CT101 Final Blog Post & Course Completion Information

Here we are in the final week of our Spring 2023 semester!

(Class recordings from 5/9 & 5//11 will be placed below after class)

Class recording and Final Post Tutorial from Tuesday 5/9 –> https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/7831cqzcapSvi3itZAL6J3icrTmoIK-sdtwGebX_6l6ZXBXj88AKoYaiLQdkuJ_F.qLPuwqf-awlIZyOF

Passcode: 2!#XUs^7

Class recording and Final Post Tutorial from Thusday 5/11 –>

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/iPO-qfk2BwM5KztkJdL-MNaAi7EPlT5D_PPUFj_Ik9-3izVENpjrm7vztZc0Gxsh.ODWtA1I-nkg2V0th

Passcode: 3S&?95uQ

***I gave a detailed tutorial on the final semester completion, final blog post / submission & website project in classes this week – see above for recordings.***

It is my intention to get things set up in advance to help and give everyone enough time to finish / revise assignments, catch up and feel confident about our course completion. Most of us will be focusing simultaneously on finishing our website building project, as well as populating the website with blog posts and content, while others may be retroactively catching up on or revising blogging assignments and commenting. 

**Please read all of the information below carefully & mark your calendars**

Please e-mail me with any questions at – rseslow@york.cuny.edu

Please know, I am always here to help in anyway that I can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Please know, it is not too late to catch up if you are a bit or even far behind. We can work together but I need communication in order to help.

The last day of regular CT101 classes for the Tuesday section is May 16th..

The last day of regular CT101 classes for the Thursday section is May 11th..

All of our class sessions and assignments have video tutorials that are recorded and added to the weekly blog post assignments on our class calendar page here.

**All course work must be completed and published no later than Tuesday May 23rd at 6pm – that is the absolute deadline for both CT101 sections**

**Please read all of the information below carefully & mark your calendars**

**Final Blog Post Submission Guidelines**

Please make sure that you follow each step below – it is really important to illustrate each retained skill and the ability to follow the guidelines.

*Each student will write and publish a Final Course Reflection Blog Post.

Students will publish the Final Post to the CT101 website.

Students will kindly e-mail the direct link of your final blog post to me – rseslow@york.cuny.edu – no later than Tuesday May 23rd by 6 pm and NOT before Thursday May 18th. 

***Please do not publish or e-mail the final blog post link to me before Thursday May 18th. This post and submission process is to be done during final exams week and serves as our final exam.***

*The e-mail subject of your final blog post will say: “CT101 Final Blog Post/Your First & Last Name”

I will confirm your e-mail by replying “Received” once I receive it.

Here is an example below for finding a blog post’s direct URL – (this is the direct link to the text you see at the moment in the web browser address bar at the top of the browser) The post must be published in order to copy it and paste it into your e-mail to me – it would look something like this below.

*Your final blog post is Mandatory, it serves as our final exam and final project and it must include ALL of the information stated below:

Your final blog post will be a detailed narrative and re-cap of what you have learned in CT101, and a reflection and assessment of what grade you have earned in our class and why you deserve that grade? (Yes, you must include this part, it is mandatory).

What did you enjoy about our class and how will you apply your new skills into the world?

You learned how to build a website, will you maintain and keep up your new website? If so, how? If not, Why not?

Your final blog post should include a culmination of supporting images, GIFs, videos and hyperlinks to all of your existing published blog posts.

(pro-tip – you have already had practice with the mid-semester assessment post, think about this as “part 2 ” to that post)

Please let this post display the best of your skills sets learned and applied! 

**The final post should be your absolute BEST work.**

*Final Website Link & Description –  As a part of the final blog post each student will be sharing their new website URL (your domain name) it must be hyperlinked and you will give a clear descriptive tour of their website and share how the website is being used. Plus, share thoughts on your website building successes, frustrations and an over-all assessment of building and having a website. You must include a screen shot of each page on your website to support your website tour. Your website must be free of ALL default content that came with the initial theme and must have at least 3-5 published blog posts, 3-5 pages, 1-2 new categories and should display a clear visual customization from the default template.

****It is Not Mandatory, but if you would like the opportunity to visually present your final blog post & website to me in person during final exams week – please meet me on Thursday May 17th @ 10am in our classroom or Tuesday May 23rd @10am in our classroom.

*The Final Blog Post submission requirements as stated above are Mandatory, please let me know if you have any questions.

**All course work must be completed and published no later than Tuesday May 23rd at 6pm – that is the absolute deadline for both CT101 sections**

All questions should be sent to – rseslow@york.cuny.edu

Im here to help!

Excited About my New Website!

Check out my new site and 1st blog post – > https://ct101dev.com/uncategorized/excited-about-my-new-website/

This week I began to really dig into the web design process.. This week I began to really dig into the web design process.. This week I began to really dig into the web design process.. This week I began to really dig into the web design process.. This week I began to really dig into the web design process..

Read More Here <–

 

 

Exploring the WordPress Potentials, Part II!

Welcome Back!

Class recordings will post after class below – > (as usual!)

Thursday’s Section – 5/4 Class Recording: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/cUZmzYi-WFxPijJHOBuPyXmtyFuUouTfIGzouBW51eYAgdyy7PzJS2QuoZAipIrh.eHvy3LCBvqR-Jm_u

Passcode: *Y.vT6NL

Tuesday’s Section – 5/2 Class Recording: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/KAthOGRTwB2oVpBwZ9IBsWuAojDrEw2bHotOiTTs40-x16QJEFlGr_azTTnOdESn.FtblGGC-p_pv3pPR

Passcode: 0C!924%h

 

Let’s get a bit more specific with WordPress and begin to apply intentional context to our website design. Last week we started setting up our new websites by simply discussing the potentials of the visual design creation and experimentation process. We dug in a lil’ – but let’s move forward and focus on this here this week.

Let us now talk about how to set up new pages, and how to add those pages to the main navigation menu. We will discuss the navigation menus locations and what their functions were. We will look at the footer space and adding widgets in the footer areas. We also took a peek into “plug-ins” and installing plug-ins (especially the Classic Editor for the similar blogging experience we see on the ct101 site for writing our posts) and the differences between pages, posts & categories.

