Reflections of 2009

I thoroughly enjoyed my first semester of Cyberped Lab this year. Not only I gained a thorough understanding of art blogs and projects incorporating technology and education but I've also made great friends and appreciated more of where I am. 2009 was a great year and moving here had it's toughest times. But it's an opportunity of a lifetime and chances like this come only once. I survived my first semester at SAIC and I'm already looking forward to completing my MAAE program and do what I intend to do: to change the world one bit at a time.

Premier Film: The Client

Finally done! Check it out and leave comments. Only took me a few days to make but hope you like it:

Chinatown Project: a flash website

I just recently completed one of my field research work for Dialectical Practice & Research class today. I thought I'd share it with you since it not only focuses on the neighborhood but I really want to incorporate the website as an educational site to get locals to participate ("forum" link) and make a difference in their community, either culturally or educationally.

Make sure your volume is on! Check it out: Chinatown Project

Filming "MAAE Mystery" begins Sunday

Been a difficult weekend: projects due, year wrapping to an end, personal life a changing again–pretty big stuff. Hopefully I'll survive through my first semester at SAIC.

So I plan on doing most of the filming tomorrow around Chicago between 12-5pm. I'll be dressed up in modern day detective style (the title name is temporary). I'll be focusing on the meaning of an art educator. I have my buddy Miles helping as well so we'll be scouting areas such as subways, buses, library, hang around SAIC, AIC, and more. I'll also be scouting for particular things: entrances, bars, police officers, and pigeons. If you would like to make a guest appearance please let me know asap (dressing up would be a plus!)! You can text/call me at 734.926.9780. It should be a fun and worthwhile project.

Game show in education

I gave a presentation about two photographers: Edward Curtis and Bernd & Hilla Becker last week for Dialectical Practice and Research class. After my keynote speech, instead of a normal question and answer format at the end, I summarized my presentation as a game show. I incorporated the game "Family Feud" and had the class split into two and guess the terminologies from my discussion and other fun facts from class. Everyone had a lot of fun and got a few eye-turners based on the answers I posted. All in all I think it ended pretty well.

I got the game online and it seems that other teachers incorporate this in their lessons too. If you're interested in trying it, check out the website below. It's very easy to set up your questions and answers:

Flash: Family Feud game

Storyboarding movie project—maybe

I was thinking of looking for another event to record. I really liked the Podcast that Rachel and I did for project #3. However I'd like to play around with my film making skills. I was thinking of making a documentary of a struggling MAAE student into a detective film noir style. Haha would be cool. I was interested in interviewing staff and faculty at SAIC. If the time allows me to, then I could (Dec. 9th deadline???). Just wished I can borrow equipment longer at the Media Center (or could I???).

As a note: I really enjoyed the class field trip to HPAC last Wednesday. With that much space I can see a lot of potential: performance art (*cough* dance), film series, and more. I liked the open 24hr showing. I'd so volunteer!

Community outreach via large slingshot!

So I was looking up information about the Wii Remote idea (thanks Meredith for that link) and I found Johnny Lee's website. Since I was on a YouTube spree this evening I found a cool video about a project he did in Pittsburgh called Community Splash. Having all types of local residents and city workers participate in paintballing an old building sounded like a great project. It would be cool if I could incorporate this somehow with one of my classes or final thesis?!

Anyway you can check out the video below. Also check out the website about this project: http://johnnylee.net/slingshot/

Experimentation with iMovie

So today's class we presented our group projects, discussed and analyzed the blog NewCurator, talked about youth programs that focused in technology, and tinkled around with iMovie 09. Here is the short clip I quickly made in tonight's class:



(Best if you used headphones or turn up the volume) :D

Dia de los Muetos Podcast

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So here is a podcast created by Rachel Harper and I for the Dia de los Muetos event at Chicago's Children Museum. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Dia de los Muetos Event

Rachel and I got a chance to go to the Dia de los Muetos Event last Thursday. Although the weather wasn't the greatest, it didn't stop people from checking out the museum. At the Children's Museum on the Navy Pier, we brought our recording devices to capture the event at hand. Upon arrival we listened to some of the mexican music that was being performed. The music and dancing encapsulate evening on the second floor while a flurry of activities, such as paper mask making, clay sculpture creating, and many more workshops dominated the lively event.

We got a chance to interview Keith McCormick, the Director of Cultural Programs, who was in charge of the evening's activities. It was a great way to showcase cultural heritage from around the world and getting kids and adults to participate in the activities together. Overall he wanted to welcome everyone, locals or walk-ins, to experience and share their creative talent or have a good time in the museum with their kids. I had a lot of fun exploring the museum since it was my first time. Rachel even recorded my plane creation activity. I was overly impressed with all the space and play tables and props that were set up around the museum. It truly was a great place for kids to explore all day.

Overall it was a good evening interviewing people. We recorded a few families and kids and got a great insight about the activities and the programs the museum has to offer. Quinn, a staff at the museum, had the chance to tell us about her experience in art education and how it has gotten her to love the program. In the end we learned a lot about the children's event and highly recommend bringing your kids to Chicago Children's Museum. You can check them out on at www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

New Project: AIC Teen Project

So I'm currently working on a new project for Cyberpedagogy class. My group will be working closely with the Art Institute of Chicago's Teen Educational program. We have several ideas was want to implement, mainly to get a better feel about teen programs and how they/we want to incorporate technology into a better learning program that the institute currently offers–or create a better structure of teaching for the "modern" programs of educational teachings. Currently I have several places I'd like to look over. The first two I want to research the Ann Arbor Art Center (where I worked for four years as a contracted art teacher) and the Art Museum at the University of Michigan (which my housemate has worked before and could provide more insight about the educational programs). Nonetheless it should be an exciting project to work on since I look forward to working with kids again and be able to contribute to the AIC.

