Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

I am not proud of anything in my presentation. I was accidentally making a powerpoint equivalent to the two hour presentation and when I finished that, I realized that it would be totally way too much and what I was actually doing. I only spent three hours working on it so it didn't have the full affect I wished it could have had.

I would give myself an NC/CR.
There was concern with all three points made on the Professionalism section of the contract. There was concern with two on Organization and Activity. Concern with all for Justification and Answer. And concern with two on Audience and Involvement.

People liked the pictures I put on my slides, so I guess that worked.

What didn't work was someone else's presentation... The day before there was a super short presentation and it scared the willies out of me! So I was scared my lesson would be short too. So I tried stalling to make time but it made my presence seem weak and that I didn't actually know my topic. I did. and I wish I could have presented in the manor that was originally intended. It made my activity weak and it made me sound bored. I forgot to say my sources and use my props. They were on the slides, but still. I should have addressed that more. I only gave credit to the pictures in my slides.

My answer two would be form.

For My ROP Students

Every Monday and Wednesday I TA for the photography class Jack teaches in the ROP room. What really impresses me every time I go in are the students. They are all such great workers and they really slay when it comes to creativity. They are dedicated to their work and trying to meet the standards the rubrics call for. Two days ago I was honored to be there as their TA.

The A-Z project is a project in which the students try to make a children's book using pictures. They photograph objects and photoshop the first letter of the object on to their pictures. It sounds simple but the process is very long and taxing. Trying to find objects that start with certain letters is tedious. On top of maintaining pictures, photoshopping each multiple times, keeping them in order, and finding an object for every letter, they must boil everything down to a simple form. It's a picture book for children and not all of them understand what the pictures are trying to convey. It is their end of the semester project, worth 104 points, their biggest photography task yet.

That last day they had to work was the most focused I have seem them. It was a race against time and it was interesting seeing them pulling everything together. There was a group of students that stayed behind longer than the rest, working fast yet still managed to stray behind. I remembered when I was in their shoes. You feel the rush, the drive to keep on going. It is stressful and it feels like you are getting nowhere. In the end, my students completed their projects. The relief of knowing you don't have to worry about the project anymore, that it's over, is very rewarding. Later you think of improvements you could have made, but a lll together you are proud. It may not be the best looking to everyone else, but it looks like the best to you. You know what went into it and you are proud.

In honor of the kids I TA for and all of the hard work they've done this semester, I will be posting my A-Z project. Their projects may have a few bugs to fix but I know what they did to get there, and I am the most proud TA in the world.

Some of them were asking about my A-Z project and I told them I might show them if they finished. My gosh did they finish. And with flying colors. The pictures are embarrassing, it was a whole year ago and I have learned from my mistakes. If you guys actually check my blog, this one is for you rascals.

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 Hours

I am doing my mentorship with Jack Bolka in the ROP room.

My contact is Jack Bolka? I'm sorry, I don't quite understand this question.

I have completed 12 hours of mentorship.

The first couple week and a half the kids were not really paying much attention to me. I am there to answer questions and fix any photoshop malfunctions they may have come across. I also grade their photographs. At first I was a little lenient but they have a grip on what photography requires, so I am  cracking down on them now. But I think they are catching on that I am not your average beginner. It is going great with them. I learn from them and they learn from me.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

It is necessary to constantly be working towards the essential question by consistently being proactive with senior project. Most of the time on my break I was looking through a camera lens and researching famous photographers and the tactics they used most of the time. During the summer I did not have the opportunity to be using a camera or being active with photoshop, so I really needed to take the time to get back to getting in touch with my subject.

I think the most important thing I learned is that taking pictures really does project a story and every story is different.

If I could do a ten question interview with anybody, I would interview Annie Leibovitz. I think she is a genius. She's bold and not afraid to speak her mind and it really shows in the way she photographs and what she photographs.

December Extra Post: Late

I got a camera for Christmas! It's very small, very basic, but I love it! We drove my brother back to Monterey the 26th, all the while I took pictures from the backseat with the school camera I borrowed for the break. It was so boring! There was absolutely nothing but hills, not the pretty scenic ones, ones that are awfully identical, 17 miles away on either side, and mundane. And all through those hundreds of miles of farmland, the plants were dead because you know, winter. I saw a cow that jumped the fence though, that was pretty cool. We never stopped driving, it was mind numbing! Northern California is definitely not the place for me. West Covina was voted the most boring city of Southern California. That is such a lie. As soon as you are past LA, wave goodbye to your precious brain cells, they die along the way north. Monterey was really cracked and scary. I do not want to relive the confusion it took to navigate those streets.

We dropped off my brother and in the morning, we were back on the road. It was so funny, the GPS is completely evil. We wanted to take either the 101 or the 99 back so our brains would be spared the lack of mental stimulation, but no. The GPS took us in a very large circle and sent us back to the 5! It was so frustrating. I was so done at that point.

All in all, I took a lot of pictures, saw a real lake for the first time, and also saw Magic Mountain for the first time as well. I really wanted to take a baby cow because there were so many, but no. Oh well, never doing that again.

This is in the middle of nowhere on our way back. My sister saw a cat.

This is when my brother came to school. Excuse our gross faces.

Photo credits go to the amazing Ms. Bazaldua.