I have wanted to learn how to edit the school website for a while, and I have enjoyed getting the opportunity to do so over the past few weeks. It has been interesting to get to use the program during the last few classes, and I am finding that I already understand how to use Sitecore because it is so simple. Sitecore is similar to Microsoft Word, which makes it extremely easy to use.
I am enjoying my time spent in class learning Sitecore, but I would like to be taught at a much faster pace. I already understand how to load media files onto my page, so I don't feel like I need to be taught those parts of the program. In January, I want to learn the advanced areas of Sitecore, and get into the details of the program. I also would like to start working on actual pages on the school site, because I feel that I understand the basics well enough to start helping teachers with their pages.
One question I have is whether or not our work will have to be approved once we start working on pages of the school site. I assume that teachers don't have to have someone approve their work, and I would hope that if I was given access to various pages on the school site that I would be trusted to not post inappropriate content. I would prefer to not have to go through the approval state when we start working on actual pages on the Windsor site.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Design 44 Technology Fair
I wanted to make a post talking about the trip to Westview Elementary, and our class' booth at the Design 44 Technology Fair there. I enjoyed working on the Three Little Pigs Flash movie that we showed at the event, and I was happy with the response it got. I thought that our booth was definitely the best one there, but there were others with interesting projects as well. I have read the Digital Expressions book that we were given at the fair, and there are some interesting projects inside. Hopefully, we will be able to help put together the next book.
After meeting some teachers at the Westview event, and speaking to teachers I know from other schools, I have a much clearer idea of what they are looking for. I hope that we will get a chance to work with the students and staff at the elementary schools soon.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Bridge Studios Field Trip
I wanted to post some of my ideas about our field trip to Bridge Studios on October 15, 2007. I have gone by movie studios like Lions Gate and the Vancouver Film Studios often, but I have always wondered what the sets looked like and how things were run inside. It was definitely an interesting experience to be able to tour through the different stages and see the massive sets. I am not a fan of science fiction shows, but I was still able to appreciate the work that goes into producing a show like that.
It was cool to see the people working in the editing rooms with several computers screens using Final Cut to edit scenes from the show. I would like to get Final Cut into the school, but I assume it wouldn't be until after I graduate. I would love to get an opportunity to use Final Cut in class regardless, if there was a way for the district to get us a laptop to work with. We should get one really great computer for editing movies; maybe we can use one at the district if they can't get one for the class.
I would have liked to have seen people filming one of the shows live, just to see how the sets look while they are filming. It didn't seem like some of them looked real enough when we went through, so it would have been cool to see how everything looks as it is being filmed.
I had a great time on the field trip to Bridge Studios. Thanks so much to Ms. Kish for organizing everything for us!
It was cool to see the people working in the editing rooms with several computers screens using Final Cut to edit scenes from the show. I would like to get Final Cut into the school, but I assume it wouldn't be until after I graduate. I would love to get an opportunity to use Final Cut in class regardless, if there was a way for the district to get us a laptop to work with. We should get one really great computer for editing movies; maybe we can use one at the district if they can't get one for the class.
I would have liked to have seen people filming one of the shows live, just to see how the sets look while they are filming. It didn't seem like some of them looked real enough when we went through, so it would have been cool to see how everything looks as it is being filmed.
I had a great time on the field trip to Bridge Studios. Thanks so much to Ms. Kish for organizing everything for us!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Telling a Story with Technology
Nic and I are working together on this project. We are planning to create a Flash movie based on the story "The Three Little Pigs", with certain areas of the plot changed.
Story
We chose "The Three Little Pigs" because it is an easily recognizable children's story, and its plot is understood by almost everyone. This story is also extremely versatile, so we can change certain areas of the plot significantly without detracting from the main storyline.
Plot
The plot will follow a similar storyline to the original story, but we will definitely make significant changes to the plot. The three pigs will be bloggers, and each one will write a better blog than the last. The wolf will be a blog reader who reads each of the blogs and goes to the pigs' houses to protest.
Technology
When Nic and I discussed which form of technology we would use to create our project, we thought about Flash or a movie-making program. We considered making a slideshow either on Flash or Powerpoint, which is good because it gives the reader a way to interact with the story. We also talked about using a movie-making program to create a stop-motion movie of the story. At this point in time, we are making a Flash movie to tell our story.
