Final Mentorship Update!

Here are the posts I have made mentioning my mentorship (hehe, alliteration to the max) either referencing Teryl Magee or Sheri Edwards:

Social Learning Updates: Learning from Others, Quality, and Variety of Interactions.
Others: Final Project Switch with a touch of Mentorship Update, Skype, Magee, and Me, Domo Arigato Animoto, Voicethreading my Storytelling, Skype it Up, and Gettin' Mentorin' Rollin' (in which I have posted a link to my mentorship blog, which contains some student comments)

The students from Sheri's class are using my blog as a resource to help write a final essay. They use their wiki in place of Microsoft Word. Here is one of Sheri's student's wiki page, where they have completed the first assignment, from my blog.

I have not done anything for Teryl's class apart from our Skype call, but I am designing a lesson on rock art for them, but have not created enough time to get it done. I am going to keep working with both of their classes, because I feel I still have a lot more to offer of myself and would love to continue to build my network of teachers!

Social Learning: Learning from Others

Learning from Others

It is impossible to say that I didn't learn from others throughout this course. After all, that is all this course is about: learning how to learn from others. Even each tech task had some foreign element to it, foreign meaning from outside the ECMP 355 class. Online and f2f classes provided us with the opportunity to learn from others through watching instructional/creative videos, experiencing screensharing, listening to guest lectures, and mass information sharing. Here is a highlight about my learning from my classmates:

Dionne's Blog
This post made by Dionne: So What's the Difference?, provided a wonderful opportunity to not only share my learning but to involve myself in a discussion of ideology and personal opinion. Having a family member with a mental illness, a misinterpretation of some of Dionne's language initially upset me. We then began to discuss and exchange information about our stance about mental illness and the justice system in regards to the Greyhound bus incident that occurred last year. The comment thread is loaded with information and mature discussion, so, you should check it out. As well, in this post: Final Project [Project #1 Done], we discussed censorship and learning. I was also able to check out her wiki to see how she worked through it. It is possibly something I would like to try to do in the future. I don't have any ideas yet, for a wiki. I already have my podcasts going, so, maybe I'm good for now?

Podbean
Just the other day, actually, I was reading Tessa's blog about podcasting and she mentioned she uploaded her podcast onto Podbean. After creating my first podcast I received this comment:
gideonburton - "I hope you continue to produce. If you do, then you could turn your audio work into a true podcast (rather than just a downloadable mp3) by embedding it in an RSS feed."
Tessa's method was a perfect way to syndicate my podcast so I created a Podbean account and have started to put up my podcasts: http://erikaspodcast.podbean.com/. Since the music I used was not through creative commons or with permission (oops..) I had to omit it. I also received this comment, which also lead me to make that decision:
Dan - "I wrote a post earlier this year entitled, 'Don't Let Your Students Use Music In Their Video Projects,' the general thrust of which is that students should establish tone and theme through editing and content, using someone else's music only as a last resort."
I realized that my podcast could also work without the music (PERFECT!), so, that is why it is slightly different on the Podbean podcast.

The Animoto Grandiose/Fiasco
At the time we had to create our digital stories, I think I was one of the firsts to post up my videos (inspired after my Skype chat with Teryl). After that a lot of people mentioned me in their posts and I was surprised to see that I (mis)guided others' actions:
Tessa - Frustrated
Amber - Animoto Video
Alej - Story in a Blink
Mickey - Ting bu dong!

Using Amber's Videos for My Mentorship
After chatting with Amber, I am going to use the videos she created for her final project as sources for my mentorship. I am glad my students can learn from her and I don't have to "re-invent the wheel" as Ms. Edwards stated.

Social Learning: Quality

Quality

Erika's Podcast
tjordan - "...you gave me whole new inspiration for what a podcast could be and how they could be used in the classroom. "
jhbest - "I really agree with Tessa. You gave me a whole new way of thinking of podcasts in the classroom. I never would have thought to use them for more than getting facts and information out, or for conducting interviews. "
I thought it funny because using the podcast creatively was the only thing I thought of. Creative expression and art are just such an integral part of my life that I always find a way to incorporate these ideas into my learning. It made me think of all the things I could have done for a podcast: news story, interviews, etc. I should try to make things a lot more simpler for myself but that's just me: always try to be an expert even if I'm new...
gideonburton - "I should get my students to try this!"
I realized how easy (well...sort of) it is to create a podcast. It is something I would really enjoy incorporating into my classroom, too.
Ms Edwards - "I find it fascinating that I identify with your podcast, considering I am a GRAMMA and you are the future..."
It is scary to think that you are the future, that people in the next generation are relying on you to be there: to know and to educate. I also find it interesting that I can connect to someone who is many years my senior, living in Washington, and has been teaching for many years. How else could I have connected with her besides through the web's interconnections? I may only be in my first year but I feel I am already beginning to be moulded into an educator. It is comforting to know that some aspects of my youth will still remain after I begin my teaching career.

