Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=40972d9b9d641614befb
Reflection on Sunshine & Hair:
This was perhaps one of the most difficult things I have had to produce. However, I had to try to tell the story. The production of this video found me laughing, crying, learning and amazing how quickly I picked some editing tools up and how frustrated it can be to storyboard and produce a video of 3-5 minutes.
The idea was the easiest , it seemed. However, I quickly learned the advantage to storyboarding prior to writing. I had so much information that it was hard for me to conceive where I was going.
Oddly enough, I knew where I wanted to begin and end. Getting there in the middle was the most challenging. This adventure gave me a perspective of why and how important it is to have the various different people involved in the production of video or film; the director, the writer, the editor, the cinematographer, and etc.
I was fortunate to sit and talk with a film maker who had a film entered in the Anchorage Film Festival. He gave me some ideas after I had discussed my storyboard. Yet, even after feeling energized by that conversation, when I began to work on the project, it even evolved and grew more.
There was things lost in the editing. Comprises due to time and priority of images. The funny thing is I have taken songs and thrown pictures together and have done what I thought was amazing job on those. However, I learned in this process, the reason that seemed so easy is that the song was the storyboard. Tight and boundaries set. When you are writer and editor and director all in one, there are often internal conflicts of melding images and words and emotions all together.
There were some technical editing glitches that I think will get better with practice. The story is told, but I will continue to search inside myself for a more developed product. One I can send to friends on the anniversary of Snuggles’ passing.
I found the overall production a challenge; emotionally and technically. It was a difficult task at a different time in my personal life (beside the subject matter of the film). I hope that I can continue to find ways to incorporate this technique with my students who are autistic. They have challenges using language to tell their stories, however, the melding of music, small phrases and words and images, may be just what they need to be able to tell their stories.
Reflection on Sunshine & Hair:
This was perhaps one of the most difficult things I have had to produce. However, I had to try to tell the story. The production of this video found me laughing, crying, learning and amazing how quickly I picked some editing tools up and how frustrated it can be to storyboard and produce a video of 3-5 minutes.
The idea was the easiest , it seemed. However, I quickly learned the advantage to storyboarding prior to writing. I had so much information that it was hard for me to conceive where I was going.
Oddly enough, I knew where I wanted to begin and end. Getting there in the middle was the most challenging. This adventure gave me a perspective of why and how important it is to have the various different people involved in the production of video or film; the director, the writer, the editor, the cinematographer, and etc.
I was fortunate to sit and talk with a film maker who had a film entered in the Anchorage Film Festival. He gave me some ideas after I had discussed my storyboard. Yet, even after feeling energized by that conversation, when I began to work on the project, it even evolved and grew more.
There was things lost in the editing. Comprises due to time and priority of images. The funny thing is I have taken songs and thrown pictures together and have done what I thought was amazing job on those. However, I learned in this process, the reason that seemed so easy is that the song was the storyboard. Tight and boundaries set. When you are writer and editor and director all in one, there are often internal conflicts of melding images and words and emotions all together.
There were some technical editing glitches that I think will get better with practice. The story is told, but I will continue to search inside myself for a more developed product. One I can send to friends on the anniversary of Snuggles’ passing.
I found the overall production a challenge; emotionally and technically. It was a difficult task at a different time in my personal life (beside the subject matter of the film). I hope that I can continue to find ways to incorporate this technique with my students who are autistic. They have challenges using language to tell their stories, however, the melding of music, small phrases and words and images, may be just what they need to be able to tell their stories.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Reflection of My Educational Philosophy Project
When it came to producing my first digital storytelling project, My Educational Philosophy, I was somewhat intimidated by the boundary of length. I tend to be verbose and sometimes feel that I am not clear and succinct in my word/phrase choice. Much of my ways of communicating have been fostered and supported by the student populations I serve; in which I often have to repeat myself in different ways in order to best serve the students.
I overcame this challenge by planning via storyboarding my ideas. I considered first what my educational philosophy in one sentence was. How can I portray that sentence with image(s)? Once I expressed that philosophy, I questioned how I could add just two or three sentences to clarify or support that idea.
Images were the next issue. I knew I wanted to honor my work and those students I impact by including them in the video images. So therefore, I had to address the needs of confidentiality and media release forms.
In my media release form, I identified what the purpose of project was, what the representation would entail (identifying ideas developed through storyboard), where it would be published, and whether or not final approval would be required once the video was ready to be posted and shared.
Since, I had some experience thought “playing around” with windows movie maker, I felt less intimidated by using the program. Learning how to splice the sound, I felt like a child at Christmas time receiving that unexpected great gift. However, I had never known the appropriate use of editing tools. I learned through the process to make a sharper clearer project that would express my ideas through visualization with a more professional feel.
As a writer, I am both intrigued and excited about exploring the use of such programs to enhance my writing without distracting than the words and thoughts expressed through the written word. I look forward to taking my new skills and hopefully push myself to write and develop those writings in producing those writings with the theories and practices I am developing through the process of learning how to be a digital storyteller.
As a special education teacher, I often rely on my ability to modify and adapt curriculums and lesson plan activities to address the needs of students. The visual component, the use of technology and the creative elements of digital storytelling will be welcoming tools I utilize in my classroom more. Working with students on the Autism spectrum, the elements on projects like My Educational Philosophy production, will be a way to communicate outside the realm of the standard pencil and paper format.
