Course Reflection

Thinking back to the first assignment in relation to digital literacy and the learning that has occurred since then, I would say that I am surprised at the outcomes. That is to say I am surprised at my level of familiarity with the context, and surprised at how much there still is to learn. At the beginning of this course, I felt I had a reasonably high-level of understanding of digital literacy and tactical ability in relation to complimentary technologies. The course work showed me how the theoretical context adds depth to my understanding of new media. It also showed me and how the rapid evolution of digital technology is continually changing due to the nature of digital communication, yet strongly rooted within a historical framework.

While I started this course familiar with tools like podcats, pinterest and animoto, this was the first exposure I had to being the creator of these messages rather than the consumer. This in itself was a terrific learning opportunity and, by connecting the tactical experience to an academic framework served to enhance my level of understanding and execution ability.

The three main highlights for me include Selfies, Narratives of Protest and Technobiophilia. 

• The readings and work on Selfies definitely changed and enhanced my perspective on the selfie and the many roles that it fills on both a positive and negative light. Taken to the extreme, selfies are rooted in narcissistic behavior, however, I can now appreciate the selfie as a powerful message, a documentation of a passing moment, as identity formation and as an interruption (just to name a few).
• The Narratives of Protest module was particularly eye opening in the power of digital media and story-telling to both educate and influence. I was engaged by the robust nature of this topic and found the examples and theories behind this type of influence to be particularly meaningful and robust.
• Technobiophilia was a completely new concept to me that I found fascinating. Working on the readings and engaging with the author was a meaningful way to learn about the connection between nature and technology.

I also enjoyed all of the work by everyone in this class. Each week it was interesting to see a range of perspectives and interests related to the course work. I also think the introspective nature of some of the work enhanced my familiarity with individual interests and personalities adding to a more robust learning environment in an online setting. 

I am not sure yet if my digital behavior will change, but I am confident that I will be able to make more informed decisions as I adapt new technologies and perhaps let go of others.

Health. Environment. Human.

The following wordle represents the reading by Daniel B. Smith, 'Is There an Ecological Unconscious?'

The idea of ecological unconsciousness was fascinating and new to me. I have never considered the relation of the human impact on the environment and the resulting psychological effects associated with the health of our planet.

The most noticeable words in white: human, health and environmental are the most aligned with my interpretation of the concept in the reading and serve to support two key theories.

Smith coined the term “solastalgia,” which he defined as “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault . . . a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home.” I interpret that to mean that if the health of the environment suffers, the health of the human will suffer as well. 

Doherty is an advocate of ecopsychology which supports the idea "that grief, despair and anxiety are the consequences of dismissing equally deep-rooted ecological instincts." Again, human health is connected to environmental health. 

Every time I look at this wordle, those three words continue to stand out even while my eye is drawn to varying secondary concepts such as ecological and environment. I definitely think that colour plays a major role in the interpretation and power associated with each word. 

To illustrate the point about colour consider the following image: 

Rubin’s vase: A classical example of figure/ground segmentation. The image is fundamentally ambiguous. People perceive a vase or faces, but not both at the same time. Wikimedia Commons

In both cases my eye is drawn to the negative space created by white on black. So I would presume, like in this sample, that interpretations of the wordle and where the emphasis has been placed will also vary.