Why did you select the student you did?

As I was pre-student teaching at the time, I had access to high school level students. These students were also, as noted by my cooperating teacher, college-bound students. The coop teacher and I flushed out the goal of the "What it takes to be a collegiate level scientist" and then I was to fully design the lesson from the ground up.

How did the student's results compare to the researched findings?

Almost all of the student's drawings aligned with the research in the first table. The fact that, even among high schoolers, the stereotypes are not only strong but typically stronger than previous years of education. This not only is terrifying that, as students age, the misconceptions are reinforced, but the fact that they become so prevalent they begin to believe it. Witnessing that for students going to college is so sad that, even as students going into science fields, they were subconsciously thinking about the stereotypical scientist.

What did you learn about the students after talking to them and scoring their tests?

The majority of the students were sad, if I am going to be honest. The class was almost a majority of women going into science and the fact they had almost realized first hand what they were comparing themselves to lead to some melancholic feelings. As seen in the video, I quickly transferred this to a learning point as focusing on the negative doesn't allow for students to realize why it's bad. From there, the students became much more interested in what they had learned and that fostered additional conversations about why that occurred in the first place.

As a teacher, what could you do to give students a more positive attitude toward science?

While not seen within this specific video, I followed that up with a discrepant event for the students to practice good science in their unique way. This not only led to a more engaged class but also lead to the typically quiet class to open up and ask good questions. By covering and explaining the true obstacles in their way, students were able to actively fight against that even within their own classroom. Many of the students later also reported to my coop teacher that they really enjoyed my lesson and that I gave them a lot to think about, which, at the end of the day, is the most important thing when it comes to science.

1. What did the guests learn or what skills did they gain as a result of this station?

We worked with one student on the basics of the 360 degree camera. He learned what it was, how it works, and different ways people use it. For example, on YouTube, Facebook, and mainly for our purposes, Google Maps. We took him out to try the camera and he got to see what a picture taken with a 360 camera looks like. We also showed him how to upload it onto Google maps and how you can find it in Google.

Our guests also learned the unique power technology has in sharing and telling stories. 360 videography has the ability to fully capture an environment exactly as it appears. Reinforcing that technology is much more than an entertainment device, but also has many forms of expression. It just takes a willingness to learn to be able to find new ways to share your story.

2. What did you do to prepare for the evening?

We prepared for the STEM day by taking the 360 cameras out and practicing with them in class previously. Specifically, we found different ways of using the camera to make shots more clear. Such as placing the camera bulb in a shadow and pivoting the camera so the sides lined up with the shadow minimizing the stabilizer stick's shadow. We practiced outside and inside to make sure we were able to work well with the camera and the app. We also walked around our assigned buildings to see what interesting features they have that would be fun to photograph. We also learned how to upload the pictures onto google maps street view so people can see what campus looks like without coming.

3. How did you adjust for different age groups?

Due to the fact that we only had one person in our group, we did not have to adjust to different age groups. However, we could have made adjustments had the student been younger. If they were younger, we may have adjusted our focus to just taking photos and videos, rather than uploading to Google Maps. We also would perhaps simplify some of the vocabulary terms used when it comes to describing the 360 degree camera. However, I think students of all ages could get a valuable experience from the 360 degree camera in one way or another.

4. If you could do it again, what would you do differently?

Perhaps have the student download it on their phone or take an iPad so they can actually do the picture taking. That way they get a more genuine tutorial of how they work, and they would be able to practice uploading it to Google maps themselves. Another thing to modify, is to try and have clear goals set for the students. Examples like "Have an Easter egg in one photo","Be entirely invisible in one photo", ECT may help the students to puzzle out their own ideas for how to capture photos that meet those needs.

I recorded this video on January 24th in my basement. This is the actual location I play D&D with my friends as it has a very vintage feel which adds to the ambiance of the whole experience. I am sharing this video over my educational Youtube channel as it is a way for students to get to know more about me but also know that I do more than just teach in a classroom. It also makes it super easy to share and show people!

Purpose:

My video is about what Dungeons and Dragons is, how to play it, and a Choose Your Own Adventure system embedded in it for people to experience something akin to a D&D experience. I chose this because I am a firm believer that people need the opportunity to be the heroes in their own story. In the information age where many people feel like they have no control, D&D gives everyone 100% agency and allows you to be anyone.

Style:

As a Choose Your Own Adventure, I want the video to be stimulating and engaging for anyone who views it. I want it to be a sensory experience so I chose specific imagery and audio to go with the narration I give to increase the total experience. This helps to elevate the story immersion and giving the ability to chose how the story goes makes the adventure specific for each person.

Emotional Appeal:

With the nature of the adventure, and wanting it to be a positive experience for all, everyone becomes something. Whether that be a roguelike wizard trying to uncover dark secrets or a noble Reclaimer who works for the Empire, everyone gets to be a hero in their own unique way. I'm applying to the emotional appeal of being able to become a hero in your own story that you decide your fate in. At the base level, I want you to experience wonder, hope, and adventure!

Edits:

By specifically using narration, I had to choose imagery and audio cues that would help to immerse and envelope a sense of reality so the user experience was engaging. I had to purposefully cut out and rearrange certain clips in order to provide fluidity and immersion so the viewer was never bored or disengaged.

Final Thoughts:

As this is my first attempt at doing a project like this, I am 100% certain that I was not able to nail my overall goal exactly. Even though I did the best I could, the amount of free and royalty-free options for video editing is quite sparse. While I still like how it turned out, I know I have a long way to go for it to be considered professional. However, I also know that the video will have a small amount of my own personal charm and quirks so I hope, in the end, people can still have fun!