The Mac Lab

Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
— Aldous Huxley

This is the make or break week for some of you. Friday’s pep talk is now a distant memory. The idea of watching the Illustrator Fundamentals videos a second time is just too much to ask. Sure, you didn’t really pay attention the first time around and you’re thinking, How important can they really be? You just want to get to the first project, right? Enough with the fundamentals. Let’s have some fun!

Master Po says, Patience, Grasshopper. Do you not recognize the fun in fundamentals? In your memory, you can still hear the echo of Skocko rambling on and on about The Tortoise and the Hare. Some of you are thinking, Why won’t he shut up about that stupid story already? We get it. And you can almost hear Skocko reply, Do you? Do you really get it?

To those who missed the first three letters of fundamentals, I ask: What will you do when you hit the brick wall laying straight in your path? Are you as agile as Trevor? Why continue to race ahead if that’s the surest way to lose?

Don’t brag about your lightning pace,
for Slow and Steady won the race!

No, that’s not what Aesop actually wrote in The Tortoise and the Hare but it is the essence of that story’s ending. Take a moment to read this version. (Yes, that’s some really bad Web design.) I want you to embrace the notion of mastering the fundamentals — the skills and tasks on your to do list — by approaching it with Slow and Steady’s relentless dedication. Then, when you finally begin your self portrait, you won’t hit that wall. You’ll run right up it.

0921: Please be so kind as to watch this video.

0922: Sub today. Be good. You know what to do, right?

0923: Let’s see, during the first 11 days of school, one person used a restroom pass. Yesterday must have been all-the-water-you-can-drink day because nine of you had to go. It couldn’t have been because we had a sub, right? As per Mac Lab Policy, those nine students now owe 30 minutes. Oh, and they also lost their 60 minute bonus. Dang! Hope it was worth it.

Speaking of the Honor System: This is your last chance. OTs will be awarded this weekend.

Six Hours of Fun! This weekend is the first Mac Lab Saturday School™ of the year. First come, first served. (But don’t come before 6:15 as I won’t be here before then.) Don’t ask when or where or how or what if because I’ve already answered those questions. Command-F if you’re confused. Type: Saturday school if you’re still confused. And if that doesn’t answer your question, try this.

iTunes Tuesday Next Week: I’ll explain during class. We’ll be shaking things up every day next week as a reward for those who’ve stuck through these first three weeks of basic training. You want details? Patience, Grasshopper. Back to work.

0924: I want to thank you for all the hard work you’ve put in over the first three weeks of school. Continue with the to do list after reading the rest of today’s post. Next week we’ll be doing something completely different. (Link blocked at school. You’ll have to check at home if you want to see what’s at the other end of that link.)

Drop Fuzzy Bunny: Or whatever “cute” handle you’re currently using. Talk to your parents about establishing a permanent email account associated with your actual name. Use whatever service you want (gmail has some worthwhile features). Whatever email you choose, we’ll be putting it to use starting Monday. None of the sites I’ll be directing you to will distribute your email information. We’ll be using safe, professional Web 2.0 services.

+10 or -30: Half of my students have chosen the latter. Strange strategy. Last chance to change your mind (because the one you’ve been using isn’t functioning properly).*

*If you know what I’m talking about, and half of you do, you don’t have to click that link.

iTunes Tuesday: If you want to get a jump on Tuesday, you may bring your favorite songs to Mac Lab Saturday School™ tomorrow. You don’t have to bring 100 songs, that’s just the max you can add to your account.

Is it Really Six Hours of Fun? It really is. Well, almost. Mac Lab Saturday School™ runs from 6:15 to 12:00 so it’s actually 5.75 hours of fun (but that doesn’t have the same ring).

Do I Have to Stay All Six (5.75) Hours? No. You don’t have to come at 6:15 and you don’t have to stay until 12:00. Come when you want and leave when you want.

What if I’ve Been Assigned a Saturday School? Geez! Doesn’t anyone watch the videos? If you’ve been assigned a Saturday School, serve it in the Mac Lab and get extra credit for working rather than drooling on a desk with the losers in regular Saturday School. Don’t even think about showing up after 8:00 if you’re hoping to get credit for serving the Saturday School in the Mac Lab. You did the crime. You’ll do the time.