Story
We chose "The Three Little Pigs" because it is an easily recognizable children's story, and its plot is understood by almost everyone. This story is also extremely versatile, so we can change certain areas of the plot significantly without detracting from the main storyline.
Plot
The plot will follow a similar storyline to the original story, but we will definitely make significant changes to the plot. The three pigs will be bloggers, and each one will write a better blog than the last. The wolf will be a blog reader who reads each of the blogs and goes to the pigs' houses to protest.
Technology
When Nic and I discussed which form of technology we would use to create our project, we thought about Flash or a movie-making program. We considered making a slideshow either on Flash or Powerpoint, which is good because it gives the reader a way to interact with the story. We also talked about using a movie-making program to create a stop-motion movie of the story. At this point in time, we are making a Flash movie to tell our story.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Blogs
The Impact of Blogs
Since blogs were invented in the 1990s, their use in modern culture has become widespread, attracting the attention of millions of Internet users. Political campaigns have utilized their ability to reach vast numbers of people in order to create interest in their candidate. Journalists create their own blogs on the stories that they publish online or in a newspaper. At any given time, you can go online to find the latest entertainment news on blogs written by those in the industry. I believe that blogs are effective communication tools, and they can be extremely useful in everyday life, as long as the dangers of publicly posting informations are considered.
The Culture of Blogs
As there are millions of people who use blogs every day, there is a tremendous amount of diversity amongst these bloggers. Blogs help to blur the lines between races, sexes, and religious beliefs. In particular, I think that blogs have had a large impact on teen culture, and the ways that teens communicate. There are millions of teens who write blogs, and post information about themselves on popular websites like Myspace and Facebook. Many people choose to write about what interests them, while others blog about their feelings at any given time. One new development in blogs is lifecasting, where ordinary people film themselves 24 hours a day and post the videos online for anyone to see. In my opinion, these forms of communication are interesting, but there are significant dangers involved.
The Danger of Blogs
The diversity amongst the people who write and read blogs is huge, which naturally means that there will be some bad people in the group. Sex offenders and criminals easily create accounts on Myspace and Facebook, and attempt to add people into their group of friends so that they can access their account information. If one of these people was able to hack into someone's account, they would gain access to hundreds of posts, videos, and pictures of that person and their friends. Governments and companies who run these websites have collaborated to remove many of the people with criminal records, but there are thousands who have gotten past these restrictions. I believe that as long as you are careful not to post any information about yourself online in a blog, and you are aware of the dangers of blogging, that blogs can be helpful in your life.
Since blogs were invented in the 1990s, their use in modern culture has become widespread, attracting the attention of millions of Internet users. Political campaigns have utilized their ability to reach vast numbers of people in order to create interest in their candidate. Journalists create their own blogs on the stories that they publish online or in a newspaper. At any given time, you can go online to find the latest entertainment news on blogs written by those in the industry. I believe that blogs are effective communication tools, and they can be extremely useful in everyday life, as long as the dangers of publicly posting informations are considered.
The Culture of Blogs
As there are millions of people who use blogs every day, there is a tremendous amount of diversity amongst these bloggers. Blogs help to blur the lines between races, sexes, and religious beliefs. In particular, I think that blogs have had a large impact on teen culture, and the ways that teens communicate. There are millions of teens who write blogs, and post information about themselves on popular websites like Myspace and Facebook. Many people choose to write about what interests them, while others blog about their feelings at any given time. One new development in blogs is lifecasting, where ordinary people film themselves 24 hours a day and post the videos online for anyone to see. In my opinion, these forms of communication are interesting, but there are significant dangers involved.
The Danger of Blogs
The diversity amongst the people who write and read blogs is huge, which naturally means that there will be some bad people in the group. Sex offenders and criminals easily create accounts on Myspace and Facebook, and attempt to add people into their group of friends so that they can access their account information. If one of these people was able to hack into someone's account, they would gain access to hundreds of posts, videos, and pictures of that person and their friends. Governments and companies who run these websites have collaborated to remove many of the people with criminal records, but there are thousands who have gotten past these restrictions. I believe that as long as you are careful not to post any information about yourself online in a blog, and you are aware of the dangers of blogging, that blogs can be helpful in your life.
Monday, October 1, 2007
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