20 Time Final Post

        The end is here! After roughly four months of work, I have completed my 20 Time project. Though the final product definitely diverged from what I initially imagined due to various factors, I can definitely say that I am satisfied with my work. For a more detailed reflection and additional information, see this post.

        Overall, I accomplished what I set as a goal: create a video series highlighting a topic biology class often do not cover thoroughly in order to supplement and enrich learning: the vast history of the Earth. Since the release of my initial drafts after compiling, editing, and recording, I have refined the audio and video quality, as well as uploaded the final products to youtube. In addition, I created a trailer to help publicize the videos and spread them as a learning tool. The playlist of videos (a series trailer and 4 parts) is embedded below: take a look!

        To evaluate my work, I definitely believe I achieved a satisfactory final product, and I would probably give myself an A on the traditional letter grading scale (i.e. A, B, C, D, F). Not only did I utilize my time effectively throughout the process, overcoming several obstacles and continuing to polish and produce to the very end, (details and evidence here, also see previous blog posts for updates of progression) I also adapted and set my goals along the way, creating new ones as I achieved previous ones. In this manner, I was able to accomplish what I have and reach my final destination regardless of what stood in my way.

Individual videos below:

Trailer:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Note: image and source works cited is at end of Part 4, music for trailer is cited in Youtube description and below:

"Constancy Part One" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

20 Time Reflection

        As the end of the project grows near, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on this project: the complex process, the endless planning and exploration, and the rewarding research.
        In the beginning, what I envisioned was a somewhat different end: I set out to create a series of videos that covered different aspects of biology, the various "gray areas" that I believed could stimulate mystery and learning. I planned to make 3 or 4 videos, a goal I now realize to be impractical and virtually impossible in the given 5-month time frame. Still, I tried my best to fulfill these expectations.

34 slides!

        With the commencement of research and compilation of the presentation came understanding. I recognized that the class time given was simply inadequate for the amount of research and work I wanted to accomplish, and thus ended up completing much of the video preparation at home. Between finding sources and images, compiling information, organizing my information into slides, and citing my seemingly infinite number of images, I ended up with a massive 11-page document (not included works cited) and a presentation with 34 slides. However, this process also yielded a plethora of information, and I learned quite a bit about the various periods of Earth's history and the unique in-depth characteristics and developments of each. In addition, I gained many soft skills, such as the ability to plan out a large project, as well as the ability to change and adapt my project based on changing factors. For example, when my schedule was affected by me getting sick, AP testing, and other schoolwork, I had to reevaluate and reschedule my project to account for the limited time.

11 pages of research!

        In general, I am satisfied with what I have accomplished, and after releasing my videos and trailer to youtube (information here), and perhaps a few other tasks, I will be concluding my project. Sharing and finalizing will be my priority for the remainder of my time, and thus I will be able to feel a sense of accomplishment and finality when it is all released. Though the project is not something I am likely to continue after this year of biology, the concept and ideology is something I will be taking with me, to future classes and endeavors. This never-ending search for answers is, after all, one of the fundamental concepts that drive science and technology forward.

Progress Report: Enrich and Extend

        Time is flying past, and so are my ideas for the remainder of my project. As the weeks in which I can work on my 20 Time are numbered, the opportunities for me to expand on my project are similarly restricted. Unfortunately, between getting sick, AP testing, and time-consuming "What on Earth projects," I have not had much time to complete my planned videos.
        However, I have been redirecting my efforts toward a goal I think is definitely practical: in order to publicize my videos and spread interest in biology, I will polish them (e.g. audio quality, speed, transitions, etc.) and then upload them publicly to YouTube. In addition, I have also been working on a trailer to promote the videos as a single project, which I will release along with the finished videos in the next two weeks.
        As the school year is ending, I too, am returning from this journey of a project. Expect a reflection soon, as I recap the process I have been through. I will also be doing a final write-up to conclude the project. Until then, onward we go!

History of the Earth Videos

And finally, the videos are released, after almost two months of work. Enjoy!

Note: Sorry about the minor audio issues from exporting, please ignore them; also, sorry about the video format (google drive shared links), as blogger and youtube uploads had various complications.

UPDATE: google drive videos no longer available, instead see this final post for the higher quality youtube videos!

Part 1: Introduction, Precambrian Eon, and Early Paleozoic Era

Part 2: Late Paleozoic Era

Part 3: Mesozoic Era and Early Cenozoic Era

Part 4: Late Cenozoic Era

Progress Report: Details and Delays

       Overall, I am satisfied with my progress thus far, though I have recently experienced significant setbacks. Having finished my first topic, I severely underestimated the amount of material there was to cover, and I ended up splitting up the topic into four videos. This involved recording and editing additional footage for transitions between the videos, but I am pleased with the results. I will be releasing the finished 4 videos on this blog this week, so check back for them!

Almost-finished Topic 1 videos

        The past couple of weeks, I had some extracurricular events and also became sick, which severely affected my work on 20 time. Because my work on the project has been mostly out of class, with only some research and the blog posts being done in the limited class time provided, this was especially problematic. 

        However, I have since resumed my research and production of my second topic videos. In order to stay on schedule, my next videos will be shorter but will still cover the planned material. If it comes to it, I may drop the final unit topic in favor of spending more time on the others. My goal is to finish the second topic videos by the middle of May, finishing the research and presentation by the end of April. Fortunately, I do not believe the static pages at the end of the project pose much of a problem, as I can organize some of my information-heavy pre-video research for my topics and compile it to fit my needs.

