ENT 4410 Technical Direction Spring 2018

To build on the work we are doing in class today, here’s a link to the Openlab ePortfolio help site. Use that as a reference if you ever run into trouble working on your ePortfolio.

Also, you can find more information about learning portfolios in general here. Don’t worry too much about the sample table of contents that Zubizarreta has included, but when you look at Fig. 3 of the article, you should think about how your work this semester fits into the “Problem Solving” and “Field Experiences” categories.

Last but not least, be sure to check the Problems page for digital copies of all of them problem handouts.

The goal for your portfolios is to catalog what you learned this semester in class. It is helpful to write down what you’ve learned so you can refer to it later; more importantly, it is helpful to get in the habit of reflecting on your projects after they are finished. For each problem we worked on, I want you to think and write about three things: description, analysis, and application.

Description

What did you do? Describe the process. Define the problem, identify the main issues. Try to describe how much time you spent on each part of the problem. What were the hardest parts? What was easy? Did you have a particular strategy for solving the problem? Did it work?

This section is the most likely place for images, spreadsheets, etc.

Analysis

What real-world scenarios are most like the problem? Are there things about the problem that would be different in a real-world application? Was the problem missing elements that would be present in a real-world application?

Application

What did you learn from the problem? How will you apply what you learned to the real world or to other classes?

Exactly how you organize your writing is up to you, but each post should include some writing in each of those three categories.

Key method of problem solving
1 Define problem
2 What you know
3 What you need to know
4 Make a plan
5 Execute plan (repeat and go back to step one if necessary)

Problem is what you want and what you have don’t match
To solve a problem you either change what you have or change what you want (like a equation)

Guidelines for the semester
-Don’t be afraid to hold each other accountable for their role in the group
-strive to work on tasks once assigned and to complete tasks on time if possible
-Communicate goals/Expectation (so team members will be on the same page)
-Share workload (responsibility)
-Establish a way of communicating outside of classroom
-Have recaps
-longterm solutions to frequent problem
-Take notes on any issues to discuss in class for comment that may help
-Be open minded to other peoples ideas
-Emergency contact info

ENT4410 mission statement motto

“We hold paramount the practice of safety, clear communication, and professionalism in order to obtain success”

This is the link to the website I mentioned in class. Artcube acts as a service for freelancers that is in part a job board as well as a materials and service marketplace. They charge a monthly/ annual fee for access to the site. It is worth taking a look at if you wish.

https://artcubenation.com/about-us

Welcome to Technical Direction. This course will give you an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to be a professional theatrical technical director. To make this practice as close to the real world as possible, the class will be structured using the problem-based learning model. In small groups, you will work on several problems over the course of the semester, each one based on a real show and real scene design. The most important skills you will learn are how to work on a team and how to direct your own research.