JOURNAL AS PRACTICAL TEACHER AT KOLEJ PROFESIONAL MARA INDERA MAHKOTA (KPMIM) by AIMAN BIN RASIDE (KL)

INTRODUCTION

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 08:52:29 UTC

My name is Aiman bin Raside, and I am a lecturer at Kolej Profesional MARA Indera Mahkota (KPMIM). I am pursuing a Diploma in Education at UPTM with the aim of strengthening my professional qualifications as an educator, enhancing my teaching practices through the application of pedagogical knowledge, and contributing more effectively to the advancement of quality education.

For my practicum, which is carried out at my own workplace, I am attached to the Department of Quantitative Science where I teach diploma students in Digital Creative Media Production. The subjects that I teach in KPMIM are Digital Photography, Media Production Technique, and Editing. This journal documents my 12-week practicum journey, highlighting weekly reflections on classroom activities, student learning outcomes, and my professional growth as an educator. Each week’s reflection is supported by a SWOT analysis that outlines students’ learning strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for improvement, and the challenges they encounter in understanding lesson content.

Ultimately, through this practicum experience, my goal is not only to meet the academic requirements but also to enhance my teaching practice, strengthen my professional competencies, and contribute meaningfully to the delivery of quality education.

WEEK 1

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:07:45 UTC

This week marked the beginning of my practicum, where I introduced students to three fundamental subjects: Digital Photography, Videography, and Editing. In Digital Photography, I began by covering the exposure triangle, emphasizing the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Students were given the opportunity to handle DSLR cameras and experiment with adjusting settings manually, capturing simple shots around the campus. While some quickly adapted, others faced difficulties understanding technical terms and balancing light exposure, which highlighted the need for differentiated support in class.

In Videography, I conducted an introductory session on basic video shots such as static shots, panning, and tilting. Students worked in small groups to practice filming short clips using tripods and handheld techniques. Many were enthusiastic about recording, but some clips lacked smoothness due to unsteady handling. This demonstrated the importance of patience, repetition, and practice in mastering video production basics.

In Editing, I introduced students to Adobe Premiere Pro, focusing on the layout of the interface, timeline management, and importing media files. Students practiced dragging clips into the timeline and arranging them in sequence. Although they were excited, some struggled with the software’s complexity and required step-by-step assistance.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students were motivated and eager to learn hands-on skills.
Weaknesses: Technical terminology and software navigation posed challenges.
Opportunities: Early exposure to tools will support creativity in future weeks.
Threats: Limited equipment slowed practice and limited individual experience.

Personal Reflection
This first week reminded me of the importance of pacing and scaffolding learning. Students learn better when given clear demonstrations followed by practice.

Development Ideas
To improve, I plan to prepare simplified visual guides and short video tutorials for camera basics and editing workflows, enabling students to practice independently.

WEEK 2

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:48:42 UTC

In the second week of my practicum, I focused on helping students develop their creative eye in Digital Photography, their technical precision in Videography, and their foundational editing skills in Adobe Premiere Pro. The session for Digital Photography centered around composition rules such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing. I began with visual examples to explain these concepts, followed by a hands-on exercise where students roamed around the campus to capture photographs applying these techniques. The results showed that students enjoyed the freedom of exploration, though some rushed through the task without carefully considering the principles of composition.

For Videography, I built on the previous week by teaching students about framing techniques and shot variation, including close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots. They were tasked to record short clips combining different angles to create simple sequences. While many displayed creativity, some sequences revealed issues with continuity and flow. I encouraged peer review sessions where students presented their clips and gave each other feedback, which fostered collaboration and improved awareness of shot planning.

In Editing, I introduced basic editing functions such as trimming clips, applying transitions, and adjusting audio levels. Students were asked to edit their video clips from the videography task to create short sequences. While they showed excitement, some struggled with timeline management, particularly in aligning audio and video tracks.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students demonstrated creativity and enthusiasm across all subjects.
Weaknesses: Some lacked patience in composition and sequencing.
Opportunities: Peer feedback strengthened collaboration and critical analysis.
Threats: Time constraints limited students from refining their projects.

Personal Reflection
I noticed that students engaged more deeply when given freedom to create and evaluate their own work. However, I need to encourage them to slow down and focus on quality.

