Wk 3 Publishing/Leadership Project part 1 of 2: Presentation v. Publication

You would think, being a speech and debate coach, that this choice would be a slam-dunk for me.  “Sure, Colletti will do the presentation, he’s a natural at it.”  However, writing a 1500 word script goes against many of the things I teach when working with my own team members.  Yes, eventually the best speeches are written out, but when it comes to delivering a presentation, even a formal one, I like to have a few notes and to just wing it.  This extemporaneous style fits me best, as I can change things on the fly based on the non-verbal feedback I get from the audience.  It is this style that works well with my own speech kids, allowing them to look at their speech as a work in progress, a living document which changes week to week based on the comments and critiques from their judges each Saturday.  So, choosing this option isn’t as easy for me as you might think.

screenshot by Mike Colletti

On the other hand, writing an additional 500 words for 2000 word article is like taking that presentation script and expanding on it just a little bit more.  What difference does it make since I ultimately have to write either way?  As anyone who has read my blogs, discussion posts and other written contributions over the last 10+ months can attest, I have never been at a loss for words.  Writing has never been a problem for me. 

To speak or not to speak, that is the question.  It comes down to making the choice, and my choice now is to take a wait and see attitude on this one.  As I begin the process of putting this presentation/paper together, I will see where it is headed.  I will also take some time to create presentation slides to enhance the narrative.  And, if it looks like a presentation by the time the weekend ends, so be it.  If not, publication is the route I will take.  

Stay tuned.

Wk 3 Blog Comment 2: Art of Possibility, Chapters 5-8

Kathy Valunas writes:

The possibilities are endless... or so one might believe after reading this week's chapters in our book for reflection. But what it really boils down to is attitude and perception. It was so easy to visualize from chapter 5 how the conductor- detached as the ultimate leader- was to provide the ultimate guidance as his orchestra played. But their jobs were probably even more stressful and complex because it was the instrumental players who were responsible for interpreting the every move of the conductor so that every note and accent was flawlessly played. They had to be totally in tune with his direction of the piece would fail.

photo by Bernadette Colletti

So it is with educators, or business managers, corporate big-wigs, etc. etc. etc. The list of players could be any group you wanted it to be and the maestro or ultimate leader could be that president, administrator, CEO, the one we place on the pedestal- the unreachable or untouchable bronze statue, etc. Regardless of who those people are, there has to be a leader who can nurture and mold his group, direct them in such a way as to encourage perfection with their craft. Ultimately, that perfection is evident when we see the final outcomes, the reactions of the audience as well as the performance of the players.

But the process doesn't end with the performance- that might be just the beginning of the interpretation or understanding. It is the facilitator who leads with compassion. This is the one who exhibits just the right mix of expertise and humor, but who is willing to admit when they too are not perfect but just the vessel used to hold all of the strengths necessary to fill up the whole pitcher of perfection. With that, we then need to ask ourselves, what is perfection? What one might consider perfection may be failure for another. The trick then is to find the right balance or mix of all the ingredients necessary to make the presentation of skills and talent delectable, cherished, and unscathed in the eyes of the beholders, the listeners, the audience, the evaluators, and the critics.

So I will consider my purpose as an art and let my mind wander around the sea of possibility until I complete my journey and lead others to achieve their possibilities... let this art experience begin!

photo by Bernadette Colletti

@ Kathy

It all comes down to ego and the person in charge.  If that person directs from the position of ultimate power, there will be very few happy people in the workplace (or classroom or orchestra, etc.) and, while things will get accomplished, there will be little satisfaction in the end result.  On the other hand, what the Zanders suggest, and what you mention, is the leader as a facilitator, who leads with a mind open to adaptation and suggestions.  The more relaxed atmosphere will not always lead to perfection, as there are very few perfect moments in life, but it will lead to a communal feeling of achievement, from the top down to the bottom. 

This is what we all should strive to be: the best at facilitating whatever task we are charged with, using our skills, but also utilizing the skills of all our performers, students or employees, so the end result is truly a collaborative effort.

Wk 3 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 5-8

I continue to enjoy this book.  The Zander’s continue to present a common sense  approach to living and leading.  I could relate to Chapter 5, Leading from Any Chair.  When I read some of the stories relayed to us, I had to smile.  

photo by Mike Colletti

I am a coach, and I have always tried to allow the students I work with the chance to tell me what they feel they need to work on.  My most successful competitors have taken to this approach and we have productive practice sessions, which translates into success in rounds of debate and speech.  I believe the more ownership the child has with her practice and performance sessions, the better she feels.

