Young people are on the front lines of many of the world’s human rights crises, but they have few opportunities to express their point of view, Adobe and Human Rights Watch said. This year’s films, selected from more than 250 submissions from around the world, include films addressing stop-and-search practices in London, siblings orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique, a teenager’s decision to continue wearing the hijab when she moves from Iran to the US, young homeless people in New York, and child labour in Armenia.

“When we made ‘Just a Normal Day’ we wanted to show that a young person’s right to feel safe on the streets can be made difficult by the stop-and-search rule because the very people who are there to protect us are sometimes threatening us,” said Arran Walker, one of the young filmmakers for “Just a Normal Day,” the London film. “The Adobe YPC programme at Human Rights Watch Film Festival has given us a unique opportunity to share this story with audiences worldwide.”

Nine of the young filmmakers, who worked on five of the films, will attend the screenings at the Ritzy on March 19 and ICA on March 20: Fiona Whelan, Samantha Williams and Arran Walker for Just a Normal Day (UK 2008) Alcides Soares for Mozambique (US/Mozambique 2008)

Annalise Littman for Aquafinito (US 2009)
Olivia McLendon, Zanetta King and Clevins Browne for In My Shoes (US 2008)
David Martirosyan for Sako (Armenia 2005)

“Teenagers are making a critical difference across the globe to advance human rights,” said John Biaggi, director, Human Rights Watch Film Festival. “Armed with digital cameras and their own creativity and courage, the first-time filmmakers featured in the Adobe Youth Producing Change series expose some of the most pressing human rights challenges of the day, tackling such issues as child labour, immigration, access to clean water, sexual violence, police harassment, HIV/AIDS in Mozambique, and teen homelessness in New York City.”

Adobe Youth Producing Change is a project of Adobe Youth Voices (see Notes for Editors for more information), the global philanthropic initiative of Adobe Systems Incorporated designed to provide youth in underserved communities with critical skills they need to become active and engaged members of their communities and the world at large.

“The Adobe Foundation is proud to partner with Human Rights Watch in providing a platform for these remarkable young filmmakers to explore and comment on their world,” said Michelle Mann, executive director of the Adobe Foundation. “By calling attention to human rights issues, these youth are inspiring audiences worldwide and demonstrating the power to express ideas, engage stakeholders and effect change through digital media.”

Visit the official site for more information.

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In 1989 Jan became head of the model-making department, designing and building characters, most notably Wallace and Gromit (Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave).

Her public talk will be about her journey in the world of animation. The practical workshop will cover model-making, set building and props for animation.

Jan Sanger : Public Talk Wed 17 Feb, 6.00 PM

Workshop for : 12-18 yrs Thurs 18 Feb, 10.00 AM – 4.00 PM

Belfast Campus, University of Ulster, York Street Free Admission but capacity is limited. Advance booking advised. Contact the Cultural Development Office on 028 9026 7285 or k.gordon@ulster.ac.uk

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Getting started is easy:
Carefully read the Terms and Conditions for the contest so that you fully understand the requirements before registering.
Register for the contest before March 14th, 2010. Even if you’re unsure you’ll submit an entry, it’s still worth registering.
Create and upload your entry between February 22nd and May 9th, 2010. Please note: you must have registered before March 14th in order to be eligible to submit your entry.

In each category, the best 15 entries will be shortlisted by Apple staff, then the top three will be chosen by a panel of industry professionals. The three winners in each category will receive fantastic prizes, a free Apple Certified Pro Certification Exam and a trip to the awards ceremony in London. Flights and accommodation will be covered by Apple.

Additionally this year, the three winners in each category will be featured in the iTunes Store Podcast directory. To see last year’s winners click here.

Check out the official site for more information.

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The second announcement is a new plugin for Final Cut that will make importing digital video from the EOS cameras much easier. At this point I am not yet 100% if the 500 and 550D cameras are supported but I am assuming if the 7D is supported the entry range cameras will also work.

The plugin entitled “EOS Movie Plugin-E1″  is being developed to provide an even smoother workflow for EOS MOVIE users who edit using Apple’s Final Cut Pro software suite.

The plug-in will enable the ‘log and transfer’ of video footage from Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR cameras – all of which offer full 1080p HD video recording. We are not sure at this point if the plugin will support the 500D or new 550D cameras.

The plug-in will convert EOS  footage to Apple’s high quality ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily – further enhancing the experience of EOS MOVIE users when editing their footage.

