Week 5 EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology

The PSA above was created by Michael Alves, Pam Comer, Janie Fryar, Emily Priesmeyer and Emily Wisbrock for EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology and is licenced for limited use through Creative Commons.


Working with my group on the PSA over the past two weeks has been a refreshing change. I was concerned about how we would accomplish our task when we live in different parts of the state. My PSA team experience has not only taught me what goes into creating a video, but also how to effectively manage a project through the use of Web 2.0 tools when the team members live and work in different areas.
Pre-Production
My group began the video production process by collaborating through email and a on Google site created by Emily Wisbrock. We began brainstorming ideas for our PSA on the website and decided to address the issue of cyber bullying. Also on our Google site,we assigned roles based on our talents and areas of expertise. A tinychat.com web conference, organized by Pam Comer, afforded us valuable time to talk face-to-face and establish our timetable. I believe the web conference was vital because it helped us focus on the individual tasks and the direction the project took . Accountability moved to the forefront of the project when the group members saw each other, rather than just exchange words in an email. With our topic and a schedule completed by Pam Comer, we were ready to write a script and put together a shot list to guide our production. Michael Alves wrote the shot list and I wrote the script outline and narration script. Originally, the script outline and shot list did not match, but the more we talked and shared ideas, they came together to create the final PSA. Janie Fryar edited the script and narration, while Emily Wisbrock maintained the web site and kept us organized throughout the pre-production process.
Production
With a timeline to guide us, we each completed our tasks and shared them on the web site and email. I shared the video footage and narration recording with Michael. Using the footage and narration, Micharl put together a rough PSA and we followed-up with another web conference during which we discussed changes we wanted to make in the video, audio, text, and additions we needed on the web site. Constant communication on the web site kept everyone informed and the web conference proved to be an invaluable means of exchanging ideas and sharing so that we stayed on track. Once again, Emily Wisbrock made changes and additions to the web site, Pam Comer organized the web conference and maintained the timetable. Based on our web conference discussion, I reshot two scenes, shot an additional scene, and rerecorded the narration, Janie Fryar edited the script and narration, and Michael edited the video, audio, added music, and edited the text for a second rough PSA. The group followed-up the second rough PSA with third web conference in order to be sure that each member agreed with the changes. The third web conference also gave us a chance to share what we learned in the class web conference and to revisit the rubric. All of the raw footage and narration was posted on the group web site so that the group could collaborate on the shot selections and editing decisions.
Post-Production
Once the final PSA was completed, the group met again on tinychat.com to debrief about the changes we made and to discuss the final submission of the project. We determined that we would post our PSA on YouTube. We discussed our overall impression of the project, the problems we had, our solutions to those problems, and what we needed to turn in as part of our final project.
Improvement and Team Collaboration
As far as improving our PSA is concerned. I think a better quality camera and video footage would improve the overall quality of the PSA. I shot the footage with a Flip camera, and that was fine, except that I was not happy with the quality of the video-it definitely looked like an amateur shot the video. I learned a lot about how not to shoot video when I had to reshoot scenes over and over, but I would like for my footage to look more professional.
At our final web meeting, we discussed our strengths and weaknesses. Everyone in our group contributed to the production of the PSA in some way, and some more than others. The Google site was the best way for each person to contribute to the documentation aspect, and we did use email quite a bit to let everyone know as changes were taking place. The group web conferences were, by far, the most beneficial. It helped tremendously to see faces and know that we were all working toward a common goal. The only collaboration problems we encountered were related to busy schedules outside of class. We were able to overcome this problem, however; by being flexible and maintaining communication throughout the process.

Week 2 Multimedia EDLD 5363 Video Editing Software Evaluation

This week, I had the opportunity to evaluate two video editing software products. I chose Windows Live Movie Maker and Adobe Premier Pro CS4. I also created a video clip using Movie Maker. I used Movie Maker to edit the video clip and add a title and credits.
You may view this clip below:

Movie Maker and Adobe Premier Pro Software Evaluation
Prior to this course, I had no experience with video editing software, but when I read Gretchen Siegchrist's advice on About.com regarding Movie Maker I decided it was a great place to start. Siegchrist said Movie Maker is perfect for beginners, which couldn't be more accurate. I downloaded Live Movie Maker for Windows 7 for free and I was up and running in less than five minutes. Windows Movie Maker is available as part of the Windows XP package, but can also be downloaded for free.
Upon opening the program, I was impressed with the simplicity of the screen. With a little basic guidance on the different tools, anyone can use Movie Maker. First, I added a .wmv file and an .avi file by simply clicking on the "Add Video" button and then clicking on the video in my video library. My videos appeared in the storyboard immediately as a thumbnail. I trimmed the length of one video using the "Trim" tool. I added a title at the beginning of the movie and credits at the end. Adding music was as simple as clicking "Add Music" and adding an mp3 from my music library. Movie Maker also supports commonly used Audacity and .wav audio files. After that, I edited the order of the photos and video by clicking and dragging them into the correct order. I was also able to add simple animation effects to the title and credits. Overall, it took me about 20 minutes to put the movie together.

In addition to being beginner-friendly, Movie Maker is free, making it ideal for use in educational settings where technology is welcome, but not affordable. Movie Maker is also a friendly program in a classroom with a wide variety of ability levels. The program is easy enough to use that a core subject would feel comfortable allowing students to use it in order to, in the words of Andrew Garrison, "...find new access to students and help them find new access to the material."

I also like the sharing feature that allows users to share movies in high definition, standard definition, and widescreen to YouTube, mobile devices, burn a dvd, and email. Tech support for Movie Maker is widely available through Windows Help and How-to, and a multitude of forums and YouTube tutorials dedicated to assisting Movie Maker users.

I wanted to experience the difference between a free video editing product and a professional quality product so I used Adobe Premier Pro to create the same video I created in Movie Maker. Premier Pro is used by Audio Visual Production and Advanced Audio Visual Production classes to produce intermediate movies and the advanced school news show on my campus.

When I opened the program, I quickly discovered that my experience using Flash came in handy. Importing the video file was not difficult, I simply clicked on File>Import and chose the file I wanted to use. The video clip appeared immediately in the editing window, and as a line on the timeline under the video. This was a bit confusing and I had to ask for help from the AVP teacher. I learned that Premier Pro also supports .avi, .m4v, .swf, and a host of additional video formats. I was also able to import some .jpg and .bmp still shots using the same import process. At this point, Premier Pro became more challenging and I found a beginner tutorial on YouTube that was very helpful in learning how to control the audio and add transitions and effects. After watching the tutorial, adding a beginning transition was easy using "Video Transitions". There are several transitions to choose.I chose a dissolve which I added by dragging and dropping it at the beginning of the movie. Next, I added an mp3 music file using the same import process I used with the video. The audio appeared in a synchronous timeline under the video timeline. Premier Pro also supports .wma and .avi audio files.
Completing my movie in Premier Pro took me about an hour, and I was pleased with my results. While not as beginner-friendly as Movie Maker, Premier Pro is not impossible to learn and offers more options for editing and creating effects, but I would not recommend Premier Pro to the average classroom teacher as a tool for technology integration. Adobe offers several tech support options including online chat support, email, phone, and an array of forums and tutorials on the Adobe website.

Garrison, A. (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html

Siegchrist, G. (n.d.). Before you buy video editing software. About. Retrieved August 31, 2010 from
http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/editingsoftware/bb/Buyeditsoftware.htm

Week One Multimedia-EDLD 5363

Here is my digital story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Reflecting on Action Research Learning-Week 5

