Week 3: EDLD 5363 - Web Conference

This week we were asked to join a group of 3 to 5 members to create an video that introduces a core concept.  We were able to read up on the Do's and Don'ts of shooting a video including camera shots, lighting and angles. I must say that it was a lot of information to take in! I feel like I need sophisticated equipment instead of the IPOD touch that I plan to shoot my video with. Being able to collaborate with a group and bounce ideas off of each other has been a welcome relief. I am not usually eager to work with a group especially they way our courses are formatted with people being all over the state and sometimes the country.  The web conference on Monday helped clarify the our group assignment and answered all of the questions that I had prior. The web conferences usually allow me to see things from the viewpoints of the other students. With the online format I often miss the interactions that you normally get in a face to face class. So far I'm on track and plan to make the most out of the course. I have already though of different ways that I can integrate video into my classroom lessons both for myself and my students.

EDLD 5363 Week 2 Reflection

Another exciting week! This week we were tasked with exploring Audacity, Lame and Creative Commons.  I am normally pretty hesitant to download free programs for fear of viruses but I had previous experience with Audacity and knew it to be relatively safe.  Audacity is a program that allows you to create and edit audio.  Lame is the program that you need to export the audio files in the mp3 format. I found the program to be relatively easy to use and pretty extensive for a free program. I also was able to receive a Creative Commons license to in essence copyright the podcast that I created and determine my sharing rights. The biggest task in creating the podcast was in the timing. We were working within a 2 minute minimum and it was very difficult to be detailed yet brief! Overall I learned a lot and will be able to share this information with students and colleagues.

EDLD 5363 Week 1 Reflection

This week I created a personal digital story using Photo Story 3.  I was a bit leery about the assignment in the beginning since it was geared toward the personal rather than general or professional. I am usually a bit hesitant to share personal aspects of my life with others. I finally decided on reading as a topic because it is a passion for me and I thought that it would be a great way to relate a little bit about myself without delving too deeply. Once I decided upon my topic the rest was easy. It took some time to find just the right pictures to express my script.

I enjoyed reading the posts of my classmates and many of the other stories were very touching and moving in different ways. I learned about hobbies that I had never even heard of! I was able to explore ways to incorporate digital story telling into my classroom as well through the readings. This will definitely be an assignment that I will use with my students!