This is quite a bit of information and I highly suggest that you re-watch the class video tutorial from last week for the practice of retaining the new skills that were shared and displayed. I do this very often myself as I find it super helpful for being able to replicate a new skill or technique.

This all takes regular practice and a bit of openness to experimentation in general. How did you do with your experimenting last week? What did you work on? You can leave a comment below on this post and share the link to your new site :))) – WordPress is a very intuitive piece of software, and it wants your creativity!

Let’s continue forward. I will be sharing a new series of demonstrations with WordPress this week.

**This Week’s Blogging Assignment Prompt is Optional**

Let’s begin populating our new websites by publishing a new blog post there. Thats right, You can publishing a new post on YOUR website and also “cross-post” that information here on CT101 as well. There is an efficient way to cross-post content across WordPress websites.

I will show you how.

Lets say you just published a great new blog post on your new website and you also want to share it with your classmates / community here on the CT101 website. (You can! Its easy)

Step 1 – is to publish the new blog post on your website. Remember, every blog post has its own unique URL that can be later shared on other places and space on the Internet.

An example of cross sharing your post on may be done in a new post on CT101 that reads:

————

Your Blog Post Title (all blog posts need a great title!) 

(insert an image – GIF – Meme – Quote – or some kind of related media)

“Dear Fellow Readers – I just published a new blog post here on my website: http://yourwebsitename.com, (make sure to hyperlink the post url) please come and check it out and feel free to engage in some fun dialog. Thanks so much”

————

This is a very minimal example above but perhaps just a title and a link is not that interesting? We need a bit of compelling energy to draw the reader from CT101 over to your site. So make this interesting and creative!

**This Week’s Blogging Assignment Prompt is Optional**

Publish a NEW blog Post on YOUR new website, the post can be about anything that you wish that has direct context to your new website’s stated intentions (what your site is being used to promote and share.) After publishing the post, create a new blog post here on CT101 that shares a synopsis of your new post from your website that will entice and grab our attention, be sure to include the direct URL as a hyperlink to the new blog post.

PS – WordPress is really vast and there are many many tutorials out there for “WordPress beginners” – Perhaps YouTube is a helpful source for finding some new resources outside of class? Of Course! Here is one, but feel free to share links to others that you have explored (add the link to the comments section below.)

 

Add Your Domain Name to the Comments Section Below!

Hello CT101 Students – > Due to the York College High IT WiFi Security and Firewall on campus – they require us to submit to them a list of our domains to be whitelisted as “safe”..

If you plan on working on your website whilst on campus (in the lab or other areas of campus) please add your domain below to the comments section below – I added my domain as an example. It generally takes the IT Dept.  48-72 hours to make this happen – so the sooner you add your domain, the faster I can share it with them.

Thank You!

The WordPress Customizing Series, Part 1!

Welcome Back!! 

Class recording for the Thursday section – 4/27 – 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/uUd53FVv5rY0gtRqUzlMzC0nUc-PLArmy-xrsYq_JV-WSECLd_gZjg1jbW3hmHT4.Xzh0MRtX4HaqzO7D

Passcode: E!Q5&+2j

Class recording for the Tuesday section – 4/25 – 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/3Cs5IC7sOSmIpkf6qO0vPXBw7DpTVvKtDBFTG59vQcFiQKGmIke7BJU_c_kuMPo.J__rOR9sMz8swhKh

Passcode: S8$0r752

 

Assignment #10 – > (blogging details below)

This week in CT101 we will be focusing on getting everyone set-up with their new websites! The coupon code that you need was sent last week to your York college e-mail address (please e-mail me if you did not receive it).

By now, many of you got started, you have a new domain name, a web hosting account, and a blank / default website framework ready to be customized and stylized!

I’ll be helping here with the customizing process of WordPress. This part will have multiple aspects to it.

There is a lot to share, create, experiment with and test!

The process is fun and will take a few weeks as you make several aesthetic and functionality decisions about how you would like your website to look.

This will all play out in context to “how” you plan to use your new website. Not only as a new site owner, but looking into the future as well.

So, how will you be using your new website?

Assignment #10 – This week let’s dig into some of the customizing features that WordPress offers as we begin to design our new websites.

What will you work on first? Will you create a series of new pages? Will you remove default content from your theme? Customize the home page? Publish a blog post? Will you create a category or two? Add plug-ins? Changes colors?

Let’s publish a NEW blog post that shares a narrative statement about your process and discoveries, as well as HOW you will be using your new website as we go forward. You can publish this post on the CT101 class site. Please don’t forget to embed various pieces of media (images, screenshots, gifs, hyperlinks) and also share contextual content to help expand your post. 

**For example, there are many video tutorials on YouTube that share “how-to” videos for beginners, or customizing videos for the theme that you will be using, this is context 🙂

I will continue to make and record class videos and also share some helpful curated content from the Internet. We will be discussing HOW we will all be using our websites individually, just to mention again 🙂

But WAIT! You cant do anything above unless you have done this: -> Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation! <— Please read this important post to get started! (from last week)

Im going to focus on using one of the newest and popular WordPress themes called:  “Twenty-Twenty-Three” –  WordPress themes are extremely versatile and are great for WordPress newbies and beginners. I highly suggest that you consider using the theme that I share. All themes are different, and many of them out there promoted on the Internet are not free (plus, its always helpful to start with a theme that has a good amount of video documentation that already exists.)

More to come!

PLEASE E-MAIL me and say hello, let me know how I can help you! rseslow@york.cuny.ed

Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation!

 

****PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT  TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS UNTIL YOUR CLASS MEETS this week – thank you!!****

**Please read through this post carefully – it contains several steps and pieces of information- if you are not in attendance during the normal class-time you will need to watch the video tutorial to follow along**

Step by Step Video tutorials: 

 

Thursday Section from 4/20:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/FROethcoURjhrPgBU7TUVCzmjIfkGYVROX61cs7GCmaZbuequkuuNI2OipJZ3DmG.zbpW6qs3LdO3U_lw

Passcode: ?d6+X^&2

 

Tuesday Section from 4/18

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/6O2FAh2PeVV5QD3JjEvBwhvEleIucoMeousVPBpSs8J1ucfhBjOPefp72ARDvH_O.Eg7TNcxrf19T7nzM

Passcode: KtT5=ZBC

 

“The Journey Begins!”

