Adam's+Page

=Adam's Page toc=



Blog
http://adamg211.blogspot.com/

Final Project Statement
My final project will be a series of workshops designed to teach members of the First Team 236 Video Editing department the skills and knowledge they need to create a video entry as part of Chairman’s Award. First I will teach them about the major types of videos, some basic conventions of filming, and how to brainstorm, plan, and storyboard their projects. Second, I will teach them how to operate a camera, good camera movement techniques, types of angles, and how to frame a shot. Third and fourth will be workshops on how to use Final Cut Express, and conventions and techniques for editing. Depending on their interests and prior knowledge I may spend more time on some subjects than others.

Podcast-Week 1
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Wikipedia Assignment-Week 2
I had a heck of a time finding an article I could contribute to, most of them already contained everything I knew on the subject. Eventually I settled on adding volume descriptions to an article about a graphic novel series, Pet Shop of Horrors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pet_Shop_of_Horrors_chapters

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Classroom 2.0 Forum Posting
Classroom 2.0 Forum Posting #1 In this forum topic a teacher was asking how different people run technology clubs. Many members either posted article links or listed specific software and technology they utilized. I talked about my role with the FIRST Team, describing it as a video production club that makes movies on other extracurricular activities the students participate in. Personally I think finding suitable software and hardware tools is the easy part, its determining what you’re going to do in this program, or decide on a strategy for deciding what to do in a given year in the program, that represents the real challenge. []

Classroom 2.0-Forum Posting #2 The topic was how can an art teacher incorporate technology into a classroom, and is that important. People discussed specific software programs and what they do with them, and commenting on how technologies often offer additional options not otherwise available.In my post I commented that part of the issue here is “what is the goal; to help students create their artistic vision, or to prepare them for a professional career in the art industry”. In my experience, many companies in media technology want employees who are familiar with and have used the software tools commonly used in their field. That means being aware of which programs professionals use, and making it a point to teach/learn them. http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:48770?commentId=649749%3AComment%3A423948

Classroom 2.0 Forum Posting #3 The discussion was on the role of a teacher. The original post was that, in the poster’s opinion, the role of the teacher was to guide students to proper resources and activities, and keep them motivated to learn the lesson. This sparked a debate about whether a teacher can teach a student, or whether a teacher provides an opportunity for a student to teach himself. I definitely lean towards the latter. I talked about how I have often felt the primarily goal of a teacher is to help a student learn to teach themselves, because as a student progresses further in the educational system more is expected from the student. In the end, there is a lot to learn, and you have to fill in the gaps on your own. http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/do-teachers-teach-or-do-they?commentId=649749%3AComment%3A423953

Technology and Instructional Strategies
There is a fair amount of overlapping; a game could also be a drill-and-practice, a simulation could be used as a discovery or problem solving method
 * ** Instructional Strategy ** || ** Technology/Media ** ||
 * Presentation || *PowerPoint/Smart Board display showing key points of the presentation.
 * A video/audio clip performing the presentation in a variety of locations. ||
 * Demonstration || *A video clip showing the demonstration.
 * A PowerPoint/Smart Board program which features clickable buttons representing realistic choices; could also be considered a simulation.
 * If it is a mechanical/physical action, miniatures/models could be used to demonstrate something which can’t be performed full size in the classroom. ||
 * Drill-and-Practice || *A website or presentation with questions and clickable answers as buttons.
 * A video/audio clip which prompts the audience to pause the clip after the question is asked, write down their answer, and then resume play to hear the answer and compare.
 * Flashcards or other printed materials, with questions in one section, and answers in another. ||
 * Tutorial || *A webcam or website based tutorial lesson, with live or rapid response input from both parties, or a message board where answers and comments are posted at separate times.
 * Create a presentation which resembles drill-and-practice, but if a student makes a wrong answer the button sends them to a page designed to review the content they are having trouble with. ||
 * Discussion || *Using email, webcams, or forums/message boards, students could discuss a subject with peers regardless of the physical distance between them. ||
 * Cooperative Learning || *A website, such as a wiki, with built in organizational methods, to help students organize their information into a whole. ||
 * Games || *A PowerPoint, Flash, or website could be designed as a game, with buttons as the interface. ||
 * Simulation || A PowerPoint, Flash, or website with photos or realistic digital images of real world situations, with buttons over areas that function as the interface in real life. Students would click a button and see the simulation change, via animation/movie clip, to reflect what would happen if they “did that” in real life. ||
 * Discovery || *Students could be required to use the internet to research a topic of interest.
 * Depending on the subject matter, give the students the tools to experiment and explore the subject. ||
 * Problem Solving || *Students could use the internet to research the problem.
 * A simulation could be created to simulate the problem and separate relevant details from irrelevant elements not included in the simulation. ||

