I have used various elements from my previous coursework during my time at Conner Prairie. Last semester, I was able to put my research skills to the test. The project I worked on last semester consisted of researching, writing, and organizing a potential online exhibit for Conner Prairie’s Civil War Journey. The knowledge I gained from my Museum Studies course taught by Dr. Crew helped me a lot with this project, especially when it came to the smaller details. I was reminded to think of the audience and the physical layout of the exhibit.
For this semester, I am learning a completely new skill set, video editing and production. My mentor Ryan specializes in video editing and production. I have had no prior experience to video editing outside my own personal use of apps like iMovie. Ryan has introduced me to adobe premiere and all its features. I am currently helping Ryan edit videos for Conner Prairie’s Curious Conversations and other fun projects. Although this is a brand-new experience for me, I am excited to continue developing this skill. I think this will be a useful skill to have, especially working in the digital humanities field.
I would say that there is a difference between theory and practice. However, I think that this difference only exists due to things outside of our control. Like everything in life, you can only prepare for so much. There are many unpredictable problems that can arise when creating any digital project or research. Sometimes you could have difficulty finding or accessing a source. You can also have internet problems which can delay or affect project management. I do not think that there is always a distinct difference between theory and practice, but it varies from project to project. A primary example would be research projects, like a seminar paper. Challenges can sometimes arise when looking for sources, but not every time because it depends on your topic. However, with digital projects the is not really a huge difference between theory and practice. Technology is a very finicky and specific medium. I am sure that those who know how to code have a good understanding of this. For a video to tell a story, the clips must be placed in the right order otherwise the story will not make any sense. I would say that this internship has taught me a lot about the relationship between theory and practice within the field of History.
