Wow! Is it really the end of First Quarter? Already?! I feel like I just started school! I'll tell you, time goes by really fast in Media, with all the deadlines and everything, so that's probably why. Anyways, when I look back at all the things I've worked on in First Quarter, I am just amazed! We did so much, and I actually did learn a BIG lesson that I'm going to share with you in the next few paragraphs.

The biggest thing we worked on all quarter was, of course, our News Story. It was very fun and challenging to do this. I have to admit, I do have some regrets about the first quarter project, and I also have to admit that I think we could have done a better job. The problem was, we ran out of time! We didn't really pay attention to how many more classes we had left until the project was do, and then at the last minute we had to work really hard and fast, and couldn't put in as much effort because of the time crunch! Next time, we need to pay more attention to the deadlines coming up, and work our hardest and best and be productive in every class so that we don't have to rush, rush, rush at the last minute!

A similar scenario happened with our radios. We were kind of just cruising and then all of a sudden,Lilly is awesome, we found out that radios and the first quarter project were due the next week, and we really had to hurry! I think we did a good job with the radios, though, other than lack of practice (because we had no time) which caused our radios to sound to much like we were reading, and not having a conversation. I thought writing the radios was pretty fun, and we just needed a little more time.

In between those two big projects, we also did a lot of side things. I made my first advisory game, worked morning announcements, wrote blogs, got a Media iPad.... it was very fun and yet, challenging, which was a good thing. The huge lesson that I learned this quarter was that it doesn't pay to not do your best each class. Every class and chance you get, you really need to take advantage of the time given, and be super productive, even if your project isn't due soon. It always pays to be done early so that you have time to go back and fix anything, rather than just waiting until the last minute to get it done.

In conclusion, you can see what a busy first quarter I've had! I worked  on a lot, from radios, to advisory games, to radios, and more... When I get back from Fall Break, I'm really hoping for a great quarter were I can apply all that I've learned into it. I'm also going to try really hard to get things done on time, if not early. Until then, see ya!

Phew! Just in the nick of time we turned in all three of our completed radios for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! I'm so glad that they're turned in, and they were pretty good for the most part. Mr. M said he really liked the pace of our talking (we weren't going super fast, like previous radios from other people, so that was good), but he said the only thing was it sounded too much like we were reading off the script, and not like we were having a conversation with each other. This was definitely caused by lack of practice, because we were in a serious rush to get the radios done and edited, and we didn't have any time to practice! Next time we do radios, I'm going to try and get the scripts done extra early so that we will have time to practice, and make it sound really awesome.

Guess what? If you're guessing that Sierra and I turned in our First Quarter Project, you're right. What you probably did not guess is that we turned it in late! I was so sad that we turned it in late, because that's one grade down of what we would get if we turned it in on time :( I guess we just got caught up in between doing radios, and we really just needed more time. On top of our project being turned in late, I really don't think that it's that good, even after all of our hard work. The problem was, we had a really good script (that was too long, so we had to revise it) but we just didn't have all the b-roll! We only got a few pictures of mongoose, but no video footage of them on Kauai. That made it really hard, because our whole project is about mongoose!!! Oh well, I guess it's a learning experience, right? Just wish me luck on our Second Quarter News Story!

Wow! This week sure has been a busy week! We not only had (and still have)  to work on editing and completing our First Quarter News Story by Tuesday, but we also have our radios to finish! Two very big projects that are both due next week!! All I can think of is deadlines, deadlines, deadlines!!!!  The radios are going pretty good, but I'm just kind of anxious to get them done so that's one less thing to worry about. We also had to revise our script because it was WAY to long when we started putting the video together. I'm just glad we have a Media laptop so that we can work on the project at home! I really want to turn in our video a little early, so Mr. M can show us anything we can fix before he actually grades it. Sierra and I are both working really hard, and I think we will be able to finish!

This week has been an exciting, busy week! One of the reasons why is, can you guess... I wrote my first radios! It was really cool, but yet hard at the same time. I really wanted to make sure that what we were saying flowed and made sense, because it's going on the radio, and I want to sound very professional. The hardest part was probably making everything flow together, and not be choppy and just move on from one topic immediately to the next. I finished the first drafts and turned them into Mr. M, but he said they were too short. The good thing is, we got even more events than before, and Mr. M said he could even try to set up an interview for us as an Extra Feature! So, I think with these new events, we'll be able to make great radios that are very close to two minutes! I'll definitely keep you posted the week we air about how I think I sound!

Wow! I can't believe it's already been a few weeks since I've gotten my Media iPad! It's helped me a lot, and now that I have it, it would be  really hard to be in the Media Productions Class without it! In the next few paragraphs, I will tell you about all the ways having an iPad has helped me in the Media class!

One reason love I having my iPad is that anytime there's Wi-fi, I can go on Gmail. This has allowed me to go to Google Docs, and work on my script, radios, and more! Now that I have my iPad, I have been able to work on Google docs at the bus stop, my house, my friends house, and other places that have Wi-Fi. It definitely makes it way easier to access my Media project! I can get more work done because sometimes I don't have access to a computer, or any other electronic that would allow me to work on my media project, but now that I have my iPad, it allows a great, productive way to work on my project!

