Kelsey’s Learning Record
Kelsey Osborne
Junior WRTC Major
Welcome to my WRTC 332 Learning Record page! This is where I will be tracking the course objectives and learning dimensions that have been covered throughout this semester!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Design multimodal stories using a variety of methods and technologies for a variety of audiences
Throughout this course I have experienced this learning objective. The first project that comes to mind for this are the different Instagram stories we have worked on throughout the semester. We began with introducing our class, then ourselves, then interviewing professors. These different attempts working with the platform have helped me to grow much more knowledgeable on the platform. The early Instastories were not nearly as good as the more recent stories. From interviewing professors to interviewing peers, this can clearly be seen improving. When working with Jess to make “A WRTC Major” Instagram story, I decided to discontinue use of iMovie and switched entirely to the GoPro video editing app. This made the story much more fun and interesting and limited some of the problems I had from working on the Jay Varner story.
Instastory First Draft
Instastory Second Draft
Instastory Final Draft
The skills necessary to make Instagram stories were all put to use in the beginning with the Jay Varner project. For the next Instagram Story project, I took apps used by other peers to better the format and attention to detail for the story. A WRTC Major Instagram story showcases how my Instagram centered projects have improved with the semester.
A WRTC Major Instastory
Demonstrate your ability to work with clients and collaborators on digital storytelling projects
We have collaborated on many different assignments throughout the semester. When working on the Jay Varner Instagram story with Jess, we sent our product back and forth with each other until we were happy with our end result. This project showed the importance of deadlines especially when one is collaborating. Additionally, many projects throughout the semester have required important attention to deadlines.
Through this project I was able to rework one of my previous papers to be more interesting by making it multimodal. The remix of this project has much more substance to it than it had without visual elements. The remix treatment has given me an opportunity to enhance and project and my skills on the subject. This project will now have a place in my portfolio for future jobs and internship opportunities.
For the first shorthand draft, I was lacking almost all the pictures I needed for my final project. This project was originally on Adobe Spark but with the switch to Shorthand, I lacked the needed emphasis on other media that the website requires.
The second shorthand draft took into account the edits from peer reviewing that were necessary for the project to improve. This second draft was then submitted for further review. The photos in this draft were not up to par with the hopes of me or my peers for this version.
Thanks to working with collaborators to perfect this assignment, I was able to all-around improve on the final version of this project. Better photos of more touristy attractions were added in to make the work more enticing and other basic copy editing was put in at the recommendation of collaborators.
DIMENSIONS OF LEARNING
Skills and Strategies
My photo editing skills have greatly improved throughout this course. As photos have been very important to making multimodal storytelling the best, I have played around with snapseed and vsco as well as a variety of other apps. Strategy wise I have learned the importance of planning for interviews. When interviewing and recording, its important to go in knowing what angles you want as well as what you will be asking. Going into an interview not knowing what you want only leaves you lost. Below is a photo of me during my interview with Jess in A WRTC Major. Being on the other side of an interview as opposed to giving one has helped me to become more confident in front of the camera or in front of someone interviewing me
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
My photo editing skills were greatly enhanced by the different apps we have used throughout the semester. From the seascape photos, the after photos are very vibrant. The original photos don’t offer the same brightness and luxury the other photos produce with their colors. It was very beneficial to my remix project to have photos taken by myself as I wanted the audience to see some of the beauty of my home that I do. Snapseed and Airbrush photo editing apps helped me to get the right pictures for the remix project.
Use of prior and emerging knowledge
I already knew most of the ins and outs of Instagram but have become much more familiar with the platform but because the app isn’t great for editing footage I had to use other apps. I used iMovie when editing our Jay Varner Instagram story. iMovie is fairly new to me so it was interesting to learn the best way to use the platform. iMovie was a great tool for cutting and editing, but after learning about other apps through the Dork Shorts in class, I decided on the GoPro video editing app for the InstaStory on a WRTC Major. This tool was extremely helpful in making footage clean cut and fun without the challenges of having to download multiple apps.
Additionally, StoryMap was a new technology for me to work out but this is a platform I will likely use again. My StoryMap is a tour of my hometown that I did while working on my remix. Since the topics are related I debated integrating this project into the remix but didn’t want to add more visuals into my already visual heavy remix.
Creativity, originality, and imagination
My academic remix is a project that is most original to me and my life so I’ve become very attached to it. The pictures I used throughout the remix helped to may my work more original to my own work, especially since all of the photos used were ones that I have taken and have edited by myself. Learning different photography techniques to enhance my work was an essential part of this course. There were different types of photos that I hadn’t previously learned about but now take into account when editing my pictures.
Though I have expanded my creativity, my originality sticks with my comfort zone. Though I would like to grow out of my comfort zone, it is currently what has made my work original. Two of my projects this semester were on my hometown. I really enjoy this topic as it is really unique and I can write a lot on it, but I would like to change up my topics more than I have. I enjoy this creative aspect of my work for its authenticity in my roots and I hope to find ways to further expand on it.
rule of thirds
rule of thirds
fill the frame
viewpoint
viewpoint
lines
