Lab 16: Fundamentals of Digital Video Production (2 classes)

Description: When making a video there is a three-part process that should always be undertaken: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Preproduction represents the planning phase of the project: Roles for different people are defined, the concept of the video will be articulated, and a storyboard and/or script will be created. The quality of your program and the success of the project will depend heavily on the amount of time spent in this phase. There is nothing worse than getting to a location or arriving on a set and realizing that equipment is missing or people are not up for their job. A video production usually involves numerous people, and to be unprepared can be upsetting to those who have prepared - video production is a team effort.

The production phase represents the actual time spent recording on location with all of your crew and talent working together. An accomplished crew works together like a well-oiled machine. They know the production process well and expect everyone around them to know it well also. There is a lot of trust involved on the set with roles divided into specific tasks. It is a disappointing day when a lot of hard work was done and the quality of the shoot is brought down by: under-rehearsed talent, bad microphone placement, soft focused footage, or poor lighting.

Post-production represents the editing phase of the project and is where all the pieces are put together to make the final video. This phase will be covered in its own section next week.

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, Chapters 3 – 5: pp. 21 – 48
Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 295 - 304

Applications/Equipment Used: Video Cameras
Skills: Teamwork; Video Camera Basics; Storyboarding Basics
Lessons: Working as a Crew & Creating a Storyboard

Links:

Index of TV Production Modules With Links - from Ron Whittaker, Ph.D., Television Production A Comprehensive On-line Cybertext in Studio and Field Production.
Video Production Handbook - from the Video Production Services Distributed Learning Services at Douglas College. Links at the bottom of the page to the three parts: planning, shooting, and editing a video (pdfs).
AC230 Promo Script - Voice Over script for crew demonstration.
Basics of Set Procedures - The process for working on a set & the voice commands for shooting a take.

Lab Procedure:

Day One: Video Pre-Production
1. Introduce video production roles as a class.

• Divide class into four production groups.
• Each group will decide on a production name and assign roles.

2. Introduce the basics of storyboarding. Review sample storyboards and their corresponding video projects.

3. Begin group storyboards.

• Select a grade level and subject for your group's video tutorial.
• Create a storyboard. Each group will design a script for a video tutorial and will create a storyboard for their script. The storyboard should be at least 10 shots, using at least three different shot types, and cover a total of a thirty second to two minute time frame.
• Video tutorials should be between 2 and 3 minutes long.
• Storyboards should include: 10 shots, dialogue, background audio (music or sounds).

4. Groups will keep their storyboard for shooting during Day Two. Storyboards will be hand delivered to Jen after shooting is completed.

Day Two: Video Production.

Students will meet in the York College TV Studio, ROOM 4M03 of the Academic Core Building. PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH ALL OF THE MATERIALS NEEDED TO SHOOT YOUR VIDEO TUTORIAL.

1. Divide your group into the roles designated on day one.

2. Get your camera from Jen.

3. Shoot your video.

4. Turn in your camera.

5. Give your video tape and storyboard to Jen.

Lab 15: Designing Student-Produced Digital Photography Curriculum

Description: So now you know the basics for using digital cameras, but how will you use them in the classroom? What kind of lessons can benefit with the aid of digital images? There are a number of educators who have contributed their ideas and efforts to demonstrate ways of using digital photography in the classroom. In this lab, we will research some of these ideas and create some lessons of our own. We will be focusing on creating curriculum for student-produced projects that integrate digital photography.

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, pp. 21-36.
Applications/Equipment Used: Digital Camera, Digital Camera Software, Microsoft Word
Skills: Lesson Plan Design, Digital Photography: Shooting, Transferring, Editing, Publishing.
Lessons: Digital Photography Fundamentals

Links:

Digital Photography & the K-12 Educator
10001 Uses for a Digital Camera
Using Digital Cameras in the Classroom
Using a Digital Camera in the Classroom
Digital Camera Uses in the Classroom
Kathy Schrock's Digital Gadgets for the Classroom

Lab Procedure:

1. Research various lesson plans using the links above. Choose a lesson to critique and answer the following about that lesson: (You will present your answers in class.)

• Is the task of the lesson clearly defined? What processes need to be more clearly defined?
• Is this an individual or group project? If a group project, are all the student roles clearly defined; what are they? If an individual project, how could others be included to make it a group project; what would their roles be?
• Is there a method to monitor the progress of the project? If yes, does it seem successful; how could it be improved? If no, how could the project's progress be properly monitored?
• Does the lesson have a method for presenting and sharing the completed projects? Does it seem to be a satisfactory culmination of the work put into the project; and why? What other possible ways could the projects be presented?

2. Create your own cooperative learning lesson that integrates digital photography. Include the following:

• Define a grade level for the project.
• Define the task for the project.
• Define a process for students to complete the task, giving it in a list format.
• Give individuals specific roles in the production.
• Describe opportunities for individuals from different groups to discuss their similar roles.
• Define how you will monitor group progress and provide in-progress feedback.
• Define how the groups will present and share their work.

