Relections on EDLD 5363

I was amazed at our final product as well.  We started the process rather quickly and got  ahead of schedule from the start. We quickly organized and  Brooke immediately had a google doc going for us to use for collaboration.  Patricia started a drop box and  this  was the foundation for communicating effectively. The discussion over a topic was  detailed but we decided on  the teen texting  issue rather quickly. We thought of several different ideas and  combined those ideas from everyone to come up with what I feel is a very effective PSA.

We compiled a list of things that we needed to provide adequate information for our 60 PSA. 60 seconds is such a short amount of time to get in so much information. We  researched statistics, found still pictures on our topic, collected resources from the Internet ,created our own video footage, and started the basic parts of the script to go along with our narration and video shots.

We all did our jobs. I think now looking back that if we had to do it again I would know more of what to expect and provide a little more  information than what we thought we would need.. The weather hindered extra video shots that we wanted to include so I sure learned that you must be prepared for unforseen circumstances and have adequate time for completion of the project.

I also learned that working with a group definitely has its advantages. I would prefer to work on my own usually but I know I could not have done  any better than what this amazing group has done. It seemed like when one person had something going on the others didn’t hesitate to pick up and help where needed. Everyone contributed ideas and thoughts and it was a learning experience to have to depend on others and trust they would do their job.

This course taught me a lot about multimedia and video but also about teamwork and collaboration and delegating. As a future leader of a district or campus, that is an important skill to have. Knowing that the people you work with will do their job builds good relationships.

I was very proud of what we accomplished and I feel that our PSA was everything that we intended it to be from the start. With the planning, revising, editing, and  completion of the project came a sense of relief and appreciation  for a job well done.  Brooke, Holly, Shana, and Patricia were awesome collaborators and their ideas and work ethic  are evidenced by our end product. Thank you ladies.

EDLD 5363 Web Conferences Week 5

Week 5 has been an interesting week. So much to do and so little time! I was a little leary at first of working with a group. I like online classes because I can choose when and how much time to spend without waiting on anyone else. I will have to say the thought of working with a group was a little less than appealing.
Now the good stuff... what a group. I was so impressed with the work ethic and dedication of my group members. We encountered several issues but seemed always ready to resolve them easily. It seemed when life happened for one member of the group others picked up the slack as needed. I had the video portion of the PSA. My first series of video clips turned out good but we decided we needed some additional shots. Mother Nature had other ideas. It rained for five straight days and we couldn't get outside to do the shots we wanted. Next sick children, basketball games, and my job were also getting in the way of my time to work. I realized luckily that we had enough video to use without the extra shots. One thing I learned is to always have more than you think you need in order to get what you want in the editing process. After going through this process with the group and everyone having their roles I decided that we definitely had a better final product than I could have done by myself. As a leader I feel that projects require adequate time in order to deal with issues that might arise and also a lot of understanding on life and and personalities of others.
I have learned that sometimes it is wise to choose and work with a group instead of trying to do it all yourself and to learn to appreciate the value of others. PSA - Texting While Driving

EDLD 5363 Web Conference Week 1

I like the idea of web conferencing however unless you have a recording it sometimes seems a little invalid. Sometimes the chats are irrelevant to the topic and tend to be more about what technical trouble or difficulties the users are experiencing at the time. I think web conferences offer a valuable tool for distance learning and understand the whole point of holding them. I have enjoyed my classes so far at Lamar pertaining to technology and think the professors go above and beyond to provide an experience for the students to learn and integrate as much technology as possible in the short amount of time we have together. The conferences do provide that personal interaction that would be missing otherwise. One issue I myself have with web conferencing is the fact that I live in the country and my Internet provider is not sufficient but I have no other alternative. My upload and download time and amounts are very poor and I have encountered many issues on my end with submitting and posting assignments on YouTube, TeacherTube and sometimes on Lamar Epic. I greatly appreciate technology and look forward to a better experience  in the future. This first week's assignment was on creating a Personal Digital Story. I looked forward to using new software and the experience as far as the creating process was very interesting and enlightening. However, this is when I experienced the terrible upload and download issues. Aside from that it was a very good way to start out this multimedia course.  The Journey

EDLD 5363 Video Editing Software

Evaluation of software:

I don't think video editing gets much simpler than in Microsoft Movie Maker. The menu on the left side of the screen steps the user through capturing (importing) video, editing the movie (adding effects, transitions, titles, and credits), and finishing the movie (saving to a shareable file type). The layout of the screen is friendly, and the timeline and its buttons are easy to use. Movie Maker is perfect for simple video editing. It is easy to edit clips, add music and transitions, and create a video you can share with others. It is an excellent choice for use with students because it steps them through the creation process. With a short tour of the program, most students will be editing in no time. Movie Maker creates files in .wmv format.

