Grading

I just got the email from Vicky on my grading, I'm so disappointed, gutted I have to admit. I accept the comments made, good to get feedback but heart wrenching grade.

Funny enough she mentioned my age range for my online magazine, I didn't mean such a big age range, I meant for primary school kids, with degrees of difficulty, so some projects within are designed for older age group to challenge the primary age kids, but I tried to cut what I ment down as my intial proposal was way too long. Oh well.

Well I have a new proposal to write now I have updated my idea.

One of the other main points was how will mine be different from whats avaliable, Like I mentioned in the presentation, I wouldn't treat the user as an idiot, with crappy use of bright colours and although fun games, no educational basis in sight which the competition has in mass. I spent a lot of time looking at whats avaliable and in my opinion its true.

The quality is really outthere but its not as easy to find as the bad stuff, and I know what i'm looking for, I know what keywords to type, a children will be bombarded by crap and eventually give up. All the crap gives good reputable educational design a bad name. Its my opinion, I could get back up for my point, but I conducted a lot of independent study and am aware of whats avaliable and assessable. The only chance good educational design has is to promote itself direct to the children at school, in marketing material, which the low budget educational disaster sites wouldn't even bother with. Though again my opinion. But I though my opinion was strong and worthy after studying elearning and educational approaches in breadth.

Im just real disspointed, but I've aired my moan so I can move on. And work on the flaws in my work.

New proposal

I've been going through my idea again, I want it to be solid for development, and made some changes through I have to rewrite some of my exsisting proposal. I know its a bit late, but I want it to be clear at the start, than getting into the project and finding holes.

The first point : I want the online magazine to be more than just one method of learning, and although projects is great as it helps the medium to be an expressive form of learning, hands on not just computer based. I've decided that projects are limited, I want more, I want articles, links, much more than just projects.

The second point: Making the online magazine being based on topics I myself am not so familar with could be a mountain to climb later on, yes I could collect material, but would I lose the path the online magazine takes?, would some issues be better than others?, could I make it informative enough if I'm learning at the same time?

Two points were knorring at my brain when I sat down to write the design specification, I needed the concept to be 100% clear in my mind. I haulted my current work to ponder the idea get it 100% right to develop.

So from this fruitful thinking time, I came up with 'YOUNG CREATIVE' an online magazine for primary school kids who have a spark of creativity but don't know what to do with it, those kids who doodle all over the tables, or emerse there school books in design. The magazine would have projects for them to do ranging in difficulty, but also will offer then discussion, inspiration, innovative ideas, links to further reading. The project name will also be changed to the magazine name to avoid confusion. An idea that I could really get my teeth into. Its not far off the mark with my other propsal, I will still me contacting teachers for projects but this time arts and craft teachers, photography teachers etc. And my ideas for magazine issues will still remain if not just be altered slightly. I will have to bear in mind considerations for mediums of projects, majority will have to be based on small resources (pen and paper). I think this could be a much better targeted magazine, and even more unique.

I plan to soon purchase the url for the magazine, hopefully: www.youngcreative.co.uk,though I wish to develop the design specification to hand to the developer, then I will purchase and list on the completed specification. The design specification is the most important task to date, so now my idea is clear my mind is on it fully.

Resources sneak peak

I have many great resources for these issues I picked far above, I said I wouldn't list them yet, but heres a peak,




From the left listed book (ISBN 2-940361-19-3). Are the below projects that can be altered slightly for projects for primary kids. Though there is a lot more projects inside I could do but I said just a peek for now.

















Other books which will be used towards the paper and grafetti issue include:













(from left to right DIY- ISBN:1-56898-552-5, PAPER-ISBN:1-74045-745-5, STREET LOGOS-ISBN:0-500-28469-5). All three books are designed for adults but with a lot of viable content for a younger generation, such as projects, ideas and casestudys/profiles.

More for the paper issue, an image from paperkraft blog, the link is on the right,
simple cut and paste, straightforward. I like some of the templates on this blog.











A lot for the paper issue, I think you can tell its my favourite by the amount of resources, I may need to separate the grafetti to another issue, but Ill deal with that later down the line.

I like this resource but have no idea of the background, atelier v ?the link also is on the right,


As you probally have guest not for the paper issue, perfect thinking for the recycling issue.

Domino lego, recycled use for lego.







another for the recycling issue, recycling stamps, though its not as great as the last, would be great for primary kids, really get them thinking of items they can fashion into something new.





Just a peak for now, as its not really the time yet in my planning, though soon. Hopefully my design specification and time plan will get done at the weekend.

Progress

So whats my progress been since the proposal completion, in regards to my weekly tasks unfortunatley not much, multiple assignments and blog posting has taken over the last weeks, I haven't done a design specification nor my in depth time plan.

The glimmer of hope comes from the project I chose, Knowing it was a project that would take up the majority of my last year, I wisely chose a project that once past the intial planning I could really enjoy. The last year I have spent a lot of time on self development, but as a hobby, I've spent my time on learning new creative skills, and gathered many creative projects over the time, so not only have I got many resources to aid me, but also I have the passion for the project, something good for such a lengthy project.

