Introduction
I’ve improved my ability to express myself during the first half of the semester. Normally, I’m nervous to speak in front of a group, but this class and my classmates have really helped me feel comfortable sharing my thoughts and concerns. How to cite, analyze, and produce multimedia was one of the abilities and subjects I learned. I loved how flexible the classroom environment was for learning. It wasn’t like a typical class; instead, it was more about developing skills and teamwork. Because the class was so laid-back, I had a hard time being consistent because I frequently forgot to voice my opinions or speak up in class. I feel like I did a great job of achieving goals 1 and 4, but I want to improve on goals 3 and 5. I believe that I fell short of achieving target 1 on the section of extending into Microsoft against Google throughout the second half of the semester. However, I do not think that has hindered my work or my versatility in using both tools as necessary. I do believe that I met my goal in the first part including group work. When reading “Salvage the Bones,” goal number three improved a little because there were outside questions that could be brought to the novel. I succeeded in achieving goal 5 by being more prepared for my speech in class and making an effort to keep eye contact with my audience. I was also able to respond to questions concerning my presentation’s portion.
Goal 1 (20%)
Expand my collaboration tools. Work on expanding my diversity between Microsoft and Google. Practice good student habits to improve my experience
Picture #1 is a collaboration between Koze, Garrison, and I. We was able to look at another group’s work as an example and generate more with our group. As we continued to branch off our direct causes and indirect causes, we collaborated by discussing ideas. In the second image, instead of utilizing Google, which is my favorite tool, I’ve created a script using a Word document. My third picture is a collaboration that my group and I did for digital project #3. We were able to communicate and satisfy the maximum requirements for the paper despite some students missing one or two lessons in order to submit it on time. To present to the class, our group also collaborated on a google slides presentation.
Goal 2 (10%)
Be willing to learn and seek information outside the classroom and apply it to new situations in the class
The first image comes from an article in our collection of the Best Interactive Multimedia Journalism. I was able to study this multimedia about a drug raid that resulted in the deaths of 3 guys and use it as the basis for my second digital project. I inferred from the text and interactive module that three men were shot during a narcotics bust, but that the shooting took place in the middle of the day while children were coming home from school. My digital project evolved into a discussion on careless gun use and being unprepared while around weapons. The other images were taken from various sources to illustrate my point about how little people nowadays know about guns negligence. The source I studied for my paper on Hurricane Katrina is where I got the last picture. Everybody’s part of the project required them to use an outside source and be able to draw enough information from it to create an essay that matched the project’s word count.
Goal 3 (30%)
Create logical research questions relevant to the problem and be able to cite information correctly
There were times when I could find a reasonable question and draw connections from the text to support it while reading “Salvage the Bones.” In my second image of my collaborative paper, I was required to cite the outside sources I had contributed to the table.
Goal 4 (20%)
Be able to convey my thought in words to give readers more understanding of my topic
I used this picture for this goal because it has commentary from my digital project #1. The story was supposed to be personal to us when we were given the assignment to write it. I considered this to be the ideal illustration since I was able to successfully express my ideas and feelings in writing while also touching the feelings of the reader. Making sure that my words and verbiage can convey a picture without using literal imagery was my main focus.
Goal 5 (20%)
Improve my ability to write a speech and practice speech etiquette
I picked this picture for an example of my goal because of the freedom that came with it. When assigned digital project #2 we were able to make our own script, our own audience, and creativity with our video. We haven’t done speeches in class but I considered this one. I was able to talk off my script and the top of my brain with personality to make the video my own. The Google doc that my group and I used to present to the class is my second image. This goal is supported by the fact that I was instructed not to read directly from my paper to my classmates but rather to summarize what I felt was important to say clearly.