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!

Getting Signed Up and Signed in to the CT101 Website & the CUNY Academic Commons.

Welcome Back Digital Storytellers!

Please follow along with me during our class session to get signed up for both the CUNY Academic Commons and for this website, follow me and scroll down..

As we know, a big part of CT101 is the class website. It is where you will begin your active role as an “Author” of our CT101 community and where you will be publishing all of your class work and assignments. You will also become a part of the CUNY Academic Commons Community (Im a big fan!)

**First things first,

It is super important for you to have access to your York College E-mail Address, and to make sure it works!  You will need to have access to it in order to sign up for our CT101 web site and the CUNY academic commons.

***If you need assistance with setting this up do not hesitate to contact the York College help desk at 718-262-5300 as needed or at [email protected]

Let’s Get Started!

We must follow the sign up steps in the order below (I will demonstrate the process in our class this week)

*Remember, you must use your CUNY e-mail address for this only!

1. We will Sign Up for the CUNY Academic Commons Here – simply click the  “Register” button and fill in the form and complete the sign up! You will receive an e-mail that verifies your account. 

2. After you sign up for the CUNY Academic Commons, please Sign-Up for the CT101 website and use the SAME Username and e-mail address that used to sign up for the CUNY Academic Commons – this info will allow for me to send you a direct invite request from our class website to become an Author of the website. Please “accept” the invite when it arrives via e-mail. You can also accept the invite under your commons profile under “my invites” (I’ll share an example)

.. And then…. You will have access to “log in” and start blogging as a CT101 author. We wont start that part until next week though.. The log-in prompt is always located in the main navigation menu area of the website – depending on the device that you are viewing the site in, you will see it in upper right hand corner of the page via desktop or laptops, but mobile devices may see the log in prompt on the left side of the page, either way, click “Log In” and enter your Log In credentials. 

**You cant start publishing content as an author of the website on CT101 until you have completed the sign up process steps above. Please let me know if you have any issues.

More to come!

Welcome Everyone!

Here we are: CT101 – Digital Storytelling! The Spring Semester of 2023!

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, 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.

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..

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.

There are 2 sections of this course that will both follow the same course schedule & criteria – be sure to attend the right section of your course and not both 🙂

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**

Let’s 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! Let’s 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 – Spring Semester 2023*****

Coming VERY Soon!

At first, I didn’t really know what to expect from this class.

I walked into the class, sat down, and listened to the first lecture and for the most part, my thoughts consisted of, “Hey, he looks like Jeff Bezos”

And I also thought about this speech from Metal Gear Rising: Revengence about Memes at some point in class.

But I started to think about a lot of the stuff we were going to do.  The internet, whether for better or worse, is a home for me.

It’s my connection to the outside world outside of school and work.  It’s a place where I market, host, and promote my work

So I figured this class was fitting for a lot of the things I wanted to do especially when it came to my number-centric work.

I think a cool thing I learned later in the course was all the alternate free sites used for making Gifs.

Normally I would make them on Adobe Premiere but I was reminded of the fact that there are many free alternatives to the adobe products I used.  

It was nice to teach people how to make Gifs with Gifs and I wish more tutorial pages were like that.

In Assignment 3, I was able to divulge why I think Memes are an art form and what makes them special. I think that making memes as a means to tell a story during Assignment 1 helped me understand the potential for using Memetic language to communicate an idea. 

I got to photoshop myself into a historical photo which challenged my photoshop skills a lot and taught me how to use certain filters more effectively. 

I left the class with not one but two sites.

The first site I made was my MMM Page

I explained why it felt so minimal during assignment 5 but to summarize I felt so conditioned to make everything slick and simple as to synchronize with the current state of the internet that when it came time to maximize I struggled to figure out what to do.

The last site I made is very important. The process of making it was surprisingly easy to a point.

Naming my site after my brand was simple enough. I didn’t have many other ideas.

At first, making the site was difficult. My goal was to place one of my two series on the site.

I really struggled to do what I wanted to do for my website.  The key to hopping the learning curve though was so easy I was practically upset by the fact I didn’t do it sooner.

Typing in WordPress and Webcomic I found a plugin called Toocheke and a tutorial on how to use it which made transferring my series far easier.

I feel like this site is the most important thing to come of this class so far because it can serve as a place to consolidate and archive my work if something were to happen to it on the other platforms I occupy.

I think because I handed in the final so late I probably deserve a grade between an A and a B. 

I thought I had done this assessment already but somehow I didn’t. I’m taking two classes with Ryan which are both a blast so I think my brain is fusing the two together.

