Seminars and Workshops

Most professional development for new media and technology is limited to technical training or pre-packaged content having little to do with the realities of daily classroom practice. Often, teachers are rarely given the time they need to consider how new media and technology may impact their classroom.

Media Workshop's new media seminars are designed to fulfill important needs such as learning how to use Internet resources effectively in the classroom, or learning how using a software application can be used with students to enhance instruction and learning. Through demonstrations, hands-on experiences, and reflective conversations, teachers gain perspective on the ways in which new media can enhance their curricula as they design and create projects.

Our approach to new media and technology integration is grounded in student-centered, collaborative, and inquiry-based strategies for teaching and learning. Media Workshop offers a variety of workshops that can be customized and tailored to fit specific needs. Most of the workshops include some online component and can be combined in a variety of ways, ranging from a three hour after-school workshop, to an intensive, two week long seminar.

Outlined below are examples of the types of workshops and seminars we offer. Many of these workshops are complemented with an online component or include online tutorials.

Critical Basics and/or Skill Building Workshops

Critical Basics and Skill Building Workshops are an intensive series of mini-workshops that help teachers develop a framework for connecting new media and technology to their classroom practice in creative and critical ways. Often, it is a compilation of a variety of new media seminars delivered either in full-day sessions (two to five full days) or a series of after-school workshops over the course of several months.

During this foundational workshop, teachers will:

• Use and gain familiarity with new media tools such as the Internet, interactive CD-ROMs and non-linear authoring tools such as PowerPoint or Dreamweaver.
• Consider assessment strategies and criteria for evaluating new media resources and student-produced work
• Design an inquiry-based activity supported by new media that teachers can later implement in their classrooms

Media Workshop strongly recommends a Critical Basics type of workshop as a starting point for a school or organization's professional development investment. Check out examples of Critical Basics workshops.

Many schools opt to choose a series of skill-building workshops that are delivered after school. Through hands-on practice and knowledge construction, these workshops build teacher's skills over time. Dialogue emphasizes practical classroom applications and connection to specific content. Check out two examples of after-school skill-building workshops offered to Humanities High School and Louis Brandeis High School.

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New Media Seminars

Internet I
This workshop provides an "educator's overview" of the Internet and examines the key issues, resources and activities available for the classroom. It includes a brief historical and critical overview of the Internet, as well as hands-on exploration of the World Wide Web. As teachers explore the Web, they begin to develop criteria for evaluating Web resources.

Internet II
Building on concepts learned during Internet I, this workshop introduces participants to online interactive features and the technologies that support them; including: simulations, expeditions, threaded discussion forums, chat rooms and other virtual communities. Participants explore the different ways these tools can be used with students to produce small curriculum projects that can be incorporated into specific content areas. Familiarity with concepts in Internet I or prior experience using the Internet is highly recommended.

Check out an example of an Internet Seminar.

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Multimedia Authoring

Learn how to use linear and nonlinear multimedia authoring resources such as KidPix, Hyperstudio, and PowerPoint in the classroom. Participants will learn the various elements of multimedia such as use of text, image, sound, animation and transitions, and how to use them effective in their teaching and learning practices. Emphasis is also placed on storyboarding. Examples of both teacher and student produced projects are explored so that teachers develop an understanding of the possibilities for multimedia in the classroom ranging from the one-computer classroom to the use of a computer lab. Participants are introduced to these tools in the context of designing and producing a multimedia project or curriculum module.

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Web Publishing

Teachers are often interested in learning how to showcase student work on the web, or put components of their curriculum online. In this workshop, participants learn how to design and produce a small web site using an authoring tool such as Dreamweaver, FrontPage, or Claris HomePage. Participants will discuss criteria for effective design and evaluation of teacher-produced and student-produced web pages, as well as the importance of storyboarding. Elements such as navigation, interactivity and structure are also discussed.

Advanced web design such as using Flash or Fireworks is also offered.

Developing a Web Quest

During the past several years, this has become one of the more popular workshops for teachers. Participants will explore and learn how to design their own Web Quest, which is simply an inquiry-based research project, used to help students navigate through the World Wide Web as they research a specific topic. Combined with web publishing concepts, teachers learn the basic elements of a Web Quest and how students can benefit from the experience. Check out an example of a two-day workshop that combines both Web-based curriculum and developing a Web Quest.

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Custom Workshops and Online Tutorials

In addition to the workshops listed above, we offer customized workshops such as "Using Technology to Meet Standards," "Exploring and Evaluating Online Educational Resources," " and "Creating a Collage in Photoshop." These workshops range from one to twelve hours and can be held after-school, during professional development days, during school holidays or on weekends. They can be for either youth or educators, or even a combination of both.

Below are just a few examples of some of the customized workshops we have offered.

"E-Gurls Internet Workshop," a web designing workshop for the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

Staff Development Day workshops

Introduction to the Internet for Parents

Many of the workshops we offer contain an online component that complements the hands-on and/or face-to-face interaction with a staff developer. These online components can serve as a resource for participants following the workshop to reinforce concepts learned. In addition, we also offer, free of charge, on-line tutorials that teachers are welcome to use and adapt for their instruction. In many cases, sample lessons and activities are provided. Explore some of the activities highlighted below:

Photoshop tutorials and lessons

Discussing the events of September 11th in your classroom

Final Cut Pro (Digital Video Editing) Tutorial

Flash Activities for the Classroom

Additional examples can be found on our tutorials page.

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To find out more about our offerings and cost for services, e-mail Donna Schnupp at dschnupp@mediaworkshop.org or call Media Workshop at 212.782.0310.