The last expectation for ENVS 220 I have yet to talk about is giving new experiences a try/ some time. This has been immediately much more evident than cultivating a growth mindset or asking questions. Right from our first lab meeting we were in groups out on campus asking people to answer a few questions on transportation for our survey. This is completely different from anything else I have done in previous classes, I had never given surveys or had to talk to strangers for a class before. And it was uncomfortable and weird and kind of fun. This surprised me because, as an ardent introvert, I hate talking to stranger and avoid it at all costs. But we had to go and talk to people, and while there were some very awkward interactions, it was also fun to chase people down to ask them these random transportation questions. This preluded the many new experiences in this class over the next several weeks.
Many of the new experiences came during lab. These were mostly in the form of technical programs and skills. Before this class, I considered myself fairly adept at Microsoft excel, but that was as far as my computer skills went. Now apps like Fulcrum, SSPS Statistical Analysis, ArcGIS, and most recently, yEd Social Network Analysis are all tools in my toolkit. They are also all tools that took a while to develop. Specifically, during the yEd Lab today, I dealt with quite a bit of frustration getting the data to be formatted and imported correctly. Seemingly simple tasks always take much longer than planned when dealing with new programs. However, I tried it out, and now have a strong basis if I ever need to return to using yEd.
The development of skills over time is especially evident in using ArcGIS. This was not at all user friendly, so the first week we worked with it, it was a success just to get data that looked alright and able to analyze. The next week, when looking at Environmental Justice in Portland, we could use the program we already knew the basics of and create more meaningful and more aesthetically pleasing maps. You can read more about my experience with GIS here.
Another way I have tried new things in ENVS 220 is through the emphasis on presenting yourself. This is done mainly through our websites and posts. It has definitely been interesting trying to promote myself, my research, and my thoughts through this online database. It’s something that I am still uncomfortable with to an extent, but it is certainly easier to promote myself more. This will hopefully show itself in my submission of a midterm evaluation form as well! This is definitely something though that I need to continue to give more time until I am fully comfortable with it.