“The Giver” character locker

\”The Giver\” Museum Box (Character Locker)

Here is another example I found tonight (while still procrastinating) that I created instead of a traditional book report for my YA Lit class last spring semester in graduate school.  When you compare my first few projects for Dr. Crovitz to the ones completed during summer semester, it’s obvious that I was becoming more comfortable using technology.  I’ve still got a long way to go–but at least I’m no longer scared of it!

I Heard the Owl Call My Name Glogster

While procrastinating tonight, I decided to look back on my first foray into incorporating technology into the classroom.  This was a product option I created for Dr. Crovitz’s YA Lit class on Glogster.  After hours and hours of tears and frustration, this is what I created in place of a traditional book report:

I Heard the Owl Call My Name Glogster

Al Capone Does My Shirts

I finally posted my first digital project–done spring semester 2009–a movie trailer for the book “Al Capone Does My Shirts.”  It was my first attempt at incorporating technology into my assignment.  I like to think I’ve moved way beyond this initial attempt.  You be the judge?

A Star is born…

Since I shared the television debut of the Hawrish sisters I figured it was only fitting to share Madeleine’s debut on Hi/Lo:

This is the back-to-school special that was shot in July and aired in the fall.

My Famous Kin!

My Canadian cousins–3 of them at least–volunteer every year at the Toronto Film Festival. They’re so popular even the CBC knows about the Hawrish sisters. Check out this story that aired in Canada:  http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/film/clips/14660/

This Just In…

If you want a jump start on our group media literacy project, check out what the Tech-No Phobes have brought to you–commercial free.  After your viewing pleasure, you may join your regularly scheduled program already in progress.  Check out our analysis of MJ news coverage.  Was it “Coverage Fit For a King?”  Thanks for tuning in…

Channeling Steven Spielberg

Okay, I admit it.  I’ve slipped a bit on blogging.  (Sorry DC.)  However, I’ve been really busy with the end of the semester assignments.  I spent hours producing the final project for our ENGL 7741 class and I’m going to attempt to put a link on here for you to access it.  I have two versions–I will attempt to share both.  I think I like the first version better but “normal” people (those who aren’t anal like yours truly) probably won’t even notice the difference.  Let me know what you think.  I found a cd entitled “The Great Modern Poets” featuring Langston Hughes reading one of my favorite poems of his.  After finishing the first version, I decided I didn’t like the ending and went back and tweaked it.  Here’s the final project  for our class.  If you didn’t like that one, see if you prefer the original version  .  You may not even notice the difference, but I think it definitely changes the tone. I’d love to hear your comments–especially if they’re kind!  Enjoy.  (By the way, to embed this for your viewing pleasure took me five hours!  Did I tell you how I hate computers?!)

Also:  I wanted to credit google images for the all the still photos and YouTube for all the video used in this project.  The chyron was my own!

Class Act! Video clips are awesome…

If you’re looking for our pairs project (actually, ours was a trio) and missed the link on the right-hand side of this blog, here’s another link to A Cow Tale.  Check it out and leave your cowments for us.  I just finished watching everyone’s video clips and responding to them all.  What a creative group we are!  I wish I had had any of you back in junior and senior high school.  Wow!  I wish my own kids had creative ELA teachers in their schools.  I hope once we find ourselves in the classroom we aren’t so overwhelmed that we forget what we are capable of creating to reach our students–many of whom have had ELA “ruined” for them over the years.  Our work is cut out for us.  I think we’re up to the task.  Now we just need jobs…except for Ashley and April!  They can incorporate the video clips in their classrooms this fall.  Too cool.

Reality Show releases its “real” name: There Goes the Neighborhood

CBS Kennesaw Wall reality show to debut Aug. 9

1:22 pm June 29, 2009, by Rodney Ho

Gideon Gyamfi guards the Kennesaw homes behind the monstrous TV-made wall 

CBS has given that reality show about eight suburban families trapped behind massive prison-like walls in Kennesaw a name (”There Goes the Neighborhood”) and a launch date — August 9.

The show will air for seven weeks as the eight families vie for $250,000. This is less than CBS sister shows “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” ($1 million each) and “Big Brother” ($500,000.)

During a press conference this morning, the show producers Jay Beinstock and Mike Fleiss (best known for creating “The Bachelor’), along with the host Matt Rogers (season three, “American Idol”) stood in the front yard of one of the homes. Beinstock said the families were off filming a challenge elsewhere so we were able to use that backdrop.

They revealed some small details on what life is like for the families, whose names have not been revealed yet. They have no Internet, no cel phones, no contact with the outside world. Some pets that could handle the cameras and such stayed. Others were kenneled or sent to friends. There is no electricity for cooking or for the TV though I think they do get lights. In this sweltering heat, they also get A/C. “We’re not THAT inhumane,” Fleiss said, half-jokingly.

The show took two to three weeks to build the 20-foot-plus walls, then started production June 15. Mayor Mark Mathews said set up was more disruptive to the neighborhood than the actual shoot, which is set to end July 4th weekend.

Off-duty cops patrol the area 24/7, along with private security. No outsiders have attempted to turn the wall into a graffiti-fest a la the old Berlin Wall. That canopy above the wall is on top of one of the houses, enabling cameras to shoot from above. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com 

The point of the show is to force the families to spend time together so the kids can’t play video games, moms can’t go off to the hair stylist and dads can’t play golf with the buds. The families do suburban-style challenges (probably with props such as lawn mowers and barbecues) to win prizes and to avoid elimination. Ousted families leave the premises and stay sequestered in a hotel for the remainder of the shoot. There are no judges. The families vote each other off. Presumably, at the end, the six eliminated families decide which of the final two families get the $250,000. (This is a good recipe for ending friendships, eh?)

Besides “The Bachelor,” Fleiss has done numerous other reality shows including the upcoming “Bachelor for chubby folks” show “More to Love” on NBC, the current CW show “Hitched or Ditched” and the recent TV Land show “The Cougar.” He said the time to do post-production for this show will be the tightest he’s ever had to contend with. He already has folks working on the first four episodes now.

He also said this was the toughest show he’s ever had to cast because he had to fight families on continguous properties to agree to take three weeks off from their jobs. At least with a show such as TV Land’s “High School Reunion,” he could sub out the lead cheerleader with another cheerleader. In this case, he had very little flexibility.

But Fleiss said he’s thrilled with the diverse casting. He said there are plenty of charismatic characters and it helps the families already know each other well. He said there’s a single mom, an inter-racial couple and a lesbian couple. There are kids as young as six. (No infants, which would certainly have complicated shooting.)

“There Goes the Neighborhood,” which was originally called “Block Party,” will be on at 9 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 20.

I will also post a separate interview I did with host Matt Rogers for the “Idol” blog later this week. And you know I’ll be doing episode recaps of this show for sure

Georgia Performance Standards

I’m trying to focus on the Georgia Performance Standards for Secondary English while trying to get my HOPE Teacher application submitted before day’s end.  Thanks to the wonderful people surrounding my computer, I’ve found this neat site called Thinkfinity that offers lesson plans and other free things for teachers or wannabes.  They have separate areas for students and parents, as well.  Of course, one will obviously find the standards at the main website, but one of the areas I found useful was the aligned matrices.  It’s helpful to have everything in one place in an easy-to-use format.  I will definitely become better acquainted with that link.  I know this is rather dry…if you’re looking for something a bit more wry, check out my group blog:  A Cow Tale.  Those other bovine beauties, Summer and Camille, had a hoof in it, too.