As part of this approach, I also have sessions where we don’t work on specific pieces to perform.  Sometimes, just sitting and talking about school or life or almost anything is more effective than going over a performance selection for the umpteenth time.  Being able to relax, and lighten up a little, is following Rule Number Six.  In the scheme of things, speech competition is minor to some of the other things my kids deal with every day, and by showing an interest in the rest of their lives, it allows me to then be able to ask for more of them when it really counts, in competition. 

I think I have had this approach for most of my career.  It is nice when respected individuals like the Zanders validate what I have been doing.

Wk 3 Blog Comment 1: Art of Possibility, Chapters 5-8

Britni Hendrickson writes:

In the Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander, as I read chapter 5, I at times switched out conductor with educator. (I think that often times we feel like the conductor to all the various student personalities and learning levels.) As educators, we at times could boast and take too much pride in the success of our students, for example on the year end exams. But in actual reflection we the teacher's couldn't be successful without the hardworking, studious, and intelligent student, right? I love the idea of being more of a facilitator and aiding students in their success. Too many times lately have I experienced/seen students wanting to be spoon fed. And at that point what are we teaching our students by doing that? I enjoyed the scene where Maestro Guido Lobeps Gavillan and his Cuban Philharmonic Orchestra and how what he saw as failure turned into an amazing peer teaching moment. Their reactions were very similar to what I have seen numerous times in the classroom, the environment becomes energized! What a great "aha" moment.

I do feel that my overall mood/demeanor will effect the environment that I am in. If I am depressed, sad or grumpy, in my opinion I am going to bring down those with me. But if I am happy, positive and upbeat my energy is bound to rub off on those around me. I really liked the game that Roz described, "Have the Best ____ Ever." It is a good challenge and in the end will create positive results. I personally am happy 95% of the time, those around me will see me with a smile on my face, and almost always get those around me to smile back. (That is a personal mission that I seek to accomplish everyday, to make people smile!) But one thing that I find helpful is to take any situation and try to find one good thing about it! For example, say my car breaks down on the way home from work. I might say, well good news is, I don't have to cook-pizza delivered it is! You would be surprised how your mood might lighten/lift a bit. Sometimes when you have something that is bringing you down, you must first figure out what exactly it is that is holding you back. Once you have figured this out (prayed about it) and searched (sometimes going outside the box) for a solution. You can get past it. I agree that often times you might have to dig for that passion or tap into some of that "energy and vibrancy" of your environment to overcome this rut that you are in.

This book is being read at the perfect time of my life as sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels. It's really helped me to think outside the box, and remember what is important and also how to think on the more positive side. Ultimately, for me it comes down to what I value the most, and the fact that I will reach my goals, I just need to see all the possibilities in perspective.

@ Britni

I have to agree that we are like Ben Zander in many ways.  We conduct our diverse group of students in tasks that, at first glance, look like a cacophony of unrelated ideas, and blend them into a cohesive unit of material.  I have always looked at myself as a facilitator, especially since I went to a project-based learning model.  This method gives the students the ability to redraw the borders of their work and the freedom to express themselves more completely.  It prepares them for their future in the “real world” beyond academia.

photo by Bernadette Colletti

Your comment about how your mood affects the class environment is also right on the mark.  Years ago, I listened to an audio lecture by renowned educator Harry Wong, who would stand outside his classroom door and greet his students as they arrived every day, always with a smile and a good morning (or afternoon).  The response of his and my students to that might just change the mood of a surly or disaffected student, just because of those few pleasant words.  It is a lot easier facing a class that is in a positive frame of mind, so helping to get them there works to my advantage.  So, having the best ____ ever is a great philosophy to follow.

Thanks for your insight and analysis of this section of The Art of Possibility.

Wk 2 Free Choice Blog

photo by Mike Colletti

The EMDT program cannot work without the tireless efforts of those who share a common goal:  becoming better at what we do using the tools that are available for us to bring into our work environment, whether it be a school or corporate situation.  While I have a Free Choice Blog available, I would like to commend all of you who have been a part of this journey, whether it be tech support or Full Sail staff, course directors or mentors, and, of course all the students whose paths crossed mine over the past 300+ days. 

