what I like about this >> paper first please

when you are teaching, especially if you happen to be in a good position/location and with a very well equipped room. (technologically I mean). it is all too easy for students to be controlled by the programmes they use.

macromedia flash for instance is initially a reasonably easy programme to use and students will happily make stick men move around a screen, but their work all looks the same and if it were on paper they would discard it. used well flash is fantastic and we are in a position to create very complex layered animations with students who are still in their early teens.

dreamweaver does the same it takes control of what the user is doing, and as the students are so used to having templates to fill in as with bebo, myspace and facebook they just follow and any creativity is lost.

please don't misunderstand me the programmes I mention are very good indeed, but only when the user is in full control. (I hate wizards as they used to be called).

that is why I keep the students away from the computers until they have planned what they want, with pen/paper and paper, this gives them time to think before the computer channels them in to the way it works. it sounds simple but I am scared that we could have a whole generation who expect everything to have a template. so they don't learn they just follow a few simple directions.

then they have to make the programme do it. it is of courses much harder but brings much better return, and that is why I like this......

a working drawing.