Final Project!!!

Let me cut right to the chase here....

I wanted to shoot myself in the foot from how many times I had to redo this video, re-record my voice overs, re-upload the video to YouTube, but nonetheless it is finished!!! 

If it wasn't for the support of my classmates, I think I would have given up right towards the end of the project, right before my presentation. 

I have gotten wonderful feedback on my animation and about 80 views on YouTube, 5 subscribers, a few followers on Twitter and Facebook, and possibly even some freelance animation work. I have also received some wonderful comments that reflected a discovery of an awareness of teacher well-being which, I hope, is a reflection of what my dissertation will provide in the future. 

Above all else, I especially loved what my classmates have made with the resources they were introduced to during this class.

* Erin helped me take away a great lesson on women in leadership. Her Pinterest page centered around Latinas in leadership and I thought it was highly effective in revealing the footprints Latina female leaders are leaving behind.

* Selena spoke on Latino graduation rates and raised awareness on improving Latino education. Her Pinterest page provides multiple sources dedicated to this topic and is a great start to reading up on this issue. 

* JennyErika engaged in conversations, first-hand, regarding the topic of immigration. Her passion for fairness for foreign-born persons resulted in an active Pinterest page that I find intriguing. 

* Bettina made a compelling stance on children's rights to be loved. For the first time, I saw this topic brought up and the fact that she made a mini study, recording participants reactions to abandoned children in the short time we had, was emotional and moving. 

Final Project Corrections

Per my classmates and professor, I had to make some corrections to my final project plans. So...for my final project, I will be focusing on teacher well-being and how school-related contextual factors takes its toll on their effectiveness. To do so, I will direct my efforts on creating a catchy YouTube video using PowerPoint, iMovie, and  a cartoon-animated creation through goanimate.com. This video should be no longer than 1:30 or 2 minutes long tops! All pictures and videos used will be copyright-free in order to rid of any legal issues. To broadcast it, i will utilize Facebook, specifically our cohort’s group page, in order to gain viewers/subscribers. I will also use Twitter to create a hashtag alongside the link to the video.

Thus far, I have started outlining a script for the animation video and collected some copyright-free pictures for the YouTube video. I am still trying to create a nice flow in order to best deliver the call for awareness. I am not quite sure yet of the order of incorporating the different mediums. I am speaking to different tech people to figure out how to project the YouTube video in the actual animation. I can do pictures but not video so far so that is my current mission.

Final Project Thoughts

So for my final project, I will be focusing on teacher well-being and how school-related contextual factors takes its toll on their effectiveness. To do so, I may direct my efforts on creating a catchy YouTube video using PowerPoint, iMovie, and perhaps a cartoon-animated creation through goanimate.com. To broadcast it, i will utilize Facebook, specifically our cohort’s group page, in order to gain viewers/subscribers. I do not really have any established social media sites because of personal reasons so my friend base is off of the net for the most part. It will be quite challenging for me to complete this assignment but I will try my best. 

I hope it works out!!!!

Social Bookmarking

Diigo is a powerful research tool that allows for a sharing of knowledge across many different sites simultaneously. This resource has helped me stay organized for my dissertation and it is highly appreciated. Here is my first 5 resources regarding teacher well-being that I have "diigo'd"

Theory Presentation: Situated Learning and Connectivity

Bettina and I had the opportunity to research and speak on two theories for our class. Below is a link to our full presentation that I uploaded on YouTube (unlisted). If I can redo this project, I wouldn't change a thing. I believe Bettina and I presented just enough information on our theories and connected it in a way that made sense. I loved working with Bettina!

Virtual Worlds: Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual world developed in 2003. Linden Labs, creators of Second Life, envisioned a 3D world which opens up doors of imagination in a completely different way. I had the pleasure of witnissing this game first hand in my social media class back in 2010. I created it for the sole purpose of the financial gains I have heard people make off of the game but I couldn't keep up. Recently for class, I used my friend's account because he is actively on there and shows on his avatar alone, the development of Second Life from when I first saw it until today. His avatar reflects the newest addition of "mesh" products that Second Life has created. What blew my mind away this time around is the revelation of Second Life as an educational tool and the venues that are made just for people to meet for educational purposes.

Social Media Theories: Connectivism

I am searching the internet world about connectivism and just realized, I am doing exactly what connectivism is all about! Connectivism is the belief that new forms of knowledge are obtained through the collective connections between all the ‘nodes’ in a network. I have learned to learn and doing so through utilizing the resources and internet tools. The FIRST place I researched was directly on the internet. I didn't even think about picking up a book!