Blog #6

Audio Production Project

How Audacity was Used in the Project

For this assignment, we used Audacity, an audio production software. The assignment had us to download Audacity and the Lame MP3 encoder to get started. The directions stated that the project was to be designed similar to a Podcast. The assignment was to produce an audio file that explained the differences between an audio file that can be downloaded from a website versus a true Podcast.

First, I researched the differences and then wrote out a script to follow for my recording. I found a wonderful website that help in explaining the differences between the audio files and a Podcast. The website is http://www.bgsu.edu/cconline/krause1/index.html. I use a lot of the information from his site in my audio production project.

Next, I created my recording using Audacity. My recording had music playing softly in the background. The music was provided by www.danosongs.com. This site gives permission to use the tracks as music for websites, blogs, Podcasts, and anything else you can think of. After I finished the recording, I had to export it as an MP3 file. Once the MP3 file was created, I then uploaded the files to my comp account and set up the HTML code to include the file with this blog.

Below is the file that I created. Enjoy!!





Obstacles Encountered

Using Audacity was extremely easy. The tutorials I watched made how to use the program very clear and easy to understand. I did not have any problems with Audacity. The only problem I had was making myself happy with the way I sounded on the audio.

I recorded the script about five times before I was somewhat pleased with the production. It was easy to make mistakes when talking or have an unexpected noise, like the phone ringing, which would make me have to start the recording again. However, I kept going and was successful in making the audio production.

The other obstacle I encountered was in regard to the music being played in the audio production. I was really concerned with copyright issues after reading the tutorials. Copyright issues are so controversial and I wanted to make sure that I was keeping my recording legal.

Obstacles Resolved

I don't know that I could ever resolve the obstacle of being happy with the way I sound on the recording. I kept recording the script until I thought the recording was acceptable. So, I guess obstacle was resolved by not giving up!

I resolved the music issue by using google. I searched for free music for Podcasting and came across this website, www.danosongs.com. This site gives permission to use the tracks as music for websites, blogs, Podcasts, and anything else you can think of as long as you credited the site. He was very clear about his music being free to use as long as you link to his webpage. So, I downloaded one of his songs and have given him credit; therefore, the issue was resolved.

Successes Experienced

I felt success by doing the audio recording because I have never done one before. This was my first experience with Audacity and felt it was an easy to use program. I felt successful because I really did not run into any technical problems with the project and was able to produce the audio production. When you don't have problems you can't help but feel success!

How to use Audio Recorder/Editor for Future Projects

I have not used Audacity before and to be honest I did not know a true definition of Podcasting. I would like to pursue Podcasting and find out more details on it. Since I am a teacher, I believe Audacity or a Podcast would be a beneficial addition to my website. So many students are absent and could benefit from listening to the lessons they have missed. I plan to try to add the use of an audio recorder to my site next year.

Blog #5

Instructional Web Site


Description of Instructional Web Site

I created an eighth grade mathematics instructional web site for my project. My instructional web site was on the Pythagorean Theorem. I created a lesson based on 8th grade mathematical content. I currently teach 8th grade mathematics and felt it would be a beneficial web site for me to use with my students.

The site had six pages in all, five of the pages are about the different uses of the Pythagorean Theorem and one page is for the reference page. The menu included the following: Home, Length of Hypotenuse, Length of Leg, Height of a Triangle, Real World Problems, and Reference page.

The pages contained different information that I thought would be useful for 8th grade students. The Home page describes the site as well as giving a description of the Pythagorean Theorem. This section gives a brief history and an introduction to the topic being presented. The other pages show how to use the Pythagorean Theorem. In the section Length of the Hypotenuse, the site gives detailed steps on how to find the missing hypotenuse length when given the other two leg lengths. The Length of the Leg section gives the detailed steps on how to find a missing leg length when given one leg length and the hypotenuse length. Height of a Triangle shows how to find the missing height length by using the Pythagorean Theorem and then continues to use that information to show how to find the area of the triangle. The Real World Problems section is used to show students how to use the Pythagorean Theorem in real life. This is very important for students in mathematics. Finally, the Reference page is there to show all of the resources I used during the project.


Obstacles Encountered

I really did not have a lot of problems in created my site. I used Dreamweaver to create the web pages and my own mathematical knowledge in creating the content needed. I did have to use a variety of resources during the creation of the site.

