EDLD 5363 - Final Course Reflection

This course has been a test of my abilities to learn and apply new knowledge and skills quickly and effectively. Although the Audio/Video class has been next door to me this year, I had never really tried to understand exactly what they do. I truly have a respect for their patience and creativity in producing quality videos. As one of our readings stated, “Multimedia certainly has the potential to extend the amount and type of information available to learners.” (Shank, n.d.) I realize how important it is to be able to tell your story, capturing and retaining your audience’s attention throughout.

Utilizing Windows Movie Maker was a surprisingly easy program, which made editing simple and trouble-free. What I discovered is that it is important to have plenty of material to use during editing and to make sure you edit down to the essential message of your story. Especially as I made the Personal Digital story video, I found it difficult to narrow down and edit through the information and pictures I had to create a clear, concise and interesting video story. As our group worked through the PSA project, it was first important to identify each piece of the project that needed to be completed and assign those pieces to the group, utilizing each group member’s strengths and interests. As we moved into the production and post-production phase, communication throughout the process ensured that the project was of the quality we desired as well as completing it within the deadlines that were given. A key aspect was collaborating throughout the process, discussing the individual elements of the PSA, including shot selection, voiceover options and final editing and web delivery formatting choices.

Because we worked together throughout the entire project, it made decisions much easier to finalize regarding our finished PSA. In addition, every effort was made to copyright not only the pictures, music and information we used, but also our original works. We were very cognizant to review and document as we developed the PSA, and give appropriate credit at the end of our production. It was a pleasure to work with such dedicated colleagues – thank you to Kim, Blaine and Dana for being such wonderful group members. I look forward to future collaborations as we finish the final courses of our graduate studies.

Reference:

Shank, P. (n.d.). The value of multimedia in learning. Think Tank. Retrieved November 9, 2011, from http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/thinktank/valuemedia/.

EDLD 5363 - Week 5 Web Conference Reflection

Once again it was necessary to read the web conference script after the fact. The webcasts and scripts have been a life-saver during this class – so much is going on at school this week! I know I will get everything done, but having to submit all assignments by Friday at midnight is stressful – I can see the stress in my classmates posts too! My weekends are my time to focus and work on MY school and not having that time makes things difficult this week.

This final web conference focuses on the various pieces of documentation, collaboration and final PSA video. It continues to amaze me how we can all be in such different locations and situations and still be able to work together to complete a major collaborative project. Utilizing Google docs, Dropbox and a designated project wiki has helped this shared effort on track. Technology is an incredible and wonderful tool! 

EDLD 5363 – Week 4 Web Conference Reflection

Yesterday, I watched the web conference conducted on Monday night. There seems to be some anxiety (I feel it too) about the PSA project. The whole video technology concept and application is very new to some of us, and as a CTE teacher, I don’t like feeling uncomfortable using a technology application. But I also have to remember that I am the “student” now, not the teacher.

One of the things Dr. Abernathy continues to say is “feel good about what you are doing and learning.” This is an educational process and although there may be some concern over getting the PSA done correctly, the main objective is to grow and learn. It is also nice to have classmates share websites, tips and techniques they have discovered along the way – I have learned so much just watching and listening! Thanks to all!

EDLD 5363 – Week 3 Web Conference Reflection

This week I was unable to participate in a web conference due to previous commitments, but being able to view the web conference is a great way to gain valuable information. This week it is especially important because we are creating the production plan for our PSA assignment. I am fortunate to have a great group in Kim McKay, Dana Chelette and Blaine Locheed and we have jumped in to the assignment, collaborating and planning our video presentation.

The web conference clarified the Week 2 grading problems, which was a great relief after I saw the zero in Epic. In addition, explaining the terminology for the PSA planning document, ways to share our collaboration and understanding the copyright and credits portion of the PSA. I also picked up on the suggestion that Dropbox may be a good way to store the video portions of our PSA. Good suggestions and ideas from my classmates is one of the most valuable tools I gain from the web conferences each week.

EDLD 5363 – Week 2 Video Editing Experience Reflection

This week started out being a time of anxiety and concern for me. Frankly, I did not have a clue as to how I was going to complete the assignment. I have never used video editing software and the task at hand seemed overwhelming. After listening to Wednesday’s web conference I felt a little more comfortable, but it wasn’t until I decided to evaluate and began experimenting with Windows Movie Maker that I felt more at ease. As a teacher who has taught and used many of the Microsoft Suite programs, Movie Maker was simple and uncomplicated to learn, and the applications were not difficult to figure out. I watched a couple of tutorial videos on You Tube and soon I felt secure in making my podcast. I had never used Audacity, so that also was a new experience for me. Putting the two together was easy, although I had difficulty downloading the LAME mp3 encoder software. I ended up just saving my audio file as a WAV file and it worked perfectly in Movie Maker.

