There are some amazing games that are able to be used in order to get students to spend time with aspects of theatrical design that seem complicated. Sound and lighting design are conceptually difficult to understand to those who are new to it. The scope and size of a lighting design and lighting theory are not easy to grasp without seeing it. Trying to manipulate hundreds of lights, circut them, gel them and focusing them is a task that takes a few people days. The one thing that I would find useful is a game app that would give the power of design to the kids on their own time.
The lighting design app I would use is Lighting Designer.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lighting-designer/id511366142?mt=8
I know that having kids go and use these tools/games makes the application part of lighting design much easier to grasp. I remember in college when I had to go and plot and focus a black box worth of lights with trial and error to see how my ideas work. Now the kids can plot and focus in the ipad without the difficulty of climbing a ladder. Awesome.
For sound design I would have the students use Voco.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lighting-designer/id511366142?mt=8
This app lets the students manipulate sound files through manipulation of the screen. It will get the ideas in a fun way of how you can make new and exciting designs from sounds and songs you already know. I think that with games and tools like these kids have such an advantage to create and produce. The challenge of creativity is no longer constrained by the physical restraints of your equipment. The Voco app allows you to completely change and play with any sound you sing, find, or buy. I cannot wait to get the kids on this in the fall.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Flipped My Classroom
The Flipped classroom. I have for the past few years been in conversations with other teachers about whether it is the best way for instruction to "flip" their classroom to better facilitate learning for their students. I have always enjoyed the conversation about flipping and as an English teacher found it hard to get my head around. I have gone through the different years I was a student and tried to put myself into my current student's shoes. What does a flipped classroom ask them do to? They are to learn specific material at home through video or some other resource and then come back into the classroom for enrichment or help about the content they should be now familiar? Part of me has thought we demanded this of our students for decades. Assigning reading and work at home before we have the kids come in and work on the material. For me, I demand this of my students especially when I have them read a novel. It is almost impossible to effectively teach a novel without them having read it first. So, how do I continue to foster this trend of placing more technology into my classroom and flip my novels? Do I create small summary videos that break down each chapter and have a quiz at the end? Do I read sections of the chapter that I find important and have them pick a line or two and bring them back for class tomorrow? Should I make cartoons of the chapters and that way the kids can be entertained by the doodles so they know what the book is about?
The best way I have thought to do this is that my flipped video content shouldn't be about the novel at all. I as a flipped classroom teacher must think about the things I want to talk about in class around the book and present those in the videos. I need to establish the thematic content and present materials that extent those connections to other works. That way the students can then be prepared in class with their own connections they find online or otherwise. This prepares the kids with ammunition for discussion that they otherwise would never have had. The main difference I needed to get over is the suprise factor. I used to think that the discussions and the stories I would tell in class needed to be secret. I have found, going back to my Mass Com movie research, that the kids want to be teased about what will happen in class so they don't want to miss it. I still get to have the kids talk to each other about the book and the themes we need to discuss. And now the kids are much more engaged in the process. I am able to add the clips and videos they find to the collection to share in future lessons.
Technology - I think that when my school is preparing for the "formal" introduction of flipped classrooms the kids will take to it easily. The difference is that the teachers need to rearrange what and how they think in lesson prep. They will have to be comfortable with the kids being at times more quiet and doing work on their own. The best thing about the teachers who are in on the flipped classrooms is that they get dedicated computers and first step tech support. I cannot think of anyone who wouldn't want that. The trend I see with this and all new initiatives coming down, the days of shutting your classroom door and just doing work with the kids are growing old and antiquated.
I have chosen this 6 word phrase to characterize my view of the flipped classroom. I wanted to ensure that the students know that they will need to use technology to move their work forward and together. The focus in the 21st century learning about the need to collaborate with many different types of people will be one of the aspects of my flipped classroom. Even though the technology of a truck is older the advancements on how to use them effectively needs someone who is skilled and ready to adapt to changes.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7081.pdf
http://www.flippedclassroom.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7996379/Daniel-Pinks-Think-Tank-Flip-thinking-the-new-buzz-word-sweeping-the-US.html
The best way I have thought to do this is that my flipped video content shouldn't be about the novel at all. I as a flipped classroom teacher must think about the things I want to talk about in class around the book and present those in the videos. I need to establish the thematic content and present materials that extent those connections to other works. That way the students can then be prepared in class with their own connections they find online or otherwise. This prepares the kids with ammunition for discussion that they otherwise would never have had. The main difference I needed to get over is the suprise factor. I used to think that the discussions and the stories I would tell in class needed to be secret. I have found, going back to my Mass Com movie research, that the kids want to be teased about what will happen in class so they don't want to miss it. I still get to have the kids talk to each other about the book and the themes we need to discuss. And now the kids are much more engaged in the process. I am able to add the clips and videos they find to the collection to share in future lessons.