Using Dreamweaver makes creating a web site seem really easy to me. Dreamweaver is very user friendly and easy to work with for creating basic sites. I used the basic features and did not get into very complicated issues at this point. Where I ran into trouble was not in Dreamweaver. The obstacle that I encountered was with publishing my site.


Obstacles Resolved

I started trying to resolve the problem on my own. I watched and re-watched the tutorials for setting up our comp accounts. I felt like I had everything set up correctly but still could not see my web site online. After I re-watched tutorials, I finally decided to send an email to one of my classmates. She and I had another class together and had worked as partners before. So, I thought I would see if she could help me. She thought I had a problem with the permissions and advised me to watch one of the tutorials again. I did watch the tutorial again and was convinced that I had everything set up correctly.

At this point, my frustration level is starting to show. I had tried everything I knew to do. So, I finally decided to email my instructor. I sent the error message I was receiving to my instructor and she felt it may be with the permissions also. She gave me some advice and instructed me to watch the tutorial in BlackBoard on setting up permissions. She said this was a good starting point and advised me to let her know how it worked out.

I did go back and watch the tutorial and made sure the permissions were correctly set. However, this did not solve my problem. I decided to email my instructor again because by this point my frustration level was at an all time high. My instructor responded with a variety of issues that could be causing my problems and offered to look at my files if I would take screen shots for her. She also offered an Elluminate session to help me. I was thrilled she was willing to do this and told her that I would be there.

When I arrived home after work, I immediately began looking at the issues she suggested could be causing the problems. She had told me that she did not see a home page for me which is my index.html page. After that sentence she said, "Do NOT capitalize "index" or it might not render properly." Well, there it was. One little capitalized "I" was giving me all of the problems with my site. Once I changed the "I" to lower case, there was my web site, published and ready to go.

I did attend the Elluminate session for a few minutes. I stayed long enough to tell my instructor she had helped me solve my problem and to thank her for being so patient with me. The good news is that I will never make that mistake again!


Successes Experienced

The biggest success I experienced was I actually created a web site! The neat thing about this project is how cool it was to see your web site come together. I really felt like the site was well organized and the coloring was appropriate for the lesson. I tried numerous different background colors, fonts, and pictures before deciding on the ones I used in the site.

As I worked on the site and each page began to pull the content together, the more success I felt. Once I was able to overcome the publishing issue and see my web site over the Internet, I could tell exactly what the site would look like to others. I am proud of my site at this point. I know that there will be advice from my instructor that will help me to improve the site and improve my skills which will lead to future successes for me.


Future Dreamweaver Features to Use

There are so many features in Dreamweaver that I have not used yet. I don't know where to begin in deciding the future uses. I would like to find out what Spry is because there are a lot of the features associated with it. I would also like to know more about the forms tool bar. I am not sure what the features in that area do either. I also noticed under commands there is a start recording button. I have no idea what this button is used for and would like to see if this is a feature I would like to use in the future.

Basically, I feel that I have learned a lot about Dreamweaver; however, I know that there is so much more available for me to use in my web site creations. As I continue my journey through the ETEC program, I believe that I will learn more about the more advanced features and will benefit greatly from this knowledge.

Blog #4

Using Dreamweaver:

First, I would like to say that using Dreamweaver was exciting for me. I really starting having fun while doing this assignment. It appears to be very user friendly which makes the assignment easier to complete. Much, much easier than hand coding was for me. I enjoyed using this software from Adobe.

My assignment was to create two basic web pages using Dreamweaver. I used Dreamweaver to create a basic web page for the 8th grade teachers at the school district where I am employed. This is something we have talked about doing for a while now and I felt this would be a good opportunity to get the web page started. The first page lists the current 8th grade teachers, the subject area they are teaching, contact information, and how to access Edline. The second page was a home page for my subject area, Pre-Algebra. My home page listed information regarding my class as well as providing additional links for resources. Both pages connected to each other and allowed the user to switch between the two by selecting the link.


Obstacles Encountered

Dreamweaver has a very easy to use format. I have never used Dreamweaver until this assignment. I found it to be easy to use and a great product overall. The only obstacle I really encountered was changing the "th" in 8th to superscript. I tried to figure out how to change to superscript on my own but instead I ended up having to resort to watching tutorials again. After watching the tutorials, I figured out it really was not an obstacle because it was easy to resolve.

