Author Archives: Rownak

My Final Portfolio by Rownak Choudhury

Leave a reply

Think Piece – “Robots are Taking Over Your Work Field

Podcast – “Are You Professionally Prepared for Robots Taking Over Our World?”

HTML – “A Peck with HTML and Markdown Coding”

Twitter Rant – “Tweeting about le Robots from Think Piece”

 

 

The project created for this class required an initial ‘think piece’ blog post following its conversion to different medias, such as a podcast, series of photographs, a short video, online HTML writing, and a series of tweets on Twitter.

I had a difficult time converting my think piece into different medias on a few occasions. This was partly due to the fact that I was new to the usage and making of these medias, the podcast and the video. I had never indulged myself in even listening to podcasts in the past so creating one of my own posed as a challenge. On the other hand, creating the video posed as a challenge, not because I was unfamiliar with watching videos or lacked the knowledge of what happens in the background of creating a video, but because I had never attempted it myself. Until my attempt, I had no idea of the kinks and meticulous thought process behind a video production.

The most direct and positive conversion of the ‘think piece’ essay in my opinion is of its conversion to online HTML writing. Not only was I able to retain the exact information as it was intended and portrayed in the original essay, I was able to add more context through the usage of font manipulation and images. HTML conversion did not require of me to extend my tools to a microphone, camera, etc. beyond what was immediately always available to me to produce suitable work.

Similar to this experience was the experience of a Twitter rant using parts of the initial essay. The rant did not require anything of us other than a computer with online access. It does not compare to my satisfaction in using HTML, however, because of restriction in character usage when posting. It was a fun challenge to try to pinpoint the main ideas, then tweet them in a cohesive manner with the help of tools in inserting screenshots and web links. The direct connection with my viewers about what they can do in real time with this information that I am presenting helped. Direct feedback felt great.

The podcast falls next in list of enjoyment with the direct script of the think piece being useable to me with the slight change of it being heard by an audience instead of being read.  Like HTML, I was pleased to have the affordance of adding more context to my project using sound, speech emphasis, and directed pauses. I was also relieved to not have had to upload the podcast onto a public platform because of my unfamiliarity with public podcast platforms.

Lastly, the video production and series of photographs were of similar experiences to me. Both required a sketched out planning to put my ideas into immediate work. The platforms that were required for both, such as YouTube, Flickr, and Instagram, were of interest and background knowledge to me. I feel that my familiarity may have been the reason for my delay in producing results ultimately.

Tweeting about le Robots from Think Piece

Leave a reply

A twitter rant as a continuation of the Think Piece project

This blog post is an archive of the series of tweets that were made and interacted with in class of my Original Think Piece Essay. The list below will contain the tweets in chronological order, from earliest to latest.

 

Due to the nature of my topic for the think piece, my audience included people who were not yet familiar with intermediate uses of computers, such as using Microsoft Word, Gmail, and some search databases. Although, being a Twitter user viewing my tweets, there are  some assumptions I can already make of my audience’s computer-using skills. But the effective usage of Microsoft Word and Gmail for professional purposes often escapes many.

I wanted to still connect to my audience by emphasizing the importance of computer skills in EVERY field today. Whether they think of their grandmother, mother, aunt, or even want to sharpen up their own skills in order to become career-ready is up to their own decision when reading my tweets.

My tweets seemed to be effective in the sense that they received feedback relating to what people connected to with this general idea of being digitally impaired. Most of the feedback I received were side notes to be kept in mind as users were reading the tweets. Because my topic was not an intensely passionate/controversial topic, I did not expect anything different.

At the end of the day, this is a topic which I can connect with on a personal level along with many others because I happen to love and live with digitally impaired people in life. I know many others do too. It may not be an issue of immediate importance like immigration or tax cuts, but it is very much an issue nonetheless.

I have never used Twitter frequently before this project was conducted. Because of that reason, the low amount of impressions and the ease with which I was able to retrieve the information pertaining to my impressions makes complete sense.

  • 1.5k impressions over the past 28 days
  • 1,444 organic impressions on the day of the project
  • 1st, 12th, and 19th were the top 3 impressions
  • 2 Retweets, 15 Likes, 12 Replies, and 2 Link Clicks

A Peck with HTML and Markdown Coding

Leave a reply

A Peck with HTML and Markdown Coding for Project 5
Think Piece as a Website- HTML Generation Vs. Markdown

The purpose of this project was to realize the affordances and constraints present behind-the-scenes of the most widely-used media around the world currently. That would be the usage of the World Wide Web and the different web sites/pages that exist within it.
The two technologies used for the purpose(s) of this project were direct HTML Generation using Notepad++Portable and Markdown using the help of an Online markdown tool called Dingus on Daring Fireball.

Markdown essentially comes back to code the information present in it to the form of HTML. The person inputting the information uses an interface that is easier to use because the language used to display the information is not as specific and varied as direct HTML Generation requires. In the end, both require information to be present as text and run on a World Wide Web browser.

My process of composition on this project involved taking the whole of my think piece essay and inputting that text into an HTML Generator, NotePad++Portable in particular. Thereafter, I evaluated the many different affordances that HTML allows for me to take advantage of in relation to the different codes I can use to enhance my website. I feel that visuals can make a real positive difference in a person’s Online experience. The fact that I was easily able to insert a background image into the HTML Generator makes me feel successful to some degree. Overall, HTML was easy to understand and get the hang of once some basics were learned.

Markdown on the other hand made me feel as though there were many constraints I am saddled with. It’s almost like having a go-between person in a real-life situation, where direct communication is not permitted. I am going to give Markdown the benefit of the doubt considering I was already more excited about HTML and may have approached using Markdown with some preset biases. Other than that, it really helps to be able to see what my Markdown coding, the HTML coding corresponding to that, and the Browser’s view of the code so easily.

Utilizing different web browsers did not affect the viewing of my website differently. Markdown, however, did not work properly in any web browser. I tried adding <html> and </html> on my own to the coding as well, but that was not a success.

Project 4: Planning

Leave a reply

The different types of videos I am interested in producing for Project 4:

  1. Small clips of me talking to people around New York City (middle age to seniors) and asking them of their familiarity with Microsoft Word, Gmail, and search engines will be shown. From there I will go on to talk about the importance of having intermediate knowledge of using computers in today’s workforce. Most of what I talk about will be in correlation with my ‘think-piece’ essay, My speech will remain friendly and inviting. At the end of the video will be a promotion of and direction to the podcast series related to upcoming ‘how-to’ episodes.
  2. I will interview a person who was new to computers not too long ago and how they came to incorporate it into their workplace. For privacy reasons, the person I have in mind for doing this will be blurred out. After they tell me the importance of computers in their workplace, I will reiterate my ideas on the importance using material from my ‘think piece’ essay. At the end of the video will be a promotion of and direction to the podcast series related to upcoming ‘how-to’ episodes.

I have decided to go with the first option because the person I have in mind for interviewing in the second option will most likely not be available and willing to take part in this project. Even though I will still ask him, I am quite positive that the first option is the most doable.

Are You Professionally Prepared for Robots Taking Over Our World?

8 Replies

Computer Usage for Working Professionals — Robots are taking over our workplace. There is much to be learned in order to keep up with the growing world of computerized information in today’s digital age. Join me as we venture out together to learn the different essential things related with intermediate computer skills. In this pilot episode we explore the need for beginners to become intermediate users of computerized technology.

This podcast was created with the audience of beginners in computer-usage in mind. Because the Internet is vast, I have to also be aware of other people who may have interest in refreshing themselves on the types of material covered in this series. I have had to make some changes to the think piece essay so that the words flowed more easily, as though I am having a direct conversation with my audience. That is still in progress as I try to convert this technical-sounding podcast into one that sounds more inviting to the listener.

Changes I have made range from including an intro and outro to the think piece as it was originally written. This makes a listener feel at ease with tuning in and out of what they are listening to. Music also played a great part in that. With the aid of non-lyrical music, I was able to give the listener some space in recovering and processing what was just said. Fading in and fading out of music during this process helps to rid the podcast of harsh edges. There is some technical expertise which has to be invested towards a project of this sort. It isn’t the same as creating a ‘think piece’ on WordPress where you simply have to go on writing. A media such as a podcast needs some expert skills in order to appeal to the audience in the same sense that you wouldn’t want a physical audience getting tired of your speech.

Robots are Taking Over Your Work Field

Leave a reply

There is an increasing need for knowledge and skills in using computing technology in today’s work force. According to an article written by Cathy Hopkins in a magazine called Technique, trainers of software packages from different companies approximated that fifty percent of their targeted group did not have adequate skills in learning to utilize their software.

