EDLD+5363+Multimedia+&+Video+Technology+Reflections

==** 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? ** == I envisioned something very different from the actual outcome of this course; however, I was very thankful to have the opportunity to work in a collaborative setting. I had looked forward to this class for some time, as I was aware that collaboration with my peers was a requirement. I had the opportunity to create my own podcast which will be quite useful in the future since I received a reading center that contains three MP3 players. We will be creating weekly podcasts for students who miss class or for those who would like to review what was covered through the week. Being a Spanish teacher, video, audio, and the various multimedia tools used in this class will be invaluable for my students' success in language acquisition as it allows them to speak and use the language then they can listen to their pronunciation and correct any mistakes. It will allow my students to check themselves and become strong problem-solvers. I did achieve the outcomes of learning how to create a podcast and edit video and audio, which will be helpful for me in the future. I believe the course outcomes were somewhat similar to what I envisioned; however, the course outcomes were a bit confusing and unclear to me. ==** 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? ** == I will able to use these tools in my classroom in various ways; on different levels. Language-acquisition lends itself to usage of the target language. Constant checking and re-checking is essential for successful pronunciation. With these tools, students will have the ability to double check themselves to be sure they are pronouncing the words correctly; as well as, check their grammar and vocabulary usage. These tools will enable my students to create; which is, of course one of the top Bloom's activities. Whenever students can create an original work, it is a feat that allows them to be authors or creators. This empowers their learning which in turn, allows them to become lifelong learners. These tools will also allow for engagement and one-to-one personalization. Students must have a hand in their education, as it will foster an environment conducive to learning and discovery. They stand a much stronger chance of engagement when they can help to create what will be used in the classroom. I have students recording several of the books in my library for our reading center. They are enjoying this task and love the idea that they have had the opportunity to choose what they would like to do.

==** 3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? ** == I have so many weaknesses in this area that it would take too long to discuss, so I will focus on the most urgent. Working in a collaborative setting, we used our strengths to create our product. I did not necessarily employ the use of my personal weaknesses so as to help the team in the best possible way. I was able to create a video and create the audio that went with the video, but I did not put these together. I feel this would have helped me feel more comfortable. I liked the podcast activity, but felt it should have been a video podcast rather than audio to truly use the content in a logical manner. I suppose this stems from the fact that I am very much a visual and kinesthetic learner and must have the opportunity to "see and do" to truly understand and possibly master a concept. I am very contentious of my students' learning modes to ensure that they have maximum exposure to the topic in their own mode of learning. The fact that my team was so proficient at using these tools enabled me to learn from them. They are an amazing group and helped me "stay afloat" in this class. ==** ﻿ 4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? ** == I was successful in completing my course assignments; however, not without a challenge. As the requirements changed, it became difficult to double check myself to ensure I had everything necessary for the assignments. It was nice to have colleagues discuss any changes and alert the group to ensure we all had the latest information. It was quite discouraging to have to sift through the conferences as I feel these do not generally help me. They are quite confusing as times. Unfortunately, many of the changes made for the assignment guidelines were announced or discussed during these conferences. It became essential to review them or attend them to be sure all the correct information was received. I do not do well in guessing situations and I felt that at times, I was doing just that when it came to the assignments and their requirements. In closing, the ability to collaborate with colleagues enabled me to share and check for clarification when I was unsure of the requirements. ==** 5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? ** == I learned that I was able to create these products, but I am still very weak in doing so. I felt that I did very little to help my group as I was the least experienced in this topic. I found I can manage myself around my weaknesses and can learn quite a bit from YouTube tutorials. I found that resourcefullness was the quality I needed to have to finish this class somewhat successfully. Unlike my counterparts, I am very inexperienced in video, audio, and multimedia programs. It was difficult for me to even fathom taking a leadership role as I had such a small knowlege base in this respect, that doing so could have been disasterous to the team and the final outcome. One of our team-members stepped up and took hold of the leadership position in a diplomatic and efficient way. We have worked together in EDLD 5364 and were familiar with our strengths and our weaknesses. I was concerned about my contribution to the project initially, but our "leader" assigned us all tasks and that worked very well.