Being silly at Snoqualmie Falls. Dr. Evil was ALL the rage back then. After this we went and looked for Laura Palmer. 

YAY for the pool party on my last week in the field. jesus is looking on with such approval. 

I AM NOT A COFFEE TABLE!!! I'M NOT I'M NOT I'M NOT I'M NOT!!!!! okay i am. 

Uh, elder petersen, this is making me a little uncomfortable. please stop touching me! 

Nothing like relaxing in the spa after a hard day of missionary work. 

Not even me in the picture. I just think it's a darn perty shot! 

Story of my life. Me, bending over and receiving a giant rip in the crotch of my pants. I think this is my best side, by the way. 

The toilet turned fountain/planter. Just like a missionary, taking something base and unrefined and making it beautiful, and dare i say, holy. 

This is George Albert Smith, the penguin i saved from a dumpster at the Seattle Children's Hospital. We've become fast friends, although, the heroine habit is starting to become bothersome. He just doesn't want to be helped. 

I was feeling a little like Batman that day. Look out Gotham, the Caped Crusader is here to save souls and kick some ass! 

Sorry kids, santa's had a few too many glasses of egg nog. 

My id and and ego sit down for a chat. Oh boys, must it always come to this? 

Fun at FAO Schwartz. My homage to "Big". 

A merry wanderer frollicking in the tulips. 

Hey!!! Can't a missionary use an outhouse without his companion's watchful eye? 

Happy missionary. 

Sad missionary. 

Curses...foiled again. Caught on tape sleeping in. 

Members are cool. They brought me over a drumset to play in our apartment. 

Contemplating the eternities on my porcelain throne. 

Tomfoolery in the MTC. A belly worthy of worship. 

GO IPPY!!! 

My Special Reflection

I came into this class not knowing what to expect. i have always considered myself a fairly intelligent person and have never been afraid of learning new technology. i enjoyed learning about many of the new technologies, but the most treasured experience was working with adobe premiere. this program is the answer to all the questions you wanted to have answered in this blog. it was by far the most challenging technology to nail down (if i can say i have it nailed down), but also the most rewarding. i count myself fortunate to be coming out of this class with a knowledge of premiere. this is a tool that i will continue to use. i had always wanted to learn premiere but never had a real reason to invest the time.

i couldn't say that my attitude has really changed toward technology and education. i've always deemed technology a necessary appendage of education, even if my own education has been somewhat devoid of technological integration. what this class has given me is a working perspective on what is really available to educators, and what may be available in the future.

i have been fascinated with the magic of celluloid since i was very young. i can think of no better use of technological integration. filmmakers are in essence just telling a story, which the human animal has been doing since it first learned how to communicate. but to be able to take the medium of oral story telling and integrate music, special effects, dramatic enhancing editing, costumes, props, etcetera raises the medium of story telling to etheral heights. teaching is no different. if educators can find ways of enhancing education through different technologies, how much better can education be? there are good movies and bad, and good teachers and bad. if we can find the technologies that work best for teaching, we can raise our ability to educate to the realm of the divine.
the ever indulgent,
dallas petersen

Lesson Plan Overview (Part II)

High School Anthropology

Standard 3
Students will demonstrate why and how ideas, attitudes, events, persons, movements, and documents have influenced humanity.

Objective 2
Identify selected periods or movements of historical change within and across cultures. http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=6310

My lesson plan will give the students a better understanding of the impact of the eighth century on shaping world civilizations. The students will be given four world areas in which they can focus their research. They can look at either China, Western Europe, Africa, or Islam. This assignment is geared toward high school Anthropology students.

The students will be put in teams and required to make a five minute digital film presenting their research. A film will allow the students to use their creative energy in studying and presenting what can be referred to as “dry material”. Because the students are presenting their work to the class they will have a vested interest in learning the material. When I present the object of this assignment I will show the class an example of a film that I have made.
To help the students with their research I will give the teams different study guides so they will know the important points to touch upon in their film.

It will be vital that I spend a day lecturing on copyright laws. It is essential that the students only use music that is appropriate. I will go over the basics of flexible copyright law so the students understand where they can get their music and how they can use it. As most/all of the visual footage will be original, copyrighted visual materials won't be discussed as in depth, but any map or "borrowed" visual image will have to be given the proper citation.

The students will spend five weeks working on a group project in which they will present to the class what they have learned about their assigned topic.
• The first week, students will be placed in groups and choose the topic they want to research. Over the course of that week they will be required to do all the research for their film. At the end of that week the teams will turn in a synopsis of what their research has uncovered.
• Over the second week the teams are to write a script and storyboard ideas for their films. I will spend part of the lecture time discussing the nature and purpose of storyboarding. I will teach the students the finer points of using a Mini-DV camera and will begin filming over this second week. At the end of the week, students are required to turn in a script and their storyboards.
• The third week will be altogether consumed with filming. At the end of the week students will be required to submit a copy of some of the footage they have been filming.
• Over the fourth and fifth week the students will be using Adobe Premiere to edit their visual masterpieces. Much time will be devoted over the first three weeks to teach the students how to use the Adobe Premiere software. On the last day of the fifth week and the first day of the sixth week the teams will present their films.

The films will be graded primarily on how well they covered their assigned information. Creativity and technique will also be under scrutiny. Throughout the course of these five weeks I will present PowerPoint lectures equipped with the requisite pictures and animations that will serve as a basic framework for the students’ research.

