Multimedia+and+Video+Technology+Course+Reflections

Before this course even began, I had high expectations for what I might achieve in this class. I was wanting to become more adept in some various forms of multimedia so that I might be able to better explain them to other teachers in a training situation. I came into this course only really having worked in Windows MovieMaker, and having dabbled in Audacity in an earlier course I took this year. I believe that I have achieved the beginnings of this goal. I have learned how to work in more multimedia software programs. I have even posted my first YouTube video and podcast thanks to what I have learned in this course. I still think that I can learn more about the best ways to present these programs in a teaching setting, because while I learn fairly quickly by trial and error, others that I know would not feel successful in that type of setting and would have questions and expect answers. The learning outcomes I expected in this course are still extremely relevant to the work I do and want to do in the future. I really enjoyed getting to create a Photo Story and publish it on YouTube. I do well learning by trial and error, and enjoy working on a project to make it “just right”. The photo story I made meant a lot to me personally because my daughters got to work on the project with me. This gave me several ideas on how teachers could integrate this into the teaching of writing as a way to publish their finished story. This past year, our principal challenged the teachers to create an end-of-the-year slide show showcasing our students throughout the year. Our former Technology Integration Coach (TIC), stayed after school to show a small group how to use Photo Story 3 on the computers. I would like our teachers to take on this challenge again this year, especially since our campus does not publish a yearbook. I have planned a couple of trainings in Photo Story 3 for my campus, as I have taken on the role of TIC this year. We are also going to be piloting the Mac in twelve of our classrooms, and I would like to learn and teach iMovie to those of us with the new Macs. As stated before, I do want to learn how to better teach others to use these programs and feel successful enough to use the program again in the future. Creating a podcast on how to create a movie in Windows Movie Maker was a challenge to me as I worked to create a script that was detailed enough to explain thoroughly, but brief. This process has made me reflect more on my approach to teaching abstract concepts such as these. It is difficult for me to explain processes, sometimes, that come easier to me. This is a goal that I have had for myself since I began teaching, I am now shifting my focus on this goal more towards technology. I was successful in completing my course assignments. Since this is my eighth course in my Master’s program and the second one in which group projects were required, I have built a rapport with some of the other students in the program and we have been able to work well together on different assignments throughout this class. The team that I worked with is very understanding of time and energy, and they are always supportive in the feedback they give. There were a few times during this class in which I thought I would not be able to complete my assignments because of all that was going on outside of class, but my family has also been very supportive and has helped out with kids, shopping, and grading papers. Having a supportive environment to complete your work makes all the difference in the world. Throughout this course, I have learned that starting a class and starting the school year on the same day is extremely difficult and exhausting, but I have survived! I have learned more about my own limitations as a wife, mom, teacher and student over the past five weeks and have had to rely on the help of friends and family to help me get through at times. As for my technology skills, I have learned that I catch on fairly quickly, and really enjoy getting to experiment with the different tools that are available. With my leadership skills, I have learned that I still need to work on my presentation of these tools to others in order to ensure that the concepts are understood and can be used effectively. Over the past ten years, I have learned how to teach my students so they can learn and achieve success, now it is time for me to shift my focus to those who directly impact the students and present what can be “new” material to them in a way that allows them to feel that same success as a student in class.