Friday, May 13, 2016
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird: Experiment & Produce Phases
We'll start with a brief reading session and then . . .
And then . . . we invent and create.
There's an adjustment to the expectation for your invention: you do not have to use Little Bits. They are a tool. They are a great tool. My excitement about using them shouldn't limit your imagination or problem solving skills.
You MUST create a tangible invention. It must be something you can hold and use -- or at least easily imagine is functional. The Little Bits are there to make some of your ideas ACTUALLY happen -- and there are other inventions available too.
8 BOX/STORYBOARD/EMPATHY MAP.
In order to be released to build and hack and make and create, you must put the following in your Eng 9 IN folder on Google Drive:
* Full 8 Box and video documenting that you did it in 4 minutes (if you did it at home)
* Three panel storyboard of your invention in action
* Empathy Map of the character for whom you are designing a solution
Today is also the last day to build and create in class. At 9 a.m. we will showcase what we've created, get some feedback in either Rose, Bud, Thorn or Four Corners Feedback, as we get ready for new work next Tuesday and Thursday.
ONE PAGE STORY.
Once you've designed/built your invention, you must write a one-page story from the point of view of your character USING your invention to solve the problem. Your story needs to demonstrate that you understand the character you have chosen and can empathize with him or her. It must also prove you understand the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as some of the big ideas -- themes -- in the film.
Anything you don't finish in class becomes homework. Work hard. Make awesome thing as I know you will.
And then . . . we invent and create.
There's an adjustment to the expectation for your invention: you do not have to use Little Bits. They are a tool. They are a great tool. My excitement about using them shouldn't limit your imagination or problem solving skills.
You MUST create a tangible invention. It must be something you can hold and use -- or at least easily imagine is functional. The Little Bits are there to make some of your ideas ACTUALLY happen -- and there are other inventions available too.
8 BOX/STORYBOARD/EMPATHY MAP.
In order to be released to build and hack and make and create, you must put the following in your Eng 9 IN folder on Google Drive:
* Full 8 Box and video documenting that you did it in 4 minutes (if you did it at home)
* Three panel storyboard of your invention in action
* Empathy Map of the character for whom you are designing a solution
Today is also the last day to build and create in class. At 9 a.m. we will showcase what we've created, get some feedback in either Rose, Bud, Thorn or Four Corners Feedback, as we get ready for new work next Tuesday and Thursday.
ONE PAGE STORY.
Once you've designed/built your invention, you must write a one-page story from the point of view of your character USING your invention to solve the problem. Your story needs to demonstrate that you understand the character you have chosen and can empathize with him or her. It must also prove you understand the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as some of the big ideas -- themes -- in the film.
Anything you don't finish in class becomes homework. Work hard. Make awesome thing as I know you will.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Pop Culture: Making Movie Magic Happen (Sorta)
Pop Culture: Making Movie Magic Happen (Sorta.)
Making the Movie Magic Happen. (Sorta.)
Stage 1. After watching a couple of clips under Mr. Ryder’s tutelage, try your hand at storyboarding, directing and cinematography.
- In groups of one, two or three, choose a film from the AFI Top 100 - 10th Anniversary list that you have seen or at least sorta kinda “know.” (This list is due for an update in 2017. I’m curious to see what happens . . .)
- Find a clip of a well-known scene from that film online. They are out there.
- Using either people or LEGO minifigs and either digital photography or sketching, recreate that scene shot-by-shot, angle-by-angle
- As you are producing that recreation, think about the placement of the camera, the framing, the movement. Do your best to create as honest a reproduction as possible. The point? To see if you can see filmmaking from a creator’s point of view and become more aware of how the filmmaker’s convince their audiences to see and think about the subject matter in a particular way.
Which takes us to Stage 2.
After recreating that scene to develop a sense of how it all “works” in a finished product, use your skills to tell the following story.
Choose and recreate the camera angles to the best of your abilities from the following sources:
Great tool because it shows you examples from actual films
Fantastic explanation of camera angles
Several great examples of storyboarding at work
Stage 3. #ShowYourWork by Creating a Google Presentation, Prezi, or other slideshow to show how your team did.
Due at the midpoint of next class for sharing and feedback. Place the link or slideshow in your IN folder. Be sure to include all group members.
