Welcome to CT101 – Digital Storytelling! Fall 2022

Welcome Everyone!

Here we are: CT101 – Digital Storytelling!

The Fall Semester of 2022!

Ok, this blog post is a lot things, but first and foremost it’s a welcoming! Im excited to meet everyone and share our 1st class session to connect and learn about each other. Below, that’s Nyle DiMarco, he’s a Deaf Actor and Artist, he is showing us how to say: “Nice to Meet You” in American Sign Language. I’m also Deaf and Hard of Hearing, so you can expect to learn some ASL and see more ASL GIFs this semester! I hope that you like animated GIFS, we are going use a lot of them here, and make them too!

We are going to spend a lot of time discussing ways that we communicate.

an animated GIF of Nyle DiMarco signing "Nice to Meet You" in American Sign Language

There is a lot of compelling content to cover this semester in CT101, which will happen in many fun ways!

**This is the direct URL / Link to our class Website – https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/ <—that link is where EVERYTHING is happening for CT101.

I’m not a fan of blackboard (who is?? Its outdated and clunky..) and I will only use it to remind the class about password sensitive things or send a class e-mail.

Please make sure you are familiar with the CUNY academic calendar for the semester as we will follow that..

kermit the frog rigorously typing - animated GIF

The CT101 Class Modality / Structure – CT101 will be taught synchronously in person this semester on campus here in the lab on the 4th floor in room 4m03 (academic core building) – we will also have course work that will be assigned and completed outside of class.

Please know, I am always here to help you be the best that you can be in our course. And we are all here to do the same for each other. Our class is a community! A big part of our class is exploring your creativity and being experimental with the Internet! Plus, we will learn about the evolving array of digital tools that are available to us. We do quite a bit of the creative work from our own personal work spaces as we integrate the class work into our lives.

Please know, I will always screen-record each and every assignment’s description, how-to’s and tutorials and share those videos here on our website. Please think of this website as a repository of information, energy and inspiration for the course (and beyond!)

*The Class Website – Our class website takes place on the CUNY Academic Commons! You will soon discover that the Commons is a huge resource and regular source of inspiration and community! Im excited to share this with you all.

**This Week’s Assignment is Below**

Lets leave our first Comment!

In the comments section below (if you scroll down to the bottom of this page) Add a comment, Your comment will serve as your attendance today, but please introduce yourself! Tell us a bit about yourself, What is your name? What you are studying here at York College?  What is your favorite movie, activities, ice cream flavor? Favorite place or apps to visit on the web? What are you most interested in at this moment? Etc..) Feel free to add some links! Lets get to know each other. Also – Reply to someone’s comment, say hello and share some interests. Commenting and activity on the website is big part of our class!

**PS -I moderate all the comments to make sure that spam bots don’t spam us into oblivion! If may take a few minutes before your comment shows up, no need to submit it twice if you don’t see it appear right away ** Also, please explore this website, read through the syllabus and some of the course resources, it will be super helpful in the next coming weeks.

 

CT101 Final Blog Post & Course Completion Information

CT101 Final Blog Post & Course Completion Information

Here we are in the final weeks of our Spring 2022 semester!

It is my intention to get things set up in advance to help and give everyone enough time to complete 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. 

Video Tutorial on the Final Post Process:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Yyb5DVyYtKbWXQA6SD9wRYVuaoSxiMbhe-TOr9htwxdbvAJp1Q9SXJVfUavFwLkK.AVn-L98PLjrJ8GwePasscode: *8qs@Q6@

**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 classes is Tuesday May 17th, I would like to use that class session to host a Zoom session from 10AM -12PM (this will not be a mandatory class) I would like to invite both sections of the course and for this to serve as a platform for those who have specific questions, need extra help with troubleshooting their websites and or helping with clarifying anything to help us complete the semester. (the zoom link info is the same as always) 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.

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

**Final Blog Post Submission Guidelines**

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

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

You will publish the Final post to the CT101 website. You will e-mail the direct link of your final blog post to me – rseslow@york.cuny.edu – no later than Tuesday May 24th by 6 pm. 

