Mid-Semester Recap Post

Assignment #1: Things that make me happy on the Internet!!

Assignment #2: The potential of Memes and GIFs storytelling in real life.

Assignment #3: Are memes art?

Assignment #4: Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility

Assignment #5: Digital Art & Creative Immediacy

How am I doing in CT101?

To be honest, I am really enjoying the course, learning so much new stuff which helped me to improve my communication skills. However, I am not doing great in terms of posting the blog posts each week as well as posting comments on others’ posts.

How many points have I earned so far and what grade do I believe I am maintaining? 

So, this is going to be my 6^th blog post for this course, although I should have worked on my 9^th post by now. I have been sick for the last few weeks; therefore, I was unable to post on a regular basis. Although I am falling behind in terms of posting, I believe, so far whatever I posted I took them very seriously, I learned so many things throughout the process. Whenever I post something, I tried to follow the professor’s instructions as much as possible. So, I believe I was able to maintain the quality of blog posts and did pretty well. Since I have to score at least 85 to get an A, I will try harder to achieve that.

What have I learned and retained the most?

So far, I have learned and retained a great deal of information, but the most would have to be our previous two assignments regarding  ds106 assignment bank and mmm. Page. The ds106 assignment offers so many options for developing our skills in audio, video, photoshop, visual, writing, etc. Through mmm.page I learned how to incorporate different types of media into one and utilize my previously learned skills in terms of building a page by inserting GIFs, hyperlinks, videos, and much more.

What new skills have I developed, cultivated, and displayed regularly in my weekly posts?

Till now, there are so many new skills have I developed, cultivated, and displayed regularly in my weekly posts. I actually learned how to edit pictures using photoshop websites from this course for the first time. I am not active on my social media accounts, and I mostly take pictures for my personal memories, so I don’t bother much about editing. Thanks to CT101, my photoshop skill got better also I learned to make Memes and GIFs. I used to think making Memes and GIFs is a very complicated process, however, when the professor introduced us to websites like GIPHY and Imgur, I find them very interesting and easy to work with.

How do I assess my performance through self-reflection in this class?

I try to assess my performance through self-reflection by checking comments and feedback on my posts on a regular basis so that if my professor or fellow classmates have suggested to improve in terms of formatting or adding a further explanation on something with more detail. Another way I assess my performance is by viewing the recording and peers’ posts on the same topic before starting the assignment and taking notes of important things that the professor asked for so that I don’t miss something important. I work on improving my posts so that they get better each week. I have witnessed myself gradually becoming more comfortable with sharing thoughts in my posts each week, which is a sign of my improvement.

What do I know now that I did not know before taking this class?

Frankly speaking, most of the things that I  learned in CT 101 such as hyperlinking, embedding videos, creating GIFs and Memes, and utilizing different websites like Giphy, Imgur, DS106, and mmm.page , etc., and most significantly WordPress, I had no idea about all these at all. Now, that I have learned how to use them, I feel more confident in terms of expressing myself on the internet. They really helped me to grow my overall communication skills and I am thankful for that.

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? 

Yes, I do see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively. Since each week we are learning something new and have new materials (different websites/ online tools) to work with, therefore, my blog posts are also expanding because I work with something different every week.  They do not look repetitive at all and I constantly focus on doing better on the upcoming posts by looking at my peers’ posts. Since there’s no rush of due dates, I give myself enough time to have a better understanding of the posts, making notes of important stuff so that I can maintain the quality of content.

Are there any assignments that you are missing?  Are you commenting regularly on your classmates’ posts? Are you responding back to comments given to you by the professor & your classmates? Are you participating during class time? 

Yes, I do participate in class and answer the questions the professor asked during class time. I also take notes while the professor explains the assignment and works on drafts. I also try to comment regularly on peers’ posts and try to respond back to the comments of my posts as much as possible. Unfortunately, I am missing Assignments# 7 &8, as I mentioned earlier, I had been sick for a couple of weeks. I thought if I push myself, I would be unable to maintain the quality of the assignments. Also, I am taking 21 credits this semester and every week I have to study for multiple assignments and quizzes. However, I have planned to work on CT101 during the spring break. I am determined that I do not want to make any more delays in terms of posting each week.