Activity 3b

C&I 335

Summer, 1998

Lynn Gilmore

Elementary Music Specialist

Springfield Public School District 186

Springfield, Illinois, USA

Ridgely Elementary School

Pleasant Hill Elementary School

For this assignment three emerging technologies, HyperStudio, CU-SeeMe, and Netscape Communicator 4 plug-ins were investigated. Below is a summary of these technologies.

• HyperStudio is a versatile hypermedia environment that allows students to combine graphics, sound and text. It is manufactured by Robert Wagner Publishing, Inc., and is available on floppy disk. The cost is $199.95 for a single copy and a network version is also available. Using built-in paint options and word processing, or importing text and graphics from other programs, users can create screens with animation and special effects; add click-on buttons to open QuickTime movies, laserdisc videos, or their own videos, and add their own sound and dialog. The package comes with examples and templates to support these capabilities and acquaint the user with the program. It has easy-to-use screen menus and can readily be used by primary students for very simple applications. Older students can create very high quality, professional-level presentations. This tool makes hypermedia a reality which any student may use for communication.

 

SUPPORT MATERIALS: A reference manual contains tips for getting started, for advanced users, shortcuts, and a glossary. A tutorial manual has easy-to-follow instructions and check points to apply what is learned. Ideas for classroom use are included. The Home Card within HyperStudio also includes examples of projects created by students. A Hyper Logo Guide contains information for those interested in learning the scripting language.

 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Apple IIe, Macintosh: Hard drive, system 6.08, 8MB, color monitor. A video camera is recommended.

 

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: Students can use this tool to create a project in any subject area or for cross-curricular applications. It can be the single program a class uses for word processing and graphics production, or students who are using other application programs can export creations into the HyperStudio environment. Students can design their own interactive game, make hypermedia journals, and prepare home-school communications. District 186 has a site license for HyperStudio, so it would be available for me to use in my classroom.

 

• CU-SeeMe is a free videoconferencing program (under copyright of Cornell University and its writers). It is available to anyone with an Internet connection and a Macintosh or Windows-driven computer. With CU-SeeMe, you can videoconference with another site located anywhere in the world. With the use of "reflector" software, multiple parties at different locations can participate in a CU-SeeMe conference. When the development of CU-SeeMe began in 1992, the only real-time videoconferencing software for the Internet required expensive hardware which limited the number of participants. The goal of the Cornell University developers was to stimulate creative thinking and create a wide base of user experience. By opening Internet videoconferences to Macintosh users, the Cu-SeeMe writers hoped to speed up the adoption and usefulness of desktop conferencing, including live video. Current versions of CU-SeeMe include audio. More recent versions of the software for the Macintosh allow for the exchange of text and slides. Since the Cornell versions of the CU-SeeMe software are offered for free, but with no formal user support, pages on the CU-SeeMe Web site were created to bring the latest information about distribution of the software and technical issues, as well as information about its uses and projects.

 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: CU-SeeMe is intended to provide useful video conferencing to as many people as possible and at minimal cost. The software runs on Macintosh and PC Windows platforms using an IP network connection. Each participant can decide to be a sender, receiver, or both. Receiving requires only a Macintosh computer or PC with a screen capable of displaying 16 grays and a connection to the Internet. To receive video you need: Macintosh platform with a 68020 processor or higher; System 7 or higher operating system; ability to display 16 -level-grayscale; an IP network connection; Mac TCP or open transport; current CU-SeeMe application; Apple's QuickTime, to receive slides with SlideWindow. Sending video requires: the specifications to receive video mentioned above; QuickTime installed; a video digitizer (with vdig software) and camera. Availability: There is a link on the Web site of CU-SeeMe to automatically download the latest version of CU-SeeMe configured for Macintosh. Reflectors: You need to connect to a Reflector if you want to conference with more than one other person/computer. On the Web site for CU-SeeMe, there is a link for instructions.

 

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: Videoconferencing allows for experiences and interactivity that would not be possible through any other medium. It's better than television, and not quite as good as "live and in person." Schools can participate in live videoconferences with other schools, scientists, authors, athletes, government leaders, and musicians. "Live" interactive video requires the availability of a real-time community focused on accomplishing a task. Holding such a conference in cyberspace introduces the additional challenge of different time zones and school schedules. One example of how this might be incorporated into a music classroom is to have the students perform or play a musical game, like "Guess the Composer", from their own school for another school, perhaps in another state or country. Students could meet with a conductor and ask questions about orchestras and conducting.

