A 5 minute Flash 5 tutorial
WHAT IS FLASH?
Flash is a program created by Macromedia and allows people to create movies for web pages. More than just a simple movie maker, however, Flash allows people to create dynamic sites that can, and do, include user interaction, information gathering, and a host of other features in a short amount of time and without prior knowledge of any programming language.
And what does that mean in English?
In English, you can design Flash movies in a short amount of time without having to know anything really. You can then make these movies into something interactive for your students, even turn it into a test without having to take a class on advanced HTML (web coding language) or anything else. Oh yeah, it's easy to use and does most of the work for you.
OK, So what do I need?
To get started you need three things, a computer (That sort of goes without saying), an Internet connection (We'll talk about why you really don't later), and Macromedia Flash 5 (You can download the trial version here). At the end of the tutorial, you'll be able to produce the Flash movie that I created here: Nevada and no, I am not on the payroll of Wolf Pack Athletics.
So why should I use it?
Oh just a couple of reasons really. First and foremost, Flash is a blank slate; it waits for YOU to tell it what to do. You have complete creative control over what information you present. It isn't a textbook that will disagree with you on what should be taught, but is waiting for your ideals and creations to put into visual form. (And by the way, this is yet another fine program for getting students interested in creating those works of art that really lets children explore the world around them. Think of it as a word processor that uses pictures instead of words and isn't as expensive as a video camera.)
Secondly, it is very easy to use. In one weekend I learned how to do the most things in Flash, another weekend was spent mastering the program. The tutorials take about 10 minutes to a half an hour to run through to get most of the concepts.
Finally, everyone uses Flash. It's estimated that 96.4% of web browsers have Flash and the plug in for it is free and a short download. Compare that to Hyper Studio, which most people haven't heard of and are not willing to buy anyway. Students having Flash lesions will be able to view them on any machine with Internet access. And parents can view their son or daughter's movie at home without having to be told that they need to buy software.
Anything else I should know before getting started?
Ah! Good question, you should of course not take my tutorial as the end all for Flash but should experiment by yourself all that the program has to offer. Also, I would be doing a grave disservice if I do not mention that all that I have learned I learned by following the lessons that are encoded into Flash and the wonderful how to site on Flash: W3Schools Online Web Tutorials, all of which I highly recommend you go visit and use if you are serious about using Flash in the classroom.
And now?
And now please direct your attention to the following below.
Flash Basics
Tweening Between Shapes
Flash Sound
Adding Flash to an HTML web page
This page created by Jason Smith Last updated November 13, 2001
