Final Exam Questions!

1.  Are you glad you took this class? Why?

I almost responded to this question writing, "I am glad I took this class..." but if that isn't the understatement of the year, then I don't know what is! OF COURSE I am glad I took this class!!! Senior year is tough and I have had a pretty heavy workload (especially during the second half of the semester) but this class gave me something to look forward to every week.

I am also glad I took this class because I feel like I have learned so much valuable information about media and technology that will help me succeed in school and after I graduate. I now understand video, photo, lighting, and sound techniques and I am proficient in several social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and blogger. Using these sites and presenting in class has given me so much more confidence in my ability to communicate effectively!

2.  What did you learn that you did not know before coming into this class? What can you do now that you could not do before taking this class?

I think the most important thing I learned, as I mentioned above, was how to communicate in an entertaining an effective way. Doc Chris showed us how to do this by utilizing social media outlets and incorporating multimedia into our presentations. Looking back on the presentations I have done for other classes in the past, I can't believe how boring they were! The only things they consisted of were powerpoint slides and maybe a few pictures here and there - No wonder students never seem to be paying attention while their peers are presenting! I now know how to make a presentation fun, entertaining, engaging, and educational with the use of pictures, videos, sounds, and social media outlets.

Before taking this class, I only used Facebook and Twitter for my personal life but this class showed me that social media can be used for so much more. Taking full advantage of social media can help you perform better in school, work, an internship, etc. and this class has taught me how to apply social media to those aspects of my life!

3.  Evaluate your group's performance and your own personal growth in this course. Please give your opinion on the direction of the class.

I think that our group, Las Mujeres, performed exceptionally well throughout the semester. Week after week, we applied Doc's constructive criticism and advice regarding our chapter presentations, making each presentation better than the last. I think that forming groups was another way in which Doc Chris challenged us to become more interactive as a class and learn from each other. I think Las Mujeres rose to this challenge, bonding more and more every class.

As I reflect on my personal growth in the course, I cannot believe how much I have learned. When I have to learn about something for a class, I will often memorize the information before a test, and then forget it the minute I hand the completed exam to my teacher. In this course, I think I retained so much information because what we were doing never really felt like just learning; we were always having fun and being entertained. I also attribute my personal growth to the hands-on nature of the course. Rather than just reading about how to use social media outlets, we actually used them.

4.  Finally, you must evaluate me. Be fair but truthful. Have I been Helpful? Did I listen to concerns that you had? Have I tried to work with you through individual and group situations? Do you like the way the class has been conducted? Do you understand the purpose of putting people on trial? (Hint: it is not to embarrass you)

Doc Chris Edutaining!

One of the things I appreciated the most about Doc Chris is that he always encourage us to be better, but never penalized us for not being good enough. When we were doing the group presentations, for example, he would tell us what we could improve on and he always expected the next presentation to be better. When Doc Chris critiqued our presentations, it never seemed like he was taking point off, but rather giving us the opportunity to earn points next week. I think putting people on trial served a similar purpose - it gave students an opportunity to acknowledge their missteps and improve from that point on.

I have never had a teacher before who seemed as confident as Doc Chris did in every student's potential to grow. This came across in his encouraging words and willingness to help students who were struggling at different points. I also like that Doc always says that he is learning from us as well, discovering ways to improve the class for next semester. This made me feel like Doc truly valued our opinions and proved to me that he genuinely wants to perfect the course so that it is as effective as possible!

5.  Now that you have experienced Edutainment and convergence as a teaching method that helps you learn, what do you think?

All teachers have slight quirks that make their teaching styles a little different, but they all seem to be variations of the same teaching method. This is why I am SO glad I had the chance to experience Edutainment and convergence before I graduated! It is such an original and refreshing learning experience that provides students with the tools they need in a constantly evolving technological world. When I think about the fact that just 30 years ago cell phones weren't even commercially available yet, I realize how quickly technology has evolved and how much it has changed the world in which we live. Social media, for example, has completely redefined how we form and maintain relationships, how we interact with each other, how we express ourselves... (the list goes on and on!)

I love that the Edutainment and convergence methods incorporates and emphasizes social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google + into the lesson plan. It creates an interactive classroom environment that I have never really experienced before. I have learned so much this semester not only from Doc Chris, but also from my peers, and I don't think this would have been possible without the Edutainment and convergence method. Human beings are, by nature, social; we like to be part of a community. No matter what the experience is - eating dinner, working out, going to a movie - I enjoy it more when I can share it with others... So why should my learning experience be any different? Well, the Edutainment and convergence principles demonstrate that learning can be an interactive experience!

This video is all about how much technology influences our world today. I was blown away by some of the facts presented in the video because it seems like in such a short period of time, technology and social media have affected practically every aspect of our lives! Watch below and see for yourself how important it is for this generation's students to learn about technology in school: