Creative Transformation: Learning for the Conceptual Age: Most Read Posts

Creating Better Animation Reference

rking — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:56:12 -0800

While there are some great sources for reference on the web, it’s seldom exactly what’s needed and often fails to correspond to the specific needs of a shot or sequence. It’s better to create one’s own reference if at all possible. We want to teach students to be keen observers, to see accurately and be able to analyze of weight, force, acceleration, etc.. In this post I demonstrate the use of low cost, high-speed video for creating better animation reference.

You Can't Teach a Fish to Sing - the importance of motivation

rking — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:35:31 -0700

Talent is important, but talent without motivation simply doesn’t cut it. Curiosity, persistence and a spirit of creative accomplishment are indispensable. It’s the responsibility of the instructor and the institution to ensure that the learning environment is one that encourages openness, individuality, teamwork, sound problem solving and creativity.

Core Competencies - A Proposed Structure for Standards

rking — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:08:11 -0700

This post, together with the last one, is intended to elicit feedback and comments from institutions and companies interested in exploring standards as a framework for further development and to promote discussion on standards development. It describes a simple standards system for discussion.

Neurons that fire together, wire together: why transformation is so important

rking — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:12:37 -0700

Every day we are exposed to a rapidly changing, moment-by-moment digital media environment that demands strategic filtering and immediate response to a multitude of visual and auditory stimuli and their underlying messages. Constant digital distractions, multitasking and task switching plague our ability to concentrate, our aptitude for sustained intellectual focus and they interfere with our capacity for deep, persistent engagement. No wonder students find it difficult to focus!

Autodesk Instructional Standards

rking — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:41:11 -0800

This post describes and link to a new set of Autodesk’s Media and Entertainment Instructional Standards (MEIS) for three software products; Maya, 3dsMax and Softimage. These standards cover thirteen topic areas and toolsets and provide a ruich resource of theory, applications and exercises for teachers and trainers in animation and vfx.

Sample Core Competencies

rking — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:56:42 -0700

This blog lists examples of core competencies as a starting point for discussion about addressing the gao between graduate skills and employment standards.

Creative Problem Solving Pt 1

rking — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:09:04 -0700

Creativity is at the core of our personal and collective evolution – whether as individuals or as teams and creative ability is well understood, can be clearly explained. Everyone is capable of creative effort given well-designed training, experiential exercises and reflective practice.

The Luxury of Reflection

rking — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:19:39 -0700

Five or six overlapping career paths and 49 years later, the reason I am so committed to new and non-traditional ways of learning is that, for the most part, it’s the path I chose and for me the rewards of alternate forms of broad and primarily informal learning have outweighed the benefits of formal education. I realize it’s not for everyone.

Transforming Animation Education

rking — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:10:57 -0700

Today’s educational institutions are past their “best before” dates, having failed to adjust to the characteristics of today’s “digital natives” and industry’s best practices. They are incapable of modifying their methods to facilitate truly meaningful and comprehensive learning and expertise that will adequately prepare today’s graduates for tomorrow’s professional demands in an unpredictable future.

The Impending Death of Traditional Education

rking — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:27:32 -0800

Formal education is past it's "best before" date. It's time is over- it's an anachronism. So let's acknowledge the problems of past practice so that we can move forward and reinvent the learning process to reflect 21st Century realities.