Tech4America - Limitless Technology in a Limited World

Catherine T. signing in! The video below is my interpretation of Tech4America and what I think it can offer to the community. I hope you enjoy it! :D

What is Tech4America? Tech4America, in a nutshell, is the "tech" version of the government's WPA (Works Progress Administration). Tech4America, like WPA, not only provides jobs but contributes to the betterment of the community as a whole in the long run. Despite the fact that today is the age of technology, there are many people who have limited technological resources because of financial/circumstantial restraints. Tech4America bridges those gaps and brings technology to a bigger step, connects people, provides opportunities for education and employment. What can Tech4America offer? (Indicated chronologically in the video) 1. 1 laptop per student 2. New equipment for schools to allow easier dissemination of information and demonstration 3. Volunteer opportunities for teenagers and adults alike; volunteers can teach people about technology 4. Jobs 5. Technical classes/training for everyone 6. Online lessons Director's Comment: This is a video montage set to the tune of the Forrest Gump theme. When I saw Mitch Kapor's presentation about Tech4America, this song popped immediately on my head because I believed that Tech4America inspires and gives people hope. During pre-production, I had many ideas as to how I originally wanted to do the video, but the video montage appealed to me the most because through this I'm able to cover many things Tech4America can do.

Tech Issue?

Hello everyone!

This is Derek Macario and Monica Alcazar . For more than 2 months or so we've been working on this video and just finished today. This video is about the issue of students having laptops for school use and their work. With laptops work becomes much easier than using just books and having to research that way. In our video we wanted to include a board meeting(scene) to show that Corporate sponsors and others non-directly involved in schools need to help with the education and process for students and the way they find resources and materials. We hope one day students will have all the materials and tools they need to be equally equipped for their learning. 

See Ya' Later SMASHCAST!

Hey SMASHCAST viewers! This is Juan and I'm signing out of SMASHCAST and heading off to college in the fall. For sure, this may not be my last time in SMASHCAST so I'll see you later. I'll be going off to Bowdoin College, which is an elite Liberal Arts College, in Maine. I'm hoping to participate in the Bowdoin Cable Network, which also uses Final Cut Express. So there will be more movies from me in the future.

I'm going to miss SMASHCAST. I want to thank Trevor and Simon for helping us a lot in the editing processes of our videos and for ordering great food for us! You guys are awesome! With SMASHCAST, I've applied to video contest for the first time, been to the Expoloratorium for the first time, been on the radio for the first time, thought about a career/study in Arctic Studies (Check out our Ice Stories videos!), and I even tried Thai food for the first time too! I'll try to send over some videos that I will be making next year. I'm also going to miss taking BART from Richmond and arriving to the LPFI office and seeing Catherine, Jose, Selina, Devonna, Tommy, Monica, Derek, Trevor, Simon, Virgil, and all the other SMASHCASTers. I'll miss you guys and the creatively unique discussions we had!

A lot happened this year. I'll miss the times when we went to get footage of the Momentum Conference, the Prop. 8 Protest in San Francisco, the Exploratorium, RedTap Station, and other events. We've had a LOT of funny moments and I won't forget them.  

If you're a first-year/second-year SMASH scholar reading this, SIGN UP! SMASHCAST is awesome! Media is an activity that I will be active in while pursuing my career in the sciences and I know that you guys will enjoy your time in SMASHCAST. SMASHCAST is for everyone in SMASH, even if you'll be graduating soon or if you have no idea how to use Final Cut Express/Audacity. You'll learn and Simon and Trevor will like to teach you. 

I'm going to miss everyone, and I hope to drop by next year to say hi and let you guys know how my experiences are in Maine and in college. 

     Thanks for everything Simon and Trevor! And I'll see everyone later,

                     Juan

What was my favorite video during smashcast?

My favorite video has to be the one where I helped out Jose with the Ice stories video. Jose did a story about the Adele penguin it was cute funny and informational. I also had some part in it, which made the video a little more interesting. I’m going to miss all the cool videos the third years have provided us, especially going to miss how all of them made Smashcast an interesting place to be every month... I’m going to miss them.

 

I wish you guys the best of luck!  Goodbye third years (what I do in my spare time)

Good Bye Jose, we hardly knew ye.

R.I.P. my time here at SMASHCAST. This is the last day I will be allowed in this building, as I am now a graduate. I have signed a form stating that if i stand within 10 feet of the building I would be subject to a tar and feather with no remorse. Or something along those lines.

Every great year deserves a great wrap-up. And I will stand and deliver.

I began these sessions a boy, and ended it a man (I had my eighteenth birthday).

