Today was the first day back at ITA, and we jumped in with both feet with the Video Games in Scratch custom workshop. We took the students over to the video game lab in the UW-Teacher Education building so they could get the full experience.
Ryan started them off with a short lecture about concepts behind video game design, starting with Game Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics.
The students were a little uncertain about talking about video games in such terms, but it wasn't long before they started to get into the discussion. Jacob raised some good points about why some games were more appealing than others, citing things like storyline and challenge, and Saige told everyone about her challenges playing Super Mario Kart against her brother.
Next, Ryan showed them the game Braid, and everyone had a great time playing that on the projector so the others could watch. Terrence did a great job navigating the difficult terrain. Way to go, Terrence!
Finally, the students were split up so they could play whatever game they chose form the lab's wide-ranging stock, with the intent that they pay attention to the things we had discussed. With things like mechanics and dynamics in mind, they played Rock Band, Call of Duty, and the Orange Box, enjoying themselves immensely, while learning something at the same time.
All in all, a great day for ITA!!!
~written on 9/11/2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Photoshop Actions and Scripts
For the first 3 sessions of IT Academy Labs, this fall, we offered several CUSTOM WORKSHOPS designed by individual instructors on staff. Chris Spears, one of our seasoned Photoshop experts, offered a workshop entitled, Photoshop Actions and Scripts.
Photoshop Actions and Scripts was a workshop all about increasing project productivity in Photoshop. Actions and scripts are very useful, but are very commonly and easily overlooked. They make the most tedious job, the most simple to-do in a matter of seconds, and you have the option to use ones provided, create your own, or download ones that other people have created!
The first session served mostly as an introduction to the concept and functionality of actions and scripts. The second session was centered a bit more around actions. And, the third and final session was all about using both actions and scripts together in different projects.
Being the first time ITA had offered the Custom Workshops, Session 1 of Photoshop Actions and Scripts had started off a bit slow. As stated above, this was an introductory session which served primarily as the introduction of the concepts behind actions and scripts as tools used for increasing project productivity so it was not very project oriented. It was more of a chance for students to get familiar with learning how to use and incorporate these two aspects of Photoshop in different kinds of projects. This included:
- creating and recording steps
- saving actions
- reading scripts and reading through action steps
- downloading scripts and actions from trusted sites
Nonetheless, the students seemed to be really amazed at how the actions and scripts were carried out and how much they could accomplish in such a short amount of time once they were ran.
By the end of the session the students had a couple of different projects they finished; one project was from a batch rename script, which re-names all your files for you using a systematic approach. One was from an action they downloaded from the internet and loaded into Photoshop (these varied), and their last one was from an action they created/recorded themselves (these also varied).
Check out some of the student examples!
First, we started off with a quick review from last session just about the main purpose of actions and scripts and their many uses. Then, we jumped right into the first project which was "Reading" actions--this project consisted of downloading an action of a cool effect from the internet (http://www.turningturnip.co.uk/photoshop/photoshop-actions/photo-box-action.php), loading it into Photoshop, viewing its contents and recorded steps, and then finally attempting to re-create the cool effect using the action as a step-by-step guided tutorial. While this was a bit tedious, it provided a great way to REALLY understand how these things work!
The purpose of this project was to get students more familiar with the process and order at which actions may be recorded, and also to get more familiar with the Photoshop interface and different tools and such, as they encountered many new terms for different Photoshop tools and processes through reading the recorded steps of the action. Unfortunately, the lead instructor, Chris, didn't notice that this particular action in order to achieve this cool effect was entirely TOOOO long to "read" in its entirety. So about a third of the way through reading the action, Chris decided to just stop and had the class hit the "play" button to finish it up... it was well worth the wait though, as the students got to delve deep into the script for a while, and then they were very relieved to be able to stop early.
Next, the students created their own actions which they saved to their folders for other students to load up and attempt to "read" themselves to see if they could get the same effects (although most of them probably just hit the "play" button to speed up the process...which is what the workshop was all about anyways so the students clearly grasped that concept quite nicely).
The final session began with a review in the form of a walk-through project called "Clipping Mask Collage." The students really enjoyed this project and were very satisfied with their results. This, again, was a way to give the students a bit more experience with creating longer actions and getting a better feel for the idea that not all steps that one may take to create a project in Photoshop can be recorded with actions (such as the Brush Tool), and also that sometimes there needs to be a specific order to how you record your actions in order for them to give the same effect when you run them again on another image.
Check out the examples!
