Thank God for GoPro

The last couple of weeks, I have been learning how to use my new "camera", the GoPro Hero+ LCD. It is an entry model action camera with some awesome features. 

I asked for a GoPro for my 17th birthday because I needed a camera that I would be able to use in the outdoors. My phone has a great camera on it, however there is not a waterproof case on the market for my phone. With the GoPro, I can film in water, trails, and other environments that would not be suitable for a smartphone. It also gives me enhanced mobility which is a plus when you are outdoors.

I have been filming several trips with it and I have some footage that I can use for an upcoming video. However, I have one problem with it. It is not the camera per say, but it is the software. The GoPro Studio software is confusing. To be fair, I am new to video editing so it is probably not that hard for other experienced people. But for me, it has taken some time to "learn" the software. I have watched several tutorials, and I am confident that I will be uploading some videos very soon to youtube. Thanks to this DigCit class, I have learned several techniques to improve video quality and enhance my storytelling ability. Be on the look out for my next video. Before you know it, I will be an expert on video making. 

I recently took a trip to a State Park and canoed for an hour or so. Since I am writing this at school and don't have my GoPro with me, I can't post the picture from the GoPro. But here is one picture from my phone from the trip. 

Have a Great Day and Don't Forget to Smile!

Sincerely,

Nathan

PSA Magic

I learned how to professionally create videos that people will take seriously. In past years whenever I had to make video projects, it was very unprofessional. But I learned techniques about how to make a good video. We used different apps that I did not know how to use before. With these apps, the video quality definitely improved. I love our PSA. It is so awesome and you should check it out. Our topic that was assigned to us was online safety. It is professional enough to be on a YouTube ad. I would not do anything over because I love our PSA. It should be an advertisement on TV. 

So check it out on the http://lncdigcit.weebly.com website. 

Here is a picture of our introduction. 

Have a great day. Don't forget to smile.

SIncerely,

Nathan 

Our PSA is FIRE

This week, my group and I worked on a PSA, or a Public Service Announcement. Our topic was internet safety. We went through several ideas, and argued whenever we didn't agree. We had some several road bumps. And a power struggle. But in the end, we decided on an idea that was awesome. 

We used jellybeans to illustrate internet safety. Let me set the scene for you. 

Some dude texts a girl asking her a question. She responds, but each next question is more and more specific. The jellybeans represent the public. With each question, the jellybeans start to disappear. Then, with one final question, there is only one jellybean left. With these questions, the dude was able to pinpoint who this girl was. Then the jellybean is circled with a marker, and all the information that he summed up is listed beside the one jellybean. When we take away the jellybeans, we used a stopmotion app that looks super cool.  I can't wait to finish it and publish it to show you guys. 

Our group did an awesome job!

Here is a pic of the beginning of the video. (We also used a makeshift spotlight to emphasize the jellybeans. I took a piece of paper and wrapped it up into a funnel. Then I taped the funnel over my phone flashlight. I really like how it turned out. It looks super professional.)

Don't forget to smile!

-Nathan 

Mr. Kevin

So in my Dig Cit class yesterday, we got to video chat a dude by the name of Kevin Beaty. He was super chill and cool. He is a environmental journalist who went to Boston University for film production. His background was super cool. He works by taking photos and journaling in Colorado. One of the things that he stressed was professionalism. Even though we are still high school students, we can still be professional. He created a small booklet with his work. I think that is something that I want to do. I think that is definitely something that I can do to promote my project. I want to use social media, but it doesn't take a lot to post something. I think that this would show my effort really well. 

Another thing that I learned from Kevin is the importance of dedication. He works relentlessly to finish a project and gets it done. This is amazing to me. I think if I put enough effort into my project, it will be a beautiful piece of work. 

AND...

Here is an update on my Genius Time Project:

I just videoed a little bit of a high school clean up last week. So here is a picture of it.

Sincerely,

Nathan 

Community Pitch

Yesterday, I presented my project to the community showcase and had an awesome experience. I got a lot of good feedback and was inspired by what they thought of my project. Many people were surprised by how long materials like fishing line or diapers last. Monofilament fishing line can last for 600 years! And diapers can last for 450 years!

I had the ability to share my project with these strangers and it was coool. Here is a picture of my final poster board. 

The one problem with this event was the hallway. It was so hot, but it was definitely worth it. On a side note, I drove to school by myself to the showcase! I finally have my license!

But for real, this was an awesome opportunity to share my project with others.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Nathan 

Community Pitch

Our community pitch is next Thursday! We are all presenting our projects and sharing them with the community. I have a poster to help explain my project. So far, it looks really awesome. I am pretty excited to present. I wasted too much time to make the title look nice, but I should finish the rest of this very easily. 

