Quick Links: On-line interactive science resources for families from the Charlotte Observer (Better viewed on a large screen TV!)

The following information was compiled by Alicia W. Roberts as a feature related to her recent article in the Charlotte Observer, "Parents find fun online for kids: How to keep boredom at bay and help youngsters learn more about science tis summer".

To enhance the visual impact of many of the following websites, parents should consider  connecting the family computer to their a large HDTV display, if they have one.   This will make it easier to include all members of the family in the process!

ONLINE SCIENCE FOR KIDS, PARENTS

YouTube -Videos of science experiments:  youtu.be/773Rv8pZeOs. 

National Geographic for Kids: www.Kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids .

Free: Science, math and engineering: www.brainpop.com/free_stuff.

Funology - go to the Weird Science tab: www.funology.com.

PBS Kids: www.pbskids.org.

Fun activities: www.edheads.org.

Resources for Science and Parenting
Geology and Earth science: www.all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/2011/04/backyard-science-isotope-hydrology-style .

Science and math activities: www.parentingscience.com.

"Helping Your Child Learn Science," a reference booklet with experiments: www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/index.html.

U.S. Government Science websites, with downloadable resources: www.science.gov/browse/w_133A.htm.

Citizen Science Websites

Nature's Notebook ( www.usanpn.org/how-observe): Help scientists collect data on how plants and animals respond to climate change.

Firefly Watch ( www.mos.org/fireflywatch/how_to_participate): Are fireflies disappearing?

Science for Citizens ( www.scienceforcitizens.net): Find a project that suits your family.

I'll add a few more resources when I get a moment!

Interactive Multimedia: Music, Videos and Ads -Choose your POV, Scenes, Timelines, and More -HTML5, JavaScript, WebGL

I thought I'd share some examples of interesting interactive multimedia sites on the web.  It seems that artists, musicians, and ad agency folks have been experimenting with tools such as HTML5, SVG, Canvas, and Web GL.  Some of this work is featured on Google's Chrome Experiments website, and other examples can be found on websites promoting Wrangler Jeans or Ikea furniture.   This sort of content is great on a larger display.

Take some time to watch the videos and explore the links below.  Enjoy!

ARCADE FIRE: "The Wilderness Downtown" - Interactive Video by Chris Black 

"Choreographed windows, interactive flocking, custom rendered maps, real-time compositing, procedural drawing, 3D canvas rendering... this Chrome Experiment has them all. "The Wilderness Downtown" is an interactive interpretation of Arcade Fire's song "We Used To Wait" and was built entirely with the latest open web technologies, including HTML5 video, audio, and canvas."

ROME:  "3 Dreams of Black", an Interactive Film by Chris Black (The link leads to the interactive site.)

WebGL Aquarium Site

WRANGLER

Blue Bell SS11 Collection Interactive Video

Wrangler: WE ARE ANIMALS GALLERY STUNTMAN (Interactive)

Wrangler: WORN ACROSS AMERICA (Interactive multimedia 

map - go to "Choose Scenes")

Wrangler Collection fw10(Interactive)

Demo of interaction on an iPad

Interactive Ad for IKEA: "A Better Sleep for Everyone"
The website for this amusing and creative ad campaign was created using HTML5. Here is a description of what you'll find if you follow the above link:


"IKEA is now launchig the Kokokaka produced A Better Sleep for Everyone campaign site, which features IKEA's bedding catalog.  6 different mattresses are shown by 6 Swedish artists, each interpreting a classic lullaby performed in a dreamy and surreal music video.  By scrolling up and down the user can change between the artist's music videos and the different mattresses.  Experience, for instance, a soulful Tingsek having problems falling asleep.  ust like the princess from the famous fairly tale he gets annoyed by something hard under the pile of mattresses.  But guess what? It's not a pea, it's Tingsek's band!  Let yourself fall asleep to beautifully performed lullabies!" 


Agency: Forsman and Bodenfors;  Film Production: Social Club;     Director: RBG6;   

Music: Music Super Circus;  Web Production: Kokokaka;   Photographer: Carl Nilsson

Below are videos of two of the lullabies featured in the interactive ad:





Here is a video from the interactive IKEA Come Into The Closet  website from a year or two ago:



"This is a campaign to promote IKEA's wardrobe solutions. IKEA wanted to show their huge range of styles and all the smart features on the inside. All the movements on the web site are controlled by sound and music. So change songs, upload your own music, play on your keyboard or sing into the microphone."


RELATED
Cacophony: An interactive video player in HTML5 and Javascript
"The basic elements of a Cacophony video are: An HTML5 Video on the base layer, a series of HTML5 Canvas layers above that, a timeline of effects to be triggered to the beat of the song, images and other elements to be used by the effects"

Fun, weird, and a little scary: "Baaa" and "Cows&Cows&Cows" - video clips by Cyriak Harris for a quick smile!

Cyriak Harris is a freelance animator, illustrator, and graphic designer who lives near Brighton, UK. He uses Adobe software to create his unique animations.


Baaa "Experiments in ovine geometry",  featuring self-replicating sheep:



"surreal bovine choreography. No cows were harmed during the making of this video, though their future prospects probably aren't as optimistic. Software used: adobe after effects"

I liked the fractal hand experiment:

Here is an interesting music video experiment:

RELATED
Cyriak's Blog
Cyriak's Website
Cyriak's Wikipedia Page

Top 10 All-Time Posts on the Interactive Multimedia Technology Blog

I'm finishing up the last couple weeks of the school year, so I'll have little time to post this week.  I hope you enjoy exploring the following links!


Revised Post 8/1/06: Interactive multimedia for social skills, understanding feelings, relaxation and coping strategies


Teliris Interact TouchTable and TouchWall: Immersive Collaboration & Telepresence; DVE's Holographic Tele-Immersion Room


Games to lift stress away: Flower, flOw, (and Cloud), from thatgamecompany


Power to the Pixel Cross-Media Forum Streaming Live from London Today #PttP


HACKED KINECT MULTITOUCH using libFreenect and libTISCH (via Florian Echtler)


Link to iTV Doctor Rick Howe's post about 2D to 3D, 3D TV data points, and 3D content distributers


Temple Grandin - A gifted visual thinker, who also has autism, featured in HBO movie starring Claire Danes.  Update: Video of Claire Danes' acceptance of a Golden Globe for her performance


Algodoo physic app. for the SMART Board 800 series, supports multi-user interaction!


Wii Just Dance2 and Kinect Dance Central:  UI and Usability Approaches; Challenges for Developoing Accessible Games


Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It" -Revisited

NEWSEUM, a highly interactive museum in D.C. with an online component -I want to visit!

What is a newseum?

"The Newseum -- a 250,000-square-foot museum of news -- offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.  Within its seven levels of galleries and theaters, the Newseum offers a unique environment that takes museum-goers behind the scens to experience how and why news is made."

"The Newseum is one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world. The Newseum ordered 100 miles of fiber-optic cable to link up-to-the-second technologies that include electronic signage and interactive kiosks, two broadcast studios, 15 theaters and a 40-by-22-foot high-resolution media screen."


Below are some examples of what visitors can experience at the Newseum, located in Washington, D.C.:


Bloomberg Internet, TV and Radio Gallery

-Newseum
Time Warner World News Gallery

-Newseum


The New York Times --Ochs-Sulzberger Family Great Hall of News 
Surrounded by the flow of information

-Newseum
"Around, above and below, visitors to the Great Hall of News are surrounded by a continuous flow of news. Instant, breaking, historic news that is uncensored, diverse and free."


NBC News Interactive Newsroom

Photo by Maria Bryk/Newseum

"In this 7,000-square-foot interactive gallery, visitors can select any of 48 interactive kiosks or experiences where they can immerse themselves in the many roles -photojournalist, editor, reporter, anchor — required to bring the news to the public. The gallery features eight “Be a TV Reporter” stations that allow visitors to choose from a variety of video backdrops, take their place in front of the screen, read their report from a TelePrompter and see themselves in action." -Newseum










NEWSEUM exhibits have an on-line component.  Here are a few:

Time-Warner World News Gallery Press Freedom Interactive Map

Online Virtual Tour of the Newseum

Newseum Online News Trivia Game

Newseum Microsite (Great for use on an interactive whiteboard to introduce students to the museum.)

Video:  How to Be a TV Reporter

Bloomberg Internet, TV and Radio Online Exhibit

Pulitzer Prize Photograph Gallery

Quick Link: Florida's Technology Integration Matrix for K-12 Tech Integration and Transformation

Technology Integration Matrix 

"The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, constructive, goal directed (i.e., reflective), authentic, and collaborative (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). The TIM associates five levels of technology integration (i.e., entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) with each of the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments. Together, the five levels of technology integration and the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments create a matrix of 25 cells...."

Here is a list of the people behind the development of the 2010-11 Technology Integration Matrix, as listed on the TIM website.  I will provide links to the team member's websites/blogs in the future.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Kate Kemker, Ph.D., Florida Department of Education
Roy Winkelman, Ph.D., FCIT Director
James Welsh, Project Manager
Allison Papke, Coordinator, Lesson Plan Editor, and School Liason
Roberto Herrera, Videographer and Video Editor
Kyle Wahling, Videographer
Francisco Flores, Video Editor
James Basom Seaman, Web Design and Development
J. Christine Harmes, Ph.D., Indicator Development
Ryan Dial, Programming and Development

Special Thanks:
Michael Sweeney, Florida Digital Educator Program
C. Kris Mathews, Florida Digital Educator Program
G. Gordon Worley, Florida Digital Educator Program
Jeanine Gendron, Ph.D., Broward County Schools
John Lien, Orange County Schools
Dawn Howard, Manatee County Schools
Don Manderson, Escambia County
Kara Dawson, Ph.D., University of Florida
Mijana Lockard, Lincoln Avenue Academy, Lakeland, FL
Virginia Richard, School Technology Services, Polk County
Trevor Honohan, Principal, Audubon Park Elementary
Kristine Haller
Nancy Kuznicki
Jeanne Rogers
Crystal Gasell
David Schneider
David Futch
Alvin Olivo
Sylvia Hernandez
Maria Alves
Lois Hooper
Cheryl Woolwine
Jennifer O’Dell
Ana McMoran

The TIM was developed through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program under Title II of NCLB.