This has been one of the biggest projects I have ever
done with a group, and it was a completely different experience for me. For my
group, our biggest struggle for this project was the time it took for us to
edit the movie. I certainly did not have any experience with editing and it
took us much more time to fix audio and to place the movie together than
expected. What made me most proud of the documentary was being able to see it
all put together and watching the final cut after a whole semester of planning
for the whole documentary. My group and I did the best that we can, so I think
that I would not change anything about the documentary. The main responsibility
I had within the group was setting up the citations of all the sources we used
for the documentary, as well as deciding meeting times and helping Anna come up
with a script. However, we all were able to contribute in other roles to making
this documentary a success. I definitely learned how to do cuts for certain
clips and got to speak in the voice recording room. It was a joy working with
Monique, Anna, and Emma; we all got to know each other a little better and had
many jokes throughout the project. I wish I could have been more resourceful
with editing the movie. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better group.
The
course was unique, in comparison to a typical English class, and allowed me to interpret
readings and projects to the outside world. None of the readings affected me
significantly, but gave me insight to what other people consider as symbolic to
them. “Born into Coal” was one of the lectures I most enjoyed because the video
informed the audience about the burden coal actually is to some families,
despite the benefits of coal in the United States. The project has helped me
realize things that I never knew about study abroad and that I would remember
when I decide to participate in education abroad. Public speaking was something
I did not enjoy. It still is something I do not enjoy and never will. However,
I have hopefully improved skills in getting the audience more involved and entertained
during presentations. Speaking in front of the class is more than just the
content of a speech; it also involves using space, keeping eye contact, and
projecting your voice. It is often difficult, though, to be able to reach these
goals when speaking, especially with the nerves I usually have when it comes to
speaking or when being graded for how I communicate. In my opinion, I believe
verbal communication is more sophisticated than writing essays and can be
better used in the future. The style of the course was laid back and gave time
for working in groups for the project. However, I would have preferred more
assignments and homework so that the grades do no substantially shift. If that
was the case, I would have got a preferable grade. Participation plays a
significant role in grades for this class, which was inconvenient for many who
may not be as talkative as others or may have nothing to say. I would suggest
fewer discussions and maybe more activities that relate to the topics so that
all the students could participate in class.