Stuck in PreCMP
The responses I received for this post really got me to understand and realize that there is a huge support for people out there for social learning. After I posted this, I was only expecting a little reassurance from Dean but what I found was a huge support of people (I have never met before!) willing to tell me everything was going to be okay. This all a part of this social learning process, connecting and relating:
Mr. H - "Please continue to blog and reflect about your learning. Develop a PLN and use the network to make you a better teacher...Don't give up and continue to be a learner. I learn everyday from my PLN. Thanks for being a blogger and a student that 'get's it'."
M Coleman - "Learning is social, as well - so the tools for learning through your blogging/commenting, podcasting, etc will all benefit you in the future. Keep smiling and keep moving forward - you are off to a great start!"
Richard Schwier - "Keep challenging yourself, keep growing, and at the same time, be patient with yourself. This stuff takes time."
Plus this response from Debbie really got me thinking about why I'm in education in the first place (something that I often wonder about and question my motives for):
Debbie - "So what is it about teaching that draws you to the profession?"

Dionne's Blog
Our back and forth chatter in So What's the Difference? really got me excited about commenting and online learning. As well, in her post: Final Project [Project #1 Done], we discussed censorship and learning.

Final Project: The Run Down
Checking this post out made me think about how I use music in my podcast:
Dan - "I wrote a post earlier this year entitled, 'Don't Let Your Students Use Music In Their Video Projects,' the general thrust of which is that students should establish tone and theme through editing and content, using someone else's music only as a last resort."
Music is such an important aspect of my life, I cannot imagine living without it. Although I can play music (I have my Grade 6 RCM Piano certificate) it is so much easier to rely on others' creations. Maybe my next step is create my own music for my podcasts...hmmm...

Animoto and Voicethread as Digital Storytelling Tools
recommended by both CogDogRoo and Teryl from Knoxville
My mentorship with Teryl encouraged me to go out and discover some different Digital Storytelling tools. It just so happened that it coincided with a presentation we received from CogDogRoo. Although there were 50+ ways to discover, Teryl's class guided my learning (had it not been for that Skype conversation I would have missed out on these tools). Because they are straightforward, I can see how potentially easy it would be to use these in the classroom (as Teryl, obviously, has already figured out).

Social Learning: Frequency and Consistency

Frequency and Consistency

I'll admit to lacking consistency in my responses. Some weeks I would post more or comment more (probably reaching the 5+ "goal") but others I would find myself in a bit of a funk, wanting to remove myself from the computer. (See Variety of Interactions to check out some of my commenting). I also filtered a lot out. I could have written a short meaningless post/comment just to reach the goal but I thought it best to try and remain authentic and not "fluffy." Again, I am new to this and I feel I have made progress but am I proficient, yet? Almost, I think I have made more steps in the past few weeks towards a greater proficiency. Those podcasts (#1 and #2), again, just boosted my enthusiasm for this course and technology. I don't know why, but I have a new energy.

I felt that I kept on top of things (going through my Reader and such) but sometimes didn't always publicize these reactions and create a truely social learning experience. But hindsight's 20/20, right?

Social Learning: Variety of Interactions

Social Learning. I understand its importance, but I have always had the need to do things myself; I try NEVER to ask for help even when I KNOW I desperately need it because I am sure I can formulate the answers. I am stubborn and, occasionally, egocentric (but then again, which artist isn't every once in a while?). I think that is also another problem I have had with this class (as if I hadn't already named a few): I have gotten so used to relying on myself I failed to fully appreciate the access I have to educators from around the world. To sum up: this class essentially got me to do things I have never consistently had done in the past. I can write essays, I can study for midterms, I can ace finals, I can do these things but I almost couldn't do what this class was asking of me: it was almost too foreign.

I feel I have learned a LOT and was able to experience a WIDE variety of perspectives and ideas about teaching and learning, as well as, insights into peoples' personal experiences. Again, as I mentioned in my previous post, I absorbed a lot of knowledge but failed to blog-u-late it. I feel more comfortable keeping it in my notebooks. Somehow the ink on the page relaxes me as I feel it has more permanency and, I guess, security. For some reason I feel comfort keeping a notebook, as if, it is something of my own, shaping my own personal experience, creating something that is unique to me. I still haven't got into the flow of blogging, but I have tried. I feel confident in the small steps I have made (although to me they feel like giant leaps).

In order to tackle each one of these sections thoughtfully I have decided to do four separate posts. Here is a break-down of the variety of interactions I was able to use this semester:

Variety of Interactions


I was able to experience a wide variety of online interactions throughout this semester, stuff I had never done before in my life:

The NEW

1. Writing Blog Posts (Photography 101 and Erika's Blog) - It was amazing to have an instantaneous reaction to your ideas and thoughts. It also felt great to actually have a voice and be heard in this digital space, even though it was mostly from my classmates. I felt comfortable with the tech tasks and rarely moved out from that realm, but when I did I ensured that these posts were passionate and meaningful to me. I did filter out a lot of my ideas, which I tend to do: it took me two years to let my ideas flow comfortably and freely in my PERSONAL sketchbooks. I know with more time the filter I have placed between my fingers and keyboard will eventually dissolve.


2. Commenting on Others' Blogs - There were about six blogs from our class that I left comments in and a few from the 455 class I occasionally did (once or twice). Dionne's blog, though, was my main hub. Many of the topics she discussed and was writing about really interested me or pushed my buttons. I tended to skim through things that didn't interest me and while some did, I didn't feel the necessity to leave comments. Our biggest and most meaningful interaction was this blog post. Others: Robin - calligraphy and personal arts project, Jaclyn - Alisa Miller: Why we know less than ever about the world, Dionne - Final Project [Project #1 Done] , Through the Needle's Eye: An Inuit Folktale, What Kind of World Do We Live In?,Tessa - Frustrated, Sir Robinson…Creativity and Education, Amber - Voicethread, Animoto Video, Final Project, Podcasts: Tech Task 14, and Alej - Story in a Blink. Also a few comments on Sarah's and Mickey's (who did an AWESOME collaborative poem!)