Another reason I love my iPad is that I can work on my blog whenever I want, as long as I have my iPad. By using the app Wordpress, I can easily go to my blog dashboard, and write a new blog. It also makes it really easy to upload pictures. Then, I can easily publish my blogs wherever I am, as long as there's Wi-fi. This has helped me tremendously get my blogs done!=[

Finally, having an iPad makes Media easier because it keeps  everything more organized. I keep my calendar, notepad, and all my blogs stored on my iPad, so I know they're all in one place. Whether I need to write a blog, check my calendar for events, or go on Google Docs, I know it's all all in one place... my  iPad.


In conclusion, I love my iPad for many reasons. It makes everything more organized, I can write my blogs on it whenever I want, and finally it give me easy access to my media project. I feel very honored to have my iPad and I can't imagine Media without it!!!

Just a few days ago, something super cool happened... the iPhone 5 came out!! It's all new and improved with a bunch of awesome features, and even a different look! Now, it's longer, thinner, and has a bigger screen. It also has ultra fast wireless and brilliant 4 inch retina display! It's way more vibrant which makes it an even better experience to play apps, read,and look at pictures and videos. Speaking of pictures, the Camera app now has 40% faster photo capture, a better low-light performance, and more, so your pictures can catch the precisest details. You can do also more with Siri now. It understands even more, so you can ask Siri about things like sports scores and stats, what movies to see, and where to eat. You can even ask Siri to make Facebook posts or tweet for you! Isn't that crazy??! The iPhone 5 also has a larger display, a faster chip, the latest wireless technology, an 8MP iSight camera, and more... I could just go on and on about the amazing new features about the iPhone 5! You can probably tell, but if I could buy myself a new phone, I would definitely get the stunning iPhone 5!

It's always been tricky for me to answer "what's you favorite" questions. I don't have a favorite song, actor, TV Show, or even animal! So when I found out that Mr. M wanted us to blog about our favorite movie, it was definitely tricky for me to think of a movie that I absolutely adore, over any other movie! One of the reasons that picking a "favorite" is is so hard, is that I often love more than one. So it's really hard for me to narrow down all of the great movies I've seen and just pick one. So, though it is hard to pick a favorite, my favorite movie would have to be... Soul Surfer.

One of the reasons I loved the movie Soul Surfer was it was really inspirational. It really showcases how, even though Bethany had tons of good reasons to quit surfing, she persevered through her struggles and carried on. Bethany had such a passion for surfing that she wouldn't let anything get in her way. And even with only one good arm, she still continued to surf and compete! How inspiring is that? It makes me want to try harder, because I have all my limbs intact, and am very blessed to go to such a great school, and yet sometimes I still feel like giving up when things get hard! And then I remember people like Bethany, who went through so much and she still didn't give up despite the odds. What a positive, inspiring message that Soul Surfer had! I want to make my videos more like that!

Another reason I like Soul Surfer so much is that it was a true story. Don't get me wrong, I love fictional (mostly realistic fiction) stories, because you actually get to write the story, and create the characters and the problems they go through, and what not, but I just think it's really neat when someone goes through something so tremendous and inspiring, it's good enough to make a movie about. Movies like that make me think, "Wow, I can't believe someone real actually went through that!"Plus, true stories always motivate me. They make me realize how lucky I am and also how if they can stand up to a problem, I can too.

Finally, I love the movie Soul Surfer because the Hamilton Family are family friends of ours. It's cool to see someone you actually know have a movie about them. Wouldn't you think so? When I watched the movie, the whole time I was matching the actor or actresses faces to those of the real person, and it was really exciting to see a movie star acting like a person I know! Also, when I was on Oahu last summer with my family, we actually got invited to the premiere of Soul Surfer where we got front row seats to watch Soul Surfer on the beach with Bethany Hamilton and Anna Sophia Robb. Then, after the movie, we got invited to Anna Sophia Robb's penthouse to hang out. It was awesome!

In conclusion, Soul Surfer is the type of movie that stands out to me. I like it because it's motivating and has a life changing message, it's a true story, and the Hamilton Family are family friends of ours. I want to make my videos as interesting and inspiring as Soul Surfer

So, since in my last blog, I wrote about how Sierra and I were able to turn our finished script just in time, I thought I should do a follow up about what's been happening in the Media Class since then. On Monday, we got our script back, and guess what grade we got... an A-! I was so surprised and happy to find out our script got this grade! We had to fix a few things, like making it a little more clear how mongoose were able to get to Kauai, and making sure to talk about Kauai instead of all the Hawaiian Islands in one part. Another issue about our script was the length of it... it was three and a half pages long, which could be too long! We had to revise our script two more times ( which we did in class ) and then Mr. M said we could start putting the video footage together! The only thing is, our video still might be a little bit long, but hopefully it's just right! Next week, we are going to start working on writing our radios, so wish me luck! I'll definitely be blogging about that, so stay tuned!

Yay! I am so happy right now! Despite the odds Sierra and I were able to finish transcribing and our script, on time!!!! I honestly didn't think that we'd be done in time but we were able to get writing the script done. It was kind of tricky for me though, because you have to pick out the best sound bytes from all of your interviewees and put them all together to make a news story that flows and makes sense, and you have to make sure it includes your five key points and has a beginning, middle, and end. Then, after you pick the best sound bytes to put in the script, you have to pick b-roll to go with the different sound bytes. I had to stay in at morning recess, lunch recess, and after school to finish, but it was really worth it.I'm just so glad Sierra knew how to write a script! I REALLY hope that we get good feedback from Mr. M about our script, but all constructive criticism helps, and I want to make sure it's good enough to be on Hiki No!!