Whether you are a manager at a retail store who has to keep track of shipments every Friday morning or working as a receptionist who has to keep track of schedules on a Windows calendar, it is important to have an intermediate working-knowledge of computers.

As discussed in Filippucci and Pacei’s article in Statistica, computer skills are directly related to gender, educational level, and occupation. Intermediate knowledge when it comes to computer skills can therefore seem like an ambiguous term to some. Yes, computer skills are in connection to occupations, but more and more occupations are also increasing the standards for being “technically-savvy” in their job responsibilities. Therefore, the base for being intermediately knowledgeable of computers in this article will be a fair amount of ease in using Microsoft Word, search engines on the WorldWideWeb, and being able to communicate via arguably the most popular email system currently; Gmail.

Whichever field a person may be working in today’s world is not excluded from the integration of computers. A Fitness Trainer has to be knowledgeable of the different computerized machinery in their gym. An insurance agent and car dealer has to know how to input the data they received from their clients into their company’s software system. According to Paino and Renzulli, even students attending school are rewarded higher achievements by teachers for demonstrating good computer skills.

It is no wonder anymore that regardless whichever profession you are working in, your boss will regard you with higher admiration for demonstrating good computer-using skills.

With less limitations on where you can physically go in today’s world, countries are populous with people of many different cultural backgrounds and experiences. A lot of the times people look at that as a barrier which immigrants have to overcome when coming from poorer countries into more affluent countries. Culture shock, especially when I comes to technology, can be a major dilemma in many people’s lives in the West.

The differences in culture can actually be treated as an advantage in the different ways that a person can approach this newness.

There are many roads one can take in gaining sufficient computer skills. Especially if you are living in a metropolitan area, it is all-the-more easy for you to find a free class that will teach you about Microsoft Office and the vast world and usage of the internet.

If those are not available to you, you can always try to learn on your own. Systems today are interactive enough to help you along the way of trying to understand them. Microsoft Office and Gmail definitely have an interactive system where you can get answers to specific questions regarding the system when trying to figure out how it works.

Understanding one system of technology is a gateway into understanding many more. Microsoft Word is only one of many software systems that can be used to get similar results. So is Gmail. Also, when it comes to search engines, there are many different systems that were built for your benefits with different purposes in mind. As you learn about one system, you will gain the confidence and background knowledge of working another. You simply have to try.

 

WORKS CITED

Carlo Filippucci, & Silvia Pacei. (2013). MEASURING COMPETENCE IN COMPUTER SKILLS. Statistica,67(1), 3-25.

Hahnel, C., Goldhammer, F., Naumann, J., & Krohne, U. (2016). Effects of linear reading, basic computer skills, evaluating online information, and navigation on reading digital text. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 486.

Holt, Lila, & Brockett, Ralph G. (2012). Self direction and factors influencing technology use: Examining the relationships for the 21st century workplace. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6), 2075-2082.

Hopkins, Cathy. (2009). Improving auto workers’ computer skills: Many adults are re-entering the workforce due to layoffs and downsizing. But what about the workers who entered the workforce before it became so highly computerized and technically complex? CTE has much to offer them as well.(career and technical education). Techniques,84(3), 48.

Paino, Maria, & Renzulli, Linda A. (2013). Digital Dimension of Cultural Capital: The (In)Visible Advantages for Students Who Exhibit Computer Skills. Sociology of Education,86(2), 124-138.

My think piece was written using the outline of a paragraph-by-paragraph format. I started out small. There was first the basic concept of what I wanted to convey to my audience. Then I gathered my research material and went to work of producing the paragraph-by-paragraph format. I had the general idea of what I wanted to convey in each paragraph. From there it was a matter of inputting the correct content into each paragraph. After completing the Think Piece, I realized that it was a blog post reaching out to an audience who probably only have a few minutes to spare on my writing. That thought provoked me to steer from my initial planning of having only a few paragraphs to creating smaller chunks which will make it easier for my reader to understand my writing fully.
My intended audience would be the people who may at least be capable of turning on the computer to try to complete important tasks. There are many people out there who are under the pressure of trying to integrate themselves into their workforce by learning about the new computerized systems that are utilized at their workplace now. My article is intended towards them. It is to raise awareness and provide a stepping ladder into learning more about what they need to learn.