ERIC Number: EJ1080667
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1528-5804
EISSN: N/A
Using Slowmation to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Understanding Science Content Knowledge
Hoban, Garry F.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE Journal), v7 n2 p75-91 2007
Slow motion animation ("slowmation") is a new teaching approach that uses a simple animation process to engage learners in creating their own comprehensive animations of science concepts. In this paper, preservice elementary teachers used slowmation, a form of stop-motion animation, to make models of science concepts and take digital still photos as the models were manually manipulated in the horizontal plane. A range of materials can be used, and the animations are played in slow motion at two frames per second. Importantly, the preservice teachers provided pedagogical prompts, such as narration, diagrams, music, and factual text in their animations to help explain concepts. Preservice elementary teachers learned how to create slowmations in their science method course and then made their own comprehensive examples in an assignment to represent a science concept. Slowmation is a use of technology that generates a "real need" for preservice teachers to understand science content so that they can represent and explain it accurately in their animation.
Descriptors: Animation, Technology Uses in Education, Preservice Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Science Instruction, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teaching Methods, Methods Courses, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation, Foreign Countries, Planning, Elementary School Science, Photography
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: business@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A