I am sure all of you share this sentiment.  While we may not have had any close connections with everyone, we still shared many experiences through Wimba sessions and discussion posts.  We have read each other’s blog posts and checked out those AR websites, whether out of curiosity or necessity.  In doing so, we have seen the future of education, beyond the restrictions that school boards and government programs attempt to place on the frontline men and women, the classroom teachers.  To me, that future holds the potential to inspire our current students to succeed and exceed the goals we might set for them.

So, before we all get caught up in the final push to the end of this month and then this program, I wanted to say thanks to every one of you, my colleagues and classmates, course directors and mentors.  You make me proud to be one of you, a teacher.

Wk 2 Blog Comment 2: Art of Possibility

From Klytia Burcham’s blog:

What is possible?  What our mind can comprehend and make into a narrative story is what we believe is reality and from that we determine what is possible. What if we are limiting ourselves, by limiting what we view?  What if we are writing a narrative that limits our possibilities?  This is precisely what the authors of the Art of Possibility are saying.  These two wonderful authors go on to give rules or guidelines to help us re-write our narrative or roadmap so that the world and our possibilities open up.

Within the first couple of pages I immediately had a connection with this book.  Since being laid off last year, I find myself without a teaching position for the first time in fifteen years.  This is significant because I defined myself as a teacher; specifically a kindergarten teacher.  I could not go into a store or on vacation without keeping an eye out for something that would be useful in my classroom.  After being laid off I felt like I was “out of the boat” and I didn’t know which way was up and where I was going.  My narrative was shaken and I had to write a new one. I had to find a new track.  I decided that I would substitute teach and I decided to open myself up to any grade in the district.  I landed a long-term job at the high school in Special Education.  I loved it!  By opening myself up to other possibilities, I discovered that I enjoyed teaching an age group I previously wouldn’t have believed I would enjoy.  I have spent most of the year subbing at the high school in a variety of classes.  In the process I have gotten to know many students.

I love the chapter on Giving Yourself an A.  As a kindergarten teacher I believe this is my narrative or story.  I believed every student could learn to read.  All I have to do is give them experiences with literacy and find out what they need to make sense of it next.  I had to chip away the un-needed clay to find the inner student inside.  By treating them as readers and calling them authors from the first day of school, students knew that they could do it.  I could see when they started to believe it themselves.  When they would turn to their neighbor and say, “Look at the story I wrote!  You know I am an author like David Shannon.”  I let them know every day in every lesson that they had important information to contribute to the class.  That each of them are valuable and capable learners. Each of them has something valuable to contribute to our learning.

Ironically, this is what I believe high school students respond to as well.  I treat them like valuable people who have something wonderful to contribute to society. In return they become the person I see them to be.  Even the students who other teachers refer to as rough, like coming into a class I am subbing.  They know that I believe in them and in return they believe in me.  In this relationship the world’s narrative becomes a better one.

Klytia...

screenshot taken in Second Life by Mike Colletti

I can appreciate the connection you made with this book, as many of us have.  There is so much there that is a common sense approach to teaching that we, as teachers, can latch on to.  Thirteen years ago, I left the comfort zone of my previous school, where I had been a Communications Arts and Television Production instructor for 23 years, and took a chance teaching English at another school.  It revitalized my career.  While your path is different as you had no choice in leaving your last full-time job, you also left the comfort zone of the primary school age group and took on the other end of the spectrum, high school.  What a leap, as you truly opened yourself up to other possibilities.

There is no irony to the way high school aged students respond to challenges when they are given a chance to own their work with little threat of a poor grade.  I always liked and will always use project-based learning exercises which encourage my kids to push the limits and think outside the box.  The rewards are far greater because of the risks they take.  The mutual respect you talk of is key to this approach and key to their development into young adults as they move on to the next level of their lives.

Wk 2 Blog Comment 1: Art of Possibility, Chapters 1-4

Curt Isakson:

One of the most compelling points bought across in this book, and what has stuck with me the longest, was the concept of giving an ‘A’ for a particular project to free one-self of the grade, and to let a person fully experiment, fail, or succeed without the worry of getting a bad grade.  I believe this can be a wonderful way of letting loose the chains that bind us creatively.

screenshot by Mike Colletti

I find myself in this course having to make decisions about whether I do what I really want to do (which usually is more involved), or just make sure I fit the criteria for the grade.  Many times I have made the conclusion that I want the grade and have not taken it as far as I wanted to.  The projects I am most proud of though are the ones that I really didn’t care about the grade and did what I felt was right in my mind.

