This class and this group project has been quite an interesting experience for me. Working in a group when you are miles apart presents some challenges and I was wondering how we were going to be successful.
Wendy volunteered to be the group leader and she set up the group wiki for us. We created a list of responsibilities and we each signed up for what we were interested in doing. We had a few ideas for topics and we agreed on healthy eating because one of our members, Ronald, had a strong personal connection.
I wrote the script, gave suggestions on images and recorded the narration. We each completed our particular task(s); posted it to the wiki page and we gave feedback on the page and through email. This process worked each week where we completed our individual tasks and gave feedback and made the necessary changes. My initial fears of distance group work were quickly alleviated once I saw how well we were able to work together. I think our PSA turned out very well.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Video Editing Software – An Evaluation and Reflection
This week’s assignment was to use and evaluate two pieces of open source, video editing software. This had me nervous from the beginning. I do not have any experience editing video except for some minor adjustments made in Windows Movie Maker and even more minor edits made within iMovie. My initial thought was to choose one of these two programs to evaluate, but then I thought that I should challenge myself and find something that I was not familiar or comfortable with. Mission accomplished!
I chose to evaluate Virtual Dub version 1.8.8 and the YouTube Video Editor. These two programs are as different as night and day!
“Understanding that movies and television are built, one step at a time enables students to imagine their own pieces. “ (Garrison, 1999) This quote came to mind when I was trying to learn these editing programs. Movie making, even in its most basic form is not a point, shoot and go type of endeavor. A lot of planning and editing is involved to make the filmmaker’s vision come to life. Having a good editor is key to the success of the project.
Virtual Dub
I was completely lost when I tried to use this program. It was way over my head. When I read some of the user comments on the internet, most of them said it was a very easy program to use with many popular features. I am assuming that they meant easy if you are familiar with video editing and all of the jargon that goes along with it. From poking around and clicking on buttons, I did learn a few things, but not enough to feel that I could edit a video successfully. One thing that I did notice is that Virtual Dub does support all of the popular PC file formats and extensions like:
.avi .divx .mpg .mpeg .mpv .miv .dat .anim .flm .gif
.png .tga .jpg .jpeg .iff .avs .vdr
It does not; however, support QuickTime and MPEG2 files which may steer some folks away from using Virtual Dub. When I was trying to determine which programs to evaluate, I ran across one called VideoSpin. It looked great, but the download size was absolutely horrendous. I say that to say this…Virtual Dub was only 1.4 MB to download, so that is a positive. There were many filters that could be applied and transitions/effects which gives you more options for creativity. According to the help file, it can convert and compress video and audio, edit, capture, render and filter video files. I was able to successfully cut a portion of the movie and add a blur filter. To be honest, it looked horrible when I finished, but I did it. It appears to be a robust program that would serve the needs of non-professional editors who know a bit more than the complete novice.
I would not recommend this for elementary and possibly not even middle school because the learning curve would be steep and the lack of a good user interface would also contribute to student (and teacher) frustration.
YouTube Video Editor
This is the epitome of basic editing. You can cut and arrange scenes in your video and add a soundtrack. That’s about it. It is very simplistic, but it works. I can see using this for basic elementary and middle school projects that do not need a lot of sophisticated editing like layers, special effects and transitions.
It was easy for me to use and was very fast in its rendering. Students (and adults) can pick this up in a matter of minutes (even seconds) and have a finished product in a short turnaround time. The only thing about this editor is that you can only edit videos that you have uploaded to YouTube. If a school has YouTube blocked, then this would not be a viable option for them. Also, if the school did have access to YouTube, the teacher would have to be very hands on and vigilant to ensure that the students are on task and looking at the appropriate videos.
I read that more features will be coming soon, but in the meantime, it will do the trick!
Garrison, Andres (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html
I chose to evaluate Virtual Dub version 1.8.8 and the YouTube Video Editor. These two programs are as different as night and day!
“Understanding that movies and television are built, one step at a time enables students to imagine their own pieces. “ (Garrison, 1999) This quote came to mind when I was trying to learn these editing programs. Movie making, even in its most basic form is not a point, shoot and go type of endeavor. A lot of planning and editing is involved to make the filmmaker’s vision come to life. Having a good editor is key to the success of the project.
