EDLD+5363+FINAL+ASSESSMENT

Following is my final assessment for EDLD 5363:

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?

Multimedia and Video Technology is the second course I have taken towards earning my masters in Educational Technology Leadership. Based on the name of this course, I expected the course to be more ‘hands on’ than the first course I took – it was. Being a ‘digital immigrant’ I was excited to be taking a class that would hopefully teach me something that I could use in my classroom or school, in general. Throughout this course, I was expected to work with various media production programs. Some I knew about, but had never used and some were foreign to me. I was quite excited about using them, but totally clueless. I was optimistic, however, that I would dive into the work and come out feeling confident in my new found abilities. I expected the challenges that I would face throughout this course and had hope that I would be able to rise to meet those challenges.

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?  Everything that I learned in this class is definitely relevant to my current life. On a personal level, I have learned how to take my antiquated analog VHS recordings of my children and convert them to digital files that I can edit and enhance. Now I just need to purchase an AV-DV converter and I will be creating quality videos in no time. On a professional level, I have learned many skills and techniques that I will be able to share with my students and, together, we can find ways to make math ‘come alive’. While I still have a great deal to learn, I can envision students working on some sort of a cross-curricular project. Of course, with every new adventure, there is the added chore of creation and implementation. I hope that my schedule will afford me the opportunity to take the time necessary to include some video projects in my curriculum.  3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? Coming in to this class, my only experiences with multimedia and videoing were the movies I took of my children as they were growing up. I honestly had not given any consideration to learning how to create, edit or post a video until I started this program. Due to my lack of prior knowledge and experiences, I have struggled to be successful in this class. Using Photo Story 3 for Windows, Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere Elements I attempted to create quality videos. While the programs were relatively easy to maneuver, I did come across some issues that I tried very hard to troubleshoot to no avail. There are just so many facets in each program that I do not understand – even upon further investigation – that made me feel like I just went through the motions of creating and still do not feel very confident in my abilities. Several members of the class commented about enjoying reading through materials to teach themselves how to use each program. I find this approach – to these programs, specifically – very difficult for me. As I am reading, my lack of understanding and experience just creates more frustration and I make no headway. I, personally, much prefer an environment where, as I am working through a program for the first time, I have the opportunity to ask for guidance when I get stuck.

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

In EDLD 5363, I created my own digital story, pieced together video clips to create a travel advertisement and collaborated to create a PSA. For me, each assignment presented challenges that caused me to struggle to be successful. Topic choice was a common challenge for each project. I am not a creative person, so choosing a topic took a great deal of thought and created even more anxiety. I know we are not supposed to confine our students to the parameters of a ‘list’ of acceptable topics, but I do believe that there are others, like me, who still prefer being told what to do – to a certain extent. The idea of being judged and graded on my personal choices did not help either. I realize that it is a necessary component of any course, but as a math teacher, I am not comfortable with subjective assessments. I take any loss of points on an assignment as criticism. Even if it is meant to be constructive, I cannot help but feel discouraged. A third common challenge for me was uploading the completed videos to a web site. Not having ever used YouTube or TeacherTube, I just kind of ‘felt’ my way through each program. Even though I was able to post my videos, I do not feel completely confident in this area.  5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

I love technology. I embrace all of the wonderful things it can do to enhance our everyday lives. Am I a ‘technologist’ - probably not yet. Can I become one - I am hopeful. EDLD 5363 showed me a different side of technology – one that is more technical. What I have found is I think I can learn to be a technologist, but I am not completely convinced that I can do it through an online program. I find that I am actually missing the face – to – face interaction that comes with being in a traditional class setting. Even though I am having difficulties with learning online, I believe it will make me a better teacher and leader. I think it is important to be able to relate to your students and peers, no matter what level they are. If learning about technology was coming too easily to me, I might not be able to understand the struggles that those I am working with may encounter.