Detours

This blog is taking a detour--visit here for a more-artsy-but-still-mediocre experience :D

Speaking of detours, the hot spot on my face took one. In the beginning of the summer, little volcanoes started appearing on the right side of my face, but recently they've migrated to the left and went all the way up to the upper left side of my forehead. I am fairly certain that this is the first time this many pimples took refuge on my face--hair follicles, how could you?!

Resurrection

Got inspired by Hallie's golden blog, baagoesthelam.wordpress.com. I can't be as cool as her, but it's okay since this is only for my personal enjoyment :D

Okay so I just downloaded the Blogger app so I don't have to fuss about connecting my phone to my computer (for pics mainly) but it hasn't grown on me yet. Like how am I supposed to add captions and resize pics? We'll see what happens.

Let's start from the present and work backward as to what happened to me today:

A braless sister studying for Orgo

Hehe. Jamie gets distracted very easily, but my occasional harsh reminders about GPAs get her back on track. Koa was on the table next to her textbook on the right (because I put him there), passionately licking his lower half, but of course once Kyong arrived he couldn't stay. While Koa's tongue was busy, I was busy reading the book Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. Noe was talking to me two days ago about books that don't need meanings attached to them, and I read this one in that manner. Usually, I like to take a step back and try to figure out what the author is saying between the lines, but it was nice not doing that this time around. It's like my pre-John Green phase (a phase which I will never grow out of since he's literally affected me), when I just read books to escape. Honestly, I'm saying these things like my feelings towards books are clear-cut, but it should be known--to whom? Eh, well Mindy Kaling in her Dartmouth years called whoever she was talking to in her comics"shmen," so maybe that's who I'm addressing--that I am basically a collection of scribbles so I didn't always read books the same way and am subject to change.

This afternoon was spent at Dr. Mina Ganapathy's office in order to fill out Bowdoin's health forms that were supposedly due July 17, 2015. Heh. I spent over an hour at that office, and most of the time was spent eavesdropping on the workplace drama going on. Apparently, one of the workers just left the office one day and didn't come back for a month! The obviously peeved doctor reprimanded said person (it was unclear if that person was present or not...) since "you can't expect to leave for an entire month and come back with your job waiting for you." Yikes. Oo, I also learned from a giant poster in front of me that being Asian makes me at a higher risk for osteoporosis (haoles, you too!). The actual physical exam was what you would expect--holy shit I lost three pounds and the doctor's chicken scratch makes it look like I grew too! Dreams can come true, ya'll. Lol for my vision test I was wearing outdated contacts so I had 20/25 instead of 20/20. Being a great sister, Jamie gave me boba from Mr. Tea when she picked me up!

Before this doctor's appointment, I was just lying on my bed reading more of the book I mentioned earlier. I did the whole "I'll stop reading in ten minutes" over and over starting from when I woke up at 8:30 until I left for my appointment at 11:30-ish.

A Closing Reflection (Part 2)

The beginning of my posts starts here
I am now going to post my finished videos!!! :D
Here's the (very short) first one:

And a (longer... but not by much) second one:
My dad blocked Youtube so I couldn't upload it!

UPDATE! It has been uploaded!

I actually have another version of this video with a voice over (my sister pointed out that people who are illiterate can't read this, but I said that this was more for people who can read so that they can't help people who don't. However, she insisted, and it wasn't that difficult to make a voiced over version). That video can be found here.

Explaining and Assessing My Product

Explanation: Videos

The first video is about 145 slides long, which seems a lot, but when I put it to 8 frames per second, it's merely 22 seconds long. It's hard to tell how much work I put into it because how quick it is. Anyways, so I first sketched out all 140+ slides--meaning, I didn't colour them. I realised that not colouring was a big mistake. A I was satisfied with what I did, I had to go back through all the frames and color in everything. What this basically meant was redoing my entire project, and it was tedious. Sometimes I was very unhappy with what I sketched out, so I basically redid everything! I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, and I wanted to put, you know, quality into my work. I made a blog post of all my mistakes (for both videos), so check that post for some of the errors I had to redo. What I should have done was colour everything first and make sure every slide was the best it could be before I move on. I didn't enjoy having to do that video twice, and it was very unnecessary. 