3. Save your critique and lesson as a word document appropriately named (jones_lab15.doc) with your last name, email address and the lab number at the top of the document.

4. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 15).

Lab 14: Fundamentals of Digital Photography

Description: Digital Cameras have a tremendous advantage over traditional cameras - being filmless, allowing students and teachers to take pictures and to "print" them without worry over the costs of film and processing. Additionally, since the photo is digital, it can be used for various purposes such as creating newsletters, web sites, and enlarged prints. But what are the barriers to getting started with digital cameras? How are they different from film-based cameras? How are they the same? What new applications will I have to learn in order to be able to manipulate and edit my pictures??

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, pp. 11-20.
Applications/Equip Used: Digital Camera, Adobe Picture Edit & MS Word
Skills: Digital Photography Fundamentals, Shooting, Transferring, Editing, Publishing.
Lessons: As a class, we will review Digital Camera Basics and How Digital Cameras Work.

Links:

Digital Camera Basics
How Digital Cameras Work

Lab Procedure :

In an MSWord document, list the steps for each of the following camera processes:

1. Acquisition - Discover and describe how to do the following:

• Inserting and removing the supplied media card.
• Turn the camera on/off.
• Turn the screen on/off.
• Shoot a photo.
• Turn the flash on/off.
• Review photos.
• Delete photos.
• Shoot a portrait of your lab partner(s).

2. Transfer - Discover and describe how to do the following:

• Connect the camera to the computer using the supplied cable.
• Create a folder to save photos on the desktop.
• Transfer the photos to your new folder.

3. Edit - Discover and describe how to do the following:

• Open a photo to edit.
• Crop the photo.
• Resize the photo (maximum 640 x 480 pixels)
• "Save as" the photo to your folder named, Jones_Orig.jpg.
• Apply filters to the photo.
• "Save as" the photo to your folder named, Jones_Filtered.jpg

4. Publish - Discover and describe how to do the following:

• Find your saved photos in your desktop folder.
• Send your two photos to my AC230 Digital Dropbox. The subject line of the photos should give your name(s) and the lab number. Eg: AC 230 Frank Jones Lab 14 Photos.
• Open and print a copy of your two photos to the B & W laser printer.

5. Save your word document with your last name and the lab number (jones_lab14.doc).

6. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 14).

Lab 13: Fundamentals of Digital Images

Description: Using digital images on the computer is probably one of the most appealing reasons to integrate digital multimedia into the classroom. It's very easy to find illustrations and pictures on web sites to represent course material, copy and paste clip art into a word document or a powerpoint presentation as part of a lesson, or use digital cameras or scanners to get original images onto the computer to later manipulate with a variety of software options. The list of possible uses of digital images in the classroom is only limited by your imagination, and possibly your knowledge of how digital images work.

So how do digital images work on a computer? What are they made of? And why should I bother to know this information? To answer the last question is simple. Knowing how digital images work is to know how to better implement them and use them in a variety of ways. For instance: What differences exist when preparing an image for a web site versus printing to an inkjet printer? Why do all these different file formats for images exist for images such as .jpg, .gif, .png, and .tif? And how do I choose which file format to use?

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, pp. 11-20.
Applications/Equipment Used: Web Browser & Microsoft Word.
Lessons: As a class, we will review the Cornell University Digital Imaging Tutorial and the Wellesley University Screen Resolution Basics.

Links:

Kodak Digital Imaging Fundamentals
Cornell University Digital Imaging Tutorial
Wellesley University Screen Resolution Basics

Lab Procedure:

1. Estimating the pixel dimensions of a digital image.

• Open a web browser and find a photo that you like from a newspaper's web site such as cnn.com , nytimes.com , or foxnews.com .
• Right-Click the mouse on the image you like and Select Copy.
• Open a new word document and Select Edit>Paste. The image should now be in your word document.
• Measure in inches the width and height of your image and type these dimensions under the image.
• Estimate the pixels per inch (ppi) displayed by your monitor. Measure the monitor width and height in inches. Check the screen resolution setting, in the "Display Properties" control panel. Type the monitor dimensions in inches, screen resolution in pixels, and calculate the estimated ppi rounded to the nearest whole number.
• Using the ppi that you have estimated and the measured width and height in inches of your pasted photo, calculate the pixel dimensions of the photo.
• Copy and paste a second photo from a web site. Again measure the width and height in inches, and calculate the pixel dimensions of the photo using your estimated ppi.

2. Save your word document with your last name and the lab number (jones_lab13.doc).

3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 13).

Lab 12: Integrating PowerPoint into Curriculum

Description: PowerPoint can be used independently by students in the classroom for a number of different curriculum activities. Students can create their own presentations as part of projects, book reports, science lab reports, and more.

There are a number of educators who have created PowerPoint lesson plans across a variety of subjects and often post their students' PowerPoint presentations. We're going to look at a a few of them and then develop a lesson plan that has students creating their own PowerPoint presentations as part of a curricular goal.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 242 – 270.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft PowerPoint, Web Browser.

