The Rhythm of the Web

Yesterday I had a brief conversation with Gardner Campbell regarding a statement that he had made in a Google Hangout (see: time 49:30) within connected courses #ccourses. He talked about participation on the web as something that moves at different speeds. This idea really resonated with me and has had my head buzzing throughout the week. Having spent a lot of time in online courses, online discussion, collaborative writing, etc. I recognize easily what he's talking about. The web does move at different speeds. Sometimes it's synchronous and other times it's asynchronous, with varying rhythms of interaction. Through experience with the interaction with others on the web, patterns begin to form. People began to recognize each other by the quantity and quality of their interactions. We each gain credibility for contributions and our interactions as we seek to enhance our own learning in an open environment. Through this process we create communities of trust in people whom we can rely upon to share their ideas and to critically critique our work for the advancement of all.

For me, the next steps are doing what Jon Udell refers to as “awaking grains of sand” on the web and creating what @gardnercampell referred to as “network effect” (see: http://youtu.be/-rdedm9k2fk ). In conjunction with these actions, developing my own rhythm is a critical step in my participation on the web.

So, here’s my nugget or “grain of sand”. I’m eager to see if it irritates the oyster and develops any pearls of wisdom.

Exploring image bit depth, Adobe Premiere CC & problem solving from a different perspective

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What is image bit depth and how might it affect my use of images?

How can sharing my questions with others lead to simple solutions?

What changes, when we look at problems from a different perspective? A question introduced to me earlier this week in a lecture by Professor Jack Horner, the 2014 keynote speaker for the Ruth Harris Lecture in Dyslexia Studies.

I’ve been editing a project in Adobe Premiere CC and at the end of the video, I want to place a VCU branding image that includes a tag line. Branding, as we all know is important and institutions often have specific requirements as to what and how files may be used. Following the rules, I went to the university’s branding site (which, has restricted access) and downloaded the appropriate folder of images as a .zip file and then extracted the individual .jpg images. Having used .jpg images throughout my work without any issues, I proceeded to drag the file into the Premiere project. But wait! A statement appeared informing me that the bit depth of the .jpg file is not supported in Adobe Premiere. This puts my following actions into the category of insanity as defined by Einstein, Franklin or someone: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I dragged the file into the editor again (repeatedly) and still got he same message. I then “imported” the file to see if “import” worked differently than “drag” in the editor. Again, I got the same message. Hummm… does this mean that I inadvertently selected bit depth settings in my Premiere project that are smaller than my .jpg file? Pondering this, I asked Alana Robinson to confirm my actions for file access and to try importing a .jpg file. Once more - the same result. But Alana immediately searched the problem online and found that Premiere does not support 16 bit or 32 bit images. Viola! She brilliantly came up with another solution: “try a different file type.” And there it was, in a matter of seconds, she changed the file to a file.eps and dropped it into the editor like it had been coated with grease. Thanks, Alana for looking at the problem from another perspective and for teaching me not only how to get an image into Premier, but to think critically and experiment in the process.

A few questions (or resources) you might like to investigate:

What is image bit depth in an image? http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/bit-depth.htm

bit depth in an image

What is an Encapsulated PostScript file?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encapsulated_PostScript

How can I find out the bit depth of an image? One way is to look at Extensible Image File Format information (EXIF)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchangeable_image_file_format

Please reply with any links you feel will help us all gain a better understanding.

Feedback: Here’s your score!

English: Measurement unit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently joined a MOOC on digital storytelling. I was up-front and honest about my experience and my reason for joining. I run a digital storytelling program and I wanted to see how another program might parallel, differ and/or otherwise inform me. There’s always room to learn.

As I engaged in the course, I felt good about participation and offering some thoughts and resources that others might find beneficial. I was excited and comfortable doing the first assignment and in retrospect, probably too excited and included information that more appropriately would fit into week 2: script development. Then…I waited. Part 2 of the assignment was to provide peer review of 3 other participants and then get feedback from 3 others. I was charged, ready to see the work of others, give feedback and to get feedback on my own work. But the design made me wait and the waiting began to disturb my flow. Finally, the day came to review others and I did that as thoughtfully as I could. I tried to provide positive support and make suggestions to help the development of their stories. One by one, I moved forward in a system that would not allow me to get feedback until all others had completed their work and the multi-day deadline had passed. Finally, the long awaited feedback came. Anticipating some thoughtful comments and advice, I was disappointed to get “grades”; numbers. Numbers that were a bit lower than I expected, but that’s OK. The disturbing part is that there was very little feedback and that it was anonymous. This made me rethink the value of peer-review, flow, anonymity and the inability to have a conversation about my work. This nameless, faceless, unconnected grading system left me clueless about how to improve my work. What’s worse, it killed my interest in the course. It became a bit of a canned process that ran on a schedule. However, all is not lost. It made me realize the value of open sharing and the possibility of instant or at least, very quick feedback. It made me realize the value of a personal connection to someone who actually cared about what they might say and how that might help me learn. It made me realize that through our open sharing, we might actually teach or learn from others and make new connections that might just change our way of thinking and in some cases, our lives.

