magicmacguffin — Camp Magic MacGuffin

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Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Dear Mom/Dad,

It was in interesting week in camp full of activities and learning. First off I had to get settled which included setting up my blog and downloading some other fun stuff. My favorite part about setting up the blog was customizing it, I got to set the background to one of my favorite soccer teams the Celtic and I set up a couple starter categories to organize it. I found the counselors instructional videos to be really helpful while setting up my blog. The next thing I did to set up was I joined and downloaded MInecraft, I had never heard of it before but it seems like a good was to have camp meetings and I’m interested to see how well it works.

Some other activities I did this week were the Daily Creates the first one I did was I had to record a video of myself saying I Love DS106 ten times. This assignment was pretty fun I had a hard time suppressing laughing because of how focused I was on not messing up and saying the wrong thing as people often do when they have to say the same thing over and over. The next TDC I did was to draw bugs bunny, I am not a talented artist at all usually my artwork would be below par in an elementary school art class so I took some time on this Daily Create. I found a picture I found interesting and I free sketched it and after multiple attempts I had a picture I was really happy with. The final one was to take a picture that represented destruction, about an hour before I saw the daily create my parents were yelling at my brother about how his room looked like a war zone so when I was the prompt I knew what I was going to use a s a picture of destruction. Later when I told him what I did he thought it was funny and I was relieved he was a good sport about it.

Earlier in the week I watched a video of a lecture by Kurt Vonnegut on the shapes of stories. Before I watched this video it had never occurred to me that you could use a graph to describe a story. I though Vonnegut did a good job of keeping it interesting and using humor to keep the viewer interested and I really enjoyed the short clip. So I had another good week at camp Magic MacGuffin hope the next one is just as good.

Posted in bunk2, magicmacguffin, Random Stuff, umwsum12, weeklyletter | Comments Off on Letter Home for Week 2

Raging Rappahannock River

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Raging Rappahannock River, a photo by chanda0703 on Flickr.

TDC Stone, Water, & Clouds. The Rappahannock River was rushing fast this morning from all the recent rain. Great spot at “the Rock” that shows the bend in the river. Beautiful day, angry river.

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Molecules, Beans and Web2.0 Storytelling (AKA Week 2)

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

(Disclaimer: I’m fully aware that I’m not directly addressing the assignment. However, the beauty of being an “open” student is that I don’t have to worry about demonstrating my direction following skills.)

Vonnegut describes stories as we understand stories: 2 dimensional – 2 axes and 1 plane; points plotted. The story moves forward. This is a book.

Alexander’s Web 2.0 storytelling suggests 4 dimensionality (3d plus shattering the 4^th wall)–2 axes and 4 planes. The story has a center and connecting items of significance that take on new significance based on the relation/connection with each other. (Think molecule and valences. Think nucleus, protons, electrons, interconnected and balanced by a complex tension. Although perhaps more accurate in terms of how our minds STORE information, the molecule model is less able to make meaning for us. (Perhaps the very purpose of story.) IRL we make meaning of events that –though occurring on a linear temporal plane–are stored in a 2-axes- 4-plane space and which are then re- linearized and often wholly reconfigured in order to make sense of those events. This is hard work. (In some cases, the work of a lifetime.) Traditional stories, to some extent, do the work for us. Engaging with a Web 2.0 story that is fully embracing the possibilities of the medium/media might demand a level of cognitive commitment that most people don’t have time for. Think about it:

Opening scene where “reader” encounters character A and character B sifting through the wreckage of character A’s home. Any home in its wrecked state looks mostly like trash: slabs of broken drywall, clothing tangled around pipes and chair legs. Photographs and other standard plot driving items are interspersed along with less obvious items like a can of French cut green beans that looks like it’s “fresh” from the grocery store shelf.

Every bean (character, quality, object) suggests a possible path for the story, many of which may/will/must connect with others in manifold ways.

We’re programmed as readers to read from page one to the end. Our breaks are clearly marked off via periods, paragraphs, and chapters. There is comfort in this. (To experience reading without this comfort, try Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Autumn of the Patriarch.)

Perhaps Web 2.0 storytelling will change our programming and allow us to let go of the compulsion (with our fiction and our lives) to possess, consume and understand everything, which at its best is an exercise in futility, at its worst is a sure path to madness, and at its average is a trip to the pharmacy for some mediocre though useful drugs.

