Farhat Ali

Mr. Lewallen

EDT 180

5th December 2019

Final Reflection Paper

Throughout the entirety of this course, I have gained so much knowledge and literacy

skills that I know will continue to benefit me, long into the future. This computer literacy class is

different from any of the other mini courses on computer communications that I have taken, as it

has not only given me insight into the innerworkings of technology, specifically the innerwebs,

but has also given me the confidence to approach any task with the tools needed to complete it.

I’m more confident in my ability to use the designated features within a word document,

combine music and art together for a presentation in a PowerPoint, or use google search in a

specific way that allows me to find a result that exactly matches that of which I am looking for.

Simply stated, this class has shown me ‘the light’ in terms of what I can achieve if I work on my

computer skills and utilize the knowledge given to me to make tech a safer and more comfortable

place to work in.

A few weeks ago, I was tasked with creating a project that simulated an application. This

application needed to do a few things, most importantly, simplify a process that already existed. I

had dozens of wild ideas on way to instantly make life easier for certain groups but eventually

feel on the best option I could think of, travel. Traveling as a young, person of color in university

is hard as it is. Adding on the stigma associated with being low income and the resources that

simply don’t exist for these communities create a threshold that I found likely needed support.
Tata Travel was brought to life. With this app, I envisioned the future of traveling on a budget as

something made simple with a touch of a button. No longer would it be hard to find on-the-whim

adventures. By simply logging in and finding a location that piqued interest, anyone could travel

anywhere, if they chose to.

This application was certainly not my first major project to tackle, however, it quickly

became a difficult task to work through. For one thing, the critiques I received revolved around

my understanding to what was expected of the functions of this app. It was meant to act as

something that an individual could’ve downloaded from the app store; however, it became

increasingly difficult to maneuver through PowerPoint with little understanding of what the tools

on the software actually did. Another area that I struggled in was making this app function in

ways that were interactive. I needed to be able to add features in that made this and enjoyable

experience for beginner travelers who knew little of how simple it could be to travel on a budget.

My lack of skills made this difficult. In the end, I used the critiques I received, as well as support

from our lecturer and the peers in class to formulate the end goal I idealized for this application.

What I ended up turning in what not my best work. This application actually turned out to be one

of the lowest scoring projects I worked on, however, working through this project allowed me to

gain deeper understanding of the quality of work I was required to submit.

For my next project, the podcast I was tasked on creating, I used my out-of-class passion

in the computer literacy setting. From a previous project, I received resources on the little-known

recording studio within the IgniteEd labs that allowed me to record and edit my podcast down to

the last word. I spoke on menstrual equity and the project I had worked on over summer, as well

as how I could connect this with the multimedia platform I planned to utilize in the future. I

edited music, added sound effects and had friends outside of the class listen to it before I
finalized anything. In the end, this project represented the growth I had gone through from the

last one. It communicated my ability to receive constructive criticism as well as my skills which

had grown exponentially from the last project I had worked on. Beyond that, it was an enjoyable

experience and allowed me to connect my two passion, speaking and advocacy, together into one

final product. This was probably one of the most though out pieces of work I presented.

Finally, I decided to take another look at the application I had put together weeks before,

when It came time to select a multimedia platform of our choosing. This time the instructions

where looser and allowed for experimentation based on past work we’d done in the class. I

decided to take the plunge. My idea was simple, create an application that allowed those who

face voter suppression to vote in the comfort and security of their own homes. This time, I was

prepared with the knowledge of skills I needed to use, as well as the tools I planned to insert into

my project to make it one-of-a-kind. I took the criticism I received seriously, noted all of the

corrections I wanted to make from my first draft, and started the project early, ensuring I had

adequate time to complete the project to my desired appearance and use. My efforts were not

spent in vain. I received an excellent grade on this project and raved about it to many friends

who I got to try it out.

Overall, my experiences in this class have been incredibly enjoyable. I have had a

wonderful time maneuvering through the endless ways to create a project plan, edit a video,

speak for a podcast and make an app using just PowerPoint. I have also gained many skills that I

know will push me further in my ambitions of working someday in an advocacy setting. I now

have the tools I need to maintain a plan of action, receive criticism on proposals that may not be

up to par, and work alongside others to create software that makes things like voting, traveling or

registering for various events or elections simple and supportive. I cannot wait to begin!