For the remainder of the session the students created their own projects using different actions and scripts (custom, default, and/or downloaded). Here are some examples of their independent Photoshop Actions and Scripts projects from Session 3!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Slide Me To Vietnam
With the IT Academy's new curriculum in high motion, the students were divided up into classrooms for three and five session custom mini-course workshops. For the "Slide Me To Vietnam" workshop, the end product was a highlight video for the non-profit organization, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Vietnam Health Project.
Ten students enrolled in this workshop and they each had their own section to the movie. Using iMovie on Macs, they sorted through 12GB's worth of pictures, animated a slideshow, and recorded their voices to tell the story.
Session 1 was sweet and simple. During the morning survey, the lead instructor Ann asked the students what exactly is a landfill community? They had a vague interpretation to the extent of "people that live in a landfill." By the end of the three hours, the students understood that these families live and work on the landfill. They sort through garbage for 12 hours a day while earning only 7 dollars for the day, and their children cannot attend public schools, as their parents never had the access to acquire birth certificates for them. By the end of the session, the students developed sympathy to help these families and could not wait until next session to begin their portion of the video.
Session 2 started with an introduction to iMovie. iMovie is a program we've never had a chance to teach at ITA. The students' energy drained as they sorted through hundreds of pictures. When they needed to record their voice-over, the fatigue echoed through their voices.
The students temporarily lost the sense of teamwork and instead of working together to make sure the video contained consistent transitions and text, they went on with their own creativity. The hectic rush at the end of the day to upload to YouTube the preliminary draft, made the environment even more stressful. At the end of the day the students anxiously wanted to leave, but before they left Ann asked them why they were doing this project. Ashanti simply replied "to help those children." Suddenly the purpose behind the project became the focal point, which showed as we shifted gears in the third, and final, day of the workshop...
Here is one student's draft from the end of day two:
Session 3 came two weeks later and the students knew they HAD to finish the video. Before they began to work, Ann distributed Thank You cards created by the children of the landfill community. Even though they lived over five thousand miles away, at that moment the distance did not seem so far. As a class, the students did a peer critique of each draft. They understood that consistency was the key to allow the videos to piece together and forced each other to perfect their section. In only forty minutes, they finished. The students rendered their final product and Ann pieced together the video simply by clicking and dragging. Watching the video as a class, the students were proud of their new creation that would be donated to the organization.
And now, you can view the product of all the hard work and effort to make the following video slide show:
Ten students enrolled in this workshop and they each had their own section to the movie. Using iMovie on Macs, they sorted through 12GB's worth of pictures, animated a slideshow, and recorded their voices to tell the story.
Session 1 was sweet and simple. During the morning survey, the lead instructor Ann asked the students what exactly is a landfill community? They had a vague interpretation to the extent of "people that live in a landfill." By the end of the three hours, the students understood that these families live and work on the landfill. They sort through garbage for 12 hours a day while earning only 7 dollars for the day, and their children cannot attend public schools, as their parents never had the access to acquire birth certificates for them. By the end of the session, the students developed sympathy to help these families and could not wait until next session to begin their portion of the video. Session 2 started with an introduction to iMovie. iMovie is a program we've never had a chance to teach at ITA. The students' energy drained as they sorted through hundreds of pictures. When they needed to record their voice-over, the fatigue echoed through their voices.
The students temporarily lost the sense of teamwork and instead of working together to make sure the video contained consistent transitions and text, they went on with their own creativity. The hectic rush at the end of the day to upload to YouTube the preliminary draft, made the environment even more stressful. At the end of the day the students anxiously wanted to leave, but before they left Ann asked them why they were doing this project. Ashanti simply replied "to help those children." Suddenly the purpose behind the project became the focal point, which showed as we shifted gears in the third, and final, day of the workshop...
Here is one student's draft from the end of day two:
Session 3 came two weeks later and the students knew they HAD to finish the video. Before they began to work, Ann distributed Thank You cards created by the children of the landfill community. Even though they lived over five thousand miles away, at that moment the distance did not seem so far. As a class, the students did a peer critique of each draft. They understood that consistency was the key to allow the videos to piece together and forced each other to perfect their section. In only forty minutes, they finished. The students rendered their final product and Ann pieced together the video simply by clicking and dragging. Watching the video as a class, the students were proud of their new creation that would be donated to the organization.
And now, you can view the product of all the hard work and effort to make the following video slide show:
Friday, October 15, 2010
Real and Digital Art: ITA Students Have "Mad Art Skills"!
We started our first session with me (Eliza) showing my artwork and sharing with the students my system for creating it:
I find a digital image, print the image, and then transfer it onto an art board. From there, I paint on it with acrylic paints and then create additional layers by adding collage. I have also been taking photos of the paintings and then continuing to work on the image within Illustrator. Then I print the Illustrator artwork, collage it on to the painting, and continue the process until I am satisfied with the results. Because this process involves both real-space artwork and virtual-space artwork, I have a series of digital images as well as the final painting.
