Video Project- Finals De-stresser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyO96dBKf5g

For this assignment, we were asked to cover a newsworthy event and use the footage to compile an intriguing video for our audience to view. Trust me, it’s a lot easier said than done.

Excuse my hostility while writing this but I enjoyed this project up till the very end when we were asked to upload it to YouTube. My partner Lilly and I spent a few hours adjusting the video and adding little details to make it perfect. But somehow we were unable to get it to upload.

I did enjoy this project and I really liked working with Adobe Premiere, however by the end of this assignment, I found that I was so frustrated that I never wanted to use it again.

Aspects that I enjoyed were the many features associated with Premiere. I feel like if I had more time to work on the project, I could have added a lot more detail. I also like how the program was organized and how easy it was to add and remove different clips.

What I didn’t like was how annoying it was to try to upload the video to different accounts. I also grew very tiresome of how the program would stop running periodically during my time working on it.

If I could do things differently, I would try to incorporate more background noise. I did attempt this but it would not save to my video.

In the future I could see myself having to use this program again… But lets hope that never happens… Just kidding. Video’s are a great way to share news stories and personally I have always loved viewing them. I just didn’t realize till this project how much work it actually takes. I hope that I can become more savvy with the program and someday be able to use it in my career and not have the same, bitter emotions I had during this go around.

I’m feeling a little “twitter”-pated

https://twitter.com/ashwilliams011

For this assignment we were asked to “tweet” about a live event going on around campus. As I contemplated on what to do my assignment on, I found an exciting event being held at Prexy’s Pasture was a perfect activity to report on.

At first it was a little strange as I am not someone who frequently posts and follows the Twitter feed. However, after about my third tweet, I began to have a lot of fun with it.

What I found I really enjoyed was the short, simple sentences required to compose a tweet. I am not a person who has the attention span to read long stories so Twitter is the best way I can get my information quickly and simply. I also love being able to have the ability to hashtag keywords so if you’re looking for similar posts about the same subject you can do so quickly.

I’ve tried to think of reasons why I didn’t like this assignment and to be honest, I couldn’t come up with any. I thought it was super easy for starters and extremely simple. I mean I think a toddler could tweet in all honesty.

 I feel this assignment was very informative as I learned how to make appropriate, newsworthy tweets. It was also a great way to interact with classmates and see the events they were attending. I was surprised by the amount of information I was able to compile just at that one event. I could have had way more than ten tweets by the time I was through with the assignment. The thing I would have done differently was compile more tweets and make them a little more intriguing than what I did. I also might have tried to incorporate some video and photo footage as well.

As technology becomes more important as the years carry on, I could see myself having to use Twitter as means of communicating to whoever my audience might be. As a journalist it is very important to have quick and accurate information. I feel Twitter will be the most effective way to get the news out there and receive feedback from the public.

Soundslides Group Project… Oh Yeah!

http://klandreville.com/williams_novotny  

For this particular assignment we were asked to create a Soundslide project which basically required making a slideshow full of audio and pictures to go along with.

I personally thought this assignment would be much more difficult especially after reading the first initial syllabus but after having a partner who was also very knowledgeable about the project, I found together we made a great team.

            From doing this assignment I learned how to make a news story unlike any other I’ve dealt with before. I honestly have a lot more respect for journalists who do these types of projects on their own because of the time and persistence it requires. If it wasn’t for my partner I probably would have pulled my hair out, seriously. As far as noteworthy experiences go, I guess our adventure to the Laramie Animal Shelter was one for the books as it’s something I probably wouldn’t have done on my own.

            I really like the Soundslide program as opposed to other programs I’ve worked with similar to this one in the past. I thought it was really easy to navigate around and very simple when it came to uploading images and audio. I think my biggest concern about the program was organizing pictures to fit the audio. However, once I was able to get the hang of that aspect it was all downhill from there.

            I can honestly say there isn’t really anything that I would change about our final version of this project. I think my partner and I worked very hard and did our best which I feel made the end result a successful one. I guess there’s always room for more creativity but there’s only so much time you can spend on a project before you lose your sanity.

Edited Audio Interview

This assignment has by far been the most frustrating one I’ve completed… But once I figured it out, it wasn’t that bad.

So I present to you my edited version of my interview with Ricky Tabuchi.

