The longer I work, the more I realize that “do-it-yourself” should be replaced with “do-it-with-others” or “do-it-together” because collaboration is better than competition (and collaboration can foster community). Haven’t applied it completely to my work, but I’m starting to see how it can work around the edges.
This short post is more of a way for me to hold myself accountable for following up on this idea (and to update this website a bit more often).
My old website template was out of date and unsecure so I had to update change it to the default WordPress theme.
Really brief – learn everything you need to about Linux / GNU operation system and privacy tools. Not everything, but something to start.
This is what I spent my summer doing. From there website:
University of Toronto Scarborough, in partnership with community partners, hosted two-day digital story workshops for resident-led initiatives identified by community partners. Participants scripted, narrated, designed, and directed short stories that serve as a window into their lives and experiences and tell stories of Scarborough from within the community.
Individuals were trained on how to create a multimedia video capturing their story of community-building. Through these workshops, the University of Toronto Scarborough and our community partners are working together to build capacity and invest in professional and leadership development opportunities for residents across Scarborough.
Workshops were facilitated by Digital Storytelling Toronto, an initiative of Centre for Community Learning & Development. Thank you to Free Geek Toronto for providing laptops for these workshops.
For years, I just continuously upgraded my Windows operating system, avoiding the poorly developed one. At work, we install and use a Linux distribution (Mint) on most the computers we sell. I’ve dabbled with Ubuntu in the past. For a month or so I was using a Chromebook as my travel machine and now I purchased a used 2010 MacBook Air. So what are my thoughts?
Honestly, while they’re all different if you’re doing basic tasks there’s really no difference. I mean the only thing you know is Microsoft Office then working on a Chromebook or a Linux machine can be challenging because only the web apps are available for those (no desktop support for those OS). Google Docs works on everything so if you’ve made the shift a completely online platform you’ll be find. LibreOffice is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux so it’s easiest to move between them (can’t install external apps on a Chromebook).
So it’s now about the specifications.
I’m always on the look out for online tutorials that freely available. Vimeo’s Video School is good starting place for people looking for tips and explanation for most of the technical aspect of creating videos. From explaining different camera shots to how to storyboard to why pre-production is important, these short articles are written in clearly and get to the point. Check it out.
I’ve recent had slight career switch, moving from instruction into social enterprise full-time. I’m now working with Free Geek Toronto, a non-profit social enterprise that recycles and refurbished computers with open source software and give employment opportunities to those facing barriers to entering the work force. There’s a large managerial component to this position, but I also get to do some training / workshops as well.
Lots of great opportunities for me to expand what I do.
So if you’re looking for an affordable laptop, check out Free Geek Toronto!
One of the advantages of hosting my own website is being able to experiment with a variety of tools, specifically those available for free (or low-cost). Without an upfront cost, I tried Drupal. It was incredibly difficult to use without any training so I deleted it (also didn’t need content management system YET). After taking a couple of online courses, I decided to give Moodle a try. I found much easier to use. In the last couple of days, I’ve started creating an outline and structure for a course. It needs a lot of work, but so far so good.
Learning Moodle is part of my continuing professional development. Every article about education states that online learning is the future, so to future-proof my skills, e-learning course design and facilitation is something I need to build.
So, if anyone reading this has any tips, or links, please send it along!
![Johannes Jansson/norden.org [CC BY 2.5 dk], via Wikimedia Commons](http://ryanfukunaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1024px-Urval_av_de_bocker_som_har_vunnit_Nordiska_radets_litteraturpris_under_de_50_ar_som_priset_funnits_3.jpg)
I’m not a digital native. I incorporate technology into everything I do both professionally and personally but when I need to take notes, and remember what’s been said, I have an easier time recalling something if I’ve written down versus typing.
So, that’s where I’m at. How do I work efficiently? How do I make use of all the tools at my disposal?
While these articles don’t directly relate to digital storytelling they have lots of tips and tricks that make you consider different styles, strategies, and concepts when creating a story, especially regarding the practical skills.
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