Why I Teach: I teach to enjoy your success

Yesterday, I started to write about why I teach. I came up with some ideas shared at the bottom of this post, but today, I read an email from a faculty member who participated in my Digital Storytelling Program. This short email and the video shared in the link is why I teach.

Hi Bud!

I hope you're doing well. I worked on a project this week that reminded me of our digital storytelling seminar. I thought I'd send you a link and say thanks for the learning! Apologies for the long rambly blog post.

Best,

Kristin (Reed)

Watch this video to see learning unfold in real time:

My guiding questions:

Why do I teach?

Why do I care if you learn?

Why should you come to me?

Why should I (or any teacher) ask these questions (most importantly to ourselves)?

I have a passion (some say I have a gift). My passion is for good stories and to explore my own understanding through the creation of stories. Good stories are compelling. They cause me to listen deeply. But, more importantly, they cause me to reflect and ask questions. 

You come to me to learn about digital storytelling and I am inspired to share what I know and the resources that have developed my thinking. I immerse myself in listening deeply, so I can help you hear your own story. I love to help you identify your true passion and help you learn to tell your story through the power of digital media. I love to help you learn about the power of image, sound, voice, timing of delivery and the use of technology to create and share your own work of art.

I come to digital storytelling with experience and ways of working, but filled with questions and challenging my own thinking. I’m often teaching on the fly, not with lack of experience, but questioning what I say, even as I share my experience and thoughts. 

I come with passion,

Passion for story

Passion for media 

Images

Sounds

Video

and a way to articulate feelings.

I  come to help you tell a story that will make my hair stand on end. 

Why do I teach?

I teach to enjoy your success.

----------------------------------------

PS: Kristen's video is very different from the work we explored in my digital storytelling program, but the experience there has grounded this creative exploration and I want to celebrate her work and the work of her students.

A "Killer" Blog: Reconsidering the power of metaphor in teaching and learning

--> Think about how we all use metaphors in education. What messages are we sending?

English: Cartoon drawing about a big fish being attached by small sharks, a metaphor for things like bloggers putting focus on bigger players (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Quick as a wink,” the semester starts and we “charge up the hill” to prepare for “classes”.  We do our best to “communicate” and “connect” with our “students” to create rich learning “environments” and experiences. We strive to share our expertise and “guide” learners as they “explore” and “navigate” their way to “rich” learning. We work in both physical and virtual “classrooms”, share “documents” and “artifacts” (largely through electronic “bits” and “bytes).” We share our own narrative and “tell stories” that will hopefully “illuminate” and help learners “see”. 

English: A wrecking ball reading "millions of years"; a metaphor suggesting that acceptance of an old Earth leads to the destruction of society. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Metaphors are everywhere. As a storyteller, I am keenly aware of their power, but perhaps my awareness needs further examination. What works a metaphor for me may not resonate with others, particularly those from a different cultural background. So let’s pause and reflect before we inspire others to “kill” the opposing team.  Let’s reflect on what we say and the awesome power of our words, particularly if they are misunderstood.  See: “Your Brain on Metaphors”, the Chronicle, Sept. 2, 2014
http://chronicle.com/article/Your-Brain-on-Metaphors/148495/?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en

Let's Build a VCU Open Photo Collection: VCUOpenPhoto

I work in the ALT Lab at VCU as Senior Specialist for Learning Media Innovation. My work routinely involves the use of images for the creation of digital stories and increasingly, the creation of course trailers and course content in video format, which is largely for access via the internet. I have also been assisting faculty in the creation of their own digital stories for teaching and sharing course related narratives. In turn, many faculty have encouraged students to create their own projects. Working in an educational environment pretty much dictates that faculty, students and staff who engage in this practice, must have access to freely available resources. Hence, I have practiced and promoted the use of Creative Commons licensed materials, with attribution to the kind people who provide them.

We live in the 21st century and have access to networks and wonderful resources that are shared by millions through Creative Commons licensing, with the intent of fostering creativity and learning. Why then in my own institution, is it so difficult to find good images to represent campus life and learning opportunities that I or others might use to create work, without having to purchase images? In my search for VCU images, I found a collection of 52 images that I am authorized to download (http://www.identity.vcu.edu/downloads/vcu/photo.aspx). Fifty-two images to represent VCU and the rich life this institution provides our students and faculty. When I search Flickr, I find many more images related to VCU, but alas, they often link back to VCU closed repositories and use is restricted.

Recently, I edited videos to introduce students to an international program that is hosted by VCU. This project required time consuming research for CC images. I experienced enormous frustration about finding (or not finding) VCU images that we can use without paying Creative Services (CS) and without marketing control. This has led me the idea to create a #VCUOpenPhoto (#VCUOpenVideo) collection that can easily be developed through crowdsourcing images from the VCU community. Such a project could also be used as an opportunity to foster digital literacy in the VCU community (including alumni) and grow a collection that can also demonstrate the power of networks (people and digital), RSS, tagging, and other means to pull together a digital collection that is in the control of the contributors and that can be dynamically added to at any time. Will this create challenges? Yes. Will this create concerns? Yes. Will this need some form of curation? Maybe.
 
