Assignment #5 picture 2

This is the photo before being edited.










This is the photo after having the background blurred. The boys head changed. The hue and saturation changed and enhanced the photo with the use of shadows and highlights.

Assignment #5

This is the photo before being edited.









This is the photo after cropping it, bringing out the colors through hues and saturation. Removing the dog's red eye, and finally enhancing the shadows and highlights. I think this has really enhanced the photo overall.

Reading Assignment #3

I'm relatively new to facebook, however my parents and even grandparents are even newer members. While it is a nice way to keep in contact and share photos sometimes some of the photos that are tagged by some of my friends I would rather my grandparents not see. I do feel like it is a great way to keep in contact with friends that you weren't close enough with to keep in contact with otherwise. It's also very helpful by reminding you when it is someones birthday. So while I do think facebook has a lot of pros the cons might start to out way the pros the more relatives of mine join.

Final proposal letter-BlueRidge

November 19, 2007

BlueRidge Group

Ashley Metts, Steve Rule, Nate Buttars

Mr. Donald Richards

Bureau of Special Education

2394 16^th street, S.E. , Suite 301

New York, NY 11102

Dear Mr. Richards,

The Special Education Advancement program, New York City’s largest organization dealing with elementary through high school aged children in need of special education, invites you to join the $75,525 project in an effort to better special education programs in public schools in New York City.

Being that your organization deals with special education you understand the immense underfunding from the government amongst programs in the city. In an effort to rectify this problem we have outlined several new tactics that we hope will help with the lack of attention and skilled instructors in this field. Recent cases in our city have brought it to our attention that the special education programs in our public schools are in serious need of reform, and that this is a problem that citizens are trying to find a solution for, a solution we believe we have found.

The first tactic will involve monthly paid workshops for individuals teaching in the special education departments in public schools. This will account for approximately $45,315(60%) of the previously disclosed budget. These workshops will teach instructors the latest in special education techniques and as conditions and syndromes are different for each child instructors need to be equipped to handle the less severe cases as well as the most serious conditions. As the pay for special education teachers is quite meager this will also act as an extra incentive to teach as the monthly workshops will be paid, as well as the instructors will have a much better understanding of conditions and how best to deal with them.

The next largest allocation, $18,881(25%), of funding will go to improving facilities. Many parents with children in the need of special education would prefer to have their children sent to private institutions in order to receive the best care, however, in many of the inner city schools the majority of the parents do not have the means financially to send their children to these better equipped schools. The new facilities we have planned will not only provide an alternative for parents who cannot afford private care, but will hopefully encourage parents who have opted to use private care to reconsider. These facilities will have the latest in education tools in order to provoke creativity as well as understanding of fundamental concepts.

The remainder of the budget, $11,329(15%), will be used to conduct educational workshops for parents. As having a child with special needs isn’t planned or foreseen many parents need ways to learn how best to deal with their child’s specific needs. In an effort to continue to best educate the child education has to extend from the classroom to the home as well. These parents need to know how to socialize their child and stimulate them creatively and intellectually, just as their instructors do in the classroom. We have set up a way for teachers and students to meet with a trained specialist monthly to discuss their child’s progress in the new learning situation we have previously described. Following these meetings a support group of other parents with children in similar situations within their area will meet in order to share helpful methods they’ve found and also provide friendship and support. This will also be a useful way to find the child playmates in order to socialize the child. The trained specialist will also be available at this meeting to offer professional input.

As you can see our foundation has students’ best interest in mind and we feel that with our outline we will be able to seriously improve the special education program in our city. As our company lacks the means financially to enact the prementioned tactics of improvement. As a result we are reaching out for help from other organizations who share our same hopes. This program will be conducted on a trial basis for the first year. Throughout the year evaluation will be conducted on the students, teachers, and parents to find the efficiency of our program. After the year has commenced a decision will be made based on the evaluation deciding whether to seek more funds in order to extend and expand the program throughout the state, and in the future the nation.

An investment in our cause will greatly enhance circumstances amongst special education programs within our city, a problem that has been ignored for too long. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Senior Project Developer for this program, Ralph Edwards, can be reached at (342)785-3788 for further information.

Sincerely,

BlueRidge Group,

Ashley Metts, Nate Buttars, Steve Rule

Speech Draft

Special Education Advancement Program
BlueRidge Group:
Nate Buttars
Ashley Metts
Steve Rule

Our Mission
1. Educate families of the need of improvement in the Special Education Program in public schools in New York City.
2. Year long trial of program will begin January 1, 2008.
3. At the end of the trial, an evaluation will be assessed.

Faculty Workshops
1. Mandatory monthly training meetings by professionals will improve the quality care for each student and their individual needs.
2. Summer retreats to prepare for the upcoming school year.

New Facilities
1. Update existing equipment and classrooms to provoke creativity as well as stimulate the learning experience. (interactive learning devices)
2. Textbooks, computer programs, field trips, playgrounds...

Family Education
1. Quarterly meetings with faculty to insure that parents are well equipped to deal with their child’s special needs at home.
2. Help transition between grade levels.
3. Parent support groups.

Budget
1. Plan to raise $75, 525 through private investors.
2. Benefit Concerts and Dinners.
3. Teaming up with Opal Whitcomb’s charity foundation, who is our main sponsor.

Conclusion
1. Upon evaluation, we plan to make the changes necessary to advance our program.
2. As a new foundation, donations are gladly accepted to continue to help our program to grow and further our cause.