This course has used this concept many times, and I use this same idea in the classes I teach.  A ‘no-fail’ approach to some of my learning environments really brings out the best in my students. 

@ Curt Isakson

As I mentioned in my post on this month's readings, the EMDT program has created this train of thought within each of us over the past ten-plus months. My immediate response was like yours, Curt. This concept has been used many times in the assignments and projects we have created. When we forget about the grade and just work from our heart and soul, we get the greatest satisfaction for our accomplishments, and in fact, earn an A in our mind. The grade on paper becomes insignificant. And while we try to duplicate this idea in our own classrooms, we unfortunately have the restrictions that state standards and test scores place on us. I do know that the most rewarding assignments my kids work on are those with low threat levels and where the students can just enjoy what they are doing.

Wk 2 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 1-4

The beauty of the EMDT program is that we have been challenged to move outside the boundaries we usually set up for our own students in creating the projects and completing each month's set of challenges.  In an almost subversive way, giving the A is the practice of most of our instructors throughout the ten-plus months we have traveled on this journey.  I say subversive because it is only now that the practice has been revealed to us through this excellent book. 

photo by Mike Colletti

That said, I have been truly inspired by two non-traditional “textbooks” in this program.  The first is Presentation Zen, the perfect selection to inspire in us that less is more in presentations.  Garr Reynolds was able to teach an old speech communications teacher some new tricks and moved me towards the selection of my Action Research topic. 

Now, I have the Art of Possibility, which should be required reading for teachers, both old and new.  What a down-to-earth, simple approach to drawing the best out of each of the children we are charged with moving on to the next level in their lives. 

Just today, when I was working through my classroom to check on progress on the upcoming projects, I saw many of the same approaches to solving the problems of creating an effective presentation.  That seemed ok to me, until I checked on a group that was obviously enjoying what they were doing, almost, it seemed to me, too much.  To my pleasant surprise, they were sharing what they had done so far, which was the lyrics to the song they were writing to tell the story of their mythic hero.  It was really good, and made me wonder what made them go in that direction, when most of their peers wouldn’t.  Their answer was the same thing the Zanders reveal in the practice at the end of chapter one: they looked beyond what was already being done and looked at what they might invent that would be another choice and open up new spaces to work in.

Wk 1 Blog Comment 2: Copyright Issues

photo by Mike Colletti

Trina Dralus:  My thinking during Good Copy, Bad Copy:
While viewing Good Copy, Bad Copy I became aware of the conflicting opinions I have on the topic of copyright issues. I began to wonder how I really feel. I have always felt that the artist should maintain credit for the work they have developed. I also feel that the artist should be compensated for his or her work. However, I often wonder how much of the compensation actually goes to the artist and not the record label and so forth. I am also left wondering why copyright laws prohibit the public from building upon the ideas of others. This current generation has grown up with media at their fingertips. Why not allow them to use text, film, etc. to learn about their past and have a voice in their future as was stated in Good Copy, Bad Copy (2009). I thought this idea was brilliant. This is how these students learn. Why stifle this learning? Why not build upon the great ideas of the past to create a powerful idea for the future?

My mind was also opened during the section that discussed the Nigerian philosophy about copyright. This theory believes that copyright should not be about getting people for using work, but should be about using work legally and paying the artist for the work they have done. They don't have piracy because of this philosophy. The public pays the same for something new or something copied. So why copy it? This makes so much sense to me. The artist is compensated for his or her work and the public can then use this to create work of their own.

This idea allowed me to be very open to the idea of blanket licensing. This would allow for credit to the creator while still allowing open creativity. Money could still be made as the point of marketing was brought up. Marketing is what makes the money, not the copyrighting. Again, this makes perfect sense to me. So this can make copyright issues a nonissue. I wonder if that day will ever come?

