November 27, 2007
There is no try.
Good article:
7 Habits of Highly Innovative People | Think Simple. Be Decisive.
I’m sure we can all relate to moments when we felt stuck trying to tap into our own creativity. Did you know that this block is merely your mind at work? Your mind is creating all sorts of assumptions, self-imposed constraints and self-limiting inhibitions. I have found that we can remove these assumptions just by being in the moment; start doing, and stop thinking.Luke: All right, I'll give it a try.
Yoda: No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.
May 31, 2007
Golden Grillz and Satan Like Puppies, a documentary film
Kids learn a lot when they teach others, particularly when they teach through film:
The Chattanooga Pulse: - The Kids Are Alright
The kids were the only ones tasked with planning and creating the film. Every idea was theirs, every interview was scheduled by them, and every segment was conceived by them. Much of the music in the film was even made by students.
So, I'm very pleased with the Pulse's coverage of this, though a few details I wish more people knew are in order.
Liza Blair, formerly with AVA and old friend, came up with this idea, wrote the grant that was funded, and deserves some mention for having gotten this ball rolling. Not that anyone is trying to take credit, since everyone has duly noted that the kids did all the work. However, I'd hate to see AVA not share the love. So Liza, here's a shout out (or whatever the kids say now).
Additionally, and I only mention this for my Online ILLP documentation, I was called on during the formative stages of the grant-writing and also when the funds were finally in and Liza was gone, met with Mark Bradley-Shoupe from AVA to help with implementation, and I recommended Emily Bowman, my former student, to work on the project. Having that said, props to everyone for making this happen. Hopefully it will open the door to many future ventures.
But, how do you measure this type of learning? Certainly rubrics for accomplishing various production and storytelling aspects are important, but what about the material the filmmakers covered? And how well do their fellow students learn from watching this documentary? Is this a dissertation topic, or just a scholarly article?
May 15, 2007
Curiosity kills cats, get jobs
Some good thoughts about curiosity being a necessary and marketable attribute.
Micro Persuasion: The Most Essential Career Skill You Need to Succeed
the most important "tool" you can have today in business is insatiable curiosity. The minute you lose it, you're dead.
April 30, 2007
Internet2
We've been using Internet2 for about 4 years, via our connection to UTK and for a short while on our own connection. This highspeed data backbone is reserved for research and medicine, but is being opened to K-12 education for the first time.The Internet's Second Coming : April 2007 : THE Journal
The K20 Initiative reveals Internet2's capability to support videoconferencing, bringing once-exclusive educational programs into K-12 schools.
April 27, 2007
Short Films Documentary
Below is a short documentary about the short films that were created in my COMM 445 - Video II class this Spring. Coti and Jill also tell a little about the process of making a short and provide tips for aspiring filmmakers.
Stay tuned for a slightly more comical look at filmmaking by Lazy Bear Productions in How To Make Your Movie: Part Deux. I have a small cameo in which I play a nervous professor on camera for the first time.
April 21, 2007
More on Dilemmas - False Dilemmas..
False dilemma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In televisionStephen Colbert, host of the Comedy Central news parody, The Colbert Report is known to ask his in-studio guests for their opinion of President George W. Bush. He usually gives them two choices: A great President? or The greatest President?, obviously leaving out any choice which is negative of the President.
Productivity advice for Gmail/Gcal users
This article has some good advice that I haven't been following:How to Make Gmail/Gcal Rock Your Tasks - lifehack.org
April 19, 2007
Mocs News coverage of VT Massacre
I think my students did a particularly good job of covering the Virginia Tech story. Check it out here: Mocs News.
August 29, 2006
Model-Netics
I attended a presentation today by the director of HR for UTC on Model-Netics. What is Model-Netics you ask?
Model-Netics is a comprehensive management training and development program.
Basically involves the use of 151 paradigms for business and encourages organizations to use a common language about change and effectiveness.
I thought this tied in really well with the Performance Assessment course Dr. Bernard taught this summer and I will plan to take the 20 week course next Fall as soon as I have finished my core courses. Though not a credit course, it definitely fill a leadership gap I need to fill as part of my ILLP.
August 24, 2006
The Master Plan
UTC TV: Center for Television, Web, Documentary and Digital Film Production
UTC Digital Productions - web. film. television.
The UTC ________ will exemplify UTC's presence as an engaged metropolitan university.
