Time sure flew. Not only have I completed the first week of my Coursera MOOC but I also just completed week #2! (If you missed the first post about the MOOC I’m taking, you can find it here)
Halfway through this little course, here’s a bit about my experience thus far:
At the beginning of lesson #1 there was a short, well-produced overview video about the class where the instructor explained the course, introduced the researchers on this project and discussed the assignments.
Then for the class itself, there were 3 15-20 minute videos that made up the lesson. I thought it was nice having several shorter videos rather than one long one. In addition to the streaming video, there’s an option for slideshow so you can just page through the slides (which is very helpful when trying to find a specific answer to a quiz question – trust me!), transcript which I think would be very helpful if English isn’t your first language, and a place to download the video.
There’s also a little speed button that I just discovered today so the videos can be played in real time, slowed down or speeded up. In playing with it I found 150% a bit too fast but 125% didn’t pose any difficulties for my ear and so did most of this lesson at the slightly faster speed.
On the discussion board there’s been a lot of chatter about various components of the course. People are recommending resources, asking questions and even challenging some of the statements. The instructors do pop in every so often to comment and respond so they’re obviously on top of what’s going on. Also, since this course is about China and we have a lot of Chinese speakers, they’ve been keeping a log of terms in both pinyin and characters – ie. jinshi (進士) – as a very helpful reference. And, since the text recommended for this week’s reading is only available in Chinese, there’s a group crowd-sourcing a summary translation into English which I think is pretty cool!
The last section is the dreaded ‘Assignments’ – which in my course means quizzes. One of the veteran Coursera students in the class pointed out that it’s best to take the quiz as soon as you finish the lectures so the materials are as fresh as possible – sound advice. There is a bit of a kerfuffle this week over what I agree is an oddly worded question. Depending on how you read it, you could have two different answers. So, as I was drinking coffee and stressing over which was the correct interpretation it suddenly struck me that a) my GPA won’t suffer if I get this one wrong b) the whole point of doing this is to learn something and I’m accomplishing that no matter what and c) I only need 60% to pass. So, I went with my first thought – we’ll see how that works out.
Overall, I’m very pleased with Coursera and how the class is going. The interface is easy to use, the course is interesting, and you sure can’t beat the price! Oh, and I did get 100% of the first week’s quiz.
For those who know me well, you know that sports have never been my thing. My older brother was athletic so in order to avoid competition, I avoided almost all forms of competition. It didn’t help much, my parents still compared us, but at least I wasn’t trying to directly compete or be like him. I tried my best to learn from my older brother by not doing anything he did.
I joke about my lack of knowledge when it comes to any sports. I know the basic rules of the important “All-American” sports but don’t really follow any. I know who my local sports franchises are and firmly believe that their business model is a little skewed since they make millions of dollars and still ask for handouts from the communities they live in, holding us hostage with threats of leaving if they don’t get tax breaks or bigger stadiums or key players out of jail, or whatever. I find it sad that many of my students nowadays think that their only way to be successful is through sports and pour more effort into (pick a sport) than learning. In my teaching career I have personally taught one child who became a professional athlete. 26 years of teaching, average of 24 kids in each class (actually a lot more since for about 6 years I taught every student in a school of around 700)- only one that I know of went pro. Last week I had a chance to check out a sport/competition that I think is worthy of not only our support as a community, but also one that might actually make the world a better place… Robotics.
Last week I started off by dropping by a robotics camp being put on by our local high school. The camp dealt with VEX robotics and instead of dropping by, I decided to help out where I could for the week. The campers formed teams and designed and built their own robots to complete a task. The competition had the robots move balls around the field and put them in a goal. At the end the robots had to knock a “bonus ball” into the play, score with it and return to their starting place before time ran out. Rounds were 2 minutes each and the robots were each controlled via a game controller by a “pilot.”
Throughout the week the teams of campers designed and redesigned their robot, trying out different things. Some teams were very flexible while others stuck with the same idea thinking if they try hard enough it will work. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein, one of the team captains reminded me of this quote at the start of camp, yet, his team was one that never varied from their initial design, even when it wasn’t as successful as the others on the field of play. The hardest part, as an adult, was to try to lead them down the path of discovery subtly without saying- “Look, your design isn’t working. You have time, try something else.” In the end there was a brief competition, a winning team was determined, and candy bars were given out to the winners.
The Indiana Robotics Invitational 2013
So, how is this different than many other “sports”? Well, first all the competition isn’t cutthroat. Each team (robot) competed in rounds in an alliance with (by the time all the rounds finished) all the other teams (robots) at the camp. Your team received points for the alliance winning. Scoring was 2 points for winning, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The Idea was to help every team to be better because you didn’t want to lose any match, so you would want to play with a strongest teammate you could. At the ages these kids were at, that was a difficult concept for them to grasp- you wanted everyone to be strong because in the end, the best robot would win- every match, no matter who they were paired with. In the end the oldest group of students were the winners, experience triumphing over youth.
Friday found the group at the Indiana Robotics Invitational and here, while the overall goal was similar, the robots were more complex since the task put before them was much more complex. The competition here put three teams (robots) on each side working to get as many points as possible. The round was divided into basically two sections (automated and piloted). The round began with the robots running a program for 15 seconds, then the human pilots took over. The goal- score as many points as possible. How? Well this year (each year the task is different) the robots were designed and built to throw a frisbee through a target. That was the first goal, three targets, get as many frisbees as possible through the targets. The course also had two towers, points could be gained by getting a frisbee to the top of the tower, but wait, there’s more. Just as the campers could gain points for being back in their parking place, these robots got points for hanging from the tower, the higher the robot was, the more points you received.