Recap of Daily Creates:

TDC141 Connection

TDC146 Destruction

TDC147 Rocks/Water/Clouds

Posted in AlexanderStory, bunk2, CampMagicMacGuffin, ds106, magicmacguffin, openonline | Comments Off on Molecules, Beans and Web2.0 Storytelling (AKA Week 2)

Letter Home: Week 1

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Dear Mom,

Good morning! at least it is over here at Camp Magic MacGuffin

This first week has been so interesting, I really ventured into new territory and began to grasp the purpose and philosophy behind camp. I created accounts with SoundCloud, YouTube, Flickr, and many other sites. Other than twitter and YouTube I was completely unfamiliar with the rest, so I really got to explore them. It is so interesting the amount of tools and social networks online that serve different purposes!

Watching the video with Dr. Michael Wesch really opened up my eyes to a lot of things, and a new way of approaching not only the general issue of lack of passion between education and students. But my own personal case with my schooling. It really made me think about how I was really forming an identity online, hence I decided to ‘brand’ myself. Everything from my twitter account, email, website… everything is now “mindofamasri”! I think it is so cool actually haha. I can tell this camp will be a creative challenge and am really excited for it. Being in this camp as well as taking my Web Application Development course is really giving me a holistic perspective of things. In my class I’m learning the behind-the-scenes aspects of a website – scripting languages, database tools. And at Camp I’m developing the creative sense of web development, I’m glad that I am doing both at once. Hopefully by the end of the summer I’ll be an expert at both to some degree.

Okay well, I’ll write you again soon!

Sincerely,

mindofamasri

Posted in bunk1, magicmacguffin, umwsum12 | Comments Off on Letter Home: Week 1

Week 2 – Letter to Otto from the Security Tower

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Dear Otto,

As you will see from the attached photo, the situation here is turning weird. An image on the Twitter this past week alerted me to the fact that a CDB Barkley made a reconnaissance mission from Mine Craft to the Always Be Reflecting parcel on Corona Cay. Apparently there are plans afoot that will lead to an operation to rescue me from this virtual world so that I may don a Sponge Bob shaped avatar in another one so that I may use a pick and shovel to help build a statue of the Bava. The only saving grace is that the people there are pretty awesome.

I’ve moved my operations into the Security Tower until the situation blows over. Though I feel I’m missing out so much of the fun and the goodness by being here instead of in one of the bunkhouses at Camp Magic MacGuffin, recent discoveries require that I continue my work here.

I was able to produce a couple of video tutorials on creating animated GIFs and turning those GIFs into a tga texture file. The final installment of the series will demonstrate how to bring the texture file into the virtual world, attach it to an object and animate it. I’m discovering through this process a deeper meaning than I’d ever imagined as to the utility of these simple animations. Unfortunately between the looming threat of a rescue mission and my own race against the clock, I fear there might not be the chance to demonstrate that deeper meaning before the end of camp.

Another complicating factor comes from an unrelated discovery. On Wednesday evening, I joined a virtual campfire session which was held in Google hangouts (it turns out that the thing was broadcast live with a recorded version stored on YouTube). Before joining, I had wondered whether it werepossible to present my Second Life screen in lieu of the web camera. But as the dean of digital storytelling and gothic netlore, Bryan Alexander, was scheduled to be in attendance, I felt it wouldn’t be cricket for me to show up as a cartoon. The campfire session was provocative and inspiring, you should watch the video when you have time.

The next day, I did a few experiments and was eventually successful in running a Google Hangout OnAir while transmitting the Second Life screen. Though further experimentation is indicated, my initial impression of the potential for this format of transmission and archival of independently produced media surpasses even that of the simple elegance of the animated GIF.

So with so little time to figure so much stuff out, I imagine that I will continue to lag behind in the recommended tasks, activities and assignments for the Camp Magic MacGuffin. Fortunately, there is the chance to stay abreast of the amazing work being done by the other campers via the rss feed from the Camp website. The only complaint might be that there is too much good stuff that one cannot take it all in. I understand that new campers continue to arrive nearly every day so it’s not too late for you to participate should you be so moved.

Looking ahead, I’m putting together the finishing touches on a reprise of the old Daily Update video project. You’ve probably already figured out where this is going. Each installment will be done live as a Hangout from Second Life. Details are forthcoming.

Cordially,
scottlo

Posted in Camp Magic MacGuffin, magicmacguffin, openonline, Second Life | Comments Off on Week 2 – Letter to Otto from the Security Tower

Week 2 at Camp

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

I was a little behind at camp this week:(

But I promise to do better next week because I want to win camper of the week! I learned more about digital storytelling and how to make my website my own! We also read from a book that was written by one of our very own campers, and I got to learn about how stories can be shapes. I also created some pictures, and an annoying sound, and a video. The annoying sound was fun, I choose the backpack material rubbing against something. Talk to you soon familia!

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Adventures in Minecraft

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Dudes! Check out the brick shanty I built in Minecraft!

My Minecraft house.