In my second video,  I drew 500+ slides... which equates to 1:11. I knew I wanted my second to be longer with more impact, but I didn't want it too long where it would be boring to everyone, and I thought that around a minute is ideal. I decided that instead of putting the words on a frame for people to read, I'll make doodles (they're towards the end) and have the words move/be animated. I am most proud of the "burning books" part of my second video :) I got the font ideas from dafont.com, so I can't take all the credit. 

For both videos, the steps I found that were necessary were getting feedback and rechecking everything. Before I had feedback, I had around 350 frames that were in a different order than I have currently. When I went to my sister for advice, she gave me an honest opinion and said my video needed more about how someone can help. I was just saying to read a book, so how is that helping people who can't read? (Again, she pointed out that people who can't read wouldn't know what I would talking about.) I then added the last slide about helping others (with a drawing of two people reading and a hand giving  a book) and helping yourself (with a drawing of a little hedgehog reading--I love hedgehogs!). I went to my dad, and he pointed out of a lot of errors like how he couldn't read the yellow or understand why I put things in a certain order. After all this feedback, I spent two to three hours taking this feedback and improving my video so I could put out the best quality as possible :)

Volunteering/Blogging

Another component to my project was to volunteer at various literacy sites and blog about my experiences. Although I volunteered mostly at Punahou, I feel like I made a good impact in the community. At Punahou, the program I volunteer for doesn't usually have volunteers and the teachers/advisers are too busy to engage with the kids. I feel like by sitting with them and reading with them, I have helped connect with the children and reaffirm the importance of literacy. 

On my reflections, I found it very nice to just think about what I've done and most importantly, share it. I like that I can relay what I have learned onto a blog to show. This isn't only about a project for me, but it's also something that I can educate others with. 

Assessment

Before I tackled this project, I set some standards on how I want my project to turn out. 

Significance: Does my video/blog have something important to say? Does it benefit my cause?

Clarity: Are my intentions clear?

Impact: How has my project impacted the community and myself? 

Now that I'm done, I'm going to assess what I have produced (the blog and videos) based on what I said above. 

Significance: Does my video/blog have something important to say? Does it benefit my cause?

Yes,  I feel like both of my videos and my blog has something important to say, especially about literacy (in Hawaii). I hope people stop taking reading and writing for granted, as there are not many people who can read/write. My mom can be considered illiterate, as she was born/raised in Korea (she learned English from watching TV)--she can read/write some English, but only to a certain extent because she didn't go to an English school (well, she went briefly but was too busy to continue). I hope that more people will want to volunteer at literacy programs. You can give a book to someone by simply clicking a link: http://www.theliteracysite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=6 CLICK IT AND A GIVE A BOOK! I'm trying to motivate people with my animations, and I feel like to the right audience, it benefits my cause. Another way I'm benefitting my cause is actually volunteering by reading books to children (or having them read to me). 

Clarity: Are my intentions clear?

I think that because I made two videos, my intentions are clear. Having the blog stand alone would give a questionable intention---like what am I trying to say with all this mention of literacy? How am I helping people by blogging about it? I think that by volunteering, I'm making it clear that I want to help eradicate illiteracy and give awareness to people who take it for granted. 

Impact: How has my project impacted the community and myself? 

Not only have I made a video, but I have impacted the community by volunteering. In the Punahou community, I helped the 2nd and 4th graders concentrate and try to improve their reading (and reading comprehension) skills. For myself, I think that I pushed myself by drawing 500+ frames--it took lots of effort and dedication (very hard to procrastinate).


And on that note...

I do enjoy this picture, but I think that some TV is good! (Maybe that's just my Vampire Diaries addiction talking though)

A Closing Reflection (Part 1)

...well, for only this Quality Project, of course.
Here's the big picture:

I would make this picture larger, but it wouldn't fit on the page! Click here for a bigger image.

Although they are not books, I have read the First Reading Blog (click to read) and articles like 1 in 6 Hawaii Adults Are Functionally Illiterate or Hawaii Literacy or About Children's Literacy.