In between work, in my breaks I've been filtering through my own resources and collecting more. Some of the books I own, often bought on a spur I've been bookmarking.
Theres quite a bit of bulk, so I won't spend the time posting all of them yet, that would be doing a later task to early.

What I will post are my ideas for monthly editions to the online project magazine.

The sort of content would be, projects, articles into more thoughful issues on the edition topic, links to further reading with suggestions, showing projects done by professionals, recommendations for books, magazines etc. But items to make them think higher and reach out further. I hate childrens multimedia, is so limited, it should be getting children looking at innovative projects, make them philosophize, get them thinking big. Or course still inbetween fun simple projects.

So monthly topics I thinking keen on:

SPACE, further study, maybe how to build a universe or even a simple rocket, links to educational fun explorer games, etc, I'm still thinking on this one.

PAPER AND GRAFETTI, show them what can be done with paper, projects (scrapbooking, origami, branding of notebooks, stickers), templates, links to some stunning paper art, street art/grafetti, such as casestudy on young artists, profiles, the dos and dont's with discussion (on blog), projects on grafetti such as on notebooks, paper for wrapping gifts or for decoration of room, with tutorials.

RECYCLING/ENVIRONMENT, what can we do, the science behind the issue, recycling projects such as (recycling materials into gifts, how to turn items for the bin into new items, turning old socks into cute draw potporri smellies and etc) , casestudys on what over kids have done, awareness campaigns and etc, grow your own pot garden.

SMART SELF(health), health topics with discussion, science between good food, excersizes, food projects such as (make your own packlunch, make the dessert day) brain fitness- ways to make you smarterQuizzes- what type of learner are you, outdoor and indoor activities to work your body and mind.

Thats my ideas so far for the issues, Ill backdate by a couple of months so there is plenty on content. Later ones could be an easter issue, a competition issue (competitive games, physical, online and mind games), a culture issue, a history issue and etc, but I would need resources for teachers and academics, which would take some time yet.

An idea once mentioned

Vicky once mentioned the events organised to bring people together to undertake something bizzare by texting their mobile or through email. Its real big in america.

I had to display this link after I stumpled upon it, its not so much interactive, but its about stretching out ideas, pushing pass limits, well thats what I believe the reason for it first getting mentioned.

Any how the link is http://www.newmindspace.com a company/group orgainsing just that, based in toronto and newyork.

Some great examples are

• PIRATES IN STREET CARS
• BUBBLE BATTLE IN NYC
• PILLOWFIGHT IN TIME SQUARE

Future possiblilites

What I love about my project idea, is how robust it is, do I mean robust? well I mean its strong yet it has so many possiblities. I couldn't mention for the proposal but possibly in the final report, future possiblities include.

Publishing the magazine, a paper based version to go with the online version. Like
http://www.grabmagazine.it/ or even thicker, more than just a supplement, though a supplement is still good, especially if it was like the kids comic section you get in adult weekend papers.

And having the magazine on kiosks in museums, which the user can type in an email to recieve sections of the magazine, or email friends projects within the magazine.

Ideas to work on to list as future modifications, or as an future expansion plan.

Of course more realistic possibilities, is hiring a team for the magazine, with teachers and students to have real imput, take they magazine around schools for class imputs and ideas. Or develop it for a school, as their inhouse magazine, where it probally would be more valuable possitive.

Magazine resources

As part of my research, I looked into other online magazine, I liked the style of many of the design magazines online. They can be cleared/ adapted for what I have in mind. I don't the look of my magazine to look to kiddy, its like treating kids like idiots, with bright primary colours, as if they don't appriciate or know what good design looks like. Well heres some images and links of some online magazines, actually a couple of them I go to often and are good resources.



































Dwell.com, digitmag.com, wallpaper.com, idonline.com, readymademag.com, readcake.com, dominomag.com and http://candy.proteinos.com/issues.html .

These were the ones with more design and less text and advertisements. My magazine won't have adverts, actually maybe, but adverts promoting content in the mag. I like these magazines, though the ones I visit regulary are too much to display, computer arts is good, but not a good example for the kinda design I have in mind for my magazine project.

Like this interaction

Recently I've seen quite a few, text in interaction installations, there was one in america, a text in to interact with a game on a massive advertising screen, a more simple version, is this one in well I think its germany, the website is in another language, of course I could use a program to translate it, but the jist of the idea is clear, using your mobile you can change the colours within the installation/ building. Though it does look like its in a stark place, where no one would see?

http://www.colourbynumbers.org/infoBeskrivning.html

































They really should introduce some interactions in London, though I'm afraid they are already cutting costs at christmas, will they spend money on such things? Though London is great for odd delights, but would be great for some more interactive elements in the capital, even if they are movable/temporary.

Love projector work

I saw this a while ago and saved it into my favourites, and came across it again, had to upload it, its not really interactive but, actually there are no buts. Though I like it, I would have loved to see other students with such ideas though with interactivity.

