Category: Maker

Project overview

For the past month or so, our PLP 9 Maker class has been working on recreating a video called “RUN!” 

We were put in groups of 3 or more and we had to recreate the video using our own props, screenplay, locations and editing. This task proved to be very difficult and challenging and I had to take the role of leadership and ended up organizing times to work on the video which showed my initiative and leadership in this project.

This is the original RUN! Video:

Screenplay

Our groups first task was to take apart the video and plan everything out, I started doing this by creating a screenplay and dividing up the roles my group members. We collaborated and looked over the video and noticed how many shots there were so we planned out each and every one of them on a pages document. There were also many other things that I noticed that we would have to recreate such as:

• Camera angles
• Sound effects
• Editing and cuts
• Acting 
• Costumes

How does the driving question: (How might we learn video skills by recreating a short film?) relate to our final product and what did I learn?

I can answer this driving question because while editing it I was able to break apart the film and see what it’s like for a professional film writer or a director to make a film because we did a similar process that they did and I was able to learn and build on skills such as acting, cutting clips to the right length, how to create a sense of suspense, and how to collaborate with my group to make a film. 

Our video:

Without further delay, here is our RUN! Remake video:

 

Introduction

This project was… difficult (for me anyways.) this is probably because it was mainly focused on drawing in Sketches Pro, and… I can’t really draw. I had to explore different techniques which included using colour to make our drawings look better, we had to sketch and doodle, we used lights and shadows, and we drew different shapes and made a robot using lines and pressure. But HOW did I do all this? Read on if you want to find out.

Lines and Pressure

For the first section of the project, we had to explore the tool bar by testing out all of the different tools.

Then using the knowledge that we gained from playing around with the tool bar and talking with the class, we had to make block letters of a word or our name using a certain font and we had to use multiple techniques and tools to create it. I tried to focus on the colour blue, and I based my drawing off of it.

Emoji Art

For this aspect of art, we had to draw an emoji using colour, 2D shapes, and even some lighting. It was hard to think of something to draw for it, so I thought of something that I like doing. That’s when I came up with soccer, if I could combine the two, then I could make something like this:

I tried to emphasize the ball being headed with force by drawing waves where the ball was. The first time I drew it I didn’t have it and it seemed like it was missing something. We used 2D shapes to make the emoji, but for the next part, we used something a bit more complex.

Lights, Shadows, and 3D Shapes 

I think that this part was the most fun part of the project, but also one of the hardest. I enjoy drawing things in 3D because it shows depth and perspective on simple things and shapes. We started off by drawing shapes with the pencil and then we worked up to drawing things using the shapes. But first I should talk about the shapes we drew. I used the pencil tool to make shapes because it was good at shading. This is because the harder you press, the darker the line is, much like a real pencil. I had a hard time drawing the shapes at first because the lines weren’t very straight and sharp, but eventually I got the hang of it. I did this by trying with a ruler, and then putting what I learnt from that into the shapes.

Making a Logo

This was one of the more difficult drawings to make. It sounded quite simple. Make a logo. But it was more complex than that. It was difficult because thinking a name and a logo that fit the brand was hard. The other thing that made it a difficult task was that we had to think of everything ourselves and it had to be a completely original idea.

I tried to emphasize the blueness of the sky in my logo and the darkness of the mountains for contrast. I kept it simple because most mountain bike companies don’t have complex logos. If I could do anything again, I would take my time on the finer details so it looked less rushed.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, I realized how important this project will be for later on because I need to use the Apple Pencil in most of my projects to come. If you had shown me the drawings I had made before I started the project, I probably wouldn’t believe that I had drawn them. I learnt plenty of things in this project like how to use sketches pro, how to use colour fill, how to shade using the pencil tool, and even how to make a logo. Overall, this was a great project that I enjoyed doing. Thank you for reading this post, and if you liked it, check out the rest of my blog!

“Failure is success in progress” -Albert Einstein, this quote really summed up this project. In my first ever maker project I made a slideshow documenting who I was as a PLP learner. I learnt a lot of different things in this project and there was a lot of things that I did well in. 

What I actually did right,

I thought that one of the things that I did well in was when I used my current knowledge that I already had, I combined it with the things that my teachers had taught me to use. Another thing that I thought that I did well on was my reflection. At PLP reflecting is where you do a lot of your learning because it teaches you what you could’ve done better and how you can apply that to your next project. I did this in my reflection slide of my keynote:

I was also very proud of the things that we drew and explored with using the Apple Pencil, I learnt a lot from that experience and it will be extremely useful in my years to come with PLP.

“Isn’t this a reflection blog post?” 

Something I could’ve done better was handing it in in the correct format. When I handed it in to my teacher, I used the wrong format and I had to do it again. I think this could’ve been a good thing though, because it gave me a chance to look things over and improve on them. The other thing that I thought that I could’ve improved on was the voice recording. I was in a rush to get it done, so I barely had the chance to review it. I think if I was more prepared and had finished everything else, I would be able to do a better and clearer job of it. It sounded too scripted and there was a lot of background noise. Something that I will do better next time on this will to take my time on little things because it all adds up to your final project. The last thing that I needed improving on was to make my edits for stickers that were on my laptop to be more relevant to what the stickers were, the animations just seemed random and rushed, which they were. If I were to do it again, I would take my time on smaller details like that and make the animations more relevant and visually appealing.

