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 * Final Assessment: Course Reflection Responses **

1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

By participating in this course, I envisioned gaining expertise in creating multimedia projects. I hoped to gain a better understanding of what constitutes a multimedia project and how to use multimedia effectively in classroom instruction. These outcomes began to be achieved in the first week of the course through the readings and assignment. In discussing the value of using multimedia in instruction, Patti Shank (2009) stated, “Effective multimedia for learning requires carefully combining media in well-reasoned ways that take advantage of each medium's unique characteristics. The most effective multimedia provides learning experiences that mirror real-world experiences and let learners apply the content in various contexts.”

The actual course outcomes aligned with those I had envisioned. I gained experience using various forms of multimedia in building a Digital Photo Story, creating a short video sequence from web clips, and finally in collaborating with classmates to make the group Public Service Announcement. The course provided opportunities to experiment with several editing software products and helped me realize many effective uses of multimeda to improve and enhance instruction.

Shank, P. (n.d.). The value of multimedia in learning. //Think Tank.// Retrieved May 5, 2009, from []. 

2. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?

The outcomes I achieved in this course are still relevant to the work I do in my school. I gained the knowledge and skills necessary to mentor colleagues in the effective implementation of multimedia lessons. Creating the Digital Photo Story in week one provided experience with using Microsoft Photo Story 3. As I worked through the assignment, I realized many relevant uses of this medium in my school that included classroom and professional development situations. In the weeks and assignments that followed, I came to realize the instructional benefits of using video editing and Public Service Announcements as well. Using effective multimedia appeals to a variety of learning styles as it helps learners make connections between text and graphics that are more meaningful, provide deeper understanding, and create better mental models than a single method (Shank, 2009).

I am always eager to discover ways to motivate my students, to promote collaborative learning, and to improve student performance. The knowledge and skills gained in this course “stimulate creative thinking and group cooperation” (Garrison, 1999). That is an outcome which is always relevant to my work as a teacher and as a technology leader in my school.

Garrison, A. (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. //Center for Media Literacy//. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from [] . 

Shank, P. (n.d.). The value of multimedia in learning. //Think Tank// . Retrieved May 5, 2009, from [] <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10.5pt; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">

<span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">3. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Even though I achieved most of the outcomes I envisioned for this course, I must admit there were a few outcomes that I did not achieve. One disappointment was my failure to participate in an optional web conference hosted by the professor. The main reasons I dd not achieve this outcome were timing. Planning, and scheduling conflicts. Many of the web conference sessions were scheduled at times which conflicted with prior commitments. I did actually login to one session about 25 minutes before it was scheduled to begin. Upon logging in, I received a message that the meeting had not yet been opened, but that I would be able to join when the host arrived. I prepared myself for the session, checked out my microphone, and waited approximately 42 minutes. At about 6:17 PM, I noticed a message stating that the session had been closed. Afterward, I was unable to participate in another session. My group members did keep me informed about the information covered in the sessions they attended. For the sake of gaining experience with web conferencing and to overcome all the anxiety associated with the process, I have scheduled such a meeting with my sister-in-law and friend using the software that is available to us. I can appreciate the benefits of web-conferencing within my school district now that we have three elementary schools that are expected to mirror one another and communicate frequently. Web conferences can facilitate this expectation much more efficiently and effectively than our current, antiquated methods.

<span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">4. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Overall, I felt successful in completing the course assignments. That is not to say that things proceeded smoothly and without challenges; they did not. In the second week, I encountered a serious problem with my wiki, lost some items that had previously been posted to the site, and was unable to edit any pages. This was a major obstacle to the successful completion of my coursework since an important component of the whole process was uploading the Digital Photo Story, web editing project and Public Service Announcement to the wiki. Attempting to overcome this obstacle, I contacted everyone in my arsenal of technology buffs seeking a solution. None of them could help, so I contacted the Wikispaces Help Center. It took Wikispaces personnel several days to arrive at a solution to the problem. This delay severely interfered with my preference to work ahead rather than behind. I became very discouraged, felt incredibly stupid for not knowing how to fix the problem, and wanted to just give up. Instead of giving in to the feeling of helplessness, I forced myself to become resourceful in fulfilling the requirements of the assignments. In spite of this great challenge, I learned a few hard lessons about working with technology and overcame the glitches that can happen to even the best systems. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">

<span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 11.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">5. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">From this course, I learned that I can be an effective leader who communicates clearly and effectively while delegating and collaborating efficiently. I learned that I can be resourceful and determined when faced with a difficult challenge. I also learned that I need to improve my levels of self-confidence and self-acknowledgement.

I was a bit surprised by the fact that the members of my group recognized my leadership abilities more easily than I did. These were individuals I do not know personally, but whose work I have admired over a period of time in previous courses. They helped me realize my talent for organizing and facilitating the production of an effective group project. Their belief in me helped me believe in myself and in my ability to lead others. This was a very rewarding realization that is worth recalling when future leadership opportunities arise.

My experience with the wiki challenge awakened me to the resourcefulness I possess. When Wikispaces personnel took several days to diagnose the problem and develop a solution, I was forced to improvise a method of fulfilling the assignment requirement. The only change I could make to the wiki during that time was through the discussion portion of the pages. I added a discussion item that contained a link to the YouTube postings for both the Digital Photo Story and web editing project video. I realize this was not the intended method of posting to the wiki, but at least I felt like I was doing everything in my power to make it work. Once a solution was developed, I went back to the wiki pages and uploaded the files as intended. I was determined not to be outdone by a technology glitch.

As I faced the wiki challenge, I realized my self-confidence is practically nonexistent. I seldom give myself credit for successes and always blame myself when things go wrong. For the first time in my life, I felt completely stupid. In spite of the difficulty I faced and the feelings that overwhelmed me, I found a solution. I did everything possible to meet the expectations of the assignment, I found a temporary solution, and I fixed the problem as soon as it could be fixed. That does not make me stupid; it makes me a success. I need to acknowledge that about myself!