"It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse." - Adlai E. Stevenson
 | Hello world! If you are new, welcome to the Luminstruct blog! My name is Mark and I am currently working on a "365-Word Project" by posting reflections on various words every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Today's word is "Charge" |
During my recent trip to Disney world, there was one reoccurring theme which caught my eye constantly, hiding in plain sight:
The use of technology was everywhere!
Although in some aspects it was subtle, such as touching your wristbands to a plate to gain entry to the park, there were other aspects which stunned me.
The projections of color on the castle during the fireworks display, animatronics on rides which looked so real that guests thought Abraham Lincoln was an actor at the 'Hall of Presidents' or Johnny Depp was visiting the park at the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride, shows such as 'Turtle Talk with Crush' or 'Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor' where animated characters would talk to guests in a very personal way by using guests names or answering questions, the many photoPass capabilities on site which captured pictures like the one above, and even their trash collection process was more high tech than most people would immediately guess. This is just to name a few examples, but I would argue that the way they used the technology was simply the mechanics behind creating the magical experience around us.
This is not a new concept for Disney, in 1932 Disney released a film called 'Flowers and Trees'. What a lot of people don't know is that he was almost halfway done with the film when he came across a new technique called technicolor. Intrigued by this concept, Disney signed a three year deal and completely restarted the project from scratch to include this new colored feature. In 1932, 'Flowers and Trees' became the first commercial film to use this system. This film won Disney his first Oscar and it was the first time an Oscar had been given to a cartoon.
In today's age, technology is exploding at an exponential rate. I firmly believe it is our duty to charge forward into this unfamiliar territory and capture these concepts to use as tools for instruction in each of our given fields.
One type of technology I'm currently working on is the use of Virtual Reality.
Over the next few months I will attempt to integrate the concept into this website. I believe it is a new tool to the trade which can be used to teach important skill-sets in the area of Higher Ed. If used correctly, I see a future where Resident Assistants can learn how to assess rooms for damages by looking at a 360 view of a room, I see how 360 video can come in handy when running training simulations (BCDs), I also see the integration of this technology into programming as well.
Have a program about using art as a tool to release stress before finals?
Wonderful!
Let's also include a virtual reality tour of the Louvre for students to get inspired and create their own master pieces!
Want to host a program about staying healthy during cold season?
Fantastic!
Let's also download an app called 'InCell VR' where students can learn about the science behind viruses while playing a roller-coaster style game where they collect proteins and race to the nucleus to combat virus symptoms!
Want to take your students on a camping trip, but it gets rained out?
Not to worry!
Pitch a tent in the common room and have your students download a constellation app so they can still lay out beneath the stars and learn about the world around us!
This new technology expands the possibilities which we can bring to our students! It is our duty to take charge and blaze that trail. We might need to scrap some current projects and start from scratch, but I promise you the outcome will be truly magical.
Question time: What type of technology excites you?
Sources:
http://www.mywaltdisneyquotes.com/walt-disney-animation/
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/oldcolor/technicolor5.htm
The use of technology was everywhere!
Although in some aspects it was subtle, such as touching your wristbands to a plate to gain entry to the park, there were other aspects which stunned me.
The projections of color on the castle during the fireworks display, animatronics on rides which looked so real that guests thought Abraham Lincoln was an actor at the 'Hall of Presidents' or Johnny Depp was visiting the park at the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride, shows such as 'Turtle Talk with Crush' or 'Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor' where animated characters would talk to guests in a very personal way by using guests names or answering questions, the many photoPass capabilities on site which captured pictures like the one above, and even their trash collection process was more high tech than most people would immediately guess. This is just to name a few examples, but I would argue that the way they used the technology was simply the mechanics behind creating the magical experience around us.
This is not a new concept for Disney, in 1932 Disney released a film called 'Flowers and Trees'. What a lot of people don't know is that he was almost halfway done with the film when he came across a new technique called technicolor. Intrigued by this concept, Disney signed a three year deal and completely restarted the project from scratch to include this new colored feature. In 1932, 'Flowers and Trees' became the first commercial film to use this system. This film won Disney his first Oscar and it was the first time an Oscar had been given to a cartoon.
In today's age, technology is exploding at an exponential rate. I firmly believe it is our duty to charge forward into this unfamiliar territory and capture these concepts to use as tools for instruction in each of our given fields.
One type of technology I'm currently working on is the use of Virtual Reality.
Over the next few months I will attempt to integrate the concept into this website. I believe it is a new tool to the trade which can be used to teach important skill-sets in the area of Higher Ed. If used correctly, I see a future where Resident Assistants can learn how to assess rooms for damages by looking at a 360 view of a room, I see how 360 video can come in handy when running training simulations (BCDs), I also see the integration of this technology into programming as well.
Have a program about using art as a tool to release stress before finals?
Wonderful!
Let's also include a virtual reality tour of the Louvre for students to get inspired and create their own master pieces!
Want to host a program about staying healthy during cold season?
Fantastic!
Let's also download an app called 'InCell VR' where students can learn about the science behind viruses while playing a roller-coaster style game where they collect proteins and race to the nucleus to combat virus symptoms!
Want to take your students on a camping trip, but it gets rained out?
Not to worry!
Pitch a tent in the common room and have your students download a constellation app so they can still lay out beneath the stars and learn about the world around us!
This new technology expands the possibilities which we can bring to our students! It is our duty to take charge and blaze that trail. We might need to scrap some current projects and start from scratch, but I promise you the outcome will be truly magical.
Question time: What type of technology excites you?
Sources:
http://www.mywaltdisneyquotes.com/walt-disney-animation/
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/oldcolor/technicolor5.htm