Obstacles Resolved

Changing to superscript was easy to resolve by re-watching a tutorial on Lynda.com. Once I paid attention to that one subject area, I was able to easily fix the problem I was having with needing a superscript. I used insert, tag, html tag, then found "sup" for superscript. I then adding what I wanted to be superscipt and selected Insert. The "th" was then changed into superscript and my obstacle was resolved.

Success Experienced

I really was nervous about using Dreamweaver at the start of this assignment. I had such a frustrating time with Photoshop and I was afraid Dreamweaver would be the same. However, Dreamweaver was not the same as Photoshop for me. I found Dreamweaver to be more user friendly and easier for the beginner to use.

Once I started working on my assignment, I immediately began to feel successful with Dreamweaver. As I watched the web pages come together, my confidence continued to grow. After I completed the assignment, I believe that I can continue to learn more about this program and use it successfully in the future.

Dreamweaver for Future Projects

I really enjoyed using Dreamweaver and believe that I will be able to use it a lot in the future. I know that I will have the opportunity to use it in future classes. However, I would like to continue to work on the web page that I have created for the 8th grade teachers in the future as well. I hope to add to the pages I have used in this assignment and plan to include home pages for the other teachers as well.

I would also like to help my church get a web page started in the future. I believe this experience will help me to successfully take on that challenge as well. I enjoyed Dreamweaver so much that I do plan on purchasing the program.

Blog #3

Photoshop Assignment

Before Photo of me and my husband









This is one of the pictures from our wedding. The picture has too much light on the top area and it is dark in the bottom area.


Description of Changes

I made a few changes to the picture using Photoshop CS4. The first change I made to the picture was to make the picture into a black and white photo. I did this just for fun and to see what we would look like in a black and white picture. I cropped the photo then changed the color by going to images, then mode, then grayscale. I then added a frame around the photo. I elected to add the bevel and emboss feature with the frame which you can't really tell in the black and white but you will be able to with the final picture.

This is the picture after the changes were made.















I then clicked on the edit and undo button to go back to the original picture. I wanted to continue to play with the coloring so I decided to see what the picture would look like as a sepia photo. I again cropped the photo first and added the frame. Then I changed it to sepia coloring. I did this under the basic toolbar by selecting actions then sepia toning. This is how the picture looked at this point.
















I again converted back to the original picture and made the following adjustments to get the end result picture. First, I changed the bright lighting around our faces by using the brightness and contrast. I only had to change the brightness for the photo to look more natural. To change the brightness and contrast, I went to adjustments and manually adjusted the brightness.

Next, I cropped the photo to focus in on our facial area. I did this by using the crop tool that is in the side toolbar. I then added a frame around the photo. I elected to add the bevel and emboss feature with the wood look frame. Finally, I added the Inner shadow layer. These features were under the basic menu.


This is the result of the picture after I made the changes in Photoshop.

























After Picture of me and my husband.

Obstacles Encountered

The obstacles I encountered with Photoshop included feeling overwhelmed, trying to decide which features to use, and lack of confidence in using the program. Photoshop is completely overwhelming to me. There are so many different features that can be used I did not know where to start. I think the biggest obstacle for me was trying to figure out what to do to the picture. When using Photoshop, you must decide what to do to the picture first then figure out which tool you will need to do the necessary adjustments. We had tutorials on how to use the features but I had to decide which feature I was wanting to use. This was difficult for me because of my lack of experience with Photoshop. I have never used a program like this before. I believe the lack of confidence in my ability to use the program made it more difficult on me.

Successes Experienced

Due to the fact that I have not used this program before, I decided to stay with some basic features to use. I was feeling overwhelmed, so I needed to start with some minor adjustments to my photo. I selected features to use that I felt would improve the picture but were also pretty user friendly. Once my picture was complete, I was pretty happy with the way it turned out. The picture had bright lighting on our faces and I was able to adjust the brightness to remove it. I was immediately happy with the results. I eliminated the bottom of the photo because I felt the focus should be more on our facial area and adding the trim to make it look a little fancier. I was happy with the end result and felt that I did an okay job with Photoshop. By using basic features and seeing success, I now feel that I can move to a few more advanced features.

Using Photoshop for Future Projects

I wish I could say that I am ready to jump into a major project using Photoshop. However, I am not there yet. I would love to use some of the features in future projects. I have another wedding picture where the lighting made my hair take on a green tint and my eyes are red. I would like to correct that picture for my next project. These pictures are important to me because they are of my wedding.