We will keep you posted on the release of the beta next month.

The key benefit of using a DSLR in Moving Image Arts isn’t just the ability to easy capture HD footage but they also offer all the power of still photography. This includes manual focus, interchangeable lens to over wide angle, macro and controlled DoF.

Although this example doesn’t feature any dialogue it does show the sheer power of DSLR cameras in low light situations.

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With technology such a key force behind the transformation of our educational landscape, are we at the stage where it is technology that is driving both the learning and behaviour agendas in schools?

ICT is all pervasive in the building of schools, the preparation and delivery of lessons and the management of schools. ICT has raised expectations and contributed to the greater inclusion of parents, governors, administrators and children in the education system.

The ICT for Education Conference Programme will address the issues of how education needs to provide a structure in which ICT can provide an effective educational environment for children. We look at how successful schools use ICT within an educational framework and with clear objectives, managing technology rather than being managed by technology.

An exhibition as well as a conference
The conference also boasts an exhibition for ICT suppliers and vendors as well as related organisations and charities, which will run from 8am until 4pm. Delegates can visit between the conference sessions (which start at 10am) and during refreshment breaks and lunch.

Speaker programme

Click here to view the latest speaker line-up. To keep up to date with news and information about the conference line up as it becomes available, register your details on the ICT for Education website by clicking here

How to book your place at the Belfast Conference
Book your place before the end of February and receive a
discounted rate of £119 (+VAT) (full price: £169 +VAT).

Click here for more information.

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Anyway, here are the hot topics for 2009.

1. New iWork Templates for Education
2. Ten E-Safety Tips for Twitter
3. Top iPhone Apps for Education
4. 5 Steps to Moodle Success
5. Teaching With Comic Life (Download)
6. Keynote Remote Hands On
7. 10 Educational uses for Flip Video
8. GE Augmented Reality Demo
9. Adding an AUP to Moodle
10. 6 Reasons for Photography in Education

I have also started a little bit of a photography blog and if any of you had room in your RSS reader for a new site I would appreciate the follow- www.flixelpix.com

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I Failed French Here (Credit : FlixelPix).

With the paranoia surrounding UK education teachers are now especially cautious of using cameras in the classroom. This was different, it was about pupils using cameras not the teacher so naturally I jumped and the next day an announcement appeared in the school notices that the first meeting of the photography club would be the following week. To my surprise (actually horror) sixty seven pupils turned up. In hindsight it was sad that with the throes of curriculum development we had missed an art form so many pupils were motivated to take part in.

I have decided to look at six areas where photography could be used as a learning tool without swaying too far from the curriculum remembering the infinite benefits of introducing students to such an accessible art form.

1. Mathematics

I am not a maths teacher so these are literally off the top of my head and there are probably a stack I have missed. There is symmetry, shutter speed fractions, Aperture and area of a circle, exposure calculations and finally frame rate when thinking of Moving Image.

2. Science / Physics

We probably all remember working with lens and light when we were at school. Photography if considered scientifically is understanding how light works. Curriculum wise we have lens, light, focal length calculations, refraction, spectrums and the list goes on.

3. History

This Christmas I received a number of photography books (including the “Genius of Photography” and the “Icons of Photography” it is amazing just how much history education uses photography.

Photographers such as George Rodger brought photography evidence of the horrors experienced in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as well as the Normandy Invasions. In fact some consider photography to offer the real documentary evidence of the horrors of World War II.

4. Journalism

Probably the easiest area of the curriculum to introduce the art of photography. From history through to modern day events we have relied on the photo to communicate much of life. In so many ways it is the photo that survives when the actual news story has long been lost. Take a look at these examples of 13 photos that changed the world, and there are many many more.

5. Moving Image Arts / Art

Photography is a stunning accessible art form and if a student is ever going to create a brilliant piece of Moving Image Art then they have to understand the art of still photography.

There really isn’t very much point to labour this point as these are the obvious curriculum areas where photography can be studied in detail from the history of art through to modern day photography techniques.

6. ICT

I was going to leave the list at just five subjects but I think it is important to acknowledge the transferable skills offered through the study of digital photography. Having taught Moving Image Arts for a number of years I am amazed at just how much a student’s ICT skills develop throughout the year perhaps even more than students who study ICT, different skills perhaps but essential ones.

From working with hardware (USB, Firewire) through to file compression, storage issues, file types there is an unseen learning process that takes place. I have one student in mind who had little ICT experience at the beginning of the course yet after two years was the proud owner of a Mac Book and was not only able to use the computer in her creative workflow but was also on her way to start a degree course in multimedia.