Normally, I do not like to present things in front of classes. However, I feel like I am in my element. I love this stuff, so I feel confident talking about it. We have to dress up really nicely and its gonna be a fun time. Like last week, I am still in the process of editing the promo video. Hopefully I can get it within this week. I think that if I could showcase the video at our pitch, it would be awesome. 

I underestimated how long the editing process would take. So I am a little behind. If all goes well, I will be up to date by next week. 

I can't wait for what happens next. 

Don't forget to smile!

Sincerely,

Nathan 

South Mountains State Park

Over the weekend, I took a trip to South Mountains State Park and videoed my adventures. I have been to this park countless times and I love it. It never gets old. I have a lot of raw footage that I need to process and edit! I hope to use this footage to create a promo video to present at the showcase this November.


I had planned to have this video done by 1st quarter, but I was unable to because I did not have a day to go to the mountains. I am really excited with this footage! Other than missing this checkpoint, I have met all of my deadlines. I plan to edit this footage and begin the process of creating the final project for my promo video.

Can't wait. It's gonna be awesome.

Here is a pic of one of the waterfalls at South Mountain.

What is your favorite place to hang out in the great outdoors? What can you do to encourage a healthy lifestyle?

Comment below.

Don't forget to smile!

Sincerely,

Nathan Han

Siete

This week in DigCit we talked about our self image on social media.

How we present ourselves?
Do you cyber bully?
How can we encourage on social media?

I do think that I represent myself in a good sense. I believe that I encourage people on social media. The lessons about cyberbullying, etc has not changed my perspective on how I represent myself on social media because I already represent myself in a good light.              

Even though this blog didn't have a ton of stuff in it, I want to encourage everyone to represent yourself in a good light. It makes all the difference. And even encourage others!

JUST DO IT

This week we spent several days talking about the different components of failure. In a traditional school setting, failure is often something that is frowned upon. However, I have learned that failure is not always a bad thing. With failure, you can accept it or reject it. I learned that by failing, you can also learn a lesson. You can learn how to not make the same mistake again. Failure can encourage you to strive harder to reach your goal the next time. Failure in life is good. I know that it sounds weird, but think about it. We are not perfect and will make mistakes. However, by learning from those mistakes, we can become better human beings.

When I was almost 16, I finally took my learner's permit test. The reason I took it so late was because my parents would not let me take Drivers Ed as a freshman. Instead, I took it as a Junior. I was angry and ready to drive. That anger and bitterness towards my parents inflated my mind. I thought that it was going to be so easy and I would easily pass. But when I took the test, I failed. If I had gotten one more point, I would have passed. That feeling of failure was so terrible. I was very emotional, but after I got over my feelings, I was humbled. The next week, I studied for the test and got a perfect score. From that failure, I learned that in order to succeed, you have to prepare. You cannot succeed by "winging it".

If you feel like a failure, I would encourage you to just keep trucking on. There are different seasons in life. Sometimes, you will be happy, and sometimes you will feel like all you have is failure. But keep trucking on. A pastor once told me that life is like a slingshot. We get pulled back, but then, we get shot forward into much better situations than what we were previously in. You may be in a season where you feel like a failure, but I promise you that you will eventually be shot forward into blessings and success. If you feel like you're a failure, think about and be thankful for the small things in life. Be thankful that you have a house, food to eat, and clothes to wear.

Other people can't want it more than you. Friends, family, and peers can all want you to land into success, but if you do not want it more than them, not much can change. You have to want to succeed, then take the steps to go and achieve your goals.

This is what a "growth mindset" is. You have to want and believe that you can succeed, then go and JUST DO IT. This is an such a vital part of your character because you can either sit and let your dreams be dreams or go out and change your atmosphere. Set the tone for yourself and others. Like Shia Labeouf said, "Don't let your dreams be dreams. Go out and DO IT!"  

Personally, I am very hard and critical on myself. I might feel like I failed even if my product is okay. I think the best way to cultivate a growth mindset is to use the power of encouragement. By encouraging others, you can empower them to believe in themselves. When my pastors or parents encourage me, I feel like I can fly. When people are encouraged, they feel like they can make a difference in their lives.

So I hoped I encouraged you to strive for success. Please share this with others to spread the encouragement.
Don't forget to smile!

Nathan  

Professional Development???

Blog

Last Friday was a half-day at our school. However, our DigCit class was asked to stay after school plus and extra 30 minutes to present to the teachers at the Professional Development. I was tasked with presenting Schoology Discussions to the Science teachers. We were going to use these discussions to help students with questions or topics that they did not understand. It was to be used like an online tutor.

