Personal Logo

This week we had to create a personal logo. I wanted to create something that would be fun and useful with the students in my classroom and I think I accomplished that. I used Photoshop.com to edit my photo that I created at GraffWriter.

Graphic Design Principles

I chose to investigate an ancient Aztec art manuscript called the Codex Borgia, specifically page 71 from the manuscript. The graphics of this time period echo the four basic design principles. In regards to contrast, the brown graphic colors contrast with the lighter manuscript background. The big image in the center contrast with the smaller images bordering the manuscript.
The manuscript designs has several examples of the design element of repetition. The yellow and red colors of the graphics are evident in every picture. The color of circles are the same in every picture. The circular design is repeated in the larger image as well. The alignment element is evident in the position of the birds on the page as compared to the position of the birds' beaks. The beaks point up at the top of the page and point down at the bottom of the page. The positioning of the circles in each image and the proximity to the bid shows the use of this manuscript in counting.

Group PSA Video

It was difficult to get everyone's visual ideas together when collaborating online. Most everyone in the group stepped up and utilized their talents. I did not feel as comfortable writing scripts. I have a hard time writing words, then putting scenes to the words. I would much rather envision the scene or use a storyboard to grasp what i want to say, then write my script. Once we had a script, it helped to guide us in the type of shots we wanted. I had major camera issues and went through 4 cameras before I was able to upload the shots I had filmed. These restricted the type of video that was produced and had we had more time, I think the public service announcement would have been better quality work. My team only collaborated using Google Docs and email. We discussed setting a meeting using Skype but schedules did not allow for that to occur.

Web Conference Reflection

I have attended several web conferences hosted by Dr. Abernathy. there have been some technical difficulties but the overall experience has been valuable. Since, there are so many participants, I usually just observe the conference with very little input. Most of my questions or concerns are brought up by others. I feel more connected with the other members of my class and section through the web conference. It helps to put a name and face with whom you are collaborating. it's like bringing the classroom to my kitchen table.

VIDEO EDITION SOFTWARE EVALUATION

The week 2 assignment in EDLD 5363 was to select and evaluate two different video editing software applications. After viewing the Top 5 free video editing software programs, I soon realized this was going to be slightly more challenging as a Mac user. I first tried to download Avid FreeDV because it supports MAC operating systems and this software is no longer available and is being replaced with Pinnacle StudioHD which is not compatible with my system. I, then, decided to try Zwei-Stein which I was able to download but unable to figure out how to use the application. It was very technical and appeared very dated. I searched the internet and found that SimpleMovie X fit the criteria. It supports native editing of QuickTime, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. There were some saving limitations with certain file types. However, the program was relatively simple to use as it name implies. SimpleMovie X has multiple capabilities, such as, allowing users to cut video clips from previously recorded programs, merge two or more movies, export to iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV, convert movies to another format, synchronize audio, make a slideshow or podcast, resize or rotate a movie, create a playlist and download movies from the Internet. iMovie is a video editing application that is part of the iLife software package included with all Mac computers. I am very familiar with iMovie and prefer using it because of its user friendliness. It has the same drag and drop feature for which Mac operating systems are known. iMovie HD supports importing a variety of video formats, including DV, widescreen DV, high definition, MPEG-4, and many others. You can capture live video with the built-in iSight camera and send it directly to iMovie HD or you can import your footage from a camcorder and assemble it into a movie, complete with a title, transitions between scenes, visual effects and even add a music track. My favorite feature is the graphic equalizer that can remove unwanted noise or can adjust the bass or treble in a particular video or audio clip.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Top 5 free video editing software programs. (n.d.). Retrieved 31 August, 2010, from Desktop-Video-Guide: http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-5-free-video-editing-software-review.html

Video Editing Software for MAC. (n.d.). Retrieved 5 September, 2010, from Cnet: http://download.cnet.com/mac/video-editing-software/1950-13631_4-0.html?filter=os%3D81%7C&filterName=os%3DMac+OS+X+10.4%7C&tag=ltcol;narrow

My Personal Story

I always like to tell stories, but putting a story with pictures is much harder than I imagined. My biggest road block was writing a script. I had several stories to tell, like the day my new house burned, but lacked the pictures to demonstrate it. Finally, i found pictures and placed them on a story board and found words to narrate my digital story. I can see where the students would enjoy using this tool. I'm sure they are much more skilled at it than me.