Virtual Dub
I was completely lost when I tried to use this program. It was way over my head. When I read some of the user comments on the internet, most of them said it was a very easy program to use with many popular features. I am assuming that they meant easy if you are familiar with video editing and all of the jargon that goes along with it. From poking around and clicking on buttons, I did learn a few things, but not enough to feel that I could edit a video successfully. One thing that I did notice is that Virtual Dub does support all of the popular PC file formats and extensions like:
.avi .divx .mpg .mpeg .mpv .miv .dat .anim .flm .gif
.png .tga .jpg .jpeg .iff .avs .vdr
It does not; however, support QuickTime and MPEG2 files which may steer some folks away from using Virtual Dub. When I was trying to determine which programs to evaluate, I ran across one called VideoSpin. It looked great, but the download size was absolutely horrendous. I say that to say this…Virtual Dub was only 1.4 MB to download, so that is a positive. There were many filters that could be applied and transitions/effects which gives you more options for creativity. According to the help file, it can convert and compress video and audio, edit, capture, render and filter video files. I was able to successfully cut a portion of the movie and add a blur filter. To be honest, it looked horrible when I finished, but I did it. It appears to be a robust program that would serve the needs of non-professional editors who know a bit more than the complete novice.
I would not recommend this for elementary and possibly not even middle school because the learning curve would be steep and the lack of a good user interface would also contribute to student (and teacher) frustration.
YouTube Video Editor
This is the epitome of basic editing. You can cut and arrange scenes in your video and add a soundtrack. That’s about it. It is very simplistic, but it works. I can see using this for basic elementary and middle school projects that do not need a lot of sophisticated editing like layers, special effects and transitions.
It was easy for me to use and was very fast in its rendering. Students (and adults) can pick this up in a matter of minutes (even seconds) and have a finished product in a short turnaround time. The only thing about this editor is that you can only edit videos that you have uploaded to YouTube. If a school has YouTube blocked, then this would not be a viable option for them. Also, if the school did have access to YouTube, the teacher would have to be very hands on and vigilant to ensure that the students are on task and looking at the appropriate videos.
I read that more features will be coming soon, but in the meantime, it will do the trick!
Garrison, Andres (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Video Conferencing
In my graduate courses at Lamar University, we have weekly video conferences. These are very helpful because we get our own questions answered by the professors and we benefit from hearing others questions that we may not have thought of. Sometimes, we might have misconceptions about a particular assignment and having these discussions helps to clear them up before it's too late.
It is also nice to put faces to names which you normally can not do in a distance/online program. It gives us more of a sense of connectedness with the rest of our cohort.
It is also nice to put faces to names which you normally can not do in a distance/online program. It gives us more of a sense of connectedness with the rest of our cohort.
A Personal Digital Story
In my first week of EDLD 5363 Multimedia Video Technology, I learned about telling a personal story through a digital format. It provided a few challenges for me; like figuring out what to write about, overcoming technical difficulties of my computer and finding time to complete everything during the first week of school for me and my children and my youngest being very sick and needing my constant attention.
Like the title of my digital story, I was able to "Keep Going".
I learned a lot with this assignment. Not just the physical process of making a video in PhotoStory or uploading it, but the "behind the scenes" activities that go into the production. I had to write a script and I had to do a storyboard to lay out what narration went with what image. I have a lot more to learn and practice to make my productions better, but this was a good starting experience.
My script and storyboard can be found on my wiki page: http://rmmathspot.wikispaces.com/EDLD+5363+Personal+Digital+Story
Like the title of my digital story, I was able to "Keep Going".
I learned a lot with this assignment. Not just the physical process of making a video in PhotoStory or uploading it, but the "behind the scenes" activities that go into the production. I had to write a script and I had to do a storyboard to lay out what narration went with what image. I have a lot more to learn and practice to make my productions better, but this was a good starting experience.
My script and storyboard can be found on my wiki page: http://rmmathspot.wikispaces.com/EDLD+5363+Personal+Digital+Story
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Online Learning Community- The Action Research Plan
GOALS:
The goal of this action research project is to prove that delivering staff development through an online learning community will improve staff development by increasing participation, offering relevant and timely topics and increasing communication and collaboration amongst teachers while also increasing technology use in the classroom.
