Mid-Term-a-palooza

I'm often left amazed by the variety and creativity that our class produces in its projects. People take the short assignment and go in all different directions, and our mid-term was no exception. I was very pleased to see unique takes on the narratives and some people really pushing themselves in terms of skills and technique with the software. And wow, Finalcut Pro! Way to go you guys. This leaves me very excited to see what happens with the video projects soon to be coming. You're setting the bar high for yourselves, but I have no doubt in my mind that I'll continue to be impressed.

I also really enjoyed the interactive class aspect of our techno teach-in by Caitlin and Meaghan. Very fun taking the entire class into a MOO, and especially amusing when we were called out in a matter of minutes as a class, and then seemed to cause a mass evacuation by the usual inhabitants of Lambda-Moo. Maybe they fled in fear of Artbot's critical eye and sharp wit?

The MCA? Thesis?

You browsed the website and as a class, the reactions were varied. You visited the museum, checked out the exhibits, and perused the technology (which is fairly minimal, I know.). How do the two (web and physical site) work together? How did they reflect/enhance/diverge/contradict the other? We'll talk about this in class, and also you've hopefully created your response to your visit and thought some of these questions through, but I'm still curious about reactions. Share a thought here.

Also, hope everyone's thesis proposal presentations went well! The ones I saw were all really interesting and I hope to hear more about everyone's at some point. And I hope you were all able to rock the panelists with your expertise in powerpoint/keynote. :)

If you create a powerpoint, will anyone hear it?

Not if the speakers are broken.

But our Techno Teach-In presenters, Amanda and Molly, were prepared with a back-up, switching over to Molly's laptop. A good reminder for everyone, always have backups ready to go in case your presentation doesn't work on the computer station at the site, or if the right equipment, cors, connectors, etc. aren't available.

The blogs they shared were really interesting and insightful. Hopefully everyone gets a chance to browse and read away.

Our discussion of technology and its' prevalence in all aspects of not just youth culture, but society in general caused a reexamination of my own technology usage. Between two laptops (one at work, one at home), cell phone with internet capabilities, and ipod, just to name a few, I realized I'm very heavy on the tech side (which I probably should be, considering that I'm teaching a class on technology, media, and art), but I also thought about the usages I make of this technology. I think I actually have a pretty decent balance of actual work usage (computer time for HPAC and SAIC purposes), practical utility (cell phone to stay in contact, using internet for weather, directions, information gathering), and general enjoyment (video games, television shows on both actual tv and internet, music). But still, I am tapped into lots of technology and media. Hoever many people out there choose to exist without all these 'conveniences'. Would my world crumble away if I lost all my technology? No, I'd survive, but I can see how some people become completely dependent on their devices, and in the process a little disconnected from the non-virtual world. Maybe this changes at some point though, and our actual physical world will beomce less important, and we'll all need to exist in the virtual world or risk becoming obsolete and irrelevant. Sounds like a sci-fi movie, doesn't it?

How dependent are you on technology in your life? Do you think you're overly dependent?

Projects

Thus far I've been really impressed with the overall level of the projects that everyone in class has been producing. I leave the project descriptions and assignments fairly wide open, in the hopes that people won't feel too constrained, and to allow some real creativity in the process, and I haven't been disappointed. Between the personal symbols, digital skins, digital photobet, and especially the typographic portraits, I've been very happy with how each person (or pair) have approached the projects.

I especially loved how unique each of the typographic portraits looked, and how different people really took them in very different directions. From Molly's intense and bright layered portrait, to Amanda's simple single letter character with her coffee and apple, to Mary's more abstracted form, all of you did something really interesting. I'm looking forward to how you all continue to interpret and reimagine the projects as we move into sound and video.

Inner Child

Here I am late again on my blogging. Maybe I should offer up a free pass on one week's worth of blogs to someone who makes note of it. I bet that would up my readership :P

Our trip to the Children's Museum was lots of fun. I hope you all enjoyed exploring the space and the museum as much as I did. Looking towards the space with a more critical eye is an important component of being an educator. Things that are fun can be more than mindless entertainment. They can support critical thinking and creativity, raise awareness of global issues, or elicit questions. Of course they don't always do so.

In my mind, the most successful exhibits at being both enjoyable and educational were the Skyline and My Museum exhibits. Skyline promoted creativity in design, critical thinking in the construction process, and teamwork, as evidenced by the creative collaboration by Katie, Meaghan, and Luthando (where's the link, guys?!). My Museum engaged kids in actually making things and even displayed several projects created by past groups. I also really enjoyed the Art Making studios. Lots of really creative and cool projects going in there.

Most disappointing was the Cyberchase exhibit. Just felt like a corporate sponsored showroom. Too many pieces that were not particularly engaging or directed. And you could tell that there was a drop-off in the number of visitors in that room versus some of the other spaces. What did you all think? Curious to hear.

Well, I'm looking forward to your typographical portraits tomorrow! These are always really creative and fun. Can't wait to check them out, as well as experience our first Techno Teach-In!