*Individual student Coupon Codes for the domain name & web hosting set up will be e-mailed to you- be sure to check your York college e-mail address to get the code (if you do not receive the code on the day that your class meets this week please e-mail me to let me know) –  The coupon code can only be used 1 time.

Before spring break week we began talking about Domain Names and what role they play in creating a digital identity on the web (and as a part of this class.) If you missed that post, please be sure to check out our course schedule page under week #9 as it has context and will help make this next step a bit smoother. 

This week we are going to get started!

We are going to begin the process of registering a domain name and also setting up web hosting, which will allow you to put files up online that will be discoverable through your new domain name! We are going to use a form of ‘shared hosting’ where you get a portion of a server – think of it as having an apartment in a building. With this shared hosting you will be able to do a lot of things including installing your own instance of WordPress (**remember, this is NOT wordpress.com but the open source version of wordpress.org) so that you can start building your website for your domain name. I will walk you through the steps that are needed, please follow my exact steps.

We use a company called Reclaim Hosting, with which we have a contract with so you will enter a coupon code and start your account for free.

*The coupon code will be e-emailed to everyone on the morning that your class meets the week after Spring Break.

We chose this hosting company because they have a lot of experience working with students just like you, that are likely getting their first domain name and web hosting account. You will be creating an account just like you would with any online vendor with which you want to purchase something. So it’s not a ‘CUNY’ account, we’re just giving you the coupon code to pay for the year’s service. The service will last for 1 year.

You do not need to pay for anything, so please reach out if you have questions – rseslow@york.cuny.edu

With that said, you will need to provide a name, address, and phone number. Lets go to this sign-up page <— to get started with the domain name selection process.

1. First you will need to pick your domain name, make sure that it is available and make your selection to proceed. (I suggest sticking with the .com or .net extensions)

2. On the next page, check the ‘add ID protection box.’

3. On the next page you should see two items in your cart and a price of $45 with ID protection, you will then enter the needed information for your new account and provided the coupon code and validate it. (you will NOT be charged for this, its already included in the course.)

After you fill in your personal information, and select the payment “Invoice Only” option. (again, you will not be charged anything.)

6. Click the “Complete Order” button and allow for the transaction to go through. Please check your e-mail for your account information and a verification of your e-mail link. With your new account information, log-on to Reclaiming Hosting.

Shortly after setting up your account and registering your domain you must verify your account via e-mail by clicking on the link they send to you. (be on the look out for a series of e-mails from Reclaim Hosting)

7. YOU ARE NOW ALL SET AND READY TO START WORKING WITH YOUR NEW DOMAIN NAME AND WEB HOSTING ACCOUNT!

8. It’s now TIME TO INSTALL WORDPRESS. – I will begin the set up installation – You can refer to the video recording posted after class and follow the step by step guide to install WordPress correctly. 

Coupon codes for the set up will be e-mail from blackboard – be sure to check your York e-mail to get the code.

**********************************

**********************************

Assignment #9 – (you must complete part 1 before moving on to part 2 – After following along in our class this week and reregistering your domain name, setting up your web hosting account & installing WordPress – please publish a detailed blog post about the overall experience of registering your own domain, and setting up your web hosting account. Be sure to include screenshots, images, videos and hyperlinks for context. (as always)

Picking A Domain Name!

**Video tutorials from all classes will always be posted in this space below**

Video recording from the Thursday section – 4/4:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/WagOvSEalwPy2qXXPFXNTccixAJvv8D2cG00m387s1wbiUjTo6f0uBLxBb4dH30M.wMGz3YWvpsVfkx1O

Passcode: 6ms*K339

Video recording from the Thursday section – 3/30:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/XOBUx54zdKZe8sDyZruLdHbQi7DdibKmlK-2yBilDRLMnHbQwXTsxwyWcgtt4fOf.id8HXzM1KfFnba_w

Passcode: j6DN!0yu

Domain Names!

Assignment #8 – It’s Time to Pick a Domain Name

It’s time to begin thinking about choosing a domain name  that can represent your digital self! <– (we will watch this video in class together)

Its time to start planning the website building aspect of this course! Exciting? It is indeed! But first, what is a domain?

You can’t (and shouldn’t) pick just anything..

This part is important!

It has to be unique! And it also has to be available!

It should be relevant – it could be based on your real name,

Or a nickname and or something meaningful to you!

You will need to search for its availability using a domain registrar and you can pick from a number of different ‘top level domains (TLD)’ – for example .com, .net, .us, and .org – then you can have an example like – “mypersonalsite.net”

As we go forward to select and register our domain names (***don’t do this on your own please, I will be walking you through the step by step process in class AFTER Spring Break!***)

You’re also going to need web hosting, which will allow you to put files up online and will be discoverable through your new domain name! We are going to use a form of ‘shared hosting’ where you get a portion of a server – think of it as having an apartment in a building..

With shared hosting you will be able to do a lot of things including installing your own instance of WordPress! (via WordPress.org and not wordpress.com – they are a lil’ different)  With WordPress installed you can then start building your website for your domain name. I will cover a series of demonstrations on how to do this and I will record all of the demonstrations and tutorials.

But, what exactly is Web Hosting?

We use a company called Reclaim Hosting, with which we have a contract with so you can enter a coupon code and start your account for free.

**The coupon code will be e-emailed to everyone via blackboard starting next week and the week after – so I will be reminding you to check your York college e-mail address to get the code.

******************************************

**This Week’s Blog Post Assignment: Assignment #8 –

Write a new blog post that shares a few of the potential domain names that you would consider using for the new website that you will build. List them (at least 5-10 potential names) and say a few words about why they would be good examples for the website that you will build. 

Let’s also speculate:

What might your new website be about?

This part is totally up to you! If you wish, you can use the website project itself for a specific niche project, for example, perhaps you want to share your passion for cooking and poetry. Which means you will be primarily writing blog posts about cooking and poetry while building the website simultaneously. This can also be applied to sports, or gaming, or politics or journalism, or simply put, website that fused together many interests as well as your ct101 assignments. 

