A couple of classes ago, we had the opportunity to learn about video editing. We had a guest speaker Rich McCue from the Digital Scholarship Commons come and guide us through a video editing lab. This was an interactive and interesting process that I really enjoyed! Video editing is something I have no experience with, but having support and clear instructions made it a really fun experience. 

During this class, we edited a video on goats. We were required to import the video into iMovie, add an intro screen, transitions and a final credits screen. we were also taught how to adjust the sound. This was a really fun class that taught me some tangible skills! Below I added my video ‘Goats Gone Crazy’.

In this class, we discussed different, accessible platforms for creating visuals. We spent a large portion of the class learning about a free, easy-to-navigate platform that we can use to create assignments, worksheets or just fun visuals. What i found the most interesting was how versatile PowerPoint is. I have only ever used it to make PowerPoint and even then my skills lacked. All I knew how to do was add pictures, and text, and change the themes. Getting to discover new tools such as the 3D art feature, and changing the slide layout and what I found to be the most interesting was removing the background and creating “stickers” out of my own photos. I enjoyed this and getting the opportunity to be creative.

In this class, we heard from Jesse Miller, who shared the benefits of technology in classrooms and the importance of setting boundaries and AI. This was a captivating presentation with so much important information shared. I took a lot away from this presentation, such as the importance of boundaries and my digital footprint, but the conversation on AI stuck with me the most. Other than a few discussions in other courses and using Meta AI on Instagram to create funny images, I have very little experience and understanding of AI and its possible uses. Hearing about the teacher who used AI to create audio sounding like the principal of her school and the students using AI to develop inappropriate pictures was truly shocking. I understand that there are many positives to AI and it may be a beneficial tool that can support student learning as well as my own however, I worry about the consequences of misuse and how I as an educator will be able to support students to use these services appropriately. As I advance toward my career as an educator, I hope to learn more about AI and develop a better understanding so I am more prepared to help my students navigate these new resources. 

Open educational ressources provide free educational materials that are licensed in a way that allows the public to reuse, revise and redistribute. There are already so many barriers to education that platforms such as OER are super important. Accessing free educational ressources, editing them and then sharing them is a way to make education more accessible and I enjoyed learning about OER. I found it interesting to learn about this and to learn about Creative Commons and what that means. Being able to justly use others’ work is important and it is very cool how people can create content with the intent for others to use and for them to be shared. I was aware of sites such as Teacher Pay Teacher but was unaware that many of the ressources being shared are facing challenges with copyright. I liked the idea of being able to share and find resources and be able to support other teachers along the way but now knowing that come work may infringe on copyright I feel less inclined to use it. This was a really thought-provoking lecture and I am excited to see what else we learn this semester!