***Please do not publish or e-mail the final blog post link to me before Wednesday  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 the e-mail by reply 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 you will apply your new skills into the world?

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! 

**This post should be your longest and 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 and must have at least 4-6 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 19th or Tuesday May 24th @ 10am – 12pm –  in room 4M03 (same as previous in person classes) I will be there on those days and happy to meet with you!

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

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

Im here to help!

Week #13 – Share your Website’s URL & Some Social Media Fun

Week #13 – Share your Website’s URL & Some Social Media Fun

**Assignment #12 details are below!

Video recording / tutorial from class on Tuesday 5/3/22

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/dA-tq-65us-2RPNX7JGEK4EMJgbhpF7SHbB2QuUzMFiQXTT34Nx4XbIlYJY-Irnk.yq_LIB4YZF2XP2HD

Passcode: 2F3r%vEF

Video recording / tutorial from class on Thursday 5/5/22

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/X1DTIg7u5Yk84U1MWfePeNg5uraInSHCLFcElqNrBpb8Uf7EeC-OW3qEDsci7vec.3hscr1CCb-ypWmZHPasscode: *c4q8t=E

 

Snoopy loves websites, and apparently… tweets.. & toks .. This week in CT101 we will share and explore each others websites, learn about creating and adding social media content into our blog posts, website pages and more! (This might be your own social media content / work or content / work taken from your favorite feeds / brands / people) to help expand your narratives. We will also chat about “custom links” and how to add them to your websites navigation menu structure. Of course I will record this process during Zoom and post the video tutorials here below afterwards.

Here we are 3.5 weeks into being the proud owners of a personal new Website! We are customizing our pages, building menu navigation, tweaking colors and fonts, and blogging away into oblivion! It is exciting, and discovering new ways to create and share content are a big part of this process.

**Assignment #12  Details  – (2 parts)

First Part: Its time to share your website’s URL, please add it to the comments section below in this blog post (My URL is already there as an example, your URL should look similar with your own domain name)

Simply leave a comment below sharing your website’s address and press the “Post Comment” button!

Be sure to include the –  http://  part.

Here is an example–>  http://your-website-url.com 

This is my example of my website URL – https://ryanseslow.com

Second Part: Explore some of the website’s of your fellow classmates! Leave them a comment, or two about their progress directly on their website! Then, write a blog post here on CT101 OR on your own new website sharing your thoughts and feedback about discovering your classmate’s websites. Be sure to include their URL in your post (and hyperlink it!) What do you like about the websites that you discovered? Did you find a favorite blog post, or project? Share it! Give some feedback!

And, Why are we doing this?

Well, to share our development, show support for each other and our collective process of course! Maybe your classmates and peers missed your last few posts and are in need of some feedback, inspiration and contrast. Let’s dig in!

Have Fun!

 

Panoramic Storytelling & Multiplicity

(click the images above to enlarge)

Week #12 –> Welcome Back! (another FUN in person week!)

Assignment #11 – details are below!

A few semesters ago in our Digital Storytelling class we played with the idea of non traditional image-making and multiplying ourselves into a single image frame. (No photo editing software required, but it helps later on) By using the “panoramic” feature of our smart phone cameras we created two examples above to show the potentials of the project by using our immediate surrounding in this case, the hallway outside our classroom and the class. 🙂

The top image is a traditional class portrait. It’s a long stretched frame that bends itself in an overly extended way. The light source is coming from behind the photographer giving off a great amount of natural bright light. The bottom image is the opposite and we see how the bright light from the windows serves as back-lighting when the photographer is behind the light source shooting the image directly at it. The light places an emphasis on the absence of that light and creates a shadow effect of the students in their composition. We talked about how lighting can add this effect and extend a narrative.

Let’s try again with our class this week in person!

But how can we push the idea further? Should we collaborate as a single group or work in 2 or 3 smaller groups? Will other objects be added to the potentials of the project? How can we create a “story” through this idea?

But wait, “how” are these images (above) created?

