Post 9

Finally, FINALLY, my video is posted to vimeo. I really enjoyed actually doing this project, but never have I been more thankful for a due date extension as I was on this project. I have had a very stressful time trying to get my video posted. When I uploaded the video from my camera onto my computer, the video worked wonderfully. When it was time to begin editing it, that's where the problems started. First, when I began editing it in QuickTime, I couldn't do the editing I wanted to do, so I purchased QuickTime Pro 7 because it claimed to do the editing I wanted. But of course, I could NOT get it to edit the video. Then I finally found Windows MovieMaker on my computer and tried to use it, but the video wouldn't upload because it was not in a compatible format. That's when I had to convert each video (I had two, since I'd videoed on two different days) and couldn't figure out how to get rid of the watermark that mysteriously showed up. And converting the videos took an entire night for each one. So there went two more nights I couldn't finish! I finally got them converted, then spent an hour figuring out how to use Windows MovieMaker. After that, I had to upload to vimeo, which took forever, and now here I am! Hurrah! Enjoy this video! Or else! Haha. :)

Post 8

Well, on Friday I did my final video of my class. Just from watching the first few minutes of the video to make sure that it recorded correctly, I noticed that my students appeared much more engaged than they did earlier in the week when I videoed them. My first video was just a regular lesson in which the kids sit on the mat while we discuss the story we were reading, called A Winning Swimmer. Then my second video consisted of using our computer lab time to watch a slideshow on the projector and discuss it as a class.

I noticed during the first video that many of my students were very fidgety. They kept turning and looking at the camera or playing with the mat or their clothes. The second video, in the computer lab, shows all of them engaged, eyes on the slideshow, with every appearance of paying attention... I even noticed that one of my students who has the most difficulty paying attention was engaged for most of the second lesson. It was very encouraging for me to see.

As I am now officially on spring break, I will be using my time off this week to upload my video, edit it, and post it for everyone to view. Fingers crossed I don't have any difficulties!

Post 7

Well, tomorrow I plan on videoing my students for the first time so that I can finalize my engagement checklist. I really appreciate the suggestions that everyone has given me on what I can do with my checklist. I have decided to go with videoing my students first so that I can gauge what I will include on my checklist, then on Friday, I will video my class again to see what improvements have or have not been made. I am really excited to implement this unit on How Things Move. I think that my students will really be engaged when we add in the websites and the computer activities on movement... I really want this to go well!

I feel that if I can get my students to be more motivated to learn, then I will really see improvements with those students who really struggle with paying attention. Especially the ones that I always find myself calling on because I KNOW they're not paying attention and I so desperately want them to be engaged!