Web Conference Confirmation Blog Link #1 (Multimedia 5363)

I was a bit overwhelmed going into the first web conference. Dr. Abernathy had given us her expectations of the course. She said that she had tweaked a few of the assignments so that they would be more enjoyable. She also explained how in Week 1 and Week 2 we would be working with a partner (for interviews and peer review) and that in Weeks 3 through 5 we would need a group of 4 or 5 students so that we can collaborate on a project.

Evaluation of iMovie

This week my goal was to select a free video editor and basically "play around" with it. The software that I chose to review was iMovie. Having both a Mac and a PC at home, I am constantly using Windows Movie Maker. I decided to give iMovie a try. From the start, iMovie had a clean interface and was relatively simple to control. Keep in mind, I was looking something that was user friendly so that my campus teachers as well as students could be able to use it. Importing video from a digital camera was very simple. All I had to do was connect it and literally press "Import From Camera" and the rest took care of itself! Once my videos were imported, I was expecting it to crash just like Windows Movie Maker had done so many times. However, this was not the case! I imported quite a bit of film and my computer did not bog down once!

Editing the actual film was simple as well. All I had to do was select what I wanted, and then trim what I did not want. Once I edited what I needed, I decided to see what other features iMovie had. I did notice that everything was "just there." For example, I wanted to import some of my own pictures and music. iMovie let me select these items directly from iTunes and iPhoto. I did not have to go around looking for them; everything was there for me.

Overall I was very impressed with how easy iMovie was to use. I definitely like it better than Windows Movie Maker and would recommend this software to anyone wanting to edit video. The only drawback is that the user must be using an Apple or Mac computer in order for it to run.

Below is a link to my Podcast reviewing iMovie.

Podcast: Review of iMovie

Click on "Play" to listen to my podcast reviewing iMovie. (Please give it up to 10 seconds to load.)

Podcast: Review of iMovie by Andres Chavez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at andreschavez.podbean.com.

5363 Week 1 Reflection

I was extremely looking forward to this week's assignment. I decided to create a video about my trip to New Zealand. It wasn't the necessarily about me taking the trip, but more about the fact that I went alone and was basically responsible for making sure that everything went smoothly. Coming into this project, I had tons of ideas, however it was much more difficult to box those ideas in a two minute clip. I did have to trim several paragraphs off so that it would fit the given criteria. However, in the end, I am proud of making this movie. I used iMovie to make it and used YouTube to host it.

It can be found here.

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Below is the interview with my partner and I concerning my experience:

Andres’ Interview via Julia Evans

Vacation

– How would you describe the place?

I would definitely describe this country like something you'd see in the movies. Everything was perfect. Crystal clear water, friendly people. Perfect

– With whom did you share this place?

I went alone on this trip, but met some really awesome people while down there.

– What general experiences do you relate to this place?

I saw traveling 13+ hours as a challenge-- something I could make memories out of!

– Was there a defining experience at the place?

Definitely glacier hiking! There is nothing more humbling than being on top of a chunk of ice for 6 hours and exploring the ins and outs of crevasses!

– What lessons about yourself do you draw from your relationship to this place?

I learned to experience life outside of Houston. I learned how different yet similar our cultures are.

5301 Course Reflection

Upon starting 5301, I was somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of research. Based on several negative experiences with research in general, I figured that it would be more of the same. However, this course as well as my course professor helped put everything into perspective. Coming into this course I was not sure what an Action Research Plan was, or how it could relate with education. I learned that an Action Research Plan was something that can be easily implemented on any campus and that one can use it to help better their campus. I also learned that there is not really a right or wrong way to use an Action Research Plan. Since I am in the EdTech program, I figured that integrating technology with an Action Research Plan might pose a problem. However, my campus mentor (principal) decided that my proposed inquiry would serve as a valid plan.

The only area of concern as of now is meeting with my Field Supervisor. I have yet to have my first web conference with him, so I am hoping that I can work something out soon so that he can help me succeed with my Action Research Plan.