Reflections #2

In our Digital Civilization class (DigiCiv), we not only are supposed to learn about history, but also digital technology!  This has been far more challenging for me than I supposed that it would!  So much so that I even bared my soul as a Scardy-Cat in one of my blog posts!  However, soon after posting how nervous I was/am with so much new technology all at once, I came across a TED talk that I blogged about that gave me the courage to move forward with curiosity, interest, and confidence.  I certainly believe that I can do just about anything - I guess I just needed to whine for a few moments before I pulled myself up "by the bootstraps" and got to work!

The Learning Outcomes for the course were divided into three areas of digital literacy: Consume, Create, and Connect.

Most people have no problem with Consuming - connect to the internet, do a search, and read, use, or discover to your heart's content!  In reading over the suggestions for labs, the hardest thing about choosing is to find something that is new.  General searching, email programs, etc.  I guess I need to grit my teeth and just "do it" - dive into the more advanced parts of programs that I already use, and move forward.  One thing that I did learn about was Cloud Computing, which is simply uploading or downloading things to "the cloud" of the internet.  I always wondered where things were stored when I uploaded a picture in Facebook!

To Create, I had a bit higher learning curve.  While I have a Facebook account (microblogging), I am not the sort of person who is constantly updating my status.  My mother has some friends who use Picassa to show off their grandchildren & she wants to learn how to use it too, so that has given me some direction to learn the program so I can teach her.  Since she arrives on Thursday, I've got to learn it quick!

In the Connect area, I suppose Facebook is my most common area.  I use Facebook to keep track of friends and family spread around the world, send messages, link birthday songs, and show them what we've been up to lately.  I like the idea of Calendaring, but again, with my "gutless wonder" of a netbook, it is far easier to just bring my paper planner.  Also, since we do quite a bit of travelling - from daily travel around Utah Lake, to road trips to see family & sites - I am often away from any internet availablity.