Multimedia+Video+Technology+Course+Reflection

EDLD 5363 Multimedia Video Technology Course Reflection 1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned? As a technology leader, I gained valuable information from taking the class, Multimedia Video Technology. When I began the course, I expected to learn how to create effective multimedia videos as well as how to effectively use the knowledge I gained in the classroom. Those expectations were met and more as I learned how to effectively express myself using Photo Story 3 and create my own videos. I was exposed to different video editing programs such as Adobe Premiere Elements and Movie Maker and learned about the extensive work that goes into producing movies. The use of Creative Commons and copyright issues were also addressed. The course projects allowed me to learn by doing, both individually and through working with a group. The processes that I experienced in creating these multimedia productions are the same ones that my students will need to go through. The pre-production process which includes planning using a story board and creating a preliminary shot list incorporating establishing and closing shots as well as close-ups and wide-angle shots for effect is where I learned most of the work takes place in creating an outstanding video. I learned, as my students will learn, that planning, planning, and more planning leads to less work later on in the video-editing process. Fortunately, the group that I worked with on the PSA project assignment planned well together in the pre-production phase which made the next step of the project, production, much easier. I was the camera-person for my group, so I had the task of taking our ideas and video taping the scenes we came up with. As the readings from the course suggested, I shot plenty of video for us to work with in editing. Using Movie Maker and Audacity, each of our team members created an edited version of our PSA and then collaboratively we decided what we liked best in each one as well as what we didn't. Together, we then created one edited version that all of us liked. In the post-production phase of the project, we put the finishing touches on our edited video including adding a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 3.0 copyright allowing others to share or re-mix our video as long as attribution is given and it is not used for commercial purposes. The Creative Commons web site was extremely helpful to us in deciding how to protect our PSA project once it was published. We were all very happy with our final result, saving it as a Windows Media Audio/Video File and posting it on YouTube. In reflection, this course contained many ideas for student projects which fostered authentic learning. I would recommend this course to all teachers as it is one in which the technological skills and ideas learned can be applied across the curriculum in every grade level.

2. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not? Because authentic learning is a necessity in our classrooms, the skills learned in the Multimedia Video Technology class are vital. The technological skills and ideas that I have acquired are relevant to reaching and teaching today’s students. As a middle school math teacher, I can see how having students create “how to” videos to explain math concepts, define vocabulary words in creative ways, show how math is used in real life, or offer TAKS test question answering tips would be beneficial not only in reinforcing learned concepts but also in preparing our 21st century students to apply technology in meaningful ways. I am excited about all the possibilities for the use of these skills and look forward to encouraging and helping teachers that I work with implement multimedia video production in their classrooms. Due to the fact that our students live in a digital world and are affected by a wide range of technologies daily, using technology in school to teach only makes sense.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

Many opportunities were offered during the Multimedia Video Technology class to participate in online web conferences. I was not able to participate in any of the conferences though I would have liked to. Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle I faced to accomplishing this task was time, as I was not available to take part for one reason or another during the many times that they were conducted. Another obstacle that kept me from participating is that I did not have the needed equipment easily available to take part. I do not have a web cam or a headset. Lastly, to be very honest, the web conferences were a little out of my comfort zone. However, had I been available and had the equipment needed, I would have made myself take part simply because I realize the importance of doing so. I understand that the use of these conferences has value in the classroom and for preparing my students for the workforce in the 21st century.

4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

The course assignments allowed me to successfully learn how to use Photo Story 3, Movie Maker, and Audacity. I was also exposed to other programs as well, such as Adobe Premiere Elements and Wax. I enjoyed the hands-on learning as it allowed me to learn in the same way my students do. While completing the assignment s, I had to learn how to do some things using trial and error. When finished, I was pleased with my individual assignment productions and I had learned much. The group project was a wonderful experience, too. We were successful at working collaboratively together in completing the public service announcement using e-mail, Google Docs, and Rapidshare.com. In the end, we were all pleased with our final product and all of us had learned a great deal. What probably could have made our PSA better would have been the use of a better quality video camera and tri-pod to shoot the scenes. As camera-person, I used my digital camera's video feature to shoot the scenes and steadied it by bracing my arms on a solid foundation. The use of a real tri-pod as the readings suggested would have aided me, as camera-person, in creating a higher quality end product to work with. The videos that I made were not bad, but they definitely could have been much better with the use of better equipment. Overall, what encouraged me the most in completing the course assignments was thinking about the different ways that I could use what I was learning with my students.

5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?  As I reflect upon the course, Multimedia Video Technology, I realize that I have made great strides in learning how to create multimedia videos and photo stories. From the beginning, I was excited about what I would be learning how to do, but I have to admit that I was a little out of my comfort zone. However, as I jumped right in to complete the assignments, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed putting together photos to tell a story and was surprised at how easy it turned out to be to use the program. I felt the same way about using Movie Maker to edit video and Audacity to create audio tracks.

As inexperienced as I am in using some of these technology applications, I was concerned at first when presented with the group project assignment about what I would successfully be able to contribute. The revelation that helped me the most was realizing that all of the members in my group generally felt the same way that I did and that we were all learning together. As we worked together and learned from each other through the process of creating the PSA, the easier working on the project became and the more confident I became in offering my ideas and contributing to discussions and documents. The whole experience allowed me to see the value of working together collaboratively and how important it is for our students as well as teachers to have experiences such as these as often as possible. As a result of taking this course, I have become more confident in using technology to create, as well as in working collaboratively with a group.