Funky function notation
March 5th, 2009
At the UMD faculty workshop, one of the participants had an idea for using an Animoto video. She suggested it might be a good way to break up a long lecture time. This got me thinking about short lessons (like the CommonCraft videos). Just because the video is short, it doesn’t mean it’s not effective.
I thought I would try out a short video of my own using Animoto. This one is called “What is function notation?” If the video doesn’t load for you, go directly to the site here or see the YouTube rendition here. Either video can be embedded if you’d like to use them in a course shell.
You might be interested in the process I used to build this. For Animoto, you need a file folder with image files. First, I created a deck of 75 PowerPoint slides (those being relatively easy to edit). Then I printed from PowerPoint to SnagIt (because of a special SnagIt save option). Then I saved the SnagIt file as jpg files, where each slide is saved as an individual image file. This gave me a folder of all the slides, but with each slide saved as an image.
I then uploaded the 75 images into Animoto and made sure they were in the proper order (for some reason the last slide fell first and had to be moved back to the last position). You choose the slides you want to “focus” on – places where the reader may need an extra second to think or read. Choose some music (preferably without words), and finally, choose the speed. I tried it at regular speed first (no way), but settled on 1/2 speed as a good speed to show the slides.
I don’t have any student guinea pigs at the moment, so someone play it for your students and let me know what they think! I was toying with the idea of explaining a theorem next.
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What a great video! My intermediate and college algebra classes really enjoyed it. Some students started racing each other to the answers.
Thanks for sharing.
We’re past that point in my intermediate algebra class, but I’m linking to it on the course website. I can imagine using it in class, and having students take turns reading aloud the slides. I really think many of them don’t read f(x) as “f of x” even though that’s how I say it, and I even write that on the board. I like your use of the colored arrows pointing to input and output, as well as the empty parentheses pattern. Also I wish I had thought to start with just the letter f, describe in words, give numerical examples, and only then give the formula. I’m learning so much from you
Here’s an easier way to get your PowerPoint slides saved as jpgs – from PPT, file, save as, change the save as type to jpg. It’s that easy.
Huh … that was the first thing I looked for but didn’t find it. I’ll have to go back and look more carefully! Thanks for the tip.
Hey there, well done on the Function tutorial using animoto. It really is well presented and I just got feedback from some of students and they are really game for more of these tutorials….!
Hi -
Great video and you have given me some new ideas…
If you love tech in your classroom catch the http://reta.nmsu.edu webinars.
Jim Carlton
Thank you so much for providing the instructions on how you have created your animoto video from PowerPoint slides. I have been able to create my own video for the classroom with ease and more importantly, the students have been engaged throughout the whole process when they created their own. Also, thanks to the tips and comments that people have contributed… especially the one about saving the PowerPoint slides in jpeg…… it works!
Nice job! I am going to share with my online students this semester and will let you know if there are any comments…
This is a very upbeat way to get the students to understand the abstract concept of function notation without the boring verbal explanation. I will use this to get the students attention! Thanks
There is another one about inverses here.
Although I am not a teacher yet, I am an education major at Purdue University. For a class I am taking this semester we have to research a web 2.0 application that can be integrated into the classroom. Our web 2.0 application is Animoto. I was researching Animoto’s website and came across your video. Your video is great! If you don’t mind I’d like to embed your video on our wiki chapter and build a lesson plan around it. If you would like to check it out our link is: https://wiki.itap.purdue.edu/display/INSITE/Animoto. Thank you!
@Kaitlynn You might also check out the collection of videos created by my students in Math for Elementary Teachers: http://sites.google.com/site/mathetlearningprojects/digital-presentations
I’m a college student struggling (SUPER struggling) with math and in particular functions and limitations. I think this was awesome! It definitely helped me! Thank you!
I just viewed with my 12 year old that finished Algebra I last school year, and it was a super review. He loved it. We were figuring the answers together. I paused to think a couple of times, and my son teased me saying twenty-five years later, and I finally got it. Who cares if he teases. Your sharing showed him that we never stop learning, twenty five years later or summer vacation. Well done!!!!!
Is this video still viewable? It does not show up as a video. Just this dialoug of people commenting.
Thanks
Click on the link where it says “click here”