Sibelius and my learning

SIBELIUS
(Ok, quick note, sorry if this seems to be all over but I took notes as I was going along)

Me? A composer? I don’t know that I would take it as a ‘profession’ or that anyone would actually pay me to compose, but it looks like fun.

I’m thinking back to the days when I was a little girl learning how to play the piano or flute (which didn’t last long, I lost interest quite quickly). What do I remember… hmm…not too much.

Alright, so I’ve played and played with Sibelius a lot now. I guess it’s time to get down to business! I just adopted a cute little dog on Saturday and want to show him off. This is something I will post on my blog for my family on the east coast to view as well. So, I created a short little video of his first 24 hours in his new home. I really wish I took a little video of his bath (so cute), but I was more worried about cleaning him up than catching it on film ;).

Now it’s time to compose…wish me luck!

Yea! I put it together, it’s a little rough and probably won’t win me any awards but I like the way it turned out. After a lot of playing I took the video of Casey, our new dog, and wrote down the times when he was doing what (playing, eating, etc.). Then I chose my instruments that I wanted to represent each activity. I created the music piece according the mood that I thought Casey was portraying. I think he could be the next Clooney.

After creating the video and the music piece I couldn’t figure out how to copy the music. So I took out my new video camera (a Flip) and recorded it. Then I played both videos at once and recorded it yet again with my camera. I’m sure there are many ways that I could have gone about doing this project, but the way I did it worked out ;).

There were many times during this activity that I hit ‘road blocks’. I was having trouble downloading the program, then I had to figure out how to use the program, using my new camera, creating a short video from various clips, matching music to video, choosing instruments to match mood (or my perception of the mood), putting those two pieces together, and then recording the whole project and putting online for my Cadre-mates and family to see.

For some of my ‘road blocks’ I used the knowledge of my friends in Cadre 12. Many were helpful and I noticed that there were many people willing to lend a hand to anyone that needed a little help. I also learned from trial and error. I have a tendency to rush right into things and I hate reading directions. I know, it’s bad, but I love to learn on my own. Some teachers call it ‘discovery learning’... I would probably save myself some time if I did read the directions, but I think I might have a little ADD or maybe it’s just impatience. Either way, it worked out and I completed and actually enjoyed the process of completing the project.

It was interesting to think about my learning process. I knew nothing about Sibelius and little to nothing about composing music. And just to make it a little more interesting I had to throw in a video of my new dog. Again, it was taped with a new device and using a new program as well. Do I like to make things more difficult? Maybe. I know that I like to make things interesting, for me and for people that will be viewing my work. I was concerned about it being boring. Again, maybe this has to do with my lack of patience (boredom = lack of interest). Something else I learned about my learning is that I now know when to ask for help. This use to be difficult for me, to admit that I didn't know. But, we can't know everything. If I don't ask for help when I need it then how will I learn? I think this is a major improvement in my learning. I think that I/we feel safe in this program and with my cadre-mates. We know no one will laugh at us if we have a question. It's a reassuring feeling to know that I have 24 cadre-mates' minds to tap into.

Day Two Virt Camp

How in the last 24 hours has your perception of community changed or been challenged?

My perception of the term "community" has been altered slightly in the past 24 hours. While I understood there was more than one way to view a community I think that I have learned there are far more than I ever could have imagined.

A community could be your family, your friends, your classmates, the people in your church, your coworkers, or the people in your yoga class. We are all involved and a member of many communities and our communities change throughout our lives. However, a community does not have to be face to face like many of us were raised and have experienced. People have changed and the way we interact has changed. People are communicating online. People are finding other people with shared interests online. It is a place to build a community with people that are like minded.

As we begin our studies at Pepperdine we are forming a community. We are a group of people that have agreed to attend Pepperdine University to study Learning Technologies. We will be communicating for the most part via the web. We will be a community of learners. We will not gather together in the physical sense, we will gather online to share ideas.

Although this is different from the traditional definition of community we are still a community. As technology develops it becomes easier to form these communities. I think this can be a great way to use technology. However, I think it is still important for people to form communities in the more traditional sense as well.

Day One Virt Camp

July 14, 2009

Today is the first day of VirtCamp. After being so excited about starting school again (and a little nervous) it is finally beginning. The campus is beautiful. I am pleasantly pleased that everyone that I've met so far has been super nice and very outgoing. I think that this will make the year much easier knowing that the rest of my cadre is friendly and helpful. It is so nice to actually meet the others in the program. I have taken other online graduate level courses and it is nice to be able to meet everyone first.

Bill, Paul, and Margret have gone over the program. One aspect of the program that I like is that it is not being "taught to" us. We are active learners and our lives, careers, and backgrounds will help guide the program. I'm hoping that I'm able to secure a job so that I'm able to get the most out of this program. I am a little nervous about this but I'm sure that it will all work out.

I think that the most important aspect about my experience at VirtCamp so far is meeting my cadre. I am a lot more at ease meeting them. Everyone that I've had a chance to meet is very easy to get along with. If this is a preview as to how the year will go I know I will have an excellent learning experience.