I attended the TCEA conference back in February of 2002, and that is where I first heard of the TATC program. I had never taken an online course before, but here was a program that embodied all the areas that I desperately needed to gain experience in order to prepare myself for the TA courses I would be teaching, as well as a certification. Vision IT helped me to get an overview of what was expected in the year ahead. I was a bit overwhelmed with the Adobe Software, but the exposure was great! I did end up using software that I was more familiar with during the program. One goal of mine is to pursue learning more about the Adobe Software. I had some concerns at this point, for example, that I would forget to post something, or just get really behind because of time conflicts. And then there was this word "matrix" and "portfolio" that I was unsure about. I soon found out, when 100 Foundations began, that between the syllabus, announcements, and the instructor's efforts, that I would be fully aware of what I needed to do. Time, of course, was the biggest obstacle, but I found that if I could get in some weekend time, and many late nights,  my week went much smoother. Thanks to a supporting family I was able to do that when needed. After seeing examples of portfolios and the matrix, I was at least aware of the ultimate goal ahead, which was to create a collections of captioned artifacts that would illustrate my growth and competency in all TA areas and their aligned TEKS. The challenge (s) lay ahead, and with the help of patient instructors, and a mentor that willingly gave great support anytime, I felt more at ease with the online environment.

The 100 Foundations course seemed to set the pace for the entire program. It was a great time to get to know the others in my channel, and to learn more about the portfolio guidelines. The Elements and Principles of Design were new to me, therefore it was important for me to be able to recognize these qualities that would play such an important role across the TA Standards. This first course, to some degree, enabled me to encounter almost all of the standards that I would later be learning more about.

Standards I-V are understood as being a foundation for the rest of the TA Standards. Using relevant terms, ethical practices, current technologies, task appropriate tools, and communicating information in different formats are things that we all are expected to have been utilizing. Through the TATC experience, I was able to apply these standards in different ways, and recognize how they can be used in addition to Standards VII-XI.

Standard VII--Desktop Publishing

I remember feeling relieved when it was time for the Desktop Publishing course. I thought I was at least familiar with the concept, and had always felt comfortable when creating publications in the past. The course went above and beyond what I had expected. The skills I learned and resources I gained enhanced what I thought I already knew about Desktop Publishing. The book by Robin Williams, The Non-Designer's Design Book, opened my eyes to design elements that I did not have any clue about previously. The book was a great asset to use in my Desktop Publishing class I taught this year. I know these tools, skills, new terms, and artifacts that I produced will play a huge part in preparing me to teach this course in the future. Not only was I able to apply these new terms, but I also was able to sharpen my web design skills when creating the unit/lesson plan. Through all of these activities, the readings, and discussions, I feel as though I have competently accomplished this standard.

Standard VIII--Digital Graphics and Animation

I knew so little about this subject area going in to this course. Thankfully, the course was laid out so that I could build upon each module. Being able to put each step together for a final unit lesson plan helped me to attain the required skills associated with the standard, as well as involving other standards in the process. My lowest point was animation. It was a huge challenge for me. I tried to keep it simple so that I could stay focused on the learning aspect rather than getting too frustrated with my lack of skill. Researching animation components, and creating an animation to be used in the unit lesson plan helped me to learn the basic skills necessary to build upon and use in my classes. The digital graphics assignments like creating a  graphic collage to express ourselves, researching software and information on image integrity and file formats, are some approaches I plan to incorporate in my classes. I relied heavily on the Interactive Guides, readings, and the input from others in my channel. Those resources and discussions helped to reinforce my attempts in completing the assignments and accomplishing Standard VIII.

Standard IX--Multimedia

I was excited about this course, because of the skills and ideas I was going to be learning. Many times I would began a course by reading the entire syllabus for all four weeks. I will admit sometimes this was scary, but this course seemed to have all the bases covered as to what I needed to learn more about. The course began by introducing our favorite multimedia production. Then it moved on to software, vocabulary, and a progression of stages led us to create an interactive photo album. I learned not only about presentational skills, but how to use the various parts of multimedia to create the presentation. The next stage of the course was on sound and sound editing software. There was so much I had never considered in dealing with sound. At the time I was trying to decide on sound editing software. This allowed me to research possible software for my class. Because of the great work of others in my channel, I was able to learn from their research and determine the best software that would meet my budget and students' needs. The entire course prepared me for creating a multimedia product titled, Movie Integration. Again, I was able to sharpen my web design skills and create a persuasive presentation that included sound, related links, timeline, integrated video clip, and overall summary of our target audience. When it was all said and done this particular project is one I enjoyed the most. The course was very time consuming, but definitely worthwhile. I was able to tie together all the parts that make up multimedia, and enhance the skills I had learned in the other courses. The 203 elective course helped to extend those skills. It challenged me, and provided many more resources and ideas to be used in my future multimedia classes.

Standard X--Video Technology

The one thing that comes to mind when I think about this course was how relieved I was when journal day rolled around. I knew that I was that much closer to the end. I just took it module by module, and asked a lot of questions. The first week we jumped in and worked in groups to create a mood video, assess hardware/software, and got to know our digital recorders. I learned so much that first week! During the group experience, I gained so much insight into video production from the other group members. We had specific roles, and I thought we worked together well to produce a peaceful video. The rest of the course dealt with techniques and preparation for our music video. Through the process of producing my own music video, I recognized the importance of storyboard scripts, and a project management plan. Producing the video required much planning and time. It was a great experience, trying at times, but a challenge that prepared me to face future video productions. The subject area of compression was very new to me, and will be very useful in future class productions. I learned so much in this entire course, that though it was very challenging for me, it was indeed just what I needed to help prepare me for my future video classes. 

Standard XI--Web Mastering

Looking back on this course, I can honestly say that it was one of the most beneficial learning experiences. Not only were the skills involved in this particular standard required throughout all of the other courses, but this was an area that I needed to feel more confident in before addressing it in a classroom setting. I had some experience using FrontPage, but quickly learned that my HTML skills needed help. Step by step throughout the course of creating a portfolio homepage, and working with additions to the portfolio I became more comfortable and confident. The travel web site was a challenging task for me. I value this particular experience because it not only gave me an opportunity to learn the skills by applying them, but it prepared me for the rest of the courses that required web authoring skills. It also taught me to be aware of functionality and effectiveness. I haven't viewed a web site the same since. I now feel I have the foundation to facilitate these skills in future web mastering classes.

Conclusion--

What an experience! There were good times, and frustrating times. However, that is what made it an experience that I will always value. I never felt as though I wasn't fully informed or that no one was available to assist me. I was fortunate to have instructors and a mentor that understood what I was facing. I appreciate their sacrifices and dedication. I plan to give myself some time to sit back and review these skills in order to continue my learning experience, while applying them in preparation of my upcoming TA classes that I will be teaching.

Top of Page