HyperStudio is one of the best educational programs available. It creates a great sense of excitement and accomplishment for students as they create their own multimedia projects and presentations. However, the program is not the easiest to learn.
Going beyond learning the program to designing and managing quality projects that integrate with existing curriculum is an even greater challenge.
Fortunately, there are a number of print resources available for those interested in learning more about teaching themselves or their students about HyperStudio.
This monthís column is designed to help you find a book that meets your needs by describing three very different books:
HyperStudio In One Hour
HyperStudio In One Hour is a great "how-to" book, which also includes some classroom suggestions, as well as a few project ideas. You can buy either a Macintosh or Windows version. Readers of this book are expected to be familiar with their computersí interface (basic operating system). Unless you are very comfortable, I doubt you will be able to complete the basic lessons in just one hour.
The six mini-lessons that start the book will probably take you about an hour and one-half to two hours to complete. The mini-lessons will lead you through a thorough, step-by-step, tutorial of the basics of HyperStudio. By the end of the six mini-lessons, you will have created a four-card stack complete with text (spell checked of course), graphics, buttons, sounds, and a New Button Action.
Plus, once you are familiar with the basics presented in these lessons, you will be able to use the same exact mini-lessons as an introduction for your own students!
The next section of the book similarly offers thorough step-by-step instructions on a variety of more advanced topics. These topics include color, animation, special effects, hypertext, and testing. Only the part on HyperLogo seems skimpy, but this is probably to be expected since it is one of the most advanced and potentially complex topics (the same author has another book devoted entirely to HyperLogo).
In the fourth section of the book you will learn to use several extra pieces of hardware with HyperStudio to create more exciting and dynamic stacks. There are adequate explanations of how to use a QuickTake Camera, a video digitizer, a laserdisc player, and a CD-ROM drive. Though not directly related to hardware, the author also describes how to connect HyperStudio stacks to the Internet.
The fifth section of the book focuses on a number of New Button Actions (NBAs). NBAs are mini-programs that really expand the capabilities of HyperStudio and are a favorite of many kids. The NBAs explained in this section include: AutoRecord, Back to Browser, Picture Show, HideCursor, BlabberMouth II (a student favorite!), ButtonRunner, SlideShow, and MenuChooser.
The last section of the book offers tips for planning stacks (donít skip this step with your students) and sample projects for teachers and students.
Designing and Doing Curriculum-Based Projects
But How Do I Use HyperStudio With Kids? is my favorite of all the HyperStudio related books because it covers what I consider the most difficult part about using HyperStudio with kids; how-to thoughtfully integrate HyperStudio projects into your curriculum. But How Do I Use HyperStudio With Kids? does not focus on the technical aspects of how to use HyperStudio. Instead, the sections of this book focus on helping teachers plan, manage, and evaluate projects.
The first chapter covers the development of curriculum related projects. The author begins this chapter by describing methods for choosing topics or themes. He explains four types of culminating projects: interactive reports, presentations, layered stories, and interactive tours. Documentation of studentsí learning through KWL sheets and concept webs is also explained.
The second chapter focuses on the overall management of HyperStudio projects. This chapter discusses familiarizing students with HyperStudio, setting standards for studentsí projects, managing the students time on the computer, and sharing student work. The author ends the chapter with a short example of how it might look with all of these elements pulled together.
The third chapter details a number of issues the teacher and students may face when creating their projects. While drafting, revising, and editing their projects, students will need to make decisions related to content, media, design, and navigation. The author offers tips for the teacher and the students for each of these areas.
The last chapter of But How Do I Use HyperStudio focuses on evaluating HyperStudio projects. This section is unfortunately quite short. It does offer tips for grading parts of the process that precede the actual project and the projects themselves. For a more detailed look at assessment, I would recommend the authorís previous book, Kindling The Fire.
HyperStudio Garden: 101 Things To Grow.
HyperStudio Garden is a book full of project ideas for HyperStudio. The projects are divided into six topics: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, Math, and Arts and Activities.
Science and Social Studies have more than thirty projects apiece while Language Arts and Arts and Activities have thirteen and fourteen respectively. Math only has three projects and Foreign Language just two.
Each project is described on two pages. The project description starts with a short overview and an explanation of the HyperStudio skills needed to complete the project. Then, the project is broken up into five or six main steps. Within many of these steps are several sub-steps. These descriptions do not describe every step needed to complete the project. You will need to know enough about the HyperStudio skills for these projects to teach them to your students.
The amount of time and skill needed to complete these projects is extremely varied. Some could be done in a day or two while others would require months. Some require little more than a basic understanding of HyperStudio, while others require more advanced skills. However, with a little extra thought, all of these projects could be modified to match your curriculum needs and studentsí skills. Plus, all of these ideas will probably get your brain firing along, thinking up your own projects.
Conclusion
Each of these three books focuses on a different aspect of teaching/learning HyperStudio. There is some overlap in what they cover. For the teacher just starting with HyperStudio, I recommend HyperStudio In One Hour.
For teachers already comfortable with how HyperStudio works I would recommend But How Do I Use HyperStudio. Taken as a set, these three books will provide most teachers with enough ideas and guidance to thoughtfully and powerfully integrate HyperStudio into their curriculum and school setting.
These books may be ordered from the International Society for Technology in the Education (ISTE), MACULís national affiliate organization via e-mail at cust_svc@ccmail.uoregon.edu; by postal mail to ISTE Customer Service, 480 Chanelton St., Eugene, OR 97401-2626; by fax at 1-541-302-3778; or by phone at 1-800-336-5191.
© 1998, Jordy Whitmer