The inside of my Minecraft house

Two images of my brick hut of which I am quite proud, because it took for EFFING ever to figure this game out. I haven’t played a video game (other than free, online Tetris) in years. Figuring out the controls takes some time seeing as how the keyboard commands are so different from what I do from day to day.

I should’ve worked on Minecraft a few weeks ago when I still had a slew of middle school kids to help me out. Probably would’ve taken a lot less time if I didn’t have to toggle between the game and Google searches. I admit getting frustrated at some point in the process and thinking, “This really isn’t worth my time.” But I stuck with it, because there’s some gratification in overcoming challenges, getting outside of the comfort zone, learning something new, and all of that cliched horse palooey. And it’s fun.

Posted in bunk5, Camp Magic MacGuffin, ds106, magicmacguffin, minecraft, openonline | Comments Off on Adventures in Minecraft

My Own Macguffin: the Michael Wesch video

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Merriam-Webster Definition of MACGUFFIN: an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance

I finally had some time to get into the swing of Camp so I thought I’d start by watching the Michael Wesch video. It started out a little strangely, I could see Martha Burtis but not hear her. I clicked round a bit and eventually saw a man who was introducing the presentation. While listening to him I organized a document to take some notes. I was happily watching and wrote a quote from the introduction “We know we are going someplace but we are just not quite sure where or how.”

When I went back in the video to confirm the speaker’s name and title, MBurtis was back. I clicked around in the video and she was everywhere! No matter where I found her, if I let her run, it eventually went back to the introduction regardless of the timestamp. At 14 minutes: MBurtis and then intro; at 7min: MBurtis and then intro; at 40min: MBurtis and then intro. What’s up with that?

So where did that take me? Certainly around in circles! The same thing happened in other browsers. Do I need to watch the whole thing from the beginning to get the content? From other’s blog posts it seems that they have watched the video… Is there a hidden message in all of this for me? Is it a Digi-Ouija???

I went back to find our definition of digi-ouija – it made an elegant comparison to a macguffin but couldn’t remember who suggested this Bunk name or find the reference in my Twitter feed. In the amount of time that I have now spent trying to understand what was going on and explain it, I could have gone back to the beginning of the video and watched the whole thing!

As someone said at the beginning of the video,

“We know we are going someplace but we are just not quite sure where or how.”

That pretty much sums up my ds106 experience thus far!

Posted in bunk5, CampMagicMacGuffin, ds106, magicmacguffin, openonline | Comments Off on My Own Macguffin: the Michael Wesch video

Starting Summer a Week Early, and Camp a Week Late

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Only four days of school, and one of post-school remain this school year, along with a week of trainings and a few other commitments. My goal for this Summer is to write more, read more, and plan more for next year. Of course, that has been my goal for the last few Summers, not to mention school years. What’s my deal? Partly, I feel stuck. I have a group of amazing teachers around me to bounce ideas off of, to push me forward and reel me back. My resource team and a few others at school, my Tech Ambassador coaches, and of course my wonderful wife. Still, I find myself having the same conversations, and often knowing their responses before I begin discussions. I need to branch out, expand my PLC.

I think attending DML this past spring gave me the time and stimulus to figure some of this out. The people and ideas were wonderfully different and out there. For once, my thoughts and ideas weren’t the most radical, the most uncomfortable. New paths appeared for me to wander on.

I’m off to a good start. I got a bunch of thoughts out to my keyboard this afternoon on my students and my own experiences with the Makerbot. And after thinking about it a few weeks ago and letting it drift out of my head I signed up for the DS106 Camp Magic MacGuffin project (class? party? hackjam? thing?). I’m late, hopefully they will let me play along. I’ll do KP duty… I’m pretty good at peeling potatos.

Posted in bunk3, ds106, magicmacguffin, openonline | Comments Off on Starting Summer a Week Early, and Camp a Week Late

A Latecomer to Camp Magic Macguffin

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

My Daily Create assignment No 146 – a photo that represents destruction

I joined Camp Magic Macguffin a while ago, then forgot all about it, shame on me. I joined the camp because I love digital storytelling and the DS106 activities will give me something fun to do during summer. Since I am an open participant and not doing this for credit, I hope it is still not late to start creating.

I am grateful to @olHatchetJack for showing me the way to Bunkhouse Four and to @cogdog for reminding me that I haven’t written a single blog post so far. So, here I am now.

If you are one of my regular readers and only came here looking for TEFL lesson ideas, I believe you are still at the right place. The reason why I didn’t create a separate blog for DS106 is that I think that most of the stuff I do here can be transformed into lesson ideas. Today is no exception.

The first task I have decided to tackle is “Vonnegut and The Shape of Stories”. Here is the original video: