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Watching the Emotional States As Time Goes By
I have been aware of my emotional states while I had been doing the assignment from the beginning of the semester. You will see how I have changed so much over time; Changing for the better. I have collected the data based on the following scale below. The scale is ranging from -3 to +3. The negative is the least possible score on the scale and +3 is the maximum score on the scale. The scale shows the negative to positive experience that I felt while taking this class. The scores in the bracket are the one that I graded myself.
Week of Sept. 2:
Stressful -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : +1 : (+ 2) : +3 Pleasantdissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : +1 : (+ 2) : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : +1 : (+ 2) : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 hopeful
I really liked the assignment of the first week because it was easy and fun. I did not have a hard time because I already knew about e-mail before I took this class. I had rated myself with positive score for all the ratings. The instructions for this week's assignment was clear and organized, step by step. However, I felt a bit of frustration for having to wait for a computer at the CLIC lab.
Week of Sept. 9:
Stressful -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 PleasantI was glad that I got to learn more new things about UNIX commands which were pretty cool. I think the assignment was useful. I had got a chance to learn how to make/delete directories. I had fun fooling around with UNIX commands by following the instructions. I noticed that the assignment was getting a little bit more complicated than the first one. But then as following along starting at the Netscape part, it took me quite along time to do this part. However I liked it because I got to have a sense about Netscape, which I always wanted to know about. Now I sense that things are going to get harder but I was kind of excited to know that I will be learning about new things.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 hopeful
Week of Sept. 16:OK, things are way harder than I thought. I started to have a hard time understanding the instructions. There were times I was felt confused and distressed because I could not understand the instructions but as I took the time to read it over and worked out the problems calmly lost and got the problems solved. It took me a long time to follow the instructions because I was preoccupied that "this is too hard, too confusing, etc..." . I was kind of lost in some parts of the assignment. But with the help of other classmates, going to the lab and asked for help from Dr. James, sometimes lab attendants and all the time that I had been putting in the assignment, I eventually know what I was doing and being able to understand and following the instructions. But at the end when I was done with the assignment, I felt good and had hope that I will get a better understanding next time.Stressful -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 Pleasant
dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2) : +3 hopeful
Week of Sept. 23:
Stressful -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 PleasantMy stress level is so high at some point during the time I was doing the assignment. I felt like I was wasting my time because I ran into some problems with computer during this time. I spent so much time on Netscape reading and summarized all tons of links! I was so frustrated because Netscape was slow sometimes and froze on me many times. I felt like it took me forever with this assignment.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : (-1) : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 hopeful
Week of Sept. 30:
Stressful -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 PleasantThe assignment for this week was interesting and easier because it was short. I got to read some of the interesting things that people wrote on the newsgroup. Some of the messages cracked me up and there were some that shocked me. I started to feel more satisfied and did not feel that I wasted my time as much as I did before. I was so happy and felt so good that finally I had got to finish all those assignments. I felt like my burden was released and had a sense of satisfaction to see that I had gone through the tough time and looking forward to feel more confident with the class.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 hopeful
Week of Oct. 14:
Stressful -3 : -2 : (-1) : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 PleasantIt felt overwhelming sometimes during the time I spent doing the report 1. I put so much time into the report. I spent hours and hours in front of the computer as if I was obsessed with it. At some point I felt like I was wasting a lot of my time because I was confused and did not understand much how things are going. I did not know how to make my homepage look as nice as the other generations' ones. I took a lot of time looking at their reports and tried to learn how to figure out how they got all those nice designs, pictures, colorful stuff on their page.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : (-2) : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : (+ 1) : + 2 : +3 hopeful
Finally, I did finished the report on time. I was so happy! The thing that made me feel satisfied the most was that I finished it and I knew what was going on! I actually know how to make my own Web page! That feeling was hard to describe. It just felt so good after many hours that I spent so I did not feel that I had wasted my time. During the time I was doing the report I was so discouraged sometimes but at the end I was happy after all.