So, who am I as a PLP learner?

I think that this project, “Who an I as a PLP Learner?” might actually be one of the most helpful projects because I learnt so much about myself and how I prefer to learn, it will most certainly be helpful to my years to come with. Through this project I’ve realized that I’m a learner who thinks creatively and outside of the box, and I sometimes try to take the lead in projects while other times I prefer to do my work and have someone else lead the team to success. I learnt how to post on YouTube, how to make a blog, how to use all the different features on the Apple Pencil, and even how to use keynote properly. Whether it was carving pumpkins and drawing shoes in keynote, to posting our final project to YouTube, It certainly was a rollercoaster of a project and one that I will hopefully never forget. Thank you for reading my blog, and have a great rest of your day.

Who were they?

The Haudenosaunee were a large group of indigenous people who lived on the eastern side of Canada. There was five different groups of them and together they made up the Haudenosaunee confederacy. The Peacemaker would ask each of all the five nations to pick men to be their leaders. The leaders were called hoyaneh and they played a very important role.

What does that show us in terms of perspective?

I think that showed perspective on the way that they acted because that is a similar government system that we use today and the Haudenosaunee continue to do this today. Another thing that they believed in was the seventh generation principal, which was a law that was in section 24 of the great law of peace. It makes people think ahead and assess their actions. They still do this today because they think about what they do before they act and they haven’t forgotten this rule. The last one is that they protect and love the earth. They showed this by protecting it and not taking more than they needed. They continue this today because in a speech by Leon Shenandoah, he said that they were “instructed to carry a love for one another and to show great respect for the earth we must live in harmony with the natural world and recognize that excessive exploitation can only lead to our own destruction.” That shows that they still believe in their rules and guidelines that they set down many years ago.

Conclusion:

That was my post on the Haudenosaunee’s worldviews and perspectives, I hoped you learnt something and if not, I happen you found it a least interesting and informative to read.

User Guide: Samuel 

Brand: PLP Learner

Model: Sam Bailey iOS 1.3

PRODUCT GUIDE

Congratulations on your new PLP learner, Samuel, also called Sam. He has many different functions, qualities, and abilities that he is not limited to but comes equipped with. Including:

• Talking to friends about interesting topics
• Engaging in conversations that have anything to do with football (soccer) teams or games
• Having an open mind to learning

GETTING STARTED

Before you access Sam for the first time, you must start the conversation with something Football (soccer) related. Otherwise, he won’t be fully interested. Your Sam will respond much more accordingly if you start off a topic with something he enjoys, but make sure not to talk about it too much, otherwise he might get off topic which may not be beneficial to learning. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Samuel 1.3 is active during the day, but also very accessible. He is in five places during school hours. Such as Gym, French, Humanities, Maker, or in the cafeteria enjoying lunch. He is most functional in the cafeteria when he is open to talking to anyone and is engaging in conversation.

When he is not at school, he might at home doing homework or socializing with friends. He can also be found mountain biking on Mt Seymour or playing Football (soccer) with his team. He can be contacted at samuelb@seycove.ca or at samuel.j.bailey.2010@gmail.com. Although he might take a while to get back to you, he will be happy to talk or answer any questions that you may have about him!

SETTINGS

 

Sam has three main settings: Student, Soccer Player, and Mountain Biker. 

Setting 1: Student

This is the mode that you will be with your Sam 1.3 the most. This is his default setting from 9am to 3pm. Sam has two classes in PLP and two other classes outside of PLP. You will be able to find him learning and creating ideas in the PLP classes, running around and trying his best in Gym, and speaking a new language in French class.

Setting 2: Soccer player

In soccer player mode (which is activated 5 times a week) Sam 1.3 is constantly running and competing for the ball. He is quite competitive in this mode and he is very focused on what he is doing. If you try to contact him during this mode, you will have to wait until he has switched out of it.

Setting 3: Mountain Biker

Sam is the most focused when engaging in this mode. Do not try to speak to him, because he is completely focused on the trail ahead of him and if you need to get ahold of him during this mode, just wait until he’s finished his ride and he will be more than happy to talk to you!

WARNINGS

This device may…

• Talk excessively about soccer and if it is during class, remind him that he is in a learning environment and needs to focus on his work.
• Annoy you because he may not get back to your emails or texts in time.
• Tire you with the amount of talking about mountain biking and other things that the Samuel 1.3 enjoys.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Problem	Solution
You aren’t sure about a homework assignment.	You can ask Sam what it is, he will be glad to help you out (if he knows the answer).
You are having trouble with something.	Sam can try and make things better by telling you jokes or by explaining something that you didn’t understand
You are in need of help with soccer.	Sam has lots of experience with soccer and would be honored to help you improve and get better.

TIPS TO MAINTAIN OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

• Fuel with talk about soccer especially his favourite team, Manchester United.
• Being kind to not just him, but the others around you will ensure that he is in peak condition.
• Talking about unique topics and learning in groups.