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Miami-Dade Community College: Creating Employees for the 21st Century
8/22/2003
Job Skills for the Future
Miami-based Accord Video and sister company Motion Image Communications are always on the lookout for the next generation of talent. There is a great need for computer animation artists who are proficient using the Maya Graphics workstation, a system that creates full-motion video characters.
“Maya production is a skill that is in high demand in South Florida,” explains Michael Justice, facility director for Motion Image Communications. “We have a complete Maya workstation, but we outsource our Maya work because we have never been able to find the right artist for our shop.”
Alain Miranda, who is studying for an A.A. degree in computer art animation, is already working with the Maya workstation.
Miranda appreciates how visual teaching tools are especially important to his interests and will give him the skills needed to work in his chosen field. With the IP-addressability of Sony’s SuperSmart projectors, instructors have instantaneous access to a wealth of media assets available on servers throughout the college, including some 10,000 video presentations, via the Ethernet. They can also project completed work done on their laptops or from a student’s computer, using the touch-panel control system.
“By having the latest technology at our disposal, we get a direct experience with the material,” says Miranda. “Taking the tutorials and demonstrations off the computer and projecting them allows us to go step-by-step through the process. That takes us from getting just a sense of what it is about, to having complete, practical knowledge.”
If Miranda can’t attend the class, he can elect to watch the session online. Sony’s EVI-D100 robotic video cameras are installed in ETCOTA’s 19 classrooms and in the auditorium. Advanced robotic features allow the instructor to control the camera using the built-in pan/tilt/
zoom capabilities.
Greater Flexibility for Instructors
For Giselle Siu, associate professor senior, School of Technology and Engineering, teaching in a networked classroom offers tremendous advantages.
“Preparing my examples before class and putting them on the network drive for easy access is a far more efficient way to work,” explains Siu. “Before, I spent a lot of time writing on the board or typing out information and making copies. All that effort writing, erasing, and writing again is now better invested in the classroom. It’s also enhanced my teaching incredibly because I can put more thought into prep work.”
Teaching faculty like Siu believe that students will leave Miami-Dade Community College fully prepared to join the 21st century workforce thanks to the skills they acquire through the latest technology at ETCOTA.
Jonathan Sussman (jsussman@mdc.edu) is the director of School of Technology and Engineering at ETCOTA, and Giselle Siu (gsiu@mdc.edu) is an associate professor senior at the School of Technology and
Engineering.
Giselle Siu is an associate professor senior at the School of Technology and Engineering at ETCOTA.
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