From this experience I learned that I have a much greater respect for people in audio editing realm. It took me hours to finally edit this interview down to a 2:15 segment that I felt comfortable turning in. I also learned that this new branch of journalism is great in the sense that it allows more interesting ways of reporting and allows more creativity in different news casts.

I enjoyed having the ability to edit and rearrange my interview and placing things in places that without editing I couldn’t have done. It’s nice to know that I have that power but also scary in the sense that the power can and probably has been abused. I personally would never abuse the privilege but there probably so many fabricated news casts that are released each and every day.

What I didn’t like about this assignment was the tedious work that was required to complete it. I literally spent an entire afternoon making  a decent edited version of the interview. I guess if I were getting paid to do this I wouldn’t mind it, however, I’ll restrain myself from doing another audio interview unless it’s otherwise required.

I was surprised by the amount of options you have when editing an audio piece. If I had more time to play around with the program, I probably would have created a more interesting piece.

I would definitely have spent more time on this assignment if my schedule would have allowed for it. In the future I’ll make more time because the Audacity program is a rather intriguing one and it’s something you could play around on for hours on end.

Raw Audio Interview

Since becoming a journalism student and having to work for the Branding Iron publication on campus, there’s been a few times when I’ve been required to conduct an interview. However, as far as conducting an audio interview, it was a completely different territory for me.

I always feel a little silly when I am being interviewed by someone because I’m not one who really likes to talk about myself. As for interviewing others, especially for this interview I did, I love listening to other people’s story’s and life changing events. That aspect is a major reason why I decided to pursue this career path, I love listening and sharing the events that shaped someone’s life.

From this experience I learned I really hate the way my voice sounds through an audio recorder… Just kidding (well, kind of). What I did learn however is that to do an audio interview, you must be really prepared in what you’re asking and how you approach addressing the question. If you are disorganized when asking questions, it makes you look unprofessional and also makes you look like you’re not as interested in hearing the interviewee’s story. I believe it’s very important to make the subject know you are very intrigued with what they have to share which in turn makes them share the story in a more detailed and personal light.

I really enjoyed being able to listen to my subject and ask him things that have been so significant in his life which I would have not known otherwise. I didn’t like having the power to rewind and listen to myself speak; I found that to be really embarrassing. Other than that, I really had no other complaints.

If I could have changed something about the way the interview ended up going, I’d probably modify the way I worded some things. There were a few times I felt that I sounded unprofessional and ask I progress into my journalism career, those are mistakes I can’t afford to make.

What’s That You Say? Ambient Noise? Testing, Testing 123…

When asked to complete this task, my first and foremost question was what the heck is ambient noise?

“In acoustics and specifically in acoustical engineering, background noise or ambient noise is any sound other than the sound being monitored(primary sound). Background noise is a form of noise pollution or interference. Background noise is an important concept in setting noise regulations.”

That’s what Wikipedia says, however, my “simplified” definition is any background noise that is incorporated in different recordings.

This was something I’ve never experimented with before and because it was new to me, I made sure I had a lot of fun with it.

Woof.

For the first ambient noise I recorded, I figured I could classify my neighbor’s annoying dog under the “living quarters” category. This is a noise I put up with day in and day out and I would explain the noise but I think it’s an obvious one. To record this noise, all I had to do was stand by my wall with my phone recording (might I mention this was the first and only time time I was happy to hear the dog barking). As far as an audio journalism story that could go along with this recording, I’m thinking it could go along with barking dogs becoming a menace in different neighborhoods and apartment complex’s around Laramie or even around the nation.

Ring Ring Ring!

Where I work, I find that all my co-workers, myself included, all own iPhones. Normally I’d find the trend fascinating but it’s actually quite annoying when someone receives a phone call. Everyone scrounges to pick up the phone but in the end it’s only one person’s cell ringing. What’s even more annoying is that it usually is never mine. To record this ambient sound in my “work place”, I just whipped out my cell phone when someone next to me was getting a call. I thought this tone might be an obvious one to record, however, I think you could tell an interesting audio journalism story to go along with it. Maybe about how cellphones seem to be an essential accessory in the 21st century or maybe about the harm they do to humans socially.

We’re in Wyoming After All

I was walking through Prexy’s Pasture one day and came to the realization that I could record one noise from outside that everyone would be familiar with. So as I sat out on a bench, I pulled out my recorder and listened to the wind blow through the tree’s. Most days I hate the wind but it was a beautiful afternoon and something about it was soothing. Since we live in such a windy state, I guess an audio journalism article could be constructed based on wind energy and its pros and cons.

