The two skills I have been using throughout my internship have come from all three of my previous DH courses: 1. learning/using a new digital tool and 2. blog posting.
I am now well into the creation of the Fellow and Internship StoryMaps project for the OAAI office and have been since the start of the semester. My mentor and I have made lots of progress, but we are also taking our time to edit, talking through ideas, seeking opinions from others, and thoroughly making sure we are creating a StoryMap that is useful to those seeking internship and fellowship opportunities at the Smithsonian. While we have run into a few hiccups, it has been a really great experience to work on a project collaboratively and a part of a bigger institution that will be of use to individuals seeking Fellow and Internship opportunities.
Additionally, as I have previously mentioned in past blog post’s, I am still continuing my work on the Smithsonian Voices blog. As we have moved into the second semester, a big focus has been creating a good posting schedule. Though, it took time to get to this point, we have been able to now post once a week for the blog. There is also the new OAAI website that is in the works, and we have also stored some blog posts for the future, so that they might live on the new OAAI site as a part of the Fellow/Intern highlight section there.
Throughout focusing on both of these skills, in my opinion, I believe that it is different expectations or to be plain: pressure. While I have always given my best to my coursework, the pressure in class is to pass. My professor and my peers might be the only ones to ever see the work I post. And I don’t typically work collaboratively on my coursework. When I am creating the StoryMaps project or helping blog post, my name is associated with a much larger, famous institution. I find myself more critical of the work I am putting out. Whether it’s the post or the project, they are read and will be used by hundreds, if not thousands of people. I am also held accountable through the collaborative work I do with my mentor. Being able to put these skills I have worked on for the past 3 semesters and gain real world experience has been one of the most helpful and best learning experiences.
