What is the most important question I have ever asked? Now, that, is a good question. I typically ask questions to learn new information or to open a conversation, but there are some questions that I ask that seek more meaningful answers.
The question I bring to the table and the answer to the first question posed in this post is: What are my post high school plans? This question set a catalyst which brings me to where I am now. As with any question, I first had to consider all the possibilities before deciding on an answer.
My options were wide open of what to do after I graduated. I knew I wanted to go to college and further my education, but the where and what were still uncertain. If you were to picture a tree of possible options, the first division of branches was between going to a University and study Computer Engineering or go to art school to study computer animation. It wasn't an easy decision, but after discussing it with my parents, friends, teachers, mentors, and personal introspective thinking... I think you know what decision I went with.
I know my passion for art will remain with me wherever I go, but I doubt I would ever go back to study engineering if I didn't do that right out of high school. This was a more secure choice when considering my entire future. I wanted to build my house on a rock foundation instead of building it on sand.
With computer engineering decided, I still hadn't completely answered my question. I didn't know definitively where I was going to go, how I would pay for it, where I would live, and all of those details. Along with the tree metaphor, the next major branch was deciding on the school. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seemed like a really great fit since it was in-state, had a top engineering program, and had so many resources and opportunities for my future.
There were still details that became fleshed out in the coming months before I came here. However, this question, and the following series of answers shape where I am now, and the path where my future will lead me. I will close with this post with the following passage: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
You can never know the answer until you ask the right question.
September 24, 2010
September 17, 2010
Blog #2- Initiative
Ever since I was little, I've always loved animation and cartoons. As I got older, I grew from just watching them to making cartoons of my own. So when my local library brought up the interest in an animation class, I jumped on the opportunity to teach my own class.
By the end of December I was teaching my first class in traditional paper/pencil animation. For this, I had to work conjointly with the library staff and on an independent level. They requested just a simple class, but I aspired to go beyond their expectations and do a really memorable experience. I had to design lesson planes, buy different supplies, and showcase animated examples to present to my students. The class was largely for a late elementary school and junior high audience and held roughly ten to fifteen students.
My first class was somewhat difficult since I didn't know exactly what to expect. I was well prepared, yet unsure of what exactly to expect. Once the students arrive, they were mostly shy and quiet so I had to find a way to get them to talk and be open in discussing animation.
For the main project on my first class, we all drew story boards and used them to make flipbooks. I went around helping each student if they needed it and offered encouragement for a job well done. Throughout the class, I gave little lessons and tidbits of animation advice- frames per second, tweens, motion blur, squashes, anticipation, etc. After the class was over, the teen coordinator asked to do a follow-up class in the summer. And thus began a whole new challenge of making a second class and trying to trump my first one.
All of this wouldn't have happened without pushing forward to make an animation class a reality. By putting in hard work, I was able to have successful classes and even for them requesting more and more of them. This winter break, I'm scheduled for two more classes and over the summer, we plan to do an entire animation class. This truly shows how the little seed of initiative can grow into a gigantic tree of opportunity.
By the end of December I was teaching my first class in traditional paper/pencil animation. For this, I had to work conjointly with the library staff and on an independent level. They requested just a simple class, but I aspired to go beyond their expectations and do a really memorable experience. I had to design lesson planes, buy different supplies, and showcase animated examples to present to my students. The class was largely for a late elementary school and junior high audience and held roughly ten to fifteen students.
My first class was somewhat difficult since I didn't know exactly what to expect. I was well prepared, yet unsure of what exactly to expect. Once the students arrive, they were mostly shy and quiet so I had to find a way to get them to talk and be open in discussing animation.
For the main project on my first class, we all drew story boards and used them to make flipbooks. I went around helping each student if they needed it and offered encouragement for a job well done. Throughout the class, I gave little lessons and tidbits of animation advice- frames per second, tweens, motion blur, squashes, anticipation, etc. After the class was over, the teen coordinator asked to do a follow-up class in the summer. And thus began a whole new challenge of making a second class and trying to trump my first one.
All of this wouldn't have happened without pushing forward to make an animation class a reality. By putting in hard work, I was able to have successful classes and even for them requesting more and more of them. This winter break, I'm scheduled for two more classes and over the summer, we plan to do an entire animation class. This truly shows how the little seed of initiative can grow into a gigantic tree of opportunity.
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