Molly Peterson

it's me!

My Tools (with varying levels of proficiency)

Corresponding Resources

Photoshop
Illustrator
Lightroom
InDesign
Spark
FCPX

The Learning Lab and Me

I love the Learning Lab with all my heart. As a creative person and passionate learner, it is a professional home I never could have dreamed up ever in any of my believe-me-very-wild dreams. Learning digital tools in an increasingly tech-dependent world is becoming not just practical, but essential for every learner. I've always found anything computer-y and technical-seeming and remotely related to coding extremely intimidating. It all seemed too complicated for me... or too boring. The Learning Lab has helped me to overcome this bias and embrace the wonderful world of digital media. I saw "wonderful world" because, once you begin to learn, you find you really have set foot in a whole new realm ready to be explored. The best part is I don't have to navigate this Narnia alone: I have an entire team of peers and LL-Fellows to walk me through things and laugh with me along the way. I think being able to experiment with these tools in an environment in which I feel my contribution is valued has been fundamental to my appreciation of them, and the ways in which they can foster community and communal growth. Knowing how to work with the kinds of gadgets and gizmos the Learning Lab loves ultimately just helps me do what I love even better: discover the ways the world does and can work, and learn how we might connect with one another. At the Learning Lab I have specialized in Photography and Design, but have dabbled in many more areas--and hope to dabble even more. :-)

In addition to all the media-based work, I also appreciate the LL's cultural emphasis on reflecting upon our educational and creative practices. I like that we're constantly thinking about the tools we have at our disposal and how they might be improved/we might wield them better. I like that we think about how we can improve learning for individuals and classes alike through our own lived experience. I like the cooperative integrity of the Lab, the way we work together to solve problems and create delights that I never saw coming my way. I consider the responsibility to be an engaged and reflective member of the LL community just as important as the missive to develop hard skills and deliver content. The values that make the Learning Lab what it is are ones I have actively sought to implement in my own life.