Third Reflection
The semester was… I’ve been in a weird place academically for a while and as I sit here reflecting on my journey in this class I am disappointed that I once again didn’t really take advantage of the setting, I am grateful for the things I’ve learned. I’m glad I was able to somewhat pull things together so close to the end, however I’m annoyed myself for once again getting to this point. I feel like all I can do at this point is appreciate the information that stuck with me and pursue it further as I have in other classes. I’m excited to use my new expanded vocabulary at family dinners once I’m back in Kenya and impress my family ha ha. All in all I made it and maybe I’ll give myself a small pat on the back.
Here are my notes on my takeaways from the class and how I plan to try integrate them into my life and thought process.
Digital stories
A digital story is a multimedia work with a narrative structure. The author may use the story to discuss a variety of topics ranging from personal matters to larger societal issues.Prior to the class I had not heard of digital stories, I would have probably written it off as an offshoot of digital media.
Prior to the class I didn't understand how valuable alternative methods of sharing individual stories were. I feel like many others my perception of academia consisted of distancing oneself. The level of intimacy in some of the digital stories made them even more impactful. When I refer to intimacy I don’t mean it in a profound way, rather the presence of a person behind the things we’ve viewed. I have looked up some digital story archives online while in this class and I plan to continue doing so. I have passion projects related to my community in Mombasa and I’m leaving the class with a desire to find a way to use this skill to get closer to my goals.
Detention Centres and the industrial prison complex
Detention Centres are where undocumented people in the United States are taken after being taken by ICE. They can be privately owned and the government provides money to build these facilities. The Industrial prison complex refers to the lucrative nature behind mass incarceration in the United States.
The descriptions in the mapping project opened my eyes to the similarities between the rise of detention centres and the profits behind detaining undocumented people in the United States. Prior to this class I thought all ICE detention centres were government owned and operated. A lot of the stories and mistreatment of undocumented people make a lot more sense when this is put into perspective. The amount of money profited off this industry was both saddening and not shocking when I step back think about how the government treats who they deem criminals and a “threat”.
GIS as way of stroytelling and social media intergrations
Geography and Information Systems (GIS) is the combination of cartography and digital methods to study and understand physical space and place.
As someone with a slight background in GIS it was interesting to see how digital storytelling, social media and GIS can work hand in hand. I knew there were possibilities to use qualitative data in GIS, but the breath of these possibilities made it difficult to fully imagine. It was really interesting seeing how digital stories and can be incorporated into GIS work rather than a long and often boring qualitative written piece. I already had plans to use GIS in my life and this understanding will be a great contribution to my skill set.
Ernesto Oroza
Ernest Oroza is a Cuban designer and Artist with an interest in design and its relationship with the economy and political crisis.
I learned about Oroza from the Alex Gil interview and I really enjoyed his description of technological disobedience and architects of necessity. I felt like I was already having these discussions and thoughts with myself internally and seeing it put so eloquently was very helpful.I find the term architects of necessity extremely empowering, as it should be. When I went on his website (http://www.technologicaldisobedience.com/) so many of the images reminded of so many things I’d seen in Mombasa. I think the level of creativity and ingenuity in these kind of objects and actions of technological disobedience are often overlooked. I honestly plan to tell more people I know about Oroza’s work and I look forward to going back to Mombasa and viewing my surroundings with an expanded perspective and appreciation.
Scalar
Scalar is platform that allows for multimedia chapter and book based work. The website allows the owners of books and accounts to combine and reference different sources and material across projects and collaborate with other users.
Using scalar as a submission tool was interesting and I feel like I have gained a new perspective on how to organise my work and thoughts. I was slightly apprehensive at the beginning of the class but as I complete my work for the semester its nice having all my work in one centralised area. Additionally it makes reviewing my work more enjoyable because of the design of the website. I might experiment more with a chapter based methods when exploring long term projects in the future. I think watching the process develop chapter by chapter rather than in drafts might leave space for more inspiration.
annotation software (more effective than discussion psodt and respnd to 3 people) feels more intergrated wish I ad been in a better place
Hypothes.is is an annotation website that allows users to highlight documents and websites and add their own comments individually and within a group setting.
I admit I didnt take full advantage of this website during the class, however I think it could be an interesting tool for other projects. When I imagine using it in my real life I think of group activities such as a book club, poetry reading groups or possibly bible study for my mother. I think is a great tool to get the ball rolling before vocal discussion and give group members a chance to think about other members thoughts and potentially improve later discussions.
Alan Palaez Lopez - Intergalactic travels from a fugutive alien
This reading was poetry collection that used images and interesting formatting to convey the authors experience with migration.
This reading was very interesting, in that it stood out to me. When I first read it I honestly didn’t understand the whole piece and it felt confusing. I barely read poetry so my expectations are extremely typical and this blew me away. I can’t say I fully understand the entire collection and everything the author was trying to convey. However it stuck with me, while reading it there were certain aspects that drew my attention more than others on a single page. I find that unique, the order I digested each page might not be the same as the next person. It creates an experience I have not felt before while reading poetry. Like many other aspects of this class I think I’ll take the idea of thinking outside the box with me. Poetry can be more than I know and other forms of self expression as well.
Archives and self expression
Stories by Gender is website on the stories of trans and non gender confirming people over different periods of time. Its very intimate and the entries vary in length and the authors share details of their emotions and state of mind.
This website was so raw and I really enjoyed reading through some of the entries here. It felt like I was reading someone’s journal at some points and saw some of my own emotions reflected in some of the posts. If I were to take this into my life I would consider sharing my thoughts anonymously if a platform existed. There is something very powerful in sharing these raw emotions and free flow of thoughts.
Archives and perspective
The archive website linked in class showed different digital stories about people from different demographics and their stories about migration.
My biggest takeaway from this was an expansion on my perception on immigration. The stories I heard were so different and I was exposed to many different faces. I’ve referenced it before but Heejin’s story really stuck with me because I wasn't aware of an Eastern Asian Diaspora in souther North American and South America. The proof of the importance of these kind of project lies in my experience with interacting with this archive. This just reinforced my growing belief in the importance of digital stories.
Timeline
A timeline is a method of visual story telling that combines video, audio or images with time progression to discuss or explore certain topics.
I had heard of timelines prior to the class but I didn't know how accessible they are. Tools like Knightlab make it much easier than I assumed it would be to create a digital timeline of any topic you’d like to talk about. I might explore Knightlab more in the future because I have an interest in both consuming and creating long form video essays. I think its a useful skill to have in my repertoire and I plan to use it or either pass it on.