ACTIVITIES:
Activities that will support the achievement of the goal include researching an appropriate tool to use as a delivery system; researching the areas of technical deficiency on our campus; designing a survey to serve as a “wish list” of desired staff development topics; searching for and creating relevant and timely content to be uploaded into the system; presenting/implementing the new tool; and lastly, providing “hot topics” for ongoing communication and collaboration amongst the staff.
NEEDED RESOURCES:
Resources that are necessary to achieve the goal are the internet, laptops, projectors, eInstruction clickers, Survey Monkey, content compiled by the principal, myself and the campus technologist, and the STaR chart results. These resources will allow us to plan, create, implement and maintain the program that we are attempting to launch.
TIMELINE:
Research on the delivery system, content and discussion topics began the week of July 21st and will continue through August 13th as we will go “live” on August 16th. The “wish list” survey will be completed during the August 9-13th timeframe. The technology survey is already completed and will be sent out to teachers the week of August 9th to prepare for the meeting on the 16th. The discussion topics as well as the future staff development courses will be an ongoing endeavor.
PERSONS (S) RESPONSIBLE:
The bulk of responsibility will remain with me; however, our principal (Leslie) and our campus technologist (Sharon) will play a very prominent role in providing content and direction for the staff development delivery system.
MONITORING:
The method of monitoring the development and implementation stages will be through detailed discussions practice sessions with the principal. Feedback will also be necessary from the campus technologist as well as the district instructional technology coordinator. A select group of lead teachers will also provide feedback.
ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS:
A verbal and written (electronic) survey will be given to the staff to determine the perception of value, relativity, timeliness and ease of use of the new delivery tool. Review by the district instructional technology coordinator and a representative from the district staff development office will also be requested. Lastly, a quantitative study on the number of staff using the system and any issues that arise will be conducted.
The goal of this action research project is to prove that delivering staff development through an online learning community will improve staff development by increasing participation, offering relevant and timely topics and increasing communication and collaboration amongst teachers while also increasing technology use in the classroom.
ACTIVITIES:
Activities that will support the achievement of the goal include researching an appropriate tool to use as a delivery system; researching the areas of technical deficiency on our campus; designing a survey to serve as a “wish list” of desired staff development topics; searching for and creating relevant and timely content to be uploaded into the system; presenting/implementing the new tool; and lastly, providing “hot topics” for ongoing communication and collaboration amongst the staff.
NEEDED RESOURCES:
Resources that are necessary to achieve the goal are the internet, laptops, projectors, eInstruction clickers, Survey Monkey, content compiled by the principal, myself and the campus technologist, and the STaR chart results. These resources will allow us to plan, create, implement and maintain the program that we are attempting to launch.
TIMELINE:
Research on the delivery system, content and discussion topics began the week of July 21st and will continue through August 13th as we will go “live” on August 16th. The “wish list” survey will be completed during the August 9-13th timeframe. The technology survey is already completed and will be sent out to teachers the week of August 9th to prepare for the meeting on the 16th. The discussion topics as well as the future staff development courses will be an ongoing endeavor.
PERSONS (S) RESPONSIBLE:
The bulk of responsibility will remain with me; however, our principal (Leslie) and our campus technologist (Sharon) will play a very prominent role in providing content and direction for the staff development delivery system.
MONITORING:
The method of monitoring the development and implementation stages will be through detailed discussions practice sessions with the principal. Feedback will also be necessary from the campus technologist as well as the district instructional technology coordinator. A select group of lead teachers will also provide feedback.
ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS:
A verbal and written (electronic) survey will be given to the staff to determine the perception of value, relativity, timeliness and ease of use of the new delivery tool. Review by the district instructional technology coordinator and a representative from the district staff development office will also be requested. Lastly, a quantitative study on the number of staff using the system and any issues that arise will be conducted.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Reflections on Action Research
Learning about action research has really caused me to appreciate the efforts of my principal. She has made a lot of changes on our campus and asks us to do things that we haven't done before and I have always supported it, but never understand what went into the plan.
A good principal, or any leader for that matter, will not do things haphazardly without reflecting, researching and planning. Just going with something because it sounds good or fun will not prove to be fruitful without first seeing what the true benefit is and if it is right for your team or group.
Week 2 of this course really helped me to slow down and order my thoughts and actions. This really can be applied to almost every aspect of your professional and personal life.
A good principal, or any leader for that matter, will not do things haphazardly without reflecting, researching and planning. Just going with something because it sounds good or fun will not prove to be fruitful without first seeing what the true benefit is and if it is right for your team or group.
