Slide+Rocket

=**Slide Rocket**=

[]
Based out of San Francisco, SlideRocket was founded in January 2006, and launched as a private beta in March 2008 at the Under The Radar Spring event. A public beta was announced in September 2008 followed shortly by public release on October 28, 2008.
 * History**

SlideRocket gives you a copious amount of features that you would expect to see in a PowerPoint alternative while also providing features that you would not expect. For example, you can import existing Powerpoint and Google documents into SlideRocket or create your own within the SlideRocket interface. However, SlideRocket doesn’t support KeyNote documents.
 * Features and Capabilities**

Because it’s Web-based, you can access your slides from anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection. Also, you can even download a copy of your slides and shows and use it offline. The catch is this will not work on the free account.

The best-case scenario would be if SlideRocket would offer a school system a deal on the subscription price. Otherwise, whole classes of students would not be able to receive the full benefits of this tool's capabilities.

The obvious advantage of this tool is that every project that is created using SlideRocket is saved online and thus available for viewing and editing on any computer or device that has access the internet. This capability allows groups of students who are not able to get together to work on a project--for instance, students without driver's licenses--to meet "in the cloud".
 * Advantages/Disadvantages of the Tool**

The chief disadvantage is that the tool costs money in order to access all its features.

Examples cannot be downloaded unless you sign up for $15 dollars. If you wish to see a sample slide show, click on the link at the top of this page, and you will be able to find a sample show on the website.
 * Link to an example of a SlideRocket product**

Lesson: Literary analysis presentation Time: allow 1-2 weeks (depending on the complexity of the text being analyzed) Materials: text being analyzed, internet access, SlideRocket membership, computer, paper, pen/pencil, literary analysis worksheet
 * Example of how tool can be used to support authentic learning**

In this lesson, each student will select a poem or short text from a list of literary works. He will then read the text multiple times, making notes on the literary analysis worksheet. The will then use SlideRocket to complete a slide show that walks the audience through the text they chose, pointing out specific literary elements.


 * Autonomous**: Students will create this slide show with little help from the teacher because they have been trained in literary analysis and have been allowed time to play around with SlideRocket.
 * Active learning:** Students are actively involved in creating their own project.
 * Holistic**: SlideRocket is a tool that students can use when they enter the job market to showcase their abilities in a creative way.
 * Complex**: Their are two levels of complexity inherent to this task: 1) analyzing a work of literature and 2) learning a new technology tool.
 * Challenging**: This task is challenging for the same reasons that it is complex.


 * Scaffolds**: Before students can approach this project autonomously, students should first be taught what they are looking for in their analysis (tone, theme, sound devices, figures of speech, etc.), and then students must practice reading for these aspects in prose and poetry. Also, students must be given ample time to practice using SlideRocket.

--//Adam J. King//