Thus far while taking ENGL 340, I have learned so much more about the capabilities of my computer than I originally thought I would be able to. When signing up for this course, I had not expected the vast amount of technical work that would be taught to me to help me learn to use my computer more efficiently. Regarding what I have specifically learned, the most obvious is certainly the use of Markdown files. Before starting this course I was completely unaware of what a terminal window was and honestly, when I started learning how to operate the Markdown file, I found it incredibly difficult and frustrating. I had to set up a meeting with my professor to properly download the Visual Studio Code Application since I was unable to get it working in class. After several classes where I was unable to follow along with the lesson, I was slightly overwhelmed however once I troubleshot with my professor and fixed the problem, I felt much more confident in using Markdown.
One of the main things I have noticed about my progression throughout the semester is my increase in confidence in using my computer. Before starting the course I would constantly say,” I’m terrible with technology” and would usually be too afraid to mess with anything on my computer. What I have enjoyed about this course specifically is that we have been taught to try multiple ways to fix a problem if we are to come across one. This mentality has stuck with me and I have found myself being able to solve problems that I would previously not even attempt to.
Another thing that has shocked me about this course is the amount of connections between computers and English that I had never truly noticed. When starting the course, I truly did not believe that there was a strong correlation between the two, and I have come to change my view on this completely. One lecture that stuck out to me was when my class got into what a book truly is. My original opinion was that a book is a physical object with pages, and a spine, bound together that contains knowledge meant to inform or entertain the reader. While I still know this to be true, my horizons have expanded after the discussion that online books should be considered a books just the same. With the evolution of technology, it is changing the way that we view many things. Things such as the news which used to solely be on paper and now digital as well, similar to how books are evolving.
Very recently, I noticed that what I have been learning in this course has been similar to my Wrtg: Utopia & Al/Race & Time. In the class, we recently watched a TED talk about the importance of science fiction as a tool to analyze certain societal issues such as racism, inequity, etc. The speaker, Chuck Adler, mentioned how science fiction writing has predicted many important technological advancements such as cell phones and even space travel. I found it fascinating just how interrelated the humanities and technology were throughout the TED Talk and it reminded me of the lessons we have been learning in this course.
I am hoping to keep learning about my computer so that I can operate it with even more efficiency as the semester progresses. One thing I am excited to learn is how to navigate the web more smoothly and hopefully be able to be able to learn about syntax as well since we have had several small discussions about it, however I am still unsure of exactly what it is. I am excited to continue to grow my knowledge for the remainder of the course.