This week’s E-Learning challenge was to used mixed media in a course. Similar to the Knuffle Bunny book series.
I found it very difficult to find a use for this mixed medium that I liked and felt was appropriate, however, about half way through the week, one of my kids showed me a PowerPoint presentation they had found with all the birds of our area. It was pretty basic, but my kid wanted to illustrate all the birds for a school project.
The idea was born! What a great way to use mixed media and collaborate with my child. Now, to be honest, for the initial challenge, I worked ahead, and used another illustrator’s graphics, but I will change these to my kid’s graphics once they are done drawing them.
I need to work on refining my hover animations, and would like to eventually finish the entire guide, as I think it’s cool. What started out as a way to do this challenge, may turn into something neat!
The initial screen consists of a forest, actually a photo I took of my back yard trees, with illustrated birds. If you hover over the birds, you will hear their song.
Clicking on each bird then takes you to it’s page. The photograph tree (this one from my front yard) keeps the theme going, and the same illustrated bird shows up here too. Again, hovering over the bird lets you hear it’s song. I have also added in an image of what this birds nest looks like.
Hovering over the nest shows you what the eggs of this bird looks like. You can also click it to get more information about the bird’s diet and it’s eggs/young.
Information about birds taken from the Wake County Audubon Society, and from Audubon.org.
Illustrations (before I change them) are taken from Audobon.org’s David Allen Sibley.