I know there was more to it than that, but basically that’s what had to happen. So how does that make it world changing? Let’s think about the end results from participating in competitive robotics. You learn practical applications of Science, Math, Engineering and Technology. You gain skills that could help you get into a good college and when you get out actually produce something for the betterment of mankind, not just throw a ball around until your arm (or knees or back) goes out, then sit around talking about your glory days. You could take what you learned and still use it even when you’re old and grey filled with aches and pains.
I never played sports (fine full disclosure- I played soccer in 3rd & 4th grade and briefly tried springboard diving and swimming, I was lousy) – like I said, that was my brother’s thing. So I don’t understand the competitive culture behind sports, but even now at the elementary school I see the cliques forming- the kids who are told by their pee wee league coach to wear their jerseys to school the Friday before a game, to impress everyone. Fights and trash talking happen between rival teams and this is at elementary school… so sad. I’m waiting for someone to get the bright idea of taking out a key player during recess, so their team can win. I did not see signs at the robotics competition reminding parents that it is only a game. Then again these kids were not the all-star varsity lettering BMOCs and bullies, these were geeks and nerds, people with a passion for engineering and for computers, and yes, there were girls in the mix too. I would suggest finding out if your local school has a robotics program and go talk to the kids and the mentors. I’m sure you’d be amazed at what they are doing. Unlike most high school sports, this is a program I can actually see a benefit, and will support my local team. Try this- instead of buying a jersey with the number of some guy who will retire or be traded in a few seasons (causing you to have to buy another jersey), take that money and make a donation to your local high school robotics program. Our robot overlords would approve and might let you live after they take over.
One of the Semifinal Matches at the IRI video of the entire event can be found on their YouTube ChannelIf you want more information about Robotics Programs for students check out-US FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) – One of the governing bodies for Robotics Competitions at the high school level
VEX Robotics – Another governing body that has programs for elementary schools all the way up to high schools
FIRST LEGO League – A competition for elementary school students put on by FIRST using LEGO Mindstorms robots
Jr. FIRST LEGO League – A competition dealing with engineering concepts (pre-robotics) using LEGO bricks for students from 1st to 3rd grade.
No, Cecil didn’t have a run in with a bovine; it’s Sue making a rare appearance on the feed!
Last night, on a whim, I decided to enroll in a massive open online course (or MOOC). It’s a four week class offered through Coursera called “A New History for a New China, 1700-2000: New Data and New Methods, Part 1” by Byung-Ho Lee and James Z. Lee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology*.
I’ve read about the MOOC concept and am interested to see how the whole process works. After listening to classes through The Great Courses over the years (I particularly liked the History of Ancient Egypt and Great American Music: Broadway Musicals) and trying a class on iTunes U (The Civil War and Reconstruction Era by David Blight of Yale) I’m really intrigued by adding the interactive component.
Class officially begins Monday so thus far I’ve registered – which essentially means creating an account on the website by giving them my name, email and location – and nosing around the course pages a bit. The course homepage contains links to the course outline, grading scheme, teachers’ bios, discussion forums, and a wiki for the class.
Grading scheme???? Eep! What have I gotten myself into? After reading that there will be a brief quiz each week and an open book final exam, it looks like there’s no need to fret – yet.
Even though we’re still 2 days, 11 hours and 14 minutes before class starts (I know this thanks to the helpful timer on my dashboard page) there’s a lot of action over on the discussion board. So far it seems to be falling into two groups. First people are discussing where to find the recommended texts. Then people are introducing themselves and saying where they’re from – so far I’ve seen Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and lots from China. Wow! I can’t wait to see what class discussions are like!
So, that’s where I currently am with this adventure. The first lecture video will be available in 2 days, 11 hours and 10 minutes.
* As a brief note, I’m leaving the course content to the folks at Coursera. If you actually have interest in A New History for a New China, 1700-2000, ask me later.
I just wanted to make this quick blog post before I dash off to sunny Southern California to enjoy all that is the San Diego Comic-Con. I’m really looking forward to all the fun that makes up the San Diego Comic-Con. The great people watching the meeting with friends, the great inspiring sessions and the Exhibit Hall that I hear is going to be the better than it ever has been. I’ll try to post a little when I’m not overwhelmed by the sheer volume of all the greatness that makes up the San Diego Comic-Con. Though I’ll probably be way too busy rubbing elbows with the stars of TV and film. That and going to all the wonderful parties and other events that happen during the week of San Diego Comic-Con. Who knows? Maybe I’ll bring back one of the many Comic-Con Exclusives from San Diego Comic-Con and let you see how wonderfully special it is, and therefore how wonderfully special I am for having it. I’ll try to think of you as you sit back watching Morgan Spurlock’s Documentary on Comic-Con, but I’ll probably forget as I bask in the awesomeness that makes up the San Diego Comic-Con.
