After they have done considerable work on their stories, Martha gives each group a hypermedia template that will help them create their interactive tales on the computer. Using the software, students begin to compose their stories on the computer. Again, each group decides how they will divide the tasks, allowing members to choose activities that both engage their interests and build on their strengths. For example, one group relied on an artistic member to draw all of their pictures. Two students sat at her side, offering suggestions about what to draw, while another student scanned in the completed drawings.
Evaluation is an integral and ongoing component of the project.
Three times during the three-week unit, students complete evaluation forms that give them the opportunity to reflect on their own work, the work of other members in the group, and the entire project. These on-going evaluations enable Martha to detect emerging problems and help groups make adjustments where necessary. All of our hard work paid off. Our audience was very responsive to our tape. The program, a collaborative project with the Center for Children and Technology, was designed to document how video production can promote rigorous, collaborative student inquiry and expression.