 

• Netscape Communicator 4 Plug-ins Plug-ins are software programs that extend the capabilities of Netscape Navigator in a specific way. Some can provide, for example, the ability to play audio samples or view video movies from within Navigator. As of this writing, Netscape offers 42 plug-ins for Macintosh computers. Below is a listing of the programs.

Acordex ViewTIFF by Cordant Imaging Systems	mBed by mBed Software
Acrobat Reader by Adobe	MidPlug by Yamaha MidPlug
AnimalFlex by RubberFlex Software	MIO by Asahikasei Jyoho System Co.
Apple QuickTime 3 Plug-in by Apple Computer, Inc.	NET TOOB Stream 3.x by Duplexx Software, Inc.
Beatnik by Headspace	PanoramIX by IBM
BubbleViewer by IPIX	Pantone WebImage Viewer 1.1 by Pantone, Inc.
Chemscape Chime by MDL Information Systems	Quick 3D by Plastic Thought
Crescendo by LiveUpdate	RapidTransit by Fastman
CyberSleuth by Signum Technologies	RealPlayer by RealNetworks
Envoy by Tumbleweed Software	Shockwave by Macromedia
HyperStudio by Roger Wagner Publishing	Sizzler by Totally Hip Software
ichat Plug-in by ichat	Talker by MPV Solutions
InterVU Player by InterVU	Tcl/Tk Plug-in by Sun Microsystems
IPIX Viewer by Interactive Pictures Corp.	VDOLive by VDOnet
Lightning Strike by Infinop	ViewDirector Prizm by TMSSequoia
Liquid Music Player by Liquid Audio	ViewMovie QuickTime by Ivan Cavero Belaunde
Live Picture Viewer by Live Player	VivoActive Player by Vivo Software
Look@Me by Netopia	VOSAIC Mediaclient by VOSAIC
LuRaWave by LuRaTech	WebTerm Toolbox by White Pine Software
Maczilla by Knowledge Engineering	WebTracks by Wildcat Canyon Software
Whurlplug by Apple	WorldView by Intervista Software

• The plug-ins were divided into eight categories: 3D and Animation; Business and Utilities; Presentations; Plug-in Extras; Audio/Video; Image Viewers; What's New; Support by Platform. I chose to review seven plug-ins that could be used in my elementary music classroom. They could be used to incorporate sound into classroom projects. All of them are available to download from Netscape.
  • Beatnik by Headspace The Beatnik plug-in manages the playback of Rich Music Format (RMF) and other music and sound files (such as MIDI, MOD, WAV, AIFF, and AU) within Web browsers. The plug-in has high-fidelity sound quality comparable to high-end soundcards, even though it is entirely software-based, and sounds the same across multiple platforms. It can also create music that is highly interactive, due to a comprehensive set of JavaScript functions. Beatnik allows a Web page to play music not only upon the opening of a Web page, but also on an event such as a "mouse click".

   

  • Apple QuickTime 3 Plug-In The Apple QuickTime plug-in lets you experience QuickTime animation, music, MIDI, audio, video, and VR panoramas and objects directly in a Web page. The QuickTime Plug-in's "fast-start" feature allows you to experience QuickTime content while it's downloading. It works seamlessly with firewall environments and requires no special server software.

   

  • Crescendo The third version of Crescendomusic delivers high-quality stereo MIDI music to the Web. The free Crescendo plug-in has a CD-like control panel with complete transport controls and digital counter, and includes new features like auto-detach, Java and JavaScript programmability. The Crescendo PLUS plug-in adds live real-time streaming.

   

  • Liquid MusicPlayer This Liquid Audio plug-in works with the first commercially viable and legally responsible system to listen and purchase CD-quality music tracks and CDs over the Internet. Dolby Digital technology provides sound while you view album graphics, lyrics and linear notes. Additional features include personal music library management and the ability to record an actual CD from music purchased online.

   

  • MusicGenie is a MIDI player plug-in for Navigator. Users can control volume, balance, treble, and bass, as well as fast forward and rewind. MusicGenie catalogs and saves MIDIs for offline listening. Also, users can control when to set and remove MusicGenie as a Navigator plug-in, so as to minimize plug-in conflicts. Toll-free support is included.

   

  • RealPlayer provides live and on-demand real-time RealAudio and RealVideo streaming content on the Web. A powerful plug-in is included that lets Web authors easily customize and deliver multimedia from their sites.

   

  • WebTracks allows you to hear the soundtrack of the World Wide Web. It uses proprietary music format to compress music files and begin playing them immediately when you reach a web page with music on it. WebTracks will also play all standard MIDI files. The Internet Music Kit includes everything you need to put WebTracks music on your page in a variety of styles and formats without requiring any knowledge of HTML.

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