Week 4 - Show Me What You Learned

This is what I have learned with my tutorials that I am so excited to use for my media project. I have learned to compile 4 programs from Apple together. I really like iPhoto and found so many tools for it. I learned to tag my photos and it made it easy for me to find a picture instead of searching through so many of my photos to find just a certain picture. That is the main thing that has helped me tremendously. Then I moved to GarageBand and it was so much fun really getting to play with it. I found an great tutorial that will help me with my media project. I like to create music so I am learning all the things music when it comes to GarageBand. I do like podcasting but my life is a party and it is so much fun making music for my parties now and even having my friends make songs and rap plus sing. Nobody can go through life without having a digital video camera or you are not cool at all. But how can you shoot a great film with angles and put it on your computer and not make it look like an amateur shoot that film. That's why Apple created iMovie. iMovie has a lot of tricks that I would have never thought about and makes you learn so much about the things that can help you out. You can change your film to be black and white, sepia, etc. There are so many effects that you can do to make your project shine. So, you can import the photos from iphoto and music from GarageBand to iMovie to help with that film that you are creating. The last thing is how can you share it with your friends and send it out to the world. Well iMovie does allow you to email it or send it through YouTube but sometimes you want things to be very professional that's when you use iDVD. Yep, Apple has made it to where you can send that film you created to iDVD and make a DVD for your friends and family. This is a really neat program because then you are allowed to make chapters for whatever you want. It is a little project that your friends would never know that really didn't take you that long to do. With 4 programs you have created a DVD that you can share with friends for a long time. This is what I have learned and I can't wait to create a DVD for my media project to send to my administrators and the heads of the districts.

Enjoy the film of what I have learned and I really liked the class.

Thanks to Apple Products!!

Week 4 - Comment to Melissa's Blog

It is the end of the road and my last comment to a fellow classmates blog. So here it is:
All I can say is that I bow to you!! I bet that book would be a tremendous help with the thesis but I decided to send it to my friend. She loves reading things and editing it so that is up her alley. Let me know if that book is any help because I may have my students look into using that when we have to write lab papers. I can help you with Ning anytime that you would like and have an teachers opinion about it too. We had to use it when I worked with Best Buy to help with their program to get teachers and students involved in their stores and maybe building stores that are catered to teachers.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 04:35 PM
Melissa's Blog
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Note from the Editor
This week I’ve had to remain focused and also determined to finish my final project, blogs, comments, readings, and finally the THESIS. I’m currently in the process of editing my thesis before I submit tomorrow, and I do feel confident about what I’ve drafted up so far. Last Friday, I purchased a book called Edit Yourself by Bruce Ross-Larson at Barnes and Noble. (I really could spend a whole weekend there...don’t try me.) I’ve found it to be very resourceful when it comes to word choice; of course I plan to use it in my Language Arts class as well.

What I’m not feeling confident about is our thesis media project. I know what I want to do, but I don’t know how or what to use. If you have any suggestions on what I should use to design an online professional development community I’d greatly appreciate it. These past few weeks I’ve played with Sharepoint, Ning, and Moodle, but I still need to find the ins and outs off all.

Best of Luck finishing up the Thesis, All!



Resources:

Week 4 A Note From the Editor. Melissa Hill. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from
http://web.me.com/melissaah/Site_4/week_4/Entries/2009/7/29_A_Note_from_the_Editor.html#

Photo by Dirty Footprints (2008). Gesso & Wrting. Retrieved October 20, 2008 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dirtyfootprints/2959428371/

Week 4 - The Art of Possbility

This book has helped me to take a step back and look at my life. I hope that now I can be a better friend, daughter, and teacher. I believe that the book has given a new prospective on life and I look at things differently. I really do like this book and think that more people do need to read it in order to see what they can change about the way they look at life. That is want Zander wants us to do. He uses old principles to get us to think about things in a different way. The last chapters of the book were really good. I understand that you want us to use the end of the book to explain about each chapter but I always find a chapter that will have more impact on my life than others do.

I will focus on the chapter Lighting a Spark. Once school begins I do the same mundane thing every single day. I figure out what I am going to teach and repeat it for all the classes and then just keep doing it over and over again. There is never any change in my life. I read the chapter about lighting a spark and it made me think about my life. I need to set a fire to my life in order for my students to have a spark in theirs. I can't expect a whole lot from them when I am not doing the same thing. I think that sometimes we get caught up in life and forget to put excitement in our lives. I have realized that I will be lighting a spark to everything that I do in my life. This will allow the people in my life to do the same. If you start doing something in your life then its like an domino effect and others will take it on. So, I say from this day on I will not only light a spark in my life but in others also.

Resource

Zander, B. and Zander, R. (2000). The Art of Possibility. New York: New York Penguin Group

Photo by r o s e n d a h l (2007). Domino Theory At Work. Retrieved December 13, 2007 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosendahl/2110324860/

Week 4 - Stickam to Them

Today was the last time to be in the class and it bitter sweet. I have learned so much about copyright and kind of wonder what we will learn when it comes to teacher inservice what we will be learning this year. That's right I said teacher inservice at my school district each year we have to go through training over the new and old copyright laws. We have to make sure that our students follow them so that there is not an issue for the district or state. In our final discussion with the group we discussed about the Creative Commons. So what exactly is creative commons and do you know if you are using it the right way. Well first lets look at what creative commons is. It is an non-profit that gives alternative to full copyright. It allows people to take other people's pictures and use them. I really did learn a lot from the creative commons talk because I don't know if this is something that we will be discussing this year at inservice but I did forward the information to my principal. I want to say thanks for teaching so much during this class and helping me to have a better understanding on things that can help me in the future. I have really enjoyed the class.