Week 2 of this course really helped me to slow down and order my thoughts and actions. This really can be applied to almost every aspect of your professional and personal life.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
ACTION RESEARCH
Action Research – What is it and what can I do with it?
The term or practice of action research is not new. It is known by other terms such as practitioner inquiry, classroom research and teacher inquiry and when undertaken by an administrator, it is called administrative inquiry.
Even though action research has been around, it has never been the accepted method to address school improvement until now.
So, what is action research? In a nutshell, action research is the process that a person (teacher, principal or anyone directly involved in the situation at hand) engages in to question, research, reflect, learn and take action to improve their school and their individual practice and professional development.
There are four major ways that action research is undertaken: university coursework, superintendent/district meetings, leadership teams and professional learning communities. Through my graduate courses, I have been able to take advantage of action research just by taking inventory of my thought process and my method of teaching and assessing. I reflected, researched, and reflected some more then made changes that immediately improved some areas in my classroom. This process of inquiry can be used by anyone for anything. I have formed a professional learning community where we discuss issues and concerns and together, we come up with our own solutions instead of going outside of the group to get answers.
Why Should Educational Leaders Blog?
Blogging offers an opportunity for your thoughts and plans to be shared with an audience that you would not otherwise have. Blogging is great for feedback and it is great for networking. Superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and students can all benefit from blogging because it opens up communication and it is not hindered by face-to-face time or hours of operation, it is 24/7 communication.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Internship Reflections
Reflections:
Trained leadership team on eInstruction Clickers, CPS system, Mobi Tablets during summer planning session.
This training happened during the summer for our campus’ leadership team which consisted of seven teachers, two instructional coaches, the principal and the assistant principal.
We had received a few sets of the eInstruction clickers, Mobi tablets and the CPS software towards the end of the school year. I was the first teacher to receive these items and quickly implemented it into my classroom. Over the summer, I continued to strengthen my skills and was able to put together a training for this team.
It was a little nerve racking at first because this particular audience is always full of penetrating questions and I wanted to make sure that I would have the answers. I gave a short presentation and exhibition of some of the features of the products and how I have been implementing them in my classroom as well as other possibilities. The main questions besides the operational type were regarding assessments and reports.
Standards addressed:
TF-IV. Educational technology facilitators apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies.
TL-V. Educational technology leaders design, develop, evaluate, and model products created using technology resources to improve and
enhance their productivity and professional practice.
TF-VIII. Educational technology facilitators will contribute to the shared vision for campus integration of technology and foster an
environment and culture conducive to the realization of the vision.
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
Gave overview training to teachers during staff development. Overview covered clickers, tablets and CPS software.
This training was to introduce these tools to the teaching staff. It was designed to just whet their appetite for the products. I gave an overview of the software, tablets and clickers and how I use them in my own classroom. I showed examples of some content available for the lower and upper grade levels. I fielded a few implementation questions and saw some interest. Overall, I could tell that many of the teachers would not use the products unless they were required to. Some of the comments were (I’m paraphrasing), “That’s great, but I have too much to do and don’t have time to learn how to use this stuff” or “I am happy with how I do things in my classroom already, I don’t need these extra things that might break down when I get dependent on it”. We have a lot of technophobes amongst the ranks, but I think we can get them to accept this technology over time. No one disliked it, they just weren’t scrambling to get it into their rooms.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
Trained 2nd, 4th and 5th grade teacher representatives on clickers, tablets and CPS software in separate, one-on-one sessions.
This was a string of personal training sessions with teachers from these grade levels. They were very interested in the product and wanted more training that was specific to their needs. I met with each one of them individually in their own classrooms, listened to their needs and we came up with some ways to effectively use the products in their room with their students. This experience was beneficial not only to those teachers, but to me as well because it helped me get a better understanding of the other grade levels and their needs in regards to technology. Four out of the six teachers that I worked with really blossomed with technology and are becoming leaders for their teams. It felt good to have people seek my assistance and then see them utilize it with successful results. We now bounce ideas off of each other which is kind of like a little learning community.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
Exposed 4th grade team to UDL books, Wiki Spaces and online whiteboard programs.