Technology - I think that when my school is preparing for the "formal" introduction of flipped classrooms the kids will take to it easily. The difference is that the teachers need to rearrange what and how they think in lesson prep. They will have to be comfortable with the kids being at times more quiet and doing work on their own. The best thing about the teachers who are in on the flipped classrooms is that they get dedicated computers and first step tech support. I cannot think of anyone who wouldn't want that. The trend I see with this and all new initiatives coming down, the days of shutting your classroom door and just doing work with the kids are growing old and antiquated.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7081.pdf
http://www.flippedclassroom.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7996379/Daniel-Pinks-Think-Tank-Flip-thinking-the-new-buzz-word-sweeping-the-US.html
Thursday, July 17, 2014
iPad is the ONE
The courses I enjoy focusing the most on are my Mass Communication courses. I am able to walk through the beginning of the Radio Age through the modern social media construct with all of the communication models and extra stuff in between. I focus very heavily on students creating professional projects that are creative and use modern technology. I unfortunately don't have enough technology for all of the students to use all at the same time. For this reason I have researched the most complete and user friendly device that I would recommend for my students.
Apple iPhone or iPad - I don't recognize a difference other than size. And who really wants to be judged by that.
The decision to use the ipad product is simple in the fact that they can do it all. It is the most complete and portable device that can film, edit and upload to our server. The challenge with this is that they are expensive to provide one for every student. That is why it would be best to permit each student to bring in their own personal device. This is useful so that the student may continue to work on their projects outside of class and become a 24/7 enabled student.
The support that the kids will receive will be online as well as in the classroom. The videos created online to serve as tutorials will allow each student to advance at their own pace. The faculty would not need to have any additional support because they will be able to use the same videos to learn how the software/apps work. The only challenge is that we need to ensure that there is a proper pathway to upload the finished projects onto the media server in the school. iPads will not upload onto a server so there must be a computer link to connect to.
The students will be able to have an all in one studio in their ipad devices. I think that with the ease of use and the attachments available the kids will be able to produce high quality videos without the need of high priced editors. Avid systems or Adobe Premier systems range from $4,000 - $5000 with all the hardware and software. Also they need to have cameras that could range from $500 to $1,500. The students can get high definition video and state of the art editing support with the ipad or iphone. And since it is their own device it will not cost the district much at all. There are other devices that can do the same thing but most are not supported by our schools network. I have had students bring in their own chrome books. They are not powerful enough to do the editing and the software is ineffective. Other cell phones and tablets are able to compare to the ipad but for the purpose of this proposal I am confirming my support for the ipad. I would recommend that there is a collection of additional school owned devices to support those students without their own personal device.
Resources:
Evans, D. (August 2013) What is BYOD and Why is it Important?. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/what-is-byod-and-why-is-it-important--1175088
Ludlow, D. (July 2014) How to Shoot Better Video on your iPad or iPhone. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/ipads/8055/how-to-shoot-better-video-on-your-ipad-and-iphone
Shanklin, W. (May 2014) Microsoft Surface Versus iPad Air. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.gizmag.com/ipad-air-vs-surface-pro-3/32203/
Apple iPhone or iPad - I don't recognize a difference other than size. And who really wants to be judged by that.
The decision to use the ipad product is simple in the fact that they can do it all. It is the most complete and portable device that can film, edit and upload to our server. The challenge with this is that they are expensive to provide one for every student. That is why it would be best to permit each student to bring in their own personal device. This is useful so that the student may continue to work on their projects outside of class and become a 24/7 enabled student.
The support that the kids will receive will be online as well as in the classroom. The videos created online to serve as tutorials will allow each student to advance at their own pace. The faculty would not need to have any additional support because they will be able to use the same videos to learn how the software/apps work. The only challenge is that we need to ensure that there is a proper pathway to upload the finished projects onto the media server in the school. iPads will not upload onto a server so there must be a computer link to connect to.