Well, its been fun. Through all the laughs, the sweat, the pain, and the joy, SMASHCAST has been very memorable. I remember my first video here. It was a mock debate for Proposition 5. I feel it was quite dandy, and pretty good for a first attempt. Mind you, it was not the first video I've ever made. It was just my first movie as a member of SMASHCAST. 

How did I wind up coming here twice a month anyway? The world may never know. Well, I do. My friends in here told me to join. They figured I'd be pretty good with a laptop and make magic happen. I may not have made complete magic, but at least I made some nice vids.

My favorite movie must be the one I made about the Adelie penguins. I got my partner in crime, Selina Villanueva, to do the voiceover for the penguins. She did a really nice Australian accent. It was quite nice. And no, I'm not implying penguins are Australian, because they're clearly not. I learned this while I was here.

SMASHCAST has brought me plenty of opportunities as well. I was able to go tour Pixar and get of screening of the movie 'UP!'. I went with my other partner in crime, Edward Thomas Mark, and we had plenty of fun, from the taquitos, to the supercomputers. We were able to meet and ask Pete, the director of the movie, a few general questions about animation and the sort. How many other programs give you that opportunity?

But what will become of me now? Will i just wither away and disintegrate in a shallow cespool of despair? Not quite... I will be withering away in college. This fall I will be making random scenes at UC San Diego where the temperature is hot, but the people are... cooler. I will be majoring in computer science and learning even more about computers, programming, and the ilk. WIll I continue to make films? More than likely. I'm sure there'll be enough time for me to keep up with a hobby among all the other 'scholarly' things I must do.

Some may say I am rambling. I believe I'm just stalling. I don't want to say good-bye to all these kids. I'm going to miss them the most. Nobody made me laugh as much as they did. Juan, Catdawg (Catherine), Monica, Selina, Derek, Virgil, Henry, Carlos, Devonna, and although not quite kids, Trevor and Simon, all pretty much made these hour long trips to San Francisco worth it. Thanks guys. Stay cool.

And well. All good things must end. Including myself. And no, I'm not conceited, because being conceited is a flaw, and I am flawless. Just kidding. Or am I? The world will never know, because this is officially my last blogpost of the year, if not ever.

Thats that. See you in SoCal,

Jose Bernal

Signing Off

Hi, everyone....for the last time :(.

     This past year has been quite an experience. We moved on to doing video and it was difficult for me to transition from simpler audio projects to audiovisual podcasting. In the end, though, I was able to have a very positive experience with the projects we put together (No, I did not break Audacity ever again, and I managed to never break Final Cut).

     My favorite video is the one we made about the protest we attended in front of San Francisco City Hall. I really liked it because it was something I really connected to (I went to support some of my friends at the protest). Also, it was the first time I had ever been to a protest or anything so outspoken for any cause!

     The most memorable part of this year, for me, was the field trip to the KPOO radio station in the Mission District. That day was the first (and actually, the only) time I have ever been on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and also the first (and also only) time I have ever been to the Mission District. It was such a great day of "firsts" and it was so much fun; the Missions District was so colorful and new to me, and the BART was so fast and the confusing to maneuver!

     I am a bit disappointed that I was unable to attend a number of SMASHCAST meetings toward the end of the year. I missed April, May, and one in June :(. I was unable to partake in the filming of a Tech4America podcast, but I was fortunate to have great fellow SMASHCASTERs who were able to take my place and make a FABULOUS video. I am truly grateful and appreciative of their amazing work and understanding. 

Thank you for another great year, and for making my last year worth all the hard (and fun!) work :)

-Monica A

My Final SMASHCAST Blog Post!!! D:

Hello peoples, I am part of the third graduating class of seniors from SMASH and unfortunately I am graduating from SMASHCAST as well. It’s been nearly three years since I joined SMASHCAST and it has been a very educational yet extremely fun ride. While here I’ve been given the chance to work with some very talented people and some awesome programs, such as Photoshop, Flash, Final Cut, and DreamWeaver etc. Though I may be leaving SMASHCAST, it doesn’t mean I am done with Media, I still plan to be involved with Media in the near future. We seniors were given a task to choose a video that we think is memorable, or represents SMASHCAST. The video I chose was Jose, Selina, and Juan’s video, down below. The reason behind my choice is the simple fact that I believe it's one of the videos that represents how far SMASHCAST has come in the past three years.

-Thomas Mark

Tech 4 America JSJ

Hey Viewers! This is Juan, Selina, and Jose and we have just made a movie for Tech 4 America. Tech 4 America is a program offered to college graduates with skills in media programs (i.e. Photoshop, Audacity, Flash, Final Cut Express, etc.) interested in reaching out to inner city youth and teaching them these skills in programs. (Similar to Teach For America) Tech 4 America is not an official program, but it is a program that we could propose to the Obama Administration. (HEY OBAMA! If you're watching) Please visit the Tech 4 America at: ___________________. 