@Trina

I was also torn between the two sides of the issue while watching Good Copy, Bad Copy.  On the one hand, I understand the protection of an artist’s intellectual property, whether it is film, music, dance, art or design.  I remember a case from the Mass Media class I teach, regarding Philo Farnsworth vs. RCA, during the days of television’s infancy.  Farnsworth invented one of the vital components that made television work, and his idea was used by RCA without permission.  While he eventually won his case, the financial hardships caused by the court proceedings left him a broken man, while RCA went on to be the major force in television development.  You can’t help but feel sorry for him.

On the other hand, letting new artists work with ideas already developed to create something different is an important part of the development of society.  We are always trying to invent a better mousetrap, as the saying goes.  As I said in my original blog post, there is a direct relationship between the telegraph and the television, even though you might not think so on first glance. 

What is needed is an understanding among all the creative forces out there, without the lawyers and without the courts getting involved.  It is amazing that the most developed country in the world can’t figure that out, and that “third world” countries like Nigeria and Brazil can.  So I agree that some form of blanket licensing makes the most sense.  It will make copyright issues a non-issue; however, I am not holding my breath until that day comes.

Wk 1 Blog Comment 3: Copyright Issues

Britni Hendrickson

photo by Mike Colletti

Copyright has always been confusing to me. I mean I know that when you use someone else’s work you must always give credit where credit is due but I had no idea that copyright had an actual (limited) lifespan. I also really appreciated the clarification of “fair use.” My first year of teaching, my fellow co-workers made “fair use” sound as though it was a given right, however it is not. There are limitation that we must be aware of. I also really appreciated the multitude of different points of view in the film Good Copy, Bad copy. One quote that I had to write down and think about was that copyright should not been as a limitation but yet “copyright is an incentive to create.”  This just really got me to thinking about analyzing copyrighted works, and fair use, and some of the ways this all effects not only teachers but also our students.

I am all about a shared culture, but I do believe that there still needs to be a copyright in place for those who want credit where its due. Creative Commons rocks in my opinion! I think they have not only the access but also the control that is needed. I see both ends of the spectrum. I see artists that want credit for their work no matter what, and I see people that are taking great works/materials, adding to them and creating new cutting edge innovative materials. Where exactly do we draw the line? Like with the sampling idea. This sampling takes so long and often times add in several pieces from several artists. I never really got my one questioned answered when it came to sampling, and that was, is sampling illegal? I did understand that there really is no written rule in regards to a set length when using media.

@Britni

photo by Mike Colletti

If anyone says he completely understands copyright and fair use, he is either a lawyer or a liar (no offense meant, Professor Bustillos, I just liked the play on words).  If I asked our faculty about fair use, they would all claim it is a right they have as teachers to use whatever they can to get the lessons taught.  And aren’t teachers the most blatant “borrowers” of other people’s materials?  So we are all guilty of not understanding either term.

I must agree that Creative Commons rocks.  What they are attempting to do is to create the shared community of intellectuals that all great societies, from ancient times to now, used to become great:  shared knowledge.  Unfortunately, elements like greed and jealousy create the rifts that split up these creative communities.  Don’t get me wrong, because I believe credit should be given where it is due.  I just think that once credit is given, there should be some allowances for taking something to the next level.  That is what defines progress and what we always want to see in our students – the need to succeed and use the brainpower that they have.

Wk 1 Blog Comment 1: Copyright Issues

Melissa Lodhi

Image courtesy of Morguefile

I find the issues surrounding copyright law fascinating.  I am particularly interested because much of my career revolves around these laws.  As a professional choreographer, my own intellectual property is protected but I run into massive risks when using music to accompany my work.  Trying to publish or share my work is impossible without original music, which is unaffordable in most cases.  The video “Good Copy, Bad Copy” was eye-opening.  I am extremely baffled by how so many artists are able to produce work that is technically infringing on copyright.  It sounds like all remixes and remakes of songs are stealing intellectual property.  Copyright law is a jumble of pitfalls and loopholes.  In order to pay artists for their work, all 3000 songs on my iPod have been purchased on hardcopy or through iTunes, but I have on many occasions used the work of artists as accompaniment for my work which is technically a no-no.  

@Melissa...

I understand your concern over copyright issues with the music you select for your dance shows.  I face the same issues when I select material for my speech team members to perform.  As we take 8-10 minute cuttings from longer length literature, we are always in fear of some author coming back at us for changing his intent by our adaptation, or just because we performed his selection without permission.  It is even more of a challenge due to the publication of so much material on the internet. 

