Overall, I think DS106 was a challenging class. There were no exams, which is definitely my downfall, but the work was very time consuming. I was surprised by the amount of work expected. I think if students would have had more software available to them, projects would have been easier. I guess that was one of the challenges in this class, but I think if the materials are available they should be utilized.

As for the final project, it was very difficult to come up with a topic out of nowhere. Some grading criteria might have helped guide many through this vast world of ideas. I enjoyed taking pictures and actually learned a good bit. I also wish we would have had more time to wrap things up. I am not really sure if I would have done anything differently for the final project because I have no criteria to base it against.

My proudest work this semester was probably the video essay. It was not the greatest and I hated recording my voice, but figuring out how to use the software was an accomplishment. If I would have known windows movie maker was installed on my computer then it would not have been so bad.  I also really enjoyed the daily shoot. It took a lot of creativity to get some of those photos.

Will I use the tools taught in this class after tonight? Who knows. I am certainly not going to be posting videos on you tube, but you could definitely put together a great presentation. I also think you can learn a lot from the audio portion that would be really helpful in job interviews or self presentation in general. Most of the software I will probably not use again though because there are way too many restrictions.

I think the project I enjoyed most in the class was the “Berry Adventures” posted by Valerie. It was such a simple project, but the music and the pictures made it powerful. It just shows that you can do a whole lot with whole little. And kudos to Valerie for taking pictures in public of a stuffed animal. Here is the link if you want to check it out: http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d1650741k6664428o1/blacksburg-berry. So long DS106.