Conclusion :

This badly written, unedited and probably riddled with grammatical errors post (I’m too tired to proof read) has a single aim and that is to re-focus. Teachers are so tied to curriculum and have little time to develop and be creative yet often the creative opportunities can be right in front of us. With the expectation of a dozen photographers in the photography club sixty seven was a wakeup call.

The next challenge is to fund and offer opportunities students wouldn’t normally have at home such as access to Adobe Lightroom, or Apple Aperture…. we love challenges though.

Photo Credit : www.flixelpix.com used with permission.

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The awards ceremony opened with the announcement of the winning Cinemagic ‘in competition’ films, which was made by the young Cinemagic Jury members, aged 18 and under, who watched and reviewed all the films over the festival period.

Arts and Culture Minister Nelson McCausland attended the Cinemagic Festival where he presented the Film Club Awards. Commenting at the awards ceremony the Minister said: “Congratulations to the Cinemagic Festival which is in its 19th year and has grown from humble beginnings to be the largest young people’s film event in the United Kingdom. The success of this festival clearly lies in the fact that it is designed for and by young people. It aims to capture the imagination of young people in the moving image and so encourages them to explore and develop their creative talents. Today’s young cinemagic participants could be the Spielbergs of tomorrow and I applaud the Festival for their work in inspiring the next generation of film makers.”

Zoë Cunningham, Communications Manager for title sponsor Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland added: “Coca-Cola has been working in partnership with Cinemagic since 2004 and is proud to be title sponsor of the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People once again this year. During the two week festival, Cinemagic activated a truly action packed schedule of events which provided participants with the fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in many arts based disciplines. The festival gave a unique insight into the exciting world of film and television and showcased the many and varied talents of the young people of Northern Ireland, who we hope to see as the stars of stage and screen in the years to come.”

The winning films in the following categories were Best Short Film as voted for by a Children’s Jury, ‘Lost and Found’, Dir: Phillip Hunt, UK, 2009; Best Feature Film as voted for by a Children’s Jury, ‘A Shine of Rainbows’, Dir: Vic Sarin, Ireland, 2009; Best Short Film as voted for by a Teenage Jury, ‘TV Dinner’, Dir: Simon Tofield, UK, 2008; Best Feature Film as voted for by a Teenage Jury, ‘It’s Not Me, I Swear’, Dir: Philippe Falardeau, Canada, 2008.

Young filmmakers from across Ireland and the UK were also awarded at the ceremony as the winners of the 2009 Cinemagic Young Filmmaker Competition were announced. From hundreds of entries the winning films and filmmakers were:

• Best Film in the under 15 year old category, ‘MUMMY’, made by Sophie and Dylan Hagan from Newtownabbey.
• Best Film in the 15-17 year old category, ‘END’, Made by Dan Allen and Lily Staff from Essex.
• Best Film in the 18-25 year old category, ‘JUST’, made by Connor Flanagan from Dublin.
• Best Script and Concept, ‘CONSCIOUSNESS’, made by Callum Henderson from Newcastle, Co. Down.
• Best Documentary Film ‘ASPERGERS AND ME’ made by JJ McQuade from Belfast.

The winning school in the BT Vision short film project supported by Arts and Business was St Dominic’s Secondary School, Belfast, who received prize money of £500.00 for their film ‘Sister Lucia’
Highly commended schools in the ‘After School Film Club awards’ were Harberton School, Belfast and St Joseph’s Primary School, Derry; and the winning school was Millisle Primary School, Co Down.

The ceremony culminated with a celebration of new and upcoming talent that shone through at the ‘Talent Lab’ masterclasses sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland, that were hosted by top names in the film industry. The winners in the following categories will get the chance to further develop their skills during a work placement in the film industry in 2010:

• Most promising student in Fights for Stage and Screen: Michael Smith from Ballynahinch.
• Most promising student in Make up for Film: Maria Liddy from Armagh.
• Most promising student in Costume Design for Film: Ros McGahan from Armagh.
• Most promising student in Scriptwriting: Rob Johnston from East Belfast.
• Most promising student in Film Production: Enya Rose Hamilton from Ballynahinch.
• Most promising student in Acting with Ros Hubbard: Aisling Groves-McKeown from Bangor.
• Most promising student in Location Management: Joseph Doyle from North Belfast.
• Most promising student in Acting with Ciaran Hinds: Ryan McKenna from Dungannon.
• Most promising students in Programme Making: Nick McCarthy from South Belfast and Michelle Steadman from Co. Wicklow.