Cry Baby

I was blessed at the beginning of last November with a beautiful baby niece named Lilly.

Just like any baby, they cry, a lot. So when I just recently went to visit this beautiful baby girl, I found an opportunity to take advantage of one of her temper tantrums to get another audio bit. Maybe a piece could be conducted on the rising number of children being born today or maybe even something about the mistreatment of children could be developed using this sound.

Who Loves Laundry?

As I was walking around my living room the other day grunting and complaining about having to do laundry, I had a thought cross my mind… Why do I put it off for so long? Just kidding, I just actually took a moment to listen to the water fill the machine and wondered how much water is wasted with the millions of those who do laundry on a weekly basis. I recorded the sound because as we conducted a post from the website Powering a Nation and learned about the water waste, especially here in America, I found myself feeling a little better inside because of my procrastination to do laundry.

Conversation Always Fills a Room

Last but not least, I found myself sitting at my favorite cafe in Laramie named Coal Creek to record my final audio bit. I always find conversations in cafes interesting because everyone is whispering but with all the whispers combined in such a small proximity, it always sounds like you’re in a large arena filled with dozens of people talking loudly. As far as stories go that audio journalists could formulate, I’m sure something about the so-called “bad effects” of coffee could be talked about or how cafes are good for the mind and the soul.

Now for Part II of the assignment…

123… See I Can Count

For the next part of the assignment, we were instructed to pretend like we didn’t know how to count then edit the audio bit to make us sound smart again. I’ve counted to 10 several times in my life, many of which probably out of order, but I’ve never had to do it while playing around with an audio device. This unit was the first time I ever explored the audio download Audacity and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Here I present the original version of myself counting to 10 but doing so out of order…

Now here’s the edited version, I knew my parents sent me to college for a reason!

The Day I Attempted Photojournalism…

As I continue to progress in my journalism career, I have found that my favorite aspect of it has turned out to be photojournalism. This year I have been fortunate enough to work for the Branding Iron publication on campus which has allowed me to pursue this aspect of journalism in ways that not many people get to experience.

When strategizing what photos to take and how to shoot them, I really had to get my creative juices flowing as I began thinking of which methods would be most effective…

So without further ado, I present my five photos that show the inner photojournalist in me.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Cast members from the University of Wyoming’s hit play “Marat/Sade” get into character as they captured the interest and attention of their audience.

For this first picture, I chose to categorize it as my “non-sports feature” photo. I attended this play that the University held no too long ago and photographed various pictures for it as I was fortunate enough to have a press pass for the event. This was one my first experiences of shooting a “non-sports” event and to be honest, I thought it would be a lot worse than it actually was. Although I have to admit, the play was quite strange, having the privilege to capture scenes from the event was quite an honor. While I’m aware our feature photo was supposed to be of a genuine event, some might consider a play to not be “genuine” scene to capture. I felt this picture was a genuine image as it captured the plot of the play in one of the most powerful scenes during the performance. You gain a lot of knowledge about each character’s role by just taking a look at this photograph which is how I would classify photojournalism. I mean isn’t a picture worth more than what words can state? It was a little awkward photographing this event but after getting used to the fact I was capturing the event’s highlights, it felt that much more empowering to me. The creative device I concentrated highly on using in this was “viewpoint”. I felt the image depicted the play’s main focuses while exhibiting each characters different role.

The Pressure is On

Sophomore Cowgirl basketball star Kayla Woodward lines up for a free-throw shot as they battle in a close game against border rivals Colorado State University.

I selected this image as my “sports-related” photo for many reasons such as its representation of sports action and intensity felt it that very moment in the game. Currently, I’m the sports editor for the Branding Iron publication on campus which allows me to take part in these games as well as photograph the memorable events. While photographing this game, the atmosphere was a very wild and rowdy one. The fans made photographing this event an exciting one as they encouraged all the shots being made in the game as well as all the shots being taken with my camera. I felt that the creative device I used for this particular shot was to “create depth” as I wanted to exhibit the players watching the shot being made, the player making the shot and the fans anticipation for her to make the shot.

Win or Lose, UW Fans still Represent

Students from the University of Wyoming cheer on the men’s basketball team in their home match-up against rivals Air Force Academy.

