII and AmigaVision and of course the cost. Peripherals such as the Video Toaster give the Amiga even more phenomenal potential.  With the addition of "consumer priced" read & write lazerdisk 



technology in the near future, the possibilities become unlimited.


I have used DeluxeVideoI, II & III in my own videoproductions and have been "exploring" with AmigaVision since it came out.  I use AmigaVision to link together animations, graphics and sounds into our Graphics Video Productions.  I also use it to trigger sound-effects from keystrokes (foley system) for the audio editing of the production.

I am in the process of putting together a Multimedia Proposal to author a unit in a subject area, utilizing a videodisc player.  If accepted it will be good preparation for future applications where I could transfer my own video images to videodisc.  Currently Pioneer markets a player/recorder like this for forty thousand dollars but the price of all technology does come down.

Please send some specifics about yourself and your program.  I would be happy to communicate further with you.

P.S. Watch out for Viruses - the "Byte Bandit" infected my entire lab.  After many hours of restoration, we are clean again.

Leo Fedoriw
Edmonton Catholic Schools
St. Edmund School
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada



--  
uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!89!701!202!Leo.Fedoriw
Internet: Leo.Fedoriw@f202.n701.z89.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher