The educational challenge and purpose was to help provide PR and homework overviews to a public charter Montessori school while also providing a community service outlet for a grad class focusing on project-based learning and an undergrad class focusing on Web 2.0 tool integration through informational digital storytelling.

Objectives for NECC participants:
•Apply basic components of project-based and community service learning in brainstorming project ideas for their environments;
•View, practice, and record (handouts) skills associated with outlined Web2.0 tools
•Synthesize a comparable project for their curricular project needs

The technology intervention tools used were Audacity and FreePlayMusic.com for accompanied narrations, Movie Maker and VoiceThread.com for interactive presentations, and SlideShare's SlideCasts for downloading PowerPoint presentations. To facilitate grad and undergrad communications, a collaborative WebCT shell was utilzed.

Instructional activities employed included discussion thread posts for peer review and raw media collection sharing as well as project-based and community service learning methods and strategies.

Evidence of success came about through participants' reactions and more community involvement and assistance.

Outline

* Samples of SlideCasts ( http://www.slideshare.net/group/dreservicepro ) and VoiceThreads (hyperlinks) previously created from the Montessori project (5-10 minutes).

* Project-based learning plan and how project coordinated grad, undergrad and grades 1-6 students within a WebCT shell (5-10 minutes). This will include plan, timeline and communication methods. Print handouts available for review; URL to be provided for download and adaptation.

Handouts / URL to all of the below to be given. URL / handouts to be provided by undergraduates who have collaboratively created notes and published from Google Docs:
* Audacity / Freeplay Music outline for creating MP3 files of gained scripts. A demonstration of how to do such will be provided. (2-5 minutes)
* MovieMaker to be demonstrated enough to show how to create a slide show from pictures and jpg PPT images. Audacity MP3 to be imported; timing of pictures / slides to be demonstrated, as well as finalizing the movie (5-10 minutes)
* SlideShare.net with MP3 upload demonstrated to make a SlideCast (5 minutes)
* VoiceThread.com - uploaded movie from MovieMaker to be placed on VoiceThread (5 minutes).

Supporting Research

Fryer, W. VoiceThread Publishing Example: Safe, Powerful, Interactive. Speed of Creativity. Retrieved January 23, 2008, from
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/01/23/voicethread-publishing-example-safe-powerful-interactive/

McKay, V. & Estrella, J. (2008). First-generation student success: The role of faculty interaction in service learning courses. Communication Education 57(3), 356-372.

Lake, E. & Jones, I. (2008). Service-learning in early childhood teacher education: Using service to put meaning back into learning. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies 24(8), 2146-2156.

Presenter Background

Susan Elwood is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at Texas A&M University –Corpus Christi, Texas. She has over twenty years experience with technology in K-12 environments as a teacher, project director and professor. Her research focus involves integrating readily available technology tools in innovative ways towards greater global community service projects.