Educational Technology (Edu Tech) Self-Assessment Part 1/7

 I am breaking up my self-assessment into seven parts corresponding to the seven suggested categories; I will start by listing the category in bold and, following in my classmate, Brooke’s¹, footsteps, I will list the suggested skills and whether I think this is a strength or a weakness. I’ll try my best to not make this too dry for all those involved.

Content and Media Creation

 Web Pages

1.     I can create web pages.

On the one hand, I do know how to create web pages since I created this blog. Moreover, before deciding that I wanted to create my blog using Blogger, I also made tester blogs on other platforms such as Yola, Wordpress, and Evernote/posticho.² On the other hand, the main reason I chose Blogger was because of its simplicity, meaning that while I was able to create a blog on the other platforms their creativity and versatility was too overwhelming and confusing. Due to this, I would argue that creating web pages is a weakness of mine and a skill I would like to improve. However, my current ability, while limited, places creating web pages lower on the “Improving My Skills” totem pole. 

 

2.     I can add links to other pages.

This is definitely a strength of mine. In the first footnote (which is at the bottom of this section), I link to Brooke’s blog. As further proof, here is a link to a project I completed last semester for my “History of Social Action” course: http://www.supportellabakerday.com/2020-ella-baker-day.html. Please go check it out, my classmates and I worked really hard to create these posters and presentations.

Some context—part of the course includes participating in Ella Baker Day which is a day-long event celebrating Ella Baker, an amazing activist, and activism writ large. Sadly, COVID-19 meant Ella Baker Day did not actually take place, so my class created virtual posters using the PowerPoint three-sided poster board template and recorded ourselves presenting our posters. My group created a presentation on gentrification.    

EDIT AS OF 9/19/2020: I didn't create the webpage/website that houses my and me classmates' projects—that was created by my professor—all I made was the poster entitled "Gentrification Ahead," the associated Choose Your Own Adventure-esque activity, and the recorded presentation that has my name on it. Thanks to Brooke who let me know that this was unclear to readers!

 

3.     I can share/add/embed media of various kinds (photos, video, audio) into web pages.

I would say that this is also a strength of mine. I can add media into web pages with relative ease.

Proof Exhibit A:

 

Above is a photo of my niece and nephew when they turned one this past June! Side note, in my completely unbiased and objective opinion, they are the cutest babies ever.

Proof Exhibit B:

 

Above is a video of a Black Lives Matter protest I went to in Peekskill, NY, shortly after George Floyd was murdered.

Proof Exhibit C True Confessions: 

    I thought I knew how to embed audio files, but I soon realized that I very obviously did not. Blogger only lets you add mp4 files (video files) whereas my audio file (and presumably all audio files) is an m4a. Nevertheless, I was determined to find a way to link the audio. For those of you curious, below I detail my fevered last minute research journey. If you'd rather not read all of the boring details, please scroll down, choose whichever play button you'd rather press, and enjoy.

At first, I mistakenly thought if I changed it to an mp3 file it would allow me to insert it; thankfully I wasn't too far into the research before I realized that mp3 is not, in fact, synonymous with mp4 (and I admittedly felt/feel very silly). I felt even more silly when I realized that I was making more work for myself by trying to figure out how to convert files by myself instead of just searching how to add audio to Blogger specifically. 

Once I was placed on the right track, I found two ways to add audio. Option one was to make a Soundcloud account and embed the code in the HTML of a Blogger post. For some reason, finding that out led me to the epiphany that I might be able to use Dropbox, which I already have an account for, in a similar fashion. Apparently you can add audio files to Dropbox but you can only edit them using their sister program WeVideo. I was in too deep to go back now so I made an account with WeVideo, and realized that I could trim the audio if I so desired (I did not) and then export it to Dropbox as a video! Below, I have added in the mp4 version of my audio. However, I then came to the conundrum that adding an audio as a video was sort of like cheating so I tried the Soundcloud option and, in spite of me knowing nothing about HTML, it actually worked! That file is the second one.

 

Remember that Ella Baker Day website I linked to and the poster about gentrification I told you I created? Well the above recording was created for that poster and project. I recorded myself explaining part of our poster so it might not completely make sense if you haven’t heard my group members’ presentations and/or haven’t seen the poster. Oh, you don’t want to scroll up? You don’t have to: http://www.supportellabakerday.com/2020-ella-baker-day.html.

¹ Speaking of Brooke, please go check out her blog! She may be using the same original prompt as me, but she’s taking it in her own direction: https://brookebusi.wixsite.com/website.

² Unfortunately, I cannot link to those blogs because they were testers and thus were never published. 

Photos

1.     I can take digital photos.

 

This is another strength of mine. I attached a photo I took of myself with my laptop in order to capture Zoe using me as her personal cat tree.

 

2.     I can share digital photos in various ways.

 

If I’m interpreting this correctly, then this is also a strength. I can crop, draw on, rotate, and add filters to photos. I have altered the above photo in multiple ways to demonstrate this.

Video and Audio

1.     I can record digital video and video.

 

This is a video I took of my cat Jumbo chilling on a rug that my godmother made me when I was little.

2.     I can edit digital video and video.

This is a weakness of mine because the only editing of a video I know how to do is how to trim it to make it shorter. Actually, I tried to do just that only to discover that I only know how to trim a video when it is on my phone. I do not know how to trim it on a computer, which makes this a bigger weakness than I realized. I would like to improve this skill sooner rather than later.

 

3.     I can convert digital video/audio from one format to another.

As mentioned above, I ardently tried to convert files from one type to another, but I have not successfully done so (unless using WeVideo counts?). This is a weakness, and I want this to be one of the first skills I improve.

 

4.     I can upload video/audio to hosting sites (like YouTube, Vimeo, Soundcloud, etc.) for easy sharing.

Originally my answer was going to be that this is a weakness of mine because I have never used any of these sites, but after The Audio File Disaster, I have used Soundcloud. Arguably, this is still a weakness since it is the only hosting site that I have used to upload video/audio and I have only done this once. Since I have some knowledge of this skill it is not a high priority for me to improve just yet.

Charts/Diagrams

1.     I can use digital tools (e.g., Google Draw and CmapTools) to create charts and diagrams.

I have never used either of those tools thereby making it a weakness of mine. On the other hand, I can make charts and diagrams on Excel. Below is a link to a pdf version of an excel chart I uploaded to my Dropbox so you can see an example of said diagrams and charts. I am relatively good with most mathematic formulas on Excel. Lastly, I can make macros which means that if I do x Excel will know to do y (it is very cool if I do say so myself).

Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s96chx2wwf3um8d/Practice%20for%20Midterm_Exercise06%20v2.pdf?dl=0

 

2.     I can share digital diagrams on web pages/social networks.

 

I have shared digital diagrams, but I normally do that by taking a screenshot of the diagram (generally a statistic) and embedding that photo into my post. I don’t think that is what this means though, so I will say that this is a weakness. I have slid by without needing to know this skill so while I want to improve it, it is lower on the priority totem pole.

 

Teaching

1.     I can effectively help others to create and share digital content in a learning context.

Overall, I would say that this is a weakness of mine because I can only effectively teach one or two ways to create and share digital content which is very limiting for the student. This is a high priority skill that I want to learn because creating and sharing digital content has many practical applications in a student’s daily and professional life.

 

One Last Note:

Are you the poor soul (probably my professor) who has finally gotten to the bottom of this post? Well, congratulations! Don’t worry, I recognize that I inadvertently made this ridiculously long and I will endeavor to not do this in the future.