The students will be able to have an all in one studio in their ipad devices. I think that with the ease of use and the attachments available the kids will be able to produce high quality videos without the need of high priced editors. Avid systems or Adobe Premier systems range from $4,000 - $5000 with all the hardware and software. Also they need to have cameras that could range from $500 to $1,500. The students can get high definition video and state of the art editing support with the ipad or iphone. And since it is their own device it will not cost the district much at all. There are other devices that can do the same thing but most are not supported by our schools network. I have had students bring in their own chrome books. They are not powerful enough to do the editing and the software is ineffective. Other cell phones and tablets are able to compare to the ipad but for the purpose of this proposal I am confirming my support for the ipad. I would recommend that there is a collection of additional school owned devices to support those students without their own personal device.
Resources:
Evans, D. (August 2013) What is BYOD and Why is it Important?. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/what-is-byod-and-why-is-it-important--1175088
Ludlow, D. (July 2014) How to Shoot Better Video on your iPad or iPhone. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/ipads/8055/how-to-shoot-better-video-on-your-ipad-and-iphone
Shanklin, W. (May 2014) Microsoft Surface Versus iPad Air. Retrieved July 16.
http://www.gizmag.com/ipad-air-vs-surface-pro-3/32203/
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Breaking down the AUP
Breaking down the AUP for my school district is not going to be as easy as I thought. I have spent time in meetings and subgroups to discuss how we work with the polices and procedures placed into our AUP.
The best use of the AUP would be the following:
Purpose: The district Internet access shall be used in order foster the educational ventures of our students, teachers and parents. The content should only be used for the direct purposes of instruction and the exportation into deeper content available through viable means through the World Wide Web. All content that is not permissible though established law and guidelines will not be permitted to be used in and on district property.
Usage and Privacy: The students, parents and teachers will be cognizant that any and all actions both innocent and deliberate will be monitored and subject to administrative review. If specific and malicious attempts to undermine the content and security of the network shall be subject to administrative review and subject to involvement with law enforcement.
Responsibility: Any and all individuals who are on the network, individual equipment, and interacting with others on the network must be good citizens in this environment. Correct language, etiquette, and respect must be demonstrated by every member of the community to all other members of the community.
I think from the discussion with the gentleman about the security of their school's network is exactly what I think when I speak about network security and filtering at my district. In the past couple years we have made a shift from dead blocking into a system where the individual teacher will be able to permit sites with their own pass code. I was never a fan of being denied access to a site that I thought was useful by someone who does not teach what I do and would, in my opinion, lose at a debate of its validity. I am glad to see the shift to putting the teachers in charge of reviewing material and choosing to bypass the system for the 90 minutes or so. I understand that there may some people who could lose sight of realistic expectations of what they think is appropriate and the system does have a level that cannot be passed.
The one policy that makes me frustrated is that all devices the students may bring in must be over 7 inches. Smaller than that makes them illegal and not permissible under our AUP. I am against the thought that just because the device is smaller that it is going to be used in a negative way. I know that cell phones are not permitted. They are all small. They cannot overturn that policy. Therefore any device under 7 must not be. I ask, what if a kid doesn't have something bigger. They can do the same work on their phone. Why not let them? Is it because they can be on their own cell network and we cannot verify what they are doing? Devices over 7 can do the same thing. So what? Why are we disqualifying students from access when we don't have to?
I think that we are making decisions in a vacuum from what is necessary in the classroom. Being a member of the district committee on technology I can see that the administration has an idea of where they want the district to go. They may listen to the teachers in the classroom in our round table, breakout sessions but they don't really take into account what we need. I am by no means the utmost authority on technology but I do listen to the frustration of teachers who need simple solutions without the policy read to them as the answer.
The best use of the AUP would be the following:
Purpose: The district Internet access shall be used in order foster the educational ventures of our students, teachers and parents. The content should only be used for the direct purposes of instruction and the exportation into deeper content available through viable means through the World Wide Web. All content that is not permissible though established law and guidelines will not be permitted to be used in and on district property.
Usage and Privacy: The students, parents and teachers will be cognizant that any and all actions both innocent and deliberate will be monitored and subject to administrative review. If specific and malicious attempts to undermine the content and security of the network shall be subject to administrative review and subject to involvement with law enforcement.
Responsibility: Any and all individuals who are on the network, individual equipment, and interacting with others on the network must be good citizens in this environment. Correct language, etiquette, and respect must be demonstrated by every member of the community to all other members of the community.