We need an open collection of images images. We have a community of 30,000 students, plus faculty/staff. We live in the midst of creative people. If every student faculty member provided just one image of something they feel is important, beautiful, thought provoking, representative of VCU life and or study, we could quickly build a collection that can be endlessly expand. This project should emphasize openness, Creative Commons license, as a basis for establishing standards. This project could serve to inform and educate people about digital standards, size images, that you stand, etc.

The development of such a project could interface with Tom Woodward’s (@twoodwar) photo safaris and we could use the idea of tagging images for search under different criteria.

Our culture is changing our incoming students will be expected to blog. This implies they know or will learn how to use digital resources in appropriate and creative ways. Why don’t we use this idea to develop digital literacy? We are a community of creative people, with one of the finest art schools in the world on campus. We have people who are familiar with creating good photographs for various reasons. Let's be a bit radical, let's represent the ALT Lab philosophy and the philosophy of openness.

Please add your comments and let's build this collection together.

Personal learning: Wrestling with technology and conceptual models

How I learn depends on the context of what I'm trying to learn.

Currently I'm working with Adobe Premier and learning to edit in that environment. My editing has been focused on simple editors that allow faculty and students to work freely or with little cost. Consequently the tools have been somewhat simpler. Learning to work with Premiere or other technologies often requires a vocabulary and a familiarity with procedures and ways to achieve certain goals. Without the basic knowledge of the language used, it's difficult to communicate or do research on what you're trying to achieve. Simply trying to pan and zoom or use what is now commonly called the Ken Burns effect in different editors can pose a problem if you don't know exactly how to find and present specific controls. In my case simply trying to turn on the keyframe tool to establish a starting and stopping position for scrolling to another area of an image in Pemiere presented a challenge. I was exactly in the area I needed to be in, but did not realize that I had to click a little clock like image to establish a position point or a keyframe. So for me, learning is both a joy and a painful process. The pain is experienced by all of us to some degree as we learn. This occurs when our conceptual models are challenged and we are trying to be change our current understanding of the world to a new vision and understanding of how something works.

Learning Through Focused Engagement: 3D Printing Revisited

There is nothing like a rush of creativity; when the mind is inspired by an idea and takes flight into multiple possibilities for new exploration and expression.

This morning I was engaged in a demonstration of 3-D printing and in scanning people (myself included) to be re-created in a three-dimensional plastic form. Conversation flowed from the technical to the inspirational and to discussions about potential interdisciplinary learning opportunities.

I am not new to 3-D imagery and I have been exposed to 3d printing at conferences and when my colleagues Jeff Nugent and Britt Watwood recently began to explore our new 3D printer. But today, when I actually focused on my own learning & engagement in the process, the muse began to dance. What previously seemed like insignificant creation of "toys", became a source of wonder.

This is a quick post just to share excitement about my own learning and my reflection on engagement. Right now, I'm blogging for the sake of getting myself into the practice of regularly sharing my learning. I'm quite sure much more will follow soon.

Open, Vertical, Dynamic Course Design for Instructors and Students Alike

un phare en coquille / Lighthouse like a shell (Photo credit: TisseurDeToile -[*])

I’ve recently been engaged with faculty in a discussion about “open” in their courses. Interest and experience vary widely and for many, the concept is foreign and frightening. “Designing” for such a course might seem an oxymoron. However designing simply means considering the overall course goals & what you want students to be able to achieve, as well as making learning relevant, so students can incorporate their knowledge into real world experiences. Designing for such a course must also consider the available resources (there are many things available via the net) and the needs for communication, interaction, building community, showcasing student work and assessing understanding. How can we make this learning experience unique, distinct, dynamic and create a course that learners want to take?

What if a course were truly dynamic? What if you the instructor and your students experience content that was dynamically updated every time you access your site? What if the instructor provided a framework and selected data feeds that could provide dynamic information related to course specific topics? It seems that this could provide faculty and students with opportunities to engage in relevant discussion and create new works to both explore and demonstrate learning? Such a learning environment might also allow faculty to demonstrate their processes of thinking, research, collaboration, communication, and personal learning.

In the digital age, information is constantly and things such as breaking news, research, interesting questions, social media, all drive our quest for understanding. Recently on NPR I heard the term Verticals: data driven ventures. As I understand it (and I certainly need to learn more), news, marketing and other digital publications are increasingly using data driven verticals: data driven ventures information. Wouldn’t it be interesting for faculty design a course with both fixed content and selective feeds of dynamically driven information to engage in open learning ask interesting questions around and help explain information?

I know this work is already underway in some respects, but I'd like to see experiments with a whole new level of "verical design". I welcome examples and/or ideas for various disciplines.