Realm of Clouds

Losing focus

chowsir — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:13:20 +0000

I had a rough week. Sick for the past 2 weeks, I really just wanted to get through this work week. I was burned from meetings afterschool and every weekend there seemed to be some function going on.
But the week was especially rough because my Media Production class was slacking, the students’ attitudes were negative, and I was blowing the horn that they were out of line, out of focus, and not taking this class seriously.
Well, I tried a few things, from laying down the law (basically saying these are the assignments, and they had til x day to complete them), to making some counselor referrals, to trying to rearrange groups and seating charts.
None of this worked, and I spent Wednesday and Thursday evening sweating and stressing in bed, waking up to pee and contemplate about how I had failed and what I was going to try next.
Friday, I had an answer. Donuts. Fresh from Safeway. Two dozen. It was part of my idea to create a social time every Friday before we start class. Not only was this a time for them to get their sugar fix and do what they love to do most, talk. It was a time for me to relax and get to know them better. The way the semester has been going, the more we got deeper into the projects and tutorials, the less we actually talk. My role as a guide or coach gave way to the old traditional teacher. The class has lost its excitement, its meaning. The whole point of the Academy of Information Technology is to inspire students to achieve more by giving them something they love to do. Most of these students chose this academy. They should all be passing if not doing their best.
The rest of Friday’s class had a much more relaxed and focused tone. Students were on task, they were helping each other, and some of them almost finished their projects. I made my rounds to several individuals, gave them suggestions, and was overall, trying to be helpful. I was not barking orders, making speeches, trying to tidy up the way I presented my information. I was there, with my students, letting them show me their best.

Macworld Expo 2010

chowsir — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:16:23 +0000

Macworld Expo 2010 was somewhat of a disappointment. Besides seeing the active and innovative exhibitors in the mobile developers section and hearing Kevin Smith wax eloquently about dicks and fucking and how life has changed so much from the days of Clerks, the whole show was a bit of a disappointment. While there were plenty of new and some established vendors, a lot of those present came with barebones stuff. Very few teams set up splashy large booths with free stuff, colorful demos, contests, and free stuff. It was quite boring making the rounds that I was tired even before I made it halfway through the area.
What was also lacking was any new products that made you say wow and have you take out your wallet right on the spot. Even if there were, most of the companies did not have the goods to sell. So what is the point of coming? The last booth I walked into was Textrec or something like that. These guys were completely incompetent in terms of going out to greet people. They had so many products to show: iPhone, iTouch cases, almost every other phone and camera and device they had a case for. They even had some of these products in packaging hanging on some racks. Well, when I finally got someone’s attention about a Leica case that would fit my Panasonic LX3, the guy finally explained that they were not selling anything at their booth. I could already tell, but I needed to ask just to see how incompetent they were at communicating.
Well, I did see some cool stuff. Like gamesalad.com which lets users create their own games and upload them, as well as market them. And there was the phone app that integrates so many features on it. I am glad I tested the Beats by Dr. Dre Studio model. That sets the bar for headphones of today. Awesome sound! And Blue Microphone’s mic that plugs into the iPhone!
Will I come next year? Maybe. Who knows what the industry will be like. Who knows what gadget I’ll be using next year. In the meantime, I’m content with what I have and glad I didn’t spend much more than lunch and a cup of coffee.

chowsir — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:15:43 +0000

Two steps backward for one step forward

chowsir — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:46:36 +0000

From AoIT

This school year feels like it’s going too fast for my taste. I agreed to teach within the Academy of Information Technology and help to develop the program in the years to come. With my knowledge of video production and interest in all things technology, I thought I could manage teaching the Media Production class this Fall.
I have been given a very bright group of students. They are bright-eyed, savvy, and curious. Midway through the school year, I feel like I’m bumbling my way, making mistakes, feeling unprepared, and always thinking how I could improve my teaching.
The most challenging aspect is that I am finding myself at my limits in my own experience and expertise with the software. I hope to improve over time, but I need to learn and have time to expand my repertoire much faster. The students learn so much quicker, and I welcome them teaching me. I only wish I had the time to take my own knowledge of what can be done with the tools and come up with more meaningful projects that would fulfill the original vision of AoIT – using technology to make the world better in some way, empower young people to communicate something meaningful, and foster innovation and creativity. I think we will get there, but right now it feels like taking two steps back for every step we go forward.

Strange dreams

chowsir — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:28:20 +0000

I woke up suddenly with some anger and slightly teary. I had a dream that I was away from my classes for some long time and I just went unexpectedly. The sub had told me earlier that he had set up these posts along the room for my students to throw paper balls as an engagement strategy. I couldn’t imagine what that was like over the phone, so I didn’t think anything of it.
When I walked into my classroom, it was transformed. I first heard the sound of thudding against these rows of planks that were set up in front of some desks in rows across the room. They looked like they were carefully installed.
I was so angry with the way the room looked that I started tearing them down with my bare hands. My students seemed scared, like I had ended some game or woke them up from a good dream. What I realized was that the students were sitting along the walls of the room, and where the installments were now was just empty space.
I approached the teacher and asked him what was behind his reasoning. He told me that they were meant to be an interactive tool to get students to participate and read in class. I blew up. I told him 1) if he was the teacher, he could do whatever he wanted, 2) what kind of long-term skills or habits is he fostering by having students hurl things against a wall?
I think that’s just about when I woke up.

