During this project, I will be devoting 20% of my time (20% of the time I would have spent in my course at Cal State, at least) creating something that I am passionate about. There are a few more guidelines as well.
The project must include:
- an opportunity for failure
- aspects of knowledge
- aspects of play
- aspects of making
- a learning outcome that is measurable
So now we come to the real question: What do I want to do?
For a while, I was thinking about going into the film industry. I took several video production classes in college and worked on a few short films and video projects for classmates and professors. Though I am now preparing to work as a teacher, I still have an affinity for sets, audio, and lighting. When I am standing in the middle of a classroom, looking at the grey walls and rows upon rows of uniform desks, I start dreaming of what else could be (to be honest, I think English would be better taught in a theater than in a classroom). One could play music during transitions and sound effects during activities as audio cues. Or one could have lighting that changes during activities to help with classroom management. And there is so much more. So this brings me to my first 20% Time project idea:
Create an Interactive TV Stage For My Classroom:
(requirements: 1 mini stage, 3 lighting effects, 8 audio effects. Bonus: motion activation)
1. What specific elements (audio/video/other) would help make lessons more engaging?
2. How exactly will those elements work to make lessons more engaging?
3. Will these elements ACTUALLY make lessons more engaging, or will this largely be a waste of resources/distracting for students?
4. What kind of theme do I want? A gameshow? A TV talk show?
5. What materials will I need to assemble my working set? (wood, paint, wire, etc.)
6. How much will these materials cost? Will the set piece still be as impressive and effective if I am forced to build it on a budget?
7. What additional skills will be required if I am working with electricity? With carpentry tasks?
8. Are there any safety concerns for using this set in my class, such as concerns by the fire marshal? Are there any other legal issues?
9. Do I want to incorporate computer elements, such as a controller board? (Arduino, other devices or interfaces)
10. How much can realistically be built in the time that I have? Do I have enough space to work where I live? After I build these pieces, will I be able to transport them to a classroom?
Another project that I am considering is to make a video game. To be honest, I've study computer and game programming off and on for several years now. I'll typically pick up a book on a new computer language, go through a couple chapters, learn the basics, do some tutorials, and then, for some reason, I stop. I've never followed through, taken a risk, and launched into making an actual game. Making an actual game requires more than just programming, and I still have much left to learn if I am going to undertake this project and make it a success. I am considering assign a project to my students where they make a video game, so choosing to make a video game myself seems like a good way to put my money where my mouth is and test drive the idea before opening it up to seventy-three tenth graders.
Create a Video Game:
(requirements: either a clear premise that revolves around a social issue or a complete narrative, full audio (including both sound effects and sound track), original artwork (characters and backgrounds), and at least 3 levels of play)
1. What will my premise or narrative be? Do I want to focus on a social issue to teach something to the player or do I want my game to be mainly about entertainment?
2. How long does my game need to be to have an impact on the player?
3. How big of a game can I reasonably accomplish in the time I have?
4. What will I use to design the game? Will I program it from scratch using a computer language? Will I use a program specifically designed to make games?
5. How do I want users to play my game? Over the internet? On a computer, a phone, or a console?
6. Will this be something that I am likely to expand on in the future? If so, do I need to allow room for the project to scale up?
7. How will I acquire the audio and sound effects to use in the game? Will I create my own? If I use music and sound effects from others, what copyright issues will I need to consider?
8. Will all of the artwork be done by me? If so, what programs will I use? How long will it take to both design and draw the artwork?
9. Where do I start? How do I organize my workflow to ensure that I can complete all of the basic elements of the game on time?
10. If I start running out of time, do I have a backup plan? Will I be able to scale the project down?
11. Depending on the tools I need, will I need to budget for new equipment? Will my current computer be able to handle the hardware requirements for making my game?
My last idea is to create a 30 second animation. I've been interested in animation since I was a child. Before wanting to go into teaching (and even before wanting to go into film), I wanted to be a cartoonist and an animator. I worked on short pieces with friends, and I even made an animated short for a television contest (final verdict: I didn't win). It's been years since I've made any sort of animation. However, I still watch cartoons and read comics all the time, and I even follow the blogs of a few animation studios. Taking on an animation project might be a good way to kickstart something I've loved for a long time but haven't been able to do.
Create a Short Animation:
(requirements: 30 seconds of animation with full audio and sound effects, at least 5 good jokes, and a short but clear story structure)
1. What will my premise or narrative be? Can I tell a decent story in that amount of time?
2. Can I actually accomplish all the drawing and other work in the time I have?
3. What will I use to animate? Will I draw the frames by hand? Will I use a program specifically designed for animation?
4. How do I want my audience to view my animation? Does it need to be formatted for transmission over the internet? Should it be sized to fit on a computer, a phone, or a TV?
5. Will this be something that I am likely to expand on in the future? Should I use an old premise that I've been working on for a while or should I come up with something completely new?
6. How will I acquire the audio and sound effects to use in the animation? Will I create my own? If I use music and sound effects from others, what copyright issues will I need to consider?
7. Will there be dialogue? If so, where will I get the voices for the characters?
8. What style of animation do I want to use? Do I need to sacrifice a certain level of quality in order to meet my time deadline? Will that severely affect my audience's enjoyment of the work overall?
9. Where do I start? How do I organize my workflow to ensure that I can complete all of the basic elements of the animation on time?
10. If I start running out of time, do I have a backup plan? Will I be able to scale the project down?
11. Depending on the tools I need, will I need to budget for new equipment? Will my current computer be able to handle the hardware requirements for making an animation, especially if I decide to create my animation using a high-definition resolution?
To be honest, I have no idea which project I would rather do. All of these ideas have been sitting on the drawing board for a while now, waiting to come to life one day. If you have any suggestions or enjoy one idea more than the others, please please please let me know! I would love to hear from you!
-Kelly