Enough already. I’m doing a little online venting because I will once again miss out on Comic-Con this year and unfortunately almost every geek feed, merchant, webcomic, personality, and news outlet I follow has only been talking about it for the past few weeks, if not months. I know it will be a zoo. I know I would never ever consider waiting in line for any of the really big panels, but fortunately over the years I have learned if you like comic books, those panels tend to be easy to get in. I remember one year thinking I was going to wait in line and being waved in to a session with this one writer I really liked. Robert Kirkman was his name – like that’s ever going to happen again. Getting almost front row in a session by David Petersen where he talked about his process and drew. Same thing with Jeff Smith. So many cool things to see and so many great people to learn from. When I signed up to get a Professional Badge years ago I was so excited and now having it now three years, I have been to SDCC once since then. I do feel lucky I to have been three times, and really enjoyed myself. I know many people who have never been, who deserve to go more than I do. Last year I chose MINI Takes The States over Comic-Con and had a great time with so many wonderful friends, so no real big regrets. Yet every year around this time I feel the pull of the coast (which having grown up in Southern California is strange, because I ran screaming away from it and the California culture). I will come back to Comic-Con sometime, but probably not for the foreseeable future.
For those who will be enjoying Preview Night tomorrow- I am jealous, but there is nothing I can do about it, so I salute you and hope you have powers and abilities beyond those of mortal geeks so you may survive the experience. If you were able to snag a badge for any day… Yes, I’m jealous of you too. Have lots of fun, enjoy and take some time to support some of the fine comic creators who are there by buying something from them- expensive original art is a nice start. Without these comic creators, there would be no Comic in Comic-Con, plus there wouldn’t be a whole lot of these really cool movies or TV shows- that seem to have taken over the convention.
’nuff said.
I don’t cook… Ever. Okay once or twice a year and it’s usually a casserole of some kind. I make a killer mac & cheese- It’s genetic, kinda my mutant super power. No recipe needed, I just throw stuff together and it’s not that bad. However sometimes you have to cook, sometimes you need to go back and try something that you grew up with (like Mac & Cheese) and tweak it. I think most generations do this. Sometimes by choice, other times because Grandma never really wrote down the recipe and and while everyone kinda knows the ingredients, they just can’t capture what they remember. Hint- the secret is usually powdered bat entrails, but they are really hard to find.
So recently some friends decided to get together and do something interesting- a Beer & Food Pairing Dinner. Everyone bring a couple dishes and some beer to go along with them. While wine pairings have been going on for years, beer pairings are fairly new. Our friend, Dieter, Brewmaster at Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva, North Carolina is great at this.. Sadly, we didn’t had the opportunity to chat with him before this dinner. So as Sue and I sat around we thought about dishes we liked and what might work with them. The internet came to the rescue and Iwe found a number of sites dealing with parings and what goes with what. We even looked at the one suggested by the hosts. After a quick trip to Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati we had some of what we needed. Now it was up to me to cook.
It being summer I volunteered to figure out our portion of the menu and decided to use some family recipes, since I figured most people would not know about these and I could always blame my family if they were inedible. So I started out with my mom’s infamous barbecue sauce, this was a staple of summer when I was growing up always done on pork ribs. Each generation changes the recipe a little this one started off as my grandmother’s barbecue sauce and as the story goes- my mother, as a newlywed, accidentally mixed up the ingredients. So when my dad had this later at my grandmother’s house he thought there was something wrong. Later they found out that when the recipe said “mustard” it meant to put in wet mustard… my mother had put in dry mustard which kicked it up a notch or two. Since then, dry mustard has always been used in the recipe. When I got married I tried it out and made another change, instead of pork ribs (which it still is great on) I decided slow cooking a pork loin in the sauce was an improvement.
The other family recipe we are going with are “Hermits.” This was the cookie Grandfather Nelson would make anytime he visited, so it’s my comfort food. I taste them and I think of him and all he meant to me, so these are special cookies for me and I hope I do them justice. Especially since the first batch I had to throw out because we broke the mixer attachment to our food processor and I thought that no one should have to eat little pieces of broken plastic in their cookies.
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Here are the ancient family recipes (nutritional value undetermined):Pulled pork in the infamous barbecue sauceSandie’s Barbecue Sauce (this has been quadrupled from the original to provide what I felt was enough sauce)
1 cup vinegar
2 cups water
8 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons pepper
6 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 thick slices of a lemon
4 sliced onions
1 cup butter
2 cups ketchup
8 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1-2 slabs of babyback ribs
pre-boil ribs on stove
Makes sauce by combining the above, heat on stove
either grill ribs outside or in oven at 350-400 degrees
constantly baste ribs with the sauce
My changes- use a good size hunk of pork loin (large enough to fit in a slow cooker)
Put pork loin (uncooked) into slow cooker
Make sauce by combining on stove
pour sauce over the pork loin
set to cook for 8-10 hours
After around 6 hours tear pork loin to make pulled pork.
Let it set the rest of the time.
It is better reheated so making it a day out isn’t a bad idea.
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Hermits before cuttingHermits
3/4 cup of shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup (about three small snack size boxes) raisins
Mix together the first four ingredients
Stir in the last six ingredients (raisins last)
Shape into rolls
Sprinkle sugar on them
put three across on a cookie sheet, flatten somewhat
Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees for chewy ones, longer for crispier ones
cut rolls diagonally to make individual cookies.
How have I tweaked the recipe? I added another small snack box of raisins…
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There are those people who are cooking geeks, My grandfather loved to bake. My older brother loves to spend hours getting things just right for a meal. Me, I’m happy heading over to the pizza place. That said these little bits from my culinary genetics are things that not only taste great, but for me hold so many memories that even if they didn’t I still would take time every few years to make them. Sue has some of the same dishes from her family, but I’ll leave those for another day… since we usually have them over the Holidays.
I wonder which MINI I should drive?