The timing of EDLD 5301 Research could not have been more perfect for me. When this course began, I was trying to develop a plan for improvement of my campus mentoring program, and develop my department PLC improvement plan. Learning about action research, how to plan an inquiry, and how to conduct an inquiry helped me focus and develop a plan to research and improve the mentoring program.
I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures provided by Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury. Their expertise and positive attitudes provided me not only with information about what was expected, but also made me enthusiastic about conducting research. The video lecture for week two was a highlight for me because the lecture outlined the purpose and significance of selecting a research topic. The information in this lecture assisted me in narrowing my inquiry question to reflect what I really wanted to know about the mentoring program. In addition, the three video interviews with Johnny Briseno, Timothy Chargois, and Kirk Lewis were incredibly helpful. All three of them illustrated how action research is used in education and gave me a better understanding of how action research is used on the campus and district levels. As a result, I felt more confident about conducting my own research.
Both textbooks used in this course were helpful. Chapter 2 in Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher was most helpful to me when determining the best inquiry question for me to address. I was debating between two different research topics and struggling to determine which one was most appropriate for action research at this time. The chapter, “The Passions that Drive Your Journey”, provided me with specific examples of action research in nine areas. The personal accounts of action research conducted by administrators, and the sample wonderings caused me to think about both of my possible research topics in terms of how they would improve my practice and how others would benefit from my findings. Passion 3 exercise 1 finally put me on the right track. I posted the questions on the Atascocita High School Teacher Support Group Facebook page and receive responses from teachers with one to five years of experience. I included the questions, “What will help you attain success in your teaching careers?” and “What barriers/hurdles do you anticipate along the way?” (Dana, 2009). The responses revealed a need to improve the mentoring program so that new teachers, mentors, students an our campus can meet, and exceed, the standards set for us. The greatest number of people will benefit from the improvement of the mentoring program.
Discussion board comments from classmates were also highlights of the research course. Once I posted my inquiry question on the discussion board and received several comments, I realized I had made the correct decision when I selected the mentoring program as my research focus. It bothered me, and reassured me, that mentor participation is a wide-spread problem. I concluded that my research may help other campuses determine the factors that negatively affect their programs and equip them with the tools to begin their own inquiry into how to improve. I also enjoyed reading the topics chosen by other students. We all have similar issues on our campuses despite the fact that our campus sizes and demographics differ greatly. I am inspired to continue conducting action research and share it with teachers in other districts so that we can learn from each other.
Over the course of the past five weeks, the greatest highlight of the research course has been the development of the research plan through the activities and assignments I completed. The Action Planning Template Tool 7.1 in Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action finally put my plan in a form that made sense to me (Harris, 2010). The template also provided me with a format I could take to my site supervisor to show the scope and sequence of the research project. At this point in the course, I realized that action research is something I can do on a regular basis on my own. I now have the tools, knowledge, and skills to use inquiry to improve teaching and learning in my classroom and PLC groups.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: the principal as action researcher (p. 41). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S. & Combs, J.(2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps from analysis to action (p. 85). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Revised Action Research Plan-Week 4

After meeting with my site supervisor and building principal, I made some modifications to my action research plan. First, I changed the time that I will conduct personal interviews of each mentor to avoid the hectic week before school. Second, I may modify the frequency of the written reflections I gather from new teachers and mentors. I may take reflections only twice a semester, rather than every month in order to avoid research fatigue.
Click here to view updated action research plan.

On the Brink of Action Research- Week 3

What factors prevent mentors from committing to the mentoring program?
What can I do, as campus mentor coordinator, to increase mentor involvement?

I feel like I'm about to embark on something that will truly improve teaching and learning on my campus. I met with half of our new teachers yesterday and I am so pleased with their enthusiasm and spirit. I hope their attitudes will reach the mentors and create a more collaborative program. Meeting them and absorbing their positive energy makes me feel even better about my data gathering strategies and how the data will help improve the mentoring program for them. Tomorrow, I will meet with my site supervisor and building principal to review the action research plan. Both of them are supportive of what I want to accomplish and believe in what we can do with the data we will gather.

My action research plan begins August 9th and will conclude in May 2011. I will begin by gathering qualitative data from instructional coaches and mentors regarding how mentors are chosen and what the individual department's expectations include. I will also discover the mentors' attitudes toward mentoring when I survey them during inservice prior to the start of school. Monthly written reflections submitted by new teachers and mentors will provide me with ongoing qualitative and quantitative data throughout the year. In addition, I will interview each new teacher/mentor pair once during the year to gather data about the issues they are addressing together, how often they are able to meet, where they meet (at school, on the phone in the evenings, email, etc.), and what factors, if any, prevent them from meeting regularly. I will conclude my research in May with a survey of both new teachers and mentors that will provide me with quantitative data about the level of participation on the part of mentors.
I will share my research data in weekly leadership team meetings with the instructional coaches and the building principal. In addition, I will post my findings and reflections on an existing new teacher/mentor blog every two weeks. As factors affecting mentor participation are revealed over the course of the year, they will be addressed and the effectiveness of the solution will also be reported as data. I will report my findings to the leadership team in May. By the end of the school year, it is my hope that we have a clear picture of the factors preventing mentors from committing to the mentoring program and how we addressed those factors. We will know which solutions were effective and which were not so that we can develop an improvement plan. The number of new teachers we retain at the end of the year will ultimately reveal the success of the program, and provide me with a foundation on which to continue improvement.