        I am currently in the process of researching and organizing my resources for my second topic. Though it will remain undisclosed for the moment, I can say I am learning much intriguing information about the topic. I am rebalancing the amount of information for this topic, and will also better emphasize the questioning format of this project. Moreover, the organization of this topic is less linear, so it requires me to more carefully choose what aspects to talk about and in what way. Anyway, as this topic is less covered than other groups of its type (still undisclosed), I think it will similarly intrigue the watchers. Onward with exploring biology!

Progress Report: Spinoffs and Setbacks

        Hello everyone! It's been about a month since I began work on this project, and as I've learned, it's been quite an adventure. For the most part, I am staying on track with my production schedule, editing and finalizing my first video, "History of the Earth." The video is much more detailed and longer than I expected, with the process including ten pages of notes, a 34-slide presentation, and three pages of works cited. As a result, it has taken more time than expected, and the majority of it out-of-class, though I am satisfied with the outcome.

A video in progress

        In researching the history of the Earth, I am constantly intrigued by the sheer amount of time and events that happened before humans even began to evolve. The extinctions and evolution created a storyline that was not entirely what one might expect; this path of change was not without its ups and downs (or explosions and collisions), as is modern life. Researching also helped me gain further understanding of information mentioned in our timeline project in class. This knowledge is truly enlightening, and I intend to put it to good use. I also learned more about my own researching and working patterns as I made this video, and this has helped me better plan my schedule. For example, I have found I tend to work more efficiently if I keep at one task until its completion, such as taking notes on one large section at a time, rather than stopping in the middle of something or doing something in multiple sittings. Thus, I found myself doing the major work at home, and saving the class time for planning and organizing my information.
        As an update to my plan, I will endeavor to finish about 3 videos by the end of the project. The next two videos, however, will be much shorter, and cover less intricate details as the first; I am in the process of planning out the topics, but rest assured they will cover plenty of "mysteries of biology," with topics connected to biology and biology curriculum material. I will also make sure to point out parts of the subject that remain unknown, following my theme of exploring biology.
        A new idea I am playing with is tying in each video to an upcoming unit in my class (evolution, classification, physiology), with the main video matter "spinning off" of an aspect of the unit material. For example, in this format, my "History of the Earth" video would be spinning off of the evolution of life aspect of our current unit. Perhaps this could help supplement the unit information and provide enrichment and further material for curious students. Either way, I am looking forward to researching and drafting the next video.
        Expect the first video to be released this week, and await the next, as we continue on our journey to explore biology.

Topic: History of the Earth

        How did life come into being? How did the species homo sapiens come to exist? How has the earth (and everything on it) changed time and time again since the Hadean Eon? And what are the unexplored questions that lie on this timeline of perplexity?

Coming soon: History of the Earth!

20 Time: An Introduction

        First off, welcome to my blog! Over the next few months, this will be a place where I post videos and resources that can help anyone delve deeper into the world of biology. The question I will be asking is of what is still unknown about each branch of biology, as well as what more we can learn in these various areas. From the mysteries of taxa over the ages to the science of perception and dreaming, here an exploration will be held that can take one across a broad range of topics into the deepest and least understood parts of biology, on a mission to inform and educate. From a student taking a biology class to any curious individual, I hope this blog can benefit everyone to some degree.

        This blog will be the central unit of my 20 Time project, a project that aims to help disseminate the mysteries of biology in an effort to increase interest and educate people in general. As a 20 Time project, it is one of thousands of projects worldwide that follow the 20 Time system. This system operates on the principle that using 20% of one's working time to work on a "passion project," some cause that one feels strongly about, will allow people to be more efficient and come up with many more creative ideas. This has been proven effective in companies like Google and Atlassian, and has led to many new ideas, such as Gmail and AdSense. 

        My project's mission is to explore various areas of biology and to help educate anyone about the still-unknown. When I was first envisioning and choosing a project for 20 Time, I noticed a lack of knowledge among my classmates and the people around me on the unsolved problems of biology. Rather than trying to investigate and help an ongoing cause, most students instead chose to contribute to a local idea or make a project documenting the effects of some daily disturbance on their lives. As well as this works, and as great these sparks of creativity shine (for shine they do), they give a sense that the vast frontier of this science lies untouched by the generations, shunned in favor of more tangible goal. To change this would be a daunting task, but perhaps some small solace could be taken in the simple dissemination of ideas, in the hope that words can arouse some innate, natural curiosity borne within us.
        In doing this project, I hope to end up covering some of the many topics of biology. From small steps large leaps are born, and as such I hope my weekly/biweekly venture can prove a successful encroachment upon the unknown. Every week I will shed some light with a video on a specific topic and its connection to a certain problem or uncertainty, and eventually I hope to accumulate a multitude of topics and build a "repertoire" of sorts, of biology information. I will measure my progress with how I have covered each topic, and I hope to gradually improve this process, to the point where I am able to succinctly yet deeply discuss each subject.
        Indeed, as before any long journey, the future looks dark, but who knows what gray clouds hold? Perhaps knowledge, perhaps unseen obstacles, perhaps exploration. Onward hence!