EDLD+5363+Multimedia+and+Video+Technology+Week+5+Final+Assessment

//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?//

The outcomes I envisioned from my EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology course included learning how to produce both audio and video podcasts, learning more about digital storytelling, and learning how to plan, organize and produce a collaborative video project. I assumed this learning would consist not only of best practices and procedures for producing multimedia projects, but would also include guidance on the best hardware ad software technology tools to be used during these productions. Finally, I envisioned that classroom applications for these products would be presented and discussed.

Overall I achieved the outcomes I had envisioned, but regarding digital storytelling in particular, I feel I achieved much more than anticipated; the assignment became very personal, and I found I was more interested in the storytelling itself than in the medium. I have always been one to emphasize technology, showcasing cool tools and gee-whiz features, but I realized through this assignment that the story itself, and the power of the message, must be the star and the focus of the story; while technology is used to relate the story, the simplicity and honesty of the words and images must not be overshadowed by flashy graphics or special effects. Technology enables the telling of stories embellished with imagery and sounds difficult to achieve in any other medium, and digital storytelling presents a multi-sensory experience, but in the final analysis good storytelling is still an art, and it is the storytelling, not the digital, which we must emphasize.

I also feel I benefited greatly regarding the envisioned outcome of learning how to plan and organize digital media projects. I would not have taken the time on my own to produce detailed scripts and storyboards or plan shot lists for videos, but having been forced to produce these elements during assignments I learned how helpful the advanced planning can be. While it seems tedious and time-consuming to produce so much documentation, I found the project ultimately flowed better, and production was more natural, after putting so much effort into the initial planning. The scripts and storyboards helped keep the project on track, and the shot lists provided guidance targeting efforts so that time was not wasted on whims or unnecessary shots.

The actual course outcomes aligned very closely to my envisioned outcomes, with the added benefits as mentioned above of preparing me to better plan future projects while instilling added respect for the power of digital storytelling.

//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?//

The outcomes I achieved during this course are very applicable in my work as a technology director. I have been looking for ways to get my teachers more interested in digital storytelling, and sharing my firsthand experiences producing my own personal digital story will be invaluable. I can now explain to them all the steps involved, from pre-production planning including scripting and storyboarding to production and editing techniques. Additionally, I can proudly show them my own personal digital story, serving as an example that if I can do it anyone can.

Another outcome very applicable to my work is the experience gained during this course producing podcasts. Podcasts can be of critical importance to my teachers, allowing them to differentiate instruction while providing opportunities to address the different learning styles their students present. One of my teachers called me a few minutes ago with questions related to podcasts, and I was able to share my experiences using PodBean.com and Audacity to create podcasts; she in turn related her experience using Apple Garage Band to record podcasts, new information to me. The experience I gained through EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video technology, like all my Lamar classes, will help me to become an integral part of our local learning community, and I am now thinking more like an educator and less like a techie.

Finally, learning more about copyright attribution, and especially gaining experience obtaining, embedding and citing Creative Commons licenses, is also very relevant to my job. As Technology Director, I work closely with our librarians and media specialists to help ensure our students understand acceptable usage practices, intellectual property rights and copyright guidelines. The practical, hands-on experience I gained with copyright attribution and Creative Commons licensing during this class improves my ability to serve as a resource to my librarians, teachers and students.

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

Overall, I feel I achieved all the outcomes I envisioned for this class. However, one outcome that was emphasized during the class was to consider file formatting and its role in and effect on posting our products online. While I realize the importance of file formatting, and agree it is an important consideration, I may not have achieved this outcome to the fullest as I still feel that technology affords us the ability to easily convert or transform products from one format to another, even from video to audio-only formats, often with no or low loss in quality and little or no need for additional editing.

For instance, if I produce a tutorial as a video podcast (vodcast), and it is well-written and accurately describes what the listener is seeing so as to address multiple learning styles, it should be relatively easy to use a tool such as Audacity to strip out the audio alone, perhaps edit it minimally, and voila, you now have an audio podcast which can be saved in a variety of formats. The same goes for converting from one video format to another; I may produce and edit my video in iMovie and save the intermediate and ultimate files as M4V MPEG-4 video, but I can always re-encode it into a Windows .wmv file format or even into an AVI with no significant loss of quality. While I agree it is ideal to shoot, edit and produce media using the appropriate file format for everyone on your production team to work with, there are even readily accessible technology tools to enable up-and-down conversion quickly and easily. Therefore, due to the preponderance and quality of file conversion software, while I agree that file formatting is an important consideration, I do not agree that it is a //critical// consideration and therefore may not fully have achieved this outcome.

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

Overall, I feel I was successful in completing the course assignments. However, the most challenging assignment by far was the Video PSA Group Project. The assignment itself was straightforward, but the logistics of carrying out such an involved task with group members who each lead full, busy lives and are scattered across Texas presented significant challenges. The online collaborative tools including Google Docs, wikis, file sharing sites and Adobe Connect videoconferencing allowed for good communication, but we often found ourselves in situations where our personal schedules dictated that late nights might be our best work time, but another group member would not be able to take shots until the next morning during their conference period. This lack of synchronization between team members definitely led to wasted time, and when compounded by occasional misunderstandings such as you can expect between any group of five adults, also led to frustration and delays. Additionally, some group members experienced storms leading to power outages, or illnesses making the rounds in their communities. I believe this issue is an unavoidable feature of distance education; whereas students taking a face-to-face class live close enough that they are more likely to share common schedules and experience common acts of nature, working with team members hundreds of miles apart in different cities and different school districts exacerbates the problem. Despite the obstacles, however, we managed to rally and support each other, and we are all pleased with the quality of our product.

//5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?//

I learned from this course that I am a better storyteller than I thought I was; I have been pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback I have received on my personal digital story. I believe the organizational and planning techniques presented in this course, including script writing and storyboarding, definitely helped me focus on what I wanted to say in my story, and on the imagery I wanted to convey, leading to a much better product.

Putting effort into pre-production really made production and editing a more intuitive process, ultimately saving time while improving consistency in these crucial stages. This experience has changed my attitude regarding planning; I tend to do things on-the-fly without extensive planning, but my experiences in this class have changed my attitude towards the importance and role of planning and scripting. While these activities do take time initially, that time is repaid by more efficient and cohesive production and editing processes and the end product is of higher quality and consistency. Additionally, I learned that planning must include considering formatting for the various web-delivery vehicles, ultimately saving time as steps are taken during production to ensure easy processing and posting of finished products.

Regarding my technology and leadership skills, I learned that I must work harder to accept the work of my team members for what it is and rather than being critical, strive to find a way to build on their work, improving it and making them (and in turn myself) look better. As a leader I have often preferred to do a task myself rather than to have to divvy it up and end up with lesser-quality work that I might have to redo, so this lesson will help me to become a better leader and team member, opening my mind to new ways to add value to the work of others while sharing responsibility. My technology skills were broadened by the extensive experience I gained with cloud-based file-hosting sites including Dropbox.com and Google Docs, as well as PodBean.com, a free podcast hosting site. I also became more expert at editing with open-source utilities such as Audacity and online tools including Windows Live Movie Maker.

Overall, this class is definitely one of the highlights of my degree program, and will benefit me and my school district for years to come.