Remember Drivers Ed? Some high school teacher earning a little extra money by taking their life in their hands teaching kids with learner’s permits how to parallel park. This was definitely nothing like that. Miles Ahead is a MINI Performance Motoring School held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Instructors are race car drivers. Sue and I had the opportunity to be a part of their third Performance Motoring class yesterday, which was interesting, to put it mildly. They have had a MINI Teen Motoring School since 2011 that I would recommend for any parent who wants their young driver to be safer on the road.
So Sunday morning we arrived at the hallowed ground of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see three rows of MINI Coopers (2013 White Silver & Black Automatic John Cooper Works MINI Cooper S Hardtop models to be precise) Each with names on the roof denoting the driver of that car for the day. Two cars had two names on them, everyone else was going solo. The school started with introductions and a brief history of the track. We were told the philosophy of the school – which was to give us the “basic tools to enjoy a track day or autocross.” In my opinion the key component to any driving school is the opportunity to practice what you have been taught in the classroom. To do this Miles Ahead uses a portion of the F1 road course for instruction along with a large parking lot. For the morning we were divided into three groups of four MINIs- Each group rotated from station to station. Communication was via radio only, and was one way- instructor to students. As a teacher all I could think of was how funny this scenario would be in a school… or how sad that so many classrooms are still like this- teacher talks- kids listen.
During the morning we focused on the basics, apexes, skidding, braking, testing our limits and those of the JCW MINI. While many true enthusiasts might giggle at the use of an automatic, I really think that it took away one element that would have detracted from what we were working on. If I had to worry about shifting on top of everything else… I just remember my last instructor at Phil Wick’s as we headed around the course- “Now aim towards that cone, when I tell you hit the brakes, shift into second, and turn hard right. – Now!” I was flummoxed and confused at what to do first…his response – “That’s OK we’ll get it next time around.” We didn’t get it the next time, or the time after that.
Starting out on the skid pad, it was not pretty.
After lunch three groups became two as we headed out to practice the skills we hopefully picked up in the morning on the road course and the autocross. Sue and I may have needed a little more time to pick up skills… Miles Ahead had opened up the road course portion of the Speedway (the inner section turning it into a short course). Run south, run north, change lead car, rinse and repeat. As drivers got more confident with their abilities and the course, speeds increased. There was a time when the instructors stopped to go over the importance of hitting the apex… something I rarely saw them do. I had been driving most of the time- after attempting to make a driver switch when we weren’t supposed to. So when Sue finally got to take the wheel, everyone was limber and going at a pretty quick pace. When the radio crackled with “Now let’s go faster” I could see Sue visibly tense up. Fortunately for her it was only for two laps before we switched to the autocross practice.
I did an autocross in 2006, it was a funny story, I was terrible at it- after three runs, they told me I had disqualified on each run for going the wrong way… For those people who don’t know about autocross, a track is drawn on large flat area – parking lot, tarmac, etc. and defined further by cones. If you knock over a cone, time is added. This course had been created by changing the area where the skid pad was in the morning. Sue took the MINI and practiced on the course. When asked, I decided to turn it down and said “Sue didn’t have that much time on the road, let her have my time on the autocross.” Sue was back to having some fun and I did what I usually do on track days, take pictures– which made me happy.
On the Autocross, missing cones right & left!
After a quick break we went out for the last part of the day with the warning (advice) to not push it, to try using what we had learned and to take it up a notch or two – but nothing wild and crazy. So Sue started off on the road course and I hung on for dear life. “Keep proper spacing… keep looking ahead…” kept coming from the radio, I think they could have just recorded it and put it on an infinite loop. I started to try to help Sue as I could tell, after 23 years of marriage, that she was getting a bit frustrated. After one lap, I remembered how I felt after Sue would try to give me advice on the golf course and shut my mouth and held on. When my turn came, I felt a little out of it, but decided that I needed to go at my pace, and if I end up with the nickname Captain Slow, so be it. I practiced on hitting the apex and trail braking and trying to put into practice what I had heard in the classroom and practiced in the morning. The last lap I was in the back position and all I heard over the radio was “Maybe that lap was a little too hot” I had no idea what had happened because I was much more than 5 car lengths away from the car in front of me.
After each driver in our group attempted four consistent laps on the autocross, we returned to the classroom and had the option of taking a “hot lap” with an instructor… I turned them down, since I know that going as fast as a professional driver can go through all those turns I would probably just throw up, and the cleaning bill for those Alcantara seats would be outrageous.
As I think about how things went I ask myself- How good was I my third day of teaching? Don’t ask. I feel sorry for that class. How good was my comic on the third strip? Don’t ask. I can’t believe I actually published some of the early strips. To judge Miles Ahead completely on their third class is unfair. I had a nice day, driving my version of fast, and learned (and refined) some skills. I should have asked questions of the instructors when I had the chance. While that is not normally in my nature, it is something that might have improved the experience for both Sue and for me. All I know from feedback is we as a class did “great!” and made “lot’s of improvement!” I had an art teacher in high school who would tell every student their work was “Great! I love it!” did we ever learn how to make our art better? Not really. Did they meet their mission, to give us the basic tools to enjoy a track day or autocross? I’m not sure Sue gained any confidence in her abilities – if anything she may have lost some. For me- I’m fine, but then again I’m not as competitive as Sue, or worried about what other people think. She’s still going over the autocross times (she took a photo of them), and muttering about how she still doesn’t know what she needs to do to improve.
