by Annie | Nov 24, 2011 | Other
The last time I took an art class was in high school. So when the chance arose for me to take a painting class, I jumped on the opportunity. We’re almost at the end of our 6-week acrylics class, and in that time, we’ve covered the basics of design, caring for supplies, how to fix mistakes, and how to finish a painting. I must admit, after years of digital design, it’s quite different for me to create a piece of art on paper. The first time I started a painting, I began by sketching everything out with a pencil before I realized that acrylics are a very forgiving medium. Make a mistake, and you can just paint right over it. Within five weeks, I’ve created four paintings. I’ve learned a ton, had a blast, and discovered a new hobby I love. Hopefully, these paintings will be the first of many to...
by Annie | Aug 29, 2011 | Other
In the spirit of the back to school season, I’ve decided to create my own Crayola masterpiece. Not with a paintbrush, but rather, with a blow dryer. If you’ve got some crayons, glue, and canvas, try it out for yourself! Step 1: Gather supplies So many crayons, so little time. This time of year, stores are full of back to school sales, so it’s easy to find a large box of crayons for very little cost. Add to that a glue gun, fresh canvas, and blow dryer, and you’re all set to create your own masterpiece. Step 2: Attach the crayons Dump out your crayons and start sorting. Once you’ve decided on the order and placement, glue your crayons to your canvas. Step 3: Ready, set, melt! This is my favorite part. Once all your crayons are securely attached to the canvas, fire up the blow dryer. It takes a few seconds to warm up, but soon you’ll see the wax starting to melt, and then the magic happens. And voila! There you have it – a Crayola masterpiece guaranteed to brighten up any...
by Annie | Jun 3, 2011 | Other
It’s been a year and a half since I first put up my website. I still remember those early days, my first introduction to web design. “What do you mean the textures have to be tileable?” “Why isn’t the font I chose showing up?” With this new site redesign, I can say that I’m still not over those confusions and frustrations, but I’ve learned to be more flexible and open to change. With some help from my husband, web programmer extraordinaire, my new site is ready to show off. Consider this the official ribbon cutting. Bye-bye, duckie. You’ll be missed....
by Annie | Dec 31, 2010 | Other
3…2…1…2011! This time of year is filled with countdowns. Countdowns to new beginnings, long-awaited endings, and unexpected surprises. I don’t know about you, but for me, 2010 whizzed by in a frenzied flash of ups and downs. I started the year in DC, ended up in BC, and experienced and learned more than I could have imagined in between. They say that the new year is a good time to make resolutions. I guess that’s because the new year brings with it a clean slate. An entire year ahead waiting to be filled with new decisions, goals, and achievements. Everyone gets a chance to start over. Now I’m not saying that I haven’t made resolutions before, because my Januaries are often filled with failed attempts to live up to my idealistic resolutions. And often, the same resolutions are saved and recycled the next year. But as each December comes to a close, the new year brings a renewed sense of hope and motivation. I’ve always been wary of going public with my resolutions, because that means I’m held accountable and my weaknesses are exposed. But ultimately, I realize that it’s not the success but rather the process that I’m after. So here goes. In the spirit of 2011, here are a few of my resolutions for the new year: 1. Be more social. Those of you who knew me in high school might be surprised to see me in class now. Maybe it was the large lecture style of college courses that did it, but these days I’m more than content to sit back in class and just listen....
by Annie | Dec 24, 2010 | Other
Why aren’t schools as effective as they could be? Here’s Ken Robinson’s take on...
by Annie | Nov 16, 2010 | Other
In order to bring effective educational games to the classroom, those classrooms must first have sufficient technology necessary to access those games. Increasingly, schools and colleges are putting handheld devices such as clickers into the hands of students, providing an instantaneous method of feedback that teachers can use to adjust their teaching while actually teaching. So far, such devices have been used for such purposes as taking attendance, responding to class quiz/poll questions, and signaling confusion over a concept. As such technology becomes more widespread and sophisticated, the ideal of each student receiving a personally tailored education suited to his/her own learning style and pace becomes more and more...