For this first optional photo, I felt that the image of the crowd I caught in the game against Air Force game was a great one to display as it exhibited a lot of enthusiasm that is represented from fellow UW fans. The atmosphere of the event was intense as their was a lot of encouragement for the team to win, which might I add they did! It was easy to shoot because the crowd was all for being photographed representing the brown and gold. I guess as far as creative devices used to classify this photograph, I’d say I used “experimentation” because it was something out of the range I’ve ever tried capturing. However, despite going out on an edge by posting this, I felt it turned out pretty well considering it was a new limb for me to go out on.

Patience Grasshopper

The group of monks who recently visited the University exhibit both patience and persistence as they created various sand designs to find themselves finishing the design, brushing them away and beginning again from scratch.

Practice Makes Perfect

A closer look at the concentration and determination it takes for the monks to create such beautiful masterpieces that within seconds get swept away.

For these last two images I captured, I figured I’d combine the posts since they both were captured from the same scene. They were taken when the group of monks visited the University to exhibit the diversity of religious practices and how the patience behind their practice showed a lot about how humans should live their lives today (I found this to be very inspiring for the record). The atmosphere was very calm as everyone was so drawn behind their concentration to create such a masterpiece. It was very easy to take these two shots because everyone was so welcoming and so eager to share their story’s.  In these two events, I’d have to say I used the creative device of  “viewpoint” because I was trying to capture the thoughts and feelings based on the scene of the event. I think with these two images, viewers can get a good feeling about the environment and the mood behind the event.

From this assignment I learned that photojournalism is  a lot harder than it appears. Plain and simple. While taking a picture might seem easy, trying to convey emotions from the scene to your viewers isn’t an easy task. I was surprised by the difficulty it was to find the right image to put what words couldn’t in other’s minds. I have a lot of newly acquired respect for photojournalists that I never had before, especially because it’s something I don’t think I could do at a professional level.

If I could do something differently, well… I guess I would learn more about photography so I could make adjustments to my photographs to make them better to my viewer’s eyes. I don’t think my pictures are horrible by any means however I think everyone has something to learn. But isn’t that the best part about life, always getting the chance to  improve and learn from past mistakes and mishaps?

The “Fab” Five

When asked to present five photos using the “creative devices” we learned in this class, I was a little discouraged. I have an account on Instagram and Twitter but those spontaneous acts of my artistic side are few and far in between.

So when thinking about what five photographs I could take and use and what creative devices I could classify them under, I decided I’d take pictures of my five favorite recent memories… Hope you enjoy! If not… please lie and say you did!

Life is too short for bad wine!

For this first photograph I chose to capture wine and use the creative device of “focus” to draw in the attention of my audience. I believe by using focus, the viewers eyes look directly at the wine glass which is the focal point. The use of blurred background I feel creates more appeal but doesn’t take away the attention of the glass itself. I think the glass had such a powerful statement in this picture because of its color and because of its placement. It’s aesthetically pleasing because of its appealing elements and contrast of colors. I also think that because of the background elements that highlight the “focal point” because they relate to the main subject.

And now unveiling photograph #2!

Concert in Denver!

For the second photograph I captured I felt it could be classified  under the creative device of “framing” because it highlights the stage and the performer who was hosting the event. Although the heart that was created by my friend’s hand and mine is a bit of distraction to what’s going on, it also emphasizes the performance that is going on and the crowd that is partaking in the event behind. It captures the reader’s attention because it is framing an important event which obviously exhibits an exciting an event of some kind (an awesome concert). It’s also pleasant for the eye because it has colors that create appeal as well as the excitement taking place at the festival.

Hello number 3.

Driving in good ol’ Colorado!

This picture was taken during my little adventure to Colorado. I felt once taken it fit the category of “depth” best. For me, I felt the focal point was the car that was closest in the image followed by other traffic then by the mountain range in the distance. It captures the reader’s attention because of how the gloomy haze highlighted the accents of the different cars and scenery and also because a majority of the picture is in focus. All the above reasons show why people would choose to view the image. Plus it’s Colorado, how could you not love it?

4????

Enjoying the nice weather!

For this fourth photograph I used the creative device of “Rule of Thirds” because, well, it fits the category (plus, the shoes are cute and the weather was so nice!). The shoes I’m wearing in this picture draw the viewer’s attention because they are the main subject that is upfront and center. But the blue chairs and the stage in the background also create good scenery which makes the nude color of the shoes more interesting. If I were someone who just happened to come across this picture, I would like it for its different use of placing the main subject and because of its simplicity (and because of the fact they were new shoes).