As I explained in the Mid-Term assessment. I feel like I grew in my skills in terms of blogging and found a perfect balance when it comes to the usage of memes and Gifs.

I successfully create a website to host my series. I responded to as many posts as I can and giving feedback. 

The Final Blog Post

 

I plan on using my own gifs after this class on social media and with my friends and family in text and using more creativity to add to it. I feel like this class has also help me with thinking and looking at things differently. Using creativity more is a goal in my everyday life and I plan on pursing it more. I was getting used to the system. I had a hard time showing a creative side and a hard time coming up with ideas on posts. My mindset was just getting the post done but being generic. I also plan on using my website that was made in this class.

Week #10 Assignment 8

My experience registering a domain name for my website was great.

I felt like I was learning how to swim except that the Professor would not allow anyone to drown for a second. I was nervous at the beginning because I was not sure if my code would work and I would have to pay for the website due to the fact I am doing this late. But following along with the video mostly everything is smooth.

I am just excited, at what this can turn into the power is like

After doing part 1 I thought the process was going to be a lot harder but shocking it was not.

I saw this assignment here and thought it was not hard to do. After realizing I need help on doing this I scroll down to the two tutorials you see at the bottom.

The links to the left refers me to the link on the right

After that I was brought to Canva a website that generates jifs and pictures together but before that I had to separate the jif alone, as well as the background I wanted.

After that I put both files together in the website

 Let us Reflect, shall we……Because Boy Has it Been A Ride!

           Entering Ct 101 was like entering a whole new world for me. It was not completely what I had expected the class to be, quite frankly I did not know exactly what the class would entail while registering. A friend of mine spoke so highly of this class and somehow persuaded me, the most none tech savvy person ever, to text a fully tech-based class! the irony!

                           Let’s just say after the first class my face went from…..

To then…

   Yup, that is right! confused as to what did I get myself into and leaving like Nevanne…Really what did you get yourself into?

After leaving class on that first day I did feel a bit discouraged and felt I would not be able to accomplish half of what is it this course requires us to do but……

               I truly have to say I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish. I have always been adamant about it is not how you start but how you finish and the drive you have to do what seems impossible. Ct 101 and Professor Ryan Seslow have been nothing but a push for me to dive deep into these amazing tools that I have learned such as Hyperlinking, creating a meme, creating a website, embedding fun images and memes, and most importantly blogging and expressing my self in a fun and artistic way.

The thing I enjoyed most about this class has been the memes! Memes to me have always been a fun way to tell a message. And if I can be completely honest, it was the least challenging thing for me during this course. Speaking of this course, let us take a walk down memory lane.

Assignment# 1– This assignment was the start of something great. This was the start of learning different tools and tips that I now appreciate and use often.

Assignment#2– With this assignment, I began to feel more confident and not so terrified of the assignment at hand.

Assignment#3– THIS IS THE ONE! My favorite blog post of this course.

Assignment#5– This was another fun blog, the website was so easy and quick to use.

Assignment#6– Taking accountability!

Assignment#7– Now this is when things started to get tricky for me but I eventually tried my best to work through it.

Assignment#8– Stressed was an understatement.

As far as my website goes… That has been the most challenging part of this course. I tried my best to work on it but to be honest, the stress of trying to get things right got the best of me and I am far from proud of what it looks like. Although I feel like I did not devote as much time as was needed for this project I was glad that I was able to start. I will be using my free time after this semester to fully develop and take time to learn how to edit it and get my creative ideas from in my head to on the website. For now, my website looks a little like this

After looking back on how I first started this course feeling defeated and feeling Like I would not be able to do half of the things that were being talked about. To have more knowledge, more tools, and feel more confident in my abilities with Tech, I truly must say I am proud of myself. I won’t sit here and say I am the best blogger on our class website because I have seen some incredible work! But I just am truly proud that I was able to be exposed to these new tools and tips and create the best blog post I could.

Now to the question I tried to avoid the most LOL! “What grade have you earned in this class?”…

If I could give myself a grade for this class it would be a B. In complete transparency, I believe I earned a B because I was able to complete each assignment to the best of my ability but  I do believe certain posts could have been better. I also give myself an A grade of a B because I did not comment on as many blog posts as I believe I should have and my website was not to where I fully wanted it to be.

CT101 has been a growing course for me, I have experienced challenges especially when it came to creating our website, but I appreciate all the tools and challenges that I came up against. I have learned more than I knew coming into this course. I would like to congratulate those who are graduating! and for those like myself whose last semester is coming up next year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! STAY SAFE! AND KEEP REACHING THOSE GOALS!