Overall Feeling
I do think that this project was worth my time and effort because I gained a lot of knowledge and experience through it. I volunteered at least twice a week in the timespan on my project (totals up to about _ times), and I was able to volunteer at three different literacy places. (When I went to find more places, I was told that the programs were at the beginning of the year, so I was too late!) The first is the place I most visited, which is after school at the Winnie Units in Punahou. I helped 2nd and 4th graders improve their literacy skills, and it was really enjoyable. The kids are great to help, but they do get distracted a lot! I'm still (and I will for as long as I have 2:30 breaks) volunteering there twice a cycle, although school is almost over. I made a post about how this program works, which you can visit here. I signed up to volunteer at this place just for KEY Club and this project, and I've gotten so much out of it that I'm going to keep on continuing volunteering. I didn't only help Punahou students; I went to a literacy program that benefited low income families, and I found that experience very rewarding.

These volunteering opportunities I've done have really made this project worth it for me! I knew that illiteracy is a problem, but I didn't realise how much of the population (you can read more here) is affected! I know I can't much of a difference by myself, so I brought some friends. I want more people to be aware of the issue now, and it made more motivated to create those videos (UPDATE: I uploaded the videos I'm talking about in the post above!). This project was definitely worth my time and effort because not only did I learn more about literacy, but I know not to take being literate for granted--and I've made relationships with kids (when a little came up and hugged me, I was so touched!!!I'm not allowed to name people because of privacy, but she's so cute!!! ).

My essential question when I first started this project: Why is literacy so important?
After completing this project, I would freak out if someone asked me this! Literacy is extremely important because of how neglected this topic is. Many people, especially at Punahou, take for granted the ability to read and write--I know I do. One out of five (about 20%) of people in Hawaii aren't able to do tasks like read a menu or something as important as reading how to properly take medication. This question has been answered to me in so many different ways, and I hope it's apparent throughout this blog. I see how much I grown from just volunteering for community service to actually looking forward to 2:30 breaks (no offense English) so that I could help out the 2nd and 4th graders with their literacy problems. I want them to succeed and realise that they shouldn't be taking reading/writing for granted either.

Some 4th graders I helped at Literacy! The guy on the left only got one wrong that day!

How I Think Mrs. Balaconis Should Assess This Project
My teacher, Mrs. Balaconis, will be grading this project based on
Breadth: Does this project include both a reading and a written component? Have you included a written reflection?
These two posts (Part 1 and Part 2) are my reflection, and this blog shows my reading/writing. I have posted my volunteering experiences, what I've learned about all the different types of relevant literacy (Children's literacy, Adult literacy, and Hawaii literacy), and the process of my videos. I made sure to do thorough research and to write it in a (hopefully) interesting way.

Depth: Does this project reflect thoughtful engagement with the process in every step?
I think that Mrs. Balaconis should know that I spent most of my weekends working on my video at home or my dad's office and that during the weekdays, I volunteered at literacy libraries. I reflected upon these experiences through this blog (starting with the post "Quality Project"), so look through this!!!

Accuracy: Does this project reflect careful attention to editing, eliminating careless mistakes that deflect attention from the product?
I went to get feedback from my family to make sure that there were no problems; I didn't want to have a bias when trying to improve my work. Sometimes I was irritated at what my dad had to say (he was extremely honest), but I feel like I needed that honesty to help refine what I've done--I'm very grateful for his feedback. (See my post about the errors I've made while working on my videos) I also tried to proofread my blog at least twice--and I did catch a bunch of typos--so I think that helped to eliminate careless mistakes.

Completeness: Does this product itself feel rich and satisfying, leaving the audience with a sense of fullness or satisfaction?
I think that this blog tied everything together--the places I volunteered at, the research I've done, and the videos I've made. I sure hope that it's rich and satisfying because I do think that this blog helps. I hope to give the audience more knowledge about literacy and to become more involved, as this is important if we want to stop illiteracy and educate people.

Precision: In the accompanying reflection, has the creator of the project included specific details addressing the process, evaluating the project, and reflecting upon the learning experience?
I feel like this entire blog is a reflection of my project, which is mostly doing something (either helping at the Winnie Units or creating either of my videos). I tried to include all my missteps, improvements and research that all amount to the contents of this blog. To make the blog interesting, I added images and tried to make an occasional joke while still being serious about the issue. I think I made it clear what I have to done to help

Visual appeal: Is this product aesthetically pleasing, leaving the audience with a sense of awe in the time of energy spent toward its presentation?
The video resolution is not very high because I used my Mom's iPad, transfered to my computer, downloaded it to iMovie, added sound, and converted it to Quicktime, and then uploaded it to YouTube, but I feel like that doesn't take away from the video. The added sound make my videos a little more interesting (like I added page turning, explosion, and fire crackling sounds) and appealing.