Video Production I: Pre Production Grades 9-12, high school students To teach students the basics of pre production, as part of a 4 unit program to prepare them to make video projects. Students are introduced to audience analysis and the importance of storyboarding and planning the project out. They are introduced to types of camera movement and camera shots, how to set them up and how they are often interpreted. Students learn a little about size, location, and color, and they are introduced to the two basic types of videos; montage and narrative. Students are shown examples and asked to discuss and evaluate them. At the end of the unit they will be required to demonstrate their understanding by making a video. I am creating a PowerPoint with image and video examples, as well as key concepts and terms, to use in conjunction with my lesson. I am also going to create a wiki with pages containing additional information on various aspects of video production. I teach the students the material as a group. I show them an example and offer them my thoughts and evaluation, then ask them to discuss another example. At the end of a section or topic I ask them if they have any questions or comments, if they’d like to take a break. At the end of the session we begin working on the pre-production phase of the project. The PowerPoint I am creating, example images and video clips, diagrams Students are evaluated based on their participation in group discussion and by their contribution to the video project.
 * Activity Title**
 * Grade Level-Range**
 * Purpose**
 * Description**
 * Activity Preparation**
 * Activity Procedure**
 * Tools and Resources**
 * Assessment**

Wikipedia Assignment Week 3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_dragons

**Let's Practice 1-Scavenger Hunt**
1.) Aside from the director, actors, and the camera operator(s), name the 9 people most frequently found on a film location? Answer: _

URL: _

2.) Many Hollywood films have a black and white slate clapper appear in front of the camera prior to “action”. What is its purpose? Why is it no longer necessary in many film productions? Answer: _

URL: _

3.) What are two types of editing? Answer: _

URL: _

4.) Excluding “surround sound”, what are the two basic types of audio content? Answer: _

URL: _

5.) Why would the same image/video look different on a computer screen and a TV screen? Answer: _

URL: _

6.) What is the difference between NTSC and PAL? Answer: _

URL: _

7.) Name the oldest computer based editing program? Answer: _

URL: _

8.) What is the 4 letter and 4 number code which is synonymous with Firewire? Answer: _

URL: _

9.) What are the 3 types of Firewire cable? Answer: _ _ __URL:__ ___

Let's Practice 2-5 Sites
Topic: Film Editing

12 Tips for Better Film Editing URL: http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/12-tips-for-better-film-editing/ This site includes a copyright and author name at the bottom of the article. It also features other pages which offer additional articles and an "About Me" page labeled Oliver Peters. Reading the article itself, I found no spelling or grammar mistakes, and the content made sense in light of prior knowledge I have learned.

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock URL: http://www.borgus.com/think/hitch.htm This site included the author's name, contact info, and a brief description of his education and background as proof of his knowledge on the subject. He also provided a list of sources he used. The article itself contained no spelling or grammar mistakes. In instances where the article covered topics I was already familiar with, the content agreed with my prior knowledge.

"Film Editing v0.2" URL: http://kino-eye.com/drafts/Film_Editing_v0.2.pdf This article did not include much information about the other, though it did include the author's name. If you reduce the url to "kino-eye.com" you are taken to a site with extensive content on film production and editing. At the beginning of the article the author thoroughly explains his sources and remarks that this article is a draft and "work in progress". The fact that he goes to these lengths, along with the quality of his content, make me inclined to believe he knows what he's talking about.

Exhibits Collection -- Cinema URL: http://www.learner.org/interactives/cinema/index.html This web address has a ".org" ending, which is not used by individuals but organizations. The site includes a FAQ and About Us section which explains who the organization is and what their purpose is. The content itself does not contain any spelling or grammar mistakes. The quality of the material, in addition to the previously stated reasons, suggest that this is a trustworthy site.

Film Analysis (Yale Film Studies) URL: http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/ This site is maintained by the Yale University. Each article includes a date when the entry was last modified and a copyright. The site's content is certified by the entire Yale Film Studies Program. The articles also do not contain any spelling or grammar mistakes. Lastly, in instances where the articles cover topics I am already familiar with, the information in the article matches what I learned.

Website URL 1.) Does the website address end in ".com" or ".edu"? If the web address ends in ".edu" that is a good indication that the site is trustworthy. That does not mean ".com" means the site is untrustworthy. Some ".com" sites are untrustworthy, but not all.

2.) Is the website part of a well known informational/educational organization, i.e. the Discovery Network, NBC, ABC? Websites run by major organizations who specialize in information are more likely to be reliable.

Author & Copyright 3.) Can you determine who wrote the article/content? Is the author's name clearly stated? Is there a means of contacting the author? Most creditable authors on a subject include their name, partly to confirm that they know what they are talking about, and partly to claim credit. If there is no author/name, the article/content is less likely to be creditable.

