The Samsung Galaxy S2 screenshot app is invoked when you press and hold the HOME button then press the POWER button. You get the camera shutter sound and a flicker on the screen as the utility grabs what’s displayed. It works flawlessly every time, with the image saved to the phone storage, in a screencapture folder. This is for Android 2.3.

For the Android 2.4 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ version just released, the same utility for taking screenshots on Galaxy S2 or S3 runs but the controls are changed to  Volume Down and Power Buttons: press and hold the VOLUME DOWN and POWER buttons simultaneously to take a screenshots. RC

He had a photo looking up at a skyscraper with a blue sky above reflected in the glass of the building. Admittedly it was a sound shot to start with but i watched him experiment with cropping it different ways using rule of thirds guides, then he ran through colour and effects filters and experimented with adding grain.

The first thing that sprung to mind was, does he know the reason behind film grain in a photo, the technical reason it occurs in a photograph naturally or is he oblivious to this and just sees it as a nice effect? Would he be able to take photo’s comparable to a knowledgeable professional with technology doing most of the work for him? Is his potential lack of photography knowledge a blessing for taking photos with a different almost quiloquial approach or is it limiting? Is a skill being lost as people don’t learn an art thoroughly and take short cuts to create what used to be complicated and highly skilled effects or is it creating freedom by making photography more accessible to more people? If I was growing up in a generation of film photography I may not have ever discovered photography so in a way the digital photography revolution started me off on my journey into photography as a hobby, passion, and profession.

I could go on about how it’s affecting photography as a profession but that’s something bouncing around my head I’ll vent another day :p

I’ve finally given into iphoneography as a growing movement and am embracing it too. Although I know the technical way to shoot and sometimes wish I had my proper camera kit on me, it’s actually pretty refreshing to take photos quickly and easily on the move and not worry too much about the perfection of the end result.

I already play with Photoshop and Photosynth apps for photography but am going to play with Snapseed too to see what is actually possible on a phone camera nowadays. Photography has changed soooo much over the last decade, I can’t imagine where photography will be in 10 years time. Iphoneography may be as big of an influence on the direction of photography as the Kodak Brownie that was most popular in the 50s and 60′s for putting point and click cameras in the publics hands for the first time.

Just bought yourself a brand new PC laptop with an NVIDIA with Optimus graphics card, and looking forward to doing some gaming or even watching some movies in High Definition? You start things up, but things don’t look exactly like they should. Your game winds up running at 15 frames a second, or your movie is choppy and always seems to be buffering. Well, with the NVIDIA with Optimus graphics card, you must tell programs when to run the onboard graphics (usually an Intel chip), or with your dedicated graphics card (the NVIDIA). Watch the video that NVIDIA posted on just how to do that right after the break.

I would like to return to this idea and add further embellishments, ideally in the Arts & Crafts/William Morris vein, either to a clock of this style or a grandfather’s clock.

In other news I’d like to say thank you and give first time shout-outs to writers Blalala and RAFrenzy for subscribing, to paper sculptor Sabrina Colussi at stampatagliacrea for subscribing and liking Jellyfish, and to writer Online Funland for also liking Jellyfish - take a look at their works at the above links. I’d also like to give further shout-outs to Richard Guest for returning and subscribing, to Peri and Ken Knieling for liking Jellyfish and Be pure, be vigilant, behave, and to Aaron, Anna, Imbuteria, The Sofi’s World and Nonoy Manga for also liking Jellyfish.

..THINK SIMPLE!

1. Be content with your life for your health, love, and happiness instead of with your belongings.

2. Only focus on 2 or 3 goals or plans at one time.

3. Exercise often.  This clears your mind and gives you a longer, healthier life.

4. Make time for the things you love to do and for things that reduce stress.

5. Make a list of all your simple pleasures and pick one to do each day.

6. Evaluate new things, and ask yourself if they will help you simplify your life.

7. Let go of perfectionism. 

8. Figure out what best calms you and visualize it when you feel stressed.

9. Keep a positive attitude.  Look for the best in everything.

10. Live in the moment when you can.  Try not to be anxious about anything.

11. Let go of your past.

12. Face your fears and get over them. 

13. Continuously look for ways to improve yourself.

14. Note and express gratitude.

15. Know your limits for commitments and stick to them.  

16. Seek knowledge only to apply it to your wisdom.  

17. Look for and express love to others and yourself. 

18. Make the conscious decision to be happy and at peace with yourself.

19. Express what you want for yourself, to others because what comes around goes around.

20. Seek and love God, and he will provide.  You need not worry about anything else. 

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“THE IMPULSE TO BE ELYTE LIES WITHIN SOCIETY.”