Share your thoughts, excitements, fears and any other sentiments about how you are feeling about this next chapter in your life as a website owner!

Please apply all of the existing blogging skills that you have developed and include a few images, GIFs, memes and hyperlinks. Also – lets add a few screen shots of some of your favorite existing websites, let us know why you like them! 

 

Its Mid-Semester Re-Cap Time!

Wow, here we are at the midpoint of our CT-101 semester! Time… goes by waaaaaay too fast.. Let’s take a minute to reflect, let’s take a minute to regroup, catch up, let’s induce a class reflection!

 

**The class recording from Tuesday 3/28 is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/eCa0DS4Wt5JGWjSCyGMLUuKcKCRk8vVGWrzBwcy4OIRPvIX0xutUVWB_2ZzlB3AE.GSn0JApY1xPI21CN

Passcode: 0A=w^^8H

 

**The class recording from Thursday 3/23 is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/AqCY-jYXCO4idIgxCpVrYrvCq48RARVNsf9KYiaAJT4scI6vRHbuTb5YtoBqJwGZ.HARTj3OMqwdK3Dc1

Passcode: *fs5fV!=

 

Let us ask ourselves the following questions, and reflect:

“How am I doing in CT101?  What have I learned? What new skills have I developed, cultivated and displayed regularly? How does this contribute to my weekly progress? How do I assess my performance through a self-reflection in this class?”

The assessment part is very tangible and clear as we have been producing results over the last 7.5 weeks in the form of blogging, commenting, creating visual imagery, discussion via various forms and class participation.

Let’s take stock, follow me below:

The CT 101 Course Schedule page is where everything is – this is the CT 101 HUB – this is the space where all the assignments and learning details take form each week – (just in case you forgot) – this is where you can recap and catch up on all assignments (and also access all of the class recordings) –  https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/course-schedule/

In fact, before we move into the next phase of our course, I want to take a week and reflect upon what has already been accomplished, as well as take accountability for what might be missing and in need of improvement.

Let’s title this next post:

Assignment #7 – The Mid-Semester Reflection Post

Assignment Details:

In a new blog post titled:

“Assignment #7 – The Mid-Semester Reflection Post”, please assess and reflect upon your last 7.5 weeks here in CT 101.

Please answer and address the following questions below, and also provide hyperlinks back to all of your previous completed blog posts.

This will help illustrate some of the questions below as you tell a compelling story here in the CT 101 blog space: (the use of imagery is helpful and needed but please don’t default to using too many GIFs or memes to fill in the gaps, the emphasis should be on the written word for this reflection.) 

How am I doing in CT101?

What have I learned and retained the most?

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

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

What grade do I believe I am maintaining and why do I deserve that grade? 

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain why –  or am I stuck in a loop where my posts seem to look the same most of the time, how will I change that?

Are there any assignments that you are missing? If so, list them.

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 the class time? If not, explain why.

This is the time to be accountable. How will you make needed improvements?

Have fun with this!

Feel free to include useful relatedness in the form of links, images, video or Make Something New to express how you feel about this post! (a technique learned from the dS106 assignment bank perhaps?)

Digital Art Making Immediacy

** Assignment #6 ** – full assignment details are below

 

Class recording from the Tuesday Section – 3/21:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/O3OddyMAHxoivQEnPrzUq6_VGtLKLxMEXvCf0bvl1Q14ENecomvo9yaIwZUs5RRK.eDwZP5cdY-aUPRdJ

Passcode: 8&ED.75U

 

Class recording from the Thursday Section – 3/16:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/MV1TKVt_pQ62kEzn55tR3ewYipxnOnfFo0xz2CpiXMf1IMrTHFCDb9WePG39u5ec.-SeiMPPqQl3gRgZO

Passcode: #*uf5ud0

 

Let’s talk a little bit about Creativity, Immediacy and Intuition. In this post, let’s learn how it can inspire your storytelling:

***For this assignment you will need to follow the video tutorial created by prof. Ryan. I will walk you through many of the steps needed to stylize your work and complete the assignment. There are several aspects to this assignment so please take notes along the way and make sure that you address all the questions being asked.

**This is a long post so please spend time with it and absorb it as many times as necessary! And remember, my posts are also digital storytelling examples**

Creativity is…

Immediacy is…

Intuition is…

In what order do these words go?

Creativity + Intuition + Immediacy = …….. 

Let’s pause, and become aware of this very passing second. I mean REALLY AWARE, so stop, and be still, very still…

You are alive. Contemplate that.

What does being alive mean to you?

Have you ever defined it beyond someone else’s interpretation? Where do those interpretations come from anyway? If not, its time to do this, and no, it can not be done in the next 3 seconds..

I believe that a big part of this life is to create and express that unique ability we all can contribute.

It will take some reflection..

More than a single blog post, but perhaps this is a metaphor, a portal that lures you in and activates you.

You are a thinking, breathing, feeling, sensory being that is processing this exact passing moment. Exactly as you read this from the specific location that you are in, with the age that your body is, in the time zone of the highest level of what you understand consciousness to be..

We can always expand this awareness.

Its a metaphor (there is that word again), because all the while, you are simultaneously existing on a seemingly gigantic rock spinning through the “space” that the best of the best of the best world’s scientists keep discovering only keeps expanding into more….well, space.

In the grand scheme of things, our gigantic rock may not be so gigantic when we think from this perspective. It’s actually the size we think it is relative to our awareness of it.

How do you develop the ability to audit this awareness and ask yourself what potentials lay in this metaphor? And, how can we apply this to other things that we wish to change or create from scratch.

It will require creativity, intuition and imagination. So go ahead and ASK.

Ask yourself a few questions:

“What is the creative potential of my awareness of this moment, and how may I intervene?

When we turn this directly to our weekly creativity exercise and re-propose the question:

“What is the creative potential of this assignment?

What is the creative potential of my web browser?”

What would you like to express about this moment and the awareness of it? How might or will you do it?

Chances are, you are holding your “device or viewing this through a computer” as you read this.

You know what device I am referring to. Perhaps it’s a laptop, desktop, iPhone, android or a tablet? It doesn’t matter and either way because it first started simply as an idea.