I think of George Harrison losing in court for "stealing" the melody of "My Sweet Lord" and how ridiculous it seemed to me at the time.  At some point, every conceivable way to arrange notes will be used; will that be the end of new music?

You really hit the nail on the head with your term "perplexing." It really is!

Wk 1 Reading: Copyright Issues, parts 1-3

Image courtesy of Creative Commons

First of all, the TED Talk video: ReMix Culture by Larry Lessig, was a great way to end this week’s video barrage. It put the whole copyright lesson into a capsule that made the most sense to me. And, I will definitely use the video as one of the closing elements of the Mass Media class I currently teach. It just ties all that we are reading and studying about together.

I agree that there needs to be a meeting of the minds on both sides of this issue, as some compromise needs to be agreed upon. If not, creativity will be stifled, or worse than that, become illegal. I can’t help but think of Fahrenheit 451, the great Ray Bradbury novel, and the use of firemen and book burning to control our existence, or even George Orwell’s classic 1984, with Big Brother watching our every move and Thought Police punishing thought crime.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for protecting what is mine, and everyone deserves that right as well.  However, if we were not allowed to take what already exists and make it better, where would we be now?  Our technology advances can be traced back many generations of creations, all taking it one step further in order to make something new.  Sending electricity through wires led to sending controlled impulses (telegraph) through wires, which led to adding sound (telephone), and then taking the wires away (radio), first without sound and then with voice, and then adding pictures (television) and so on.  Yes, I know there were copyright and patent battles and agreements throughout the process, but the creativity was not stifled.

We have provided our current generation with the greatest technology at an affordable price.  We need to let them take this material and stretch the limits of what that technology can do.  Whether it is through an organization like Creative Commons, taking the legal high road, or through “subversive” unauthorized experimentation, isn’t the idea that our children are exercising their minds and learning new things what is really important?  As Larry Lessig said in his closing of the aforementioned TED Talk video, [our kids] “live life knowing they live it against the law…in a democracy, we ought to be able do better at least for them…”

A Resurrection of Sorts

Since I need to have a blog site for Month 11, and probably beyond, I have decided to go back to this forum, which was created what seems like in another time and place.  I have visited this site a few times since the last post in September, but not added to it until now.
This is Month 11, Media Asset Creation, and only nine weeks away from Graduation.  I hope that this course exceeds expectations, as most have up to this point.  We'll see.

BP17_Practical Experience_iMovie, part 3

I May Not Be Running Yet, But I Am Definitely Walking

As I work with iMovie, it is becoming easier to see why this will become a valuable tool for my Action Research Project.  I hope to bring variety to my students' classroom presentations by encouraging them to try different delivery methods when they speak.  This is just one of many tools, but it is one that they should easily master.

As I completed my last video for the Emergent Technologies in a Collaborative Culture course, I was hit with the realization that within a few short weeks I have been able to easily create movies. And, since I know how much more proficient most of my students are with all things computer, the learning curve for them should be even smaller. So I look with excitement towards the second cycle of my AR Project.

My AR Pitch video - as it was being completed.

I have included a screenshot of the desktop interface where all the magic of iMovie takes place.  On that screen is my final video, as I completed it and was waiting preparing to upload it to Viddler and to YouTube, as well as add it to the Creating Ripples 4 Change wiki. While I am sure that the video will need some revisions, especially if I want to use it as it is intended, I am proud of how it came out. You can see the video on my YouTube channel if you click on this link. Enjoy!

BP16_Practical Experience_iMovie, part 2

You Have to Crawl Before You Can Walk

After watching most of the tutorials for iMovie, I actually created a few.  While I'm not quite Ken Burns or Steven Spielberg, I am pretty proud of my effort on them. They can be viewed on YouTube.  If you want to see what I have done, just click on this link to my YouTube channel.

I still wanted to make sure I could harness the power of this tool, so I took advantage of the membership I have at Lynda.com and checked out the iMovie tutorials located there. Below is a screenshot of the selections offered at Lynda.com.

The iMovie Tutorials available at Lynda.com

Obviously, there are not as many movies here, which makes sense since Apple has done a pretty competent job at providing the instruction and help on their own site.  However, having this additional information available reinforced what those tutorials presented.

