Author: James

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Affordable Mini HD Camera setup

Kodak Zi8 mini hd rig

I frequently get a good deal of questions from students and educators on what type of video camera should they buy if they have limited money and they still want great quality. In order to answer these questions I have been looking around for the cheapest rig possible that can still offer decent image and sound quality to recommend to these budget conscious videographers. I did a little research and set aside a maximum budget of 400 bucks for the entire project. The basic criteria for the video Continue reading “Affordable Mini HD Camera setup”

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My new article on student motivation – HETS Online Journal

HETS Online JournalI wanted to share with you a recently published article on the topic of the student motivation that I authored. The title of the piece is “Motivating at Risk African Americans and Hispanics Through the Study of New Media Technology“. The peer-reviewed article was based on many of the interactions that I have had over the years with my amazing students. The primary focus of the research was on how to inspire African American and Hispanic students by using digital media. However, the principles and techniques described can be applied to students of all races and cultures. The article was published in the second edition of the Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) Online Journal. The digital copy of the journal can be found here in pdf format.

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LaGuardia New Student Orientation

New Students

This week I had the opportunity to be a Faculty Leader during LaGuardia’s Spring 2011 New Student Orientation seminar. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce incoming Freshmen to all of the programs, services and activities available at LaGuardia. The hope is that by giving students a comprehensive introduction to student life at LaGuardia, their transition to college will be a satisfying experience. It is also a great way for faculty and students to interact outside of the traditional classroom setting.

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iPad 2…..ehh!


Overall, I was very disappointed at what Apple announced today concerning their much anticipated update to the iPad. Let me state for the record that I absolutely love my 1st generation iPad. I love it so much that I touched my Kindle and netbook for the first time in months the other day only to brush the dust off of them as I was cleaning up my bedroom. And I loved both of those devises when they Continue reading “iPad 2…..ehh!”

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Giving thanks

After what has been one of worst couple of months in recent history for me it was good to sit back and reflect on how lucky I am to have certain people in my life. Regardless of life’s up and downs, I know that I am a lucky, lucky man. Plus it was a relatively mellow family gathering. Well as mellow as our family gatherings get.


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They are not dolls! They are action figures damnit!!!

My wife continues to give me grief over the only things that I bought for myself at the 2010 NYC Comic Con. Contrary to her assessment, correct name for these items are “collectible action figures” and not “man dolls”. I have been wanting to try my hand at some advanced stop motion movies, so didn’t feel to bad about picking them up. My son and I did a basic lego Star Wars stop action a few years Continue reading “They are not dolls! They are action figures damnit!!!”