Video Editing Project

What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? Are these changes based on feedback that you may have received from friends, peers, family members, etc?

Overall, there is not much I would change if I could do it all over again. I am very happy with my group's footage and after editing, I was very proud of the result! The only thing I can think of that I would do differently would be during filming. Transitions between clips may have been better if we waited a little longer between clips before stopping the recording. Adding transitions while editing did help though!

What is your reaction to the video recording/editing process? Please discuss any positive and negative reactions.

I really enjoyed the recording and editing process. I felt that our recording went very well and my group worked together great! There was one time during the recording that I could not stop laughing, but besides that setback, we managed to record pretty quickly. The editing process took a long time but I had so much fun! The program I used, iMovie, was very easy to use and I liked playing around with the all features. When I was done, I showed my family what I learned and now they all want to learn how to use iMovie!

Do you think it would be possible to have students in your current/future classroom create a movie? Do you (will you) have the resources, time, and skills necessary to include such a project in your classroom? Please explain.

I do think it would be possible to have my students create a movie in my future classroom. I think they would have a lot of fun and learn some cool things like I did. However, I do not think I would have the resources necessary to include a movie project like this. In the TCPCG program, we are all lucky enough to have MacBooks and Flip video cameras. It is very unlikely that I will be teaching in a school that makes resources like this available to every student. I would have no problem teaching students the skills to use iMovie but resources would definitely be the problem.

Did you learn anything new from the video editing/recording process? Please explain.

Before this project, I knew nothing about iMovie and video editing. I learned so many amazing features to enhance videos! I plan on using iMovie in the future for any video I record. I especially liked learning about sound effects and transitions! I plan on using my new skills to create a video for my little brother with all his lacrosse highlights. Now that I know how to cut and edit clips and add music, I think I can make him a really cool video as a gift!

EDCI 5825 Week 6 Blog Question: 10 Big Shifts

• What is your reaction to the 10 Big Shifts in Education? Which shift(s) will be easier and harder for you to integrate in your future teaching/classroom? Please explain.

I agree with the ideas behind the 10 Big Shifts in Education presented by Richardson (2010). I think it is important to reexamine the way we look at content and curriculum as we continue to develop through a world surrounded by technology. Although the transformation of technology in the classroom will take some time, I think this change is important. We need to remain up to date with new technology as it becomes available and take advantage of the opportunities this new Internet presents (Richardson, 2010). Ignoring technology in the classroom would be a disadvantage to students. As teachers, our goal should be to prepare our students to grow and prosper in the networked personal learning spaces that will be apart of the rest of their lives (Richardson, 2010). I completely agree with Richardson (2010) when he says, "If we fail to graduate students who are not able to create, sustain, and participate in these networks in safe, ethical and effective ways, we've done them a disservice" (p.149).

In my future classroom, some of Richardson's (2010) 10 Big Shifts will be easier to integrate over others. I think I will easily be able to integrate big shift number 1, "Open Content," into my mathematics classroom (Richardson, 2010). There are so many websites and resources available online for mathematics. I feel very comfortable providing students with sites that they can refer to online for extra help in learning mathematics. I have already started bookmarking sites through Diigo that I plan to use in my classroom.

I also think Richardson's (2010) big shift number 2, "Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning," will be easy to integrate in my mathematics classroom. Through the Social Networking and Social Bookmarking Workshop, I have already found multiple resources of teachers sharing their work for other teachers to use. The internet makes it easy for teachers to publish their ideas and I think that teachers can work together as one big community by sharing their ideas and experiences online. I hope to have the same results as Richardson (2010) when he says, "The rich diversity of cultures, geography, and professional expertise that these sources provide has dramatically broadened my understanding of my own teaching and of education in general" (p. 150).

One of Richardson's (2010) big shifts that I don't think would be very easy for me to integrate into my mathematics classroom is big shift number 5, "Know 'Where' Learning." He says that "it's not as essential to know what the answer is as it is to know where to find it" (Richardson, 2010, p. 151). I think it is important to know the basics of mathematics and know how to compute certain functions in your head. I would have a hard time allowing my students to solely rely on resources to learn mathematics. Instead, I plan to integrate the multiple resources available as compliments to the learning that is going on in their head.

Another big shift that I would have a hard time integrating into my mathematics classroom is big shift number eight, "Writing Is No Longer Limited to Text" (Richardson, 2010). I think it would very difficult to move away from paper and pencil to write out solutions to math problems. Richardson (2010) says that the newly forms of writing incorporating new technology can be published easily for extended audiences. However, to understand and create a solution to math problems, I think students need to start with the basics on paper.

Final Technology Integration Project: Wiki

I decided to create a class wiki for an Algebra II class. I hope you like it!

My wiki: MissMaureensMathematics

Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.

I definitely plan on using this classroom wiki in my future classroom. I think having a classroom wiki is a great community space for both students and teachers to refer to. In order to use this classroom wiki in my future classroom, I would have to make some modifications. First I would edit my contact information page with correct information. I would add my email and correct office hours as well so that students can easily contact me. I would also modify the class resource page and homework page with relevant information pertaining to the class I am teaching.

Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.

I do not plan on having my students create their own wiki but I do plan on having them create their own personal blogs. In my mathematics classroom, my goal is to get students to apply mathematics to the real world. By having them set up their own personal blogs, I can have them reflect each week on what they learned and how the mathematics relates to the real world. Some questions that I can have them consider in their blogs are:

1. In what ways does mathematics reflect the world around us?

2. How do we solve real world situations using mathematics?

3. How flexible is mathematics?

Discussion of how your view of instructional technology has or has not changed over the semester

Before this class, I knew that technology could be very powerful in education but I knew little about the ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. I became hesitant is trying to use it because I would get frustrated when I didn't know how to use a software or program. I always wanted to incorporate the SMART Board into my classroom but that was one of the few forms of technology I was aware of. Throughout the semester I have been exposed to a whole knew side of educational technology that I was completely unaware of. Right from the beginning, I was blown away by Jing and the ability to record onscreen action. Before this class, I had no experience with creating blogs, wikis, or websites. I now have a whole new appreciation for instructional technology and will definitely incorporate these tools in my future classroom.

Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.

This class has provided me with many great tools I can use in my classroom. Although I do not think I will use all the tools I have learned about, I think it is important to be aware of what is out there and feel comfortable using this technology. I think it is important to learn how to use various forms of technology before expecting my students to use it. This class has given me the experience I need to feel comfortable sharing technology with my students.

Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology

I feel pretty comfortable moving forward with technology in my classroom. Since technology continues to grow, I think it is important for teachers to gain the experience and use of new technology and stay up to date with new programs and software. I hope to continue practicing with technology and learning new things as they become available. This class has given me the groundwork to continue to explore ways to use educational technology and I look forward learning more throughout my teaching career.