Links:

Microsoft Education Lesson Plans - Search for PowerPoint Lesson Plans.
Student PowerPoint Projects - from social studies teacher Mr. Michael Hutchinson at Vincennes Lincoln High School, Vincennes, Indiana.
PowerPoint: Creating Classroom Presentations - by Education World.
Evaluating Student PowerPoint Presentations - from Claremont McKenna College.

Lab Procedure:

1. You will create a lesson plan that integrates PowerPoint into the curriculum. When developing the lesson it will be important to include the following:

• Set a clear task for the student to accomplish.
• Create a process, in list format, describing how to accomplish the task. EX: (number slides, the title slide requirements, the number pictures, animation necessary or not, uniform background necessary or not, etc.)
• Define how the student will present and share his/her work.

2. Save your lesson plan as a Word document appropriately named (EX: jones_lab12.doc) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 12).

Lab 11: Basics of Powerpoint

Description: We will be covering the basics of the presentation application Microsoft PowerPoint using one of the numerous tutorials online that cover the basics: slides, templates, images, animation, etc. We will also look at some of the ways teachers are using PowerPoint to present lessons in the classroom.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 254 – 258.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft PowerPoint, Web Browser.

Links:

Power Point 2000 Tutorial - produced by FGCU Technology Skills Orientation.
Google Search for PowerPoint Tutorials - a sample search for PowerPoint tutorials finds there is a tremendous number of online tutorials available for self-guided study of PowerPoint.
PowerPoint Templates for Teachers - by Vicki Blackwell.
PowerPoint Background Templates for Teachers - by Brainy Betty.

Lab Procedure:

1. You will create a PowerPoint presentation of a sample lesson for the classroom. Your PowerPoint presentation must include the following elements:

• A title slide that lists the topics covered.
• Five additional supporting slides.
• The slides must follow a template, which will have a title, body text/topic points and an image on every slide.
• At least two slides must have the points animated.
• All slides must use one of the animated transitions between slides.
• At least one slide must have a hyperlink to a website.

2. Save your lesson as a PowerPoint presentation appropriately named (jones_lab11.ppt ) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
3. Send your PowerPoint to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 11).

Lab 10: Integrating Spreadsheets into Curriculum

Description: Spreadsheets can be used independently by students in the classroom for a number of different curriculum activities. Students can create their own calculators for specific operations, generate/search for data and summarize this information as part of a project, and more. There are a number of educators who have created spreadsheet lesson plans across a variety of subjects. We're going to look at a number of them and then develop some of our own.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 94 – 101.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Excel, Web Browser.

Links:

LT Technologies - Spreadsheet Links - a robust set of links to websites that provide lessons that integrate spreadsheets into K-12 curriculum from Lisa Toulon at LT Technologies.
Integrating Spreadsheets in the Classroom - from Peggy J. Steffens -Instructional Technology Coordinator of Amphiteater Public Schools, Tucson, Arizona.

Lab Procedure:

1. You will create a lesson plan that integrates Excel into the curriculum. Be sure to define the grade level, curricular goal, and a description of how a spreadsheet will be used by the student. Cover the following three steps in your lesson description:

• Set a clear task for the student to accomplish, i.e.: the student will create a spreadsheet and graph that will...
• Create a process, in list format, describing how to accomplish the task. EX: (the method in which data will be collected, how much data needs to be collected, how the data should be organized in the spreadsheet, what kind of graph/chart should be created from the data.)
• Define how the student will present and share his/her work.

2. Save your lesson plan as a word document appropriately named (jones_lab10.doc) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 10).

Lab 09: Basics of Excel

Description: We will be covering the basics of the spreadsheet application, Microsoft Excel using one of the numerous tutorials online that cover the basics: columns, rows, cells, data types, using formulas, etc.

Reading: Integrating Tech for Meaningful Learning, pp. 94 – 101.
App/Equip Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Excel, Web Browser.

Links:
Excel Tutorial - from Brad James of the University of South Dakota, TRIO Program.
Google Search for Excel Tutorials - a sample search for excel tutorials finds there is a tremendous number of online tutorials available for self-guided study of Excel.

Lab Procedure:

1. Input the data at the top of this lab into an Excel spreadsheet, then format it as follows:

• Change the font size of the course title into 36, color into white;
• Change the font size of the semester, year into 26, color into white;
• Make cell A1 and A2 span over column J (merge cells A1 through J1, also merge cells A2 through J2). Make the background color green;
• Fill in all the necessary data, letters and formulas;
• Merge cells A22 through J22 and make the background color yellow;
• Create a Pie chart regarding the categories considered for final grade and their corresponding percentages;
• Change the tab names into “Final Grade” and “3-D Pie Chart” respectively.

2. Save your sample data as an Excel spreadsheet appropriately named (jones_lab09.xls) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 09).