Become Who You Were Born To Be

Nelson Mandela Quote
Here's the quote from Nelson Mandela that we discussed in class:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

I've actually used this quote a few times during the opportunities that I have had to teach church lessons, and give talks. It is very empowering. It inspires me to lift myself above this mortal coil and become something truly great. Words like these are what has motivated me to not stop with a BA in History but to move on to graduate school so that I may eventually teach at the university level. I am by nature a dreamer. I have hopes and aspirations that I am committing my life to realizing. My religious affiliation has given me a glimpse of my eternal possibility. Mandela gives me a sense of what is truly possible, here and now.

Copyright and Security: A Reflection

I found our discussion of ethics last week to be the most rewarding time we have spent in class. That is not to say that learning the innerworkings of an aggregator was not refreshingly tittilating, but last Thursday my horizons were broadened and I was challenged, especially by the intricacies of copyright law.

I had no idea copyright law was such a behemoth of diversity. I find myself continually violating copyright when I find various pictures here and there to use for my ever increasing needs. I also find myself pondering the ethical use of music in the film I made for the lesson plan example assignment. I'm quite sure all of the music I used was protected by copyright, and by using it did I violate copyright law? Under the flexible copyright laws, I should be okay, since I used my film in an academic setting and I didn't use any of the music in its entirety. But, I did not research which pieces of music are under rigid copyright or flexible copyright. As a teacher, this is one of the most important aspects of copyright law that I can impart to my students. It is crucial that the student researches any artistic material they will use for its affixed copyright. When I have my students make films I will make sure they only use music that is protected under flexible copyright.

I find that when students, like myself, violate copyright laws it is largely due to ignorance. In this world of "easy access" due to the internet, it is essential that students are educated on all of the copyright laws to save them from ignorance. Also in this world of "easy access" comes the growing ease of the pernicious practice of cheating, which does not stem from ignorance. It is important for teachers to be aware of their students doings and capabilities. Keeping track of a student's written ability will help to quell forgery early before it becomes a serious problem. Teachers also must be aware of what their students are doing during tests. There is a veritable cornucopia of tools available to students who are looking for a little "helping hand" during a test. Teachers who make it a point not to hide behind a book during tests will help their students make the decision not to cheat.

A discussion of ethics is always valid no matter what the civilization or century. Even the more considering ethical values change with the time. As a teacher it is important to stay current with the fludity of ethics in public law, if personal ethics aren't so fluid. Teaching ethics in a classroom is just as important as teaching algebra, Alexander the Great, or the use of onomatopoeia.

Lesson Plan

Dallas Petersen
Lesson Plan

Creating Your Magnum Opus

Standard 3:
Students will investigate the diffusion and interaction of cultures from the Classical Period through the Age of Discovery.
Objective 2:
Assess the influence of advancing technologies on the development of societies.
1) Identify the significant technological developments in Tang China.
2) Investigate key technologies that diffused to Europe from Asia; e.g., gunpowder, printing.
3) Explain the consequences of the cannon and the longbow on European warfare and society.
4) Analyze the impact of movable type printing on Europe
My lesson plan will give the students a better understanding of the interaction between Europe and Asia from the Classical Period to the Age of Discovery. This assignment is geared toward high school world history students.

The students will be required to make a five minute digital film presenting their research. A film will allow the students to use their creative energy in studying and presenting what can be referred to as “dry material”. Because the students are presenting their work to the class they will have a vested interest in learning the material. When I present the object of this assignment I will show the class an example of a film that I have made.
To help the students in their research I will give the teams a study guide so they will know the important points to touch upon in their film.

The students will spend four weeks working on a group project in which they will present to the class what they have learned about their assigned topic.
• The first week, students will be placed in groups and choose the topic they want to research. Over the course of that week they will be required to do all their research for their film. At the end of that week the teams will turn in a synopsis of what their research has uncovered.
• Over the second week the teams are to write a script and storyboard ideas for their films. I will spend part of the lecture time discussing the nature and purpose of storyboarding. The students will also learn how to use Mini-DV cameras and will begin filming over this second week. At the end of the week, students are required to turn in a script and their storyboards.
• The third week will be altogether consumed with filming. At the end of the week students will be required to submit a copy of some of the footage they have been filming.
• Over the fourth week the students will be using I-Movie to edit their visual masterpieces. Time will be devoted over the first three weeks to teach the students how to use the I-Movie software. On the last day of the fourth week and the first day of the fifth week the teams will present their films.

The films will be graded primarily on how well they covered their assigned information. Creativity and technique will also be under scrutiny. Throughout the course of these four weeks I will present PowerPoint lectures equipped with the requisite pictures and animations that will serve as a basic framework for the students’ research.


Grading Rubric
1) Two page synopsis of the research to be used for film: 20 pts
2) Completed script and storyboard of film: 20 pts
3) Present example of some footage shot over the week: 10 pts
4) Presentation of films:
a) Film covered the material – 25
b) Film displays creativity – 15
c) Shows adept film and editing techniques – 10

Teaching the Technology
Fortunately Mini-DV cameras are extraordinarily user friendly. During the first week of the project each team will be provided with a camera in which they can “play” with its functions and ask me any questions about its uses. I will also provide instructions on its proper use including its safe handling. I will show the students how to turn the camera on and off, load the film, and begin recording. I will also go over some of its ancillary functions such as the different color schemes that can be chosen as well as the several light and speed functions.

In teaching the students to use IMovie I will bring in the raw footage from the film I have made and show them out to edit the footage together. I will also show them the various supplementary functions of the program. I will spend more time with this technology as this can be a little more difficult to nail down. I will also provide the students an IMovie tutorial reference guide they can use on their own as they create their films:
IMovie Tutorial
http://etc.sccoe.k12.ca.us/i2000/00mod/l_mm/imov.html

This tutorial by Nona Weiner explains the steps required in using IMovie much more thoroughly and effectively than I ever could.