etc@bmc
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Barn Raisin'
This is the kind of random moment/conversation that I wish could be caught on video:
Emily: I like how the party policy is so specific about the fact that parties are not allowed in Applebee Barn.
Flora: Dude, it would be such an awesome place to have a party!
Emily: (in her best Amish voice) Well then, let us raise a Barn.
Flora: Ohmigod! That would be so much fun!
Emily: We could have a Barn-Raising tea.
(Talk ensues of Barns and quilts and various locations)
And so it was decided that the SMDI crew would raise a barn. A glorious barn, beside the English House. And through use of their awesome powers, they would somehow prevent anyone in facilities from finding out about it so as not to be bothered with permits and zoning restrictions. And they would party all night long in said barn, 'cause that's how those web designer girls roll.
Emily: I like how the party policy is so specific about the fact that parties are not allowed in Applebee Barn.
Flora: Dude, it would be such an awesome place to have a party!
Emily: (in her best Amish voice) Well then, let us raise a Barn.
Flora: Ohmigod! That would be so much fun!
Emily: We could have a Barn-Raising tea.
(Talk ensues of Barns and quilts and various locations)
And so it was decided that the SMDI crew would raise a barn. A glorious barn, beside the English House. And through use of their awesome powers, they would somehow prevent anyone in facilities from finding out about it so as not to be bothered with permits and zoning restrictions. And they would party all night long in said barn, 'cause that's how those web designer girls roll.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
the eye of the storm
We're in the middle of the fifth week of the ten week Summer Multimedia Institute (SMDI) and I feel eeriely calm. It's too far into the program to be nervous, but not far enough to strike the fear of deadlines into my veins. I have made progress on each of my five projects, but none of them are done. It's the eye of the SMDI storm (growing up near the Gulf Coast, storms mean something). Soon, I'm sure I will begin to obsess and over-stress about my projects. But for now, I can relax and enjoy my projects and my coworkers this week.
There are 6 internsworking in the Summer Multimedia Institute. We all work at one table in the same office, so we have gotten to know each other pretty well in a very short time. Everyone has 4-5 projects each; some individual, some together. It's fascinating to watch each person's design and working style emerge.
My style is the over-planning kind. When we took learning tests at the beginning of the institute, I was classified as a hugely global learner. I've always known that. I have to figure everything out conceptually before I can start to implement a design. My computer is filled with word documents outlining the content of my projects. I have a folder full of hand drawn sketches of what I want the site to look like. The leap from thought to implementation is hard for me.
Other interns do not work this way. Some people have completed whole sites already; learning as they go. Others take a more step-by-step approach, working on one project at a time rather than keeping many in mind. Others still remain blocked by insufficient content or sponsor support.
But no matter how we learn, we all have learned so much!!! Five weeks ago, I had never coded anything in my life. This week, I became so frustrated with Dreamweaver, I started coding in notepad.
Thanks SMDI!
There are 6 internsworking in the Summer Multimedia Institute. We all work at one table in the same office, so we have gotten to know each other pretty well in a very short time. Everyone has 4-5 projects each; some individual, some together. It's fascinating to watch each person's design and working style emerge.
My style is the over-planning kind. When we took learning tests at the beginning of the institute, I was classified as a hugely global learner. I've always known that. I have to figure everything out conceptually before I can start to implement a design. My computer is filled with word documents outlining the content of my projects. I have a folder full of hand drawn sketches of what I want the site to look like. The leap from thought to implementation is hard for me.
Other interns do not work this way. Some people have completed whole sites already; learning as they go. Others take a more step-by-step approach, working on one project at a time rather than keeping many in mind. Others still remain blocked by insufficient content or sponsor support.
But no matter how we learn, we all have learned so much!!! Five weeks ago, I had never coded anything in my life. This week, I became so frustrated with Dreamweaver, I started coding in notepad.
Thanks SMDI!
Podcasting from the NECC
If you're interested in what's going on with Technology and Education, they're podcasting the event. Listen in and see what's going on.
Video Chatting
Last week I helped a Bryn Mawr alum conduct a class long distance using iChat's video option. She taught a group of Japanese students in Portland via the internet. It was quite easy to set up and all in all, we have few hangups--maybe 3 during the whole week.
I've tested this option at home between macs and pcs and macs and macs. So what do you need to do this yourself? You need either a mac or pc, an internet connection (a broadband one [cable or dsl] is better), and a dv camera on both ends. You can do a one way video chat too, but it's not as fun. You then need either a .mac account or an AIM account.
All you need to then is to connect the camera to the computer using a firewire cable and turn it on. Sign into your AIM or iChat account. Open your buddy list to see who's available. On a mac, the buddy list can be found under the ichat icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. Buddies who can do a video chat will have a little video camera icon next to their screename. You can start a chat with a buddy by clicking that video icon. You will see a preview of your camera and once they're fully connected, you'll see them. You can make the video full screen by clicking the arrow icon.
The sound for the video chat can come through the video camera, but the quality is better if you use the computer for sound. On a pc, it's easy to connect a microphone. On a mac, you may need a usb-based microphone. Most laptops, both pc and mac have built-in microphones that work just fine for this purpose.
This is really an simple and inexpensive way to conduct a long-distance class or conference. If you don't need to do this often, it's the best way to go rather than investing in expensive video conferencing equipment.
For more information, see the iChat AV help page or AIM's help for windows.
I've tested this option at home between macs and pcs and macs and macs. So what do you need to do this yourself? You need either a mac or pc, an internet connection (a broadband one [cable or dsl] is better), and a dv camera on both ends. You can do a one way video chat too, but it's not as fun. You then need either a .mac account or an AIM account.
All you need to then is to connect the camera to the computer using a firewire cable and turn it on. Sign into your AIM or iChat account. Open your buddy list to see who's available. On a mac, the buddy list can be found under the ichat icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. Buddies who can do a video chat will have a little video camera icon next to their screename. You can start a chat with a buddy by clicking that video icon. You will see a preview of your camera and once they're fully connected, you'll see them. You can make the video full screen by clicking the arrow icon.
The sound for the video chat can come through the video camera, but the quality is better if you use the computer for sound. On a pc, it's easy to connect a microphone. On a mac, you may need a usb-based microphone. Most laptops, both pc and mac have built-in microphones that work just fine for this purpose.
This is really an simple and inexpensive way to conduct a long-distance class or conference. If you don't need to do this often, it's the best way to go rather than investing in expensive video conferencing equipment.
For more information, see the iChat AV help page or AIM's help for windows.
Monday, June 27, 2005
