Reflection for Web Conference #2 EDLD 5363

As with most conferencing meetings, web conferences must contain a manageable audience. Dr. Abernathy echoed this saying that a number of thirty students is the maximum for a successful web conference.
The conference was focused on week four PSA production activities. Dr. Abernathy emphasized the need for at least 2 extra minutes per video shoot. This will provide additional footage for editing.
Dr. Abernathy discusses the e-portfolio and its importance. The e-portfolio has provided a great place for communicating the progress toward the completion of the Educational Technology Leadership program. I prefer a Wikispaces wiki over Google documents. I have had formatting trouble with the Google sites and documents. The Wikispaces wiki is very reliable.
As the web conference continued, questions where presented to Dr. Abernathy about the course and she answer those questions with much detail. Often this allowed her to extend the topic into an area that she understood was a common issue.
During each of the conferences, students used the chat utility to discuss topics that could be classified as both course related or as casual conversation. A web conference can be a useful tool allowing one to multitask. Listening to the professor peripherally while chatting allows students to discuss topics relative to a few while monitoring for big issues. This can be an advantage for advanced courses and especially for classes were students are highly motivated to pursue areas of interest. Additionally this personal contact builds connection between students. This is helpful in maintain a human element in an online course.

Web Conferencing for On-line Courses

Web Conference Reflection

Web conferencing can enhance the learning environment of an on-line course. I have felt disconnected from my on-line course resently due to technical problems. I haven’t been able to attend the web conferences so consequently, I have viewed some of the recording of the web conferences for this course. It is not the same as being active in the conference but it did help me feel better about the course activities.

My first impression is that this in an informal way to interact with others in the class and with the faculty associated with the class. Dr. Abernathy discusses issues and responds to questions and comments for everyone’s edification and the student use the chat room to volley questions to Dr. Abernathy and for general discussion between students.

Through the web conferences, Dr. Abernathy provides a supportive environment. She emphasizes her role in supporting us as well as our role in supporting each other. The web conference helps the students feel connected and supported. The clarifications for the assignments are very valuable.

In an on-line course, it is very important that students have the chance to interact with each other and the faculty, not just through email and through written assignments but also visually and auditorally. Much of our feelings and judgments are based on these modes. Without them some students can feel disconnected and anxious. Web conferences help provide input through these modes and can greatly enhance the on-line learning process.

J. Keith Cummings, EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology

EDLD 5363 Week 2 Assignment Part 2 & 3 - Podcast

Podcasting is an efficient and flexible way of sharing information with others. Your subscribers can access the podcast as their time permits. Creating this podcast was enjoyable and has provided me with valuable experience that I will use as a leader in educational technology. In the previous blog post, you will find an example of a movie that can be created using Window Movie Maker.

Podcast - Movie Maker Introduction

MovieMaker_Intro_JKC by J. Keith Cummings is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

EDLD 5363 Week 2 Part 1- Editing a Video

Part one of the assignment was more challenging than I thought it would be because of decisions and associated issues that I had to make prior to the editing process. My first choice was editing software so I considered the editing applications that I’ve used previously. I have used Studio 8 at home for editing and production of various personal and civic projects. Pinnacle Studio Plus, a similar video editing application is an excellent editing tool for beginners (Desktop-Video-Guide.com, Top 7 video editing software programs for beginners, paragraph 5). Additionally I’ve used Windows Movie Maker minimally in my science classes. Both of these are user friendly. Generally within my school district, Movie Maker is used for class assignments and Studio 8 has been used for history fair projects. I have worked with some of these students on developing their projects.

Another factor influencing my decision is the assignments focus on open source editing. The Pinnacle Studio 8 provides the best video editing and production at my school but with the trend towards the Cloud, it makes since to be familiar with open source products. Windows Live Movie Maker is a free and simple video editing program from Microsoft, and is a part of their Windows Live Essentials suite and it has replaced their previous video editing program, Microsoft Movie Maker. This is a tool to become familiar with but after further exploration I learned that Windows XP does not support Microsoft Live Movie Maker. It is supported by Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP still uses Windows Movie Maker as the editing tool that can then be used with Windows Live cloud services. I’ve found no “open source” utility for XP. The fact that my machine runs Windows XP and the reality that all of GCCISD’s schools are still using XP and consequently are still using the standard Windows Movie Maker determines my choice. My choice to use it is relevant. In the future, as hardware and the operating systems change, I will learn how to use newer utilities.

Next I would decide on my content. This is where things got more complicated. Typically, the third step in creating a digital video is capturing the video from the camera to the computer (Desktop-Video-Guide.com, The various stages of creating a digital video, paragraph 8). In the past, I have strictly used video cameras and use the capture tool to create the working file for either Studio 8 or for Windows Movie Maker. I wanted to take two videos form Youtube, a Queen performance of Bohemian Rhapsody and a Marc Martel performance of the same song, and create one song with each set of musicians performing sections of the song. I save the files using Real and then attempted to open them with Windows Movie Maker. They would not open because Movie Maker does not support the Flash Video format. I then decided to change the content. I had taken some videos and some pictures using my iPhone of our puppy named Frodo. I again attempted to open these files using Movie Maker. They would not open. This prompted me to find a converter to change the files to WMVs. I acquired and installed AnyVideoConverter. It worked perfectly. Ultimately I selected the content from my iPhone to create the video. This was useful because I learned some of the problems associated with changing platforms. I will be able to alert teachers and student to these issues and guide them through finding solutions. Making this choice required converting the files to be an added step in the process.

Now I was set to edit the stills. This is typically the fourth step (Desktop-Video-Guide.com, The various stages of creating a digital video, paragraph 10). Windows Movie Maker worked well. I sequenced the pictures and the video segments chronologically to show Mr. Frodo’s growth. I selected a fast paced ‘Rock-a-Billy’ Stevie Ray Vaughan song because it portrayed the hyperactive play portrayed in the videos and was about the desired length for the assignment. I placed photos in and aligned their transitions with transitions in the song where natural. To further develop the content, I added text about Mr. Frodo and what he was doing in the video and photos. The final product is a Windows Media Audio/Video file that can be viewed using Windows Media Player.

Most PC have this file extension associated with Windows Media Player and consequently, opening the file will launch Media Player; however, I have provided the link to Youtube where the video is available for others to see. This is typically the fifth step of the process. Using Youtube has become a popular option and an efficient way of sharing your video (Desktop-Video-Guide.com, The various stages of creating a digital video, paragraph 11). I hope you enjoy the video.
BigBadDawg

BigBadDawg by J. Keith Cummings is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Desktop-Video-Guide. (n.d.). Top 7 video editing software programs for beginners. Retrieved on November 23, 2011, from http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-7-video-editing-software-review.html.

Desktop-Video-Guide. (n.d.). The various stages of creating a digital video. Retrieved on November 23, 2011, from http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/video-creation.html.

Digital Storytelling

The Gift is a digital story written for the graduate class EDLD 5363 Multimedia Video Technology at Lamar University. I enjoyed creating this story. Not only was it practical learning but therapeutic as well being that the content is personal. Below is the link to the video and the script.



I hope you are moved by the video.
J. Keith Cummings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkxZEbykYI

The Gift
I was raised in a religious family. Conservative and fundamental, the faith presented to me begged to be challenged. That faith, wanted to banish doubt but that seemed like cutting off part of me. I was not openly a rebel. My questioning was subtle and more scientific but I did what I was supposed to do. I remember as a child wondering if the miracles were real. Could they have been a natural process, physiological, mental, physical, understood by Christ but incomprehensible by those of a non-scientific age. Thomas was my apostle. He needed the physical truth to confirm his faith. “Place your hands in the wounds from my crucifixion” invited Christ. “Know that this is real.”
I have a romantic view of belief, of faith, of spirituality, of miracles. These are ideals that are valuable to me but it seems they are gifts for others. They never seemed completely real so I conceded that I will likely never experience them. My gifts are curiosity and rationality.
I believe life is God’s greatest gift but life became a dark psychological maze that was not so easy to maneuver; like walking on water but without the sureness of Christ. Will my unconscious support my next step? I floundered and depression clouded my judgment and for several years life was not a gift. Several years of psychotherapy unraveled the mess and life eventually became good.
During those early days of therapy, Don, my father-in-law, introduced me to wade-fishing and it became a living symbol for dealing with my subconscious. Wading in the bay is a risky business similar to therapy. You never know what is just under the surface and what it might do to you. Stepping on the occasional flounder was unsettling, and getting into a jelly fish was painful but I never got seriously hurt. Our trips always started early. Don insisted on being in the water, wade fishing before the sun’s edge broke the sky. And we fished hard and long. We sometimes would hunt them all day before being rewarded. We were artificial bait fishermen. They must be fooled by our presentation. He enjoyed catching big redfish or speckled trout but he love to watch others catch them even more. His deep belly laugh rolled when he wasn’t talking you through the catch. We fished together for many years until his health began to fail.
Don’s end was slow. He must have known something was wrong because he had stopped fishing for about a year before being diagnosed with a spinal tumor. A failed surgery marked the loss of walking and for 9 years he digressed until melanoma was discovered. His new prognosis was definite and clear – he had 2 months at best. I got to work collecting photos, scanning them, and creating a memorial slide show to the Five for Fighting song 100 Years. That was a tedious labor of love that pricked at my grief. Six weeks after the diagnosis he was on his death bed. Deanne stayed with her father as much as possible. Everyone was there when he passed.
My dreams are in black and white, but that night I dreamt in color. I woke early to write it down fearing that it would fade. Don was standing waist deep in the bay silhouetted against the brilliantly red-orange half risen sun. His rod was arched as the tip was vibrating in response to the tugging of a fish. And he was laughing.
There could have been no better gift to accompany my grief than this. Thomas had placed his fingers in the wounds of Christ. The resurrection was real. I had seen my father-in-law, my fishing buddy, vividly doing what he loved and my hope of heaven was rekindled. My doubt remains but my hope is stronger.

The Wiki Way

Recently I prepared a short presentation for teachers that introduced the use of wikis. I wanted the teachers to experience a wiki so the mini-workshop is done using a wiki. Teacher will experience a wiki as they learn about them. I used wikispaces. It focuses on how wikis can be used for collaboration among teachers and administrators. It also covers basic wiki usage and many ideas for implementation in the class room. Additionally, links to sites that provide descriptions by teachers on how wikis have helped them facilitate learning are included. http://thewikiway-cummings.wikispaces.com/

Old Dogs Learning New Tricks?

In the article Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom, Marc Prensky describes the process of technology adoption in schools as a four step process:
1) Dabbling.
2) Doing old things in old ways.
3) Doing old things new ways.
4) Doing new things in new ways.
Prensky’s progression helps emphasize that using technology is not an end in and of itself, but rather a potential mode that can push the possibilities, to take our methods beyond what has been previously possible. As technology advances in our schools, we learn to use it in various ways, but does it change the process of learning? Do our methods change or do we incorporate the technology to do things as we always have? Do we use the technology to lighten our load, to jazz up our lectures, or limit our paper consumption? What are the new possibilities within the digital world?

The real question is “How do we understand/view the learning process and knowledge?” Are we traditionalists, believing that knowledge exist independently of any human experience and is passed from the teacher to the student? Or, are we constructivists, believing that individuals construct their own understanding of the world based on their prior experience (Learning to Teach with New Technology: Implications for Professional Development, Chrystalla Mouza, page 278, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Winter 2002-2003:Volume 35 Number 2)?

Will we commit to incorporating technology in such a way that our students have rich opportunities for exploration, critical thinking, and collaboration to solve real world problems that involve the use of technology? Will we, as digital immigrants, the old dogs, learn new tricks, not only to use technological to do old things in new ways, but to do new things in new ways?