WK3 Ron Smith Interview Interactive Q&As

Ron Smith Video

Screen capture taken from Full Sail Media Asset Creation on June 20, 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0e3YlOFPcQ&feature=player_embedded

1. What makes Hollywood High School’s New Media Academy unique?    It is a career focused program feeding into the entertainment business using media related materials.
   
2. What media do students tend to gravitate towards to express themselves creatively?     Students like to create animation using Flash to make videos.
   
3. How does Ron Smith keep his students engaged in lessons?     He integrates as much technology as possible including whatever is currently being used by the students the most like podcasts, text messaging, and videos.
4. According to Ron Smith, why are teachers the main block in developing technology in education?     It is hard for teachers to understand technology changes rapidly and to keep up with the latest trends. They get stuck in a rut like Powerpoint presentations.
   
5. How does Ron Smith prepare for instruction? He spends a month before his semesters planning his activities.
6. Why is lesson preparation a hard sell to teachers? Teachers are used to planning as they go (a week/month), so planning ahead of time for an entire semester is a hard adjustment.
   
7. What are the three most popular programs Ron Smith uses in his classroom at this time?     Scratch, Sketch Up, and Blender
8. Describe why Ron Smith uses each of the three programs stated above.  He uses Scratch to build games mainly because it is a free open source. Students can create online or download.  Sketch Up by Google creates a 3D models which can turn into interactive movies. Blender creates 3D animation like MIA but it is also free.
9. Which program seems the most interesting to you, and why?  (Answers will vary.)
10. How does Ron Smith assess his students’ work?    Ron Smith stated all of his students create entirely different products and they are all correct.
11. What are the current trends in education according to Ron Smith?    Curriculum design and online instruction which engage the learner.
    
12. How is the learning you experience like Ron Smith’s classroom? (Answers will vary.)
    
13. Do you think you would enjoy taking a class from Ron Smith? Explain why, or why not.   (Answers will vary.)