3. Responding to Comments in my Blog - I always tried to respond thoughtfully and respectfully to peoples' comments on my blog posts (when that happened). It was only after my first Podcast that I started to see an opportunity to really extend my thoughts into my comment thread: Stuck in PreCMP.


4. SKYPE! - I Skyped twice over this semester. Both times to Teryl from Knoxville. It was an interesting experience to know that someone else was watching and talking to you from across the continent. I have decided to continue our mentorship because I have had little time to try to help Teryl and her class. I am excited!


5. Twitter - Although not personally, Dean had mentioned a few of my blog posts in his twitter, an action from which I received a variety of comments from educators from all over this land. I have given in to Twitter (I have mentioned that it took months and months of pressuring before I finally got Facebook, months and months in this class sort of swayed me), although I have done nothing of importance, yet, besides following Dean (and Coldplay), I am sort of dipping my toe in the water just to get a basic idea. I initially got it because of that confusing Wednesday a few weeks ago, when Dean was really late and I was getting worried. Anyways here is my twitter id: efolnovic (if you want to follow me or whatever...). Don't expect me to reply though if you send me a tweet I am still very slow and forgetful...


6. Wikispaces - My mentorship with Sheri from Washington had me looking and commenting in their wiki (a space they use in place of "Words"). Although I have yet to explore creating my own wiki, it was neat to see how her class was using and shaping their wiki. I have also made the executive decision to continue with her class, because, like with Teryl, I barely got started.

The Relatively-New/Old

1. Texting and Facebook - Alej and I used texting and Facebook wall posts, chats and messages as a way of communicating about this class, mostly in terms of looking for some help.


2. E-mail - VERY VERY essential. E-mailing is not a new concept to me but using it so extensively is. I am pretty sure I received (or sent) e-mails almost daily about ECMP, from blogs (leaving comments and following comment threads), about surveys, from people with questions, from my mentorship classrooms, e-mailing Dean about project changes, etc. E-mail was integral to my success in this class.

Stuck in PreCMP

I feel stuck in PreCMP. I know I have made HUGE strides, in terms of learning about technology, but somehow I don't think it is enough. Problems, problems, problems, all there seems to be are problems, yet to be developed and fixed; I am nostalgic for a time and place without technology...

I think one of the problems I had with this class is that I substituted my tech tasks as actual blog posts. I put 100% of my effort into creating a meaningful image, product, or video, and I didn't let myself go beyond the assignments. In the end, I was only willing to go one place (what we were required to do) and not to that unknown ECMP was presenting to me. I felt like I was doing a lot of work (sometimes tech tasks would take a whole evening or days to complete), which exhausted me. Because of all the learning I was required to do, my brain felt stuck in a need to go back to the old Erika before blogs were an essential component of my life.

The main problem is that I don't think learning, in general, can be contrived and manipulated: you need to have the motivation and interest to actually want to delve a little deeper. To me, learning all this new technology and the process has to be very organic and relevant. By this I mean that you can't force yourself to explore and expect to feel satisfied, there needs to be a spark, a catalyst to set the gears in motion. I fear my lack of enthusiasm for all this TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY has reserved my ability to actually want to go deeper. Even as I write this, I realize the contradiction: my lack of enthusiasm has motivated me to write this blog post, why couldn't I have done this earlier? I don't feel I was ready to let go and integrate my life and technology or maybe I am trying to find an excuse...I have my comforts and just throwing me in with technology and hoping I would feel alright scared me. I think I needed time but, of course, we don't have the time, time is strict and unforgiving.

I wish I would have let go sooner, but I held on to this idea that once the class was over that all this pressure was off of my shoulders to continue exploring. But learning with technology is a never ending journey. As I continue to learn and grow as an educator, technology needs to be an essential part of the process. We have just barely scratched the surface and this learning, relearning, and unlearning, has already begun.

I am afraid that my passion of podcasting came a little too late for me. This is one of the only things that we have learned about this semester that I feel interested and engaged in. I am not saying I have been snoozing all semester, everything else was informative but not personally engaging to me. I could have written blog posts about these topics but without passion or enthusiasm, how am I supposed to sound engaging and authentic? I tended to filter the uninteresting out of my system and not bother with any of that kind of exploration related to these topics.

The same went with commenting on other peoples' blogs. I have made a significant amount of comments (probably more than blog posts) but I filtered a lot out. I suppose that is all a part of the process, but then again, I still haven't found a lot of things that interest me. Curse my inability to adapt!

Maybe being stuck was an act of rebellion, maybe it was laziness, maybe it was fear, maybe it was inexperience, maybe it was self-deprecating, maybe...anything. I feel dissatisfied and I don't know how to make things better...


The semester is winding down and all I feel is frustration and anger, as opposed to the satisfaction I had hoped for...

How Do I Get My Podcasts On My Blog?

This is not only a response to Robin's query but I also forgot to mention how my podcasts get on to my blog in my post Final Project: The Run Down. Here is the process...

