13_2 Final Project

** LISTEN WITH HEADPHONES ON TO GET THE FULL EXPERIENCE**

*SOUND*PAINTING*MAPPING*

I really enjoyed and was satisfied with the results of the sound project that I collaborated with Stephanie and I wanted to incorporate the sounds from NASA again in my final project.

While revisiting some of the older blog posts, I came across my sound observation post (assignment: 7_2). "When I heard the different sounds from space (from the podcast and from NASA), it was so fascinating to think about how "life" / sound exists outside of our planet. It is amazing to think about how those devices are made to collect samples and travel uncountable amount of miles to travel to their destinations."

Still thinking about the sound and life that exists outside out the world and how these technologically advanced machines are traveling miles and miles to their destinations, I thought about my own forms of transportations and traveling. My main source of transportations after moving to New York changed from driving a car everywhere to taking the train and walking. And the sounds we hear on the train or while walking is something I tune-out or cancel it out by listening to music or a podcast. But I decided to tune back into reality and listen to the sounds that surround me. 

When I started to actively listen and record, I heard the rhythmic sound of the train moving along the tracks, the tone of the conductor's voice announcing the street numbers, the rhythm of my footsteps, the sound of people talking in the streets, cars passing by, and the bells of trains doors closing. 

After listening to the recordings I remembered the rhythmic sound of the sputnik spacecraft (used in the first sound project) was similar to the rhythm of my footsteps and the sound of the interstellar plasma sound was identical to the squeaking of the train slowing down/ stopping. I thought it was really interesting how the sounds of our world imitate the sounds of outer space... or vice versa... 

With this final project, I wanted to explore more the "features" that are provided on Audacity. So I used selection tools and select certain sections of a recording to amplify and used the fade in/out. Then I used the tool on the left-hand side where you can adjust the balance of the sound from left to right. I also tried to align the certain sounds from the "observation" recording with the similar sounds from outer space. Some of the challenging while "remixing" the sounds were that certain recordings tend to get louder in certain parts or the whole audio was too loud. So it was difficult to balance out the sounds so they wouldn't cancel out each other. 

For the painting aspect of dice, I wanted to select the sound waves from Audacity then isolate them and then print them to transfer on paper. But I ran into some difficulty with the scale/ pixelation of the sound waves that I screenshot in photoshop and illustrator.

So I decided to just paint the sound waves while listening to remixed recording. When I started to layer on the paint on top of each other, they started to blend together make a new color ( red and blue combined into a purple shade). Although it was not intentional, I thought it mimicked the idea of layering the sounds and how they collaborated to make this new track.

I decided to title the piece, Scale because I was again thinking about the scale of our self within the whole galaxy and in theory those devices traveling in outer space are still small in comparison to the size of the "world" they are traveling in ( Not to even mention the theory of black holes and whole different galaxies within each other).

Here is the image of my painting:

I want to maybe take it further and figure out a way to print and transfer the actual sound waves and paint it a little larger scale. But overall it was a fun project and newly discovered my new interest of NASA/ outer space sounds. 

13_1 S.E.L.F.I.E

Show my process
Explained my outcome
Linked to vocabulary 
Found multiple possibilities 
I preserved through the work 
Eliminated carelessness 

My Learning Objectives
1. Recognize how new media art can influence the learners in different ways
2. Identify ways to make technology/ media art available to educators/learners
3.Investigate how to use technology/ media art in a way that is enjoyable for everyone with different skill levels


Looking over my blog/ posts, I feel as if I have successfully met all my learning objectives. Being from a "traditional art background", I was "afraid" of new media art. But after learning about various medium within new media art, and reading articles (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/teaching-blind-students-with-3-d-prints/) about how it helps students and students with disabilities can benefit from these mediums. Having students from the current generation, we as educators have to understand how technology is a huge part of their lives. It may be a foreign subject for us but this may be the only way some students can learn and understand certain subjects/ topics. 

Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the classroom article really opened up my eyes on how to having technology-infused materials doesn't require a fancy/ high-tech equipment. Introducing to something simple as making a podcast, something I listen to every day, did not cross my mind and didn't see the potential of having an "artistic" approach to it. Technology-infused materials are definitely something that is available for all educators, we just have to be creative and really think outside of the box.

I think working on my own assignments and also seeing my classmate's projects allowed me to understand how different technology. media art is applicable to all students, and even educators, at different levels. For example the last project with basic circuits, my project was simple and followed the template that was provided. But Avery's project was very advanced and more thought was put into it. It was a challenging process to make sure that the circuits worked but it was still an enjoyable process and definitely a great learning process as well. 

By taking the SELFIE, I was consciously thinking about showing my process, and thinking how it is important to visually show my students the steps that can go into a project with technological materials. Explaining my outcome taught me how to verbally explain my process and link the vocabulary to my work. It is important for educators to explain the process behind projects and "tell a story" about a certain idea to my students, and having to explain my outcome was a stepping stone that will help me with lesson plans later on. Finding different possibilities of the materials and different possibilities to approach assignments helped me open my eyes to one my learning objectives about how to make new media art accessible and enjoyable for students at different skill levels. I preserved through the work and eliminated carelessness but doing additional research on certain topics when I ran into challenges working out the kinks of using technologies I was unfamiliar with. 

12_2 Readings

1. Art educators shouldn't limit themselves to just traditional materials and allowed themselves (and students) to explore the idea of using computers as a creative tool. Additionally allowing students to be exposed to coding and relating how subjects can be interdisciplinary and make connections to the world around them

2. A good reminder of how educators are core resources and providers of providing an environment that students are comfortable with. With their comfort in the classroom and their trust, we as educators can help build their repertoire that is individualized and geared towards their interests. We are not here to make more "cookie cutter" students.

3.  "Students will learn, they will invent, they will teach, they will collaborate, and they will
share knowledge when it best suits their needs, interests, and style (Martinez, 2013)" We have to understand that student's potentials are endless. We have to be able to challenge students and give guidance in a that won't hinder their growth and not "tell" them what to do.

12_1

• First, think of a project idea that includes the led light in some way. (I thought of a lighthouse that shines the flashy colorful led light as the light operator. )
• Then cut out the shapes that you will need in making your object(s) with construction paper or any materials you would like. 
• Remember that the bottom side of the battery (-) side and the top side (+) has to meet a strip of the foil. If you want to make sure the led light to light up, figure out a design that incorporates some type of mechanism that will allow the strips of foil and batteries to meet. (For my lighthouse I designed the door as the mechanism that will "ignite" the battery and the foil by "closing" the door.)
• Following the simple circuit template, figure out the best way to arrange the strips of foil. (In my case, for the foil to meet the + side of the battery, I had to make a door and find a way to wrap the foil from the background paper to the "closeable" door.)
• After figuring out the paths of your foil, test to see if the circuit works. 
• Then glue on all the parts of the objects and finally test again to see if the circuit works with all the parts glued together.