Ta-da!

Poke Pride!

And last but not least we see the photograph in this “Fab Five” selection in which chose to incorporate a little bit of my school pride. The creative device in this piece is “contrast” because the contrast around the subject are what makes it pop. It captures the reader’s attention because the focal point is very obvious and because the main subject is intriguing. For fellow Poke fans it’s aesthetically please because is does represent the Wyoming Cowboys, for other viewers, well it’s intriguing because of its lighting around the subject.

From this assignment I learned… well… I need to take better photographs. Just kidding! I did learn that all of the important composition tips suggested do improve photos so much more. As someone who takes interest in photography I felt this assignment also helped me learn the importance of taking good photos if Photoshop was not an option.

I was surprised by this assignments difficulty because the less I had to worry about Photoshoppimg, the more I had to worry about focusing on good and original photographs.

As for things I could change, there are a lot of things. I wish I could have had more time to travel and take a more wide-range of pictures and think of more creative ways to incorporate different elements. I also wish I could have taken more advantage of lighting and of different subjects.

Overall though, I’m not unsatisfied with what I composed, I hope you all aren’t either!

Starved for Competition

An Original Investigative Report by Ashlee Williams

Photo Courtesy of the Wyoming Athletic Department

Where the problem begins…

When it comes to competition, an athlete’s physical condition is essential. Players here on campus spend hours conditioning themselves to be at their top performing shape at all times.

But as much as good nutrition and safe training are encouraged, especially among collegiate and professional athletes, one sport has a reputation as being unhealthy for its athletes.

The name of the game is wrestling, and the price to participate was once notoriously unhealthy, and, in extreme cases, deadly.

Andy McCulley, a well-respected wrestler at the University of Wyoming, shares his knowledge about what it takes to make it in wrestling.

“Wrestling has been a major part of my life since I was old enough to wear a singlet,” said McCulley. “There were a lot of times when I wondered if it was the best sport for my body. My dad was always encouraging me to pursue it but my mom was always a little more leery about it just because of the health concerns it created. But it’s what I loved and it was what I wanted to do. So ever since it has been about all about pushing myself and my body so that I can achieve the goals needed to do well in my wrestling career.”

Weight Issues Concerning Wrestlers

In wrestling it’s obvious size matters. In the past, before rules were established for safe weight management, on average most members found themselves trying to fit in a weight class that was two groups down from what was considered healthy for their body type. That statistic comes from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), an organization that was created in 1997 when three collegiate wrestlers died because of unhealthy weight loss activities. It is the association’s mission to stop such tragedies which still happen today, although not as frequently.

In the past, one of the most common methods for athletes to lose weight was starving themselves. Anorexia was a common term thrown around in the wrestling realm 15 to 20 years ago. Often wrestlers who were trying to achieve their desired weight-class would push themselves past their breaking points, creating voracious appetites and hunger pains that consumed athletes.

“There were a couple of incidents during my high school career where I would find myself going without meals,” shared McCulley. “Skipping out on meals and working out were the two sure-fire ways to lose weight. But eventually it got to a point where I learned I just needed to maintain a proper diet and a proper exercise plan to be where I wanted to be. I realized my health wasn’t something I wanted to chance, no matter how much I loved the sport.”

Crash Diets and Workout Plans

It also was not uncommon to see competitors doing whatever they could to sweat as much as possible during their workouts. Wrestlers reported that they would put on trash bags saran-wrapped to their bodies, followed by layers of sweatshirts and sweaters to sweat off any excess weight. Though they were losing water weight, athletes would become extremely dehydrated creating alarming health issues.

“When I wrestled in college, it was back before the NCAA established the rules they have in place today,” UW Wrestling Head Coach Mark Branch said. “I remember being on the team with a guy who would lose so many pounds in the matter of a couple of hours. It wasn’t uncommon for guys to lose 10 pounds or more in just a day. It wasn’t healthy and something surely needed to be changed, especially because of all the health concerns that happened during that time.”

New Rules and Regulations

Since then, the NCAA has created strict regulations that wrestlers today have to follow in order to compete. Wrestlers are no longer allowed to jump up and down from different weight classes. When the season begins, they are given a plan according to what’s best suited to their bodies after performing tests for body fat, hydration, etc. They are also no longer allowed to cut large amounts of weight in a few days. Generally, they are allowed to cut two pounds max per week.