One Student, One Computer

Today at Smashcast, I wrapped up my portion of the Tech for America videos. My video is psa and it shows the contrast between the life of a student with and without a computer.

-Virgil Almeda

How did we spend our Saturday?

What a way to start off the summer! SMASH is back and seeing all the new faces was a refreshing sight on what SMASH would be like this summer. Seeing everyone back in the conference room of Whoville brought smiles to many faces, yet some of the newer faces seemed quite nervous to be there. However Ms. Rosa quickly turned that around with a few ice breakers, which made some of the new scholars open up and relax. Overall, the meeting was a great success leaving many scholars excited for the new SMASH year.

On another note Smashcasters have been finishing up their videos for Tech 4 America. The videos are predictions on what is to come in the nearby future. Each student has done a video representing what Tech 4 America will hopefully do for all generations. Check out the videos next week on our upcoming website.

What is Pixar like?

Hey guys, this is Jose coming reporting from SMASHCast Studios.

What was I doing last weekend? I was at Pixar of course!

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs Coleman, Trevor, Tommy, and I were able to get a small tour, meal, and private screening of the new movie "Up".

At the front door, we were warmly greeted and given our nametags. We wandered the main hall for a while before the tour started. First on the tour, we saw my personal favorite attraction: the Render Farm. The Render Farm is a super computer that is rendering Pixar footage created by the animators 24/7. I wasn't allowed to touch it.

Next on the tour, we got to look at the animator's cubicles. They aren't your average, ordinary cubicles. One animator took his cubicle, surrounded it in lumber, and built a second story with the top floor housing a tv and couch. Pretty sweet, no?

Skipping ahead to the meal, the food was really good. Pixar makes very good taquitos. Five stars, for sure!

We did get to meet the director of the movie, Pete Docter, and even interviewed him a bit. He told us about how to get into a career in animation. Thanks for the wisdom Pete.

The movie itself, I'm not really allowed to comment on. We had to sign a form saying we won't give away the plot, or anything of the sort. However just know, a lot of work went into the movie, and it shows.

Overall, Pixar is a really great studio. It is second only to our own SMASHCast studio. All in all the experience made me reconsider a career in animation. I would really enjoy working at Pixar.

Thanks for reading guys,

Here's a picture of my and Tommy awkwardly holding posters autographed by the director Pete, himself. Its a good wrap up for a long post.

What happened at the explOratium?

Smashcast visited the explOratium on Saturday April 18th to resume work on the Ice Stories Project. They learned even more about professional video production and had an opportunity to interview and interact with other Arctic Scientists. Smashcast will be releasing a series of videos about the work of each scientist in the coming months, so stay tuned for more Ice Stories!

Catching up on news...

Hey guys its Jose.

Lately we've been working on many things and I noticed we haven't really posted much.

Last weekend we had a presentation on a new hip product called X-Drives created by a bunch of teen like ourselves. It is basically a flash drive that is shaped to conveniently fit in your wallet. We discussed marketing strategy's and I believe we really helped the team.

We are mainly focusing on Mitch Kapor's presentation on the future of careers in technology. We are currently in the process of making videos on these topics. Check in next session and watch our videos to learn more about this.

Until next time

Jose B.

On KPOO Radio This Week

Hello everyone, this is Derek Macario with my first post on the smashcast site. On Tuesday February 24, 2008, Juan, Trevor, Simon and myself went to the KPOO radio station and we had an interview session about what Smash and Smashcast are about.

With our hosts, Roland and Eric, we discussed the SMASH summer program, and Smashcast projects. We went live on radio at around 4pm at the station in San Francisco. With our 20 minute run time, we touched on an average day at the smashcast studio, the kind of equipment we use, and what SMASH and Smashcast meant to us and How we got involved. Roland and Eric seemed impressed and excited to hear about how enthusiastic a group of young minority adults have formed together for a common interest in Math, Science, and Technology. Being on KPOO was such an awesome experience and we may even be working, again in the near future, with Roland and Eric.

You can hear our session here on the RedTap Sessions site.

Listen to This Broadcast

Prescription Drug Abuse

What's up everyone, I know it's been a while but I finally completed another video. This one focuses on prescription drugs and how they are just as bad as any other drug when abused or used illegally. Some people believe that these type of drugs are "safe" simply because doctors can prescribe them, but it's not necessarily true. Although they are used t treat sickness, when one takes more than prescribed, it can be harmful and someimes even lethal. Even more disastruous is that you could lose your loved ones. Remember that a true friend would never encourage you to do something that's bad for you. Live Above the Influence.

I'll be back with more next week,

Carlos Andrade.