SHOW YOUR WORK.
BLOG. Content Post #4.
Due. Next Class. May 12.2016
CREATING MOVIE MAGIC.
Due. Next Class. May 12.2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird Day One
How might we invent solutions to the problems characters in To Kill a Mockingbird face using Little Bits and our maker cart materials?
DISCOVER.
Today we started by breaking into three groups and circulating around the room in a modified Chalk Talk. Everyone had a marker and added to the chart paper asking what sorts of problems the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are facing. We considered Tom Robinson, Atticus, Jem, Scout and Boo.
DISCOVER.
Today we started by breaking into three groups and circulating around the room in a modified Chalk Talk. Everyone had a marker and added to the chart paper asking what sorts of problems the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are facing. We considered Tom Robinson, Atticus, Jem, Scout and Boo.
Then we chose design teams. People can work by themselves, with a partner or with two partners for this design challenge.
EMPATHY.
Once teams were chosen, we selected the characters for whom we want to invent problem solving solutions.
We used a new tool called the Innovator's Compass to help us wrangle with our challenge. It was created by a rad designer and educator, Ela Ben-Ur, and you can hear her explain it in this video.
We used it on the makerboard to create an example for Scout, since no one in class chose to design for her.
Here's the results of that work.
After completing Innovator's Compass' for each of our characters in our design teams, we ran the design sprint 8 Box protocol. That's where you try to come up with 8 ideas in just four minutes.
I didn't take many pictures at this point because I was trying to help folks out. But here's some rough video I captured.
Tonight's homework follows and it should help you set up for some great experimenting and producing on Wednesday and Friday.
SHOW YOUR THINKING.
8 Box. Put 4 minutes on the clock.
Come up with 8 ideas for invention possibilities that could solve your character's problem.
Time yourself and take a video using your laptop camera or any other device. Submit your video to me on Google Drive in your Eng 9 IN folder.
Take a picture of your 8 Box. Submit that to your folder as well.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16
Empathy Map.
Use the Empathy Map template to map out what your character is saying and doing and how that relates to what they are thinking and feeling. We've done this all year going back to Of Mice & Men. Same idea. New character. New challenge.
Submit your map to your IN Folder.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16
Innovator's Compass.
Please take pics of your compass and put them in your IN folder.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16
Friday, May 6, 2016
Pop Culture: Film Trailers & the Art of Making You Want More
Film Trailers
We'll start with this one. Because I said so.
Resource 1. 9 Short Storytelling Tips.
Fantastic storytelling tips that can be applied well beyond film trailer designing.
Resource 2. The Golden Trailer Awards.
The Awards for Best Film Trailers. (There are lots. Lots and lots.)
Resource 3. Trailer Fatigue.
History and Current State of Affairs of Film Trailers.
You'll divide up into teams of 1, 2 or 3 to tackle this work today. Pick your crew and get to work.
We'll start with the 9 Short Storytelling Tips. In the space of 10 minutes, do the math for I will be cruising at breakneck keep-it-tight speed, I will give you both a sketchnote and a brief explanation of each tip.
Then! In your teams, you will get to work looking for examples of those 9 short storytelling tips in either the Golden Trailer Awards nominees and winners OR Trailer Addict.com or a movie trailer source of your liking. Avoid the general YouTube search. It can be cumbersome. There's better curated sources out there.
Also, I'll be circulating, locking in your passion/interest/personal branded blog topic for the rest of the year.
We'll start with this one. Because I said so.
Resource 1. 9 Short Storytelling Tips.
Fantastic storytelling tips that can be applied well beyond film trailer designing.
Resource 2. The Golden Trailer Awards.
The Awards for Best Film Trailers. (There are lots. Lots and lots.)
Resource 3. Trailer Fatigue.
History and Current State of Affairs of Film Trailers.
You'll divide up into teams of 1, 2 or 3 to tackle this work today. Pick your crew and get to work.
We'll start with the 9 Short Storytelling Tips. In the space of 10 minutes, do the math for I will be cruising at breakneck keep-it-tight speed, I will give you both a sketchnote and a brief explanation of each tip.
Then! In your teams, you will get to work looking for examples of those 9 short storytelling tips in either the Golden Trailer Awards nominees and winners OR Trailer Addict.com or a movie trailer source of your liking. Avoid the general YouTube search. It can be cumbersome. There's better curated sources out there.
