Still Images
In the past, I usually upload photos to my computer and send them to people. I never changed the way the photo looked by using programs like Picassa. Because of the toolkit, I now know how easy it is to upload a photo and crop or resize it. I followed the steps in the toolkit and I was able to easily alter the photo the way I wanted. The process was not labour intensive, but instead it was a lot of fun! I was surprised that I was able to change the photo so easily and see the results that I wanted instantly. Picassa was easy to use for new users and the interface was simple and easy to understand. The only part that I thought was challenging was finding where everything was on Picassa, but I think with more use, I would have no trouble at all in the future.
Video
I recently made an optional video for another MET course (ETEC 531). The process had all the components of this Video Toolkit. I enjoyed being able to use editing software that was easy to use, especially for beginners; in this case, I used Mac’s iMovie Maker to edit and to film the video. The ease of being able to film, edit, and distribute with one piece of technology still amazes me! Before creating the video, I had to develop purpose. In this case, the video was meant to show whether “I am/am not an Artist”. After choosing my purpose, I wrote a shooting script to guide me. This was an important initial step. Afterwards, I was able to begin filming. In the end, I had various clips that needed editing, cropping, splitting, and transitioning. I was surprised how long this labour intensive process took, especially since it was meant to be a 5-minute video. However, at the end, I was able to upload my video on to Vimeo and be happy with the end product: I am an artist. A second video I created uses a similar process, but this time instead of using film, I used photos to present a slideshow. Here, I was able to play with titles, subtitles, and transitioning. This video addressed the topic: The Problems of Accepting Behaviour Emulation as Indicative of Intelligence”. I found this process to be more rewarding as the end result is cleaner and more professional-looking. It was difficult to get the music to fit into the transitions and make it effective. As well, creating short subtitles while creating meaning was also a challenge. I am happy with the end result of this and I feel that my video will get better with more practice. Here is my second video: Problems of Behaviour Emulation.
DVD
I have burned DVDs in the past. At the beginning, I was worried that I would waste DVDs by burning incorrectly; this would also be bad for the environment. However, the process was usually not labour intensive and only required some steps. The challenge was usually waiting for the DVD to burn, since it usually took around 10-15 minutes per DVD. At times, I would be worried that the computer may freeze and I would lose information; fortunately, that did not happen. Many teachers still like to burn DVDs as it creates a permanent collection. However, there seems to be a shift for teachers to save information on their hard drives or external hard drives. After, they can transfer the files to other computers or to other people. DVD burning creates an option that I think can benefit the school system. I always wondered why the information on textbooks could not be burned on a DVD instead. Perhaps, it will in the future, especially since the process is not too challenging or labour intensive.