First after saving my project as an .aup (Audacity Project) I export the final project as a WAV:


Make sure you save the file somewhere where you can find it:

Then click OK and the following message will appear as it exports:



Then to convert the WAV file to MP3 I use Switch Sound File Converter. To add a file, click on the green plus sign, which I have highlighted with a red box on the top left. You should have two final projects already (one as an .aup and the other WAV) make sure you choose the WAV file:



Then make sure (on the bottom left) you choose to convert your file to mp3, as well as, choose a place to save the file to. Then click on the "convert" icon (with the orange lightning bolt arrow):


Now to get this MP3 onto my blog I use box.net, which I found after searching it out on the internet. It even has a very helpful option to post the files straight to blogger. To get the most out of this online file share/storage, you need to pay some cash but there is a free option, which only means that you can't store as many files:


So, that is how I do it. It is long but it works for me; I am satisfied.

Final Project: The Run Down

Before our tech task to create a podcast, I had never really thought of audio broadcasting as an option for my final project. I have found a new love!

Recording technology is nothing new to me: my brother is very musically inclined and has been recording songs for years. I would always watch him do this but I have never tried it myself. But I had my reasons: I shared a bedroom with my sister only until a few years ago, I had no solid program to record these ideas in, I lacked ideas to formulate into recordings, and I only ever thought of recording music not spoken word. Although this was my first time chopping and cutting, I have had 4+ years on the sidelines watching the master of mixing in my house.

When Dean introduced us to Audacity, I was thrilled and a half. This programs has worked out wonderfully for recording; not only do I find it easy to use, I feel I have been producing some pretty good stuff. Here is a breakdown of how my podcast started:

In the Beginning
When Dean asked us to create a podcast, I really wanted to begin exploring and experimenting with sound, after all, I am bombarded with it ever moment of everyday. So I began with a title and concept. I decided "Erika's Podcast" was a simple and satisfying title; I felt that if I called it anything more spectacular and creative I would regret the spontaneity of it later. Plus, it allows me free reign on the topic of the podcast (for the same reason I called my blog simply "Erika's Blog"). My first concept was to create a podcast using some thoughts and ideas I had written down in my journals. I have kept art/writing journals for a long time, in which I would record trivial thoughts, ideas, and sketches. I have turned a lot of my ideas and sketches into visual works of art but never, have I ever tried to do something with audio. So, I chose a list I created of my wants from this world.

Introduction
The 10 second introduction to my podcast, which I created for my first episode, will remain static and consistent. Singing has been a passion with me since I was young and it was only fitting to add some to my introduction. The "Today's topic..." mash was easy but tedious to complete. I isolated the sounds (ie: I would repeat a "t" sound) then I creatively mixed all the isolations together to vaguely resemble the phrase, then for clarity I added one finely articulated phrase. The drum roll sample was already on my computer in Microsoft Office media, so downloading it from the internet wasn't necessary.

Process
Before I recorded my voice I chose the music first. I think this is one of the most essential components of any podcast. Setting the mood for the topic is more easily done when there is a great backtrack. So far, I have used Bell Orchestre and Sigur Ros for accompaniment. Both bands are favourites of mine. I wanted to try to avoid songs with lyrics as to focus the attention on my words. Although Sigur Ros has vocal tracks, the voice in their music becomes more of an instrument than anything because it blends with the music so perfectly. I think I had the most fun changing the the pitch for the rest of the podcast. I switched frequently from high-pitched girly voices to deep, dark manly voices. I tried to have the voice coincide with the thoughts, for example: "at least more than a millisecond" is quick and high pitched, "live in science fiction" is a deep voice (Darth Vader-style). The voice changes also gave it dynamism and related to the fact that the thoughts were not of the moment but were collected over time, time changing me significantly.

Product
Here is a screen shot of the final version of Episode #1:

Because the print is so small: Singing tracks, "Erika's Podcast" and "Today's Topic" mash-up, Bell Orchestre, Topic Introduction "I have always," Drumroll, and the remainder of the podcasts, which lists the wants.

One of the most challenging parts of this podcast's creation was sound balancing. I spent a long time making sure that the sound could be listened to at a consistent and comfortable volume. To change the volume...

It is quite simple, but like I said it takes some experimenting before getting it at the right volume. Well, that is a short breakdown of how I created this first podcast. I am excited to make more, I hope you have enjoyed Episode #1 and Episode #2. Stayed tuned for Episode #3!

Final Project Switch with a touch of Mentorship Update

For my final project I have decided to create podcasts. Initially, I had planned to create video tutorials for Sheri Edward's class in Washington, but finding both the time and resources has been very difficult. My plan now is to find videos (NOT created by me, but that stay true to what I would like to teach these students) and then use them as a resource. Amber created some great videos on basic photography techniques and terminology, which she has agreed to let me use.

These students have already completed their first assignment, which I called: "Flickr Photo Picks." To narrow down their search I uploaded some of my own photos for them to comment on and evaluate. By showing them my own work, they could in turn scope out my strengths and weaknesses as a photographer and begin to respond to photography. In my EAES 201 class, with Denise Morstad, we reviewed a basic seven stage process to respond to works of art (I used this as a basis for creating my first exercise for them):

1. Preparation
2. First Impressions
3. Description
4. Analysis
5. Interpretation
6. Background Information
7. Informed Judgement

These are the top three photos that got the warmest reaction from the students:
Holding the Sun, Light Over the Water, and Fireworks
This photo got the cold shoulder:
Rotting Wood




I like to take pictures of details; small, fine, insignificant details are most attractive to me. I think because when I paint I only see the "big picture," I need some way of capturing and remembering even the most grotesque details of the everyday; photography is a perfect outlet for this. I am attracted to simplicity and abstractness, which is what you achieve when examining objects so closely. Many of the students didn't like the grotesque feel of the photo but I think it has an ugly beauty to it. Although contradictory, I believe its ugliness has given it a heighten aesthetic appeal. It is not longer boring and static, it is rotting, both changing and transforming. I think that is beautiful.