On the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Now- Would I do it again, if given the chance? Yes. Would Sue? I’m not so sure about that. If she did, it wouldn’t be in a shared car- we had been warned, but that was our only option for the day. Sharing a car made us both feel behind as whoever was driving was always trying to catch up. That and being only the third class I’m guessing the instructors really hadn’t figured out how to deal with switching drivers. I think this experience has also reminded us that if we really want learn something, we are going to have to ask questions (difficult when you are told and reminded not to use the radios) and be more assertive. I think if we had spoken up more we would have gotten the feedback we needed, then again- Sue did take one of those “hot laps” and asked the driver specifically about how he knew it was time to brake or turn, the answer- “You know in your gut.”
I’d like to thank Ted, Stephan, Kevin, Dan, and Ryan for putting up with us (and the monkey) for the day, and if a Law Enforcement Officer pulls me over anytime soon, I’ll make sure to tell them that you said I was supposed to practice my skills and they should talk with you, I know I’ve got your cards somewhere around here.
If you want to see most of the pictures of the day check out my Flickr Set.
Some say he’s just a stuffed monkey but all we know is he’s called “The Stig!”
“Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.” –Simon Pegg
That is one of my favorite quotes about being a geek, but for me, I am torn sometimes between what I am really passionate about. I divide my passions into a couple categories: Comics, MINI Coopers, Geocaching, and now a little Lego. Aside from that there’s some dabbling in Doctor Who, Star Trek, (old school) Star Wars, Technology, Animation, Gaming, and well, you get the idea. So while a Sports Geek may only have to deal with this competition during those brief times when various seasons overlap, I tend to have to deal with it all the time.
A colorful chart showing my divided loyalties… Charts make any article look academic and important.
Am I a full-fledged Geek when it comes to my passions? Not really, as I have traveled and met other geeks there are times when I feel unworthy to call myself a geek. Ask me in general about Doctor Who- I’m covered. Ask me specifics about a certain episode from the time of the 4th Doctor (the one with the scarf) Heck, pick a Doctor… I know people who know it, I’m just not one of them. Ask me about a specific comic book series, I probably can answer it, ask me about who the writer or artist was… maybe. In general I’m pretty good with Geocaching rules, but there are people out ther much more knowledgable than me, fortunately I live with someone I can consult with, and it’s not Cecil. I try to know my limitations… Compared to a “normal” person? Yes, I have more knowledge and am passionate about some pretty strange stuff, but I know people who make me look normal. No matter what, I seem to be the goto guy among many of my friends when it comes to all of these topics- Sometimes I feel like I need to study before going out with certain groups. I do love going to comic book conventions, I feel as if I belong, I’m with “My People” but there is always a part of me that thinks someone will point and scream “Fraud!” since I don’t have the exact encyclopedic knowledge as others. Going back to sports, years ago my parents gave me for my birthday a Brooklyn Dodgers jacket. I liked it cause it was retro, and my grandfather grew up on Brooklyn. Stupidly I wore it to a baseball game one day- It seemed like everyone asked me about important Dodgers games- I was lost. That jacket now has a special place in my closet, I rarely take it out, because I’m not a baseball geek. I still think it’s cool, and one of these days I might just wear it again, but for now…
This quandary about my divided loyalties tends to come up more in the Summer when I have a little more idle time on my hands and try to figure out what I should do with it. Yes, I know, “pet the cat” is always an acceptable answer and Hemi appreciates that you have not forgotten him. Do I detail Alfie and Tink? Do I draw a comic? Do I read a comic? Do I finish sorting my Lego bricks and start building a MOC (Legospeak for My Own Creation)? Do I go and find a cache to continue my streak (the streak as of today stands at two days in a row)? Do I place a cache? Do I prepare for my presentation about iPads? Do I work on stuff for school? Do I finally look at some games that I have never opened? Do I just draw something, anything? Do I clean around the house? Do I pet the cat? Do I work on a blog entry about the issues of being a geek with too many passions? I know I’m not alone in this crisis, but focus can sometimes be a little – Look! A squirrel!
Why do I bring this up? I’m working on a variety of little projects right now, one of those being a long My Geek Odyssey adventure story… and I’m stuck on where to start. I have ideas- too many ideas to rationally deal with, which is why the comic, even with it being summer, is coming out sporadically. I’m trying to figure out when do I start it, knowing once it’s started I’m going to need to work hard and more importantly, consistently on it to finish it. I’ve decided to try some different things out and start posting other bits and bobs as I get this literal monkey off my back. Some posts will cover other areas of my geekiness. For example: I’m driving a MINI Cooper on a track on Sunday as part of a performance driving school. I appreciate your patience as I tackle something which has morphed into my creativity challenge of the year, I hope you like the end result… I hope I like the end result.
Tink at Deal’s Gap waiting for the Midnight Run on the Tail of the Dragon.
My first MINI cooper was purchased in 2005 after a horrible board meeting that I was in charge of, normally after a bad day I have some candy, or ice cream, this tells you how bad I thought the meeting had gone. So after a year of ownership was was knee deep in the MINI community and I had the chance to purchase a “classic” Mini. Right hand drive, 4 speed, in pretty good shape at least that’s what I thought.
“Tink” (longtime readers of the comic will know of stories that involve Tink) has been a faithful companion and has been on many long road trips. This is not a tale of the joys of owning a classic car, this is a story of neglect. Well after the initial fun of owning a classic started to wear off. Not that it really ever does, but a MINI or a Mini are fun cars to drive so it becomes a choice as to which fun car do you drive. If I had the choice between a Mini and a Honda, I think Tink would get out of the garage a lot more.
