Graphic+Novel+-+Andrew,+Ian,+and+Randy

OK everyone. Here is a summary of the contact info:

Andrew Schrock: aschrock@usc.edu Ian McFarlane: ian.r.mcfarlane@gmail.com Randy Clemens: rclemens@usc.edu

//I have no idea what I'm doing. Just setting things up. Use as you feel is most helpful.

Graphic Novel Topics:
 * || Topic/Idea || Andrew (commenting below) || Ian || Randy ||
 * (I1) || How a computer works || **Has unfortunately been done..** || Ok, skip ||  ||
 * (I2) || Teacher evaluation schemes in education || **I think Randy's head just exploded!** || Sorry Randy (I'll get the mop) || Thanks,Ian. ||
 * (I3) || Student evaluation schemes in education || **Okay, this is more interesting. At least, when I see "student evaluation schemes" I think of, what would happen if students tried to evaluate their schools & teachers?** || I was more thinking originally of different kinds of grading schemes. What are good (or at least not terrible) methods of quantifying student achievement/improvement/understanding. But things can go in any direction that looks interesting. ||  ||
 * (I4) || How to start a business (LLC, paperwork, etc) || **Sounds rather dry... I'm not sure it has enough juice for a graphical interpretation.** || Ok, skip ||  ||
 * (I5) || Guide to good graphic user interfaces (GUI) || **This might be interesting if it has a historical element... a history of the GUI, something like that?** || I was more thinking of what makes for a useful or intuitive GUI. We have Steve Job's idea that few buttons = good interface. What are the other paradigms. Now that there are so many software consumers (since we have programs on our computers, phones, tablets, etc..) it is a topic that is becoming very important. But things can go in any direction that looks interesting. ||  ||
 * || So, I've never been great at fitting into columns, but here are some of the things I am interested in / thinking about: ||  || All good Randy. You fit the column to your ideas. Not the other way around. ||   ||
 * (R1) || Cultural innovation, particularly among non-dominant groups || **Would be interesting to think of innovation among low-SES / immigrant groups, linking with a more Randy idea. Francois Bar here has looked at hardware hacking overseas, which can be seen as a kind of cultural innovation.** || I'm not sure what this could look like. I remember the topic. If you guys are excited by it I'm game. ||  ||
 * (R2) || Neighborhoods and culture || **Very broad - what about neighborhoods and culture? Could be an illustrated guide to LA neighborhoods viewed through residents' eyes... I'm not sure if that exists.** || Yeah this sounds broad. The suggestion of an illustrated guide to cultural neighborhoods sounds like it could be construed as raciest. Like a guide book to a zoo of LA or something. What place do I have describing other peoples neighborhoods when I don't know them well. To do a decent (non-stereotypical job) I feel we would need to do a lot of interviews and field trips. That sounds like a lot of time. ||  ||
 * (R3) || Per Andrew, the LA School || **Was this me? I'm flattered... and can't remember. Probably a tough story to tell, but I'm game.** || So would this be designing an LA school or describing how it is currently structured? I know little about either. IF you guys are excited by it I'm game. || This one was actually in relation to the Chicago School. ||
 * (R4) || Lastly, I was thinking it may be cool to tell the story of us three coming together to collaborate. So, we would start with each of us in our respective spaces--art space, hackerspace, classroom, lab, or wherever--tell our story, and then end with us coming together. It's meta, for sure, but also kind of interesting. || **I like this the most. What is learning in 2011, where do ideas come from? I think we each have different visions of what innovation and creative learning is. At least, this is what this makes me think of. It would also make a really cool graphic novel. Maybe our comic avatars all tackle a different piece of a problem.** || Wow. Meta. Uber-meta. The topic will be "us picking a topic". Which means everything I type and do will be potential material for going into the graphic novel. I'm going to start writing GN for graphic novel. ... Which means me trying to truncate a word could end up in the GN. My self reflectiveness could be in the GN. This sentence could end up in the GN. Mongoose! .... Sorry about that. Had to break the cycle.
 * (R3) || Per Andrew, the LA School || **Was this me? I'm flattered... and can't remember. Probably a tough story to tell, but I'm game.** || So would this be designing an LA school or describing how it is currently structured? I know little about either. IF you guys are excited by it I'm game. || This one was actually in relation to the Chicago School. ||
 * (R4) || Lastly, I was thinking it may be cool to tell the story of us three coming together to collaborate. So, we would start with each of us in our respective spaces--art space, hackerspace, classroom, lab, or wherever--tell our story, and then end with us coming together. It's meta, for sure, but also kind of interesting. || **I like this the most. What is learning in 2011, where do ideas come from? I think we each have different visions of what innovation and creative learning is. At least, this is what this makes me think of. It would also make a really cool graphic novel. Maybe our comic avatars all tackle a different piece of a problem.** || Wow. Meta. Uber-meta. The topic will be "us picking a topic". Which means everything I type and do will be potential material for going into the graphic novel. I'm going to start writing GN for graphic novel. ... Which means me trying to truncate a word could end up in the GN. My self reflectiveness could be in the GN. This sentence could end up in the GN. Mongoose! .... Sorry about that. Had to break the cycle.

