Thursday, May 16, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 17, 2013

Focus: Presenting our mockumentaries!

1. A few final thoughts:


  • Keep it on the quiet side...tests could be happening on the other side of the wall.
  • No work will be accepted after class on Monday.
  • Final grades for this class will be posted Tuesday by noon (and an 89.4% = B+).
  • Watch each other's mockumentaries respectfully, and enjoy!

2. Setting up the presentation order (this will be done randomly)

3. Presenting our mockumentaries!

HW:
See you during the 1st hour MWF finals period on Monday (7:15-8:46 am).

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 16, 2013


Focus: Performing final edits on your mockumentary film

1. Warm-up: Reminders about today and tomorrow:

  • Mockumentaries are due tomorrow. No exceptions will be granted.
  • Monday is the last day of class. No assignments will be accepted after class on Monday.
  • Your final grade will be posted by Tuesday at noon. An 89.4 is a B+.  An 89.5 is rounded up to an A-.  Please do not contact me about rounding up your letter grade; it is what it is.
  • Fines will be issued Monday morning for any missing F451 books. This will delay your scheduling, so please turn in your books ASAP.


2. Working on the final steps of creating your mockumentary
  • If you are using Windows Movie Maker, you must take the final step of FINALIZING your film BEFORE you come to class on Friday. The icon will look different after the movie has been finalized.
  • If you are using wevideo, make sure your video is finalized/published also.
  • With either program, I highly recommend publishing your film to youtube to avoid any technical difficulties.  It is your responsibility to make sure that your film will play on the class computer before you show it in class.
  • Quick audio tip: Make sure you have exported your narration as an MP3 before you attempt to add it to your film.



HW:
1.  Finish your mockumentary and SHARE THE URL WITH ME BEFORE CLASS TOMORROW. I highly recommend having your film in two different forms (ex: burn it to a DVD AND publish it to youtube).

2. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm tonight.

3. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class tomorrow.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason. It is your responsibility to make sure your film works properly before trying to show it to the class.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 15, 2013

Focus: Creating your mockumentary film

If you revised your synthesis essay, please turn it in now. Make sure you have followed the revision policy.

1. Warm-up: Assessing a sample student mockumentary using the rubric I handed out Monday

2. Working on the final steps of creating your mockumentary


  • If you are using Windows Movie Maker, you must take the final step of FINALIZING your film BEFORE you come to class on Friday. The icon will look different after the movie has been finalized.
  • If you are using wevideo, make sure your video is finalized/published also.
  • With either program, I highly recommend publishing your film to youtube to avoid any technical difficulties.  It is your responsibility to make sure that your film will play on the class computer before you show it in class.
  • Quick audio tip: Make sure you have exported your narration as an MP3 before you attempt to add it to your film.



HW:
1.  Continue working on your mockumentary (only one work day left after today). We do NOT have the computer lab tomorrow, but we will have a mockumentary work day in our regular classroom.

2. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 16.

3. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class Friday, May 17.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason.

Monday, May 13, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 14, 2014

Focus: Synthesizing the book and the film

1. Warm-up: Perusing the book-film club website rubric (distributed in class)

2. Understanding the final task of your book clubs: Synthesizing the book and film

3. Finishing your theme activity and completing your book-film synthesis


HW:
1. Bring music, your recorded narration, and anything else you need to class on Wednesday to work on your mockumentary.

2. Synthesis essay revisions due TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 15.  Please highlight all changes on the new draft, type a brief explanation of the changes you made and why they strengthened your essay, and staple everything to your original draft and rubric with my comments.  Revisions will not be accepted unless you follow the revision policy.

3. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 16.

4. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class Friday, May 17.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason.



All Boys, All Blogged: May 13, 2013

Focus: Assembling and polishing your mockumentary

1. Warm-up: Grades, grades, grades...all you wanted to know and more

2. Working on your mockumentaries (only two work days left after today)


HW:
1. Bring music, your recorded narration, and anything else you need to class on Wednesday to work on your mockumentary.

2. Finish your book and watch the film version of your book by TOMORROW, which will be your final book club day.

3. Synthesis essay revisions due Wednesday, May 15.  Please highlight all changes on the new draft, type a brief explanation of the changes you made and why they strengthened your essay, and staple everything to your original draft and rubric with my comments.  Revisions will not be accepted unless you follow the revision policy.

4. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 16.

5. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class Friday, May 17.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 10, 2013

Focus: Assembling your mockumentary film

1. Warm-up: A very important weekend reminder

2. Offering a few tips:

When recording your narration, try narrating into a program on your computer, such as Audacity, and then uploading this to wevideo.

When bringing music into your video, please keep in mind the following:

  • iTunes will not share music with your film application...not now, not ever.
  • The trick is to convert your music into MP3 form.
  • Try burning your music onto a CD and bringing it to class.  When you insert the CD, a window will pop up asking what you want to do.  Select "Rip music using Windows Media Player," and this should save your selected music as MP3s in your music folder.
  • You can also capture a Youtube music video and then use just the music without the video, but I'm not sure yet how this works with wevideo.
  • Other ideas?  Matt?
3. Working on assembling our mockumentary films


HW:
1. Bring music, your recorded narration, and anything else you need to class on Monday to work on your mockumentary.

2. Finish your book and watch the film version of your book by TUESDAY, which will be your final book club day.

3. Synthesis essay revisions due Wednesday, May 15.  Please highlight all changes on the new draft, type a brief explanation of the changes you made and why they strengthened your essay, and staple everything to your original draft and rubric with my comments.  Revisions will not be accepted unless you follow the revision policy.

4. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 16.

5. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class Friday, May 17.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

All Boys, All Blogged: May 9, 2013

Focus: Analyzing motifs and themes in your book club books

1. Warm-up: Taking the single gender survey! Please click HERE to access the survey.

2. Reading your book club books (you should be close to finished at this point)--20 minutes

3. Meeting with your book clubs to finish and publish your motif activity

4. Starting on your theme activity if time; click HERE for directions

HW:
1. Bring music, your recorded narration, and anything else you need to class tomorrow to work on your mockumentary.

2. Finish your book and watch the film version of your book by TUESDAY, which will be your final book club day.


3. Synthesis essay revisions due Wednesday, May 15.  Please highlight all changes on the new draft, type a brief explanation of the changes you made and why they strengthened your essay, and staple everything to your original draft and rubric with my comments.  Revisions will not be accepted unless you follow the revision policy.

4. Book club websites (including all daily activities) due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 16.

5. Final mockumentaries due at the beginning of class Friday, May 17.  NO extensions will be granted for any reason.