First thing you need to understand is that We have a 2 car garage… and three cars. So while it is easy to fit all them in, it can be a chore to get Tink out since it requires playing Tetris to move the cars around. Not being a morning person, it is usually easier to take the Roadster since all I have to do to is pull straight out. Besides that, I do not consider myself an expert on cars- yes, I like them but turning a wrench is not something I ever learned to do when growing up. I was taught to take the car to a mechanic and nod my head knowingly, while he spoke in some weird language. When he was done, I handed him money and drove off. This is not the best course of action with a classic car, you really should understand something about how the car works… silly me.
Tink in North Carolina
So after purchasing Tink I took her to my regular MINI mechanic who gave her the once over and told me there would be some work that needed to be done. No problem, I was happy to get the car running well. Parts were ordered, we started heading off on some trips and ended up breaking a few things along the way (steering? who needs steering?). So when we got back and the parts were not to be seen and we realized that a steering rod for a right hand drive car is different than one for a left hand drive, it was time to start considering other options. That and the mechanic I was using was planning to move. I found a great little garage that tore the car down, and gave me a laundry list of things that needed to be fixed. I nodded knowingly and wrote a check.
Tink was doing great and then winter kicked in… the garage became the home of the poor little Mini and as Spring arrived with rain, there she stayed. When I finally got around to getting her out of the garage… her battery was dead. This was the original battery so I simply replaced it (Yes, I did it myself) and off we went. There were a few other issues as the years went on mostly due to my neglect. Which is what you really can’t do. So when summer arrived this year after ignoring Tink for over a year (The new Roadster was such fun to drive…) I gave her a once over- flat tires, and again a dead battery. So I added getting Tink working to my summer to do list. Today I started on that project. First was getting the old battery charged, or replaced. Fortunately, the battery was basically unused so recharging (for free) was all it needed. Now, I’ve gone ahead and ordered tires, now if you think this is a simple task, it kinda sorta is. After a quick search online I decided to call the local tire store I go to and ask if they could get them for me.
Yes, I can turn a wrench… If I had one and knew what to do with it!
“Do you carry Yokohama?” I asked.
“Yes, what size do you need?”
“165-70-10”
“Did you say 10?”
“Yes?” I could then hear tapping at the computer.
“It might take a while, can I call you back?”
“Sure”
For those not in the know 10 is the diameter of the wheel the tire goes on,to compare, the Roadster has 17’s. 10’s to quote MINI advertising are “Not Normal.” When I got the call back, I decided that the white walls at $300 each were a little too much for Tink (although they would have been cute), but in about a week I will have four new tires (the tires that were originally on Tink when I bought her are still on her, 3 Dunlops and a Yokohama) and it will be time to go and play a bit. Actually play time will happen after I have her checked out by the mechanic to make sure everything is still working and we didn’t end up with mice or raccoons nesting in the engine.
So what have I learned about classic car ownership? I really need a three car garage. I need some tools, and I need to learn a bit more about cars. Mostly I cannot neglect the classic car, I need to take time, at least once a month, to check on things and keep the battery on a tender (which I do own) when I’m not planning on driving.
Crowds around the Lego CUUSOO unveiling at Brickworld Chicago
After some deliberation as to when we would head north and for how long- Sue Cecil, and I headed up Thursday to Brickworld Chicago. If you had told me at this time last year that I would be going to a Lego show I probably would have laughed. In the Fall of last year when I had just started my new job, I decided to to attend Brickworld Fort Wayne to learn more since both schools had spent a bazillion dollars on Lego. I then joined the IndyLUG specifically to learn more and see about creating a partnership between the schools and the AFOL (Adult Fans Of Lego) Community. On the way back I picked up my first kit (a Sopwith Camel) to see if I still could build after not touching Lego bricks since I was 12. It’s funny how jobs change your outlook on things. So after a year as a Magnet Integration Specialist I’m off to Chicago and my 4th Lego event. I decided to take this one easy and not display (I’m glad, my builds are still amateurish in comparison), just see what it’s about and decide how involved I want to get next year.
“I’m a leaf on the wind”
Unlike other Lego events I have attended this one had actual workshops and presentations not just displays. While I like looking at the creativity involved in a MOC (My Own Creation) I was really happy to learn some stuff while I was in attendance. Without even time to check my goodie bag and get my badge on I headed to my first workshop on Microbuilding. Microbuilding is where you build things in a smaller scale, a 1×2 plate is about the size of a car in this scale, and that tends to be one of many constants. Being late I missed a bit of the lecture portion and had to dive right in making a used car lot. As I look at how I want to proceed in my Lego Journey This is a type of build that really fascinates me. It requires a lot of creativity and unique uses for brick. By the time the workshop was over I had a couple ideas, a lighting system for my build and over two gallon bags of miscellaneous brick to build with. Not a bad start. More information about microbuilds can be found at the TwinLUG Website. My thoughts right now are to play around in this scale and see what I can create that might be worthy of display next year.
So after a quick bite to eat I headed to my next workshop presented by a Legoland designer. This was fascinating, but in the immortal words of Barbie, “Math class is hard!” I knew I was in trouble, not about the math, but when he said “Lego Digital Designer is a great program, but it is really difficult to use if you don’t have a mouse.” Using the school laptop without a mouse, I decided after a few valiant efforts that I would head downstairs and check out the exhibit hall.