The staff of the Center in collaboration with students, faculty and external partners, will work to educate and enrich the lives of students as well as serving the needs of the greater Chattanooga community by producing high-impact programming, archiving and distributing campus content, providing embedded learning opportunities for students, and serving the production needs of the this university and its partners.
Staff:
Director ($50K) - oversees operations of all campus media projects. Hiring decisions made along with board of representatives from University Relations, Continuing Education, Athletics, The Lupton Library, and The Information Technology Division. Position funded by Chancellor's Office. Management of all center operational budgets. Grant-wriitng for special projects.
Television Studio Coordinator/Producer - ($35K) Scheduling of Television Studio activities and shooter/editor for all campus promotional videos, from commercials to recruitment CD-ROMS. Coordinates programming on UTC Television on Comcast Cable Channel 3 and on-campus programming to video kiosks and dorms. Provides video production support and consultation for entire campus, particularly students and staff in the Communication Department. Teaches 1 course per semester and oversees daily student news productions. Position funded by University Relations (67%) and Communication Dept (33%). Oversees 1 graduate assistant (videogapher) @ 30 hours per week, and 1 student worker @ 20 hours per week.
Podcasting Coordinator ($35K) - Scheduling recordings of archival footage of campus events and speakers for live webcast and podcasting from UTC.edu and GoMocs.com. Responsible for encoding and maintaining RSS feeds and reporting on subscribership. Also works with Distance Learning to develop and implement online courses. Position funded by Lupton Library(33%), Continuing Education (33%), and Athletics (33%). Oversees 2 student workers @ 20 hours per week.
Also potential for grant-funded position for developing online resources for students with disabilities working with the OSD.
Chief Engineer ($35K) - Design, installation, maintenance, upgrade, and training for all Center activities to include: Television Studio and podcasting cameras and related equipment, television master control and podcasting servers, a centralized control room, Athletic venue installations and video operations and videoconferencing classrooms. Provides training to students, faculty and staff in operation of various facilities. Position funded by Continuing Education (33%), Athletics (33%), and Information Technology (33%).
UR CE COMM Athltcs Lupton ITD
Dir
Studio Cdr 23,450 11,550
Podcast Cdr 11,550 11,550 11,550
Chief Engr 11,550 11,550 11,550
Dept Totals: 23,450 11,500 11,500
23,450 23,450 11,500
Departmental yearly budgets:
Studio budget $30K recover 50%
Podcasting/Archival $15K
CE equipment (paid for from DL funds) $10K
Tech fees pick up operational costs for student-focused programs.
Community-focus - PSAs and films
August 17, 2006
Note to self..
UPDATE: I will be turning in a strategic plan for the studio as my optional assignment for EDD 761 - Organizational Theory and Development.
Dr. Tucker has mentioned that my "grand vision" for the UTC Television Studio should be a big part of my ILLP. More to come.
June 30, 2006
AIDS movie
Worked with these girls from Upward Bound to help them produce a short film about AIDS entitled The Domino Effect: How I got AIDS. Pretty impressive, they came up with the idea, wrote the script, directed and acted, and made editing decisions. Leslie Smith with Upward Bound does an awesome job with these kids and that program seems to have a big impact.
Chattanoogan.com wrote up a good article here.
June 11, 2006
Ongoing projects
Language Learning videoconferences with Mexico - These monthly conferences take place with local elementary school children from The Bright School and with children in a suburb of Mexico City. The kids speak back and forth in each other's language and are able to ask questions about each other's culture. Read all about it in this article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
MIT Enterprise Forum - a satellite downlink brought to UTC by the Riverbend Technology Institute and yours truly. "'Talk to an Angel: Crucial Connections to Early Stage Capital' is a look at how entrepreneurs and angels can find each other for funding opportunities, and work together after the deal is done." More info here.
Girls Inc. - helping students learn basics of the communications industry, particularly in helping them create a public service announcement for Breast Cancer awareness.
COMM 400 Documentary class - provided technology and storytelling advice and served as a judge for awards given at their final presentation.
Back Row Film Series and Workshops - coordinated and planned curriculum for three free filmmaking workshops for teens concentrating on screenwriting, shooting, and editing independent films. Also on planning committee for the Back Row Film Series.
Chattanooga Film Commission - invited by local filmmaker Jarrod Whaley and Missy Crutchfield to serve on the local projects committee of the city's new film commission. This committee's purpose is to support and encourage local filmmaking.