Development Ideas
Introduce structured peer-review activities and allocate time for reflection after each project to strengthen critical thinking and self-assessment.

WEEK 3

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:54:53 UTC

In Week 3, the teaching focus shifted towards more advanced technical and creative aspects in Digital Photography, Videography, and Editing. For Digital Photography, I introduced students to the importance of lighting techniques, both natural and artificial. Through demonstrations, I explained how light direction, intensity, and shadows affect image mood and quality. Students practiced using available sunlight around campus, experimenting with side lighting and backlighting to create contrast. Some students produced striking images, while others found it challenging to manage harsh sunlight and struggled with balancing exposure.

In Videography, I introduced pre-production planning, particularly storyboarding and scriptwriting. Students were divided into groups and tasked with designing a storyboard for a short 1–2 minute video. This activity encouraged collaboration and critical thinking, as they needed to translate abstract ideas into structured visual sequences. While some groups worked efficiently and displayed creativity, others struggled with visualizing their ideas, leading to incomplete or unclear storyboards.

In Editing, students began exploring DaVinci Resolve beyond the basics, learning how to layer audio tracks, insert titles, and apply basic color correction. Using their practice clips from videography, they experimented with adjusting brightness and contrast while also adding simple text overlays. Although most students adapted quickly, some found color grading difficult and required extra guidance to refine their edits.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students collaborated actively during group tasks and enjoyed experimenting with color grading.
Weaknesses: Visualizing concepts into structured storyboards was a struggle for some groups.
Opportunities: Storyboarding develops planning skills essential for real-world productions.
Threats: Limited time caused groups to rush, leaving some projects incomplete.

Personal Reflection
This week highlighted the importance of guiding students step by step in pre-production planning. I realized that structured templates are crucial for supporting weaker groups.

Development Ideas
Provide storyboard templates and color grading guides for DaVinci Resolve to help students plan more effectively and edit with confidence.

WEEK 4

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:58:25 UTC

Week 4 was dedicated to advancing students’ technical knowledge and encouraging them to apply creativity in practical projects. In Digital Photography, the focus was on portrait photography and controlled lighting setups. I demonstrated the use of both natural and artificial light, explaining how soft light and harsh light affect mood. Students practiced shooting portraits of their classmates using reflectors and LED lights. Some managed to capture well-lit and expressive portraits, but others struggled to balance exposure and control unwanted shadows.

In Videography, the session emphasized camera movement to create dynamic visual storytelling. I taught students how to execute tracking shots, tilts, pans, and handheld movements. Students worked in groups to film short sequences where movement conveyed emotion or narrative. While most were enthusiastic, some handheld shots turned out shaky due to poor grip or lack of stabilization, which impacted the overall quality of their clips.

For Editing, students expanded their skills in DaVinci Resolve, learning how to sync audio with video, add background music, and refine transitions. They edited the sequences from their videography projects, focusing on ensuring smooth continuity between shots. Although students enjoyed working with audio, many faced difficulties adjusting sound levels to maintain clarity in dialogue.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students were eager to experiment with lighting and camera movement.
Weaknesses: Audio syncing and smooth handheld movements were challenging.
Opportunities: Students are gaining confidence in storytelling through visuals.
Threats: Equipment sharing slowed practice sessions.

Personal Reflection
I learned that students thrive in creative, hands-on projects but need clearer guidance on technical details like stabilization and audio balance.

Development Ideas
Introduce tripod stabilizer practice and prepare short tutorials on audio adjustments in DaVinci Resolve to strengthen technical accuracy.

WEEK 5

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:58:53 UTC

This week built on earlier lessons, pushing students toward advanced applications. In Digital Photography, the topic was creative effects using depth of field and motion blur. I demonstrated long-exposure techniques, such as capturing light trails and motion in low light. Students experimented with slow shutter speeds in controlled settings, producing creative results. However, some students struggled with camera stability, which led to unintended blur.

In Videography, I emphasized dialogue scenes and sound recording. Students learned about using lapel microphones and boom mics, focusing on capturing clean audio during indoor and outdoor shoots. They were tasked with filming short dialogues, ensuring clear sound and continuity between takes. While they managed to produce engaging clips, background noise remained a recurring problem, particularly in outdoor scenes.