Hank started talking in the backseat, but against the roaring storm and the road noise, I couldn’t hear him. -And suddenly I caught myself with my thumb on the Volume + button on my steering wheel, trying to turn him up. I was actually trying to turn up the volume on my toddler.

Yes, it could have been worse. I might have been trying to turn him down, or trying to turn up the radio to drown him out. I suppose I can take some comfort in the fact that I was trying to listen to him even in the midst of my white-knuckled driving distraction. But it got me thinking: I now turn to gadgetry to solve every day issues in a way that is so automatic, so reflexive, that I don’t even think about it… and maybe that’s not such a good thing.

“Phone” was one of Hank’s very first words, and he knew how to flip through photos on my iPhone before he knew how to walk. I’m not proud of that. We derive a certain amount of pride from the fact that ours is a TV-free home, but the fact that we don’t have a TV doesn’t stop us from logging too much screen time. This very instant, I’m blogging at the dinner table while I supervise Hank’s meal. (Penelope’s out at our home inspection tonight: more on that another time.) Penelope is addicted to the New York Times Crossword app on her iPad. I check Facebook on my phone the very instant I wake up, most mornings.

I definitely notice that with all the time I spend plugged in to my various gadgets and digital distractions, the less activity there seems to be going on in my mind, even when I unplug the external noise… and that can’t be a good thing, no ‘maybe’ about it. So while I’m not ready to cut my digital umbilical cord and swear off the internets entirely, I am going to try to seek a better balance. I can’t turn up the volume on my toddler, but maybe if I unplug the noise, I can turn up the volume on my own thoughts.

Wish me luck.

-C.

With these ten tools!

10.  A bank of computers

Computers don’t actually make a Maker classroom, computer access does.  In the past to years, I’ve developed an instinct, capability and ability to integrate the technology into our science and math-based classroom activities.  Not every project needs computer (for example, the spirograph build) but many projects can be enhanced with its use.  My students use a computer almost everyday;  researching the day’s project, finding working examples and interactive demonstrations online or better yet, actively engaging with their small corner of the online world.  A Maker’s classroom without computers can still work, but becomes harder to facilitate.

9. Alice Programming Environment 

Currently in beta, developed in part by Randy Pausch and sponsered by Electronic Arts, the Alice Programming Environment provides a free, useful sandbox for students to learn the basics of computer programming.  No, its not a  powerful, high-level language like Python, nor does it have many applications outside of a the program itself (like say, Arduino’s sketchpad) but students learn logical thinking, loops, conditional structures and the like.  This high-level of abstract thinking immediately transfers to other areas of life.  My students often have to use conditional structures when planning a get-together (if I invite John and he doesn’t like Stacy then I can invite one OR the other) or completing multi-step, sequential projects (finish step 1, move on to step 2, check during step 3, go back to step 1).  This type of abstract thinking comes naturally with age and cognitive development.  When you teach a population challenged by exectutive functions like I do, any tool which allows students to practice these skills in an explicit way gets on my personal top ten.

8. Google Sketch Up

If you are looking for the most bang for your buck, find a way to incorporate Google Sketch Up in your room.  I use GSU8 as a baithook, as a reward for strong academic performance, as a product creator, a academic break activity, as a curriculum enhancer, as the “cool” homework, as “can you believe this, parent?  Look how competent your child is!”-bragging rights maker.  I bait the kid with computer time and hook’m into learning geometry concepts, I reward twenty mulitplication problems with five minutes of worktime.  My students create castles and learn spatial skills placing firing arcs from the catapults.  My students create designs for headphone holders and houses and Borgian libraries.  My students thrown tantrums and ten minutes designing furniture calms them down.  My students turn in homework when I say the fateful words, “build it on Sketch Up”.  My parents shake their heads in disbelief and new wonder.  Familiarity with a program like GSU translates to coursework in college, into certificates in industry, into a career.

