Short Presentation

UGH! This project took me forever.  I started off well. I created the slides and I created my script. I timed it all out using the Pecha Kucha method so that teach of my 20 slides would display for 20 seconds with 20 seconds of my recorded voice. Then I tried to install Photostory. I am on a desk top that I recently loaded Windows 7 onto. No matter how I fiddled, and I did fiddle, I could not get the Windows authentication to work. That was over a week ago. After reaching the threshold of frustration with Microsoft, I decided to move on to my next assignment and stew over the issue.  A week later I decided to try loading Photostory onto an XP machine. Error message again! I worked on that machine for an afternoon, still no luck. So, I moved on and decided to stew again.

Sat down again this weekend and after cursing technology, (or was that Microsoft?), I decided to scrap Photostory as the software of choice and use Movie Maker. Should have done that from the beginning! I use Movie Maker often to make little moves and slideshows, so no learning curve there. I then imported my Power Point slides that were now pictures, added my voice, saved as a movie, went onto You Tube under one of my accounts and said Upload. As easy as that. I also placed a copy of my movie in drop box in the public folder.

My video: Career Clusters

So, what did I learn? I learned to use software I already know, if it can perform the same function as a software package I do not have or use.  I also used drop box for the second time, since I had never used it before the class I am taking. For many of these assignments I may learn a bit of new technology, but the real lesson for me is rethinking how I can use the technology I already know in my classroom. 

As far as how this helps me as a teacher, it is a reminder to me to implement different forms of technology and media into my lessons. I have a Power Point on this lesson. I have a Power Point for every lesson. I have multiple Power Points for every lesson, if truth be told. But these last few lessons were a good reminder of the importance of expanding the types of technologies I use with my students. The presentation I created will be used by me next 9 weeks in my class.

There are a number of iste.nets standards that I could apply to this lesson. But one that I haven’t looked at before that applies to this lesson is the promotion and modeling of Digital Citizenship. I often preach to my students about the legal and ethical behaviors that should be displayed on the world wide web and are not. So, here is a good example of doing as I say. I did not use other people’s photos or music in this presentation. There was only my voice for audio and my video were photos my family had taken. I will be sure to mention this in my class.