Youth Documentary Project - sponsored by the Association for Visual Artists, this project partners local filmmakers with teens at afternoon rec centers to study and create short documentaries.
The Enterprise Center - Created promotional video materials for the Maglev train DVD, edited from existing and computer simulated footage of magnetic levitation train footage to educate Chattanoogans about the potential of a high speed magentic levitation train from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
Camp Spectrum - organizing a one-day workshop for teens with autism to learn various aspects of television and video production.
March 09, 2006
Lunch
Had lunch with Missy Crutchfield from the Arts and Education office with the city and Brian Gray from Comcast about doing a live TV show from UTC's studio. The focus would be on, you guessed it, Arts and Education in Chattanooga. Sounds like a go for April.
You could say a television program has a curriculum, in the sense that each show has a theme, units of study, discussion of the topic, feedback from the audience, and sometimes assessment (ratings, though we don't get any on public access).
Was also interesting to find out that both of the other persons have interest in a locally produced children's television show.
March 02, 2006
Curriculum Planning for Girls, Inc.
I guess I am involved with curriculum planning all the time, though even more often I guess it relates to instruction. However, this summer, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga and UTC are hosting summer camps in Journalism and Broadcasting and I have been in on the curriculum planning for those meetings as they will be using our TV studio and I am the resident TV guru.
February 09, 2006
Mocs News story in The Echo
Mocs News is one of my proudest achievements at UTC, not that I do much more than facilitate, but its all of the students' hard work that makes it happen.
"Mocs News boosts broadcasting dreams"
By: Laura Bond
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: News
According to one UTC student, future broadcasters receive valuable experience while working on Mocs News.
Emily Edwards, a Chattanooga senior and a Mocs News anchor, said Mocs News offers excellent experience for beginners.
"Broadcasting is my dream," she said. "Everyone has got to start somewhere, especially in this profession."
"Broadcasting is my dream," she said. "Everyone has got to start somewhere, especially in this profession."
Being an anchor on Mocs News has helped Edwards become comfortable on camera.
She said: "The anchor position allows you to put yourself out there in front of the camera and get used to being on television. You can watch the episode following the show and constructively criticize yourself in order to improve."
At her job as an anchor, Edwards is responsible for writing the entire newscast as well as hosting the newscast with another student.
According to Chris Willis, the faculty advisor for Mocs News, there are about 16 students working for Mocs News, either receiving payment or school credit for their work.
Some students also volunteer their time. Edwards joined the team in January and volunteers at the station for about six hours a week.
According to Willis, the Mocs News program started three years ago by several UTC students.
A typical newscast covers campus events, entertainment and sports.
Students go through an audition process before given the opportunity to be on the air.
Willis said, "The students who want to be on-air try out for the positions by reading an example script off of the teleprompter.
"Then the news directors and I make the decisions," he said.
Willis said they try to provide everyone with on-air experience if they desire it.
Edwards said being in front of the camera was difficult at first.
"At first I was nervous, especially during tryouts, but I got over it by the next show," she said.
"Once you realize you are getting into what you want to do for the rest of your life, it calms your nerves and you want to show everyone what you are capable of doing," she continued.
Anybody, whether they have experience in broadcast, is encouraged to join the team.
"Students with broadcasting courses or work experience are terrific, but we can train anybody," Willis said.
"Students might perform better in [communication] classes having had Mocs News experience under their belts," he added.
Edwards said, "Mocs News offer[s] so many opportunities off-and-on camera, and there is always someone you can shadow or [who] is willing to help you out."
In addition to the regular newscast, there is a new sports show.
According to Willis, the student-produced show, called "R U Serious?" is similar to network sports shows like "Cold Pizza" or "Best Damn Sports Show."
The show covers local, national and international sports.
Both Edwards and Willis recommend students watch the news programs to receive information about UTC.
"Mocs News comes from a student point of view, so I think students would be interested [in] hearing the news from their own point of view," Willis said.
Edwards said, "In reading over scripts, I myself have found out about campus-related information that I would never [have] known unless I had been watching Mocs News."
Mocs News airs on Comcast cable channel 3. Join the Mocs News team by visiting Chris Willis, Phillip Brown or Shaadi Marand on Monday, Wednesday or Friday at noon in the Metropolitan Building.
June 15, 2005
A good leader..
A good leader is really an assistant. When you empower people to make decisions and do their jobs, and facilitate them with the tools they need, how is that anything but good leadership..?