To sum up, podcasting is my new final project and my mentoring has been going slow but has been semi-successful thus far.

Erika's Podcast: Episode #2

Topic: "Dreaming"
Music: "Svefn-g-englar" Sigur Ros - This Icelandic band is one of my favourites. Although I can't understand their lyrics, it is still beautiful; it is more about a feeling than knowing. It's funny, before I translated the song name, which roughly translates to "dreamland tinsel," I didn't realize it was about dreaming...there is something about the smooth flowing melody and sound that just brought me to a place a peace and serenity: that ideal dreamland.
Mixed in: Audacity

This is another poem that I have written in my sketchbook. I tend to dream a lot. I like to replace my reality with a dream world. I have a problem with actually accomplishing a lot of things in this real world (hence my monster list of wants - Erika's Podcast #1), so, I lock my feelings up in dreams. Doesn't it always seem to work out better in your imagination? Wishing life would be more perfect doesn't make it better, sometimes we just need to work things out in reality...Here is my second podcast:

Erika's Podcast2.mp3

Erika's Podcast: Episode #1

Topic: "I have always..."
Music: "Recording a Tunnel (The Horns Play Underneath the Canal) (Continued)" Bell Orchestre (here is a clip from one of their music videos of a song from the same album)
Mixed in: Audacity
I made this list in my sketchbook, over the course of a few years, regarding my wants. However ridiculous, nonsensical, and old they are, I still have a deep desire to have them. Podcasting is simply one format in which to express these ideas. I like lists. I already have an idea for a second podcast (hopefully coming soon)... Anyways, here is my mixin' masterpiece:

Erika's Podcast Final.mp3

What are you looking for? What do you want?

Skype, Magee, and Me

In an earlier post I briefly discussed my first Skype conversation with Teryl Magee in Knoxville. Luckily, when I had my first BIG Skype experience with her class she took some great photos, so, I could post them on my blog. Thanks Teryl! I got the opportunity to introduce myself to the class and the kids got the opportunity to ask me some questions; it was a very neat experience! Here they are:

See Bee Sea, Ed, and Podcasts

Last ECMP we extensively discussed podcasts. In an attempt to get a truly authentic definition, I googled the word to see what explanations came up. I find it amazing and unsettling how the relatively new concept of audio/video file broadcasting is already diversely defined and refined. Considering the iPod only came onto the market in 2001 (from which "pod-" is derived from), this clearly displays that our lives are quickly being affected by new technologies. It is amazing that we have found a brand new way to communicate in such a short period of time but at the same time it makes me anxious. Sometimes we think that we can read the times, know where trends are going, and how our actions today will manifest in the future. But in all reality, we have no sense of what the future holds; we are blind to what tomorrow will bring. We can give our best estimate but, for example, I don't have a jet pack and weren't we supposed to be flying with them by 2009? This overwhelming idea of the unknown just frightens me.

Is it just me or is this mass worldwide obsession over Twitter bothering anyone else? It seems like everywhere you turn it is haunting your every step, like a shadow. I realize it is a great tool but it is getting a little too much overexposure in my life right now. I felt the same way about Facebook when everyone I knew was trying to convince me to sign-up, and only after the storm of mass exposure calmed did I get an account. I think I just need time, not people shoving it in my face. Sorry about that...I'm a little off topic...

Anyways, this is a post about podcasting...We were asked to find two podcasts: one about education and another of our own choosing. Here are my two picks:

Education Podcast - When I began, I typed "education" into the search field. After sorting through about 100 "How to learn a language..." podcastss I decided to search out "teacher" instead. A lot of great resources came up. One such was Teachers Improving Learning with Technology or TILT. "The vidcast that is created by teachers for teachers. Do you have a great idea, learning resource, skill, advice, or experience you feel could help other teachers using technology to enhance their students' learning experiences? Send your text, photo, audio recording, video recording, link, or any other medium you'd like and it will become a part of a future TILT broadcast! Email tilttv@gmail.com." This, to me, is essentially just another form of the K-12 Online Conference and Next Vista; they are all collaborative actions amongst teachers to learn and improve through the use of technology, video, and audio resources in classrooms. The one problem with a lot of the teachers helping teacher podcasts is that many of them were above and beyond an hour. Like Marcy and Alex, I prefer things that are short, precise, and to the point. These videos will be helpful but their length bothers me (only slightly).

Podcast of My Choice - A podcast that I have been following before this class started is the CBC Radio 3 TV Podcast. One of my favourite episodes is #62 Indiegarten. It is essentially a more rock-and-roll-Sesame Street-type show as you "Learn to count, read, and make music with your favourite hosts and indie artists." It is absolutely hilarious, especially Stephen McBean's babysitting tips. CBC Radio 3 is essentially your homebase for all things music, indie, and Canadian. Canada, I think, has an amazing amount of great up-and-coming artists and ama-za-zing musicians. Feist, anyone? Broken Social Scene (and all their wonderful friends)? Wolf Parade? Islands? Malajube? Great Lake Swimmers? Cuff the Duke? Tokyo Police Club? I could go on and on...but definitely CHECK IT OUT!! Find a brand new artist you love (tonight I found Decomposure and Hot Panda), listen to their internet radio show, sign-up for an account and create a playlist, read their blog, watch some concerts, and just explore. You are bound to find something you like!