Brickworld Chicago gives builders time to get their creations built, unlike some other shows where it seems like there is a bit of rush with only a day to put things together, here you have two. So my first trip to the exhibit hall I saw a number of empty tables, some of which remained so up until Friday night. As I looked around one thing I really liked was the variety of displays. Since I had only attended local shows previously you tend to see the same displays from the same people. It’s kind of like going to MINI car club meeting, you see the same cars and you can only say “nice car” so many times. My Flickr Page has some shots of various displays, but I know I missed a lot and some still weren’t finished when I did my final walk through Friday night. Of the displays that stuck in my mind I’d start with “The Wizard of Oz” this was massive and plotted out the entire film scene by scene. It was awesome and one of many displays that took inspiration from literature and film, There were reproductions of comic book characters and pages, scenes from Charlie and Factory, video game builds, even Herschel’s Farmhouse from the Walking Dead. TV themed builds are works of love from people who really are into a specific show. If you look at Lego online you are bound to discover the Firefly/Serenity build. When I went to Fort Wayne I dreamed of seeing this one. It is massive and completely accurate down to the Minifigs. It wasn’t at Fort Wayne, it wasn’t in Greenfield, it wasn’t at Brickworld Indy, it was in Chicago! Yes, it was impressive. Take a look at my Flickr to see some of the interesting things there (not everything)
As you wander you notice that displays tend to fall into a couple different groups- Science Fiction, Fantasy, Medieval, etc, and Trains. A great number of builds have some sort of train on them no matter what genre they are. It might be futuristic mine cars on an alien planet, it might be a steampunk train going around a fantasy city… trains seem to be a big part of Lego culture.
So Friday rolls around and I head back to attend some sessions, I had a number highlighted and ended getting to two. The first one was KidsWorld which may seem strange, but there is some logic to it. As an educator, I always like to see how other people present ideas to kids and what these experts think are the important facts that all kids should know. The room was mostly younger kids averaging somewhere around 1st or 2nd grade. THe Talk focused on building techniques specifically the three things you need for a superior build- Sturdy construction, Detail, and you have to like it. The talk focused a lot on SNOT (Studs Not On Top). I doubt I would normally hear a presenter showing a slide and asking “Where do you see the SNOT on this?” The 9 year old in me wanted to giggle. The session ended with us all heading to the Exhibit Hall and looking at various builds and seeing how they used the techniques outlined. I know I learned a lot, and now I just need to see about putting it into practice.
I then decided to look at Steampunk in Lego which was fascinating. The presentation went on to highlight many Steampunk artists that work in Lego and what they have built along with the history of Steampunk inside and outside Lego. With Lego Master Builder Academy Level 4 being Steampunk… it is definitely looking up for Lego & Stempunk although it looks like I’m going to need a lot more nets and ice cream scoops!
“We’re off to see the Wizard!”
The last session I attended was a Q&A from Lego about their support of the Lego Community. It was interesting as a newbie to see how Lego goes about rewarding the various clubs around the country and just how many clubs there are!
The day concluded with something special, the unveiling of a new kit. This happened during the Charity Auction which I attempted to participate in kind of like the one at C2E2 the prices went sky high quickly, good for the charities, but for a newcomer, I was overwhelmed. So the kits were brought out one at a time for the film crews and the audience. The first one was massive… the Sydney Opera House. The funny thing was so many people were awed, not by the build, but by the 48×48 blue baseplate it sat on. After everyone stopped there the CUUSOO set was unveiled. For those unaware of Lego CUUSOO is another way in which lego reaches out to their fan base. Enthusiasts build a creation, post pictures and try to get votes, any that get 10,000 votes are then considered to be made into a kit. There are licensing issues, and other things that may stop a kit, but it is a really cool process. So in January they should have ready to be in stores the Mars Curiosity Rover! I’m sure my vote helped.
And for me that was Brickworld Chicago. Did I miss out on things? Yes, the Pinewood Derby races, the rubberband powered dragster races, the boat races in the hotel pool, and many other activities… I also missed the public days of the show, so I could visit another thing on my Geek Bucket List, The Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum in Elkhart, IN.
Look! Up on the bookshelf!
Yes, I’m a geek, I collect Comics and have been doing so since I was a kid. I tend to stay away from many of the other Comic Book related stuff out there, unless it really jumps. I’m still kicking myself for not getting a Rocketeer Helmet when they first came out… Some people aren’t like that. One has taken his collecting to a new level by building a museum. Now years ago there was a museum in Indianapolis that focused on Comics, it had some really interesting pieces, and went bankrupt within months of opening. This one, is a little different. Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum is in a building that looks like the Hall of Justice from Superfriends. It is an amazing place for the comic book geek. Sue, Cecil, and I headed to Elkhart on the way home from Chicago for their Superman Day (Superman’s 75th Anniversary and the release of the new movie) Avoiding a bit of the rain we came in to a crowded place with kids and people dressed up. The prize of the collection is Adam West’s Batman costume, donated by Adam West. Outside of that the walls of both floors are filled with comic books, and comic book related memorabilia. Fortunately, they are divided by hero, so the Flash section was easy to find. I was very impressed and recommend if you happen to be a comic book geek to take the detour and head to the Hall of Heroes. Check out the Flickr Set of the visit While there is did pick up a Superman Robot Sculpture by Jimm Showman… I’d really like to get a few of his robots for around school.
Today was EdCamp Indy! I know you’d be amazed to know I talked about Comics in the Classroom, here’s the basics of my presentation including things that I had completely forgot since I was presenting off the cuff. reminding me that I really need to get a basic comics in education presentation done and put it on the cloud for just such occasions…
The Basics of Comic Creation-
Have the students consider using non-photo blue pencils. I recommend Prismacolor Verithin which can be found at most art supply stores or online. What this allows you to do is draw your artwork then ink over it (I use various sized Micron pens) and when you scan your artwork (in black & white- bitmap) the blue line disappears so it’s like having a magical eraser. You can introduce the concept of chromakey to older students at this time. Many companies produce “comic book paper” which has the margins in blue line.