How Do I Get Into the School if it’s Locked? Pitiful! You were supposed to have already watched this video. If you’re really that negligent, oh are we going to have fun when you ask if someone can let you in.

0925: Here’s a crash course in using the network to reach your files. That was easy, right? Welcome to the first MLSS™ of the 2010/11 school year. Sadly, your commemorative t-shirts were lost in an unfortunate spacetime incident. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.

 

This publication is designed to enhance imaginative, creative, cognitive recreation. It seeks to enrich your individual perceptual experiences by providing provocative alternatives to conventional perspectives.
— Skocko / Uncomfortably Numb

I first wrote those words back in 1995. Uncomfortably Numb was an outgrowth of the personal epiphany I described last Friday during the juggling demo. Don’t underestimate the power of personal investigation and don’t hesitate to share what you find. In the Mac Lab, you’re expected to share your own artistic discoveries. Prior students have left visual legacies behind on the Wall of Fame, in our Galleries, or on the Blog (Julia H). The question is: What will you contribute?

Today’s Assignment: Please set up your personal account as shown in those videos. When you’re finished, return to the Student Page and complete the policy and expectations videos. If you’ve previously completed those videos, please watch the one I added over the weekend before moving ahead.

Mac Lab Media: Interested in joining or continuing to work with the Video Team? See this post for details.

Headphone Angst: Yes, you may bring in your own headphones to follow our videos. Please plug the class headphones back in at the end of the period so others aren’t inconvenienced.

One-Half Million Page Views! Actually 503,578 as of 3:15 this morning. Wow!*

International Update: The Republic of Angola is the 161st country to visit the blog.*

*Both of those numbers are since April 3, 2009. That’s the day I activated Google Analytics to track our traffic. I never imagined we see such numbers!

0914: If you’ve not finished, continue setting up your personal account. When you’re finished, return to the Student Page and complete the policy and expectations videos. If you’ve previously completed those videos, please watch the one I added over the weekend before moving ahead. (I hope that sounded familiar.)

Mandatory Mac Lab Media Meeting: Video Team veterans and newbies are required to attend a lunchtime meeting in the Mac Lab on Thursday to plan and discuss the filming of Odin’s March. Details here. I imagine the filming of Friday’s football game will also be on the agenda. Don’t miss this if you want to work with the Video Team this year.

International Update: Whoa! Busy day. Visitors from the British Virgin Islands, The Co-operative Republic of Guyana, and the Principality of Monaco dropped by since yesterday’s update. Those are the 162nd, 163rd, and 164th countries to visit the blog.

0915: It’s a Minimum Day so let’s get right to it. Continue with yesterday’s instructions. Remember tomorrow’s Video Team meeting if that applies to you.

0916: C’mon. You know what to do by now, right? If you’ve not finished, continue setting up your personal account. When you’re finished, return to the Student Page and complete the policy and expectations videos. If you’ve previously completed those videos, please watch the one I added over the weekend before moving ahead. And if you’ve done all that, work on your To Do List. (But keep reading first.)

Explaining the Mac Lab in 10 Minutes or Less: Thanks to all the parents who endured the rapid-fire presentation last night. In the Mac Lab, we’re breaking new ground in education every day. Remember to bookmark the Student Page for answers to many of your questions. Assignments and projects are right here.

One Million Minutes: As of 4:30 this morning, people from 164 countries have spent 1,003,008 minutes reading our little high school blog. That officially closes the question asked on 0817. I’m betting we hit both 2M minutes and 1M page views before the school year ends in June. In a more dubious category, yesterday we hit an all-time high (low?) for spam: 172 pieces of excrement form pitiful parasites, the bane of the blogosphere. We’ve gotten over 1,800 spam comments in the first 15 days of September. Looks like we’ll shatter last month’s record-setting 2,304 spams. This is a frightening trend. Get a life, morons!

Coming Up Next: The Self Portrait tutorials will be ready for you Monday morning. If you’ve completed the Pen Tool tutorials and successfully completed the maze repeatedly — not just once or twice — then move on to the Toolbar videos. There are tips, tricks, and techniques there that will help you top last year’s self portraits.

0917: I’ll be interrupting you today for a little ninth day in the Mac Lab review. Meanwhile, you know what to do, right? (Read carefully. The page has changed.)