"Mashing" the Learning Journey

In a recent trip to Japan, I attempted to do a "full scale" documentation of the observations of the trip with both blog and googlemap (including several other elements) - to figure out how massive it is if we were to do one for potential upcoming study trips.

In general, the following were incorporated to create the entire 'sensation':
- Blog
- Images (using digital camera)
- Video clips (using digital camera)
- Movie editing tools like iMovie, Windows Movie Maker
- Internet links (for information)
- Search tools (to find out background of places before traveling)
- GoogleMap (to mark down the places of visit)
- Online Image storage platform like PICASA
- Online Video storage platform like YouTube

Pre-trip Preparation:
1. Knowing the itinerary is critical as this would decide the format and the layout of the documentation.
- The general concept of the structure should be ready before any work is done electronically. Else, it would be massive and messy to re-organise the information and media at the end of the trip. Of course, we also leave room for refinement along the way.
2. Deciding on the choice of platforms. For instance, I like to use Google suite because most applications are interlinked (Blog, PICASA, GoogleMap)
3a. Setting up the blog - to decide what should be in the main blog and what else appear in delicated pages or appear in the widget.
3b. Setting up the GoogleMap - to decide what to be reflected in the map. Indeed, it would be great if we could reflect the flow of the trip in the map, too.
4. Input the known information into the blog first. This includes
- Creating the Googlemap specially for the trip & marking the places on the map
- Embedding the Googlemap in a delicated page in the blog
- Creating the relevant widgets and put in the relevant links

During the Trip:
1. Take lots of images - depending on the use of these images - unless they are meant for print in posters or magazines - Image of resolution about 2MB would be more than enough
2. Take video clips - each not longer than 1 minute, they could be stitched with movie editing software. This would reduce the 'bulkness' of the clip.
3. Download (from the digital camera) images and videoclips regularly (e.g. once a day) to organise and categorise when necessary.
4. Upload the images into the online image storage platform and organise further into smaller albums for the ease to manage.
5. Identify videos that are relevant and related - stitch them together and upload to online media storage platform regularly.
6. Select the more significant or representing images to be put up in the blog.
7. Embed the respective online photo albums and embed it as slideshow in the blog.

To 'announce' the completion of the blog, insert the "addthis" feature to the blog. Upon completion, share the blog via Twitter and Facebook :D

Here is an example of the map created for the recent trip:
The blog that goes with this map could be found at
http://lohky-tohoku.blogspot.com


View 2010 Tohoku, Japan in a larger map