Sunday, November 14, 2010
Graphic Design, Investigating Ancient Manuscripts
Bold colors and ornate clothing left me with an initial feeling that I was looking at something important. Both images place the primary character(s) in the center for easy detection. Repetition is evident in both images as characters and items are outlined in bold yellow. In both graphics, center alignment is used. Even though Aaron is left of center, his rod balances the image. Eusebius and his student are on opposite sides of the picture, so they balance each other out. With regard to proximity, both graphics show the important symbols close to the people they belong to.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
PSA Post Production
In the pre-production phase of our project, we considered various topics for our PSA. We finally decided on hurricane preparedness for San Jacinto College because we all felt that this project would benefit the most people. We decided to show a newscast scene at the beginning and end of the PSA, and have shots of pertinent websites and information in the middle. Our storyboard informs the faculty and staff of San Jacinto College what to do in case of a hurricane.
Our biggest editing challenge was keeping our time under one minute. We had to cut quite a bit of hurricane footage as well as shorten our opening and closing scenes. I think we could improve our PSA by adding animation graphics and additional live footage. This would be more visually appealing and more entertaining for the viewer. All of our acquired hurricane footage is used under the creative commons license.
Our team used email, a group wiki page, and Skype to collaborate on this project. Each team member contributed equally to the project, and we were all involved and interested in all facets of the production. We experienced very little disagreement, and we utilized each other s unique abilities to make our project the best it could be.
Our biggest editing challenge was keeping our time under one minute. We had to cut quite a bit of hurricane footage as well as shorten our opening and closing scenes. I think we could improve our PSA by adding animation graphics and additional live footage. This would be more visually appealing and more entertaining for the viewer. All of our acquired hurricane footage is used under the creative commons license.
Our team used email, a group wiki page, and Skype to collaborate on this project. Each team member contributed equally to the project, and we were all involved and interested in all facets of the production. We experienced very little disagreement, and we utilized each other s unique abilities to make our project the best it could be.
Friday, September 17, 2010
video conference 9/17/2010
Today's video conference was rather frustrating. It took quite a while to enter the conference, the sound went in and out, and the same questions were being asked repeatedly. I did find out that I need to add a link to our team wiki on my discussion board. I also learned that I supposed to blog about the conference. Participating in a video conference is interesting, and I believe they will become more commonplace in the future. I think the conferences would be more beneficial if the number of participants was reduced. Perhaps conferences could be held by last name(in alphabetical order)A-H on one day, I-O on another day, and P-Z on yet another day. I do think that video conferencing is beneficial, but I don’t think that it should be utilized until we have an application that is powerful enough to handle the load. Perhaps a class wiki might be more advantageous. Questions could be posted by students, and answered by the coaches and/or professors.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Video Editing software reflection
I tested three video editing programs- Windows Moviemaker, Videospin, and Video Thang. I identified windows Moviemaker because it was already installed on my PC, and it is widely known and used. I identified Videospin and Video Thang by doing a Google search for free open source video editing tools. All three programs are very easy to use. Since I have little or no experience with video editing, and I teach younger kids, I wanted to test simple editors for beginners. I found Moviemaker to be very user friendly. I was able to import video and audio easily with the drag and drop feature. Moviemaker has over sixty video transitions that easily added. It also has several video special effects that were fun to experiment with. I used a special effect to make my movie appear old. My film was easily uploaded to a standard .wmv file for play on my computer. Moviemaker will only publish to a .wmv file. I was disappointed to find out that Moviemaker only has one audio track. That means that I was unable to have multiple audio streams at the same time.
This software is great because it is already on most PCs, it is easy to use, and it has nice features. It is definitely not for professionals or advanced users because the features just aren’t there. I know that Moviemaker will be the primary editor that I use in my job because of its ease of use. It is perfect for students’ projects and assignments.
I also tested Videospin by Pinnacle. This program is highly recommended by online reviewers, and it is comparable to Moviemaker. It has the same dread and drop features as Moviemaker, and I could easily import my video. Videospin has over 70 video transitions, and an entire menu of audio effects ranging from crickets to car crashes. Although I was unable to add special effects using the fee version of the software, I was able to have fun with the audio because it features two audio tracks- one for audio effects, and one for music. This is in addition to the audio that is coupled with the video. Another great thing about Videospin is that movies can be published in eleven different formats including .wmv, and videos can be published directly to the web.
I think that I would use this program if I needed to create a school publication that required allot of audio support. Otherwise, I will use Moviemaker.
The last editor that I tested is Vide Thang. This very basic editor is designed for people that want to post simple movies to the web. It is extremely easy to use. It has the same drag and drop feature as the other tow programs, and I was importing video was very easy. The audio features are very basic. It has a single audio track; however, it does allow you import music from your computer easily. This program only has three video transitions, and it does not have any audio or video special effects. Video Thang will publish as an .mpeg file or it can be published directly to the web.
The strengths of this editor are clearly in its simplicity. I was able to create my movie faster than the other two programs. Its weaknesses, however, caused my end product to lack the sophistication of the other two.
I think that this editor could be useful for simple projects that require little editing. When my students want to create video quickly and then share it online, this editor is hard to beat.
This software is great because it is already on most PCs, it is easy to use, and it has nice features. It is definitely not for professionals or advanced users because the features just aren’t there. I know that Moviemaker will be the primary editor that I use in my job because of its ease of use. It is perfect for students’ projects and assignments.
I also tested Videospin by Pinnacle. This program is highly recommended by online reviewers, and it is comparable to Moviemaker. It has the same dread and drop features as Moviemaker, and I could easily import my video. Videospin has over 70 video transitions, and an entire menu of audio effects ranging from crickets to car crashes. Although I was unable to add special effects using the fee version of the software, I was able to have fun with the audio because it features two audio tracks- one for audio effects, and one for music. This is in addition to the audio that is coupled with the video. Another great thing about Videospin is that movies can be published in eleven different formats including .wmv, and videos can be published directly to the web.
I think that I would use this program if I needed to create a school publication that required allot of audio support. Otherwise, I will use Moviemaker.
The last editor that I tested is Vide Thang. This very basic editor is designed for people that want to post simple movies to the web. It is extremely easy to use. It has the same drag and drop feature as the other tow programs, and I was importing video was very easy. The audio features are very basic. It has a single audio track; however, it does allow you import music from your computer easily. This program only has three video transitions, and it does not have any audio or video special effects. Video Thang will publish as an .mpeg file or it can be published directly to the web.
The strengths of this editor are clearly in its simplicity. I was able to create my movie faster than the other two programs. Its weaknesses, however, caused my end product to lack the sophistication of the other two.
I think that this editor could be useful for simple projects that require little editing. When my students want to create video quickly and then share it online, this editor is hard to beat.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Coping with peer pressure- my personal digital story reflection
Creating this story brought back memories for me both good and bad. Every time I watch it, it evokes emotions in me that I haven’t felt in a long time. The process of creating the story was smooth and efficient once I had my idea and storyboard created. Microsoft Photostory is an easy to use and powerful tool. I like that it takes you through each step one by one, and lets you preview your work as you go along. The music maker feature is also a plus because I did not have to worry about copyright issues. The main thing that I took away from this activity is that digital story telling is a powerful learning tool. I can’t wait to use it with my students, and see the types of stories they create.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
UDL lesson reflection
While creating this lesson, I found that the UDL format requires more detail than a regular lesson plan. These details provide the groundwork for a lesson that allows students to express themselves on many levels, and in a way that suits their individual learning style. I think that the UDL format will replace traditional formats when technology is consistantly available, and teachers are comfortable using it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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