My experience
My experience with DS106 has been great. I have done things that I did not think I could do, and I did not expect. Professor Michael Smith is a great moderator of the class, and his role as teacher has gone beyond of a typical teacher who lectures a class. He has encouraged us to really put our best effort to socialize with our classmates from different places of the world, and to really be creative and efficient with the media, and the social tools.

unexpected road

Professor Michael Smith
I remember specially one of the assignments called: “Prof. Oliver is that really you?” He asked us what we think about the believe if we [students] are able to learn on our own, without the professors’ lecture and without assessment. And I said: “I believe in an independent education where the student counts of the teacher as a guide instead of a babysitter.” And this is what I enjoy the most of this class. To have a professor like Michael Smith where he acts more as a guide where he show us the road, the tools, and we as students take the tools, and go for it.

Demotivational poster

What I expected 
When I started the class, I expected to learn how to do video edition, and sound edition. I expected just to learn how manage the applications, and do some exercises to show the knowledge. However, I received more than I expected. This class really has overcome my expectations. I feel really proud of it, because it makes me feel that I am more capable of doing thinks, and I have shown myself that there is much more to learn, and do.  At the beginning I was very confused, and I did not understand a word professor Michael said. I did not know what to do, but more than that I was confused because I was expecting a typical class where the professor makes you think less, and work more. I mean where you just follow directions, do stupid assignments, and that is it.

Hard work

What I liked
What I liked the most in the class was the daily shoot assignments because it was a real challenge to express with one picture an emotion, a word, a situation, etc. Another project that I loved was the video mash up, when I started to do it, I thought: “God, I won’t be able to make it.” I did not know how to start, what to do, how to do it. And this is what I love from this class that you really have to think, plan, to create art. One thing that I think was great it was that you could choose what kind of assignment you want to do. For example: video, visual, audio, web, writing, etc. Then, you can do something that feel really inspired to do.

Video Mashup

What I did not like so much
I cannot say there is one assignment I did not like. However, one think I did not like so much it was that we have to be posting all the time, and making comments in other classmates blogs; Specially, because I was confused at the beginning, and second because I was not used to do that. At the end, I learned that this is the way you socialize with your classmates, and the way you get to know other people jobs, and profiles, which is great for our careers as media managers.

Blogging by pedagogy.cwrl.utexas.edu

The best

The best of ds106 is that you not only learn through every assignment, but also you use everything you have learned before; from your life’s emotions, and situations, and technical skills. I must say this class is one of my favorites. And it has inspired me to make more comments, to post my ideas on my blog, and also to be more creative and to use with more efficiency the social tools which is very important for our career in communication technology. Now, I feel like a real artist. Finally I got it all done, and I feel so proud because this was a challenge for me. Thanks to DS106 by Professor Michael Smith.