Planning an Unscripted Documentary

She tells her students to begin by writing a one-sheet description of the project. This description will not be perfect or final, but it will set the filmmaking process into motion. Briefly sketch your themes, story, characters, and the filmmaking style you would like to use. (A good way to start choosing a style is…

I know that look.

This was my 9yo today. She doesn’t get into fights with other kids, just with us — about going to bed, or getting up, or drinking out of a cup with a creepy pirate on it, or doing any lesson other than theater or art. Beyond throwing an eraser or stuffed animal in huffy anger,…

Writing Virtual Worlds in the Inform Programming Language (Full-day Workshop, C & W 2012)

For educators who are interested in both computers and writing, interactive fiction games (aka text adventures) offer exciting possibilities. This workshop introduces the interactive fiction programming language Inform, which uses a syntax that resembles ordinary English. Here is a sample of Inform 7 code: The Hotel Lobby is a room. A buffet table is in…

Reading Position

In our homeschool household, we do lessons year round. Knowing that she would have to finish her lessons before I took her to a party today, my daughter got up before the rest of the house. When I came into the kitchen to get myself breakfast, I found her like this, on the last chapter…

Some colleges slow to prep education majors for how to teach online

When Bartos took over Principles of Instructional Technologies at Seton Hill last year, she revamped the course that taught use of computer programs like Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint in classrooms. “It’s because of the evolution in technology — we really had to,” said Bartos. “I address right in my class that there’s a strong…

Griffin Run Cycle Test – YouTube

Here’s a quick run cycle, with some background detail thrown in for testing purposes. Similar:Getting to the Point in Academic Writing Don’t spend three pages establishing…DesignSuch pictures fill my weekday world at fiveYour pictures fill my weekday world at f…AestheticsThis Woman Inspired One of the First Hit Video Games by Mapping the World’s Longest CaveThe…

Nyan Cat Rock

My daughter saw the Nyan Cat video, and then opened a rock-painting gift from a secret Santa. The result was inevitable. Similar:From this station on the bridge, the exposition officer can relay whatever random bit of i…https://youtu.be/_E-3E7Q3LSs Get a lo…AestheticsDescent, Part 1 (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 6, Episode 26) Data experiences disturbing…Rewatching ST:TNG Data plays…

Blender Griffin, Part 3

Okay, that’s enough work for one evening. I added a skeleton I had already created for another project, and I added new rigging for his wings and tail. I still need to add the fancy stuff, like having the eyes follow a target, having the limbs move automatically to follow the placement of the feet…

Blender Griffin, Part 2

After another couple of hours of work, I’ve added the Griffin logo and a tail (trust me — it’s there). I’ve improved the lighting, and added some very subtle ambient occlusion (the inside of his beak and the inside of his eyes are shaded more realistically). I could probably do a better job differentiating such…

Correlation or Causation? – Businessweek

Correlation or Causation? – Businessweek. Similar:Opinion: Don’t Be Fooled by America’s Flattening CurveAnother example of effective new media d…Current_EventsFULL BLOOM at Latrobe’s Olde Main, Aug 30-Sep 2.Culture"We Need to Be More Vigilant With What We Trust From the Internet." –Fake PresidentFrom Buzzfeed: Sitting before the Sta…CybercultureMy understanding of biased polls is… (choose one) Amusing100 Careers for…

Blender 3D Update

Holy ray-tracing, Batman, it’s a Blender 3D update! I have not had the chance to try out Blender 2.61, which features an ocean simulator, motion-tracking, and real-time ray-tracing. blender.org – Blender 2.61. Similar:Where No One Has Gone Before (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 5) Wes's warp-drive guru help…Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….Culture"Know that I…

Blender Griffin

To celebrate yesterday’s on-time submission of final grades, I spent part of last night and much of today working on this Blender 3D model of our school mascot, the Griffin.   Similar:The 7 key components of a perfect elevator pitch Whether you are trying to raise mone…BusinessWhy Even Try if You Have A.I.? Now that…

Narnia Lesson Plans: Activities Related to the Musical (based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) — Jerz’s Literacy Weblog

I just posted the latest musical theater education packet, written by my wife, as she aims to make the most of our home-schooled children’s participation in Stage Right Greensburg’s student theater production. 1.10) Narnia, once a utopia or paradise, has become a sad, cold dystopia under the Witch’s rule. Read & discuss other examples of…

Pittsburgh Parent Magazine: Future-oriented College Majors

Pittsburgh Parent Magazine’s December issue features Seton Hill’s New Media Journalism major in a cover story by Kelli Robinson. Similar:Viral Video Vilifies Foul-ball FanA recent video that shows a kid in the b…EthicsUpdating a handout I originally wrote in 1998. #tech #writingA mechanism description analyzes (that i…AcademiaThe cultural implications of the myth that English majors end up…