Upon starting the ED 529 course, we were charged with creating and posting an introduction video that detailed information about us. Simply put, my first video was a fail, to the tenth degree, which seems to be a common theme happening in my blog space with each new post. I did not follow many of the rules associated with composing audio and video texts. I was super excited for the duration of the two minute clip, but I did not include any engaging video design elements. Hicks (2013) argues that individuals should take into consideration the “MAPS heuristic” elements, which my initial video also failed to do. Here is how I crafted the first introduction video: I wrote down about seven bulleted ideas (which served as my talking points), attempted a rehearsal or two, shot about three takes of the video, and called it a finished product. This process went against everything I teach related to writing and creating. The biggest problem is I did not look at the assignment as a creation piece, but rather just an introduction video. Out of ignorance, I completely disregarding the work that goes into producing an appealing audiovisual work.
After reading chapters 5 and 6 from Troy Hicks’ Crafting Digital Writing: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres, I learned many lessons to take into my next attempt. With my second attempt at bat, I chose to take a more creative approach to the video remake. I knew I did not want to do the same video twice, so I started by finding inspiration online. Once I found my source of inspiration, I quickly recognized how much of a rigorous task it was going to be to take my once drab video and turn it into an engaging work of digital art (not to say I was successful in doing so). I was very cognizant of Hick's (2013) key considerations like narration, timing, music, and film effects.
Because I’m an English teacher, my natural inclination was to write a narrative story entitled, Confessions of a Teachaholic. I started with a blank sheet of paper, which later became a draft of the story. I worked really hard to keep content, technique, and process at the forefront of my brain while working. After getting my ideas down on paper, I revised and edited my story to ensure my ideas and creative decisions were succinct and intentional before moving to iMovie to revise and edit. I chose iMovie as the video editing program because of its user-friendly framework. It was easy to record the video on my iPhone, import it to iMovie, and adjust snippets of the video to insert transitions and remove bloopers. Trust me, there were many, many bloopers. During the revising and editing stage, I consistently considered Hicks’ (2013) idea that all of the elements of video matter equally including words, music, and transitions. I also attempted to vary my “voice pitch and volume” and ensure my music choice matched the words I spoke too (Hicks, 2013, 91). Overall, according to Hicks (2013), my new video required a lower degree of content creation due to the story being rehearsed and the music being found online. After learning about the video composing process for audio texts, this remake took five times as much time as my initial video. However, the export to Youtube was quick and painless, taking about 10 to 15 minutes total.
Because I’m an English teacher, my natural inclination was to write a narrative story entitled, Confessions of a Teachaholic. I started with a blank sheet of paper, which later became a draft of the story. I worked really hard to keep content, technique, and process at the forefront of my brain while working. After getting my ideas down on paper, I revised and edited my story to ensure my ideas and creative decisions were succinct and intentional before moving to iMovie to revise and edit. I chose iMovie as the video editing program because of its user-friendly framework. It was easy to record the video on my iPhone, import it to iMovie, and adjust snippets of the video to insert transitions and remove bloopers. Trust me, there were many, many bloopers. During the revising and editing stage, I consistently considered Hicks’ (2013) idea that all of the elements of video matter equally including words, music, and transitions. I also attempted to vary my “voice pitch and volume” and ensure my music choice matched the words I spoke too (Hicks, 2013, 91). Overall, according to Hicks (2013), my new video required a lower degree of content creation due to the story being rehearsed and the music being found online. After learning about the video composing process for audio texts, this remake took five times as much time as my initial video. However, the export to Youtube was quick and painless, taking about 10 to 15 minutes total.
Now that you have the background, please enjoy my new (and hopefully improved) video, Confessions of a Teachaholic:
(Corne, 2011)
As I am reflecting about this entire process, it makes me wonder about the power of equipping our students with the skills to tell stories using video technologies. There is value in beginning to consider this dialogue extensively, but not without first confronting the need for developing proficiency in the most basic reading and writing skill areas. According to a study completed by Figg and McCartney (2010), students need to achieve basic reading and writing proficiency, and develop the ability to express themselves in their choice of digital literacy formats through effective collaboration. For those students who have surpassed proficiency, they should definitely move to the next step of applying what they know using digital technologies to get to the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. For those who have not, we have to be very intentional about setting them up for success even when it comes to digital technology assignments.
If you are interested in learning more about iMovie to better your skill before providing the option to your students, check out the Youtube video below:
Overall, this class really has me reflecting on my work as a teacher and for that I am grateful.
Resources
Corne, James. (2011, January 9).Video Resume [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o98-qo6jAfA#t=35
Figg, C. & McCartney, R. (2010). Impacting academic achievement with student learners teaching digital storytelling to others: The ATTTCSE digital video project. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting Digital Writing: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Timmer, Eric. (2014, November 17). iMovie for Beginners [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGG5kbMKmLo
Temani,
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at your video. I love how much you committed to the part! Your blog post is amazing as usual. Have you thought about using this video in your classroom as an example? You could definitely use this video as an example for an assignment involving the students producing a video. Hicks (2013) discusses how Penny Kittle (2010) asks her students to craft their scene on the screen from the words off of the page in their notebook. By doing this the "writing process unfolds on paper and on screen" (105). I believe your entire post is the most perfect example of this process and would most definitely benefit your students. You're awesome!
Jessica Meade
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Portsmouth, NH: Henemann.