I would also like to use Photoshop with pictures of other things besides myself. I would like to see what the program is able to do when using a landscape or animal photograph. I think it would interesting to see what you can do with different types of pictures. I am playing some more right now by trying to put two pictures together to form one. It has been difficult but I have not given up.

Blog #2

Description of using HTML and CSS

During this assignment, we started with learning how to create a basic HTML page. We learned the basic tags to create a web page, as well as formatting, placing images, inserting tables, and how to link to web pages by reading the tutorials. Our assignment was to HTML code a basic web page using a text editor. Our page had to include the following:

• inserting an image
  
• text hyperlink to outside source
• text hyperlink to email account
• line of text using header tag
• an unordered list.

For our CSS assignment, we were required to edit a style sheet to create a different look. We were required to make ten edits. The edits included the following:

• font color
• font size
• heading tag
• change placement of image
• background color for one div or
• change padding or margin of element

We then uploaded the edited file to the content folder and the assignment tool.

Obstacles Encountered

During the HTML assignment, I encountered two obstacles, adding an image to the page and adding the link to my email.

During the CSS assignment, I encountered obstacles also. The first obstacle was looking for the assignment in the content section of BlackBoard. I kept looking for it but I was unable to find it. This was resolved by my instructor.

The next problem I had was selecting background colors for the CSS assignment. I tried many different colors together and really had a hard time finding the ones that worked well together for a web page. I have spent a lot of time trying to make the colors look appealing.

Obstacles Resolved

I encountered two obstacles, adding an image to the page and adding the link to my email during the HTML assignment. Adding the email link was easily resolved. I resolved the problems by emailing my instructor. First, I watched the tutorials again to make sure that I did not miss the email linking instructions. Once I still was unable to find the information, I sent my instructor an email. She immediately answered with instructions on how to link the email. Once I received her instructions, that part of the assignment was easily resolved.

I was not so lucky on the adding an image part. I reviewed the tutorials numerous times trying to figure out how to add an image on my page. I spent two days working on this one part of the assignment. At this point, I was starting to become a little frustrated and decided to google how to put an image on an HTML page. I was able to find a site that provided clearer instructions to me. I discovered what I was doing incorrectly, fixed it, and there was my image.

During the CSS assignment, the first obstacle was finding the assignment on BlackBoard. I resolved this obstacle by emailing my instructor. There was a problem with the files which she corrected and then we were able to access the files.

The second obstacle I encountered was trying to find colors that went together for a web page. I have tried many different combinations of the colors on the CSS document. I have used trial and error by uploading the file with the different colors to see if they looked appealing. As far as resolving this problem, I am not sure it is resolved. I am still not completely happy with the colors I have selected to go together. I believe I need to find some information to help me resolve this problem.

Successes Experienced

The biggest success I experienced with this assignment is the fact that I actually created pages that could be on the web. I never thought I would be able to do such a thing. I know basic information to create a page to put on the internet. I also found there are many tutorials available to guide you step by step in the creation of your site. Even though I struggled with getting the images to work, I stuck with it and was successful at creating the page.


Future Project Ideas for HTML and CSS

I do not know where to start with the future project ideas. First I would like to learn more about the concepts before I really use it to do any big projects. I would like to eventually use the information to create a web page for the 8th grade teachers where I work. A place were parents and students could get information about the classes, how to contact teachers, etc. The web site at our school is not great so I would like to do something for the 8th grade teachers first then maybe the middle school eventually.

Blog #1

ETEC 5213 - Introduction to Educational Media

I am currently enrolled in ETEC 5213 Introduction to Educational Media. The first week of this course was becoming familiar with the layout and the expectations of course. During week two and three, we were assigned two projects. One included using Microsoft Word and the other was using Microsoft PowerPoint. Below is a summary of my experiences with the two projects.



Description of how Microsoft Word and PowerPoint has been used in this course


During week two of this course, we were required to create an instructional manual that shows the process of downloading and installing software to a computer in Microsoft Word. We also had to include a table that listed the system requirements for the software. The instructional manual that I created was how to download and install the Kodak EasyShare software.

For the third week of this course, the assignment was to create an instructional PowerPoint presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentation had to include downloaded pictures, website links, digital photos, and a scanned image. The instructional PowerPoint I created was on water erosion. Water erosion is an eighth grade Earth Science topic.