An expression of a collective need to expand, grow, learn and express.

Much like the infinite expanding space that we mentioned above, your device(s) is an intermediary tool to help express the potentials of creative space. Our viewing screens are rectangles… sometimes they are held and viewed vertically and sometimes they are turned horizontally, but before any content is consumed, it’s a rectangle in its form. That rectangle is a window, and so is a web browser window..

Your tech device(s) are remote controls for the planet..

We interacted with simple geometric shapes every single day, we take all of them for granted and rarely think of the doorways we are passing through as rectangles. Or the TV that we watch as “the rectangle.” As we walk up steps we rarely think of them as the horizontal rectangles that stack upwards or downwards.. You get the idea..

What is the creative potential of YOU and the rectangle that you are holding or looking through? (this is the part of things where you think Im a little weird, right? lol..)

Last week we asked and discovered what you are passionate about, BUT, but what is that you always wanted to express and share with the world? What is it that holds you back? Is what holds you back on the other side of the web browser window?

If you never “Start” then you will never have a result to work from. The only metric you have are the ones that you fear your expression wont compliment.

So, let’s start. Let’s express. Let’s share this into that rectangle / window that you are looking through and make it a practice.

Let’s jump into our assignment – let’s experiment and create a space on the web that is yours and personalize it.

Taking risks that benefit your growth and personal development while impacting and including your fellow human beings has serious mental, spiritual & emotional value.

This is your story, and storytelling is the communication pilot of the Electric Landscapes that we navigate.

LETS MAKE SOME ART!

Assignment  #6 – Digital Art Making Immediacy

Assignment Description:

1. Experiment with these “Free to Use” Digital Tools: Lets create an account page using mmm.page and Figma.com (both Free!) ->
2. https://figma.com
3. https://mmm.page

mmm.page & figma.com are both web browser based UX/Ui/ Prototyping / digital collage / website making platform / space. They work perfectly in your web browser. They also works on mobile devices! Based on the blog post here above, what are you inspired to do? What are you inspired to make or create? Each student will produce 1-2 pages using the figma or mmm.page platform. Each published page that you create generates its own URL. Be sure to locate those.

2. In a new blog post, share your experiences working with figma or mmm.page. What are you compelled to create? What did you create? Be sure to share the published link to your page(s) – its a good idea to take screenshots and hyperlink directly to the screenshots. (we already know how to do this)

I personally got pretty excited about mmm.page and began working on an exhibition of digital art collage pages. Here is an example I made with mmm.page below:

https://mmm.page/ryanseslow.main

Last week we chatted in class about using image manipulating software to creating graphic assets – do you recall the photpea.com tutorial? If not, you can check last weeks tutorial for that.

Photopea.com – is a free web browser based digital image making and manipulating application, we can alter and manipulate and prepare images in this space!

https://www.remove.bg/ – remove any background from an image

Places to find Images online – Creative Commons based:

Pixabay.com – great resource for images and transparent assets! (we will use this for the workshop)

Pexels.com  – great resource for images, videos and transparent assets!

Giphy.com – Well, we know Giphy by now – but animated stickers! 

National Gallery of Art  With the launch of NGA Images, the National Gallery of Art implements an open access policy for digital images of works of art that the Gallery believes to be in the public domain.

Digital Public Library of America The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.

NYPL – The New York Public Library Digital Collections Archive

Flickr CC – Creative Commons on Flickr.

Gif Cities – Internet Archive

Let’s get creating!

Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility

There is A LOT of CT101 Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility..

**the video recordings & tutorials from class on can be found below after class – Please review it for examples and context for each assignment.

Class recording from Tuesday 3/14:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/d8szee242FFvL9EgutXgyZJh6T-xhjUV_6LOW57H4e_6o_E4FJ5zahDLhyhEQKY.6aS-tAiwt-ZZ6IkT

Passcode: 4%?Zyay.

 

Class recording from Thursday 3/9:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/X9AZ6Cm8bjz5_02UQJlqHh0w67Md-aUvztQGjFZW–VMjhKorJDeisoqpbDhh705.G7heh9_ykIPCqzrE

Passcode: gbr50?k*

 

Class recording from Thursday 3/2:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/L4wJMkHwUNR48Pr4FlPftFO-wYeJpMwiKvfYwzMPvHeS0awOx5SQ0dpIWXvVZeZk.Fkxc4dfYQkLNmVd_

Passcode: PEM5LZj#

 

Professor Michael Smith introduced me to the DS106 Assignment Repository many many years ago..

I am glad that he did! 

Now that we are getting comfortable with publishing blog posts to our class website, embedding media like images, GIFS, memes, videos and hyperlinks, it’s time to push things further with content creation and deciding on how you will go about it.

Prof. Smith wrote the following in a blog post from a previous semester;

“In CT-101 you will have the opportunity to create many, many different pieces of media throughout the semester. Inspiration for these projects can come from a number of places. Two great websites that inspired this class and are hosted by a digital storytelling class at the University of Mary Washington.

One, is their ds106 assignment repository which has project prompts that are categorized by a variety of media types (visual, design, audio, video, mashup, writing, fanfic, and animated gifs). Visitors can browse through and sort by most examples completed, most viewed, newest, and more.. 

The second, is also a site known as the daily create which gives a daily project prompt to “make something” using various types of media.

Finally, you, yourself can also find a particular website that has a media piece and/or project type of interest to you – Tumblr and/or Reddit can be fun for this – Photoshop Battles is a favorite of mine.

Do you know of one? If so, share that link here!

*The ASSIGNMENT – (assignment #5)

In a New Blog Post this Week – Let us address and execute the following:

Browse through the mentioned websites above (ds106 & daily create) and find two projects that you think you would like to do.

1.One that you believe you already have the skills to do – or you believe you could figure out on your own.

2. And another (hopefully of a different media type) you don’t know how to do yet and would like to learn.

Working from the DS106 site, the Daily Create site or otherness – select, describe and hyperlink to two assignments/project ideas and tell us why you’ve chosen them. What do you think you’d need learn to complete them? How many of these kinds of projects do you think you should be doing in this semester so that you might learn and build both emergent storytelling skills and use new tools to create them? Why do you think these skills are or are not important?

