Final Thoughts on creating our PSA

It's interesting to see how our project changed over the few weeks we were working on it. From the beginning when we were brainstorming topic ideas to the final product it was a collaborative effort amongst our group. It was nice to see the professionalism of our group come through in this project. As Randy Nelson said in his address as Pixar dean, "accept all offers". This was evident in how we worked together as a group. Everyone had equal say in the direction of the project. Collaborating online was a bit sporadic at times but when we needed to get together we were able to.

The shots we ended up using were chosen out of a great deal of video taping. It was surprising how much ended up on the 'editing floor'. Having divided the video taping process and everyone taking a turn editing them, I think we were able to come to a good final product when Jessica took the final editing. Having one person do this final editing made for a smooth final video. Also being able to use family members for the shots helped a great deal when it came to finding talent. Props were minimal in that we only looked at fast food and activities around the house to emphasize the ease of our PSA recommendations. Converting the final video to .wmv made uploading it to the web and visible with a standard free player such as Windows Media Player.

Working with Windows MovieMaker

I’ve had very little experience working with Windows MovieMaker. The first thing I realized is how simple it is to work with. After collecting the videos I wanted to work with, I chose mine from PBS’ Wide Angle Series, it was as simple as uploading them to the Collections list. From there I am able to edit the clips to fit my needs. Editing consisted of slicing the clips into multiple clips and deleting the part you didn’t want. Patience is a requisite to the process if you want the project to look good.

Adding music to the video was also quite simple. I chose music from freeplaymusic.com that represented the mood and theme I was going for. I this case I was looking for something somber representing the devastation associated with violence. The track was uploaded to Audacity and edited for amplification and time. I was just looking for background music that wouldn’t drown out the interview of the subject.

When I got the audio file the way I wanted it I uploaded it to the audio track in MovieMaker. I adjusted the duration of the clips to match the music and the let the program do the rest.

Creating a Video using Photostory

I have to admit this was pretty fun. I can imagine the fun the students will have when they are able to create a montage of images and add narration and music to it. The only difficult part was having a collection of images that I could use. This may be a problem for students as well. I am sometimes uncomfortable with the students using images from Google images. This is there first thought when given anything to do with images. Trying to get them to more appropriate image sites is sometimes difficult.

This is certainly a place where copyright should be taught.

Tools we provide our students.... are they enough?

“I can't create my future with the tools of your past.” “The future is trying to get in, but you’ve blocked it.” “Let the future in. We want to talk to the world.”

These are quotes from students across the country that have experienced some frustration in using technology at their schools. Do we provide our students experiences that match their needs? If so, what? If not, what can we offer?

How can we emphasize 21st Century Skills?

President Obama recently stated, "The solution to low test scores is not lower standards; it's tougher, clearer standards," he argued.

At the same time, however, he urged states to develop standards "that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity."

How do you think we as educators can emphasize 21st Century Skills?