World Clock

One of my students showed this to me the other day. It's a world clock maintained by a website called Poodwaddle. I did a Google search to see if I could find any more information on the site. No luck on that yet. They do list the references used to create the clock at the bottom of their page.

Regardless. My students brought this to me because they thought it was interesting. This could be a good discussion starter in most any classroom. Also a jumping off point to check the facts given.

[Image captured from http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks2.htm]

David Wilson Animation

Amazing animation done by David Wilson for the music video, We Got Time. As a teacher, I was thrilled to see he also created an informational movie on how it was created. I am already planning on using this in the classroom.

It's all done using a device called a praxinoscope. He gives a nice overview of the history of this process and some great information on what happens when he changed the frame rate.

"Making of" video is fascinating.
Music video is brilliant!










[Images all captured from the two videos]

ToneMatrix

ToneMatrix is a browser based sinewave synthesizer. I've seen some of these as DIY projects that you can build. This is the first I've seen I can play from my computer. Essentially you click on one of the little squares and it will play a tone. Click on a column and it will play a chord. It sequences from right to left.

From the descriptions of these syntesizers, I thought a device like this would have limited appeal. Once again I was wrong. It quickly ate up a hour of my time as I made up different sequences. It was extremely easy to build a pleasant melody in just a few minutes and then change it on the fly.

Fun. Entertaining. I've bookmarked this one for future moments of "messing around".
[via DavidWilson.Com]
[Image captured from http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix]

Swine Flu Twitter

The CDC has started a Twitter stream to keep the public informed regarding the swine flu outbreak: @CDCemergency

Swine Flu Map

Here is a helpful Google map [Update: 5/3/09: This map has been moved here]you can use if your class is following the spread of the swine flu. It differentiates between suspected and confirmed cases. It also shows casualties.

I've been checking the map periodically over the past few days and it's interesting to see how it is spreading. Scary when you realize each of the markers is a real person who is sick and that some of them denote deaths.

Right now it looks like the majority of cases outside of Mexico have been spread via air travel. I am sure you could locate major airports near each outbreak. Have your students predict how it can spread from there and then follow that up with a discussion on what precautions we all should be taking. Visit the CDC site to gather accurate information.

Larry Ferlazzo has a list of resources you can use in the classroom at his excellent site, Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day. I suspect the kids (and us) are going to hear a lot rumours over the next few days as the seriousness of the situation is determined. Help yourself and your kids stay informed with good information.

[Image captured from http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5]

Still wishing...

Still wishing I was in Maryland with a banjo on my knee at the Crisfield Folk Musicians Retreat. So, I've been watching banjo videos on YouTube. Here is an amazing piece of playing by Ken Aoki tenor banjo player. He has several videos available on the web.



Wonder what this would sound like clawhammer style?

2009 Folk Musicians Retreat

Wish I was in Maryland making music instead of eating my oatmeal and planning a presentation on Moviemaker for my third hour.

Maybe next year. (click comic for full size picture.)

Funny: Well informed

Film Credits Explained

Short description of 15 various job credits that you see at the end of a film. Students tend to forget that a film is a collaborative effort that utilizes a lot of people all with specific duties. For example, whats the person called who arranges the plants and flowers for a shoot.

[Answer: Greensman]

The above graphic is also from this Mental Floss post. Nice visual of the controlled chaos on a set.







[Image captured from Mental Floss: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/24537]

Beautiful Imperfections

Moving little piece on love and family.




[Image captured from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw0s4C0g5SM]

Soft Skills: Networking

The folks in my department where I teach talk a lot about soft skills. We keep asking, how do we give kids some of those abilities needed to be successful beyond their academics? Things like how to interview for a job, workplace behavior and interacting successfully with your employer. This article by Chris Lehmann called Networking and Teaching brought up some of the same points we throw around in our department meetings.

He talks about his lack of skills in working a room and I am reminded of how I used to be involved with some Geography curriculum development in our state. I had to attend gatherings made up of teachers, business people and government representatives. I was awful at working a room. Usually ended up talking with another teacher. If getting legislation passed was based on how well I could work room, we'd still be teaching that the world is flat.

Our department started throwing around the idea of a class to help students create better presentations using Powerpoint and maybe expanding the scope to include professional networking. Our DECA and FBLA students seem to gather a lot of these abilities from their classes and the competitions they attend. We often have them chair meetings with the public and they help run school assemblies. I know I wouldn't have been able to do that when I was 16. Public speaking was torture for me back then. So much so, that friends and family were somewhat shocked to hear I was going into teaching. Goes to show that we can change. We can learn.

[Image: Flickr: "Trademark 101 for Small Business at Network Solutions": Uploaded on September 18, 2008 by shashiBellamkonda: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drbeachvacation/2867858263/]

Tribute to Jim Henson

Moving, haunting tribute to Jim Henson.