Be sure to narrate your steps and support your descriptions with screen shots of the process. Be sure to actually complete one of the assignments and add it into your blog post.

***Please pay attention to proper blogging formatting – this post is an example of the necessary amount of embedded media types and written text to support the process.

***Also, be sure to leave a comment or two on one or more of your classmate’s blog posts! 

Below – Photopea.com is a great web browser based image editing and manipulation tool – much like a watered down version of photoshop but it has great immediate creative power – we will discuss and share some ways that photopea can come in handy for this assignment

Here is a great video tutorial for HOW to use and work with photopea – its easy and super fun to work along side of, Im excited to see what you will do!

Have fun and reach out of you need help or have questions, you add your questions to the comments section below!

 

A Bit of History & More Practice

Welcome Back!

**Here is the class recording from Tuesdays class on 3/7:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/J47kRgOeewzMPwocpFWJR-in4-Ul-gDqH6ysXtNb_sH2kXJolwUCL0UPtup-n0g.dIZHWX8MYuUNH7cj

Passcode: X4G4TKw!

**Here is the class recording from Thursdays class on 2/23 that supports this assignment:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/ezy3B3AM7OVjJkkQhH3FVXjr5hx6M0uA-WPQ7hAGZZfUPnv5M0pWlQ7gGUPetYQ.TtZ5kozWGdgK5U-D

Passcode: 8Bc.jii^

OK – its time to dig into a bit of history as we continue practicing, learning and experimenting with our new blogging skills. As you can see, it takes practice, time, revision and also patience. 

*Remember, my posts are also examples of the formatting and things that we should include in each post 🙂

(images, GIFS, Memes, Hyperlinks, Videos – can be made, shared and embedded here)

Let’s dig in ->

Blogging and digital storytelling are two concepts that have been intertwined since the rise of the internet,

Blogging refers to the practice of writing online, where people share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences through personal or professional platforms.

Digital storytelling, on the other hand, involves using digital media to create and share stories through a combination of images, text, and multimedia.

This week, we will explore a bit of the history of blogging and digital storytelling. I’ll provide a few common case study examples, and offer a fun activity for students to express their passions!

(The assignment details are below)

 The History of Blogging:

The origins of blogging can be traced back to the early 1990s when the first personal blogs began to appear on the internet. These early blogs were simple online journals where people would share their daily lives and thoughts with others. However, it wasn’t until the late 1990s and early 2000s that blogging became more mainstream.

The rise of blogging can be attributed to the introduction of platforms such as LiveJournal, Blogger, and WordPress (thats Us!). These platforms made it easier for people to create and publish their own blogs. As a result, blogging became more accessible to the masses, and people from all walks of life began to create their own blogs to share their thoughts and experiences with the world.

In the early days of blogging, most blogs were personal in nature. People would share their thoughts and opinions on various topics, such as politics, entertainment, and personal relationships. However, as blogging grew in popularity, businesses and organizations also began to use blogs as a way to connect with their audience.

Today, blogging has become an essential part of digital marketing. Many businesses and organizations use blogs to provide valuable information to their customers and to establish themselves as experts in their industry. Blogging has also become an excellent way for individuals to build their personal brand and to showcase their expertise on a particular subject.

(a brief history of the Internet – 1st Meme / 1st GIF – this is context!)

Case Study Examples of Blogging:

1. The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond, also known as the Pioneer Woman, started her blog in 2006 as a way to share her life on a ranch in Oklahoma. Her blog quickly became popular, and she now has over 3 million monthly page views. Ree has since published multiple books, hosted a cooking show, and even launched her own product line. Her blog continues to be a huge success and has become a primary source of income for her and her family.

2. Mashable: Mashable is a news and entertainment website that covers topics related to technology, social media, and digital culture. The site was founded in 2005 by Pete Cashmore, who began by writing blog posts about social media news and trends. Today, Mashable is one of the most popular websites on the internet, with over 45 million monthly visitors. The site has also expanded to include video content and social media accounts on various platforms.

3. Huffington Post: The Huffington Post was launched in 2005 by Arianna Huffington as a liberal news and commentary website. The site quickly became popular and was acquired by AOL in 2011. Today, the Huffington Post covers a wide range of topics, including politics, entertainment, and lifestyle. The site has won numerous awards and is considered one of the most influential news websites on the internet.

The History of Digital Storytelling:

The concept of digital storytelling emerged in the 1990s, and it involves using digital media to create and share stories. Digital storytelling can be used for a wide range of purposes, including entertainment, education, marketing, and advocacy.

Digital storytelling typically involves combining different forms of media, such as images, text, audio, and video, to create a cohesive narrative. The end result is a powerful and engaging story that can be shared with a wide audience.

One of the most significant advantages of digital storytelling is that it allows people to share their stories in a way that is more immersive and interactive than traditional storytelling methods. Digital stories can be viewed on a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers, and can be shared on social media platforms or personal websites.

Over the years, digital storytelling has become more accessible to the general public, thanks to the development of tools and software that make it easier to create and share digital stories. This has led to an increase in the use of digital storytelling in education, where it is used as a way to teach students how to express their thoughts and ideas in a creative and engaging way.

Case Study Examples of Digital Storytelling:

1. Humans of New York: Humans of New York is a popular photoblog that was started by Brandon Stanton in 2010. The blog features portraits of people in New York City, along with short stories about their lives. The blog quickly became popular and has since expanded to include books, a social media presence, and even a TV series. The success of Humans of New York can be attributed to its unique and engaging approach to storytelling, which combines stunning photography with personal stories that are both relatable and inspiring.

2. The New York Times: The New York Times has been a leading source of news and information for over a century. In recent years, the publication has embraced digital storytelling as a way to engage its audience and provide more immersive and interactive content. The Times has used a range of digital storytelling techniques, including interactive graphics, virtual reality experiences, and multimedia features, to tell compelling stories that resonate with readers.

3. National Geographic: National Geographic is a well-known brand that is synonymous with photography and storytelling. The publication has embraced digital storytelling as a way to reach a wider audience and to provide a more immersive and interactive experience. National Geographic uses a range of digital storytelling techniques, including photo essays, videos, and interactive features, to share stories about the natural world and the people who inhabit it.

