Anju's Blog

Tech: Mash It Up Reflection

17sashidaa — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:56:05 +0000

For the past few weeks, we have been working on a new unit called “Mash It Up“. Our task was to create our own mash-up but following the copyright and fair use.
I decided to create a mash up. Mash up is to take elements of two or more pre-existing pieces of music and combine them to make a new song. Before we started to create our final product, we looked at different mashups and researched about fair use and copyright. Then we planned out the steps that are needed to create my mashup.

To create my mashup I have chosen two songs that fairly has the same BPM. I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift (77BPM) and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark – Fall Out Boys (78BPM). For the tool I used Audacity because it has more effects then what GarageBand provides with. I downloaded the acapella version of Taylor Swift song on YouTube and also instrumental version for Fall Out Boys. To match the songs together I used a lot of Cuts, Changing Tempo and Echo.
My strength in this unit was the song choices. I think I used appropriate/easier songs to create mashup and in my final product, it sounded good together. Also, I think my editing skills was fairly good. For example, the first part of the Taylor Swift song’s beats was faster than instrumental music. To make it slower, I used Changing Tempo to fit together I made the Percent Change: -3.000 so that it would make 31.67sec to 32.65. My weakness was cutting and putting the bits into the right place. I cut some parts too fast and when I also placed it in the wrong places and made my mashup sound weird. Especially in chorus.

Throughout this unit, I think Design Cycle really helped me. I followed each steps and sometimes I went back to change something. I think it is written in detail because I put a lot of time and effort to it. Investigation steps was the longest and took me a long time. But, I think investigation step helped me the most because I get to go back every time and read the list of What is Needed to Make a Good Mash-Up?

To check if my mashup has everything that is needed. I created a checklist for it:
Is this a mashup or remix?
Yes, it is a mashup
Follow a certain moods?
Yes it does, I think the mood is very cheerful/rock

Is it entertaining?
Yes

Does it catch the attention of a viewers?
Yes

Is it appropriate length? (if applicable)
Yes, my mashup is about 2 mins

Is it made of multiple things (songs, videos, photos)
Yes I mashed up with 2 songs

Does it fit the fair use policy?

Yes it does

Overall I enjoyed doing this unit. It gave me a chance to do something that I never done it before. It was a lot of hard work but the end, I think it was worth it. I think my mash-up came out pretty good as my first mash-up.

What is a historian?

17sashidaa — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:58:15 +0000

For the past few weeks, we started a united called

For the generation project our assignment was to create a family history of generation from my grandmother and my father when they were 14. Than we had to compare it from my generation

