The PSA project for EDLD 5363 was an interesting experience for me. As a certified control freak, letting other people essentially have control over my grade is not something I am completely comfortable with. In fact, I have been known to reinvent the wheel simply because I believe my wheels are just that much rounder and, thus, more effecient. Indeed, I discovered my hypocrisy through this project: asking my students to trust their classmates in group projects while I myself dreaded performing the same task. Now, to be fair, my students have the advantage in this situation because they spend 12 weeks in the same classroom as their peers before I ask them to form groups. Our group for the PSA project was formed by both EdTech and Principal Cert students all at different points in the program. Despite my tripdations, the end product was pretty cool.
Using flipdrive to upload and share clips, music, and photo stills was fairly easy and something completely new to me, as was locating free music via creative commons. I then edited the music with the narration supplied by Brittney Trahan using Audacity. I even adjusted levels. How cool is that? I downloaded Community Clips to record a PowerPoint of the Acrostic Poem, and then I edited all of the video clips supplied by Ray Leal, Belinda Nazario, and me into the final PSA project. Overall, it was definitely a collaborative effort, one I would not have experienced without this course.
http://youtu.be/wLEPdvphDAo
Thursday, December 15, 2011
EDLD 5363 - Week 2 - Video Editing
This is a copy of my post from my Wiki in Week 2. The original post was made on November 27, 2011. (http://cogswiki.wikispaces.com/EDLD+5363)
This week, I used Windows Live Movie Maker (WLMM) to create the above video. Overall, I found it to be an easy-to-use software program, however there were some serious drawbacks. The visual transitions allow the videos to take on a higher quality, and the numerous choices in themes, title screens, and credits allow for some really advanced customization. Unfortunately, the audio capabilities leave a lot to be desired. Firstly, WLMM does not provide any audio recording feature that would allow for narration over video, and it does a poor job of transitioning from one sound clip to another. In addition, I found that it clipped several of my sound bites, resulting in re-recording with additional silence at the end of the clips. The positive note, is that I got to work extensively with Audacity beyond just creating the podcast.
Over the past two years, I have been recording my daily lessons in my classes via screen capture on a Promethean Board. I use a bluetooth headset to record the audio. Last year, I simply recorded and posted on the website. This year, I have done a little bit of editing, cutting out unnecessary information and student questions and adding title screens for better transitions. There have been several times where the headset was not working, and I have 45 minutes of video recorded with no audio at all. In these instances, I have had to scrap those particular videos. I have not had the opportunity to splice multiple clips together like I did with this project, and with Audacity, I can recover from a mute video quite easily. Also, I got to use the youtube save feature, which I may employ more readily from here on out so that my students can access the videos via their cell phones and iPads.I appreciate the access to multiple different programs given to us this week in our readings, as it does allow for some comparison "shopping", however, in my district, non-Microsoft sponsored internet downloads are strictly forbidden, so Windows Live Movie Maker is essentially the only option. In addition, I find that at the high school level, teachers are looking for the easiest way to add technology into the classroom, and I think the User Interface of WLMM makes the integration of teacher and student-made videos easier to realize.
This week, I used Windows Live Movie Maker (WLMM) to create the above video. Overall, I found it to be an easy-to-use software program, however there were some serious drawbacks. The visual transitions allow the videos to take on a higher quality, and the numerous choices in themes, title screens, and credits allow for some really advanced customization. Unfortunately, the audio capabilities leave a lot to be desired. Firstly, WLMM does not provide any audio recording feature that would allow for narration over video, and it does a poor job of transitioning from one sound clip to another. In addition, I found that it clipped several of my sound bites, resulting in re-recording with additional silence at the end of the clips. The positive note, is that I got to work extensively with Audacity beyond just creating the podcast.
Over the past two years, I have been recording my daily lessons in my classes via screen capture on a Promethean Board. I use a bluetooth headset to record the audio. Last year, I simply recorded and posted on the website. This year, I have done a little bit of editing, cutting out unnecessary information and student questions and adding title screens for better transitions. There have been several times where the headset was not working, and I have 45 minutes of video recorded with no audio at all. In these instances, I have had to scrap those particular videos. I have not had the opportunity to splice multiple clips together like I did with this project, and with Audacity, I can recover from a mute video quite easily. Also, I got to use the youtube save feature, which I may employ more readily from here on out so that my students can access the videos via their cell phones and iPads.I appreciate the access to multiple different programs given to us this week in our readings, as it does allow for some comparison "shopping", however, in my district, non-Microsoft sponsored internet downloads are strictly forbidden, so Windows Live Movie Maker is essentially the only option. In addition, I find that at the high school level, teachers are looking for the easiest way to add technology into the classroom, and I think the User Interface of WLMM makes the integration of teacher and student-made videos easier to realize.