Being able to communicate ideas with the use of visualizations and even incorporating music, transitional video elements and the like can be a very useful tool to a teacher who utilizes such programs like Board Maker and Picture This. The concept of Digital Storytelling addresses a need for teachers who work with secondary students to bring about more age appropriate tools to be used in the classroom.
I overcame this challenge by planning via storyboarding my ideas. I considered first what my educational philosophy in one sentence was. How can I portray that sentence with image(s)? Once I expressed that philosophy, I questioned how I could add just two or three sentences to clarify or support that idea.
Images were the next issue. I knew I wanted to honor my work and those students I impact by including them in the video images. So therefore, I had to address the needs of confidentiality and media release forms.
In my media release form, I identified what the purpose of project was, what the representation would entail (identifying ideas developed through storyboard), where it would be published, and whether or not final approval would be required once the video was ready to be posted and shared.
Since, I had some experience thought “playing around” with windows movie maker, I felt less intimidated by using the program. Learning how to splice the sound, I felt like a child at Christmas time receiving that unexpected great gift. However, I had never known the appropriate use of editing tools. I learned through the process to make a sharper clearer project that would express my ideas through visualization with a more professional feel.
As a writer, I am both intrigued and excited about exploring the use of such programs to enhance my writing without distracting than the words and thoughts expressed through the written word. I look forward to taking my new skills and hopefully push myself to write and develop those writings in producing those writings with the theories and practices I am developing through the process of learning how to be a digital storyteller.
As a special education teacher, I often rely on my ability to modify and adapt curriculums and lesson plan activities to address the needs of students. The visual component, the use of technology and the creative elements of digital storytelling will be welcoming tools I utilize in my classroom more. Working with students on the Autism spectrum, the elements on projects like My Educational Philosophy production, will be a way to communicate outside the realm of the standard pencil and paper format.
Being able to communicate ideas with the use of visualizations and even incorporating music, transitional video elements and the like can be a very useful tool to a teacher who utilizes such programs like Board Maker and Picture This. The concept of Digital Storytelling addresses a need for teachers who work with secondary students to bring about more age appropriate tools to be used in the classroom.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A Picture Story
September 14, 2008
Dear Snuggles,
I began the day looking through photos. I came across one of you and me looking into each other’s eyes. In every other picture, your eyes were facing the camera or shut while you were sleeping. I was reminded of the saying that "eyes are the mirrors of the soul". Being able to remember via memories and looking into your eyes in those pictures, I had a sense that I could connect into your soul at that moment in time.
Yet, the picture of you and I looking directly into each others eyes, reminded me of so much more. For sixteen years and two months we shared a life together. Through good times/bad times, I had you close by my side. Now as the anniversary of your the fourth month since you physically leaving my side, I can close my eyes and see into your soul. Feeling the love and companionship that still exists today and everyday of our adventures together.
Dear Snuggles,
I began the day looking through photos. I came across one of you and me looking into each other’s eyes. In every other picture, your eyes were facing the camera or shut while you were sleeping. I was reminded of the saying that "eyes are the mirrors of the soul". Being able to remember via memories and looking into your eyes in those pictures, I had a sense that I could connect into your soul at that moment in time.
Yet, the picture of you and I looking directly into each others eyes, reminded me of so much more. For sixteen years and two months we shared a life together. Through good times/bad times, I had you close by my side. Now as the anniversary of your the fourth month since you physically leaving my side, I can close my eyes and see into your soul. Feeling the love and companionship that still exists today and everyday of our adventures together.
Your companion for eternity!
SkipArt
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
1st assignment
a. How would you “grade” or assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?
b. What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?
I speculate that the impacts of the World Wide Web and the technologies that would coincide with the use would probably result in drastic changes in the education system. One possibility might lend itself to move toward a more virtual high school with the use of podcasts to provide distant learning opportunities with the help of technology similar but more advanced then Blackboard and Illuminate. Schools can be more of a social learning opportunity that are designed to promote social and leisure learning activities.
c. How might you use SabrinaJourney as a model for something you would do with your own students?
I would use SabrinaJourney as a model to get students to try to do a memoir write of their own life. I would incorporate it as a history/writing assignment, but bringing it into the new writing genre of digital storytelling. We would examine a time-line of their lives (similar to the one showcased in the video).
Students could compose various informational type of activities and assignments that would look at the process of content and then storyboarding and use of technology to emphasis and support their writing visually and auditorially.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Who Am I
Hello,
My formal name is Arthur B. Cohan III. However, most just call me Skip, among other things. I am a teacher for the Anchorage School District and guide students who have been determined to fall within the Autism spectrum. This is my eleventh year of teaching. My career has allowed me to work with students in Austin (TX), Seattle ( WA) and now Anchorage (AK).
I have taught middle school , k-2 and now high school aged students. I look forward to many more years of teaching,
My formal name is Arthur B. Cohan III. However, most just call me Skip, among other things. I am a teacher for the Anchorage School District and guide students who have been determined to fall within the Autism spectrum. This is my eleventh year of teaching. My career has allowed me to work with students in Austin (TX), Seattle ( WA) and now Anchorage (AK).
I have taught middle school , k-2 and now high school aged students. I look forward to many more years of teaching,
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