Week 4 - Talk With Kathy Craven

When I first heard that I would need to shoot a documentary for my media project I just froze. I thought there is no way I can do this at all and I don't have the skill for this but then I remembered that we have some of the best faculty at Full Sail. I knew the person to ask would have to be Kathy Craven. She really helped me to look at film in a different light and I really enjoyed her class. I was a bit nervous about asking her about what to do because I don't have a plan at all, but she took my thesis topic and idea and just came up with the idea. I want to share with you our conversation via iChat:
AIM IM with Kathy Craven 7/27/09 10:40 AM
hello ms craven it is aletha w and for my media project that is coming up I want to shot a documentary
i would love to get some ideas from you on how to do this the best way
Hi there!
sure i'd be glad to help
do you have something you'd like me to look at or are you starting from scratch
starting from scratch with an idea right now
what is your idea?
i talked to dr. bebdard and my thesis is virtual science labs for low ses but she wants me to get interviews from students, teachers, administrators and show how they are using the technology but the end will be me presenting the issue to my superintendent of schools
so you need to think about how to set up interviews, etc.
yes because it sounds like will be hard
have you thought about interspersing live action (video) interviews with interviews of students in their virtual world would that work?
no that is a great idea
the first think you need to think about is making a list of who you need to interview and a list of questions that you need them to address. you want to get them to give complete answers. For example, every time you begin an interview tell them: please answer in complete answers. for example if i ask you what your favorite color is say, "my favorite color is green" not "green". does that make sense?
So get them to answer in complete sentences and think about how they could be linked. like what one person is saying can flow right into what another person is saying so that it is almost a continuing conversation. this would be neat if you could go from live video person to avatar. also remember to shoot broll. (do you remember about broll?)
yes that makes a lot of sense
no i don't
about lighting. i know you do not have a lot of equipment but think about some intereting, pretty places and use natural light as much as possible. do not put someone in front of lit window. they will get washed out
broll...
ok
sorry yes i do remember broll
ok
i am really enjoying all the ideas thanks so much
i will send you video if you need help. but it is important to get other objects,etc. so you can put that in the places where you need to cover video that isn't great or if you change your camera position. during the change (zoom in or out for example) you should cover it with broll or maybe footage that is an example of what they are talking about. so after the interview plan to spend a few minutes getting broll of stuff in the shot. think about the longest shot you got and get objects, etc. in that shot. with that said, be sure to get varying angles and focal lengths (wide shot, medium shot, CU shot) this will make it more interesting visually than if you just shoot a "talking head" from one perspective.
so
1. plan who you need to interview.
2. what do you need to answer? what are your questions?
3. where will you intereview
4. check out your locations ahead if possible
5. think about lighting in terms of what time of day. if you shoot outside, morning or evening is best light
do not shoot in front of a lit windwo
6. get broll at the location of the interview
7. once you go home and watch footage make notes about what they are talking about in terms of what you might want to shoot. for examples students working at computers, you can cut to that from the interview. the point is to not stay on the interview person too long so it is not boring
thanks so for the help
you are so welcome
if you have any more questions, or want me to look at your footage...i'm glad to help


Resource
Photo by miffdesigner (2008). Video Designer. Retrieved March 5, 2008 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/miffdesigner/2312683960/

Week 3 - Thesis

I must say that this week I have slack off when it came to my thesis and will be writing like a machine this upcoming week. There were so many things that were in my way to distract me. I had plenty of help from my friends but they had me really going with their weddings. I put my thesis to the back burner and really think that I will regret this in the long run. I have powerful facts and great quotes from doctors, lawyers, and teachers that I spoke to when I was at the receptions. So, maybe I didn't get rid of work all together at all. I still was thinking of school. I just really can't believe that in a few days I will be turning in a paper that I have worked on so hard and recieve constructive criticism on. I am a bit nervous about this it is like giving your child to the world and hoping that everyone likes them. As, I sit here and think that all of this I just tell myself the fun is over and now it is back to the thesis.

Photo taken by my mother of me and my God brother at the wedding instead of writing my thesis

Week 3 - Comment to Renee

I for some reason really like reading Renee's Blog and find it very insightful.
Comment:
I know what you are you talking about and never though about looking at our Thesis or journey at Full Sail like a play. We first began this journey I would have never thought that this would go so fast. This thesis was like a thorn in my side and it is just like learning your lines. You are so tired at the start but you push yourself so that you the ending pays off. I am now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am just like you kind of said that it is all going to be over in just a flash. I guess once we have our last curtain call we will see that big picture but always remain friends.

Renee's Blog:
Week 3 ~ Thesis Journey
Friday, July 24, 2009

Thesis writing is so similar to acting. It is a process, that can seem painstakingly slow at times, just as learning lines or songs are in a musical. The results are oh so rewarding, though. My students this summer learned lines and songs to a mini-musical and gave a performance in eight days. If middle schoolers can do that, I can certainly write this thesis.


As I have been working on it, I have been getting more and more excited about the process and progress. And --WOW--that comes almost right out of my thesis. I am so excited to implement portions of my work this fall when school starts. I am starting to get that rejuvenated feeling. You know it--the feeling you get when you know that you are truly excited to see your students again and that you are ok with the fact that summer break is coming to an end.


Our journey is winding down and I can truly say that I am sorry to see it end.

Sources:
Week 3 Thesis Journey. Reene Hanson. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from
http://web.me.com/reneehanson/Renee_Hanson_MAC_Blog/Week_3_blog/Entries/2009/7/24_Week_3_~_Thesis_Journey.html#

Photo taken by me hanging with new and old friends