Kate Farrow—The Technology Leadership Project

It’s the second-to-last day of the project and I clearly fell off the blogging train a during term 4. School commitment must have tipped me over.

An update:
29th September-met with Katie V at Cromer and evaluated her use of resource.

Two weeks holiday break

23 and 27th October meant to meet with Wendy R but this was cancelled, instead had a look at the DER resources being created by Curriculum Directorate CA section. As a result of model discussed began to rework teaching and learning sequence.

6 and 10th November-spent preparing for Technology Leaders Showcase.

12 November presented at the Technology Leaders Showcase.

20 and 24th November commenced preparing final report of project using scaffold supplied.

4th December attended the LAMS conference

11th December explored LAMS possibilities, including links with yr 12 DT student and Cromer Primary. Also discussed cross curriculum projects in IST, Science and music/dance for next year with Sue F. Continued draft of final report, still much to do, I will need another day next week.
Finally got back on the blog train.

Overview of project

A mercy dash down the south coast where a bushfire was threatening my art studio meant that I was absent on 15 September.

Today has been spent working on the resource section of the wiki http://visual-literacy.ictcentre.wikispaces.net/ including emailing the non institutions for permission to link to their websites.
Also began to collate data and draft the project report. This involved transcribing data on the Frames survey.

Fantastic tutorial on the use of Voodoo camera tracking software and Blender at BlenderNation. Opens up a whole new set of possibilities.

Met briefly with Wendy R from Ryde office. Directed her to the wiki resource http://visual-literacy.ictcentre.wikispaces.net/ and left a DVD of samples of student work. Made a time in term 4 to work over the teaching and learning sequence such that it will fit with the VA/PDM syllabus.

Also dropped a disc off to Julie K in TAS section (Smart Notebook documentation for 10IST and DVD sample of Blender works with the wiki link).

Continued developing the wiki.

In response to feedback from students, the last four days has been spent increasing audio levels x17 video tutorials and inserting Neals logo on the introductions. Also spent an afternoon cross checking that the video tutorials are suitable with the latest version of Blender 2.49. The good news is that they are!

Started yr 10 students off on the package but they will use it to create 3D objects in response to “Reflections of Sound” unit. Will post results in the Student Gallery on the centre wiki.

Contacted BlenderNation.org and they will publicise the package in the near future. Material has been sent.

Have spent a day saving out video tutorials, uploading and developing MacICT Centre Visual Literacy wiki.

Still trying to pin down Wendy R for meeting re the package.

Term 3 2009
But first, a quick update on last term where I spent 3 days at Killara High School’s CAPA Fest. Students excelled in use of Blender over this prolonged period. Survey responses indicated students were “very satisfied” with the process of learning that had taken place. See Rennie’s efforts below.
rennie
Some very impressive works were produced by students from yr 11 to yr 8. Another issue identified was the release of Blender 2.49. Students used this version of software whereas video tutorials (VTs) were created in v2.48a. However, there seemed to be limited changes but cross checking v2.49 and VTs will need to take place before I can declare VTs suitable for v2.49.

This term:
• any remaining VTs to be completed
• cross checking of version 2.49 with current VTs
• further testing MSC yr 10PDM students
• followup Cromer efforts
• edits and modifications including (Neals logo)
• create student models
• write up according to MACICT criteria

A busy term ahead.

• Re-saved all VTs out with MACICT logo.
• Spoke briefly with Deb re location on MACICT server, needs to be resolved
• organised collected paperwork and resources
• brainstormed ideas for Blender video conference next term
• created cover for program
• updated the documentation of process in curio file

• Inserted “MacICT” logo into video tutorials (VTs) x 15!
• Renamed and numbered tutorials
• Refined Teaching and Learning sequence, correlating new VT file names with program
• Also emailed Curriculum Directorate WR and Killara HS re Blender and opportunities.
File fomats
• Did some research on date formats/file types, this site WOTSIT provides an overview of formats.
This is important in terms of interchange-ability, particularly if using Blender to create objects when programming virtual worlds as with http://www.wildpockets.com/

The past two project days (12th and 22nd of May) have been used to develop the teaching and learning sequence for the 2D and 3D visual literacy Blender program. Using the template developed by Manly Selective Campus and trying to incorporate conceptual programming ideas as well as meeting the school based programming requirements that explicitly highlight QT and G&T strategies.

Still more to do and need to get input re the conceptual programming.

Term One was extremely busy and culminated in an opportunity to present at the “Thinking Globally, delivering locally” video conference coordinated by Macquairie ICT Innovations Centre. For information about the upcoming video conference visit the ICT centre’s VC wikki.

The video resources for the Blender Visual Literacy are mostly developed and can be accessed via Macquairie ICT Innovations Centre’s website under the Tools for Teaching and Learning section. As trials occur and feedback is obtained these clips will be refined.

Time over the next 3–4 days will be spent completing the Teaching and Learning sequence, worksheets and student samples to combine into a package and possibly DVD.

Have addressed some issues from management meeting.
• Time and action plan has been updated for the next month. Used open source software “Open Project”. Still need to update plan/documentation on the pb wiki
• students jumping ahead of tutorials—this still occurred as motivated students began to work on files at home and come back to class with more questions than I had answers. This brought home to me the importance of having all video tutorials completed at the beginning of the pilot. Students working independently also resulted in the need for more videos. So the priority now is to complete all the videos ASAP.
• promotion of blender visual literacy package: underway with pilot 2 confirmed for Cromer HS as soon as next term. Still must contact CLI and CD. Will aim to do this in wk 11.

Coming up next week is VC presentation on Open Source 3D modeling software and in week 10, a 5 hour Blender workshop.