X Marks the Spot

This is it. On this hazy Saturday I will struggle through my first blog post and you’re along for the ride. I said hazy because smoke from a Washington State wildfire blankets Victoria. It smells like campfires. I told myself that the haze would look cool on my first video shoot down at the beach this morning. I documented my trip down to Witty’s Lagoon, where I rode my skimboard with a few friends.

 I am excited to be starting the BEd Post Degree Professional Program at UVIC. Learning through zoom is a technical challenge that will pair nicely with my Ed Tech course. I’m looking forward to documenting my experiences in Ed Tech here on this blog. The Free Inquiry Assignment provides an academic incentive to learn about recording and editing video, a skill that I have always admired and wanted to explore. I remember the slide shows and short videos that my past teachers would make for lessons and to document school trips or events. How could I incorporate these skills into my own classroom one day? Entering this education program was a long-anticipated goal as I worked through my BA in English and I am thrilled to start my journey to become an educator in British Columbia. 

I took my girlfriend’s Gopro Hero 7 to Witty’s Lagoon, filming different shots of the experience to chop up and paste together into a story of my trip. My family dog, Skye, is the true star of the experience. I don’t think she enjoyed walking back and forth with me as I retrieved the camera from various positions, she was too excited to get down to the water. I carefully captured many different clips, parking my car every time I operated the camera or adjusted the angle on the journey there. I hope these shots turn out well so I can use them for my first foray into recording and editing video. I will be starting off with a free video editing software, yet to be determined. I have a little bit of experience with iMovie on my Macbook, but I want to experiment with a new editing software on Windows with my desktop computer. Having a deeper knowledge of both operating systems could certainly come in handy! Once I decide on a video editing software, I’m sure to be watching many instructional videos on Youtube to figure out how to edit the way I want to. 

Perhaps this post is a little long-winded for my first blog post. Perhaps my writing is a little rusty. This kind of writing is unusual for me, having a rather insignificant social media presence, and it pushes me out of my comfort zone. Accomplishing that is generally worth it. I will be documenting my progress on the Free Inquiry assignment as I develop my editing skills, as well as reflecting on my coursework and later posting about my Resource Development Assignment. Stay tuned to hear more about my first time editing video, to see the steps I take throughout the process, and to eventually see the finished product!