  1. Open your smart phones camera and set it to “panoramic” mode.
  2. Arrange the subject(s) in one area to the left side of the photographer. Give a good amount of distance between the photographer and the subject(s). The subject(s) need to hold still as the photographer begins to move the camera past them until they are out of the view finders frame.
  3. Once the subjects are out of the viewfinders frame the photographer stops the motion of the camera and holds it in place. The subjects then move behind and around the back of the photographer and slowly gather themselves back into a new pose or position on the right side of the photographer.
  4. The photographer continues to move the camera past the subjects until they fit into the composition.

What will you do with this new technique?

How will you use it to “tell a story” in one frame using the same subjects/objects? What kind of situation or narrative can or will you you create?

Let’s share our results in class!

**Assignment #11 Details: Create a new blog post here on CT101 that tells a multiplicity story in one panoramic image frame, as you now know, the potentials are endless! Yes, you can take more than 1 picture and I highly encourage it as you will need to practice and have contrasts, perhaps you take a whole series of images? Either way, your image(s) should tell a story, share a situation or aftermath of “something” –  Perhaps your story is fictional? Perhaps your story is also written in a “How-To” tutorial format about your process? 

PS – panoramic images can be pretty big in terms of file size! Its likely best to resize the images and make them smaller before uploading them here to CT101 – I suggest resizing the images with one of these free tools -(yes, plenty to explore!)  https://fixthephoto.com/best-free-photo-resizing-software.html

What will you do? Have Fun!

Exploring the WordPress Potentials, Part II!

Exploring the WordPress Potentials, Part II!

Assignment #10 (details are below)

Welcome Back!

***Quick note, next week is spring break and the week after that we meet in person again, please mark your calendars as it is very important that you are in attendance on in person class sessions.***

(recorded videos from our class session below at the very bottom of this page – scroll down)

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.

The recap – we talked about how to set up new pages, and how to add those pages to the main navigation menu. We discussed the navigation menus locations and what their functions were. We looked 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 tutorials 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! Lets continue forward. I will be sharing a new series of demonstrations and will add the recorded videos from our class session below at the very bottom of this page.

Assignment #10 – Details – Lets begin populating our new websites by publishing a new blog post there this week. Thats right, You will be publishing a new post there and also “cross-posting” 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 for Assignment 10**

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.)

 

The Video Tutorials for this weeks’ assignment are posted below (from 4/11/22 & 4/14/22)

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/98tlj5CPJG2085qdTSmveWK6UWecLlNNxYIowixzouQAy5ISQAdLKZ2YXSp7FQM1.fJFc5N9cvUGFdIi5 

Passcode: N1oz9^=P

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/xmQnlxz1YnWoLuWdvpIpop7N6u3TcK6uQhlc9DTPya-kzROCwcqeXgQ9aTjOvv8I.aztZY2gTMl3AZAaQ 

Passcode: =6nM&tm8

The WordPress Customizing Series, Part 1

The WordPress Customizing Series, Part 1!

***Below, Is the class recording from 4/5 – you can follow along and start customizing your new site!***

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/kUiR2lSqN8frppas36jFo9sArqiGmutotmKr_Es30wh5sc4u7Eia8LqQg8ogVf04.tFTPQ6eIK1qjFhjU

Passcode: N7cH*Mgc

***Below, Is the class recording from 4/7 – you can follow along and start customizing your new site!***

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/4jI1bo-n6rh–JGSV4U4RHdh-lhbsexesS56D5nZZa3shrqVj4vglwkze5bFd_lo.Xddtz-YknvAYsKe7

Passcode: !xKR=hi9

Assignment #9 – > (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 (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 website framework ready to be built and customized! Ill be helping here with the customizing process of WordPress. This part will have multiple aspects to it. There is a lot to share, create and test. The process is fun and will take a few weeks as you make several visual 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.

So, how will you be using your new website?

Assignment #9 – This week lets dig into some of the customizing features that WordPress offers as we begin to design our new websites. What did you work on? Did you create a series of new pages? Did you remove default content from your theme? Did you create a category or two? Lets 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 dont 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 may be using, this is context 🙂

As your prof, 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 popular WordPress themes called:  “Twenty Twenty-Twenty-One” ( or Twenty Twenty) – these themes are extremely versatile and are great for wordpress newbies and beginners. I highly suggest that you consider using one of these themes. 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!

Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation!

Assignment #8 – Part 1  (part 2 is at the bottom of this post)

**Please read through this post carefully and watch the video tutorial below as it contains a lot of important information – follow the tutorial for the section that you are registered in**

Thursday Section Tutorial from 3/31

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/q951XmMd7qQc5HwgRXpAxiudAm5sxdpJ0gXx33Z0s_ZNmXjQNCWat1cxKpwWpH1x.iFZsSWH8LVt6uCoS

Passcode: cXp2GH0+

 

Tuesday Section Tutorial from 3/29

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/LRfMSgjfGz4Eda7g4uyu5ne2l2HXStgCZ6iNiXys1LLljcoW6Wnacf3v0oLuGGJM.pUznliszaSIF5GDM

Video Passcode: ?w5xkA&a

 

“The Journey Begins!”

*Individual student Coupon Codes for the domain name & web hosting set up will be e-mailed to you from blackboard – be sure to check your York college e-mail to get the code. The code can only be used 1 time.


Last 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 #8 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 you can start building your website for your domain name.

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 via blackboard on the morning that your class meets during week #9

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)

pick-a-domain-name

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

no-privacy

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 account and provided coupon code and validate it. (you will NOT be charged for this, its already included in the course.)


validate-code

4. Your total should now be $0. If it is not then check the items and your cart and adjust.

5. You should now fill in your personal information, and select the payment by mail option. (again, you will not be charged anything.)

6. Complete the order and check your email for your account information and a verification of your e-mail, e-mail. 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. Its now TIME TO INSTALL WORDPRESS. – You will soon refer to the video below (coming after class on 3/29) 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 #8 – part 2 – (you must complete part 1 before moving on to part 2 – After following along in our zoom session today and then reregistering your domain name, setting up web hosting & 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)

Tutorials: (same as above)

Thursday Section Tutorial from 3/31

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/q951XmMd7qQc5HwgRXpAxiudAm5sxdpJ0gXx33Z0s_ZNmXjQNCWat1cxKpwWpH1x.iFZsSWH8LVt6uCoS

Passcode: cXp2GH0+

 

Tuesday Section Tutorial from 3/29

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/LRfMSgjfGz4Eda7g4uyu5ne2l2HXStgCZ6iNiXys1LLljcoW6Wnacf3v0oLuGGJM.pUznliszaSIF5GDM

Video Passcode: ?w5xkA&a

Picking A Domain Name!

Domain Names!

***Please do not begin this assignment until I share the process in our class***

**Class tutorial here below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/TlU4zcbJVOfXNRsPlBNqp39aPfloqEEShq8qkc208httnDnpyUhCbHBNx_lk-upN.XQ9KTw0dYJ0MlxpJ 

Passcode: r9?svX^p

 

Assignment #7 – 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 Zoom class together) Its time to start planning our website building aspect of this course! Exciting!

You can’t (and shouldn’t) pick just anything.. this part is important!

It has to be unique and also available! It should be relevant – it could be based on your real name, 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 process in class next week!)

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 this 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.

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 #7 –

Write a new blog post that shares a few of the potential domain names that you would consider using for your website. 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. 

What will 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 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. 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 include a few hyperlinks and or screen shots of some of your favorite websites, let us know why you like them! 

Mid-Semester Re-Cap Time!

Its Mid-Semester Re-Cap Time!

Wow, here we are at the midpoint of our CT101 semester! Time… goes by waaaaaay too fast.. Lets take a minute to reflect, lets take a minute to regroup, lets induce a class reflection!

**Video tutorial / suggested process :

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/IWB3mZJLXg_0OyXYNk7PrbrBvsAo10wfPx2m1C2O5W4xJb8ccgdq9aT9vtIK9MXz.I1MGDZVLtLtqaNqz 

Passcode: FfB93c^e

 

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 6.5 weeks in the form of blogging, commenting, creating visual imagery and class participation. Lets 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 –  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 take accountability for what might be missing and in need of improvement.

