Blog
Introduce yourself, where you come from, what do you bring to our classroom, what would you like to get out of this class and anything else you care to share.
My name is Eva Heinrichs. I have lived in San Diego all my life. I love it here! Honestly, I never want to move! I went to Explorer Elementary with my two other sisters. Then I moved into middle school at High Tech Middle Media Arts. Once I get comfortable in a classroom, I provide an outgoing personality. I will be very loud and giggly especially when I'm with my friends. I have always had a good reputation in the classroom, except the occasional disruptive comment. I have a lot that I could say, but I usually don't say the things that I could contribute to the discussion because I am a little bit shy on that front. I used to be a happy, fun energy in the classroom, but recently that has changed a lot. One of my personality traits that I have all of my life is being bubbly and excited, but I notice that a lot less in myself. I would really like to see what high school is like. To be very honest, so far, I think that high school is very weird. I don't like it very much. It's hard to receive help at this school because there is always so much going on. There hasn't been any clear instruction and I really need that as well as lists to able me to be successful at this school. I have asked multiple times for someone to help me log onto a computer and I have received no help! None of my passwords work and I have had to do all of my work on a four inch screen on my phone. My thumbs are getting a lot of work to write an entire essay on my phone. I haven't been given the resources I need to succeed in class. It seems like a lot of teachers and students are distracted. I have been sitting in the classroom not understanding what my tasks are. Although, the daily agenda's have cleared things up a lot for me moving forward. I really appreciate the daily agenda. That is a tool that will help me succeed this whole year. I am a very smart girl, I have succeeded in school. There are a lot of people who believe in me and know what I am capable of. What I want from school is to be successful. I want to be given work and be able to complete it on my own. But in order to do that I need to be given the tools, I first need to learn how to do that. I can't do that on my own. I need the guidance from my teachers in order for me to be independent enough to rely on myself.
Balsa Project Reflection
1. How did you feel on the first day of school compared to how you feel today? What things have contributed to any changes in the way you feel?
On the first day of school I was very worried about the looseness of this school. I was also worried that the work might be overwhelming. I don't like to be assigned a bunch of tasks at once. I like to finish one, and then move onto the next until all of my work is complete on time. I now understand that you have to manage your own time. It is very easy to finish everything you need to if you just do it and you have the resources to accomplish it. I used my phone and an available computer and I have been ahead all of class. I never need to catch up, I'm always ready to move on to the next thing. I think that the daily agenda's have put me at ease. They tell me exactly what I need to do, and it makes it easy for me to just do those things.
2. If you could build a third Balsa rocket, what would you do differently and why?
I would make the rocket long and skinny. Those ones seemed to be successful. I would aslo be sure to make it top-heavy and distribute the weight correctly because on my last launch, it did a few flips and went straight to the ground. I would also like to make a larger motor because those seemed to have a lot more fire power and it seemed way more exciting when the rocket was just crazy and had a lot of thrust.
3. After watching some other students’ films, what themes or common traits have you noticed?
A lot of people used music to make their films more exciting and intriguing. When there was no music, some of the scenes seemed boring. I noticed a lot of audio layover onto video and voice-over's which made the films seem professional and of much higher quality than student project films with limited experience.
4. Is there something you saw in someone else’s film, that you wish you would have done in yours? What was it?
I wish that my partner and I could have used audio from a different clip than the one that was playing. I think that would have made our video pretty sweet. But I did enjoy giving my partner critique on the work she was doing on it, and it turned out so well. I was something that I could watch, and possibly enjoy.
5. Do you see value in being able to create a film about your work? Why or why not?
I think that films are a great way to show history and exploration. It appeals to both auditory learners and visual learners. I love watching documentaries and I think they provide a knowledge to grab from. I enjoy watching movies in general, but when I watch documentaries, I feel like I am learning and growing. I think it is a good way to spend my time if I'm not outside.
6. What are a few things you plan to do differently on your next film and why?
I think that I can improve on making it more fun to watch. Add some exciting details into the plot. I think that planning out the next film will benefit it a lot. I am very excited to work with people that I have had successful work with before and specific people that can bring a lot of creativity to the next film. I think that we should use different music throughout the film and we can create more exciting and deliberate shots to include.