In one of our staff meetings, some comments were made that we need more technology resources. Some products were mentioned by someone that were kind of pricey. Knowing that purchasing those items was not in our budget and having been through some of the graduate courses at Lamar University, I was able to suggest some free, online applications that addressed those requests. The fourth grade team was starting to get into technology more and I showed them some of the open source, Web 2.0 products that were available. Through the Teaching with Technology course that I took through Lamar University, I learned about the Universal Design for Learning lesson building and e-books. I shared this with the fourth grade team along with e-book I created on perimeter. They ended up using my book in their lessons. I really enjoy sharing information and resources with my colleagues and get a great feeling of satisfaction when I know that it helps them and ultimately their students.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
Trained leadership team on eInstruction Clickers, CPS system, Mobi Tablets during summer planning session.
This training happened during the summer for our campus’ leadership team which consisted of seven teachers, two instructional coaches, the principal and the assistant principal.
We had received a few sets of the eInstruction clickers, Mobi tablets and the CPS software towards the end of the school year. I was the first teacher to receive these items and quickly implemented it into my classroom. Over the summer, I continued to strengthen my skills and was able to put together a training for this team.
It was a little nerve racking at first because this particular audience is always full of penetrating questions and I wanted to make sure that I would have the answers. I gave a short presentation and exhibition of some of the features of the products and how I have been implementing them in my classroom as well as other possibilities. The main questions besides the operational type were regarding assessments and reports.
Standards addressed:
TF-IV. Educational technology facilitators apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies.
TL-V. Educational technology leaders design, develop, evaluate, and model products created using technology resources to improve and
enhance their productivity and professional practice.
TF-VIII. Educational technology facilitators will contribute to the shared vision for campus integration of technology and foster an
environment and culture conducive to the realization of the vision.
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
Gave overview training to teachers during staff development. Overview covered clickers, tablets and CPS software.
This training was to introduce these tools to the teaching staff. It was designed to just whet their appetite for the products. I gave an overview of the software, tablets and clickers and how I use them in my own classroom. I showed examples of some content available for the lower and upper grade levels. I fielded a few implementation questions and saw some interest. Overall, I could tell that many of the teachers would not use the products unless they were required to. Some of the comments were (I’m paraphrasing), “That’s great, but I have too much to do and don’t have time to learn how to use this stuff” or “I am happy with how I do things in my classroom already, I don’t need these extra things that might break down when I get dependent on it”. We have a lot of technophobes amongst the ranks, but I think we can get them to accept this technology over time. No one disliked it, they just weren’t scrambling to get it into their rooms.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
Trained 2nd, 4th and 5th grade teacher representatives on clickers, tablets and CPS software in separate, one-on-one sessions.
This was a string of personal training sessions with teachers from these grade levels. They were very interested in the product and wanted more training that was specific to their needs. I met with each one of them individually in their own classrooms, listened to their needs and we came up with some ways to effectively use the products in their room with their students. This experience was beneficial not only to those teachers, but to me as well because it helped me get a better understanding of the other grade levels and their needs in regards to technology. Four out of the six teachers that I worked with really blossomed with technology and are becoming leaders for their teams. It felt good to have people seek my assistance and then see them utilize it with successful results. We now bounce ideas off of each other which is kind of like a little learning community.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
Exposed 4th grade team to UDL books, Wiki Spaces and online whiteboard programs.
In one of our staff meetings, some comments were made that we need more technology resources. Some products were mentioned by someone that were kind of pricey. Knowing that purchasing those items was not in our budget and having been through some of the graduate courses at Lamar University, I was able to suggest some free, online applications that addressed those requests. The fourth grade team was starting to get into technology more and I showed them some of the open source, Web 2.0 products that were available. Through the Teaching with Technology course that I took through Lamar University, I learned about the Universal Design for Learning lesson building and e-books. I shared this with the fourth grade team along with e-book I created on perimeter. They ended up using my book in their lessons. I really enjoy sharing information and resources with my colleagues and get a great feeling of satisfaction when I know that it helps them and ultimately their students.
Standards addressed:
TF-I.A.2. Provide assistance to teachers in identifying technology systems, resources, and services to meet specific learning needs.
TF-I.A.1. Assist teachers in the ongoing development of knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology systems, resources, and services that are aligned with district and state technology plans.
TL-II. Educational technology leaders assist by planning, designing, and modeling effective learning environments and experiences
supported by technology at the district/state/regional level.
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