Mapping Out My Unlife

I had problems embedding my map (my computer would freeze every time I tried doing it), so, I have decided to do a little narration and photo journey on my blog post to make it interesting. There is a more in depth narration on my map if you want to click on the provided link. I didn't want to be serious for this task I just wanted to have fun making up a false life for myself. Here is a map of "My Unlife":

My map begins with my life in an orphanage in Almeria, Spain. I suppose, it begins more with my escape from Almeria on a ferry that sails across the Mediterranean to Melilla, Morocco, the autonomous Spanish city where my birth family lives:

After safely stowing away and getting my feet on shore, I hop on a truck to (hopefully) take me to my birth family's house:

Luckily, the truck travels down the road I hoped it would heading towards their house:

Unfortunately a pothole causes me to scream, which consequentially gets me kicked out of the truck. Finding a payphone and some small change I call my mother. I convince her to meet me at a cafe, where we talk:

She takes me home and I stay there for years. Finally, I just need to go:

To the airport we go and we say our goodbyes. Barcelona is the ideal destination to get me out out of Spain:

While in Barcelona, I decide to connect with family in Regina, Saskatchewan and have been living there ever since:

Of course, this tool is way more handy than just for simply creating false stories about your life. I often use this tool for getting directions, as information is immediately and accurately provided for you (as opposed to the old way of searching through the phone book map). This would be a great tool for a travel log, tourist site pinpointing, and so much more. Although I have not decided to make this map useful, I can see its potential in the future.

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

This French movie is one of the best films I have ever seen. It was hard to find a great clip for "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" on YouTube, but I think this one will suffice:


The whole movie is rich in movement, angles, and shot types; even though you are bombarded with a myriad of movement, it seems to work with the quirky nature of this film. In this short 1 minute clip there are 7 different shots containing: a superimposition of her dream (which consists of a pan zoom right, high angle shot, and a handheld tracking shot), zooms (which are used a lot throughout the movie), a high angle shot from Amélie's p.o.v., a pan down, and a pan up. This scene is relatively slow compared to the beginning of this movie but it works with the melancholy of the scene. There is a clip from the first 10 minutes of the movie on YouTube, but because it contains some nudity I thought it best to keep this post professional.

If you haven't yet seen this movie I recommend you see it NOW! You will definitely fall in love with Amélie, who is played brilliantly by Audrey Tautou. If you are not one for subtitled movies, I say you should make an exception for this one. There is something about its quirkiness and innocence that just makes you feel good. Get ready to smile.

We'd Like to Thank the Academy!

Last Wednesday in ECMP we had to film a "Door Scene" using Flip Video technology; Sheri Missal, from Alec's ECMP 455, made a great post about the process. We changed the rules slightly (a suspenseful ending was not part of the assignment) but we were VERY proud of our video. Here is our masterpiece:

• Lead Camerawoman: Chelsey
• Lead Actress: Alejandra
• Monster/Dinosaur/Associate Cameraman: Mickey
• Director: Me (Erika)
  

Domo Arigato Animoto

For the second part of this digitalstorytelling task I chose to use Animoto, which literally only took ten minutes. It is just a simple upload, organization, music selection, and then the rest of the editing work is done for you. I guess that's the only downfall to Animoto: they don't let you do the creative part. For people, who HATE editing, this would be a great tool to use, but I really LOVE editing and it sort of took that fun away from me. For my video/photo collage I chose the 30-second video option, but you can make them longer. This is also another tool that Teryl Magee told me her classroom uses.

This tool is almost a complete opposite to VoiceThread, in terms of audio options for photos. With VoiceThread music is not really an option and with Animoto music is one of the easiest audio options. But because Animoto does let you upload audio from your computer, recorded voice can be uploaded for the video. Here is the first creation I created with Animoto entitled "Butterfly Farm: The Journey":



There is also a "remix" option that, without changing the photos, music, etc., will re-analyze the slideshow and, for lack of better word, remix it. Since their slogan is "No two videos are the same," I decided to test its truthfulness. Here is "Butterfly Farm: The Journey: The Remix!":

VoiceThreading My Storytelling

For this task I decided to create my digitalstory on VoiceThread. When I was Skyping with Teryl Magee, from Knoxville, TN, this morning, she said that her class uses VoiceThread often for digitalstorytelling and it would be a great resource to become familiar with. Since it was also one of the 50 Ways CogDogRoo, aka Alan Levine, mentioned in last week's ECMP class, I decided to give it a shot.

I found it relatively easy to use. My only beefs with it is the fact that music is not really an option and there isn't a very smooth transition between slides, because there is slight window where it is loading. I recommend you check out Dionne's Blog, she has a great VoiceThread story that modernizes traditional flannel board stories. This would especially be great for a young class; after sharing the story with your students, you could have them create audio comments on the "moral of the story" or other such things. This not only helps develop their aural skills but, also, their analytical thinking. Great job Dionne!