On the third day, we began with a quick and very effective lesson by Cristina on how to connect to an ITA network drive, where students could access, store, and share their work. Then, we spent the rest of the day working on our artwork. The students have all created some FANTASTIC pieces:
Jeremy used Photoshop and added construction paper collage to create a very amusing character:
I find a digital image, print the image, and then transfer it onto an art board. From there, I paint on it with acrylic paints and then create additional layers by adding collage. I have also been taking photos of the paintings and then continuing to work on the image within Illustrator. Then I print the Illustrator artwork, collage it on to the painting, and continue the process until I am satisfied with the results. Because this process involves both real-space artwork and virtual-space artwork, I have a series of digital images as well as the final painting.
Saint Lucy, by Eliza
For the workshop, I selected a collection of interesting photographs from Shorpy.com. The students could either draw and collage directly on the printed black and white photos, or download the image file and begin altering the image digitally. Then they could print their images, take photos of them, and continue the process using collage.
The first day, students seemed to get a slow start, and on the second day they got going right away and they made rapid progress!
Natalia used the collage technique on a digital image of a child in a forest. It has a fairy tale feel to it.
Jose worked on adding images to a old photo of a woman taking dictation from a Native American chief.
Patrick spent the second day working on an image of a lion. He was swirling out the edges of the lion's body which was giving it an otherworldly quality.
Aubrey was altering a picture of some strange-looking old-fashioned circus people. He added color and pasted some industrial buildings into the skyline.
Tenzin's boxing guys were turning into superheroes and he was planning on adding some effects to make them look like cartoons from the 50s or 60s.
Leija was combining several different photos, including photos of his friends, to make vampire creatures.
Kim brought some of her own drawings, which she had photographed and wanted to try working with in Adobe Illustrator.
Jeremy's artwork was based on an old photo of a smiling small person.
Eddie's piece shows thoughtful, careful work. He printed out a picture of a kindergarten classroom after the Chernobyl Disaster of 1986. He almost seamlessly transposed a photo of a child from the early 20th Century onto it. He worked really hard to cut out that image of the child and he pasted it on so that it looks like the child is holding the bar of one of the cribs.
Natalia used the collage technique on a digital image of a child in a forest. It has a fairy tale feel to it.
Jose worked on adding images to a old photo of a woman taking dictation from a Native American chief.
Patrick spent the second day working on an image of a lion. He was swirling out the edges of the lion's body which was giving it an otherworldly quality.
Aubrey was altering a picture of some strange-looking old-fashioned circus people. He added color and pasted some industrial buildings into the skyline.
Tenzin's boxing guys were turning into superheroes and he was planning on adding some effects to make them look like cartoons from the 50s or 60s.
Leija was combining several different photos, including photos of his friends, to make vampire creatures.
Kim brought some of her own drawings, which she had photographed and wanted to try working with in Adobe Illustrator.
Jeremy's artwork was based on an old photo of a smiling small person.
Eddie's piece shows thoughtful, careful work. He printed out a picture of a kindergarten classroom after the Chernobyl Disaster of 1986. He almost seamlessly transposed a photo of a child from the early 20th Century onto it. He worked really hard to cut out that image of the child and he pasted it on so that it looks like the child is holding the bar of one of the cribs.
Aubrey's image is impressive too. He added smokestacks and pollution and then colored his whole image to look like a smoggy day.
At the end of the second day, all the students were coming up with very interesting work, and I was really looking forward to watching the images evolve during the third session and to seeing the final results.
On the third day, we began with a quick and very effective lesson by Cristina on how to connect to an ITA network drive, where students could access, store, and share their work. Then, we spent the rest of the day working on our artwork. The students have all created some FANTASTIC pieces:
Kim had scanned in some of her own artwork at home, then she added a background in Adobe Photoshop and created an interesting cherry blossom design for her figure's clothing.
Kim's Cherry Blossom Kimono Picture
During the second week of class, Patrick unfortunately lost his first lion picture; he had not been saving his work and there was a problem with his computer, so after he rebooted, he was unable to retrieve his really great work. But, he did not let that stop him! He learned from the experience (he was saving constantly while working on his second picture!) and he created ANOTHER AWESOME one, done mostly in Photoshop. He added wings to the lion, and then put the whole figure into a completely different background. I really like the arc of light on the right. Very effective image and fantastic learning experience--way to go Patrick!!