Action Research Week 2 Reflection

Week two of EDLD 5301 Research has focused on developing the criteria for selecting the action research topic. The reading this week, in the Dana text, was incredibly helpful in keeping me focused on what my area of "passion" is and how to pinpoint a wondering I have in that area of passion.I discovered that my true passion centers around staff development, more specifically the mentoring program for which I am the coordinator. Last school year was my first year as coordinator and I noticed immediately that the mentors seemed to be "going through the motions" of helping new teachers. My suspicions were confirmed when the new teachers completed a survey in April.
I complete Passion 1 Excercise 1 in the text to help me focus on what I wanted to learn about staff development. I replaced the words "staff development" with "new teacher mentoring" and I discovered that I had a wonderful mentoring experience my first year in the classroom. My mentor made a commitment to help me and he honored that commitment by meeting with me every Monday to go over the plan for the week, he offered me teaching strategies, teaching materials, and made sure I knew procedures like arranging my desks, fire drills, and hall duty. He wanted to help me. At this point, it occurred to me that I need to know why teachers on my campus do not want to mentor new teachers. My initial question was "Why do teachers at AHS not want to mentor new teachers?" After considering that my initial question was judgemental, I changed the question to, "What is preventing mentors from committing to the program?" I also want to know what I can do to increase the commitment from mentors.
I met with my site mentor to discuss the topic and research. She seems genuinely pleased that I am taking on this research project, which makes me more eager to jump in and begin inquiring. This project has given me the opportunity to work with an administrator on a project that will benefit new teachers, mentors, and students of new teachers and mentors. I am excited about the improving the mentor program and instruction at my campus. I finally feel like I am truly contributing to the improvement of my campus.

Action Research in Education

Reading the many examples of action research and personal testimonies by principals in the text this week has opened my eyes to the importance of getting out of the office or classroom and getting involved in making improvements in education. I’ve learned that effective action research takes the guess work out of campus improvement planning and leads to real, data-based decision making. Action research is a simple, yet powerful tool that every educational leader can utilize in the ongoing effort to improve schools. Any question, or “wondering”, is a potential research topic that can be studied and analyzed to lead to a solution. To me, the most intriguing aspect of action research is that by removing the principal or teacher from the confines of the office or classroom and into the source of the issue, there is a domino effect of change. Teachers, parents, students and colleagues view the principal researcher as a person passionate about making education better, a life-long learner who seeks knowledge, and as a listener who cares about the needs of individuals. I have been inspired by the examples of action research in Nancy Fichtman Dana’s text, Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. As chair of the Career and Technology Education department on my campus, I intend to conduct action research before the beginning of school. The district mandated changes in many of the courses taught in my department and we are in a stage of rebuilding and restructuring. I intend to conduct action research before school begins so that I can determine the best way to handle the rebuilding and restructuring to avoid teacher confusion and stress. Interviewing each teacher in my department, looking at examples of unit plans and student work from previous courses, and journaling throughout the process will lead to a plan that will ease the restructuring process.

Educators as Bloggers

Blogging is an effective public relations tool for educational leaders to use to reach colleagues, community, parents, teachers, and students. Regardless of the weblog audience, the goals of informing and learning from reader comments are the same. Blogging news about campus activities and events is an excellent way to reach parents, potential students, and community members. A principal blog that documents campus improvement such as standardized test scores or building improvement will be valuable information for district administration, colleagues, teachers, community, and parents. Educational leaders may also choose to use blogging as a way of gathering feedback from stakeholders on issues facing the campus or district. Regardless of the way blogging is used, it creates an open door for the exchange of ideas between the school and the community.