Ran’s Blog

This week I designed a game named bear in city using Scratch. The player controls a bear using the keyboard to move around, and the goal is to catch humans to score points. If the bear touches poison, the score resets to zero. During the game designing process, I made some mistakes with the order of commands, which caused difficulties, such as not being able to adjust the score as I had intended. However, throughout the whole process, I learned a lot and gained a good understanding of the basics of Scratch. This is the link of the game:  https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1084841695 I also played a game on Scratch called “Balloon,” where the player controls a character to avoid obstacles while flying. This game gave me part of the inspiration for designing my own game.

From Frame-by-Frame Stop Motion by Tom Gasek:  Stop-motion animation, particularly the non-traditional methods like pixilation, provides endless possibilities for creativity by using humans, objects, and various materials such as sand or clay to tell stories. These techniques allow filmmakers to create dynamic and often surreal visual experiences, expanding the boundaries of traditional puppet animation. From An Insanely Brief and Incomplete History of Making by Martinez and Stage r:  The “maker movement” emphasizes the importance of learning through hands-on experiences, aligning with historical educational philosophies like those of Jean Piaget. The movement fosters creativity and intellectual development by encouraging students to engage with real-world problems and apply practical solutions.

 I have already made a stop motion animation using clay together with my partner last week, so this time I made an animation with procreate. Following is my work: I drew every frame of the animation, it needs a lot of effort to make it fluent. I also put the stop motion animation we created last week here:

  I have most thoughts on  Kylie Peppler ’ s report, Opportunities for Interest-Driven Arts Learning in a Digital Age,  which  offers a thought-provoking exploration of how digital technologies have revolutionized artistic creation and education. As I read through it, I was struck by how digital platforms have expanded the boundaries of artistic expression, allowing young people to explore their interests and passions in new ways. These platforms have democratized access to the arts, enabling youth to engage in self-directed, peer-driven learning, and even entrepreneurship, as seen with examples like Whateverlife.com and Rookie.   However, while the integration of digital tools into arts learning presents exciting opportunities, it also raises some concerns. For instance, Peppler highlights how digital games like Rock Band make learning foundational music skills more accessible and engaging. Yet ,  I wonder if this  “ gamification ”  of arts learn...

 Reference link:  https://youtube.com/shorts/VLpo8wz2vAU?si=OtWv9EFGsuCLcbiS This week I have created a video named “sunset collector”. Centered by the sun, I showed sunsets of different places through the video. I also tried to make a special opening of the video. It’s a rewarding process to make the video, although it is really hard for me to connect the opening and video!

The themes of these two sets of scanography are mainly around my life. The first set I named "Passion," because this is the sport I love, and I expressed it in the form of scanography. I scanned two small volleyballs made of wool and simulated their dynamics during the scanning process. The second set is called "My Day." Through this art form, I record things I do in my daily life, such as listening to music, painting, recording my life in words, etc. I did face some problems during the scanning process, such as how to arrange the various elements properly to increase the story of the picture. There are also questions about how to scan to make the object more vivid. In the process of making the brochure, I also thought about how to arrange these pictures to make them more artistic. Following are links of my work:  https://www.flipsnack.com/A58C6ADD75E/passion/full-view.html https://www.flipsnack.com/A58C6ADD75E/my-day/full-view.html

Media process: Digital Collage  Population: K-12 students  Digital collage offers students a dynamic platform to explore creativity and develop a deeper understanding of visual storytelling. For K-12 students just beginning their artistic journey, digital collage serves as an engaging entry point, enabling them to combine images, textures, and colors from various sources into cohesive new forms. This process encourages them to make unexpected connections between different elements, sparking imagination and creative thinking. Students can experiment with various creative combinations, which not only helps them think critically about composition but also allows them to express their individuality. Furthermore, the accessibility of digital tools simplifies the process of trial and error, giving students the confidence to take risks and push the boundaries of their work. Incorporating digital collage into the classroom can empower students to see the world around them as a vast ca...