By using simple software such as Movie Maker, students could be introduced to a topic or concept until mastered and this would set the foundation to start learning more complex software and trying more complex editing effects. This could impact future learning and interests of students and teachers.

In his article "Video Basics and Production Projects for the Classroom," Garrison (1999) states that "media production engages and excites; it leads to unexpected discoveries, increased self-awareness and esteem, sharpened critical thinking, analytical skills, group work skills, and ability to communicate ideas." I think if students used simple software and explored themselves in an area of their life such as what we did with our personal videos from last week, this would allow them to express themselves and begin to understand technology at the same time. This would be the first step in integration of technology in a seamless way.




Garrison, A. (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html

EDLD 5363 My Personal Video

This was a challenge for me. I really don't like talking about myself or recording my own voice for sure. However, I did manage to think about my professional life and see how far I have actually come. I also see that there is still some road left for me to travel. I realized that I was a dedicated and driven student when faced with a challenge. I understand and see that hard work pays off in the end and that education is a gift and privelege that no one can ever take from you once you have received it. I see that I am a person who likes to continue learning and will never be satisfied with what I know but will continue to pursue learning in all types of areas and ways. I love the integration of technology in today's world and am up to the challenge of learning and living daily with it.

Human Resources

Wow ... these past two weeks have been a killer. There is so much to read and refect upon that it is at times overwhelming. Of course it is the summer and things are always a little hectic and crazy this time of year. I have had a difficult time sinking my teeth into this course. Too many distractions of every day life. There is alot of things to consider with human resources from recruiting and retention of teachers, knowledge of school policies and contracts, creating an effective and productive working environment and being able to provide a good code of ethics that will treat parents, teachers, and students fairly. This is only week two, beginning of week three and I hope that the overwhelming feeling will go away with the new knowledge I discover for the remainder of this course. It will be worth the effort in the end.

Reflections of EDLD5301

What is action research you might ask? Well according to Dana (2009) action research is when an administrator or teacher studies his own practices and determines if what he is doing is effective or needs change. This evaluation is analyzed by using self-questioning in order to analyze, develop, and share and becomes a tool for learning and school improvement. This was a new term for me and at first did not seem to be a big deal. However, as I read more and more about it, it made much more sense. Traditional methods of research uses outsiders to collect and analyze data and predict what they think might happen. With action research, all inquiries are done by people with personal interest or involvement in the situation or issue so therefore the outcome means so much more. When the outcome of an issue determines the success of a teacher, administrator, or students the people involved tend to want what will work best for them.

By using things like PLC's and Site Based Committees collaboration with peers becomes much more effective in producing the best school district possible that will meet the needs of the people who care about it. As a teacher, action research will allow me to identify my weak areas and implement a plan for improvement that will make me a better instructor. It will encourage me to question myself when the outcome of certain situations did not have the end result I had in mind. Change is good and with action research, the ability to change with the times in order to address the needs of my students over time will be a much easier and ongoing process. Along with this new concept also came the collaboration of peers through blogs and discussion boards. It is very interesting to see others’ views about things going on in other districts. To see that the concerns and issues that affect my district also affect others has a calming effect knowing that we are not alone. The texts were very informative as well and I have learned a completely new way of researching a project and learning from others instead of only using my personal ideas. Knowing how to question myself has made me become a stronger school leader and eventually a strong administrator. The assignments for this course have given me a good solid foundation on research that will carry through for years to come. Although I enjoyed many aspects of this course, the highlight for me was to develop my action research project. Now that I have decided on my topic and have a plan developed to reach a goal I can’t wait to get started on it and see end result. Developing a vertical alignment with an online component such as Edmodo or Project Share will be a very interesting experience. I am hopeful that the end result will have the desired effect and improve the education or our students. That may be the final statement to be made about this course and any courses in the future. We are enrolled in these courses for a reason and that is to become a better leader and administrator with the end purpose to improve education as we know it for the sake of the children’s lives that we touch. In this constantly changing world we must constantly change and evaluate what we are doing for our students. If we don’t question and make changes as needed the level of instruction will continue to decrease until we are not having any success in our school systems.