Natalia's Child in the Woods is really fabulous too:
This is not her final product, though, because she has been adding some cut-out collage that really creates some interesting effects . . . those woods have eyes!
Juan finished his image of the Chief and then added some coloring effects on the final product. He used colored pencils on a print out, which he blended with his fingers. This made the surface smooth and glossy, adding an interesting dimension to the picture. After that, he scanned in his entire final product:
Jeremy used Photoshop and added construction paper collage to create a very amusing character:
Tenzin finished his image of two men boxing:
This custom workshop has been a success: everyone learned a lot, had some fun, tried something new, and made a project he or she can be proud of. As an instructor, I found it rewarding to share my own talents with the students and show them how technology can be part of our lives in an interesting and exciting way.
Monday, October 4, 2010
ITA Blog gets a new look!
We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of the IT Academy! Check out our new custom look and layout to our blog!
Don't forget to subscribe to get a notice when someone comments on a post, or a new post is added to the blog!
The new design was created by ITA Instructor, and graduate of the ITA class of 2004, Chou Thao.
Don't forget to subscribe to get a notice when someone comments on a post, or a new post is added to the blog!
The new design was created by ITA Instructor, and graduate of the ITA class of 2004, Chou Thao.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Who's the best Dancer at the IT Academy?
During Community Hour on April 10th, we had us a dance competition. Ooh dang! We wanted an answer to the biggest question of this Spring: Who is the best dancer at the IT Academy!?
With Pacal Bayley as the DJ, and AJ Daughtry Krill as the MC, the stage was set for some excellent dancing and fun for the last hour of our April 10th ITA session. Although the students were a bit stiff and shy at first, AJ managed to get some of the students involved, whether dancing or standing around, and participating in ways they were comfortable.
Michelle McKiernan was having a blast as well as the unofficial cheerleader for dancing!
This was all well and good for the warm-up, but then the real competition was announced: "I need some volunteers," was all AJ had to say before those brave souls marched forth to the front of the room, while everyone else stayed at their chairs and wiggled to the beat.
Terrence and Illa showed off with some killer moves, as part of the competition.
At one point, Chris, one of the lab instructors, tried to teach us how to do a little dance. We should have him do that more often :) Chris also made through the final dance-off, as one of the three finalists. Chris ended up taking third place, just barely having more applause than Terrence and Illa.
Michelle probably would have placed as well, if it weren't for the fact that she was dancing up a storm over by the cool air coming in at the back of the room.
In the end, we had to break a tie through a FINAL dance-off between the twins (Noah and Thor) and Eddie. Although the twins put up a good dance, they couldn’t stand up to Eddie’s poppin’ and lockin’.
It was a fun event; the students seemed to enjoy it for the most part. Even if they were too shy to get up and dance, they joined in by cheering and creating a positive environment.
And now we have our definitive answer... Eddie (going into his Senior year of high school next Fall) is the very BEST DANCER in the IT ACADEMY!
With Pacal Bayley as the DJ, and AJ Daughtry Krill as the MC, the stage was set for some excellent dancing and fun for the last hour of our April 10th ITA session. Although the students were a bit stiff and shy at first, AJ managed to get some of the students involved, whether dancing or standing around, and participating in ways they were comfortable.
Michelle McKiernan was having a blast as well as the unofficial cheerleader for dancing!
This was all well and good for the warm-up, but then the real competition was announced: "I need some volunteers," was all AJ had to say before those brave souls marched forth to the front of the room, while everyone else stayed at their chairs and wiggled to the beat.
Terrence and Illa showed off with some killer moves, as part of the competition.
At one point, Chris, one of the lab instructors, tried to teach us how to do a little dance. We should have him do that more often :) Chris also made through the final dance-off, as one of the three finalists. Chris ended up taking third place, just barely having more applause than Terrence and Illa.
Michelle probably would have placed as well, if it weren't for the fact that she was dancing up a storm over by the cool air coming in at the back of the room.
In the end, we had to break a tie through a FINAL dance-off between the twins (Noah and Thor) and Eddie. Although the twins put up a good dance, they couldn’t stand up to Eddie’s poppin’ and lockin’.
It was a fun event; the students seemed to enjoy it for the most part. Even if they were too shy to get up and dance, they joined in by cheering and creating a positive environment.
And now we have our definitive answer... Eddie (going into his Senior year of high school next Fall) is the very BEST DANCER in the IT ACADEMY!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2009 Holiday Luncheon
Not to irk any former ITA students, but at one point a very prominent staff member of ITA stated "that was the best ITA Holiday Luncheon ever!" Over 400 attendees registered beforehand, the party was held at the Alliant Energy Center, as ITA was too large for a UW venue. It was a very energetic Saturday afternoon, to say the least!
