EEND 677 Artifact 2

Artifact 2



My second artifact is the video I made using the Adobe Spark site. I chose this as my second artifact because it, in my opinion, is incredibly neat for lack of better terms. The idea that teachers and students have access to tools to create videos is amazing. I really like how my video turned out. The video is a trailer for Macbeth. My vision was for the trailer was to be dark and mysterious and I feel that I accomplished that. Bear in mind, the video is for 10th graders. I am not sure it is suitable for elementary students. The only part of the video I don't like is my voiceover. My voice isn't deep enough to create the effect that I wanted, but I came fairly close in my attempt. At the very least, the kids will enjoy it.

I was a bit uncertain if creating a video would be academic enough. My concern was that students would be just having fun and not really showing what they have learned in the process. The article Test Their Knowledge Using Student-Created Videos by Nicholas Bourke from ISTE Online was very helpful in addressing this concern. The key components of using videos addressed in this article include having a model video, having clear guidelines/goals, and allowing for appropriate preparation time. Instead of jumping right in, time needs to be taken to make sure students are clearly and effectively showing what they have learned. If appropriate time is not provided, student work will most likely not reflect what they have really learned (2015).

At first, I was having a difficult time trying to find the right resource to create a video. I tried several resources and these sites were either too cumbersome to use or the free version was too limited to create a meaningful video. So I decided to try Adobe Spark since it was listed as a resource in our modules. I was quite surprised to find out how amazing this tool is. Adobe Spark is easy to use even for individuals who may not be tech-savvy. The site is intuitive and has a tutorial video to get you started. The options available on the free version are more than sufficient to create quality videos. When making a video it is simple to select a theme and layout; although the free version has limited options, the options available to use are of high quality and offer a fair variety. I liked that you could easily determine how long each slide was as well as easily upload images. Another feature that was really nice was the ability to add music or upload your own. Adobe Spark has a large variety of music samples to use so I had several great options to choose from when creating my video. The tech was so easy to use; I believe it could be incorporated into the classroom at any level. There are really no issues with the resource.

There were really no issues or problems with Adobe Spark. The free version does not offer live phone support. This feature requires a subscription of $9.99 a month. The paid version offers the ability to replace the Adobe logo with your own and manage content in one place, but these features are unnecessary for elementary and high school students. 

I have not incorporated Adobe Spark in my classroom yet; however, I plan to do this by the end of the year. I could have students make a video summary of a novel, an informational video of a specific topic or even as a way for students to share an autobiography of themselves. So many possibilities! In addition to this activities, students will have the freedom to be as creative as possible. It has been my experience that when giving projects that include creativity, students are more invested and excited about the assignment. 

At first, I was uncertain as to what I would learn from taking technology classes through St. Francis. Upon reflection, I have learned more than I had thought I would. There are so many technologies and resources available that it is difficult to learn about them, use them and incorporate them into the classroom in a meaningful manner. EEND 677 exposed me to three new tools I was unaware of and most importantly, unaware of how useful they could be in the classroom. My three favorite tools I learned in this class and plan to use in my classroom include Vocaroo, Google Draw, and Adobe Spark. 

References:

 Bourke, N. (2015, July 17). Test their knowledge using student-created videos. Retrieved March 3, 2018,
          https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetailarticleid=488&category=In-the-classroom&article

 [Video Camera]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2018, from http://www.digitalmarketinghq.com/wp
         content/uploads/2013/02/video_icon.png

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