4.) If you do a search for the author's name, does anything come up? If you cannot find information on the author elsewhere on the net, the author may not be well known, and therefore less creditable.

5.) Is there a copyright date? Most professional authors copyright their material.

Purpose & Content 6.) Reading the content of the site, would you describe the content as an informational article, an advertisement, or a personal statement?

7.) Is the author trying to convince you of something? Are they trying to persuade you to agree with them, or convince you to pay money for a product or service? If the answer is yes, the site is not creditable.

8.) Looking at the language of the content, does the author use pronouns like "I" and "you" often? If he does, the site may be less creditable. People often use pronouns when they are discussing opinions.

9.) Reading through the article/content, do you notice any grammar or spelling mistakes? If the answer is yes, the site is not very creditable. Most professionals take the time to proof read and correct any mistakes.

10.) Reading through the article/content, does the information make sense? Does it contradict what you already learned from other creditable sources? If the answer is yes, the site may not be very creditable. Compare the articles/content from different sites and see if the authors agree or disagree.

Let's Practice 6-Statement of Proper Internet Use
1.) Internet use is for educational purposes, not entertainment. 2.) Internet access is a privilege, it can be revoked. 3.) Sites can be created by anyone. Do not assume the information is accurate. 4.) Do not offer personal information to a website. 5.) When researching a subject, start with sites you are familiar with, sites you know you can trust. 6.) Internet use is not for downloading or uploading files. 7.) Do not open several web pages at the same time. It slows things down. 8.) Do not cite message boards as a source of information. 9.) If you are having trouble or think something is wrong with the computer, ask an adult. Do not attempt to fix the problem yourself. 10.) Do not print out pages from the internet. Copy down the URL web address on paper or email it to yourself. 11.) When you are done close the internet browser.

Let's Practice 7-Web Quest
I would create a web quest on the crew roles and positions on a film set. Students would read a brief introduction on the different roles and decide which role they wanted to research. Hopefully there would be enough students for each role to be represented. Among other things I would ask them to answer a few specific questions:

What are your responsibilities? What tools and equipment do you use? What skills and knowledge would you need to accomplish your duties? As a group, determine which positions would work with each other frequently? If one of the other positions was absent, how would that affect your role?

I might try simulating an on set experience where they each carry out their roles, and then ask them to write about the experience, and which position they would want after learning a bit more about the role and responsibilities.

Let's Practice 9-Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
There's definitely an impressive array of resources on the site. I was impressed by the video subject searches. They offer the ability to search for video content based on a variety of subjects. They even had a site on the process of making a movie, though in some areas the site resorted to simply listing terms, rather than creating a progressive lesson that introduced the concepts. The most remarkable thing about this site is not any one resource, but the simple abundance of different resources, many of which turn out to be their own list of instructional tools. If one doesn't serve your purpose, there are plenty more to choose from.

Let's Practice #5-Internet Filtering
I think filtering the internet would be a bad idea. If the government filtered the internet for all; that would severely limit the freedom of many people. In effect, there would be no way for adults to experience content deemed inappropriate for children, or offensive to others. You can limit where, when, and how someone can do or experience something, but to take away any opportunity at all is a very dangerous thing to do. Also, if the government did choose to filter the internet, consider how much work would be involved in that. The internet is a vast multitude of sites, with new pages being created and existing pages being modified constantly. The sheer volume of content which “someone” would have to review and “judge” would be monstrous. Also, someone would have to create a method of determining what should be filtered out, a method that did not rely on the personal opinion of the individual judging a specific page or site. The task would require a lot of man hours and resources, and it is very likely that people would find ways around the filters. Internet safety is a complex issue, in no small part because we live in such a law-full time. There are many moral and social reasons for and against filtering websites, but I also think you have to consider the circumstances under which these filters are being applied. I think a law requiring schools to filter their internet is perfectly valid. Otherwise the school could open itself up to legal prosecution. Should the government filter the internet in general, for all, I would argue not for content. Filter the internet to prevent viruses and other computer infectious programs, but not for content. It is true that some people might be offended by what they might find on the internet. It’s also true that children might be troubled by what they might find, but there is another component involved in this issue. In videos, audio files, images, the written and spoken word, and “acts”, we have laws limiting where one can do these things. We put down laws that say the provider of the video, audio, image, or text material, must ensure that the people obtaining or experiencing the material are of age. We limit what someone can do in public, but not in private. The problem is the internet is a public forum that is privately viewed. Any form of age restriction can easily be overcome because it is a simple matter of “having the right answer”. Therefore I would argue that responsibility for filtering content rests with the individual who provides a child with internet access. If a person is old enough to purchase and provide their own internet access, and uses it in the privacy of their own home, it is their responsibility to choose carefully what content they explore.