In Editing, students advanced further in DaVinci Resolve, learning about multi-camera editing, advanced transitions, and basic visual effects. They applied these techniques to refine their dialogue scenes, adjusting audio tracks and experimenting with creative transitions. While the students were excited about effects, many needed reminders to focus on clarity and storytelling rather than adding unnecessary filters.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students showed significant creativity and enthusiasm in experimenting.
Weaknesses: Audio recording quality was inconsistent across groups.
Opportunities: Advanced editing and audio handling build real-world production skills.
Threats: Lack of high-performance computers slowed software performance.

Personal Reflection
I was encouraged by students’ creativity, though I realized they often need guidance in balancing technical accuracy with artistic freedom.

Development Ideas
Encourage the use of tripods for long exposure and introduce noise reduction techniques in DaVinci Resolve to improve audio quality.

WEEK 6

kl2408017135 — 2025-09-29 09:59:52 UTC

The week of this 6-week cycle focused on consolidating everything students had learned. In Digital Photography, students created a mini-portfolio showcasing their best work from the previous weeks, including portraits, creative long exposures, and composition exercises. They were encouraged to reflect on how their technical and creative skills had developed. The portfolios revealed strong progress, though some students still needed improvement in consistency of exposure and framing.

In Videography, students worked in groups to complete a short film project, applying storyboarding, camera movements, and sound recording techniques learned throughout the practicum. These projects allowed students to demonstrate narrative storytelling. While many groups produced compelling short films, issues with group dynamics and uneven participation occasionally limited the overall quality.

In Editing, students finalized their projects using DaVinci Resolve, applying advanced techniques such as color grading, audio mixing, and transitions. They prepared their films for presentation to the class. The final results were impressive, showcasing students’ growing ability to combine technical skills with creativity. However, some projects suffered from time mismanagement, leaving editing rushed in the final stages.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Students demonstrated growth in integrating photography, videography, and editing skills.
Weaknesses: Time management and group participation remained recurring issues.
Opportunities: Final projects highlighted the potential for future creative collaborations.
Threats: Unequal group contributions affected overall balance in some projects.

Personal Reflection
I was proud to see students’ progress and creativity, but the challenges reminded me of the importance of fostering both technical discipline and teamwork.

Development Ideas
Introduce individual reflective reports for projects to ensure accountability, and allocate checkpoints during projects to help students manage their time effectively.

WEEK 7

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 09:49:30 UTC

This week, I introduced students to the fundamentals of Editing and Compositing using DaVinci Resolve, alongside lessons on camera composition and framing in Videography. We explored how different camera angles and framing choices affect storytelling and mood. Students practiced shooting short clips emphasizing visual balance and perspective. In editing, I demonstrated basic compositing skills, such as layering text, using masks, and blending two video clips. Students were excited to see how simple editing techniques could transform ordinary footage into visually dynamic scenes.

Some students, however, struggled with controlling exposure and maintaining consistency between shots. During practical sessions, I noticed their enthusiasm for experimenting with camera angles and visual effects, even though technical mastery still required patience and repetition.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: High creativity and enthusiasm during class activities.
Weaknesses: Struggles with exposure and visual continuity.
Opportunities: Develop storytelling skills through visual experimentation.
Threats: Limited equipment restricted practice time.

Reflection:
I was pleased with students’ curiosity in exploring visual creativity. The combination of videography and compositing lessons helped them understand that good editing begins with good footage.

Development Ideas:
To support their progress, I plan to create quick visual reference sheets on compositing tools and encourage more short filming exercises to strengthen shot control and framing skills.

WEEK 8

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 09:55:22 UTC

The main focus this week was on camera movement in Videography and green screen compositing in Editing. Students practiced smooth panning, tracking, and handheld movements to enhance the cinematic feel of their footage. Later, we transitioned to compositing, where I introduced the basics of chroma keying—removing a green background and replacing it with a new digital environment. Students worked in pairs to record short clips and then applied chroma key effects to create imaginative scenes.

Many students were amazed at how combining video and compositing could change the visual narrative entirely. However, inconsistent lighting and visible shadows affected the quality of some green screen footage. I emphasized the importance of even lighting to ensure a clean key.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: Students were creative and open to experimentation.
Weaknesses: Difficulty in achieving even lighting on green screens.
Opportunities: Builds understanding of real-world production techniques.
Threats: Hardware limitations during rendering.