Adobe Youth Voices Training

chowsir — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:26:43 +0000

It’s been two days of Adobe Youth Voices training and I have to say it has not been this fun. I have participated in training for the past two years, the first time with Ellena Weldon at this San Francisco office, and last year with Doug Singer, who is also attending this year. But I must say this year is more focused, in-depth and geared toward the needs that our sites will be facing.
Yesterday we got a quick run-through the features of Photoshop, learning how the media can manipulate images and send messages to viewers, and we got the chance to create adbusters. There were a lot of resources introduced that we can use in our classes.
Today we got to produce or at least attempt to produce our first project in After Effects. We got a tour of the Adobe studio with its cool green corner where they shoot their educational videos. We had to write a story, design objects and backgrounds, and perform the live roles. My partner was Jeff from Balboa, and we did a story about how someone could walk streets like the Mission, and be so caught up in his/her technology that the person does not notice all the wonderful, dangerous, life-changing events happening in the moment. I really like the concept. And we put together all the elements, but we just didn’t have enough time to finish the AE project. But it made me believe this is the tool that our students would want to learn.
More on the training tomorrow.

Choosing a newspaper

chowsir — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:51:41 +0000

I made the decision to read one Sunday paper this week. Based on the price and idea that local news is most important, I bought the SF Chronicle.
The only other choices at the smoke shop were the Chron, NY Times, San Jose Mercury News, and Marin Independent Journal. So I chose the Chron. in its new shrunken more attractive format.
There was a investigative story about the way how the SF 49ers and the City have gotten into the demise it is in now. On the brink of moving to Santa Clara, the team has been in the middle of a struggle between two municipalities and there has been plenty of finger-pointing. From Mayors Feinsten to Willie Brown to Gavin Newsom, the City leaders have had different styles of approach to the team. The largest scapegoat in the article is former owner Eddie Debartolo, who was busted for a bribery in Louisiana and subsequently was involved in a power struggle with his sister Denice and her husband John York. If you follow the 49ers, these names should be too familiar.
Well, I am going through the rest of the paper. It definitely has a local feel, from an article about how the recession has hurt redevelopment in Downtown Oakland to the recent no-hitter by Jonathan Sanchez of the SF Giants. It definitely seems like our City’s culture is defined by its sports.
The rest of the paper is mostly rehash and summaries of stories from other news services. Most of the stories are not heavy reading, requiring no more than 5-10 minutes to read. I suppose that is the target audience of our paper. Readers usually sift through what they find interesting, glance through most articles, look for eye-candy, and people feel like they stay informed and knowledgeable about the world.
I still don’t feel a trust and connection with the SF Chronicle. The many years of poor quality news and alienation of some communities will take even longer to reverse. But I will try to buy the paper when I get the chance.
I would like to read a paper like the NY Times, but its news is not local and the $6 Sunday price is ridiculous. I am going to try out the Mercury or Independent Journal or Contra Costa Times.

Making long-term plans

chowsir — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:37:15 +0000

For the next few days, I am working on a long-term plan for my professional career that will include the plans for Burton HS Journalism, the Academy of Information Technology, and the English Language Development program.
These three programs are very important to me, but to be realistic, I cannot optimally thrive in all three without giving up something somewhere. I am looking to build the Journalism program as my main focus and hopefully enfold the AoIT program into the broadcasting aspect of the news services of our school.
I am also excited about the partnerships with the Special Ed Department and taking on some colleagues in improving the ELD program at our school. Too long I have been operating on my own with all levels of English Language-learners. I am hoping I have a curriculum binder that can be shared and modified as the year progresses.
So I’ll fill you in on how the planning goes. The summer is going fast, so I had better play hard and work hard, and not waste a minute!

Back in Chinatown

chowsir — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:14:33 +0000

My wife got off from work unexpectedly early and I went to pick her up without my ritual cup of morning coffee. Still groggy from sleep I thought it would be good to have breakfast at Dol Ho the old dim sum place we used to go when we lived in Chinatown.
It’s definitely a dive but the food is decent and the service laid back so you feel at home. Best of all our breakfast was only $7. You will probably have a hard time topping $10 for 2 people.
It’s a great place to start the day. And from Chinatown you can easily go anywhere in the City.
Now I need some coffee.

New WordPress features rock

chowsir — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:02:08 +0000

Well I finally took the leap to WordPress 2.8 and in the process eliminated all of the profound blogs that I had written in the last 3+ years.
While I will mourn the rich literary legacy, this also begins a new era for my blogging.
I will publish more often, less densely, and hopefully generate more traffic in the process.
I have to say the appearance (themes) was a heavy influence on my decision.
I hope I will continue posting, even if it’s just some random jibber-jabber.