This is a silly story I devised based on a trip I took with my family to Europe. While in Stratford-upon-Avon, we visited their amazing Butterfly Farm (Europe's biggest!). My older brother and I took photos all the way there, so, this assignment offered a great opportunity to give them some use. I hope you enjoy its whimsy, its entitled "From Fog to Felicity":

Leave Me My Island of Thought

"Because of technology, we never have to be alone anymore. And that's the problem...It is dulling our very capacity to ever be alone, or alone in our thoughts." Neil Swidey, that's it. This almost perfectly sums up one of my reservations about starting a blog. As I believe I have mentioned before, if I was on a spectrum of where thoughts should lie on a public to private scale, I would lean somewhere over here:

That quotation is taken from an article published at boston.com entitled: "The End of Alone." Alec Couros wrote an interesting blog post in response to the video and article. "As educators," he writes, "we should wonder if we will find ourselves 10 years from now teaching courses on how to disconnect from the masses, and reconnect to one’s self, and to our local communities." That is really one of my only fears in terms of technology. Because it is seemingly impossible for a complete connection to the masses (although we keep moving in the direction to connect with everybody, everywhere), where do we begin to draw the line between what should be developed in this virtual infinity and what needs to be developed in our own communities? Plus, sometimes we need to think for ourselves and not rely on 50 other people in our Twitter network to be a part of our thoughts (I am in no way bashing Twitter, but just making a point about how public our lives have become).

I see this "inability to be alone" exhibited best in my little sister. She is constantly texting, chatting with her friends, and "hanging out," while I spend most of my time in my room alone. She constantly asks me how I can be alone for so long and I think it is because I have my own private life. My sister seems to live her life in the public, therefore, being alone is not a social option; the norm has become to have an entourage of friends constantly being contacted and contacting you. I think because I lean towards standoffish tendencies, I'd much rather be alone in my art journal and trivial thoughts than be around people, not to say that I don't talk and socialize with friends, because I do.

I think people who lean towards artistic tendencies have a better capacity to this idea of alone, even if they are connected in some way to virtual spaces. Although collaboration is a norm in artistic creation, private spaces for expression are not only necessary but integral in most, if not all, art creation. Simply put, art is the creation of the mind, one of the most private virtual spaces known to man. You can document to the best of your ability what you are doing but the end product comes from a creation developed in the mind, which cannot be duplicated (unless someone who is living in a parallel universe is leading the same day to day life as you).

People always seem to describe their distaste towards modernistic art by saying, "I could have done that." I counter it by saying, "But you didn't." Art, in my opinion, is an idea made physical that has roots in its individuality of expression. Yes, you can do a study and copy a painting but would you have thought of that exact scene, with those exact paints, with those same brushstrokes? Art is not manufactured like a chain-link fence; although in the fence's initial stages it was a design in the art of functionality and purpose, its now-static nature makes it unappealing in any sort of aesthetic way. Art is unique and dynamic - that is what makes it beautiful, wonderful, interesting, and exciting. I feel sorry for people who don't see the value in developing your thoughts into a physical expression, a.k.a. creating art. Because you are an individual, why not celebrate it?

Skype it Up

I have officially signed up for a Skype account. After some minor technical difficulties, I am rolling.

In fact, I have just had my first Skype chat, which was thrilling (this coming from a girl who never had MSN when she was younger). It is this feeling of connection and mystery all rolled up in one small package. Connection because communication is occurring over several miles, kilometers, leagues, or what-have-you. Mystery because any real physical or visual contact has been left up to the imagination to play out in an actual physical existence, as to not leave the conversation in the virtual space. It is a similar situation when talking on the phone, but there is a more human quality to telephone conversations.

Connectivity also occurs through that thing called network building. By this I mean, it seems that big social networks, like Skype, always have some sort of sister program: Skype and MySpace, Yahoo and Flickr, Google and Blogger. In a sense, this reflects the social networks I am to create for myself throughout this course between me and the online community of teachers. "Bonding," I suppose, would be a better term for it, even "creating relationships," because "building a network," I think, sounds too cold and impersonal.

But I am finally gettin' mentorin' rollin' for Teryl Magee's class from Knoxville, TN, whom I was chatting to. I will officially have my first Skype conversation tomorrow with her. Am I nervous? Heck, yes. But I am getting used to figuring out new technology the longer this class lasts. This class has opened up my comfort zones, muchly indeedly.

Gettin' Mentorin' Rollin'

Title = horrible use of apostrophes

I have finally completed my introduction video for the class I am mentoring from Washington. Since they are a group of grade 8 English students, I appropriately structured the video as if I am writing them a letter with wonderful help from my gorgeous and massive typewriter (which I picked up at a garage sale one summer):

I have created a separate blog for this class entitled: Photography 101. If you want to check out this awesome video (and it is indeed awesome, just ask my mom and dad) simply click.

**Just a heads-up, please don't post a comment in that blog, I'd like it to remain solely for the students from Ms. Edwards' class. Please and thank you!

Traveling through the Dark

The K-12 Online Conference presentation that I chose is by Steve Kimmi, who is a fifth grade teacher in Salina, KS and author of "Experiments in Technology and In Transit(ion)." For a complete bio click here. The one thing that really kept my interest was the choice of music. The opening song and theme to the whole presentation is "Down the line" from José González' CD "In our nature" (one of my favourites!). Call me bias but the presentation turned out to be just as wonderful as the song choice:



The presentation uses the poem Traveling through the Dark by William Stafford as its backbone. The poem is about making decisions, as the narrator in the poem has to chose between trying to save a fawn, which is alive in its dead mother's stomach on the side of the road, or pushing the doe over the edge of the road into the river. In the end the narrator makes a "surprising but honest decision" and pushes her off the road.