May these odds be in my favor! :D

The logo for an Oklahoma literacy program

Look out for Part 2 of this reflection!

Literacy In Hawaii

I've posted lots of information about literacy in general, so now I want to focus more on my community.

Website for Hawaii Literacy: http://www.hawaiiliteracy.org/
Their slogan is "If you can read this, you can help"--I like it!

Interestingly enough, back in the 1800s, Hawaii had the highest literacy rate of any country in the world. Currently, 1 in 6 Hawaii adults are illiterate. This means they aren't able to read and/or write above an elementary level. These adults aren't able to help their children with their homework, fill out basic forms (meaning, they can't read bank statements, job applications, emails, or medication prescriptions), and read road signs or menus. That's 20% of people who can't do things that we (yes, including myself) take for granted every day!

There are various "literacy libraries" around the island which help children, teens, and adults. They offer access to books (that could, of course, be borrowed), homework help, the use of computers, and activities that generally encourage a healthy lifestyle. This is very effective for getting people involved and interested in not only literacy but also their overall well-being.

The Book Mobile!

In addition, there are book mobiles (as I mentioned in a previous post) or "Classrooms on Wheels" that travel to six places each week providing books and promoting reading/learning. Laptops are also inside the mobile and are free for children and/or adults to use. Not only books, but there are interactive activities to get children excited about reading!


I think this an awesome idea because some people don't have the convenient library in their neighborhood. Also, some libraries may be intimidating to some people, and the Book Mobile has a friendly atmosphere that "invites" and interests children (adults/teens as well). Last year,
this has provided over 1,000 kids and parents, lending over an estimated 15,000 books!


What can you do to help?
Volunteer or spread awareness!! (Hopefully both.) Ever since Hawaii Literacy started to help people out, approximately over 4,000 people have been able to read and write. (That's like the amount of students at Punahou!) More information about the Book Mobile: http://www.hawaiiliteracy.org/cow/index.html

Children's Literacy

I made a post before about the literacy program I volunteer for, but I haven't actually made a post about the issue.
First, I think this video is cute:

Being someone who is drawing an animation like this, I applaud this person's work. I wish I could draw cute cartoons like this, but I'm doing the best I can. Gosh, this must have taken so long to do!!! I really enjoy it because reading does take you to an entirely new world!! :)
And now to the facts!

Children who are read to (by a family member) have more success in school, according to some statistics from the National Education Association. Some facts include that 60% of these children are able to count to 20 (verses the 44% of children who were not read to). Only 53% of children between the ages three to five are to daily, and these students perform better in academics like math. When parents are involved, the scores are even higher--in fact, there's a 74 point gap between the reading score of children with parent involvement and those without. So parents, read to your children!!! Children will be able to develop stronger reading skills that really benefit for more than school--reading signs and directions are just as important as being able to take a test efficiently.

The only way to get good at reading is to practice!!! For older children, instead of you reading to them, make them read to you. I did this for the literacy program I'm volunteering for at Punahou. It's very effective for reading comprehension, as you can ask questions throughout the book to make sure the children understand what they're reading. This really encourages them to pay attention and not breeze over what they read; sometimes when they understand what they're reading, the children enjoy the book even more.

This sign is made up of Dr. Suess' books :)

Second Video

I completed my first video!!! I even added music and sound effects; the only sad thing is that it's 20 seconds!!! So, for my second video, I want it to be longer with more impact! I'm thinking about having less animation and more words (like that Christmas ad about how much money consumers use).

Also, above is a video I found about adult literacy I found really intriguing--it became my inspiration for the second video, in fact!
Here's a sneak peak of my second video:

I know it's not the best looking video image.... I'm not an artist, but I think animation is fun! UPDATE: This scene isn't even in the video because I decided this wasn't realistic.