Week #15 Final Post

Final Thoughts About Multimedia Apps and Tools

Applied Learning

Before taking this course, I took the online environment for granted, and did not fully realize what opportunities were available right in front of me.In the past, I was content with using the internet for basic things such as browser searches and social media visits, but I am now confident in my ability to create my own content instead of looking at everyone else's, and feeling like I could never do that. This course not only showed me what was available online, but also gave me the experience to apply it in my own life. 

Some of the most important things I learned how to do were quickly and easily set up websites and blogs. I also learned how to create and edit videos and audio recordings using multiple web applications. I created, edited, and shared multimedia using Google apps such as Google Sites, Google Slides, Google Docs, and Youtube. I also learned how to use online photo editors such as Pixlr and PicMonkey, as well as create, edit, and upload audio recordings using Soundtrap and SoundCloud.

Challenges

The thing I enjoyed most about this class is how it forced me out of my comfort zone.This was particularly true when it concerned the screencasting and voice recordings. Though I was nervous and self conscious at first, by Week #15 I felt much more comfortable in front of an online audience and I felt like I could use this new confidence to better myself. This class made me so excited about furthering my life using the internet that I decided I want to try freelance writing for a platform like BlogMutt. During Week #5 I also learned that Google Apps far outweigh Microsoft Apps in terms of user friendliness and available features. Before taking this course I was fully committed to Microsoft Office, but now I rarely use it.

Along with providing me with valuable learning experiences, this course taught me a valuable lesson about being dedicated even when things seem impossible. Throughout this course the overtime at my job was brutal, for lack of a better word. I was working 6 or 7 days per week up to 70 hours, and I really began feeling it around Week #9 when my department abruptly became short staffed. At this point I was working 12 hours per day, six days per week. After all of this, and all that I gained from this class, I was happy to catch up a little and complete my final project.

Final Project

For my final project the first thing I did was choose the type of photo story I wanted to create and I wound up choosing education. I then chose my topic by considering the two most important things to me, philanthropy and the environment. This led me to type up a story on world hunger and conserving food. After this, I collected facts from the Environmental Protection Agency and applied strategies that I already use in my own life like composting and freezing food. I also collected images from Flickr, Pixabay, and Wikimedia Commons and stored them in my Google Drive. Finally, I recorded my story using WeVideo's mic, and added in transitions and text overlays. Here is my final project:

Week #10 My Prezi Presentation

Week #10 Prezi Presentation

My First Prezi

This week I had the opportunity to use Prezi for the first time. Though I was nervous to try a new presentation app, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Prezi is even easier to use than PowerPoint. I didn't have access to Prezi's premium features, but I enjoyed using the basic features because it encouraged me to keep my presentation simple. After looking through the Prezi staff picks for inspiration, I decided that a presentation on outer space would be the best way to show off Prezi's zoom animation, which is my favorite feature in the application. I also noticed that Prezi can be very effective for connecting ideas in a visual way, so I built on this by making my entire presentation resemble a solar system. I made the central idea (the Sun of the solar system) about the universe, and the objects in it were represented by planets in orbit.

Applying Garr Reynolds Design Tips

I made sure to keep my Prezi simple by keeping my text to a minimum and only including the most important and compelling information. I also gave my presentation its own unique visual theme, though I did select a Prezi background because it went well with my topic. For a font, I used NotoSans because it is both professional looking and easy to read. Recognizing the importance of logical progression, I designed my presentation to move from the largest objects in the universe to the smallest ones.

Week #9 Presentations

Making a Strong Presentation

As I quickly learned this week, making a powerful presentation is not an easy task. It requires not only careful planning, compelling information, and powerful images, but also the use of many other strategies that keep the audience engaged. From Garr Reynolds Tips for Delivery, this means having a good attitude, being direct, and keeping the lights on.

I applied these delivery tips and Garr Reynolds Tips for Design to my own presentation by maintaining eye contact with the webcam (audience), keeping my presentation short with no bullet points, and choosing a topic that I am passionate about. I also used powerful and thought provoking images and facts in each slide.

Admittedly, making a presentation, even if it wasn't directly in front of an audience, was very difficult for me because I have always had stage fright. Presenting online through Screencastify actually made this situation worse for me because I was able to look at myself during the presentation and pick apart my word choices, tone of voice, and body language. Despite the difficulties of this assignment, I believe that it was an excellent learning experience for me because I now know what parts of my presentations could use improvement. I found watching my own presentations to be so helpful that in the future I will probably record myself prior to making a physical presentation.