This is a photo I took on the boarder of France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains.
Digiphon
I created this output packet on my Dell mini - Hackintosh. I used Pages for Mac, Text Edit, Notes on my iPhone, and Outlook Mail to create, move and edit text. I used iPhoto, Preview, Grab, iThoughts, Dropbox, Snapseed, YouTube, Pacasa, Pixlr photo editor, Wordpress, Artwanted and Slideshare for creating and hosting media. I used iPhone and Canon Powershot for capturing photo and video content. I used Mahara to create pages and collections to edit and display this data. (more on page L&CR Extras)
Process Reflection
To help my process I used a time management technique, creating a daily check list in the morning and at the end of the day I wrote my reflections on my achievements and short comings. This was very beneficial as I have been in transition. The first two weeks of this review I was finishing three months of being in India and I completed it in Switzerland.
I started by reviewing all the documents, photographs and video on my computer. I then made a time line to recall all the ins and outs of my movements and experiences. I reflected on the experiences of my life that have provided me with my world-view and that have shaped my method of learning and unlearning. I then started writing these experiences and collecting artifacts, resizing and cataloging them. I reached out to my four parents and received many old artifacts from ancient pasts. It reminded me of the days of old, in the library looking through card catalogues and reeling through microfiche. I had a good laugh and revisited some challenging times as well. I have told my story many times throughout my life, yet never in such away.
What went well? Tapping into all these little storehouses of past experiences triggered many memories and deepened my un/learnings. Having written the heavily edited/omitted resumes, this experience was refreshing, I get to say, "My story is worth telling!". These kind of stories that don't fit into typical job qualifications can get lost in the corners of our mind if we don't honor them.
What was challenging? It was challenging to present my life’s un/learnings with continuity and clarity. I see my life as a weaving all the stories are connected, this made it difficult for me to choose which ones to leave out. Organization and overall structure where also challenging.
What have I gleaned from the process? I am right-brain dominant, even though I made a concerted effort to be methodical I had difficulty with structure. I realized that if I had been more vigilant at documenting/organizing my experiences this process would have been easier. The experience of looking back, building and honing this output packet was one that has yielded greatly and will continue to. Yields include; learning basics of Mahara, creating a multimedia presentation, learning from times in my life through reflection, articulation of my story, organization of documents and files, connecting with other Gaia U associates, starting my look foreword through reflection on the past. I have met the four goals I outlined in my introduction and more.