Wrestlers from the University of Wyoming have reported that their weight loss methods include extra workouts and watching what they eat while still getting the nutrition they need.

“My biggest concern for my team is to make sure that they stay hydrated and follow healthy diets,” said Branch. “At the beginning of each season we set reasonable goals for each athlete. We also have a team nutritionist that keeps track of our athletes and makes sure they are maintaining good health.”

Photo Courtesy of the Wyoming Athletic Department

For more information on the regulations and guidelines created, take a look at the Optimal Performance Calculator posted by the NWCA.

Usability of Websites

When I first examined the website http://poweringanation.org/water/ , I didn’t have any expectations that it would be any different from other informative sites I’d visited before. The purpose of this page was made to create awareness about water conservation… boring. And with the informational video being the initial thing that appears on the webpage, my prospects weren’t about to change.

Personally, I’m not a big video viewer, especially when it comes to seeing them online. However, I found I was intrigued with the features this particular video had once you paused it.

They site posted random interactive facts throughout the video’s feed. Things such as:

*A newborn baby is 78 percent water, about 20 percent more than an adult. 

*Wash and fold, wash and fold. Did you know that traditional washing machines use anywhere from 30 to 50 gallons of water per load?

*More than a third of Americans can’t swim.

It came as a surprise that once the video was finished, there were even more interactive features for the site’s audience to view. A large mosaic feature is displayed once you finish the video which allows for more personal interaction with the site.

After exploring the website for a few minutes, I realized that it was taking me all over the place. I ran my mouse across all the icons till I found one that appealed most to me.

From the video, I found I was most interested in seeing how much 100 gallons of water costs. Once I clicked on the icon and watched the 30 second clip, there was a calculator designed to calculate how much 100 gallons costs on a personal usage compared to different countries around the world. It was a realization to see I use approximately 88 gallons of water each day which costs on average about $21.31 which is more than the whole country of Peru, Ethiopia and India use in a day.

After taking just a couple seconds to navigate to the main webpage, I found myself following the same pattern while exploring other various aspects of the site.

Most of the features started off with a video followed by some interactive tool to make the information you just retained more relative to you. By doing this I remembered more information then I would have normally if the site was just full of people talking and not having me be included.

By having explored what this website had to offer, I found that is exceeded the 10 tips of navigation listed on our course website. Maybe it was just me but I had no issues with the navigation of this site whatsoever. And I easily found how I could contact the creators/ producers/ reporters of the website.

Just as a little refreshment, here are the 10 listed tips:

1. Keep navigation simple: Limit choices. Avoid scroll bars and drop-down menus. Avoid layers and layers of navigation.
2. Make navigation buttons large enough for a finger touch, not just a mouse click.
3. Place controls and navigation in logical places. We glance pages from left-to-right and top-to-bottom. Set up navigation and controls that reflect this.
4. Integrate multimedia into text, so if users what to explore the multimedia while reading the text, they can take a detour. This is nonlinearity.
5. But be sure you make it easy for users to return to the previous content. –> Don’t remove key navigational buttons that were available before.
6. Don’t change the position and location of links.
7. Try not to offer more than 7 options for primary navigation. Exceeding 7 can overwhelm.
8. Use clear labels and descriptions to users don’t guess where a button or link will take them.
9. Use clean, simple design so it is easy to read and view your content.
10. Conduct usability tests!

When deciding to conduct the “Usability Test” on another person, I decided my roommate with a short attention-span was the perfect person to ask.

He found himself having the same thoughts and feelings I did when I first came to this website. At first he thought it would be just another lame environmental site but in just a few short minutes, his perceptions had changed too. And what was even funnier about his process while exploring the page, he did it almost the same exact way I did! (that makes me want to take back the comment I made earlier when deciding to ask him to be my guinea pig).

He took advantage of all the tools on the site and watched video after video while muttering “this is sweet” and “wow” the entire time.

After discussing the site after he explored it, we both reached the conclusion it was one of the best websites either of us had ever seen. Not only did we both learn a lot of things we didn’t before but we also in a sense learned a new way to learn from the perks of having multimedia in today’s world.

Three things that should *not* change –>

1. The interactive features (very entertaining)

2. Captions placed with the video (makes videos more appealing)

3. The mosaic layout (good way to group the information)

Three things that should change –>

1. Length of some of the videos (shorten for people with short attention spans)

2. Add more color (draw in the eyes of more)

3. Add music to the main page (I don’t like quiet)