My circular rant aside, this topic actually has the sound of what would work very well for this class and could draw equally from each of our experiences. Especially when coupled to Andrew's suggestion that we discuss innovation and creative learning in our respective fields. I imagine it would be followed by a discussion between our avatars about similarities and differences. ||  || So we started off with 9 topics: I1-5 and R1-4. I think I1, I2, and I4 have been ruled out. We can continue narrowing down ideas each person knocking one or two off at a time, or go with R4 which Randy suggested and Andrew likes the most. Thoughts?


 * || I ||  ||   ||   ||
 * I1 || X ||  ||   ||   ||
 * I2 || X ||  ||   ||   ||
 * I3 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * I4 || X ||  ||   ||   ||
 * I5 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * R1 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * R2 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * R3 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * R4 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

OK! R4 it is. Good news is that with the emails and this wiki as the project develops we will have a good record of the collaborative process on the collaborative process. We might need a mop for my brain.

Story boarding Layout Ideas (not limited to only one):


 * Day in the life: three columns (one for each of us) showing how our days go by. this could show us engaging in the collaborative process in our own way or show us being creative/innovative in our discipline.


 * Model the layout as a conversation between our avatars. Entire pages could be one person describing how things work for them separated by transitional discussion pages.


 * Others? (Pleas add!)


 * I like the three columns. I also like the idea of four chapters. Each of us gets a chapter. We each title it whatever we want. We each get a certain number of slides. The last chapter, then, is us three coming together to collaborate.
 * For me, I was thinking:
 * Panel 1: Me teaching in front of class.
 * Panel 2: "2005" Me looking at a full auditorium of students, the class of 2009
 * Panel 3: "2009" Me looking at a nearly empty auditorium of students
 * Panel 4: Me slumped over desk with thought bubble: "There has to be something..." and then "Eureka! Innovation"
 * Panel 5: A picture of USC with another caption, "It's time to go back to school."
 * Examples can be seen here!

Andrew script ideas: P. 1 By day I am a mild-mannered student at a local university... By night, geek extraordinaire. (thought - there aren't too many places I can be myself, around people I respect. I'm not sure if any of these ideas are leading anywhere, but I can't get them out of my mind!) Panels showing figure walking up stairs, opening door, sitting down to sip energy drink surrounded by soldering irons and equipment. X-Factor* and Shade the changing man posters on the wall. Sips energy drink.

P. 2 Innovation is social. Nobody creates in a vacuum. We build on others' ideas. They could be plans, how-to videos, or kits. Wikipedia is the most prominent site for aggregating ideas. Some even turn it into a business.

ADAfruit Industries collaborates with "customers" in the development of new products. But for the most part, ideas are ephemeral, ignored, and contested. In short, blended (online/offline) informal learning spaces are easily missed. Part of the reason they are missed is how we think about learning. We think school is where the action happens, where learning is regulated and inputs/outputs codified.

P. 3. Think about how teachers say "now this will be a fun activity." This is sadly a sure sign that what's about to happen is anything but fun. Can you capture creativity? Kind of. You can't force it. But you can: - Design for progressive change - Create synergies between online and offline - Foster a culture that embraces repurposing of knowledge - Allow productive roles and collaborations to emerge, while providing blueprints where necessary


 * = I met a guy at the park who named his daughter Jubilee, after the X-Factor character. True.