Knowing What You Don’t Know – Networked Learning #2

Sometimes you have to learn a little to get a glimpse of the depth of your ignorance.  That’s My experience as I learn my Canon Rebel T2i.

creating need-to-knows

To start I watched some overviews of my camera.  I waded through several videos – the first has been the most helpful (straight-forward and geared for beginners), the second is an example of something that was over my head (too conversational to be helpful to a new learner).  I quickly realized that I needed more background in photography basics.

With these, I got a list going of things I needed to know:

• vocabulary: ISO, shutter speed, aperture, exposure, f-stop, white balance, focus point, Av, Tv, exposure compensation, AE lock, focal length, depth of field
• Where do I start?  Which one of these should I learn to control first?
• What kinds of pictures would be best to practice with?
• Where should I go to find help & feedback?

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Grappling with the basics

I searched YouTube for basic photography videos.  This series was particularly helpful as the videos were short enough to not overwhelm and had great examples to demonstrate concepts.

I started experimenting with ISO, shutter speed and aperture using objects from my desk , going back to the Canon T2i videos to review.  It was fun to see the images change as I changed exposure settings.

I also learned how to focus the camera on a specific point.

For example, the bird is in focus here . . .

and the paper weight here:

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Embracing my ignorance

Searching photography forums, I found Digital Photography Review, a massive site with an extensive network.  I signed up and got ready to ask – “Where do I start?”  I was surprised at my inner conflict as I did this.  Why was I having such a visceral reaction to something that should be no big deal?!  You see, I haven’t been true beginner in quite a while.  Most of the things I learn these days are for areas in which I already feel semi-successful.  Not so with this.  I was literally at the beginning, a Kindergartener learning to read.

This comparison to a Kindergartener  was freeing . . . I was able to embrace my ignorance and swallow my pride.  After all, no five-year-old walks into Kindergarten feeling foolish for not knowing how to read.   Choosing to adopt this attitude was my first big hurdle – without it I wouldn’t have been able to engage with willing teachers.

I’ve been surprised that: 1) many people were eager to teach and 2) they were welcoming and encouraging.  This is not the intimidating experience I anticipated!  Sharing/verifying my thinking with others on the forums has been a huge benefit to my learning!

I was also directed to another resource, Cambridge in Colour, that has become my favorite reference for digital photography explanations.  It provides bite-size written tutorials with visual aids and examples.  I’m able to learn a bit, play around with that new information and double check that I’m on the right track back in the forums.  Getting a cycle of learning starting to flow has been awesome.

After My Second Learning Cycle

(Getting the hang of white balance.)

  

After My Third Learning Cycle

(Working on manual focus and shutter speed.)

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Updated Needs to Know

Basic Learning:

• ISO
• shutter speed
• aperture
• white balance
• focus
• use still or slow-moving objects for practice

Currently Learning:

• exposure compensation

Next Steps:

• depth of field
• focal length

When They Begin the Beguine

"When they begin the beguine
 It brings back the sound of music so tender
 It brings back a night of tropical splendor
 It brings back a memory ever green
 I'm with you once more under the stars
 And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
 And even the palms seem to be swaying
 When they begin the beguine"

- Cole Porter, "When They Begin the Beguine" (1936)

Our brains – they can so capture the physical and emotional nuances of a moment that it is almost possible to relive pieces of our pasts.  Whether it’s the comfort of your grandma’s perfume or the romantic longings that surge when hearing “that song,” we all have sense memories.

This clip of two tap legends dancing to Porter’s song is one for me.  I see it and I’m five, sitting on grandma’s couch, studying every move, dreaming of broadway, waiting for grandpa to come around the corner and assure me for the one hundredth time that I am the world’s next Eleanor Powell.

Newsflash – I did not become the next Eleanor Powell (surprising I know), but I did excel at tap.  The context of my family and my prior knowledge almost literally set the stage for my first “shuffle step.”

CEP810 has me thinking a lot about prior knowledge and knowledge construction this week.  As I contemplate the marvelous nature of our brains, Porter’s song keeps popping into my mind and I realize that you never know what will be a “When they begin the beguine” kind of moment for someone.  As a teacher, I want to play the “beguine” for each of my students – to tap into their prior knowledge in such a way that they are propelled toward deep understandings.

I’d love to hear your ideas.  How do you “begin the beguine” for your students?

Check out my thinking on a teacher’s place in knowledge construction in this short essay.