Let’s title this: Assignment #6The Mid-Semester Assessment Post

Assignment Details:

In a new blog post titled:

Assignment #6 – The Mid-Semester Assessment Post”, please assess and reflect upon your last 6.5 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: (of course, 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.) 

How am I doing in CT101?

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

What have I learned and retained the most?

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

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

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

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain –  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 from the dS106 assignment bank perhaps?)

Assignment #5 – Digital Art & Creative Immediacy

Digital Art Making Immediacy

Lets talk a little bit about Creativity, Immediacy and Intuition. In this post, lets 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.

*Zoom Recording Tutorial for assignment #5 is below – Please watch this and follow along!

Zoom recording from 3/10 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R_9LlHDblQWvgjw_ySGwEvby_IyXn4x-Jx3o0lJ6AvpgiNTCyO_AFwfxaxh49PQb.9XD4CyW6VqS0ImNJ 

Passcode: A!+=a6xq

 

Zoom recording from 3/15 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/GovrC16ey-8spJ_g0_2NhL1mJfJU7XgY4V54s_TDABttD6fCHT7MqNSFIt_Uj5Ug.tufZhW99C7awh3Ph 

Passcode: fs^qg5k4

 

**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? 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 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. Its 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: “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, 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 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, its 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..)

SO what are you passionate about? 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 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 / exercise – let’s experiment and create a space on the web that is yours and personalize it. Broadcast yourself!

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  #5 – Digital Art Making Immediacy

Assignment Description:

  1. Experiment with this “Free to Use” Digital Tool: Lets create an account page using mmm.page (its Free!) – https://mmm.page

mmm.page is a web browser based digital collage / website making platform / space. It works perfectly in your web browser. It 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 mmm.page platform. Each published page generates its own URL. Be sure to locate those.

2. In a new blog post, share your experiences working with 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)

(Many thanks to MBS for the mmm.page tip off!)

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 create 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!

 

*Zoom Recording Tutorial for assignment #5 is below – Please watch this and follow along!

Zoom recording from 3/10 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R_9LlHDblQWvgjw_ySGwEvby_IyXn4x-Jx3o0lJ6AvpgiNTCyO_AFwfxaxh49PQb.9XD4CyW6VqS0ImNJ 

Passcode: A!+=a6xq

 

Zoom recording from 3/15 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/GovrC16ey-8spJ_g0_2NhL1mJfJU7XgY4V54s_TDABttD6fCHT7MqNSFIt_Uj5Ug.tufZhW99C7awh3Ph 

Passcode: fs^qg5k4

 

Places to find Images online – Creative Commons based:

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

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 Americabrings 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

Lets get creating!

Week #6 – Assignment #4 – Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility

The ds106 home page image with assignment prompt icons

Week #6 – Assignment #4 – Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility

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

**the video recordings & tutorials for this assignment / project can be found at the bottom of this post**

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, videos and hyperlinks, its 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 are 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). You 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 media.

Finally you can also find a particular site 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!

*The ASSIGNMENT – In a New Blog Post –

Browse through the mentioned sites above and find two projects that you think you would like to do. One that you believe you already have the skills to do or you believe you could figure out on your own. 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 do 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 to your blog post.

***Also, be sure to leave a comment or two on one or more of your classmate’s blog posts! Prof. Seslow will go over a example in our class time and screen record the process.

Here is the video example and class tutorial from 3/3:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/FG5TqOZeM91L5uueFlMVcfx4D_U5a2U_0aCPIcap-RRcsH23mpAp-cxFkxEqmcrN.ffX-A2p96U_KExSH 

Passcode: ?Cy9sev@

 

Here is the video example and class tutorial from 3/8:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/r4Z3FqcXWPcyMv0dEScA4iAnGr0Pw-BZKOLwOKCmCgqgtJrTxEecJbP5PkBG3-ML.IpyUJ6klnbYDBx3B 

Passcode: Mn6le%+C