I felt that this week had a great deal of variety. We first had the opportunity to reflect on how storytelling is adapted or changed when used digitally. I will say that with this aspect of our coursework, Hypothesis was acting oddly. Sometimes I would go to add a new annotation and it would start editing an old annotation, thus continuously interrupting my work flow (even with using Google Chrome). However, I was able to rangle Hypothesis and see how the “digital” in digital storytelling provides us with more flexibility and avenues for creativity. In a similar manner, we also were able to see how future technology was anticipated, and how to successfully write-up a ds106 assignment post. This particular reading was extremely helpful as a reference when writing up assignments (I had to keep reminding myself to be creative with titles).
Speaking of assignments, I really love the flexibility of ds106. The few requirements present ensure that we achieve a certain amount of depth over the course of the week, while also ensuring that we have a diversity of experience. I loved the creativity behind the trolling assignment. The project essentially focused on finding common character tropes, and allowed me to better analyze some of my favorite characters. I also loved that I finally know how to use the Wayback Machine! That’s been a goal of mine for a long while, and it turned out to be much easier to use than I thought it would be. I also really enjoyed learning how to work with the effects room in my video-editing software. Working with subtitles is a pain, but it was well worth the satisfaction that came with completing the final product: a silent film version of Wonder Woman.
I also enjoyed the concept of the Daily Create. They’re very quick, but make you think critically, oftentimes creatively, and ultimately encourage you to share your work with the wider ds106 community.
@ds106dc anthropocontrapoliticilation. The human tendency to engage in politics in a contrary and oppositional manner. #ds106 #tdc1702
— Anna Rinko (@rinko_anna) September 5, 2016
@ds106dc The top level domain .trailering would fulfill all my video-editing dreams. #ds106 #tdc1704
— Anna Rinko (@rinko_anna) September 7, 2016
@ds106dc An interesting, beautiful… Door knob covered by a mirror? #tdc1706 #ds106 pic.twitter.com/VLAiMOm3PR
— Anna Rinko (@rinko_anna) September 9, 2016
I also felt that customizing my blog went well. I had the Akismet and Jetpack plugins already established, so I focused on changing my theme and added some more widgets, while beefing up my about page. My one qualm is that my pages don’t necessarily have the titles displayed when you click on them (besides in the navigation menu). As such, I’ll probably keep tinkering as the semester continues.
Finally, I also appreciate the emphasis on interacting with the work of others. This can of course help inspire your own creativity by exposing you to new ideas, while also allowing you to draw comparisons between your work and the work of others. This week, I especially enjoyed seeing that we have our very own ds106 flag! In addition to this, Jim Groom, who introduced me to video-editing over four years ago, must have found some of my ds106 stuff and now follows me on Twitter!
