Course+Reflections+for+5363

As I began this course, one of the main outcomes I envisioned was the acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed to produce a multimedia project through collaboration with individuals in distant locations. Since I have been involved with video production for many years, my focus was based more on learning how to use wikis, Google docs, and tools of this nature to collaborate, rather than learning to use software programs, such as Premiere, Movie Maker, and Audacity. I have had quite a bit of experience with filming and editing in the past, so I have already become very efficient and comfortable with my favorite programs, iMovie and Garage Band. Since I have been very successful with these programs on prior video projects, I decided my time would be better spent to adhere to the methods and techniques that are currently working, and try to further develop an area of weakness, which is my ability to truly collaborate long distance. Based upon our group’s final edit of the Public Service Announcement for Literacy, I feel that I was quite successful in accomplishing my goals for this course. Since much of the course was based on group collaboration and production, I feel that the requirements did align closely with my expectations.

I feel that what I learned in this course will be very valuable to my role as a teacher. For instance, the creation of a multimedia production is a very time consuming and difficult task, which can be quite challenging for teachers who are often overworked and pressed for time to begin with. Although this is true, it is important for teachers to find the time to create (and share with others) projects that incorporate technology because it is clearly one of the most powerful methods of reaching students and imparting complex concepts, as opposed to traditional methods, such as a lecture relying solely on vocals and oral delivery. In learning how to use tools such as wikis, blogs, and Google docs, this collaborative process becomes much easier for educators. This is a great benefit because it allows teachers, near and far, to split their work load in creating lessons and multimedia productions that have a huge impact on student comprehension. Thus, I am convinced that the skills I learned in this course will be a great asset in creating multimedia projects for future use in the classroom.

One thing I would have liked to learn more about is the software program Premier. However, as mentioned earlier, I did not venture too far out of my comfort zone, namely, iMovie and Garage Band, to experiment very much with Premiere. Most of this was due to personal time constraints, dictating the need to use a software program I was already very familiar with, rather than trying to complete all the assignments in addition to learning a new program. In past experiences, I have found that I become a little discouraged if I feel overwhelmed in learning new material. In addition, I have a tendency to be a perfectionist, so, in this case, it was best for me to focus my efforts on helping write a strong script, coordinating the filming schedule, and then editing the footage. Trying to accomplish all of this, on top of learning a new program, would have compromised my efforts in producing a quality production and, more than likely, caused me to become frustrated. I am a little disappointed that I did not find more time to experiment with Premier because I have read very good reviews about it, and it is highly regarded among video editors. The articles on Premier were very interesting and brought several questions to mind that I plan to explore in the future. I am very interested in video editing as a hobby, as well as for classroom purposes, so I do plan to further investigate Premier.

Although some of the course assignments were challenging, I feel like I was successful in completing each one. At times, I was discouraged over issues encountered by our group. Most of the difficulty we faced involved compatibility issues, considering two of our group members were Mac users and one was operating on a Windows platform. Because of this, we had to be resourceful and overcome a few obstacles, but in those cases, although frustrating, I did learn more about how to truly collaborate on multimedia production. It is certain that some of the barriers we faced will be inherent in future projects with individuals in various locations, so I am glad, especially now that it’s over, that we had these difficulties. Based on our experience, we will be better equipped to overcome similar problems in the future and such problems will not prohibit us from collaborating.

As a result of this collaborative experience, I learned quite a bit about myself, as well as my technology and leadership skills. At first, I was not too thrilled about trying to do a video project with group members in various locations. I was concerned about sharing files and compatibility issues, which we did encounter. In the long run, however, I learned a great deal about how to overcome common issues faced in this situation. Furthermore, I began to see the true benefit of wikis. In previous courses, I have used the wiki, but mostly because it was required. I had not yet experienced a genuine need to use this tool. That quickly changed, as our team needed a common site to communicate, share ideas, post video, and discuss our assignment. I did not realize how helpful this tool could be until I really needed it. I am thankful that we learned about this tool (wikis) because until this project, I was having a hard time seeing how I would actually use it. However, that has become very clear in retrospect.