**Assignment #4 – Blogging about Your Passions!**

A great way to practice and apply your new blogging experiences is through self-expression! What are your passions? What are you passionate about in this world?

Create a new “digital story” by crafting a new blog post about what you are passionate about! 

To get started, 1st, you should first choose a topic that you are in fact passionate about! Perhaps it’s a hobby? Sport? Creative expression? A political or social issue? Baking? … etc,

2nd, then you should gather images, videos, and other multimedia elements that relate to your passions. This could include images, photos, drawings, audio recordings, GIFS, memes & videos. These things will help give “Context” to your storytelling and help others make a connection and stay engaged.

3rd, Write! Describe your passion(s)! Share your personal stories and reflections! How did you get introduced to your passion(s) -details details details!? Let your personality flow through your post! 

And don’t forget to add hyperlinks!

Are Internet Memes ART? 

Let’s discuss!

You know that you want to!

 

Here is the class recording from Tuesday 2/28:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/f4kEsTzEA-y4dQyEtyXHok3DnYukgoIUY5tLgTYqAywBkiiDVapj3kTfbeagEXVu.gnL-7ECy4tw72ZWl

Passcode: .r$0qUAt

 

Here is the class recording from Thursday 2/16:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/E1hABbob2VXz7Dw7brOFrKt-Ip-lnQQa7b1tcAesdi8BZHWDqxdyHHnC_eC_gOYD.C1t_OpkfwDr0EaaQ

Passcode: 9rSaA..^

First – lets screen the video above together and then later read the hyperlinked articles below for more context. (hint hint – > You should re-watch this video outside of class and reference it in your blog post 🙂 

Second – The Assignment #3 Details: A New Blog Post is in order.

Memes have become an integral part of the online world, with new memes constantly popping up on social media platforms like Reddit, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. But where did these funny images and phrases come from, and how did they become such a popular form of communication? Let’s explore the history of memes and how they have evolved into a unique form of internet communication.

The origins of the modern-day meme can be traced back to the early days of the internet. In the late 1990s, internet users began sharing images and text that had been altered or repurposed in a humorous way. These early memes were often created by hand and circulated on message boards and email chains. The first memes were simple and crude, but they paved the way for the more complex and sophisticated memes we see today.

One of the first internet memes to gain widespread popularity was the “Dancing Baby” in 1996. The Dancing Baby was a 3D animation of a baby that appeared in a television show called “Ally McBeal.” The animation was manipulated and turned into a looping GIF that was shared online. The Dancing Baby became a viral sensation, and its popularity sparked the creation of other memes like “All Your Base Are Belong to Us”

 

Over the years, memes have evolved into a complex and multifaceted form of communication. Today, memes are often used to convey complex emotions, comment on current events, and even express political views. Memes are a way for people to connect and communicate online, and they often reflect the cultural and social trends of the moment.

One of the most fascinating aspects of memes is the way they spread and evolve. Memes are often created by one person, but they can quickly be adopted and transformed by others. Memes can go through a process of evolution as they are shared and re-shared, with each iteration adding new layers of meaning and humor.

Assignment #3 – Are MEME’s ART?

Let’s write a new blog post ->

***be sure to re-read the assignment criteria and work along side of it to make sure that you are including all aspects of the assignment***

Start by doing an Internet search for; “Are memes ART?”

See what you discover, gather those website links and share them in your new post. (at least 2-3 should be fairly easy to find)

No matter how you cut it, memes are here to stay… but is this good or bad for Art? Is this good or bad for communication? Are memes simply just forms of self-expression? Or are they MORE? Well, why or why not? I want to know what you think.

Can MEMEs be used for storytelling? If so, How? Explain how they are used in your experience here on the Web. Back up your answers with MEMEs and a statement.

Let’s create a compelling way to share our responses! Remember to pay attention to the good blogging skills list example in last week’s post?

And by all means plan to create, search for, discover and share your favorite existing Memes via an image or URL, or embed them into your new blog post for this coming week. You must share at least 3 of your favorite all time MEMEs in this post.

How will you craft a narrative between using Memes and your own personal experiences?

**Oh, and, you MUST create at least 2-4 of your own memes to express your sentiments for our CT101 class! Be sure to include the words: “CT101” in your meme!

Perhaps, you will say “CT101 be like…”

OR, “What if I told you that CT101….”

All of this nestles quite well into in new Blog post! Please consider the formatting of this blog post that you are reading right now. Notice how we see a mixture of images, video and hyperlinks that help give context and reference to where we are drawing resources from.

Some Online Tools for making Memes:

Giphy.com – (create a free account)

Imgur.com – (create a free account)

Make a Meme – work with some of the Internet’s classic templates

Are there others that you know of? Please share them in your post!

More Insight on MEMEs: 

Read the articles below and be sure to reference them for context in your post!

Thrillist top 100 memes of all time

The Wiki Definition(s)

A good synopsis via how-to-geek.com

Another Take via theVerge.com

Are Memes the Pop Culture Art of our Era? Kate Knibbs

(I know, I know, its a dream come true assignment!)

Have fun!

Making our first GIF & GIF Post Narratives!

Assignment #2 – (week #3)

**Here is the video recording from the Tuesday section on 2/14:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/53jBGuqObSvn2aJQsZLeDUauI0t9R05-O73XA3n5s-qqi3TjRFhv9UHSwK0YKVHy.udhb0FWxKc-msPmB

Passcode: A^O6mpA3

**Here is the video recording from the Thursday section on 2/9:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/q7qRoj835odsuo7QArCX76uWqNm997YA6JSfqxkKbMINvpUeMq0kMVxqAZycsnVf.-TJ4lkTHwFdHQYJ7

Passcode: HAA=vDm7

 

Exciting Times!

Let’s make some GIFS and explore their history, contexts and the potentials of this Internet culture sensation! GIFs are obviously here to stay! How far will they go? Can you tell a story with GIFs?

Some of you have already applied some great GIFS to your posts from last week!

But First, and Importantly:

What makes a successful, compelling and engaging Blog Post?

You can certainly see my examples, but now, you have a contrast and a result to work from now that we have published our first assignment (did you publish assignment #1?), looking back, did you cover all of these aspects listed below? (you can always edit and update your existing posts, I highly encourage it! And make sure that you are responding to your comments!)

