Course+Reflection+EDLD+5363

Assignments

 * === [|Personal Digital Story] ===
 * === Evaluation of Open Source software ===
 * === Public Service Announcement ===

**Self Assessment**
I missed admission into the Academic Partnerships program by only one day. This multimedia class would have been one of my first classes. When I learned I would have to wait until the cycle repeated to take this class, I was disappointed. I use stop-motion video in my classroom and I was excited to learn new skills during the summer and put into practice when school started; instead it was a year later.

I learned about digital story telling at a conference and through reading and I wanted to get started creating a story. A digital story, from what I gathered was basically a slide show with captions added. At the time, I didn't know one could add narration. David Jakes, as quoted in //Web 2.0, New Tools, New Schools// (Solomon and Schrum, 2007), describes digital storytelling this way, "A digital story in its truest form is a personal experience represented in narrative format... the essence is amplified by including video, music, still-frame imagery, and the author's voice" (Solomon, p. 43). I used PhotoStory 3 to create a digital story. I struggled with a topic for my story. All the examples I saw were melancholic, even the happy ones weren't happy. I wanted something that represented my family of three and chose photos from our summer seven thousand mile road trip. I haven't created a digital story since then but it is something I considered for the classroom. I liked that I could apply design principles, presentation principles and technology in this project. For the classroom it could be used as a self biography, which we do at the start of the semester.

**Life as a Learner**
While the digital story was a personal story, the Public Service Announcement (PSA) assignment was exactly opposite. We worked together in groups, and as tends to happen, some people pulled no weight at all within the group. Somehow it befell me to put the files of video, audio and texts into a complete form. Because of this, I learned video editing skills that I wouldn't have otherwise. I had previous experience with Windows Movie Maker and Audacity, but I usually only found frustration from Audacity. After learning from Audacity tutorials, I better understood how to use the program for my purposes. Some of the audio files from the group were muddled and some were too loud. I edited these in audacity and trimmed files to uploard as segments into Windows Movie Maker. I chose Windows Movie Maker because it was the most familiar to me and ranks among the easiest free video editing programs to use (Desktop Guide, 2010).

Parts of the assignment required us to submit not only a storyboard, but descriptions of scenes. We had some ideas and took shots accordingly. While I was editing, I learned why that detail was so important. I videoed my students on the computer, because the topic was cyberbullying, but another group member videoed her students texting. If we had communicated more clearly, our shots would have been consistent. Planning these shots would have taken up front thinking but not back end editing time (Center, 2006). We needed to plan setting, costuming and even camera angles, rather than just getting kids together.

I believe the assignment of comparing opensource video editing software was to lead us to choose a program that would serve as our platform for the PSA. The assignment changed and as a result, we did not investigate opensource video editing software in the same manner. Consequently, my group struggled a bit to find a program we could all access, or at least to change the format. In the completed Window Movie Maker version, some of the audio, when posted on the wikispaces, was missing. A group member converted the entire project using Zamzar to maintain the video's integrity.

The group topic for the PSA was Cyberbullying. With parent permission, I videoed my students rapping a song written by a group member and acting out some scenes. My students and I talked about cyberbullying at the start of the semester, but they were able to present their learning by helping create the video.

**LifeLong Learning**
While I haven't created projects like these since this coursework, my knowledge of the programs increased. I am not so fearful of Audacity and used it to create rehearsal tracks for the school choir and to record classroom music which was later posted on the class wikispace. I am more adept at video editing as well. In reviewing software programs, I learned the real learning curve is getting started. After learning how to use video editing software, moving from one version or brand to another is not as difficult.

And I love my [|digital story].

Center for Educational and Training Technology. (2006). //Success is in the planning.// Retrieved from h[|ttp://www.create.cett.msstate.edu/create/howto/Storyboard_Handout.pdf]
 * References**

Desktop Guide. (2010) Top free video editing software review. Retrieved from [].

Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0; new tools, new schools. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology Education.