Author: Chantal Drolet

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Discussion #2c: Diabetes DVD

Reflection: DVD authoring … the message first!

Module 2 / Unit 5

DVD Authoring

First of all, educational and the web are not synonymous.

The web is a tool. I teach digital filmmaking and, yes, we put our movies on YouTube (without credits for safety) and students have E-portfolios. However, these features are NOT necessary. They are great to share the films, but the films are done with cameras; microphones; lighting; and most of all, a great story.

The message is vital. From what I hear, you have a very important message to convey. That is most important. Your DVD will be useful for the members of your community. So, the time and energy you spend on videotaping the content and making it available is well spent.

Focus on the clientele. As your neighbor, I encourage you to go ahead with your project. What’s important is to focus on your clientele. English is not their first language, so you might want to have subtitles to allow reading and hearing at the same time. Also, you might want to speak slower than usual to ensure comprehension.

A visual medium. Make sure to include vivid examples that will visualize what you are saying. A video is a visual medium, so use the images well and creatively.

Sound is linked with emotions. Don’t forget the sound! Many amateurs think that the sound is secondary in a film. Remember this: sound is linked with emotions, and strong emotional references help you understand and integrate the material being presented. Think of a horror film… without the sound!!! Is it scary? Not that much. The audio component is as important as the visual aspect of your video.

DVD technology. In terms of transferring the digital film to a DVD, you might want to ask my daughter. She is in high school and is taking a digital film course where they learn all about DVD authoring and moviemaking!!!

The great thing about filmmaking is that it can reach so many people and it’s so much fun! Good luck! 🙂

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Discussion #2b: Pro-D

Reflection: Pro-D (Importance of Elders)

RE: Lenora / website or interactive LMS

Other practical limitations of building a website such as:

  • maintenance
  • no contributions (which seems to be vital to the collaborative spirit of the indigenous learning collectivities)

Elders: I would also say that allowing interactivity could eventually allow the inclusion of the elder’s positions on the subject. Through oral communication (recorded or live) or videos (pre-recorded or live). This is a very important aspect of indigenous learning and culture… which are inseparable.

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Discussion #2b: Pro-D

Reflection: Pro-D (Electronic Powwow)

Cradleboard:

RE: Lenora’s web access is dial-up only. It can take a really long time to upload and download files. Plus she’s never created a web site before and doesn’t know anything about where one puts a website.

  • After exploring http://www.cradleboard.org/, I wondered why Lenora does not participate in the online learning community.
  • She could create a blog or use Moodle for the elementary grades
    • (which now comprise: Geography Online; Social Studies Online; Science; History and Music Online)
  • The electronic Powwow sounds intriguing! Why not use that?
    • It offers:
      • Student lessons
      • Teacher plans
      • Live Chat
      • Discussion Boards
      • Announcements for all Electronic Powwow
      • and Private Cradleboard participants.

Considereing that indigenous literacy challenges the traditional 3 “Rs” (reading, writing and arithmetic) and consist in (Currie & Kaminski, 2008):

  • Respect. …on-line education for indigenous learners must respect their cultures and traditions by making them an intrinsic part of the studies
  • Relevance. Authentic activities, relevant to community issues, must be incorporated in conjunction with the academic knowledge conveyed in lessons or units.
  • Reciprocity. Advanced communication tools honors cooperation.
  • Responsibility. Students are given the freedom to choose how they wish to fashion their study path. At the same time, the inclusion of self reflection fosters the promotion of equity and pride, leading to autonomy and ultimately self-determination.

The Electronic Powwow sounds perfect!

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Discussion #2b: Pro-D

Reflection: Pro-D

Problem: Lenora’s web access is dial-up only. It can take a really long time to upload and download files. Plus she’s never created a web site before and doesn’t know anything about where one puts a website.

Discussion question: Is a website the way to go for Lenora – why or why not?

Dial-up:

  • A dial-up system has never worked for me. The fact that it is slow has usually deterred me from accessing the information.
  • However, if I consider Lenora’s indigenous society, this may not be such a deterrent. Aboriginal reservations often function on a much slower time frame.

Nevertheless, if I were Lenora, I might want to ask other band members to find out how they feel about this issue.

Interactivity:

  • According to recent research, the construction of knowledge through interaction is far more effective for indigenous students than learning in isolation.
  • Indigenous learners have been shown to appreciate reciprocated questioning; feedback and reflection through problem-based projects.
  • Group forums and team work are operations and activities’ design formats that make this type of mutual assistance possible.

In view of these findings, I would say that a blog would be better than a stand alone presentational website.

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Discussion #2: moodle Discussion #2a: business writing

WebCT & WebCT/Vista: different or the same?

RE: WebCT & WebCT/Vista: different or the same?