In the start of this unit, we brought 5 different things that represents

Globalization and Yokohama

17sashidaa — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:12:43 +0000

The Quality of Life in Japan Infographic

17sashidaa — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:49:56 +0000

Humanities Progress in Japan Infographic

The Undomestic Goddess Book Trailer

17sashidaa — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:58:29 +0000

Technology Unit 1 Reflection: Presenting Naked

17sashidaa — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:47:05 +0000

Past few months in Tech class, we started our first unit “Presenting Naked“. At first I did not understand what they meant about Presenting Naked but as I followed the process of design cycle, especially investigate stage I started to put more knowledge about this unit. Presenting naked means being able to create interesting presentation that will draw audiences attention and stand in front of the audience and speak confidently about your topic. Our final task was to create our own interesting presentation by using the research we did. To create our final presentation, we had to go through the process of design cycle where there is 4 areas; Investigate, Plan, Create and Evaluate.
In the Investigate stage, we researched about what makes a good presentation by watching Garr Reynold’s video and article about building presentation. Also we looked at different styles to present for example PechaKucha 20×20, TED, RSA and Ignite. I have done well on my investigate stage but I could have done better by discussing more and asking question in group when we were talking what makes a good and bad presentation. Also I could have added more ideas when I was investigating the strength and weaknesses for my 3 topic choices, this helps to choose the topic I want to present because if there is more weaknesses than strengths it would be hard to make a presentation that is eye-catching.
After the investigate stage was Plan I already had a topic to present “How Has Technology Effected The People Today?” I chose this topic because I think this topic is relevant to my peers and to myself. Everyday in our lives we use technology everywhere, technology had changed our lives much easier and free comparing it from the old times where people had to do a lot of hard work to accomplish something. In this stage, I also thought about which tools am I going to use to present by noting down each tool’s possibilities and limitations. I could have improved better at writing more detailed about the possibilities and the limitation of the tools because I had a hard time choosing which one.The reason why we do this is to compare the tools and think about which tool fits the best to present my topic.
I started to Design my presentation by making few practices and also creating storyboards. I could have improved my storyboard better by making it more detailed and adding more notes because it was too simple. I did drew what my slides would look like but less notes which made me struggle while I was creating my presentation because I had to change a lot of thins.
In the Create stage, I started to create my final presentation with the help of the research I have done for this unit and following the storyboard. I did not exactly followed my storyboard, I had a lot of changes to make. Looking through the notes I took in investigate stage it says that simple slides are better than slide with bunch of words and pictures. I do not have specific area to improve on but I could have used CreativeCommons pictures with rights. But other than that, I am satisfied with my slides. I made it simple with just one images and titles but interesting at the same time, I chose great color (red and white) to contrast the black background and I think I have used my slides space well with transitions.
Overall, I think I have done well in this unit. I think my strength was in create stage because I looked back to the notes we took to create my presentation that visually appeared nicely. My weaknesses was in design stage, I think I done my storyboard poorly which I had to change a lot of things while I was creating my final. Also I should work on my organization because I sometimes forget the task we had to finish and I had to go back to do it than go back to the task I was suppose to so today which made me little bit behind. After I presented, I could have improve on my presenting skills because I was so nervous that I forgot some lines and some parts I talked too fast sounded like I was mumbling. I should have more confidence in myself and this would have made my presentation better.

My Cover of Here Comes The Sun Reflection

17sashidaa — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 06:44:34 +0000

Past few months we had a unit about Classic, in this unit I have learnt a lot about different classical music, what it means. Our summative assessment was to choose a classical song and play it buy instrument or sing. The song I have chosen is Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles, it is a simple song because it repeats the same thing over but changes a little bit. At first I have chosen Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven but it was too simple that I changed it to something more challenging.

I think I have done a great job playing this song. I have organized my time well to practice, maybe it looks like I did not have enough practice but this song was simple and easy to learn. I enjoyed playing this song, it is a cheerful song. I could have improved better by not stop at middle because I sometimes forget the next notes, which I stop and think. If I did not stop I think my recording would sound better.

Character Formative – Reflection

17sashidaa — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 05:23:47 +0000

8B Drama: Character Formative from YIS Arts on Vimeo.

What is the skill that I used?
The skills that I used in this skit is mostly my vocal. I spoked low and slowly to show that I’am not that recognizable, shy and doesn’t like socializing with people. When the audience compare my character to Mia’s, it will show that Mia’s character (businesswoman/colleague) does not really care about what’s going on in my character’s life.

How did I approach creating the character? Was it successful – if so how? What needed improvement? Make a suggestion?
As I already mentioned it before, I think my vocal was good because it showed my character’s personality. However, I could have improved on my body language because there is a part when Mia’s character cut me off when I was talking then I was just standing there and looking at her to finish the call, I could have used body language to make my character’s personality clear.

How can I use these skills in performance?
I can use these skills when I want to show my character clearly. These skills are important in performances. If the character are not clear enough for the audience that will affect the skit as a poor skit because audience will not be able to believe that person as character which makes it unrealistic.