I was quite nervous about presenting to every single science teacher in our school, but once I got up to present, I was fine. Our presentation went smoothly and I think most teachers liked the ideas. I think I could have improved on explaining the app in conjunction with my other members. There was a little bit of miscommunication on who was presenting what.

I didn't think that I would like presenting to the teachers, but I actually enjoyed it. In addition, I got to hang out with my class and got to know them a little better.

I would definitely do it again!

Nathan

Graphic Designing

Digital Multimedia and Global Citizenship.

My teacher assigned our class a project that dealt with, yup, you guessed it. Graphic Design. We were each given a club/organization that needed a logo, t-shirt design, or banner.
I think my teacher stepped in because she gave me the Outdoors Club. Thank you!

My task is to create a permanent Outdoors Club logo as well as a t-shirt design. Immediately, my mind started spinning with ideas. Images of tree houses, the ocean, mountain biking, even skiing and snowboarding. I liked the idea of having several trees, each representing a different season.
As a class, we took a trip to the art room where my art teacher gave us a lecture about graphic design. He gave us a better image of what we are supposed to do. But one thing from his lecture stuck out to me, he said:

"Never settle for your first design,"

What he meant was, always improve your design. This quote inspires me to make this project awesome. I'm going all out.
But this quote can be tweaked to encompass all aspects of life. Never settle for what you have now. Always strive to improve yourself. To become a better you.

Here are some pictures of what I have so far...

What do you think? I want to fix the 4 trees to make it look better. Instead of making it on the iPad, I might draw it and color it with pencils. I want it to look abstract, however I still want you to know immediately that it is a tree.

I would love feedback on my designs.

Thank You Everybody!

Sincerely,

Nathan

Twitter Chat?

Hey guys,

FYI, a twitter chat is a discussion platform that is used in conjunction with a twitter account.
I was asked what kind of topic would I lead in such a chat.

If I had to moderate a twitter chat, I would definitely do something science based. I would try to have different topics each week. Things like renewable energy, ecology, sustainable practices, etc. I would choose this topic because it is something I am passionate about. I like life sciences, so I would stick to topics residing in biology, ecology, and environmental science.

I could use a twitter chat as a part of my genius time project to raise awareness about the effects of litter. This could be a cool outlet to get more technical with statistics and facts that may seem unnecessary in my videos.

Twitter chats are effective ways to communicate with others because you can talk to anyone anywhere. You do not have to be sitting together to have a conversation. It caters to a wider variety of people. It is also effective because it is easy to use. You do not have to be a twitter aficionado to participate in a twitter chat.

After participating in several twitter chats, I do think that it is something that I should use to enhance my passion project. It is such and easy and useful tool for spreading information!

Thanks for reading,

Nathan

Getting Feedback from Sharks

Hey guys,

So this week, my class and I created mock "Shark Tank" presentations for our Passion Projects. While one person was presenting, everyone else would listen and ask questions or give feedback to the presenter.
When it was my turn to present, I was a little nervous, but once I started to explain my project, that anxiety went away. When you are passionate about something, you are always excited to talk about it to anyone, anytime.
Through the "Shark Tank" process, my idea of the Genius Time Project has gotten clearer. I still want to make videos about cleanups and trips, but I might be able to expand the idea. Maybe other people could also participate in the cleanup, not just me. As always, more feedback is always welcome:)
By next week, I want to be able to have contacted potential mentors and ask them for assistance. I also want to have researched potential sites for cleanups. I want to start at my "home" lakes and parks. Places where I would normally fish or kayak. I want to start here because they are personal to me. But, I want to map out places past my "home" lakes. Maybe state parks in the mountains or nature preserves. I would like to start planning the longer trips by next week as well. Specifically hiking and camping trips.
I am so excited for this project because it is based on something I love. In science classes, whenever we did a project or report on animals, I was just as excited. I love animals and learning about them. My point is when I can apply an interest into a school project, it is the best of both worlds. I can research something I love, and get a grade for it. But on a serious note, I want this project to be more than just about getting the grade. The funny thing is, I have been talking to my parents about this idea of videoing outdoor trips and cleaning up parks way before this class. When this class was introduced to me, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to explore my environmental interest. I would like to continue videoing cleanups and trips and post them to YouTube even after this project is over.

Have a Great Day. Smile. Compliment someone. And enjoy the beauty of nature.

Sincerely,

Nathan

Passion Project Idea: Project Clean Up?

Blog numero dos!

In my Digital Multimedia and Global Citizenship class (or DigCit for short), we are in the process of creating a "Passion Project". Whatever we are passionate about, we bring awareness to it in the form of a project. I have decided to stick with my topic of the environment for the Passion Project. I plan to cleanup several local sites and video record the process. Through these videos, I plan to raise awareness to the effects of littering. I hope to also record hikes and camping trips to share the beauty of nature.

