This past semester of ENVS 220 has introduced me to a number of methods and tools to be used in later environmental analysis. These have included the SPSS statistical tool, mapping program ArcGIS, network mapping through yEd, even the statistical equation side of Excel. When I think about my growth through the class so far, I don’t really think about these tools. I don’t feel as though I know any of the programs well enough to consider myself capable of using them independently. This feeling, however, has less to do with how I am introduced to them and more to do with my lack of introduction in the past. In reality, simply the fact that I have now used all of these tools – a few more than once – is evidence of the growth that I have gone through, regardless of my skill on the databases. I have told myself that I would never be able to use any of these tools on my own; I am not a computer person. Instead, due to just a small introduction to the tools and computer problem solving, I know that I can do more than I think I can.
I first truly recognized my technological growth when I was introduced to yet another tool, but this time, the tool was introduced to be used in my Bio 141 Ecology class. This new program is called R. R is, in a sense, a computer landscape for statistics and graphics. The landscape of R allows you to write, and then run code that can preform a number of actions, both statistically and graphically. When simplified, R can both compute, and then present the data you are analyzing. This tool was the first time I have ever written code and therefore felt way out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t until I reached my first wrinkle in my code that I realized I could not only problem solve my way out, but I also loved working with the program. My hope with all of these programs is that I learn them in the context of each particular class, and then continue using and developing my skill with the programs in other contexts.