According to wikipedia:

WebCT:

WebCT Vista:

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Discussion #2a: business writing

LMS: for business course

RE: CMS for a business coures

More reflections

  •  One must remember to mention the rules of “netiquette“
  • I find that to organize the materials is what takes me the longest… because it (directly or indirectly) involves the assessment procedures.
  • Evaluations are, for me, the most difficult aspect of such courses.
    • They should be intrinsically linked with the course content and must be clear, well scheduled and at an appropriate level. And they are so important for students!
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Discussion #2: moodle

Benoît & Moodle

RE: About sticking with what you know, especially when there seems to be little technical help.

In this scenario, Benoît seems to be asked to make this decision alone. So, if there is no technical support to make this important decision… how much will there be when he tries to create the course on Moodle?

That being said, sometimes you just have to take a risk and plunge into it! With the help of the Arts department, he might be able to choose a more appropriate LMS for his students… in the end, they are one of the most important factors in the equation.

As Pekins and Pfaffman (2006) state in their article: “CMSs enable teachers to easily post assignments, lesson plans, announcements, and course documents (…). They also allow students ot participate in online discussion sand chats and turn in assignments online.”

Food for thought…

Ref: Perkins, M., Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37.

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Discussion #1a: frameworks

Digital filmmaking technological processes & challenges

Course Orientation & Module 1:

Selecting and Using Technologies: Theoretical Frameworks

RE: Digital filmmaking technological processes & challenges 

  1. Tools: Digital cameras (moving); editing software (Final Cut Pro: Apple); lights; microphones; green screen; animation booths; etc.
  2. Technology: If we look at technology in terms of processes… we use technology to find the right lighting, sound and frames in order to best convey messages that are scripted and presented in stories.
  3. Technological challenges:
    • They range from: forgetting the tape to not understanding how to do the white balance on the camera…
    • Examples of challenging areas:
      • how to use the manual settings on a camera
      • how to use the editing software
      • how to make special effects
      • how to record sound properly
      • how to use animation features

In terms of integration: this program allows the students to create films in various subject areas as well as to promote social awareness on the themes of their choice.

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Discussion #4: Public or private spaces for learning

Reflections: Public or private spaces for learning

Module 4: Social Media

Personal Publishing & Social Networks

RE: Public or private spaces for learning

Just a few years ago I would not have considered the idea of posting our films on YouTube, due to safety problems.

  • Like Noelene, I work in an independent (private) institution. It is an affluent community. So, the risk of being targeted for kidnapping or any other kind of abuse with the objective of receiving money is real.
    • Parents have a very big say on the way we organize the school. They are involved and interested.
  • To avoid problems on YouTube, the course asks students NOT to add credits. Their names cannot be found, not the school’s name.
    • They do get “comments” from “strangers”… but I would argue that students usually have other accounts in which they also have a public connection (Facebook; etc.)
  • So, if parents complain about their films being on YouTube, I would expect that they have taken the necessary steps to avoid the same problem on other social public media.
  • Our school also mandates the creation of e-portfolios (even the ministry of education mandated them at one point). Even though there are ways to make them private, e-portfolios are not meant to be private. They are created to be sent to universities, potential employers, etc. Of course, one can limit the dissemination of the information by sending invitations only…
  • As a society, we are becoming more open to this public presence. However, I would venture to say that many professionals are also becoming more aware the public persona that they are creating. For this reason, they pay a lot of attention to what they publish and why.
  • For teenagers, it is sometimes a bit of a situation because they don’t necessarily have the experience or the maturity to decide what is appropriate and what might be detrimental in the future. Their persona is in the process of being shaped and their might be different spaces for personal and professional styles. These should be at least separated if not very serious designed.
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Discussion #5a: Dafna

Reflections: Dafna

Module 5: Multimedia / Internal and External Resources

RE: Dafna

Based on the resources available, how might Dafna organize this activity?

Initial plan:

Activity Time Needed Notes
Camera basics 2 hours Done in class
Shooting video 2 hours Done in class and out in the neighbourhood
Editing video 10 hours Capture, cropping, transitions, soundtrack, titles
Post-production 5 hours Export to DVD, iPod formats

 

  • First, I would decide what kind of music videos I expect my students to create (assessment in mind):
    1. Songs?
    2. Musical lessons on the guitar?
    3. Alone or in group?
  • Second, I would determine who would film whom (roles in mind):
    1. Would there be a rotation of “videographers”?
    2. Would everyone produce and play music?
  • Third, I would re-think my activities and perhaps spend more time on music and less time on videography:

Alternate plan:

Activity – Time Needed – Notes

Camera basics – 30 min – Done in class: show rule of thirds / basic angles only

Write music – 5 hours – Biggest portion of time here…

Shooting video – 2 hours – Done in Class & in the neighborhood

Editing video – 10 hours – Capture, cropping, transitions, soundtrack, titles

Post production – 2 hours – Export to DVD, iPod formats

Editing video – 10 hours – Capture, cropping, transitions, soundtrack, titles

How might she disseminate the music videos, once created?

  • Post on YouTube (tagging carefully for safety reasons)
  • Create DVDs
  • Organize a music festival and show the films in the a special school assembly

References

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