Week of Oct. 28:
Stressful -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 PleasantThis was the best week. I was satisfied with the look of my homepage and the report 1. I spent so much time fixing, adding, correcting, creating, etc... to my homepage, files and report 1. After all, by continuously looking over my homepage, a feeling which was so hard to describe. "Yes, I did it!," was how that felt. I had done it myself after all those tough times that I had experienced.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2 ) : +3 hopeful
Week of Nov. 18:
Stressful -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2) : +3 PleasantSince I know how things were done on the report 1, I had more confidence on the report 2. I felt like I can do it and I would not have that much of a hard time as report1. This time I wanted to be more creative so that's why it took me a little bit longer because I wanted to look through as many other's homepages as I could to do a nicer page for this report but so far I had just wanted to make it simple first then creative later.dissatisfied -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : (+ 2) : +3 satisfied
wasted -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : (+3) valuable
confusing -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : (+3) clarifying
discouraging -3 : -2 : -1 : 0 : + 1 : + 2 : (+3) hopeful
An Overall Pattern of Affective and Cognitive Experience:
As I'm aware of my emotion from the beginning toward the end of the semester, I notice that there is an overall pattern of the ratings: Starting with the exercises that I know nothing about, I was totally stressed out and lost in the beginning, but after I was done with the assignment and went to the next, I gained more hope and felt satisfaction when I finished the assignment. I had a sense of satisfaction, happiness and felt more confident of myself by thinking that I was able to do the assignment all by myself most of the time.
My Thought of Seeing Myself As A Future Cyberspace Citizenship:
All of the feelings that I have experienced helped me to think of myself that I would be able to continue to be a cyber citizen in the future because I do not want to lose all the information that I had learned from this class. I want to continue because I know that I can learn more and more each day just like what I had been doing by taking this class. Yes, it was a challenge in this class because there was a lot of time involved but looking back, I told myself that I had survived! I did it and I want to continue because I know that I have more confidence about myself now since I had experienced so much pressure and stress but I managed to keep up and have not given up. But I look at it as a good learning experience, which makes me feel proud of myself. Also I feel that I no longer have technophobia as I have from the beginning. I am willing to take the challenge with everything in the future.
Helpful Attitude For Internet Learners:
I have some recommendations for Internet learners: First of all, do not be afraid that you can't do it! believe in yourself. All the previous generations have done it, and so can you. Secondly, do not think that you waste your time because after all, you will look back and think that it is worth it because now that you know what cyberspace is all about, you won't feel left out if you hear other people talk about it. Third, you will feel more confident as you go along, you will feel like you are beginning to understand what is going on and happy that you do not feel totally lost as as you may have in the beginning. Things will start to make sense and you will be surprised at what you can do.
2. Trials and Tribulations of Learning the Internet
The way to become successful
The process of getting to know the Web and becoming a regular and lifelong cyberspace citizen involves: adaptation, adjustment, coping, positive attitude, etc... There are many steps in this process of being a cyberspace citizen. There are different levels one has to encounter and acquire. The first level or step in the process of becoming information literate through Generational Identity. For example, what motivates you to learn? In order to acquire literacy, one has to overcome technophobia(which refers to a negative emotional reaction to the technology procedure). When one has the ability to overcome it, he/she can then achieve the skill.
The second level is the cognitive level which is the process of acquiring the disciplinary.
The last level is the sensory motor which one has to act like a citizen. How to intergrate yourself into the cyberspace world.
In the previous generations' reports, I find all these levels and steps that they had gone through as I did. I can relate to their experience which help me through the process of learning and becoming a cybercitizen.
Diane Beauchemin
She has a great sense of humor. I cracked up sometimes when I was reading the way she looks at things. She turns frustration into humor. You have to go and check out her reports. In Diane's report, she talks different catagories of drivers based on DSM criteria! I bet you will laugh at the way she describe Schizophrenia drivers, Passive Aggressive Drivers, and OCD drivers. I think Diane has a great personality and attitude as in Internet learner. She copes with things by taking things easy and not overwhelming herself with everything. She had come far from the beginning where she did not know much about Internet and as you will see how she had earn success with the accomplishment that is shown on her site.
Rebecca Ross' report:
I share her joy, happiness and experiences that she had adopted in her report. I can relate to all the things she said. She was very happy with her accomplisment after all the times that she put in. She had learned so much and felt that she got the most out of it. Rebecca's attitude was the right attitude for the process of becoming a cyber citizen. For those who have technophobia should follow her footstep, I think it would be a big help to overcome technophobia by thinking the same way as Rebecca did. When she faced some technical problems, she thought that she did not waste her time because she will do better and would know more next time. I think by thinking as Rebecca did, we all should not feel like we wasting time. We would feel that it will worth it at the end.