EDLD 5363 - Week 3 Video Conference
It's been a couple weeks since the video conference I attended the morning of December 3, 2011. To be perfectly honest, I had no questions going into the conference. I thought the directions for the week were fairly straightforward. The only question I had was if we could possibly have six in a group, but I contacted my IA directly concerning this inquiry. Although I didn't get much out of the conference, I was able to offer my two cents about the snipping tool that comes with Microsoft Vista and 7. I have found the collaboration with my group members to be of a much higher value than trying to sift through a Q&A involving over twenty people.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
EDLD 5363 - Week 1 Video Conference
I found this week's conference to be extremely helpful, especially in two cases. Firstly, Dr. Abernathy's clarification of the instructions and expectations were extremely welcome, especially considering I have been penalized in the past for attempting to follow unclear instructions in previous courses. Secondly, I was able to locate a partner via the conference for my week 1 assignment, which was much easier than I remember it to be when I had to put together a group this past January. One suggestion I will place in my survey at the end of this course would be to schedule different sessions for the different sections because there were a fair number of people asking questions because they hadn't taken certain courses yet or they were administration students who had never worked with some of this technology like Google Docs.
EDLD 5363 Photo Story
This week, I was tasked to create a photo story using a software I was unfamiliar with. I used Photo Story 3 for Windows for the first time, and I found it remarkably easy to put together. About a month ago a colleague of mine passed away, and at the viewing they had a photo slideshow of his life and his family, and I was impressed at how it came together. Although it I still think the subject material was moving, I am no longer impressed with the actual creation of the slideshow, as Photo Story makes it so easy to put something together that looks professionally done.
I did read the information on how to create a photo story, but, like any good youngish man, I did not read the manual on how to work the software. Thankfully, it was extremely straightforward. The most difficult aspect was actually deciding what to make a photo story of. Although I own a digital camera, I typically only use the camera on my iPhone, and I only take pictures of my dogs as they are more photogenic than me. My first thought was to make my digital story about my dogs, but after Monday's video conference, I thought I should probably do one that was more about me. My second option was to take photos from online and piecemeal together a story on how I became a teacher. After talking with my partner, Ray, I decided to go ahead and make the photo story about my dogs as they are an important part of my life.
I hope you enjoy it should you watch it.
The link to the video is http://youtu.be/hutj2e_uAJE.
I did read the information on how to create a photo story, but, like any good youngish man, I did not read the manual on how to work the software. Thankfully, it was extremely straightforward. The most difficult aspect was actually deciding what to make a photo story of. Although I own a digital camera, I typically only use the camera on my iPhone, and I only take pictures of my dogs as they are more photogenic than me. My first thought was to make my digital story about my dogs, but after Monday's video conference, I thought I should probably do one that was more about me. My second option was to take photos from online and piecemeal together a story on how I became a teacher. After talking with my partner, Ray, I decided to go ahead and make the photo story about my dogs as they are an important part of my life.
I hope you enjoy it should you watch it.
The link to the video is http://youtu.be/hutj2e_uAJE.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
EDLD 5366 Week 1 Assignment - Ancient Manuscript
I chose Baybar’s Qur’an as my manuscript because I wanted to view a work that was purely visual and not textual. This was a magnificently beautiful book. In Baybar’s Qur’an, the colors orange, blue, gold, and brown are predominant and repeated on every page. The geometric mosaics throughout are contrasted by having no two adjacent tiles be the same color and the text is written in white for further contrast. On the pages of text, the majority of the text is yellow contrasting with the few lines written in orange to add emphasis. The facing pages containing mosaic patterns are symmetrically aligned with mirror images facing each other (except for the text), which is then contrasted on two of the pages, which have no reflection, signifying the end of a section or emphasizing the importance of the pages. I would know more about the significance if I spoke Arabic. Additionally, the facing pages almost always have the same margin with respect to the spine of the book. Further, throughout the text, symbols are placed in proximity to the text to make the page more appealing, and text is placed within the middle of the mosaics to emphasize these specific words.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Final Reflection on Action Research
This course has taught me quite a bit about true research. Prior to the start of this course, my impression of “research” was tainted by previous experiences in high school and college in my many hours searching the card catalogs, periodicals, and dusty tomes no one had touched since they were placed on the shelf. I was worried that I would have to compose a research paper over the five weeks of this course, while at the same time starting the year off teaching three different courses. Thankfully, upon learning the ins and outs of action research, these concerns proved to be unfounded.