Good Blogging is:

• being thoughtful with your post titles –  How will your audience know what the post is about if you don’t make this clear and engaging?
• giving your opinions, feelings, insights & philosophies – Ct101 is a platform for you to share, express and discover the potentials of creative writing through embedded media and well crafted narratives.
• backing up your resources, inspiration and research with hyperlinks, we need to see where the source information has come from.
• proof reading your grammar and punctuation. It’s OK to work stylistically, but it should be kept consistent.
• and always embedding cool media that’s made or found from elsewhere to give context and keep the audience engaged.
• what else could we add to this list?

(You can click on the images above and they will re-direct you to their websites. I did this by selecting the “custom URL” option in the media / image uploading specifications area in the blogging editor and added the URL – watch my demo)

Imgur and Giphy are great platforms to explore and create GIFS with!

They both have a HUGE repository to choose from! In our class this week let’s check out both of these platforms in a series of video tutorials, both Imgur & Giphy are free to use and work with. (I encourage you to sign up for your own account, both are free) Let’s experiment with both platforms this week as we work on this week’s new assignment blog post.

Be sure to share your thoughts on what you think about both platforms, did one work better for you? If so, what were those features?

*The Assignment #2 Details:

Let’s publish a NEW BLOG POST of your own and be sure to comment on one or two of your Classmate’s GIF Posts too!

Create a NEW blog post on our class website and embed a series of new Reaction GIF s that narrates your feelings about our CT101 class so far!

Let’s get creative, how can you tell your story in GIFs so far? Hmm?

Think about these questions, and answer them:

What did you think on the first day of the CT101?

Did you like hearing about the course and its creative content? How did it make you feel?

How does CT101 compare to some of your other classes so far?

What are the creative potentials of this class?

How do you feel about learning new skills that use Internet tools?

(yes, you can make this post as long you wish and make it flow like a story – This assignment description that you are reading is also a BLOG post example of the assignment!)

***Each reaction GIF that you use should be accompanied by a sentence or two or three of verbiage to help describe the GIF and narrative you are communicating.

Here is an example of me responding in GIF expressing the above GIF:

“Demonstrations and examples will be shared and executed during our class time, don’t miss it!” (and if you do miss it, I’ll post the video tutorial from class here below) Sinister audio fades in and out as Skeletor mercilessly GIFs himself into oblivion!

**PS – Here is a handy tutorial on how to make a GIF from a YouTube URL using Imgur from Prof. Smith a few years back –  My first GIF post

How do you say it / pronounce it? Gi-f or Ji-f?

The battle continues! 

Oh, wait, you cant possible publish your new post without referencing and discovering some GIF history! How will you incorporate it into your new post?

Here is the WIKI for the GIF file format – its a good read.

Smithsonian – History of the GIF

A good article for WIRED on the 30th Birthday of the GIF

GIF History via – VOX

Let’s get started!

**And be sure to also comment on one of your Classmate’s GIF Posts!

Let’s Do it!

Week #2 – Assignment #1

A Recap & Forward Motion!

***Here is the Class recording from the Tuesday section on 2/7 that covers the assignment #1 process:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/mSC_RuUzEQ8SF7GleJRKXq8M9-1D-HvYu-ppA41-nQFcY46BuGak13eZpsx_8FQy.v4DOG_NNd5ZplVEc

Passcode: F*v!7$bq

***Here is the Class recording from the Thursday section on 2/2 that covers the assignment #1 process:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R1X22qw5CjDEfisgXuADcI1IVHWicS0B5ehgTaQ3kO8sh0G1muamPS8gKTy1l6xo.XHYXXZmtQGVwT66c 
Passcode: q%5eKf4x

The Course Schedule page is here (this is our most important page as it hosts all of our weekly assignments and their specifications – please check this page each week at the beginning of class.)

1. Did you read the welcome blog post located here <–it has an assignment that prepares us for this week – the assignment details are located at the bottom of the post, it asks you to leave a comment, and to respond to one of your classmate’s comments, did you? 

2. Let’s get signed up! Did you sign up for the CUNY commons and the CT101 website? If not, please review the process for access to the CUNY commons and the CT101 website here  Read this blog post for details < —

And now… this week, its time to get blogging!

Let’s learn about and tour our WordPress blogging interface here on CT 101’s website. We will discuss and learn how to sign in, create a new post, add text, verbiage, images, GIFs, videos, hyperlinks and contextual content into the blogging interface! We will begin by sharing some sentiments accompanied by visual media to help tell our stories.

***Each week I will screen record a video tutorial that demonstrates techniques and tips for each assignment – The tutorials will always be posted shortly after class directly into the blog post with the assignment details.

This Week’s Assignment…

Assignment #1 – What Makes You Happy on the Internet?

Your goal for this week will be to read and follow the info / links listed in this week’s blog post. Absorb the information and then begin to prepare and gather all of needed media, images, links and content that you need to create and publish your first blog post here on our class website!

(This assignment was originally created by Professor Michael B. Smith a few years ago, it still holds true as a great example and ice-breaker for our first blogging assignment.)

In a new blog post, take the time to introduce anything you want about yourself and describe a piece, or multiple pieces of the Internet that is “making you happy” this week. Share what the content is about, the media format, and the online space in which it was discovered. Let us know why this (or these things) make you happy! Make sure it’s something you can ’embed’ into your post and be sure to link back to the original source of the the item (hyperlink).

Below is also an example:

“I discovered recently a writer who made side-by-side comparisons of frames from the Simpsons with frames from the original movies that inspired the cartoon. I love this kind work because it shows how culture is seemingly endlessly recycled and remixed.”

 

Also, here’s a video short (below) from the original, famous “shower scene” from the 1960 film Psycho that the inspiration is drawn from.

For another example of “how” your assignment #1 post can potentially look, check out professor Seslow’s example:

Assignment #1 Example Fun with Ryan

PS – THIS whole blog post is an example of a good quality post! Notice the length, the amount of embedded media added, hyperlinks, content and context to help support the verbiage.

It all just takes a little bit of regular practice.

Let’s do it!