Wonder if my students will be as touched by this as I am?

Couldn't find much out about this video. Anybody have any background info?

Overtime by Supinfocom: Jim Henson Trib.
Uploaded by Razorbuzz

[Image taken from the video]

Aneesh Chopra: New Fedreal Chief Technology Officer

President Obama announced the name of the New Chief Technology Officer: Aneesh Chopra.

"Aneesh Chopra, who is currently the Secretary of Technology for Governor Kaine of Virginia, has agreed to serve as America’s Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Aneesh will promote technological innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities – from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure."

Good overview of who Chopra is and why he is a good choice at this article by Tim O'Reilly.

Aneesh Chopra Facebook page.

[via O'Reilly Radar: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Obama-Discusses-Efforts-to-Reform-Spending-Government-Waste-Names-Chief-Performance-Officer-and-Chief-Technology-Officer/]

Funny: If Frank Miller Drew Peanuts

See whole page at deviantart.










[via Neatorama] [Image captured from deviantart: http://ninjaink.deviantart.com/art/Schulz-City-That-Yellow-S-1-115191442]

The Seed

The Seed is a nifty animation using a combination of of 2D and papercut stop motion by Johnny Kelly of Nexus Productions.

I'll be showing this to my students as an example of what can be done with these two techniques. Lots of stuff happening in this video. Lots of idea generators for kids trying to think up project ideas.

Also I've embedded the Making of the Seed. Show these two together and your kids should be able to come up with lots of concepts on what to do and blueprints on how to do it. Let me mention that my students love the idea of animation but many quickly lose their affection for the technique once they realize the work and time that goes into creating one. Help them keep their dreams realistic. Start them off with small projects so they can see some results.


The Seed from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.


Making of 'The Seed' from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

[Image: Captured from MotionGrapher:http://motionographer.com/2008/11/27/johnny-kellys-seed/]

Mountain Range High School Peeps

Here are all the entries for our Mountain Range Peeps contest.

MRHS Peeps Contest (2009)

View more presentations from Al Gunn.

JibJab animation

I was trying to come up with a way to teach some simple animation techniques to my multimedia kids recently and I remembered the JibJab films. Specifically how they take a picture of a still face and animate the jaw to create the illusion of talking. It has the look of a ventriloquist dummy.

I wanted to show the kids who couldn't draw that they could still create some interesting effects. So, using Fireworks, we created faces with moving jaws and twirling eyes. I refer to these as JibJab animations because a lot of my students are familiar with the their films.

We exported them as animated gifs. The kids can now use them on web pages, movie projects and even Powerpoint presentations. Although I haven't figured out a way to show them in this blog or Google Sites. When you upload a picture to those two online services they are automatically turned into jpegs which breaks the animation. (At least I think this is what is happening......anyone else run into this?)

I can teach this skill to a group of kids (who already know Fireworks) in a class period. The majority of them seem to like it and I have caught them creating other JibJab animations on their own time. Because of student interest, I am working on a unit to use with my video class next year. I think we will attempt a short feature.

[Image captured from "This Land": JibJab: http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals]

A Tale of Rock - 3d Animation

Here is another student animation project from the University of Hertfordshire. This one is called A Tale of Rock and was done by John Godwin in 2007. I'm building up a list of short films I can show to my video students next year. This one will be on my list.

Check out his home page to see some of his art work also.


A Tale Of Rock - 3D Animation @ University Of Hertfordshire 2007 from Digital Animation Herts Uni UK on Vimeo.

[Image captured from John Godwin's web site: http://john.idlecreations.com/]

Google 411

I was watching David Pogue's TED talk recently and was reminded of a service I use frequently but have never mentioned here. Google-411. A free service that works like a regular information.

• Call 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-44110).
• State what you are looking for: donuts
• State the city and state

You're given several choices and then the option to connect. It hasn't let me down yet.

It's great unless you are like me and often forget within seconds the address given on one of these calls. Pouge came to my rescue and also shared another trick. Google SMS.

• Text Google (46645)
• In the body of your text state something like Donuts 80241.
• Send your text

In a few seconds you will get a text back with several locations in that zip code. I love this as I don't have to fumble to find a piece of paper or write an address on the back of my hand.

Oh so handy!!

[Image captured from Google SMS website: http://www.google.com/mobile/default/sms.html#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=hussss&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20sms&dc=gh0sss]

Washington Post Peeps Contest

Friend sent the link to this Peeps contest put on by the Washington Post. Part of the winning entry is shown here. Go to the website to see the top forty winners. Someone also grabbed my idea for our school contest next year, Peeps of Wrath.

Oh well. My wife and I have months to come up with a new idea.


[Image: Part of the winning entry-NightPeeps: Captured from Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/04/10/GA2009041001969.html?sid=ST2009041001087]