Its a tiger clip projected out of a car window, Im surprised how great it looks in motion, it gets lighter and darker depending on the surface, but it almost looks like it would in the wild, disappearing in its surroundings. The video is a must see, I love the projected work seen over the last few years, I would love to have a go.

http://www.flightphase.com/about.html




















How the designer Karolina Sobecka describes it:

At night projections from moving cars are shone on the buildings downtown. Each car projects a video of a wild animal. The animal’s movements are programmed to correspond to the speed of the car: as the car moves, the animal runs along it speeding up and slowing down with the car, as the car stops, the animal stops also. The framerate of the movie corresponds to the speed of the wheel rotation, picked up by a sensor. If the presence of a moving object (such as another car or pedestrian) is detected with proximity sensors, its animal "avatar" appears in the projection.For the ZeroOne ISEA2006 I will be using one vehicle with a projection of a tiger (additional animals will appear in the projection as reflections of passing vehicles and pedestrians).Projection disappears and flickers as it is supported by the architecture. The city itself is an active partner in creating this alter ego.

Note

A must is for me to put all my research material together on paper, an annotted bibliography and maybe even some sort of conclusion to my research. I have a whack of research and to much on my to do list, so It might have to be later. But for a rememberance to me Ill make the note.

NOTE: RESEARCH TIDYING, AN ANNOTTED BIBLIOGRAPHY, PREPARE IT FOR LATER.

Proposal and presentation links

To the right is now two links, the first is 'MY PROPOSAL', which is as it is my proposal, in written format, little less tidy than the one handed in though, the second is 'MY PRESENTATION' which is the powerpoint slides. The proposal is worth a peak.

Presentation monday more

Half of the class presented their proposals on monday, we haven't got a big class at all, its quite tiny, no doubt its seperated up as there are more students in the third year than a handful who attend our session. Anyway, they presented, it was more of their ideas than any actual proposals. I read so many design magazines, I just expect more I spose, so was disappointed. I like it when people have great ideas, its a good environment to be in, so yes it is disappointing. I wouldn't say my idea was innovative, but if I pull it off it could be quality very much needed on the web for childrens e-learning and has a mass of future potentials.

Though I was surprised at the quality produced by one person, I dont know names, but his animation work was real good, and really reminded me of the style of old educational kids games with a modern touch of course. I loved those old games at school, I remember the big red keyboard, I remember our school only had one in a prefab for the special classes (wait I didn't attend those, I went on it when I had music lessons, when I was spose to be practicing). Though I wonder if he can pull off what he suggested in the time, its better if he kept it small but quality, as it could be turned into a internet download or something put on the cds you get at the front of kids magazines. Or like vicky said like the kinder egg code concept.

It doesn't surprise me now why TVU doesn't ever have much to show at the big student shows. If I can finish early, I might contemplate the idea, I would have to produce loads of material, so it wouldn't look tacky, just a laptop on a table,hahaha, though I don't know if it is possible for me to finish early. My other modules are really dragging me behind with double project.

Presentation monday

The presentation for the proposal of my double project idea, were on monday. I think it went ok, I went first which was a relief, If I had to wait till later and listen to others, I would have forgot my own presentation content. Like I said it went ok, though a few grumpy faces, I dont know whether that was either because my project was for children, the same as some others, or because of the work gone into it, I don't think I'll ever know that.

Its hard to say more than I think I done ok, because it went so fast, I believe I said everything I needed to and I improved on my last presentation performance. For the record I suck at presentations, I always used to read from notes, bad mistake. I now just try to really get into the topic, so I know it inside out.

Saying that I had a disaster the day before the presentation, I know my idea inside out but, I spent a full day constructing it better and then producing the slideshow on the saturday, I spent so much time on it, on the sunday, I just couldn't remember anything, I don't quite understand but I think i spent so much time rewording my proposal, it somehow just made me blank, everytime I tried to practice I forgot chunks. Nightmare. My savour was on monday morning, I kept on going through it over and over even as I was on the train, In my head of course, though wasn't wise to do so as I walked down the road.

I liked the aesthetics of my presenation, it matchs my blog, I think I will try to get it all to match, so its easier to put together as a package at the end.

An idea if irelevant

Irelevant (spelling?) but I love this idea. Its dated by I love. Its from 1999 I think its a table kiosk, allowing the user to examine a body, it has so many capabilities, how cool would that be in schools in the science labs, to have as tables and actually be able to get hands on and explore.




The images is small I appologize, its from 'Computer arts issue 125', within a article on interactive kiosks.

I stubbled upon it as I was pondering the idea of having my artifact as a kiosk in a museum, then allowing the user to print of pages. An idea I might mention in my what ifs?.

www.secondstory.com is the URL it mentioned, it might still be on there, worth looking even just to see a bigger picture.

This weekend

This weekend is solid double project.

I have been working on it but have been either away from the computer, working on my other modules or too fatigued to post. Its such a shame as this is the module I'm excited about, its what I want to do. I'm not too worried about presenting my idea, as I really like it, though I still need to work hard on it this weekend.
I have seen some great designs towards my idea. I've done work so I'm not really behind though, I need to do a plan and a design specification if I want to hand a bit of coding to someone else.
Sorry this post is a bit blah blah blah, I have so much in my head for this module that I havent posted, so my next few posts might be a bit muddled together.