Perimeter/Area/Polygon Exercise in Google Sketch Up

Bang for your buck.

7.  The support of community experts

Despite what my students may think about me, I don’t know everything.  But I know a lot of people who do, and if I don’t, I know people who know a guy.  Community experts mean I can do more with less and I can do more than I know how to do.  I just have to ask and listen.  I just become a facilitator, rather than a traditional teacher, for my own kiddos.  I get the opportunity to occupy a different, more equitable and just as powerful space.  My classroom thrives.

For those in Houston, look out for my Community Watch tag.  I try to give credit when credit is due.

6.  The woodworking tool box

Last summer, I started working on this toolbox.  It holds various hammers, chisels, squares, sliding bevels, saws, tools and supplies for four to six students to build nearly anything with wood.  This box contains magic.  Absolute magic.  If I can’t make it with the contents of this box…

…then it is beyond the scope my middle school curriculum.

5.  A blog

Once a student is done listening to a lecture, performing an experiment, finding a solution and wrestling with a problem the student must process their new-found knowledge.  Communication – whether short answer on a test,  long essay on a bulletin board or oral presentation – provides the best opportunity for a teacher to evaluate their student’s learning progress.  Student-centered blogs provide a quicker turnaround, leverage a student’s love of technology, allow practice zones for literacy skills, support multimedia integration and boost parental engagement all at the same time.  The Math/Sci program produced roughly 80 posts this year.  Some 2000 page views.  We had twenty students contribute to these articles.  That’s four essays on math/science learning per child.  I teach science…but my kids can write.  That’s a whole lotta communication.

4. A team of expert, engaged, bad-mamma-jamma professional educators

In the words of Arlo Guthrie – “One man singing a bar of Alice’s Resturant, then that man’s crazy.  Three men singing it…that’s a movement”.  Teaching is an art, a craft and a sweet science.  Artist need muses, craftsmen need tools, sweat and wood.  And boxers need to be knocked around a little to “season them”.  If you do this alone, you burn out.  You do this with a crew of people you can rely on, you change the world.

And I’ve gotta helluva movement marching with me.

3.  Eyes and Ears

I carry a camera with me at all times.  The camera records my students’ smile, my students’ learning, my students’ simple moments of success.  If I don’t record it, I don’t share it, I don’t put it in my students hands and say “Remember this.  This is important,” then it didn’t happen.  The camera preserves my students’ success.

My colleagues use the discontinued Flip cameras to record video.  We edit the video in MovieMaker and move it over to a YouTube channel.  Other teachers can see our work, parents can look over our shoulder, the boss-upstairs can say “this is what our teachers do.”  My eyes and ears give context and visual ooomph to any project I can develop.

2.  WD-40, Hot Glue, Vice Grips & Duct Tape

Use them in this order.  Always works.

1.  A school which provides the space, curriculum and materials for exploration

My plea for you – especially if you are not already engaged in education – is to find a school which promotes Maker values and Maker projects and support those programs the best you can.  Lend your expertise, donate used tools, put your dollars and voice behind hands-on education.  Individual teachers, like myself, can only do so much inside a classroom.  We need support on the streets, on our speed-dial and in the hearts of our parents.  Hands-on, project-based, maker-centric education works and we need your help to get it to the next level.  Keep talking, making and setting things on fire until our principals, superintendents and school boards sit up and take notice.

Make it safe & keep the rubber side down this weekend.

Web Design and Animation

August 13th-24th

In this camp students design, build, test and launch a fully functional website using an industry standard tools.  Students learn about site definition, html coding, site management, web page and folder creation, CSS, layout and navigation, media insertion, link and image insertion. They learn to create graphics and content suitable for the web. Upon completion, students learn to upload and manage their websites.

Excerpt:

Open-source source platforms for big data have exploded in popularity. And in the past few months, it seems like nearly everyone is feeling the fallout.