Assignment #5 Digital Art Making Immediacy

walking and building a relationship with god. I believe through Christianity  Jesus can and does make us feel alive spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.  I believe he has all power to do that. Talking, praying, meditating in Jesus and through time I believe what you want/looking for in life everything will be reveal to you and its in different ways you get answers.  I believe he answers all prayers and questions that is ask to him all is said in his word. His ways are not our ways and I don’t think it’s for us to understand. I believe that when god made our brains ….

I

And allow us to use 10% of it is just mind blowing in its own right; But whatever percentage is part of the imagination is wild to think about because being aware of the ability to think and audit this awareness to have the ability is just

YEAHHHH THIS ONE HAS BEEN A HARD TASK FOR ME….

Who would have thought creating a website would be this challenging….well I did but this seems next level.

After creating my domain name I started to think of the layout I wanted. And to be quite honest I was drawing blanks. Nothing was really coming to me. I knew I wanted it to be based around my love for fashion but I feel like I did not even know where to begin visually.

After a twenty minute breakdown I just decided to go for it….why not……what could possibly go wrong!

Well it seemed like everything went wrong.

HMHMMM…..I never even knew what a domain was before this assignment and now I have to create my own?!

So I first wanted to think about what it is I wanted my first site to be about, I figured if I knew what I wanted my website to be about the name would come to me.

So I wanted it to be around something I am passionate about and love which is fashion!

The names that started to come to mind were:

1. SHOPAHOLIC0NTHEGO
2. FASIONISTA22
3. GLTIZnGLAM
4. FREEtheFASH
5. COLOR2theT

I AM VERY INDECISIVE SO LETS SEE WHICH ONE OF THEM WILL STICK OR IF I END UP GOING A TOTATLLY DIFFERENT ROUTE!

Well, my fellow classmates it has been quite a journey with all of you this semester, wouldn’t you say?

What I have learned are how to embed a video url onto a blog post and using hyperlinks to direct my classmates, professor and others to my source of information such as a link to a gif or YouTube video. I have also learned how to make my own memes on Giphy.com and Imgur.com as well as how to create my own domain and making my own website with the domain name. 

The blog posts I had done are assignment #1, assignment #2, assignment #4, and assignment #5, assignment #6, assignment #7, assignment #8 and assignment #11 which is this final post. Now that it’s the end of the semester, I feel like I would earn a B or a B+ because I haven’t been able to make up/finish my drafts for the other blog posts/assignments which I thought I would have been able to do if the other classes I was taking this semester wasn’t so hard and all over the place.

I have truly enjoyed our class and what I enjoyed specifically about our class is that we were able to use gifs and even embed videos into our blog posts which makes it a use your imagination, creative skills  and freehand/freeuse rather than a one specific way type of class which I extremely love.

Since I learned how to build a website, I don’t think I will be able to maintain and keep up my new website because I feel like it is too time consuming and frustrating to come up with something to post at least once a week as well as it feels like a huge responsibility.

So, my new website called Hardstylemotivator.com and I will give you guys a tour of it. First is the about page where I introduce myself and the direction/purpose of my new website.

Next, its the movie gallery page and here I talk about the amazing movies I have watched that are also my favorite movies because of the cinematography or film score.

Then, I made a video game gallery page where I discuss what the story or plot of the game. I also labelled the games under the console/system they fall under which makes it easier to tell on what console you can play the game.

I have also created a music category where I talk about the genres that I listen to the most and give some explanation of why I love or listen to it so much and I also put all the music related blog posts into this category.

I have made one more category called Tv shows/series for which I put any type of tv show that I have watched and feel like people would like to watch as well.

The last one is the contact page which I offer my contact information such as my email and phone number to answer any sorts of questions or concerns about anything related to what I had posted on my new website.

My thoughts on my website building successes are I feel is going great because of the decision of making my background the cover/poster of the movie “1917”. The background I had put makes my new website that much more professional and interesting to view and visit more often. I feel so proud that I made this decision and especially the content/information that I put into categories and pages that I strongly feel that people my age would like to read/view since its entertainment like movies, video games and binge watching series.

But that doesn’t come with some frustrations. I was getting sooo frustrated over what sort of content I should put on my website in order to make it somewhat interesting as well as what gifs I should use that aligned with what I’m saying.

Overall, I’d say that the experience of building and having a website was exciting and crazy at times, but it was worth it because I like to see the result of my new website or anything new to me no matter if I had frustrations or not and also I like anything that is digital or include entertainment information that I can work on or use.

Thank you so much Professor Seslow for everything you have taught me in this amazing and cool class.