After this experience, I am sure I will continue to use Movie Maker and Audacity to support and enhance my future assignments and especially in my classroom. This week’s assignment has definitely been an educational event, and I am excited at the prospect of teaching my students the new applications I have learned. 

EDLD 5363 - Week 2 Video Editing Software Evaluation

As many of my colleagues have expressed in their discussion posts this week, video editing is a completely unfamiliar process that I previously knew nothing about. In reviewing the readings and evaluating my options, I chose Windows Movie Maker, partly because I am familiar with Windows applications and partly because I already have it on my laptop. I first decided to explore on my own and pulled in a clip to edit that I had accidentally (because I didn’t know what I was doing) saved from playing with my web camera when we were working on the project for EDLD 5364, Teaching with Technology. I must say that because of my familiarity with Microsoft products, the use of Windows Movie Maker and the tutorials included with it, were easy to navigate. I was able to take three separate clips (I still don’t know how I did that) and put them together for a seamless video. I wish I could have done that when we were working on our project! I then watched a video from YouTube (Bass, 2011) which was very informative and covered the various introductory applications of the program.

“Media are built things.” (Garrison, 1999, Winter) This statement is simplistic but true. The ease of the 1, 2, 3 format makes Movie Maker easy to use and “build” the project, especially for a novice like myself. I was able to follow the video descriptions and then take a video clip and drag the clip to the storyboard, then edit the clip. You can also merge and split clips before you add to the storyboard. One point I should state is that you should watch and time the videos you want to edit to ensure that you only merge and/or split the portions of the video you desire. However, thank goodness for the undo feature! This allows you to undo any commands you find you do not want. When adding music, audio or sound, it is very similar to other Microsoft programs, as importing this feature is straight-forward. The timeline makes it easy to adjust your music, audio and/or sounds to your video clip as you edit.

When adding transitions, you can place them on the storyboard between the video clips, just as you would with a program such as PowerPoint. Again, familiarity with Microsoft programs makes the instructions effortless to follow. Adding titles and credits, with animations, font styles and types, will augment those slides and enhance your video. The video effects you can add can help to achieve some drama to your videos; however, as I teach my students, make sure your effects are appropriate for the document (video) you are creating. Sometimes you can get carried away with effects and it takes away from the message of your production.

Once you have completed your video, saving is simple – just navigate to the area you want to save and name the video. Microsoft will default to the My Videos folder, but you can also browse and save in other folders you choose. One factor that is important to understand is that videos are normally large files and Movie Maker assists you in compressing those files during the saving process. When finished, Windows Media Player will allow you to view your video.

Finally, Movie Maker allows you to easily e-mail, save to CD, or post your video to the Web. The video hosting feature appeared simple; however, I prefer to use my own options and it didn’t provide for this through this feature. However, posting to YouTube is still available, as long as the video is saved in a format compatible with YouTube. The clip I edited saved as a wmv file, so it should be good to post to You Tube or other similar sites.

As I have discovered with most multimedia and presentation programs I have worked with, it is key to watch your creations as you develop them and also when you finish. This review process will ensure that your production is a quality product that you are proud to present to your audience. As I have stated in my discussion post/responses this week, I plan to learn more about video editing software from my colleague that teaches Audio/Video Production next door to me, and also from the students who are so talented and creative in this arena. As I become more comfortable with the video editing/production process, I am sure I can utilize this information in some form in my classroom in the future. Teaching a Career and Technical Education (CTE) elective allows me the freedom to introduce new and engaging ideas into my curriculum.

References:

Bass, J. J. (2011). Movie maker video editing tutorial. YouTube. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXK68NS7gU

Garrison, A. (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html

The YellowMnM. (2011). How to use windows movie maker. YouTube. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9rRh7z5TCs&feature=related

EDLD 5363 - Week 2 Web Conference Reflection

On Wednesday night, I was able to participate in one of the weekly web conferences. After I read the assignment for this week, I was more confused than ever about the requirements. Many of us have laughed throughout this graduate school journey about being “digital immigrants” – I feel more like this than ever this week! Having never used any editing software or creating a podcast, the thought of actually editing and podcasting about something I know nothing about is a bit overwhelming. However, I know I have many classmates I can turn to if I have questions, and Dr. Abernathy seems to always make me feel less intimidated.

This will definitely be a week of exploring and discovering new tools that I can use in future assignments as well as my classroom. It is somewhat coincidental that I am beginning a lesson during this six weeks on Marketing in my Principles of Business class, and this tool should fit in nicely with that curriculum. Hopefully, I can become knowledgeable enough to teach my students. Wish me luck!