Obstacles encountered using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint

While creating the instructional manual in Microsoft Word, the biggest obstacle that I encountered was my own lack of confidence. I have been using word for some time now; however, I had never used it to create an instructional manual.

The other obstacle that I encountered was trying to decide which software I wanted to use to create the manual. I looked at many different ones to use but ended up deciding on the Kodak EasyShare software.

There were more obstacles in PowerPoint for me. The biggest obstacle I dealt with when creating the PowerPoint was copyright issues. I would find the really great pictures only to find out they had a copyright. I was not completely sure of the law regarding educational purposes. So, instead I used pictures from government sites that stated the pictures could be used. The copyright issue was very frustrating to me. Obviously, copyright laws are an area I need to research and gain understanding of what is allowed.

The second obstacle I faced in creating the PowerPoint was my limited experience with scanning. I watched the required lessons regarding scanning; however, I still experienced a little trouble. I was trying to scan a picture of the Grand Canyon. I scanned three different pictures many times. I had issues with the coloring of the photo and making the photo look like it was real. I continued scanning until I was happy with one of the pictures. I really need to spend additional time learning the different scanning techniques.

The last obstacle was including the digital photos. I had to take many different shots of the area I was trying to capture before I felt that the picture was acceptable. I was taking pictures of the ground to show water erosion. I found a wonderful area where the water had eroded the land down to rock. It was difficult for me to create the image I was seeing into a photo. I found out that it is not so easy to take the picture when you are trying to create a certain image for others. I wanted others to see what I was able to in the photo. I do not feel I was able to do this in any of the photos I had taken. I kept two of the photos and included them in the presentation. I did realize that I need to continue practicing this in order to be successful.

Obstacles Resolved

I was able to resolve all of my obstacles. To resolve the obstacle of my lack of confidence with Word, I showed the instructional manual on downloading software to a few of my friends. I asked them for feedback on the manual. One of my friends, who is not very fond of technology, took the software and the manual and successfully downloaded the software to her computer. I knew if she was able to follow the manual that anyone could! Her ability to load the software help to increase my confidence with the project.

Selecting the software to use for my instructional manual was another obstacle that I had to overcome. I was not sure what software to use to provide a good instructional manual. I selected the Kodak EasyShare software because I felt the steps were easy to follow, the downloading process was visually pleasing, and the software was something that I could use. The software was great and my manual turned out perfect.

When creating my instructional PowerPoint I had issues with copyright, scanning, and using a digital camera. The most frustrating obstacle was the copyright issues that I kept facing. I would find a nice picture only to find a copyright with it. I overcame this obstacle by using photos from government websites such as the USGS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA. All three of these sites permitted copying and reproducing of the images as long as they received the credit. Once I found the sites, I was able to find all of the pictures I needed to complete the presentation.

Both the scanning and digital camera obstacles are clearly from lack of experience. I continued to scan images and take pictures until I thought the images were acceptable to include in the presentation. I guess the best way to describe how to overcome the obstacle would be that I continued working on the images until one came out that I could accept.

What I learned

I have learned so much from these two projects! The most exciting thing I learned was how to use a screen capture tool. I downloaded Lightscreen and used it during my instructional manual. I love this free tool! I have been using it a lot since the project. I will continue to use it in the future too.

While creating the instructional PowerPoint, I learned about the 6 x 6 rule. I have created many presentations. I use these daily while teaching. I had never heard of the 6 x 6 rule. Now that I know the rule, my students will be able to benefit more from my presentations.

I also learned to use the Alternate Text when including pictures for PowerPoint. This is used to help if a screen reader is being used. Again, I have created many presentations and have not ever thought about this being an issue. I know now to include it with every picture that I use.

I learned how to put a You Tube video into PowerPoint during this project too. I always thought that you could copy and paste and the video would show up in the presentation. I found out pretty quickly that is not how you need to do it. I was able to find instructions on how to put the video into the presentation. So, the You Tube video is now in my PowerPoint.

Uses in the Future

I have been asked to do a yearly workshop at my school district to show how to use the Senteo systems that we have. I will be able to use the screen capture to create an instructional manual now for those who attend! The screen capture will make the instructions more clear to them and will help them when they need to use the Senteo.

Also, I use PowerPoint on a daily basis. I now know how to change the presentations that I am using to be appropriate for the classroom. My students will benefit from this new knowledge.