Related articles

• MySQL’s growing NoSQL problem (go.theregister.com)

I subscribe to a variety of blogs, mostly about social media, because I still consider myself in a learning phase. Frankly, with the exception of a few people who are clearly thought leaders and true experts in this field (some folks come to mind like Brian Solis, Danny Brown, Jay Baer, Gini Dietrich and others), I think we’re ALL still in the midst of the proverbial learning curve when it comes to social media. There’s something new, something different, something changing. Every. Single. Day. But I digress. My point is that there ARE true thought leaders out there, but it’s hard to hear what they’re saying because of all the other chatter from the self-titled “gurus.”

As I was going through my RSS feeds tonight, I did what I normally do — I scroll through and read things that have headlines that are appealing, catchy, new or different. (Another reminder that headlines are KEY!) Then I saw this: “Women on Social Media Ideal Targets for Ads, Experts Say.” REALLY? Did we honestly need experts to tell us that women are targets for ads? Who are these “experts” who have decided that this is news? Because to me, it’s just clutter in an overwhelming RSS feed list that was sorely neglected during a long weekend.

What this headline did was prove to me that people are so pressured to get information out there and post content, they’re not thinking about what’s real, what’s important, and, to put on my PR hat here, what is really “news.”

So just because we have the ability to post something because of the great big online world we are now afforded, it doesn’t mean it really should be posted. (Kind of like this rant right now, but I sure feel better posting it!) What do you think — are too many people sharing too much “stuff” just because they can? Would love to hear from you!

But a HUGE factor in my motivation for this is something you might not expect from a 21 year old girl.  I am in school studying mechanical engineering and I have absolutely nooooo idea what I want to do when I graduate.  My options are practically wide open, but all I know is that I want to travel.  I have recently gotten an internship at General Motors, which is a huge deal for a mechanical engineer!! I start on June 4th (SO EXCITED).  But I still do not know what I want to do.

In February or March I had attended a small presentation about positions in the US Navy for mechanical engineers to be Surface Warfare Officers and specialize in the nuclear field and be trained to work with nuclear reactors on the aircraft carriers.  After doing more research and talking to the recruiter I have decided this is something I think I can see myself doing.  I have been going through the screening process, where they do background checks to make sure I am safe, then I take a trip to see an aircraft carrier and submarine and I get to talk to real officers, then after that I decide if I really want to apply or not.  It it a HUGE step.  It is one of those major forks in the road of life, where you have to take an enormous leap of faith that you are making the right decision.  I honestly do not know what the right decision is.  However I do know that, nuclear experience would be extremely valuable, the pay is AMAZING, they pay me while I finish school, I get a sign on bonus, and apparently they will offer me amazing bonuses if I decide I like it and resign, and also military benefits and discounts are great.  And on top of all of that, I will be able to travel and go to places I would probably never even think of going to.  But on the other hand, it is a huge risk, it is the military and dying is a reality, as well as being away from my family and friends for, I believe the initial contract is, five years.  There are so many pros and cons, and I’ve been through them all.  But to get back to my diet.. There are strict weight, body mass, and physical requirements I will need to be able to reach if I want to do this as a reality.  Dropping ten pounds is not even an option, I have to do it if I want to join.  On top of that, I will need to be able to run 1.5 miles (currently I can barely run a half of a mile), and do a significant number of push ups and sit ups.  

And to add to the stress of meeting those requirements, I have yet to even mention the idea to my parents.  I have told 3 of my friends, all of whom basically forgot and do not really care, I do not think they realize how big of a decision it is to be making.  And it is difficult because many times I just need someone to talk some sense into me, or to just talk to about my concerns and have them offer some reassurance.  I told myself I would talk to my parents as soon as my background check got cleared (which I am still waiting for word on that).  But if any one has any suggestions or ideas about how to bring this up to my parents I would love and appreciate your ideas!! Also if anyone has any information about the US Navy and the surface warfare officer program I would also love to hear about that too!

As I am typing all of this out, I am realizing I not only started this blog to discuss my progress on my diet and exercise, I am starting it hoping for some motivation and support from all of the strangers who may be reading this!! I have yet to secure a strong support system with me at home, with my friends who know my plan, with my unknowing family, or with my unknowing friends.  The thought of telling more of my friends though is discouraging when I see how unresponsive the friends I have told are.  So I am hoping you strangers and my blog will be some way of a support system for myself.

