Monday, May 7, 2012

Concluding Thoughts

I believe this class has introduced me to several useful tools that I may have otherwise never been exposed to. Although sometimes it was a struggle to familiarize myself with the more intricate and involved capabilities of these technologies, I feel that I have still walked away with invaluable knowledge that will help me in my future writing career. I do not plan to teach, however, video editing is a beneficial skill to possess in any field because the work place is becoming more dependent on technology with each passing decade. I enjoyed all the creative freedom that was given to me during the creation of these assigned projects. I feel like such liberties motivated me to learn about the technology and attempt to use it to my full advantage. There is alot I would still like to learn and feel that with more time, I could significantly improve my current projects.

Chuck Norris Meme

What?

The assignment was to create a video that discusses the origins and meaning of a popular internet meme. Our group decided to choose the Chuck Norris meme because even though some generations are not familiar with the actor, a large amount of individuals who regularly surf the internet would be familiar with the meme. We chose to intertwine clips of Chuck Norris films with our own footage to create the video. Several techniques were used to present our video as a newscast, including the use of interviews. Because there was so much information available on the internet, it was very difficult to sift through the masses of resources to decide what to include in our video. At some points in our earlier drafts, moments of our video were very extended. After the editing process, however, we learned the value of transitions and shorter frames to keep an audience's attention. I am pleased with the outcome of our video and belief we produced something simultaneously professional and engaging.

So What? ISTE NETS for Teacher:

Standard 1: Facilitate & Inspire Student Learning & Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:

promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

-I believe that creating a video is an invaluable learning tool. The production process requires a lot of research. Even though this product was examining pop culture, these tool can be used within any field of study. Students in math and history classes could also find creative a video to explain more sophisticated concepts to be rewarding, interesting, and helpful. This also foster's a student's creativity, an extremely valuable asset in today's workplace.

Now What?

Producing videos is definitely a way for students to become familiar with innovative technology while exploring other fields of academia. If they are allowed to create something in relation to their topic of study, they will naturally become more interested in learning about it. This process should certainly be emphasized in future classrooms once video editing software becomes more accessible to all schools.