Extend, Enhance, and Facilitate - eZedia projects

Children as young as three will easily proclaim that they aren't a baby anymore! We can use a simple time line project in eZediaMX to both introduce technology skills and teach sequencing, but more importantly, teach children to interpret pictures and help them order events using a discussion process. We want to emphasize language development as much as possible.

This is a 1-frame project that takes very little time to create (Figure 1). I think you'll have fun with it. The frame comes up with the time line showing, but no pictures. As you click on each dot, a picture shows up on the bottom part of the frame. I've provided some screen captures further down this page to illustrate the project.

Click here to download the eZediaMX template for this project. It includes everything ready to go except the child's pictures. Those have been replaced with graphic prompts.

Figure 1:
The completed project

The document well is very handy for teachers using eZediaMX with children of primary age. The wells allow you to store the pictures for a project in a single place and it can be parked right next to the document frame. Children can then click and drag the picture into position.

Before beginning to assemble the project:
1. Establish a folder on your hard drive for the project. Give it a name you'll recognize.
2. Plan what you're going to do in this time line.
3. Sketch out a format for the frame.
4. Choose whatever pictures you'll use in the project and save those in another folder called pictures or graphics.
5. Have your text ready to go in a text file. Don't use any special effects. Keep your text plain. You'll jazz it up in eZediaMX.
6. Create a new document well for your project so that as you create objects, you will drag them into the well and then save the well continuously throughout the project.
7. If you are doing this project with multiple children, create a separate photo well for each child and store their pictures in that well.

Assembling the project:

1. Chose a picture for the background. This is a photo from a classroom we visited.

2. I brought in the picture and then right-clicked on it to Edit Graphic. I dropped the transparency level to about 37 (look at the little numbers at the top of the slider bar).

3. I added the picture to the background for my frame.

4. Next, I clicked on the text icon and made my title. Once I am happy with the font and the size, I'll add it to the background, too. Before doing that, remember to put a copy in your document well.

5. The time line was created with the shape tool. I created a skinny rectangle for the main line and then used Edit Graphic to choose a different fill color for it. I added it to the well. Next, I put it in position on the frame and added it to the background.

6. I decided to use bright blue balls to act as the markers for the years. Again, those were created with the shape tool, then edited to choose a different fill color. Actually, I only created 1 circle. After that I just had it highlighted and then held down the CONTROL key (CTRL) and touched the letter "D" to duplicate the circle.

To make it simple to see where I was placing them on the yellow rectangle I was using for my time line, I went to Objects > Hide Icons and turned off my icons. I later turned them on again.

7. After placing my markers on the time line I added them to the background, too. After that, I created text boxes for the years, made them transparent, and then parked them under the markers (see Figure 2).

Figure 2:
First frame of the project

8. The secret to getting the pictures to appear like magic when you click on the blue dots is to use invisible buttons. Click on the button icon in the toolbar. Double-click the button and give it a title such as "Show Picture." Uncheck "visible." Leave it as a normal button. Click OK.

9. Move the button into place over the blue dot. Use the rectangular handles on the button to stretch it out so that it covers the entire ball. Remember, it is invisible so no one will see it when the project plays. When you have it the right size, duplicate it like you did the shape in Step 6.

10. You have to decide now whether you are going to build the rest of the project or if you're going to have the children do their own (with some limited assistance). The next step is to bring in each of the pictures and place them on the frame below the appropriate dot. After placing them in position, we click on the link tool and click, hold, and drag a line from the button object on the blue ball to the picture. That's all it takes to make each picture appear when you click the blue button!

11. Save your project. Remember to give each project a unique name after the child places their pictures in the project. That way you only have to have one master template and the rest become individual projects for each child.

12. In Figure 3, you see me having just clicked on the blue dot above "2 years old." That action made the next photo appear.

Figure 3:
Clicking on the blue button

Teaching variations:
1. Instead of pictures of a child, it could be the growth stages of a favorite pet.

2. You can also use this same one-frame project notion to demonstrate sequencing of steps. In fact, think about this as a morning group activity. Deliberately place something out of sequence and have the children locate the error. Tell them that you have done this, though. You want them to be watching for the item that doesn't make sense in the sequence. Students could take turns clicking on the button to make the next picture appear, waiting to see who clicks on the button that catches the teacher's trick. Have the students verbally elaborate on the rationale for why the picture is out of sync with the rest.

3. For another variation for older students, see the Texas History Time Line project.

Watch a quick screen movie of this project.

Last edited: November 5th, 2002