Another problem I have come to realize is I feel as though I have never truly worked hard for anything in my life.  In high school I received a babysitting job, because a friend’s mother knew a doctor who needed a babysitter, the job fell into my lap.  A few years later, my sister knew the owner of an ice cream stand, she called and got me a job there, never even had to fill out an application or an interview.  I worked at Aldo in a mall, and Joe’s Crab Shack, both jobs I got by attending an open interview, where they basically hired anyone with a brain because they were both brand new and they needed anyone possible to help open the stores, I stayed at both places for about a year.  I was then, a few weeks ago, offered a job at TGI Friday’s by an old manager from Joe’s who was promoted to general manager at Friday’s, I filled out an application for him but it was not really necessary because he offered me the job.  I was unable to take that job upon finding out about my internship at General Motors, I was able to get this internship because I  responded to an email with my resume and was one out of 8 students picked out of 75 applicants total, its an amazing opportunity, but it legitimately fell into my lap, it required no work, I did not even have to interview.  So you may think, well maybe this girl works extremely hard at school, but I do not really, not until I absolutely have to.  I skim by and get good enough grades, always keeping my GPA above a 3.0 though.  The only time I work hard is when my grades are in jeopardy of falling below a B-.  So clearly, I get jobs by luck, I get grades by luck, I get everything without even working for it, I do not even think I always deserve it!  So another reason I realized I should stick with this process for applying for the Navy is because, if I do get accepted, I will have finally worked very hard to achieve something, it will prove to myself that I really can do anything I set my mind to.

So I hope anyone reading this will join me on this journey of weight loss, getting in shape, growing up, and finding myself along the way!

I didn’t make any blogs while I was camping. Can ya blame me? I was busy. Yup. Sorry. You forgive? Thanks. Well, I had a really awesome time. I went tubing…

TUBING: It was so much fun. I stayed on forever. When I fell off it hurt, cause I was going so fast. I went like 10 times. It was really hard to hold on too, because the handles were ruined, and the water was REALLY rough.

I went on the jet ski. It was awesome. We went so high and got a lot of air. I tipped it over, though. On the boat was fun, too. We went fast, then did donuts, and then did wheelies and…um..yeah. A lot of fun. The smores…mmmm mmmm.. SO AMAZING!

I broke my diet. I ate SO much food. I probably gained a couple pounds. And today..I HAD….2 cookies, a cupcake, icecream, chocolate, oreos, and a gatorade. Because, we had this little project for class and we all brought food in..so yummy.

I thought I had more to say…but..I GUESS NOT?

Drama: THERE IS SO MUCH AT MY SCHOOL! I am only telling one story, right now.

Today at P.E, me and my friend Andreya were throwing the football around. These other kids were, too. And then, Austin, came and started playing with them. Two of them came to play with us because of Austin. Here is the convo

Me: “Are you guys here, because of Austin?”

Them: “Yes. He ruined it, and they aren’t playing right.”

Then, Austin got really mad. He started bullying me all day. I am NOT going to type what he said. Then a kid named Domingo came and started telling me crap, too. He was all calling me names and then told me how everyone talks crap about me and no one likes me.

MY BEST FRIEND STOLE MY BACKPACK! I don’t know why. I think I should be mad. Or maybe, I should be..well…I think Austin put her up to it. Anyway’s my day was really bad. IT SUCKED! I hate how all my friends like Austin. They always hang and flirt with them. Don’t you see how (excuse my french) he is lying, stupid ass, dickhead, idiot, a-double s hole!!?? I personally think, that if your friends with somebody and they are being mean to your friend, that u stick up for them. NOT one of my friends did. And I think that is why it made the day worse.

So, I stayed by myself for a while. I don’t let there jackass comments get to me. I ignore, but sometimes it IS really hard. Oh yeah, did I mention that he said on the last day of school (in 3 days) that he is going to beat me up? Well, he promised that.

Please comment and follow! New blogs up soon! Promise.–ME:)

Sorry, I am going to tag the helk outta this post. I want a lot views. It makes me feel better. Don’t get mad?