Reflection: A Summer of Digital Awareness

I've owned a laptop computer ever since I was in the fifth grade. I acquired it after participating in a pilot program sponsored by Bill Gates. He envisioned that every student in the New York City public school system would use computers as a learning tool in the classroom. And his vision was revolutionary. As soon as I discovered the internet (through dial-up!) I would spend hours and hours on it. I remember it took me about five hours just to download America Online 4.0! At the time I was the only person in my family with a computer; I think for this reason they have always regarded me as knowing 'alot' about computers. But I have to admit that they aren't right. Yes, I do know how to get around the internet and search for a couple things or two. But taking this class made me realize that their is a whole digital world out there that I was completely unaware of. There are programs that can make life much easier for you and there are tutorials that guide you through these in case you don't know have to. You no longer have to spend hours trying to figure out how to save a video on to your computer. There is a program specifically designed for almost everyone of your needs and there is a tutorial of someone else who figured it out for you. If only rocket science came with a tutorial.

This class has taught me that as a consumer of the digital world, I need to look at everything with a critical eye and understand that it has been designed under a certain agenda. I also understand that while I can be a consumer, I can also be a producer and create some of the things that are out there in the media, whether they be in text, video or image form. The programs I have learned to use in class are just some of the resources I can use to produce content that can be used to communicate an idea to millions of other people around the world. These digital creations, in a sense, represent who we are.


As a teacher, this class has been instrumental in my thinking about the role of technology in my own classroom and how I plan to use it so that my students are not left out of the digital world. I have also started thinking about the use of technology as part of the evolution of writing. How can I stay true to the fundamentals of reading and writing, and still incorporate digital media as part of learning? I think that's what I enjoyed most about this class. The final project at first glance seemed like a peace of cake. But after embarking on it, I realized that creating a video follows the same general path that writing a paper would: Brainstorming, outlining, editing, revising. Of course, you also have fun doing it too. When my time to teach Basic Writing come around, I imagine that I will create an assignment such as this one and it will be a great benefit for my students. As a parent, this class has also made me more aware of the dangers of the internet. It can be a great place for pedophiles and bullies to find their victims. And it can also cause the loss of your job if it's found that you posted something inappropriate on facebook.
However, the best thing I will take away from this class the confidence I have gained in myself as a producer of digital media. I can't say that I ever imagined I would be able to create video without this class and I look forward to continue to make them.