EDLD+5363+Week+5+Final+Assessment+Course+Reflections

For this course, I had envisioned different outcomes. Amongst these were to successfully create a video, to learn more about video technology, and to learn about the different types of shots when filming video. After evaluating this list of envisioned outcomes, I am glad to say that I achieved the majority of them. These outcomes that I had envisioned did in fact line up with the actual course outcomes. I learned about creating a video in week one when I created my own personal digital story. This was such a fun learning experience for me because not only was I able to learn how to put together my own video, but I was able to share with others something about me. I learned more about video technology as each week progressed through the different tools that we used, such as Photo Story and Audacity. I now feel confident in showing others how to use these tools. Unfortunately, for the last outcome that I had envisioned which is to learn about the different types of shots when filming video, I feel like I did not learn enough. I learned about different shot techniques through our readings, such as the medium shot, the wide shot, the close-up, the extreme close-up, the trucking shot, and cutaways, however, I did not actually get to use any of these. Though this is unfortunate, I do intend on learning more about this on my own and practicing these shots so that I can become better at filming video.
 * What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?**

Out of all the outcomes that I envisioned and achieved, they are relevant to the work that I do in my school for the most part. Since I work with the lower grade levels, there is really no shooting of video in my classes. However, being in this class opened my eyes up to the different possibilities that video brings to a classroom, even those with younger kids. For example, week one’s assignment, personal digital story, is something that can be done by students of all ages. What makes this possible is the fact that it is something that is relatable to the students. Young children love sharing their experiences with others. Why not showcase these through video? After taking this class, I now feel more knowledgeable and better equipped to incorporate video into my classroom.
 * 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?**

Out of all the outcomes that I envisioned, I feel that I did not achieve one of them. This outcome is the one of learning more about different shots when filming video. Though I learned about these through the readings, I must admit that my knowledge remained the same as before. What prevented me from learning more was the fact that I did not get a chance to shoot video during this course. Another team member was in charge of filming the video for the PSA. Though I assisted in the choosing of the shots and figuring out what looked best, I really wish that I had more of a “hands on” experience in this project. Unfortunately, time constraints and distance prevented this from happening. Though I did not achieve this outcome during this course, I intend on doing so whenever I have some free time. This will allow me to shoot better video in the future.
 * What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?**

When completing the course assignments, I can honestly say that I was successful in completing all of them. The biggest factor in my achieving of this is the fact that I had a wonderful team comprised of members that all looked out for each other. Whenever one of us missed something in an assignment, another team member was sure to tell that member. For example, during week 3, it was mentioned in the web conference that all team members had to post a link to the team wiki in the discussion board, along with the names of all the other team members. Those of us that did not attend the web conference missed this requirement. Thankfully, one of the team members noticed this and notified the other team members so that they could get credit. It is teamwork like this that allowed me to complete my assignments. Without my team members, this would not have been possible.
 * Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?**

Through this course, I was able to learn a lot about myself. More specifically, I was able to learn about my technology and leadership skills, and my attitude when it comes to working with others. As this class progressed, I was able to contribute to the group work with my pre-existing technology skills. I was very happy to see that I was helping others because I had never realized just how much I knew when it came to technology. I was able to take screen shots to create a storyboard for all to follow, I edited some shots for the video editor to use, and I was able to work with both Wiki and Google docs in a way that it helped others completing the assignment. I never knew just how much I knew until I started this class and began using all these different tools at once. Something else that I learned through this course is that I can be a successful leader. In group work that I had previously participated in, I was always a follower; I let others guide me. In this group, however, I had the role of the director so I had to make many decisions. Looking at how the PSA came out and how my decisions along with those of others helped create such a wonderful product, gives me confidence that I can be a great leader. One last and major thing that this course taught me is that team work is nowhere near as bad as I had always pictured it. Due to previous bad experiences while working in groups, I started this class feeling nervous about having to do group work. I was not happy about this and was dreading the creation of this project. However, as time passed and I began working with my team members, I realized just how amazing working with others can be. This made a huge impact on my perspective of group work. I no longer dread it.
 * What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?**