New Electronica Instrument as a teaching tool?

I thought this was a cool piece of technology which could provide educational implications if done correctly (great for teen programs that want to explore electronic music). Article shows a new form of music performance. The Eigenharp is an instrument where DJs and musicians behind keyboards and computers can actually play their songs with a "musical instrument." Very cool and tech savy:
http://www.9to5mac.com/made_on_a_mac_eigenharp

Here is a video sample of their performance with three Eigneharp Alphas:

Museum walkthrough

I got a chance to walk through the art institute today and instead of the Modern Wing I focused on the exhibits in the older section of the museum. I got a chance to visit the Impressionism exhibit again (it's been ages) and felt great to see van Gogh again. Although exciting to see and literally wanting to touch it, I noticed they have a glass barrier in front of it. Darn. I guess I'll have to talk to some staff people if there is a way I can physically touch his impasto oil style (I kinda sound creepy now).

The overall walkthrough of the original museum felt nostalgic and peaceful when walking through the various parts of the rooms and floors. I got a chance to to walk through the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Art, American Art before 1900s, exhibits from the Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan Art, and American Modern Art. I did trip an alarm in the Chinese Art gallery (oops) since I was trying to read a plaque of a chinese stone door piece. But what I observed is that there wasn't much of a interactive technology display in the older areas. Besides the usual Pathfinder screens at the main entrance and the occasional people with audio tour equipment, I didn't see anything else groundbreaking or new. I was a sad panda.

Something things I'd like to see would be some sort of interactive pathway through the museum. Perhaps several more screens in between exhibits of where you can make your own route and upload it to your ipod or iphone or email it to whatever mobile device you have. Then maybe a lighted pathway on the floor: this would not only entertain the kids but help visitors go to certain exhibits and routes to particular places (bathrooms, staff, etc). This would be tricky since it can't be too bright, no noise, and yet still noticeable for people to see and follow. Like several people already suggest, more screens around certain rooms and perhaps update the interactive children's center.

The website can also be updated with current exhibits, showings, lectures, and such since I know more about it on paper than online (plus I saw that there are auditoriums in the museum–that's pretty cool since I didn't know!). There is a lot about the musuem that can be shown more or be better accessible online (think overall improvement of the sites UI).

First trip to Modern Wing...Sweetness

The Modern Wing of the Art Institute was a cool experience to check out. And it's been several years that I came back to the museum in general. I wanted to run to the second floor and check out the Impressionist art work (and blankly stare at all of the paintings including van Goghs) but I had to explore the new addition. The architecture of the building was quite impressive and new. I got a chance to see the Architecture and Design exhibit and the Contemporary Art exhibits. I was also desperately hungry too which I couldn't walk as far. So my hopes to the second floor will have to be another time.

In addition to the new building it was quite interesting to see the latest technology available at the museum's disposal. Rachel showed us the Education Center, which housed the latest media equipment for classrooms and events. Checked out the Educator Resource Center and listened to Japanese music in Studio B classroom. Rachel also showed me the Pathfinder Kiosk (displayed on a Mac screen, righteous) which shows me a path to whatever exhibit I want to see plus more. Now only if they added a 3D walkthrough then that would be helpful on the kiosk...

Nonetheless this needs more time to explore. I plan to go again this weekend and hopefully say hello to Vincent on the way.

Video Editing in Ann Arbor! Keynote next?

It seems that I do a lot of driving lately. Perhaps it's because this is the start of a new school year and I'm still adjusting to my new surroundings. Whatever the case, I came back to Ann Arbor. I promised to help my g/f Rachel to work on her video presentation.

I was planning on doing it on Final Cut Pro (since I taught it in the past and pretty good at it) but she was using iMovie 09. It was tricky to learn at first but after a few guided tours on Apple's website and playing around with the advance settings on the program, I was able to tweak the edits pretty darn close to what I want. I have to admit iMovie 09 tried to incorporate the editing style of Final Cut but into a more user-friendly/visual interface way. Where was the time code? Clip mark numbers? etc? It was more visual editing rather than precise number editing. Nonetheless we got the 12 min video done and I was pretty impressed of myself in editing this all in iMovie 09 (with help of Audacity, iTunes, Photoshop, etc).

Overall this got me thinking of my upcoming project for Cyberpedagogy class: Who R U? Keynote presentation. This should be pretty easy at first since I worked a lot with Keynote during my first freelance projects after my undergraduate years. But about me in 10 slides or less? That's pretty challenging since I tend to go overboard. I do have a few highlights about myself (just browse on Facebook and see my profile) but there are a few tiny things about me that people don't know (I can teleport? You're just imagining things...). This should be a fun and creative project and will be great to see how everyone else in class presents themselves. I'm curious if costumes are allowed...

Trip to Sear's Tower with alphabet in mind

I just got back from a trip to the Sears Tower. Btw, I still call it Sears because I believe it's the spirit of the building and I don't really care how much money you have if you want to change the name to a historic site (someone explained to me that chicagoians still call it Sears and yell in discouragement when called Willis Towers *cough wheeze*). But overall it's a pretty cool exhibit: the Skydeck Ledge. Sure there are the other exhibits – the history of the building, the founders of the site, events during the construction of the tallest building, and so forth. Overall it's a great place to blend in history and art to a specific installation, especially on one of the beloved towers in Chicago.

During my trip there and back I was busy hunting for structures that shape letters of the alphabet. I found the easy ones pretty fast – O, W, M, H, V, I, P – but the tricky ones I still need are A, R, K, D, G, Q, and Z. I think I should get a majority of them tomorrow if I don't see any today. Piece of cake? I don't think so.

Cyberpedagogy Laboratory Begins

Currently in class at the moment, testing the first blog for this class.