Right now I use Photoshop Elements to color and add words to my comic- it is fairly inexpensive (comes free with most scanners). “Comic Life” is a great place to start and is available in Mac or PC (Learn something new every day) if you want to discuss balloon placement and layout since you can use photographs. Manga Studio was also mentioned as a PC program for comic creation.
But I Can’t Draw!-
Just like any skill, drawing is something that comes with time and practice. The more you do anything, the better you get. My suggestion to start would be to use Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad in your classroom for some quick drawing lessons. These are basic and can replace a day or two of penmanship lessons in the lower grades since it will actually help the students gain more fine motor control than just making a page of lower case d’s. There are 180 lessons in the book so it fits almost perfectly with a school year. He also has switched to lessons online which shows just how old I am, I used Mark Kistler with my first graders. For real simple basics try Ed Emberly books. For specific characters you can always use some the Walt Foster “How to Draw” books. For classic Superheroes How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way or Ty Templeton’s How to Draw the DC Universe (unfortunately some of these might be out of print and therefore really pricey).
As for putting together a comic look at Comic Book Design by Gary Spencer Millidge
Project Ideas-
You can start with something simple like taking a scene from a story and having the students recreate that in comic book form. As readers they will need to focus on the details in the descriptions so those are included in the illustration. What color was Laura’s dress? her hair? What happened when she filled her pocket with the smooth rocks from the shore of the lake? All of these need to be included to help tell the story.
Go to Unshelved.com and look at the entries in their book club while as this became popular they added more reviews many are still done in Comic Book Form like these examples from Gregor the Overlander or The Lightning Thief . Have the students do a comic form review of a book.
Have them use a comic to illustrate a science experiment or a scientific principle.
One school I work with has their 6th graders create a superhero based on the powers and abilities from an animal adaptation. The students then create a secret origin and draw the comic version, sharing it with other students at a school “Comic-Con.”
Resources-Reading With Pictures– Online 501c3 promoting comic books in the classroom. The group has an online community for sharing lessons. After the success of their Kickstarter campaign for their Anthology, they have completed another campaign for the “Graphic Textbook” which should be available in late 2013. The textbook is an experiment in how to use comics to deliver classroom content. It includes such stories as “Abraham Lincoln: Action President, and a brief explanation of Newton’s laws of motion.
Diamond Bookshelf– the online (and print newsletter from Diamond Comics which is the company that distributes comics to all those comic shops everywhere. The newsletter is focused on the benefits of comics in libraries and classrooms.
Classroom Comic Library elementary to middle school (or at least a start)-
Use the A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids Comics as another resource or find your nearest comic shop and chat with them.
Bone by Jeff SmithAmelia Rules by Jimmy GownleyMouse Guard by David PetersenLegends of the Guard is a great way to look at how various writers and artists deal with working in the same “universe”
The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie YoungThe Dreamland Chronicles by Christian Scott Salva This is originally a webcomic so you can read the entire thing online.
Little Guardians by Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis Also a web comic Ed & Lee are from Indianapolis and I’m sure would love to chat with kids about the process.
Solution Squad by Jim McClain & Rose McClain Jim is a middle school math teacher who uses his heroes to help his students understand math concepts. He has done some great presentations on using comics in the classroom.
-I know a lot of this is in the genre of fantasy… sue me, it’s what I like.
Questions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?-
I have addressed a few of the questions already but one that came up that needs to be addressed was “Do you let your reluctant readers read comics?” While many people would say “No,” I have a different viewpoint in my classroom. When the year starts off and I give them tour of the classroom we stop at the graphic novel section of my classroom library and I let the students know the rules of what you can and cannot read in the classroom. Comics BOOKS are fine reading material, comic STRIPs… not so much. A comic book follows the rules of any story- there are characters, setting, plot, and other pieces determined by the specific genre of the piece… a comic STRIP, not so much. A comic STRIP (Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes, etc.) is kind of like reading a joke book. Three panels then the punchline… so unless you are working on just phonics, sequencing, or vocabulary skills, a student isn’t going to get anything out of it. A comic book, or trade paperback, encompasses a story arc, and deals with things I can talk to the student about in a conference. Orson Scott Card once told the story of when he was a graduate assistant (and I paraphrase) Everyone else was using great works of literature in their classes, he looked at what the students needed to know and created a reading list in which he could teach those topics… instead of Hamlet he had the class read The Princess Bride. The students weren’t bogged down by the language and actually could see the concepts he wanted them to know. If I want my students to understand the “Heroes Journey” I won’t have 4th graders read Beowulf, but I might have them read Gregor the Overlander which is engaging to them and has the same concepts or maybe Binky the Space Cat is an even better choice to start off with.
So What do I do Next?-
Go out to your local comic shop and talk to them about what they think would be good ideas for your classroom or library. Ignore the concept of “Comic Book Guy” from the Simpson- if he exists his comic shop is soon to go bankrupt.
Remember to celebrate Free Comic Book Day the first weekend in May and the little known Halloween Comicfest– it happened last year, haven’t heard yet about it going on this year.
Check out your local Comic Book Convention! Fort Wayne has one, Kokomo has one, Indianapolis is getting one in March. This is just a sampling of what’s available.
Just remember- to check out every comic you put in your library, just because it’s a comic doesn’t mean it is safe for your classroom. Only you know what your community will allow.
