EDLD+5363-+Course+Reflections

I didn’t really know what to expect before I began the course. I assumed the course was going to be about the different methods or resources used in making television or movie productions. The outcomes that I envisioned for the course were to learn of different programs that are used in video production; to learn the “behind the scenes” steps that go into video production; and to gain experience in making a video production. I do believe that I achieved these outcomes; not to mastery, of course, but am now familiar and a bit more comfortable with video production. I did not know the steps that went into video production before the class and now I have a healthy respect and appreciation for the effort that it takes to make a quality production. The actual outcomes did align with what I envisioned (or assumed) for this class because these steps and processes for video production are the same or at least extremely similar whether it is for television, movies, podcasts, etc. I believe that the outcomes that I was able to achieve by the end of this course are very relevant to my teaching and to my mentoring. I am always looking for new ways to engage the students through my instruction and through student led projects. Adding or enhancing the use of video is always a good thing, but actually planning, producing and editing your own video is so much better. So many skills go into doing a proper production; it is a wonderful learning opportunity as well as a great way to show understanding or mastery of a subject. I mentor other teachers and am sometimes the “go to” person for technology suggestions. I have always promoted the use of including video and audio in teachers’ presentations and have also shared the benefits of student made videos. Now that I have actual experience in production, I can help propel our students and staff to the next level with their projects. I don’t think there were any outcomes that I did not achieve at least in part. I am nowhere close to mastery or complete understanding of video production, but I am a lot farther than I was before the course. I feel very good about knowing the basic steps that are necessary for a good production. I definitely need a lot more practice with actually editing the video and adding the sound files and making it sound decent. My results in that effort were sketchy at best, but I did it. If I just had to choose one outcome that I did not achieve, I guess it would have to be the actual editing. There was a high learning curve for me in regards to editing the video, adding audio and making the timing work. Some of it just doesn’t seem intuitive to me. I guess I just need more practice or to sit one on one with someone to show me the proper way to do the editing.  Yes, I was able to successfully complete the course assignments each week. I was stressed out trying to figure things out, but I was able to complete them. Not being the most creative or technical person for that matter, had me concerned at the beginning of the course. The personal digital story was my first challenge. I told a very personal story and it really did challenge me to find a way to tell that story using pictures and symbolism. I looked at other students’ projects and started feeling bad about mine because it wasn’t as polished looking. I sent my video to a few colleagues and of course, my partner for week one and they all said it was great, so I went with it and I am now happy with it. I had a lot of problems doing the podcast. Something is wrong with my microphone port because I have a headset with a microphone and it wasn’t picking up sound, so I bought a desktop microphone and it did not work either. I ended up having to use the internal microphone which has a bit of an echo and hissing sound. I guess it ended up ok; not great, but ok.  I always doubt my abilities in anything that I do that is new or unfamiliar to me, so it was not unusual for me to be afraid of what was to come in this course. I do have a knack for organizing and leading, so that wasn’t really an issue to make sure that I (and we) were on task and on schedule. With each course in this graduate program, my technological skills increase and my confidence level increases as well. I did get further proof that I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to by successfully completing the assignments. I never saw myself doing video editing, but here I am! I did have a less than positive attitude about having to do a group project because I had a bad experience in an earlier course. Luckily, the group collaboration and project turned out great this time. Everyone did what they were supposed to. This reminded me of when Randy Nelson said that you should make your partners look good. I think our group did that.