Thursday, May 20, 2010

Keeping Up!


So admittedly it has been a long pause since I've posted here last. Yet it has also been a long time since I've gotten serious friend, vacation, or exercise time (not a habit I recommend). Which in some sort of internet way means, I wish I had been sharing all that has been going on at the Emergent Media Center with our EMC followers!

Often these days, I wonder if it would be simpler if I just put a stop to our collective creative thinking—then keeping up would get so much simpler. But truthfully there is much that needs doing, so many that can benefit by what we do, and so much that is worth doing! If we hold our collective breathe then the speed of change will make us obsolete. Likewise the value of the education we are creating would be less so.

Our EMC students (over 200 in two years) such as Kate Baxter walk out the door with classroom learning but also a fuller understanding of how their classroom knowledge applies to the world and with the skills to make visions reality.

It has been a very busy semester.
We progressed forward on or concluded a long list of projects this semester:
  • Google Earth mapping of Burlington and the campus (which continues on this summer) driven by Ray McCarthy-Bergeron and Alex Keyes,
  • the Virtual Vermont Archeology Museum project with star student now grad Mike Fowler,
  • two projects driven by amazingly creative teams of students: 1) conversion of the Information Literacy game for the iPhone and 2) the movement of data from our Polhemus Motion Capture device to Maya and our game engines,
  • and moving the United Nations game to end violence against women from concept into beta Breakaway.
Overwhelmingly the students reported that these projects were among the most valuable of their educational experiences—providing portfolio experiences, tying together classroom learning with real world outcomes, providing relevance that they could recognize, and pushing them beyond their comfort zones into accountability onto a formerly unknown scale.
We traveled to Saint Lucia, New York City, and Milan, Italy presenting, testing, and recording with the poorest of poor and with some of the most influential. We brainstormed with groups and thinkers such as the likes of Ben Cohen on concepts that could impact ways of viewing actions. We built upon classroom learning and applied it to sponsors' projects with real world goals—projects where failing or non-complete's were simply not an option.
And among ourselves we struggled with: our ideals of leadership and transparency; balancing productivity and insight in a learning/productivity structure; pipelines for production; continually changing teams/workforce; cohesively managing and producing as a cohort of millennials, next gens, and baby boomers; and producing work with professionals and world leaders on world impacting projects.
So it was a very busy 4 months. The summer looks even busier.
Our game, Breakaway, with the UN has found an international soccer star, Samuel Eto'o as its champion and launches in three weeks for the FIFA World Cup, the Google Earth project continues with the city of Burlington, other projects are in the pipeline to include internal Champlain College web projects, projects such as the Governor's Institute of Vermont in Information Technology for teens,

and the launch of the MFA in Emergent Media—bringing an entirely new dimension to learning within this real world, multi-dimensional format.

So much to look forward to—and if I'm lucky I will keep our readers informed and I'll schedule in some friend and exercise time!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Seeking Web Design & Marketing Specialist for EMC project

The EMC is seeking a Web Design & Marketing Specialist for a summer project.  This would be a part-time position (or positions, depending on applicant skills sets) for some or all of the summer semester, and possibly into the fall if needed.  Applicants must be Champlain College students.


Here are all the details:


Web Design & Marketing Specialist

Number of Openings: 1-2 (might be split into 2 positions depending on skill set of applicants)
Pay Level: $9.00/hr
Term: June 1 - through summer semester, possibly into fall if needed
Majors who might be interested:  Marketing, Web Development, Graphic Design & Digital Media, Communications, Public Relations, Game Programming
 
Job Responsibilities:


  • Collect, edit and create website content (visuals and copy) for the Division of Communication & Creative Media website
  • Learn the Champlain College content management system.
  • Create graphics and perhaps video for the website.
  • Create interactive gallery/showcase of student work
  • Maintain website presence
  •  Apply marketing/branding strategies throughout
Job Requirements:


  • Must be able to work during regular business hours, at least 10 hours/week for part or all of the summer semester.
  • Must be able to use and/or highly motivated to learn the following programs: Champlain CMS, Photoshop, Illustrator, possibly Flash.
  • Must be highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently, but also with collaborators. Effective communication is a must.
  • Must be a creative thinker with new ideas and have the ability to listen and incorporate others’ ideas.
  • Leadership experience is a plus.
  • Samples of work (marketing plans, website design, flash animations, graphic design, writing samples, etc) welcome for submission.  Please include work you feel best shows of your skills.

Ways to Apply
Email your resume and cover letter to supervisor email address below OR
Drop off your resume and cover letter at the Emergent Media Center.
DEADLINE for submission: Wednesday, May 26th

 
Send resume and cover letter (along with sample work if applicable) to:
Sarah Jerger
EMC Operations Manager
E-Mail:  sjerger@champlain.edu
Phone:  (802) 865-5479

Location:
The Emergent Media Center

3rd floor in the Champlain Mill, Winooski
(Located across from Spinner Place main entrance)
 
www.champlain.edu/emc
Find all of our social networks at: http://card.ly/EmergentMediaCenter