Research is no longer sitting in a quiet library, compiling information and opinions from “experts”, and regurgitating their ideas into a paper with the hope that one’s compilation will seem unique enough to earn recognition, a good grade, or an opportunity to publish. Ironically, that would make the researcher an “expert” whose ideas would be investigated by future “researchers” who would create a whole new regurgitation mixture. Action research no longer relies solely on previous ideas or publications. We are now encouraged to leave the libraries and move our research into our daily lives, which for me, is the classroom. We are commanded to experiment, try new styles or techniques, record data, and report our ideas. This is something I can easily integrate into my classroom and my life in general. The empowerment and relief this produces is quite palpable. No longer would I have to worry about piling up more work on top of teaching, because my classroom is now a laboratory where my research happens while I teach.
Throughout this course, I have discovered new insights each week into not only research but also the importance of experimentation and its influence on pedagogical change, which is so desperately needed at this time. The weekly interviews between Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury served to bring me focus on the activities of the week and the expected outcomes, while the reading assignments revealed the practices and procedures of action research. Although both books were useful, I preferred Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Dana. I found that it provided a step-by-step template for any action research project, and it explained most everything very clearly. In the last chapter of the book, part of week five’s reading assignment, she mentions her book on action research for the classroom teacher. I, personally, would have preferred to read that text, simply because my research is happening in the classroom and does not serve an administrative purpose, however I surmise that the information is very similar.
The weekly assignments have been very helpful towards creating an action research plan for my technology internship, and receiving feedback from my site supervisor as well as my classmates on the forum has been most useful. My one concern throughout the process has been “What if I put all this work into this one inquiry, and it goes nowhere?” Based on the week five interview, and the reading throughout the last five weeks, I have come to the conclusion, that even if my project does not reach a fruition with which I would be satisfied, I will learn a lot through the process that will allow for subsequent inquiries, and I am now better prepared to answer them.
Amazingly enough, getting people interested in my wondering is much easier than I thought it would have been, much easier than it would have been just five years ago. The entire education community seems to be much more open to advancements in educational practices through technological means. My most immediate goal is to improve the education for students at my school. However, should my research produce dramatic results, I look forward to sharing the outcomes with the wider community, either through face-to-face meetings, publications, or simply blogging.
Research is no longer sitting in a quiet library, compiling information and opinions from “experts”, and regurgitating their ideas into a paper with the hope that one’s compilation will seem unique enough to earn recognition, a good grade, or an opportunity to publish. Ironically, that would make the researcher an “expert” whose ideas would be investigated by future “researchers” who would create a whole new regurgitation mixture. Action research no longer relies solely on previous ideas or publications. We are now encouraged to leave the libraries and move our research into our daily lives, which for me, is the classroom. We are commanded to experiment, try new styles or techniques, record data, and report our ideas. This is something I can easily integrate into my classroom and my life in general. The empowerment and relief this produces is quite palpable. No longer would I have to worry about piling up more work on top of teaching, because my classroom is now a laboratory where my research happens while I teach.
Throughout this course, I have discovered new insights each week into not only research but also the importance of experimentation and its influence on pedagogical change, which is so desperately needed at this time. The weekly interviews between Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury served to bring me focus on the activities of the week and the expected outcomes, while the reading assignments revealed the practices and procedures of action research. Although both books were useful, I preferred Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Dana. I found that it provided a step-by-step template for any action research project, and it explained most everything very clearly. In the last chapter of the book, part of week five’s reading assignment, she mentions her book on action research for the classroom teacher. I, personally, would have preferred to read that text, simply because my research is happening in the classroom and does not serve an administrative purpose, however I surmise that the information is very similar.
The weekly assignments have been very helpful towards creating an action research plan for my technology internship, and receiving feedback from my site supervisor as well as my classmates on the forum has been most useful. My one concern throughout the process has been “What if I put all this work into this one inquiry, and it goes nowhere?” Based on the week five interview, and the reading throughout the last five weeks, I have come to the conclusion, that even if my project does not reach a fruition with which I would be satisfied, I will learn a lot through the process that will allow for subsequent inquiries, and I am now better prepared to answer them.
Amazingly enough, getting people interested in my wondering is much easier than I thought it would have been, much easier than it would have been just five years ago. The entire education community seems to be much more open to advancements in educational practices through technological means. My most immediate goal is to improve the education for students at my school. However, should my research produce dramatic results, I look forward to sharing the outcomes with the wider community, either through face-to-face meetings, publications, or simply blogging.
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