I think from the discussion with the gentleman about the security of their school's network is exactly what I think when I speak about network security and filtering at my district. In the past couple years we have made a shift from dead blocking into a system where the individual teacher will be able to permit sites with their own pass code. I was never a fan of being denied access to a site that I thought was useful by someone who does not teach what I do and would, in my opinion, lose at a debate of its validity. I am glad to see the shift to putting the teachers in charge of reviewing material and choosing to bypass the system for the 90 minutes or so. I understand that there may some people who could lose sight of realistic expectations of what they think is appropriate and the system does have a level that cannot be passed.
The one policy that makes me frustrated is that all devices the students may bring in must be over 7 inches. Smaller than that makes them illegal and not permissible under our AUP. I am against the thought that just because the device is smaller that it is going to be used in a negative way. I know that cell phones are not permitted. They are all small. They cannot overturn that policy. Therefore any device under 7 must not be. I ask, what if a kid doesn't have something bigger. They can do the same work on their phone. Why not let them? Is it because they can be on their own cell network and we cannot verify what they are doing? Devices over 7 can do the same thing. So what? Why are we disqualifying students from access when we don't have to?
I think that we are making decisions in a vacuum from what is necessary in the classroom. Being a member of the district committee on technology I can see that the administration has an idea of where they want the district to go. They may listen to the teachers in the classroom in our round table, breakout sessions but they don't really take into account what we need. I am by no means the utmost authority on technology but I do listen to the frustration of teachers who need simple solutions without the policy read to them as the answer.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Curation and the YouTube Effect
When given the opportunity to choose the best curation the most difficult aspect of sharing my resources to my students is that they are almost all videos. Even my power points are able to be viewed in video format. The students want to be able to access the information quickly and use it at their own discretion. The availability of you tube's channel make it the most interesting tool to use for my courses next year.
Permit me to set up what I plan to do:
My mass communication and theater courses almost always have visual components to explain a concept or vocabulary term Why not offer these in video format. The discussion of flipping a classroom is not new in the English world. We almost always have asked the students to review material at home and then discuss it in class and work through any issues that may come up. So asking the students to review a segment of videos would be perfectly normal. Also, examples of any material or project would be available as well.
The reason this is the best choice is because everything else I have used needed to be changed. YouTube has been the standard for video content online for years. This simple method of uploading content accessible to everyone or not is grandma user proof. It is permissible though my districts AUP and it doesn't take up any server space. A big problem I had in the past.
The best reason that I can have for utilizing this resource is that I don't have to create the content. I can link or subscribe to other channels on YouTube and the students can have a direct link to professionals or student work, if they wish to share. One of the most exciting parts of using this resource is that the students can push and make the content as advanced as they desire. The kids I have in these courses want to do the work and find materials that push their ideas further. I have always wanted the kids to help teach the new kids. YouTube will enable both the kids and myself to continuously add content and link through key words to other content of the like. It is not often that the students are able to keep linking to material from one resource to the other. They are getting used to feedback like, if you liked this, you will love this. The more content they get in their face, the more time the will spend on working until the find the solution to their problems.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ParklandPr0ductions
This is the beginning of the channel: To be continued...
Permit me to set up what I plan to do:
My mass communication and theater courses almost always have visual components to explain a concept or vocabulary term Why not offer these in video format. The discussion of flipping a classroom is not new in the English world. We almost always have asked the students to review material at home and then discuss it in class and work through any issues that may come up. So asking the students to review a segment of videos would be perfectly normal. Also, examples of any material or project would be available as well.
The reason this is the best choice is because everything else I have used needed to be changed. YouTube has been the standard for video content online for years. This simple method of uploading content accessible to everyone or not is grandma user proof. It is permissible though my districts AUP and it doesn't take up any server space. A big problem I had in the past.
The best reason that I can have for utilizing this resource is that I don't have to create the content. I can link or subscribe to other channels on YouTube and the students can have a direct link to professionals or student work, if they wish to share. One of the most exciting parts of using this resource is that the students can push and make the content as advanced as they desire. The kids I have in these courses want to do the work and find materials that push their ideas further. I have always wanted the kids to help teach the new kids. YouTube will enable both the kids and myself to continuously add content and link through key words to other content of the like. It is not often that the students are able to keep linking to material from one resource to the other. They are getting used to feedback like, if you liked this, you will love this. The more content they get in their face, the more time the will spend on working until the find the solution to their problems.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ParklandPr0ductions
This is the beginning of the channel: To be continued...
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Introduction
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