I am feeling more confident in adding more components to the movies I create, layering additional tracks of music, titles and voice to the images I have provided.

BP15_Practical Experience_iMovie, part 1

Baby Steps...

The iMovie Welcome screen

I decided to use iMovie as the subject of my second series of Practical Experience blogs.  This powerful and easy-to-use tool is a handy part of the Apple software included with our MacBook Pro.  It is also one that I had never used prior to my starting this degree program at Full Sail.

I appreciated the tutorials provided by Apple for iMovie.  As you can see, there are many instructional videos to help the new user navigate through the many functions.  The fact that they are a click away is priceless.

The iMovie Tutorial homepage

It looks like I have a few movies to watch...more later...

BP14_Practical Experience_Wikispaces, part 3

Success!

Boy, was I disappointed all weekend!  I continually checked the AAStaggDebate wiki page to see who would be the first to register and contribute.  Friday night rolled into Saturday and through Sunday night, and the only post was mine.  I was puzzled by the lack of activity, especially since there are some students in this class that I had taught in previous years, and I knew they would do the assignment.  I became worried that something was wrong.

This morning before class, one of those students came to my classroom to complain that she never received an invitation, nor did anyone else from the class that she had talked to.  My first response was to think back to my conversation with technology, and then to re-read the instructions that the kids received when they were introduced to their new district email accounts.  It was there I discovered the problem.

Students are not able to receive email from anyone outside of our district.  This filter was imposed in order to keep the district server free from all the clutter that travels with outside email like Yahoo, Gmail and AOL.  Thus, the email from Wikispaces was not allowed. 

I was able to copy and paste a copy of the invitation into an email from my district account, and I resent the note to the class.  I had a few students check their district email, and they received the letter.  By the end of the school day, I already had a few posts; I expect the rest of the class to follow suit throughout the evening.  Then, it will be on to more formal assignments. 

Some of the Happy Students
Adding comments to the WIKI

BP13_Practical Experience_Wikispaces, part 2

The Assignment

On Friday, I invited my Debate class to join as contributors of the AAStaggDebate wiki found at Wikispaces.  As I explained in my BP8 posting, I told the students that this would allow us to share, edit and collaborate on research for upcoming debate tournaments. 

I was able to use the newly-activated student email accounts through our district server.  Each student has an account which they can access from school or home using the same log-in procedure that they use to access the district internet. 

The Invitation to Collaborate

Prior to our class, I copied the list of email addresses from our records system, pasted the list into the email function available through Wikispaces, and sent a standard email message inviting them to join.  I sent a copy to two of my own email addresses to verify that the mail was sent.  I also checked with the district technology department to make sure Wikispaces was accessible for student use on our computers at school, and it is.  So far, so good.

I went to class and gave the students their first assignment:  1) Register their student email accounts, which they had to do since they were recently activated; 2) Open the email I sent them from Wikispaces and follow the links and prompts to register as contributors; 3) Once on the Wiki, leave a post with their name and short message on the ease of making it through the process.  The students had a few questions, but all seemed excited to try this out.  

BP12_Practical Experience_Wikispaces, part 1

AA Stagg DB8 is GR8

I have chosen to write my PE blogs about Wikispaces, which I reviewed as my week 3 Blogging assignment.  I decided to use this Wiki tool with my Debate class, and open it up to the Debate Team as well. 

First, a little background on this class:  they are all high school seniors, who have selected this class from a number of writing-based choices in order to fulfill part of their senior English requirement.  They are mixed in ability and interest, but they are a vocal group, which is a plus in a speech-oriented course.  There are 12 young women and 7 young men in this group. 

The AA Stagg Debate Wiki Homepage

On Wednesday of last week, I set up the wiki page titled AAStaggDebate.  Completing the steps seemed simple, from registration through selecting the layout and color scheme through placing my first message out there.  You can see examples of the process in my BP8_Wikispaces review or in my BP11_OMM_Wikispaces blog post.  Seemed simple so far.  I was on the way to getting this going.

BP11_OMM Wikispaces

There is no I in TEAM, 

but there are two in WIKI

Here is my latest promotional one-minute movie, which highlights the Web 2.0 tool Wikispaces.  I have established a Wiki site for my Debate class and team.  I have asked the students to sign on as contributors in order to post and edit research.  Here is a link to the Debate Team wiki.