We kicked off the morning of the day in the labs at Computer Science. A few test retakes, and (eventually) rehearsals of the skits and performances ensued. As it had gone the last session, the students took charge of the performances, working it out in the hallway and where they could find space, and calling their own shots. The instructors were able to help students to catch up on things and finish before the semester ended.
After about an hour, we all climbed on a big ol' yellow school bus to head over to the event.
Paul, a trained actor, first led the Juniors though a cool-down/warm-up relaxation gig. Kevin decided he could use a stretch as well, so he joined in, even though he wouldn't be performing. Calm and cool, until about 12:15, the Juniors ran through rehearsals, which improv kept lively each iteration.
The Seniors rehearsed some more out in the main lobby of the Banquet room, as anyone else presenting continued to find a somewhat quiet place, and continued to make small edits and additions to their presentations.
The luncheon itself kicked off by Bronson and his younger brother, Preston, playing an unbelievable original piece on classical guitars.
Next, everyone grabbed some lunch while dual projectors showed the lovely Freshman/Sophomore Photoshop/Illustrator pieces.
The Seniors then presented their "Senior Thesis", with great stuff from educational flash games to websites and marketing designs for non-profits.
The Juniors then presented -- it was the stuff of legend. An Excel Game competition, with half the class rooting for "Noah" the Jock and the others for "Terrence the Terrible Tigrr" the Nerd.
Eddie was the sports announcer, and some excellent lines included "great weather out there folks, for software sports fans, not too chilly, clear skies." AJ reffed keeping things clean.
The Terrible Tigrr won, declaring he was taking his entire team to wallgreens with the $5,000 dollar prize. Noah said he went out there and gave 100%, but his competition put up an excellent game.
Maya concluded, letting the audience know the Excel unit isn't all about acting, but we actually learn some spreadsheet software.
The Luncheon continued with an amazing song from Carrie, done in sign language. She had asked to perform at the last luncheon and has spent the past year preparing. It was flawless and awe-inspiring. Lastly, the keynote speaker, Police Chief Noble Wray.
Bronson and Preston finished things off with another mind-blowing guitar piece, and the day was won.
Thank you to all staff, parents, students, and guests for making this the best luncheon ever for ITA! This set a new standard for our gatherings!
We kicked off the morning of the day in the labs at Computer Science. A few test retakes, and (eventually) rehearsals of the skits and performances ensued. As it had gone the last session, the students took charge of the performances, working it out in the hallway and where they could find space, and calling their own shots. The instructors were able to help students to catch up on things and finish before the semester ended.
Paul, a trained actor, first led the Juniors though a cool-down/warm-up relaxation gig. Kevin decided he could use a stretch as well, so he joined in, even though he wouldn't be performing. Calm and cool, until about 12:15, the Juniors ran through rehearsals, which improv kept lively each iteration.
The Seniors rehearsed some more out in the main lobby of the Banquet room, as anyone else presenting continued to find a somewhat quiet place, and continued to make small edits and additions to their presentations.The luncheon itself kicked off by Bronson and his younger brother, Preston, playing an unbelievable original piece on classical guitars.
Next, everyone grabbed some lunch while dual projectors showed the lovely Freshman/Sophomore Photoshop/Illustrator pieces.
The Seniors then presented their "Senior Thesis", with great stuff from educational flash games to websites and marketing designs for non-profits.
The Juniors then presented -- it was the stuff of legend. An Excel Game competition, with half the class rooting for "Noah" the Jock and the others for "Terrence the Terrible Tigrr" the Nerd.
Eddie was the sports announcer, and some excellent lines included "great weather out there folks, for software sports fans, not too chilly, clear skies." AJ reffed keeping things clean.
The Terrible Tigrr won, declaring he was taking his entire team to wallgreens with the $5,000 dollar prize. Noah said he went out there and gave 100%, but his competition put up an excellent game.
Maya concluded, letting the audience know the Excel unit isn't all about acting, but we actually learn some spreadsheet software.
The Luncheon continued with an amazing song from Carrie, done in sign language. She had asked to perform at the last luncheon and has spent the past year preparing. It was flawless and awe-inspiring. Lastly, the keynote speaker, Police Chief Noble Wray.
Bronson and Preston finished things off with another mind-blowing guitar piece, and the day was won.
Thank you to all staff, parents, students, and guests for making this the best luncheon ever for ITA! This set a new standard for our gatherings!
Composed by: Kevin Doran | Edited and Posted by: A.J. Daughtry Krill
Want to read more about this year's luncheon?
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