Saturday, July 7, 2012

EDLD 5363~Group Experience

Let me tell you how I fell about working in the group and making the video:
Team Debriefing:
I absolutely loved working with my team to create this video.  I wasn’t too sure about joining a group and doing a project at the beginning of the course.  When Kristi mentioned that she and Nancy were forming a group (both of whom are in my cohort) and asked if I would like to join I quickly agreed.  Janie also became part of the group at the same time (I believe).  The only thing I knew at the beginning was that we would have to make a video.  I could edit my home movies and some school videos (talent shows, awards programs, etc.) I had made before, but this would be the first project I made from “scratch” for students to learn from.  Reading the course paperwork, I thought it was supposed to be a public service announcement.  We soon learned that it had to cover a core content area.  Janie suggested a topic (photosynthesis) and we all quickly agreed to it.   I learned that working with a Google document makes it so easy to collaborate across distances.  It was amazing seeing everyone post their comments, suggestions, and talents on the document and watching the video come together in the end.  I can definitely see how using a Google document can be an asset at my school for teachers to collaborate with each other.  With different planning times (and not enough), this would be awesome to use as a tool for planning different lessons or activities at the school (ex: literacy night).  Having students make (and edit) videos with sound would also be a great way for them to research topics or show what they know about topics. 
 Individual Post:
Pre-production Process
Once our group was formed, we took off running.  We started through email figuring out what we could do and where we were going to work.  We figured out what everyone’s talent was and choose our “jobs” for the project.   Nancy started the group Google document (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y9arRxlc8n1NYKQtYINc2QgGNVF-gZbEenY8AwssI0s/edit) and we began sharing there.  Janie was going to write the script, Kristi was going to do the audio, I was going to do the filming, and Nancy was making the video.  Nancy had already talked to Dr. Abernathy about letting us use Adobe, since that is what’s used in her district.  In the beginning we were a bit confused about the actual video we had to make.  We thought it had to be a Public Service Announcement, so we started discussing PSA’s to decide on a topic.  After Janie talked to the IA and we attended the week’s web conferences we found out that it was to be a video on a core content subject.  Janie came up with the idea of doing a video explaining photosynthesis using a catchy rap.  We all agreed on the topic, and began our jobs. 
Production Process
The production process started off with me and Nancy feeling like we weren’t contributing much to the group, but in the end it all worked out.  In the first week, Janie wrote an awesome lesson with a script for us to use and Kristi did a terrific job recording the script for the video.  After recording the original script, Kristi knew it wouldn’t fit in our time frame for the video, so she shortened it.  Kristi shared the song through Google.  Once the script was shared, I could start deciding what we needed shots of.  Nancy and I worked together to come up with the shot list, since she would be the one putting the video together.  Kristi helped with the process also by finding images/diagrams on line, making videos of her children rapping, and sharing it though Google.  I started video outside scenes, my children, and shared through Google.  Once the pictures and video started getting posted, Nancy began the process of putting the videos and audio together. 
Post-production Process
Nancy shared several versions of the video with the group for us to see and make any suggestions to it. 
Shot and Editing Selection
Once the script was done, coming up with the shots was pretty simple.  We decided on shots that would enhance the wonderful script and rap that Kristi and Janie worked on.  Shots (audio, and the video) were shared on another Google documents that everyone in the group had access too.  Kristi found the diagrams online and shot some video of her children rapping the song.  I also found some pictures that went with the theme and took some video around my neighborhood and of my daughter and her friend with the audio.  We would let Nancy (and the team) know (through our team Google page and email) when we added new pictures or videos.  When Nancy started putting everything together, she would share the video with us and we would discussed whether more shots were needed, how the audio went with the video, and how the scenes looked on the video, and if necessary things were redone or added.
Web delivery
The final video was posted to YouTube by Nancy.  (http://youtu.be/1HQttB0Wv9Y)
Ways to improve
I am not sure if there are any ways to improve our video.  The only thing I could say is it would be more powerful and explain the photosynthesis process better if we were able to use the entire script that Janie had written.  Due to the time constraints on the assignment we had to shorten it, but I feel that the shortened version still explains the process well.  
Copyright Attribution
We used the Creative Commons website to come up with our copyright for our video.  
We also used the following items from others and shared their information on our video:

Screenwriter:  Janie West
Audio/Voice:  Kristi Rogers
Camera:  Dawn Miller
Video:  Nancy Petrella

STARRING:
Abigail Fanguy
Joanna Garcia
Mikey Garcia
Sydney Miller
Kacie Jae Rogers
Kristi Rogers

AUDIO CREDITS:
Kristi Rogers
The-Dream, Stewart, C., Harrell, K., and Jay-Z (2008).  New
Umbrella (Instrumental In Style of Rihanna).  50 RnB &
HipHop Beats, Vol. 1 (New Rap & Soul Karaoke Chart
Playbacks).  Raw-Flava Productions.
Mazzoni, Dominic and Dannenberg, R. (1999).  Audacity
(version 2.0) [Software]. Available from

VIDEO CREDITS:
Kristi Rogers
Dawn Miller

PICTURE CREDITS:
Carter, J. S. (1996) Chlorophyll [Drawing].  Retrieved from
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio104/chlorophyll.jpg
Carter, J. S. (1996) Chloroplast [Drawing].  Retrieved from
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio104/chloroplast.jpg
 [Diagram of water from xylem] Retrieved from http://www.school.net.th/library/create-
web/10000/science/10000-6580/pic1.jpeg
Knorre, D. (2008) 3d rendered organelle chloroplast isolated on black [Photograph].  Retrieved
from http://www.123rf.com/photo_6270857_3d-rendered-organelle-chloroplast-isolated-on-
black.html
Miller, D. [Photograph of waterfall]. (2007).
Miller, D. [Photograph of leaves]. (2012).
[Photograph of CO2 in the air] Retrieved from
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2009/07/17/co2_qjTmo_69.jpg

VIDEO CREATION:
Nancy Petrella ~ Photosynthesis
Dawn Miller ~ Creditis
Adobe Premiere Elements (10) [Software]. (2011). San Jose,
California: Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Windows Live Movie Maker (Wave4) [Software]. (2011).
Redmond, Washington:  Microsoft Corporation.

Critique Team’s Collaboration and Interaction
There is nothing to critique about my groups’ collaboration.  This group of ladies (Nancy Petrella, Janie West, and Kristi Rogers) worked so hard during this process that we were finished with the video before the deadline.  We all got to display our strengths and share them with each other.    No one took offense to any comments/suggestions made and just used them to make our project better.  We were all willing to do anything that was needed to make the best video possible in the three week time frame.  Everyone contributed to each part of the video whether it was through actually doing their chosen part or commenting and making suggestions about the part.  (I think we are all a bit of overachievers which is why everything went so smoothly during this process.)
We interacted through Google documents, email, and class web conferences.  Everything was checked regularly and ideas/comments/suggestions were shared frequently.

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