Links:
Cinemagic

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If so, this year’s Coca-Cola Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People is currently selecting a jury panel of 10 to 18 year olds to watch and judge short and feature films. The panel will be required to watch all of the films that are being screened in competition during the Festival (18th Nov-4th Dec) and to choose a number of winning entries.

Chris Shaw, Cinemagic Programmer, explains what is involved in the role: “As a jury member you will spend a number of evenings and weekends at the Festival, helping to decide the winners of ‘Best Feature Film for a Children’s Audience’ and ‘Best Short Film for a Children’s Audience’. These categories will be judged by a jury of 10 to 14 year olds, whilst a panel of 15 to 18 year olds will vote for ‘Best Feature for a Teenage Audience’ and ‘Best Short Film for a Teenage Audience. Jury members will have a great opportunity to meet industry professionals and to present the awards at Odeon Cinemas on 4th December. It also offers young people the chance to meet others with a similar passion for film and to make new friends, whilst expanding your understanding of the different genres of film.”

To be in with a chance to sit on the jury simply write an imaginative letter or e-mail, no longer than 300 words, explaining why you would like to be on the jury and send it by Friday 6th Nov to: Jury Competition, Cinemagic, 49 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JL or email: claire@cinemagic.org.uk

Please include your name, address, age, contact telephone number and email address. You must have permission from your parent/guardian to be a jury member, be able to attend all of the jury films and be able to arrange your own transport to and from the Festival.

The films in competition are compiled of special UK and Irish premiere screenings of international movies that explore new worlds and cultures. Highlights include the UK Preview of rugged New Zealand drama ‘The Strength of Water’ (23rd Nov); the fantastic French film ‘It’s Not Me, I Swear’ (24th Nov) that explores the bizarre and wonderful world of 10 year old Leon; have you ever wondered what Santa Claus was like as a child?

Find out in the Irish Preview of ‘A Christmas Story’ (29th Nov). ‘The Eagle Hunter’s Son’ (1st Dec) is a breath-taking epic that explores the conflicts that arise when family tradition takes precedent over individual desires; the German comedy ‘The Crocodiles’ (1st Dec) follows horrid gangsters and a group of determined teenagers! Can a boy of nine be a big brother, a father, a mother and a luminary all at once? All will be revealed in the Turkish drama ‘The Bogeyman’ (2nd Dec).

For further information on the opportunities that exist visit www.cinemagic.org.uk to find out more! Tickets for festival films can be purchased online from the Cinemagic website or from the Belfast Welcome Centre, 47 Donegall Place Belfast, Tel: 02890 24 66 09.

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Moodle offers a solution that ensures every user agrees to the terms before they are granted access to courses.

Step 1 : Create your VLE AUP

To do this you need to create an html file and upload it to your server or another location on the internet. Here is a reasonable example :

The school offers pupils an online learning environment (VLE) at xxxxxxxx this environment is managed by the teaching staff to support pupil learning while out of school. The VLE is accessible both in school and home and access is considered to be a privilege.

In order to use the platform you must agree to abide by the following rules. You may not access, distribute or place on the VLE material that

is illegal in the UK
is offensive, obscene , encourages or facilitates illegal activities,
is in breach of copyright owners’ statutory rights (you should not use the Internet to plagiarise the work of others, or post any content including images without the permission of the owner/correct licenses). Non-original content must be correctly attributed.
E-mail, messaging or chat must not be used to harass, intimidate, or otherwise annoy another person.

Your use of the platform (including chat and discussions) is logged, and records are kept of all your activities and contributions to the site for a period of 1 year. Students should be aware that in addition to the site administrator, course leaders are able to directly access their students’ files. As with all public sites, you should not regard any of your activity as private or confidential. XXXXX School are not responsible for the content of external sites.

You could copy this and paste it into a text editor saving it as aup.html

Step 2 : Activate the AUP Policy in Moodle

Log on to your Moodle install as the administration and click on the SECURITY option on the left hand menu. Now select  ’Site Policies’ About half way down the page you will see the following entry :

Type the address of your AUP html file and hit save. This means when a user logs in for the first time they will have to agree to these terms. Users only have to agree once, they won’t be asked again but they won’t be able get beyond the AUP page if they do not agree to the terms.

Easy, any questions please ask below.

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