This topic is important to me because I have always loved the outdoors. I don't think I can state that much more. But I am very passionate about the environment, and sustaining it for future generations. I am taking an online college class called Introduction to Sustainability, or SST 110. The textbook I use defines sustainability as using and saving resources for the present and future generations with equity and justice. There has to be equity and justice in the definition because otherwise, the definition does not encompass everyone on Earth. The topic of cleaning up the environment and litter is important to a larger audience because so many people do not know the effects of their actions. By raising awareness to these topics, I hope to change the lifestyles of others to positively impact the environment.

For this project, I have several goals:
I hope to effectively clean up the local sites in my area.

When something is clean, it is more "homey." Would you rather live in a clean house or a dirty house? I hope your answer is a clean one. But it is the same way with parks and other outdoor areas. People are more willing to go to a clean park then a dirty park with trash and litter everywhere. If a park is dirty, people will not be as inclined to go there. I want to clean up the parks so that the public will want to go to parks.
How will I measure if I cleaned up a park? I will measure this goal by trash bags filled. Every park I visit, I hope to fill several trash bags with litter. I want to raise awareness to the effects of litter. I am going to clean up the local parks etc. and video the process. I can upload it to YouTube and try to obtain a certain amount of views. I don't have a YouTube account so I don't know what a reasonable amount of views is for a school project. 1000 views? Thats a lot of people... Comment a goal for me to reach with these Youtube videos. Maybe I can make it a video series!

I also want to share with others the beauty of nature. I might create videos of hiking and camping trips to share this, or create an Instagram account to share pictures. I'm not sure yet. Comment what I should do with this idea. Additional Youtube videos in addition to the cleanup videos, or Instagram account?.

"Iron sharpens iron". This is an line that I like from a bible verse. This means that sharing, comparing, and working together make people stronger. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." So please give me feedback on what you think of my ideas for the Passion Project so far. Things that you liked about it, constructive criticism, anything. I want this project to be amazing!

I thank you in advance for the feedback.

Sincerely,

Nathan

What Breaks My Heart

Hi, I'm Nathan and am a high school senior. I am taking a Digital Multimedia and Global Citizenship class where I blog about certain topics. 

As a sophomore, I took AP Environmental Science, and absolutely loved the material we covered. I have always loved being outside. One of my earliest memories is going to a pier in Maryland to fish with my grandpa. Now, I love to fish, hike, and camp. I really like anything "outdoorsy".   

Yesterday in class, I was asked to create a Heartbreak Map. If you don't know what a Heartbreak Map is, let me explain. We picked a subject that we were very passionate about. Something that we loved. Can you guessed what I picked? There are three levels to the Map. The first level is what you love. The second level is what breaks your heart about it. The third level contains solutions to the heartbreak. 

We essentially mapped out what we love and how to fix the problems with it. I enjoyed this activity because it made me reflect on why I love the outdoors and what I can do to make it better. This activity was a "call to action". If you are passionate about something, of course you would be willing to fix the problems with it. If not, it is not your passion. 

Here is a picture of what my Heartbreak Map looks like. 

So let me explain what this means to me.

I am passionate about the outdoors, I always have been. This passion was strengthened when I took APES because it brought awareness to the problems in the environment and how we can fix them. 

What broke my heart about the outdoors and the environment is that it is slowly dying. Things like pollution, global warming, climate change, and even ignorance takes away from the beauty of the outdoors. 

Rainforests are being cut down. Habitats are being lost. Cities are filled with smog. The Arctic is melting. The weather is getting hotter. The oceans are getting dirtier. 

One thing I learned from APES is that most of these problems are caused by not knowing the consequence of your actions. For example, if you throw a piece of plastic out your car door, you think "It is not that big of a deal. It is only one piece of trash" But did you know that plastic does not degrade like natural products. In other words, that plastic will still be recognizable in a 100 years. And if everyone throws a piece of trash out of their car every day, let me tell you, that is a lot of trash. If we can bring awareness to these kinds of problems, we can change the environment to become cleaner and safer. 

If you throw trash out your car window often, use this easy solution: keep a grocery bag on the armrest of your seat. When you have trash, instead of tossing it outside, put it in the bag. When it gets full or too old, take it when you get home and throw it in the trash can. Simple solutions like this can have a big impact on the environment. Before you throw your plastic bag into the trash, look into the bag and pat yourself on the back. You just helped the environment become a cleaner place. 

Bring Awareness. Clean up after yourself. Set an example. That way, you can change your lifestyle as well as others to have a positive impact on the environment.