Recommended at the MEMO Conference, iMotionHD is a powerful, yet easy to use tool that allows users to create videos that incorporate time-lapse and stop-motion functions. Time-lapse is helpful because it accelerates movement – such as clouds or people passing through an area throughout the day. Others have also used time-lapse for accelerating plant growth or the sky over a 24-hour period. Stop-motion on the other hand, is an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object look like it’s moving on its own – making your prop come to life on video! Pretty flashy – huh?
iMotion HD supports all orientations and works with all camera-equipped iOS devices. The basic iMotionHD app is a free download; however, the full version of the app sells for $1.99 and allows you to export videos (to Photo Library, iTunes Sharing Folder and Email), to upload to YouTube, and to organize videos in a video library. To find out more about iMotionHD visit the app in iTunes, or visit the iMotionHD site.
Words cannot describe the boost of energy I received as a result of going to the MEMO Conference at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Conference Center last week. It was great connecting with so many of you from Central Minnesota. I wish we could find a way to get every media specialist in our twelve county region to the conference next year!
The rock star keynotes couldn’t have framed the theme any better. They included the bigger picture, but also sprinkled in great application ideas and enthusiasm too, which is a good blend for most. Shannon McClintock Miller, Kathy Schrock, Gail Lovely, and author Mary Amoto all added support, wisdom and practicality to the overall conference theme of Leading Change. The breakout sessions offered great variety, and you could just see the ideas percolating throughout the crowd. And finally, pairing a great lineup of authors with book lovers is always a match made in heaven, and the big smiles and armloads of books testified that the “matchmakers” got it right!
Kate Bessey, Julie Notsch, and I have been planning the Friday night Conference Cantina since March. We wanted the event to energize people and focus on fun and easy networking. I think we got our wish…a cash bar and music, prize raffles, build your own taco bar, and team trivia led by the Trivia Ninjas kept things lively. Many tables had diverse age ranges, which served them well in the trivia contest. I can attest to the fact that I did not know Honey Boo Boo when I needed to, but a youngster on our team did! The Schrock Superstars team won the trivia contest and received personalized candy bars and beads with winner medallions on them. Schrock proudly posted her beads on Twitter at pic.twitter.com/x5UY497r. Finally, there were exciting moments of spontaneous chair dancing and debauchery, which was so much fun to see. I wouldn’t have changed a thing!
And, it was great to see Kathy Schrock and Gail Lovely proudly wearing their “brag swag” on Saturday, with keynote Mary Amato also including commentary about the great time she had in the Cantina. We have lots of requests to repeat this type of evening programming. Give us your ideas and thoughts when you fill out the conference evaluation at http://goo.gl/9TDBP
Trivia Ninja (Pete Nyblom)
Shrock Superstars
And yes, it is daunting to return to reality, but resist the temptation to allow yourself to be sucked into the madness before taking time for the reflective thinking. In this fast world we live in, it is easy to grasp the quick fix, the bandaid, the sound bite!
Dig deep to reflect on what you took away from the conference. I am firmly committed to doing some specific work around Social Reading and in using Good Reads, but also would like to try out a tweet chat to see if we might want to do that in our region around a topic. What was your takeaway or area of new understanding? Did you leave the conference committed to doing something new or different?
At the Friday luncheon at last week’s MEMO Conference, our own Paul Beckermann, school library media specialist at Dassel-Cokato High School, received the prestigious Media Specialist of the Year award. Paul has also served on the CMLE Governing Board for a total of six years, and as President for the past four years.
Paul has many strengths and accomplishments, most of which might not be evident under his quiet humility. Due to this humility, it was only after I reviewed his many accomplishments that I fully understood what a huge contribution Paul has made to the field. Paul is quite simply outstanding, a master of his craft as teacher/media specialist/tech integrationist. He is worthy and deserving of this prestigious award and we know this will not be the end of Paul’s greatness! We are lucky to have professionals like Paul in our 12-county Central Minnesota region. Well done Paul!
We know that not everyone in our region will have the opportunity to attend the MEMO Conference this year, which can be disappointing. A strategy I have found helpful when I am unable to attend events, is to find out the Twitter hash tag for the event, then do a Twitter search on the hash tag. now, you can read the tweets from attendees and feel a bit more connected to people and events. In this case the hash tag will be #memo12 and you can follow MEMO on Twitter anytime, using their @memo_updates too.
This is my first blog post using the new mobile WordPress app on my iPad.
The to-do lists are shrinking as the mound of miscellaneous boxed items grow as we put the finished touches on our work with this years MEMO Conference. Our presentations, the Hospitality and Local Arrangments Committee work, details around the Conference Connections Cafe, and our work with the Friday night Conference Cantina have kept us busy. Julie Notsch, Cathedral High School has been working with us on this committee work. Cantina Night will offer some time for light hearted fun and a focus on the individual. Begin by creating your own margarita and taco dinner by building it just the way you like it. Team trivia and drawings for fabulous prizes will top off the evening.
We are hopeful that the turnout is good, and people are able to push work into the background, to fully enjoy the conference experience. It is fun to see people get their “batteries charged” and feel excited about their work with an infusion of new ideas!
When the conference is close to home, it is tempting to bolt for home when the breakout sessions end, but the true magic and networking happen in the hallways or in the evenings. So resist the call of your jammies, and stick around. Kate and I hope to see you all there!
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
the sky over a 24-hour period. Stop-motion on the other hand, is an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object look like it’s moving on its own – making your prop come to life on video! Pretty flashy – huh?
