4.+Reflection

=//**A. Assignment 1 - Online Identity**//=


 * 1) **What Issues might be involved in having an online presence?**

As the internet allows you to create an online presence and upload personal information about yourself and others, the internet therefore creates a forum for scrutiny on your behalf. As a future educator, I am now being very cautious about the information I allow to be accessed about myself via websites like Facebook and online chat rooms or blog spaces. I became aware of the immediate dangers of online presences associated with being a teacher whilst i was on my Placement and one of my year 10 students added me repeatedly on Facebook. Whilst I believe in the great aspects associated with Facebook like connecting with friends and family etc, my professional life and personal life need to be balanced and kept separate. Although, network sharing sites like Facebook allow you to control to some degree your private settings and the people who have access to your account, it is still a very public forum.

Also, my manager at my workplace MYER, has a Facebook and I am very cautious about her being able to see my profile and information I have posted on Facebook. I sometimes have status updates saying 'can't be bothered working today' or 'too hungover for work', and If my manager was to view this information, although you may think it is private and freedom of speech, I could be left unemployed because it denotes my work ethic.

2. **What are some strategies that may be helpful to address these issues?**

To address the separation of professional life and personal life in terms of Facebook, it is simple to just create two accounts - one for professional use and the other private.

3. **Which tools do you think will be most useful for your own professional/personal life?**

I found most web 2.0 tools useful, particularly Delicious which I will use frequently when I become a teacher. Delicious is an excellent bookmarking site and the ready access of it will be amazing as I will be using different computers and networks on a daily basis. Facebook I will always use as I have friends and family all around the world and it is the easiest form of communication I have with them. YouTube will be the most valuable tool I will use in future in both my public and personal life. I am a strong believer in the use of Youtube because I love students using technology as technology is a massive part in our everyday lives and I love students being able to utilise their creative skills to express their opinions and viewpoints. I also have found the use of wikis very useful, not for my personal life but definitely in my professional life as I will use them in future for educational purposes and for a means for students to blog their thoughts and opinions in a forum which is controlled and more private than a Facebook account.

=**//B. Assignment 2 - the Radio Cut//**=

1. **What were the issues involved in making this file and how did you solve them?**

There were several issues involved in making my Radio Cut. The first was finding the time to interview the person i interviewed as he works long hours and does night-shift. The second was finding a device to record my interview on. I originally recorded it on my iPhone - thinking I could easily get the file off my iPhone onto iTunes then onto my computer; this was not the case. I didn't have a MacBook at the time of this assignment so using the recording device on the iPhone proved very difficult when using Windows.

I had to re-do the interview, but this time I bought a headpiece with an attached microphone which recorded straight onto Audacity which was awesome because I needed the file in Audacity anyway to be able to edit it into the final piece.

2. **In what way would the ability to produce a sound file be useful?**

It will be useful because you can edit and listen to the file. You can always revisit the file and fix up any changes you encounter with it by simply editing it. You can import and export the files onto any network.

=//**C. Assignment 3 - Digital Story**//=


 * 1. What did you learn from this process?**

I learnt how to edit, record and upload films. This assignment has been the most challenging yet rewarding out of the 3 assignments. It was a challenge having to interview my Uncle as he lives where I am from in Mildura so I had to go home which is over 4 hours away from Adelaide. I know I could have chosen to interview someone in Adelaide and base my digital story on something less challenging, however, my Uncle going to the Vietnam war is an amazing story which I believed should be re-told to people.

The most frustrating part of this process was having to drive home and then have my computer blow up whilst i was in the process of collating the digital story. I then chose to buy a MacBook and learning how to do use the mac applications has been difficult.

The most rewarding part of this process was being able to show my Uncle the finished product. He hasn't ever been able to talk about his experiences in Vietnam as he literally gets goosebumps on his arms whenever asked about it by people who weren't there to understand the circumstances the soldiers were faced with in Vietnam. I think it was very rewarding for me to be able to make a story about his involvement because his wife doesn't ever let him talk about the war as her first husband went to the war also but when he returned he was a completely different person and she also came from a strong political background not believing in the war. In a way this digital story has given my uncle peace and clarity and he has carried around so many demons for over 40 years and to be able to turn those demons into something with a positive spin to it is amazing.


 * 2. View other class stories**


 * Dave King's Digital Story**
 * Dave's digital story was very intriguing. I loved the laid back storyline of it. It looked as though it would have been very fun and chilled to make of course until the editing part of it. It reminded me a little of an idea I originally had about doing my digital story on my 21st Birthday Party, utilising a collation of my photos. I like the 'real' element to Dave's story. The fact he went away on a holiday with some mates for their 21st's and still managed to take shots of all the right photos needed for his digital story shows his enthusiasm in the task.


 * Shannyn Daniel's Digital Story**


 * This story was amazing. I could tell it was a very personal story for Shannyn to make. It was interesting to hear and see the life of someone who means a lot to Shannyn.


 * 3. In what way might Digital Storytelling be useful in teaching?**

Digital Storytelling will be useful in teaching because it gives students the ability to create anything and share it with their classmates. Even the shy student will be happy in doing this because although they are sharing their work with the class, it takes away the element of focus on them.

=//**D. Assignment 4 - Review of the Topic**//=


 * 1. What activities did you find to be most valuable?**

I found all activities to be valuable. Without doing each of them, the digital story would not have been a success. The assignment layout of the topic was good because each task was essentially like a step-by-step guide to producing a major piece - the Digital Story. Learning the web 2.0 tools side of the topic gave me skills which I will need and will use in my teaching career.


 * 2. What activities did you find to be least useful?**

When weighing up the importance and usefulness of web 2.0 tools to the skills acquired with the Radio Cut and Digital Story, I would have to say the web 2.0 tools are least important The skills i learnt in the process of making my radio cut and digital story were harder to aquire than those of utilising web 2.0 tools.


 * 3. Summarise what you have learned in this topic**

I have learned many useful skills in this topic which I did not even know existed before this topic. All the skills and the web 2.0 tools I have used in this topic I will use when I am a teacher. This topic forced me to buy a MacBook which has been awesome :) Editing files and creating films is one thing i have never done before now and i am glad i know how because the importance and usefulness of them for students will be amazing.