Lori Morita She describes her emotion so well, that it reminds me of the beginning and throughout the time of the semester. I can feel it all coming back to me! I had experienced exactly the same thing as Lori felt. She felt intimidated by asking for help. Sometimes I felt like that too. When I felt intimidate to ask for help, I read over and tried to solve the problems myself. Sometimes things worked out but other times they did not and I was forced to ask for help although I did not want to bother others. She was describing how she felt when things did not work out for her: "what did I do wrong", does this sound familiar to you. Yup, we all ask that question and felt the frustration ourselves many times right? You see! You are not alone!.
Shane Cobb-Adams' report His report is very informational. His report is mainly about what we have been experienced as we have been taking this class. Shane's report is on human behavior. There are three domains that he had discussed about: Affective Domain which involve feelings, the Cognitive Domain involves thinking, and Sensory-Motor Domain is doing. I found it makes a lot of sense by reading his report stated that Sensory-Motor phase of learning is directly a result of the affective and cognitive domains.
I totally agree with Shane that "the process of learning about the Internet is made easier by the Generation Curriculum because you get to have the benefit of other's experience". Thus, you will get less frustration by learning from the previous generation's errors. And you will get benefit by reading the other generations' failures and successes.
I'm also like shane, I felt like I had put 100% of my time into this class and I felt good when I think about that I could get an A in the class that made me feel more willing to overcome all it takes so that it will be worth it at the end. Not just about the grade but that I know that I DID IT!
Similarities and Differences of Experience Comparision to Previous Generations:
I can find a great percentage of similarities from the experience that the students in previous generations went through. Especially the feeling of frustration that almost everyone had experienced in the process of learning the Internet. I can recall the feeling of frustration that I had when I was doing the assignment. When things went wrong, computer was too slow, hours spent on the computer, etc... In order to deal with this feeling of frustration, I think we have to ask ourselves what it is that makes us feel frustrated? I think if we want to overcome this feeling, we have to remind ourselves that the process of learning takes time, trials and errors to achieve our goal. Maybe the reason that made us feel frustrated in this learning process because of the time it took and problems that we encountered.
I find it really helpful to know that all the experiences that I had encountered are "normal" after knowing that the previous generation had been through what I had experienced. I felt like I am not alone and should not blame myself. If I take the time and think about what other generations went through and succeeded, I thought I could do that too. My frustration level was really high when I encountered problems like everyone else felt. In order to cope with the feeling of frustration, I remind myself that whatever problems that I had been experienced will help me to remember how to do certain things next time and because I ran into problems and it took me a lot of time to figure out so I will not run into that type of problem again or if I do, then I will know how to fix it.
Knowing how similar the experiences that all these students above encountered also release my stress because of their final results. They all felt worth it and now I felt the same because I felt like I had accomplished a lot over time.
There are not much of a differences that I saw myself comparing to the previous generations except the fact that I felt like we have more benefit because I can look back at their reports and learned from their errors so I can avoid some of those mistakes or problems that they had.
Comparision To Classmates' Experiences and Interpretations:
I can totally relate to my classmates' experiences. They all ran through similar problems or experiences that did. In Dana's report, she talked about her true feelings that I would describe my feelings similar to hers. She said it helped when she complained to the classmates to vent her frustration and stress which I did the same. Same as Dana, I wanted someone to feel sympathy for me when I went through the stress so I would love to talk to my classmates because I know that they would feel for me and know exactly how I feel.Also, I relate to how Dana described her frustration over the slow computer. She had to use up all her patience, I can recall this experience.
After reading through Phillipe's report, I also found great similarities in the experiences. Phillipe felt angry when he had a hard time understanding the assignment and felt that he "was going to break the damn computer in million pieces". Oh, yes I remember this feeling. I hated my computer so much when I ran through problems. Now, I feel sorry for it! It certainly had nothing to do with my problems and I blamed it. I used to say "This stupid computer!". I agree with Phillipe's opinion about "no matter how hard the class is, if he focus all my energy on the problems he encountered, then he will be able to get through it". Yup, that how I felt too. Also that he developed his endurance overtime. I also felt that I have more patience as I went day by day. The more patience I could develop, the less frustration I would experienced.
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