“The Summer I Was Sixteen” by Geraldine Connolly

17sashidaa — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:55:36 +0000

The Summer I Was Sixteen
Geraldine Connolly

The poem I have chosen is The Summer I Was Sixteen by Geraldine Connolly it is the third poem on Poetry 180 website. I recommend this poem to the readers that likes summer and those who likes to read poems about friendships, fun and happiness. I think the reason why I chose this poem to write about is because I really like the season summer, the word summer just makes me feel happy, fun and brightness and as I continue to read this poem it was about friendship too. I think friendship is very important for each and every one of us, life without friends for me, it would be a life I would not want to live. I think that because of friends and family we live happily everyday.
When I first read this poem it made me think back to my summer break where I have spent in Los Angeles. Geraldine Connolly creates a lot of imagery in my head by using personifications and simile. Such as “The turquoise pool rose up to meet us,” this is personification, the pool does not meet us but by using personification, it makes it more effective and give more meaning to the whole theme of the line. One of the simile Connolly used is “cotton candy torches”, she describes cotton candy as torches and this gives me the image of how big is the cotton candy and how does it look like.
While reading this poem, the tone is very happy and fun you can get the feeling by reading these lines “we plunged, screaming, into a mirage of bubbles.” “danced to the low beat of “Duke of Earl”.” and more. You can imagine how this group of girl-friends are having fun jumping into a pool, singing, dancing under the bright summer sun. Without reading the poem I already knew that it will be a happy poetry by just reading the title, The Summer I Was Sixteen. This is because summer is always fun because there is summer break which is the longest break until school starts again and the age sixteen is special. In United States, sixteen is the age of turning into a young adult and makes their debut into adult society and this poetry is about sixteen year old girls having fun in summer.
There is two lines that says “danced to the low beat of “Duke of Earl”” and “pressed radios to our ears”. These two lines makes me think that this poem is taking place in 70’s or 60’s because when I listened to the song Duke of Earl, it was not a modern type of song we would listen today like pop, this song was released in l962. Also, we do not use radios anymore to listen songs. Right now we use iPods, cellphones which everyone of us have today, using these modern technology to listen songs.

Grade 8 Handball Assessment Task

17sashidaa — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:50:12 +0000

Right now in our P.E. class, my group’s unit is about handball and in the class we are starting to put more knowledge about handball. At first I didn’t really know anything about handball because I thought it wasn’t a popular sport and I never really watched it on TV. How are we going to play right, if we don’t know the right rules? In this post I will be talking about some of the handball rules.

Explain the rules about inside the D zone(6m line).

The D zone is the lines that surrounds the goal. D zone is where the goalie stands and nobody else, even your team mates. But court players can cross the line to jump shoot so they have to catch the ball in the air and shoot before you land inside of the D zone or the line.

What’s the goal keeper’s speciality? What can he/she do? Write down as bullet points.

They are allowed to move freely within the goal perimeter.
Can not pass the goal perimeter if the goalie is holding or dribbling the ball.
They are allowed to touch the ball with all parts of their body including their feet.
The goalie can come out from the goalie circle and become as an regular player.
If the goalie defends the ball and goes out it is still their team’s with a throw in from the goalie.

If the ball hits the goal keeper’s hand and goes outside of the court, how is play resumed?

The ball stays in the possession of the goalie’s team and the play will resume by goalies throw in.

Can players pass the ball to their own goalkeeper?

No, if you pass the ball to your goalkeeper the possession of the ball will change and it’ll be the other team’s ball.

What will happen if the defensive players go inside the 6m line to defend a shot?

If the player does it to gain advantage they get penalized. If they knock out the ball from a player to defend, they loose the possession of the ball.

What is a “fast throw-off”?

Modern Handball introduced the “fast throw-off”. The play will be immediately restarted by the referees as soon as the opponent team is satisfy with their concerns. Many teams use this rule to score easy goals before the opponent team sets up their defense.

Please identify the differences between basketball and handball rules and explain them.

dribbling
steps(pivoting)
number of fouls allowed
throw-offs
ball size
court size
goalie and goal
D zone
number of players
7 meter throw
duration
contact rules
handball can be played both outdoor and indoor (mostly)