Also, I'll be circulating, locking in your passion/interest/personal branded blog topic for the rest of the year.
SHOW YOUR WORK.
Blog. Blog Post #3 for Your Branded Blog.
Post a Link to Your Post on the Blog Tracker.
Due. Monday. 5.9.16
Film Trailers.
Find examples of each of the first 9 storytelling tips as they appear in various movie trailers. Collect your finds and explain your thinking on a Google doc.
Due. Monday. 5.9.16
Film Trailers.
Find examples of each of the first 9 storytelling tips as they appear in various movie trailers. Collect your finds and explain your thinking on a Google doc.
Due. Monday. 5.9.16
So Far This Quarter.
Poster Design.
Design a Poster for Advertising Your Blog or Your Video Game Design.
Due. Friday. 5.6.16
Submit your poster in your Pop Culture IN folder on Google Drive.
Game Something that Matters.
Submit Your Slide Decks & Other Materials in the Pop Culture IN folder on Google Drive.
Due. Monday. 5.2.16
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Humanities: Learning to Love You More & Wicked Focus
Today we took a brief pause in Out of Nowhere to introduce Learning to Love You More, our ongoing design challenge for the month of May that will incorporate our work with Out of Nowhere and human rights, reinventing our blogging, and outsider art -- all ideas we intended to tackle anyway.
LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE.
Learning to Love You More started as an ambitious art project by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher. During the mid-2000s it took off as something of a social art movement in days before Instagram and Snapchat and when Tumblr and Twitter were just getting started.
Mr. Brackett and I still need to decide exactly which assignments we'll be using as part of the study of Out of Nowhere and which will be part of your personal portfolio, but you can expect to complete at least three a week. For this first one, pick any of the 70 assignments and complete it for your blog post for Thursday.
Yes, some of these are incredibly easy and simple to "complete." But remember, we've spent a tremendous amount of working on being intentional, making things that matter, challenging ourselves to make new iterations and revisions of our work. If your goal is to take the easiest route, you will find this a fairly worthless endeavor -- it will feel like you wasted your time, it will make you ask what's the point, you will want to hide your work and share it with no one, you will likely be annoyed daily for the next month.
Or . . . you can do as Mr. Muise suggests we all do and refuse to be afraid to be awesome. Be awesome. Make something awesome.
VOCAB.
Roots 12. Quiz next Thursday, May 5. CRUSH it. Hard.
WICKED FOCUS a.k.a. FIDGET PROJECT
Today we made some huge strides in turning our fidget project into a classroom based business, a true example of social entrepreneurship and starting something that matters.
We have a lot of work to do between now and Friday, and especially between now and Friday, May 6, my imposed deadline to have the website up and ready for business. We can do this. Especially with a team like this:
Tyler: Marketing Director
Leahannah: Business Manager
Amelia: Human Resources Manager
Zach: Production Manager
Plus the rest of Wicked Focus which is currently the two Lilly's, Dawson B. and Mo, but is open to anyone who would like to be involved. These are your designs going to market. I encourage you all to be part of this.
LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE.
Learning to Love You More started as an ambitious art project by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher. During the mid-2000s it took off as something of a social art movement in days before Instagram and Snapchat and when Tumblr and Twitter were just getting started.
Mr. Brackett and I still need to decide exactly which assignments we'll be using as part of the study of Out of Nowhere and which will be part of your personal portfolio, but you can expect to complete at least three a week. For this first one, pick any of the 70 assignments and complete it for your blog post for Thursday.
Yes, some of these are incredibly easy and simple to "complete." But remember, we've spent a tremendous amount of working on being intentional, making things that matter, challenging ourselves to make new iterations and revisions of our work. If your goal is to take the easiest route, you will find this a fairly worthless endeavor -- it will feel like you wasted your time, it will make you ask what's the point, you will want to hide your work and share it with no one, you will likely be annoyed daily for the next month.
Or . . . you can do as Mr. Muise suggests we all do and refuse to be afraid to be awesome. Be awesome. Make something awesome.
VOCAB.
Roots 12. Quiz next Thursday, May 5. CRUSH it. Hard.