Reflection:
I enjoyed watching students collaborate and creatively problem-solve when issues arose. The connection between filming and post-production became clearer to them.

Development Ideas:
I plan to conduct a short workshop on lighting setup for chroma keying, ensuring students understand how pre-production choices affect post-production quality.

WEEK 9

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 09:55:57 UTC

This week’s lessons centered around continuity in videography and motion graphics in editing. In Videography, students practiced shooting short sequences that maintained consistency in lighting, framing, and movement. We discussed how continuity errors can disrupt storytelling. In Editing and Compositing, students learned to design animated titles, lower thirds, and simple logo animations using keyframes and motion effects in DaVinci Resolve.

Students were excited to add their own design elements, and the activity sparked healthy discussions about typography, timing, and visual rhythm. While many students produced clean, smooth animations, a few struggled with timing and precision, especially in synchronizing graphics with video.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: Creative animation concepts and strong visual sense.
Weaknesses: Some inconsistencies in timing and design flow.
Opportunities: Enhances storytelling through visual identity.
Threats: Limited practice time for refinement.

Reflection:
It was rewarding to see students beginning to view editing as both a creative and technical art. Their enthusiasm showed how hands-on activities make learning more enjoyable.

Development Ideas:
For the next session, I plan to share sample motion templates and provide extra time for self-paced exploration of animation tools.

WEEK 10

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 09:56:41 UTC

In Week 10, I guided students through short narrative video production in Videography and color grading and tone matching in Editing. Students worked in small groups to plan, shoot, and edit short stories, applying techniques learned in previous weeks. In DaVinci Resolve, we explored how color affects storytelling by adjusting exposure, saturation, and shadows to create different moods.

Students quickly realized how important consistent lighting is for seamless color grading. Some projects had mismatched tones due to different shooting conditions, but the class discussions helped them identify and correct these issues.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: Students applied learned skills in real storytelling contexts.
Weaknesses: Color inconsistencies between scenes.
Opportunities: Builds understanding of visual continuity and tone.
Threats: Limited class time for full project polishing.

Reflection:
I noticed students were more confident and independent in their work. They collaborated well, showing both technical skill and creative decision-making.

Development Ideas:
Introduce peer feedback sessions where groups review each other’s edits and color work to improve critical thinking and observation.

WEEK 11

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 09:57:17 UTC

This week, we emphasized sound design and compositing effects. Videography lessons focused on filming interview-style videos, teaching microphone placement and background setup. In Editing and Compositing, students integrated audio with visual effects, balancing voice clarity with ambient music. They experimented with overlays and animated text during interview introductions.

Students learned how crucial sound is to storytelling. Some clips suffered from uneven audio levels or background noise, but they quickly learned to use noise reduction and equalization in DaVinci Resolve.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: Students improved in recording and balancing sound.
Weaknesses: Struggles with consistent audio levels.
Opportunities: Strengthens understanding of professional workflow.
Threats: Limited equipment slowed project progress.

Reflection:
I was impressed by how students connected sound and visuals to build emotion. The process helped them appreciate the detail that goes into post-production.

Development Ideas:
Provide an audio-mixing guide with step-by-step instructions on balancing dialogue, music, and effects for smoother results.

WEEK 12

kl2408017135 — 2025-10-04 10:01:58 UTC

The final week concluded with project completion and presentation. Students showcased short videos integrating all their skills in videography, editing, and compositing. Each project displayed a unique storytelling approach, combining creative camera work, color grading, and digital effects. During presentations, students explained their processes, challenges, and learning outcomes.

Watching their work was incredibly rewarding. Their technical skills, creativity, and confidence had grown tremendously over the course of the practicum. While some projects had minor rendering errors or sound inconsistencies, the overall quality reflected real progress.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths: High creativity and teamwork in final projects.
Weaknesses: Minor editing errors due to time constraints.
Opportunities: Students are ready to apply skills in real projects.
Threats: Technical delays during rendering and export.

Reflection:
This final presentation week reminded me why practical learning is so powerful. Students learned not only editing and videography but also communication, teamwork, and self-reflection.

Development Ideas:
Encourage students to create personal showreels or online portfolios to document their growth and strengthen their future opportunities.