"The poem is about making decisions and that's something as educators we have to do everyday. Unfortunately, more often than not, a much too large a number of educators choose the easy way out and go down a path they've already been down," presenter Steve Kimmi states. "The world is just changing so quickly that it's impossible to keep up and it's often out of balance with what we know and don't know." I think that is one of the great things about this ECMP class. Instead of working with stuff that is easy, familiar, and safe, we are exploring the "darkness" that Steve refers to. As the days go on and on I am feeling much more comfortable with technology integration in the classroom. Because we are taking the time to learn about this and I am being motivated to explore and become proficient, I think this has made my journey all the more easier. Steve had to go on his own "self-prescribed professional development"....I wonder if I would have gone on a similar journey had I not taken this class....

He is imploring educators to create a generation of citizens who are actually prepared for the future that is eminent: a wired future. We, as educators, need to begin to engage our students or schools will no longer be relevant in students' lives. He talks about the various things that he has begun to do within his own life and classroom. One of the points that he makes is that in order to integrate the technology we have to know it and be familiar with it; just like how we can't learn a math concept in one night and expect to effectively teach it to our classes the following day, we can't blindly begin to use technology in our classes without undergoing some sort of learning process. Here is what he has begun working with:

• video (asked for a grant to buy a video camera to use for his class, he is using the same camera to shoot his video)
• podcasting (through the use of gcast.com, which allows the use of cellphone footage)
• blogging (he has been working on it for a year but has yet to integrate into his classroom)

One of the easiest ways to begin, he says, is to create a support group, not necessarily from your own real community but the online community. He mentions two online resources that he has found helpful: EdTechTalk and Teachers Teaching Teachers.

Getting started is the "easiest and hardest decision" just like the driver's decision in the poem. There are so many ways to get involved, choices are limitless and so many people get overwhelmed they just stick their old practices. "Just because there are so many choices doesn't mean that you can't take that step. Yes, it is risky. Yes, you're moving out into the darkness but the world is full of darkness now. The world is changing, if you don't change you're going to be lost. Do it. Just do it."

Mastercard Commercial

I had a lot of fun with this little video:

All the supplies shown are for an oil painting class I am taking at the Neil Balkwill Centre taught by Jack Anderson, who is a local artist here in Regina. The "masterpiece" is one of the paintings I created in this class. It is inspired by a photo of my little brother's eye. I love the hazy/fogginess it has, I think it gives it a sense of mystery and intrigue. Here is the photo:

In an attempt to make a somewhat authentic Mastercard commercial, I searched YouTube for some videos and came across this one (it made me smile): "We Want the Funk"

Defined and Refined - Four Boxes of Me

#1 - "Silly faces are the only faces I own. I don't take myself too seriously." I have trouble trying to make "pretty" faces in photos. I think it is this mentality that if I am making a weird face, perfection will be totally disregarded and it will be valued for being what it is. Whenever I look at photos that are (seemingly) spotless, I am always drawn to point out the mistakes or insignificant details before valuing it as a great photo. But that's just me...plus, no one can steal my faces; they are mine and only mine. I don't mind being ridiculous.

#2 - "Life without nature is no life at all. It never ceases to amaze me." This photo was actually taken when I travelled to Europe one summer for two months with my whole family. Specifically, this photo is of a tree in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born. The way it winds and travels is brilliant. Plus its bark was so interesting and unique, almost like a Group-of-Seven-tree. Amazing.

#3 - "My family keeps me happy and just the right amount of insane." My family...they are simply the best. From top left (going clockwise): Mom, Meghan, Catherine, Stephen, Daniel, Erika, and Dad. We are such a tight-knit clan; we still have occasional family game nights (even though S, C and me are all at university). I love them to death, they ARE the most important things in my life, even though they are only pictured as quirky little sketches. About insanity...we are definitely a family of eccentrics, only in the best of ways.

#4 - "Watercolours changed my life. For the better." I would not be the same person without art and my set of watercolours. This was one of the first paintings I did when my mom gave me a small set. Still one of my favourite paintings.

I created this on Adobe Photoshop CS3, because I am a education student I got it at half-price at PC Place. Sweet! I was so happy that I recently bought a book, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers, so, hopefully I will keep learning more about this amazing program.

Erika's Travel Survey - Results

Okay, my travel survey is officially CLOSED for business! Although I have not received survey results from the whole class, I think I now have a good understanding of Google Forms:
One thing I learned is that you can't force your classmates to do a survey...or can you? Is there an option to make surveys/questionaires/evaluations mandatory for your students to complete within a certain time frame? Anybody?

I have a quick question for the person who submitted the second last entry: have you been to North America? If not, where are you living? This response sort of threw me off-guard because I thought everyone who was doing this survey has lived in Canada...plus, I would love to visit Chile. After reading "The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Allende, I long for not only the beauty she describes but the raw passion and enchantment of the people. Although it is a somewhat romantic view of the country, I choose to believe that it will be a better place than where I am living now. Saskatchewan is still beautiful in my eyes but it has lost its magic, as it is now just familiar.

Creating surveys/forms using Google Docs is really simple. Here is a screen shot to show you what the form looks like in its creation stage and how straight forward the options are:

It is very fool proof; because the options are laid out nicely, the program is easy to use. I can already picture the usefulness of this program in the future. Not only does it save you paper but it saves you the time it takes to photocopy a form. Plus, it organizes all the data in a handy graph, très superb!