Prior to taking this class, I had wanted to become more digitally literate. I read blogs on a daily basis, watched youtube videos and marveled at websites, certain that one day I would learn new programs and venture into the world of writing online. However, I pushed the idea of establishing a presence online to the back of my mind, hid it somewhere behind my goal to learn a new language, or take a painting class just for fun. After the first class and our discussion regarding consuming material on the internet, versus creating material, I decided that I would try as best I could to commit to learning as much as possible and minimize my frustration while doing so as best possible. Immediately, I created the following accounts: facebook, twitter, gmail, along with signing up for various other programs such as Jing.
I created a blog: Subversive Whimsies, which I continue to update and use on a daily basis. I came up with the idea of not only sharing my own thoughts and photos, but of also interviewing fellow bloggers whom I've read online over the past year or so, and I posted my first interview with Celestine Chua of the Personal Excellence Blog last week. I've really enjoyed keeping up the blog; it's inspired me to take more photographs, and it allows me to speak about places I've went or events that have happened, and then my friends can view it online. Creating a facebook account was another new medium for me to connect with friends. I actually wound up reconnecting with my best friend from high school, and since, we've hung out twice, and plan to maintain our friendship.
I feel like there's been a shift in my attitude in how I regard the creating online, in the sense that I no longer fear it; in just one month, I've gone from thinking it was too difficult to use various programs or mediums online, to realizing that I can just experiment and figure everything out. It doesn't seem as daunting, and it makes me want to go even further, such as learning how to create websites, or learn even more challenging programs. It's great for me to think that in such a short period, I've learned Jing, Photostory, Vimeo, how to redesign on Blogger, how to create and post on a wiki, how to play with images; I've discovered fantastic websites, such as picnik for resizing photos, or prezi for making mindmaps and presentations, and the best part of it all is that I no longer feel like an apathetic consumer, merely sitting back and taking in the work of others; I feel like a contributor.
Becoming more digitally literate throughout this course has boosted my confidence when it comes to the internet, as well as technology. In addition to creating a blog, I decided to splurge and buy a new laptop (I've had a desktop for six years), so that I could use it when I travel to Philadelphia, or to work. I bought a new digital camera, and have been uploading photos on a regular basis. I learned how to use my sister's camera, as well as the intricate differences between an SD card and using a tape. I learned how to use Final Cut Pro, as well as how to rip a DVD in order to upload it online. I am eager to follow up with my new skill set; I am eager to expand my knowledge of online programs and to be a creative prosumer.
I really enjoyed the design aspect of the class: picking out fonts, colors, borders, playing with photos, figuring out how to make a blog look good, playing with music and editing. I feel newly immersed in languge as a visual medium, where as a writer, before I didn't think about it so much as one; I was content sitting on the floor with my piles of journals, scribbling away with pens and pencils. I am looking forward to learning even more, continuing my blog, and learning how to develp a website in the future. Now, that I have jumped in the pool and splashed around a bit, I realize it's not as difficult as I previously deemed it, to keep my head afloat.
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