WICKED FOCUS a.k.a. FIDGET PROJECT
Today we made some huge strides in turning our fidget project into a classroom based business, a true example of social entrepreneurship and starting something that matters.
We have a lot of work to do between now and Friday, and especially between now and Friday, May 6, my imposed deadline to have the website up and ready for business. We can do this. Especially with a team like this:
Tyler: Marketing Director
Leahannah: Business Manager
Amelia: Human Resources Manager
Zach: Production Manager
Plus the rest of Wicked Focus which is currently the two Lilly's, Dawson B. and Mo, but is open to anyone who would like to be involved. These are your designs going to market. I encourage you all to be part of this.
SHOW YOUR THINKING.
Blog. Choose any LTLYM assignment. Post it on your blog. Put a link to it on Google Classroom in the appropriate assignment. There will be a new blog tracker soon.
Due. Thursday. April 28.
Vocab. Roots 12.
Quiz. Thursday. May 5.
Wicked Focus.
Logo.
Due. Thursday. May 5.
Pricing.
Due. Thursday. May 5.
Production Workflow.
Due. Thursday. May 5.
Google+ and Communication Plan.
Due. Friday. April 29.
Story of Us.
Due. Friday. April 29.
We'll be meeting daily for the next two weeks to get us to launch.
Pop Culture: Game Something That Matters & Pitches
The last element in our Video Games That Matter design challenge is the pitch.
You can also learn more about pitching from these resources. (Some links may be broken.)
Next Monday, you will deliver a three-minute pitch of your game design, convincing your potential investors -- the rest of the class -- to invest in your idea.
Today we watched a couple of clips from ABC's Shark Tank on Hulu. The show features entrepreneurs seeking big money investors in their ideas. You will be doing the same thing. Here are few more pitches to watch and study. Notice their approach and attitude, their preparation, the materials they bring, and how that affects the sharks' offers.
You can also learn more about pitching from these resources. (Some links may be broken.)
- The Pitch - Doing Whatever It Takes, Episode 101, Subway: The Pitch – AMC
- http://chrisoatley.com/pdf/RMPitchBible.pdf
- Writing Loglines that Sell
- Ready Camera One - The Pitch Bible
- The Pitch Bible: Just The Essentials | Animation World Network
- Sample Pitches | This American Life
- Pitch and Sell Your Reality TV Show Idea | Creating Ideas For TV
This shows you information on creating a logline. And it includes great examples. - Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds with Michael Hauge - YouTube
- How to Pitch a TV Show - Tim Gibbons
Tim Gibbons discussing the pitch and development of a show at HBO that never saw further development, but the process discussion is still fantastic
Prepare a 3-minute pitch for Monday and be certain you include the following visuals and information as part of your pitch.
HMW design a game that addresses a problem that matters, entertains people and requires higher order critical thinking?
You will be pitching your ideas to the rest of the class as though they were venture capital investors looking to fund a new video game studio.
You must include the following in the pitch:
Game Title.
Concept Behind the Game.
Storyline of the Game.
Visual Examples of Game Screens (At Least 3)
Evidence That It Is About Something That Matters.
Evidence That the Game Requires Higher Order Cognition.
Logo for the Game.
Take It to the Next Level by Potentially Creating Rough Game Play in an Actual Game Design
We didn't get an opportunity today to talk about the new look of blogging for Q4. I was deliberately holding off until we got closer to the end of the video game design challenge. Rather than answering blog prompts each night, you are doing to design your own branded blog around an interest, topic, or passion of yours and develop it into a regularly updated web presence with original content, intentional design, and features to attract a readership. It may choose to create a vlog or podcast as part of your design; you may choose to include a great deal of visuals. You may choose to link to other information with your own take.
It must feature your own voice, ideas or opinions in either writing or spoken word. It must be about something of interest to you. And it must be updated on the calendar to be announced.
In the meantime, your first blog post for Q4 is one of discovery. Brainstorm a list of possible topics for your blog and find two blogs that you could use for inspiration for you own -- whether it be for the content or for the design. Find them. Link to them. Take screen shots. Explain your thinking.
Due Thursday, April 28. (There will be time in class to do this work right at the beginning of class -- 8 to 8:20; the final hour will be for preparing your video game design.)
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