Lerning Reflection 11/15/13

Last week, my computer class and I learned a lot about Photoshop.  I learned that Photoshop is an application where you can manipulate pictures to the way you like them, create pictures for web pages.  Many people use Photoshop like graphic designers, visual communicators, and ordinary people as well.  I also learned how to use Photoshop's plethora of  tools to create and edit pictures.  There are a whole bunch of tools, I only scratched the surface in photo editing.  It was hard at first to navigate Photoshop, but once you spend a good hour on it, it'll be easy.  Also, I learned how to create my own banner and how to upload it to my own website.  Using Photoshop has been really fun.  Here is the banner: http://steverebollowiki.wikispaces.com/%2520.

11/6/13 Learning Reflection

There are a lot of things I have learned over the past week about HTML.  HTML is basically the language a web browser speaks and reads to display content.  It reads the HTML code and then displays the web page you are viewing.  A web browser does not only display web pages, it can display HTML files as well.  I learned that to make an HTML code, you don't need any fancy application.  you really just need notepad and the Internet if you don't know the tags.  I learned about the tags necessary to create a HTML code that the browser can read.  In addition, I created my own website using the things I learned from HTML.  

While creating my first website, I had some minor issues.  An issue I had was knowing if I typed in the HTML tags correctly.  To resolve this, I would type in the name of the file I was typing my HTML code to in the web browser.  It would show me the translated HTML code and from there I can see where I made mistakes.  I also had a little trouble remembering all the HTML codes, but thankfully the tags are on a website.  The website I used to look up the tags was w3schools.  This past week, I have learned a lot about HTML.

10-17-13 Learning Reflection

In my web design class last week, I have learned many things.  I worked in a group and together we created a presentation on the impact of the Internet. We each worked on a specific topic, I worked on the impact of the Internet on entertainment.  I learned how to more efficiently work with others in a group.  You can work more efficiently by using Google Drive because more than one person can edit a document at a time.  Also, I learned how pirates illegally distribute something for free like a movie, music, and other stuff.  I learned how the Internet impacted the entertainment industry.  It made forms of entertainment easier to get and allowed for a richer experience in video games by allowing players to compete and cooperate with each other from all around the world.  

An obstacle I've encountered was properly citing my resources.  You always have to give credit when it's due.  I learned that http://citationmachine.net/index2.php quickly and properly cite their resources.  Another obstacle that I've encountered was making a good looking presentation.  It can't be too wordy, too flashy, or have too many pictures.  A presentation needs a happy medium between all three.  I had to change up my slides a little bit because they were too wordy and cramped.  Working in a group was a good experience and taught me a few things along the way.

QR Codes

A QR code is something that looks like a bar code that can give you all types of information when scanned.  It was first designed for the automotive industry in Japan.  It can be scanned with a QR code scanner app that can be found on the application stores of all smart phones. Once scanned, the QR code scanner app gives you all sorts of data like personal information and can even send you to websites.  With a QR code, I can place it all over the place where people can see it and scan it.  The QR code would send them ti my blog.  There are many more uses for a QR code, these are just a few.  

 

Industry Podcasts

          Today in class I looked for and listened to a few podcasts about web design.  Two websites that I found good podcasts on are http://www.rookiedesigner.com/podcast-archive/ and http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/topics/podcasts/.  The podcast I listened to on www.uie.com was by Brian Suda and Adam Churchill and the one on www.rookiedesigner.com was by Jake Van Ness and Kitty Florido.  The podcast on www.rookiedesigner.com was about how to manage a contract job and freelance clients. There were two people sharing ideas between each other and saying that to juggle the contract job and their freelance clients, the work between the two should not overlap.  They pool their ideas together and give the listener a lot of information.  Designers should only work on their contract job during the time they are actually getting payed and any other time they should work on what the freelance clients want.  This podcast showed me how web designers juggle their work between contracts and freelance clients.  I learned about how organised they are.  The other blog on www.uie.com was about how designers can display data attractively and appropriately for everyone.  One was asking the questions and the other was responding. They were talking about how to make data look nice for everybody, including people who are colorblind.  Also, how to make data more accessible and interactive.  The speaker answers the questions thoroughly and gives examples.  This podcast helped me realize that what looks good for one person may not look good for another.  You have to find something that is ideal for the general population.  

9-27-13 Learning Reflection

Over the past week, I have learned a lot about blogs.  A blog is a website where a blogger (someone who posts blogs) can share pretty much anything with the Internet.  They can share experiences, ideas, or whatever they want.  Not only can a blog have this, it can have pictures, videos, podcasts, RSS feeds, and gadgets.  I have had some challenges creating a blog.  One was figuring out what to write, another is trying to put the podcast in the blog, and lastly, trying to make it nice looking. 

Welcome Message

Web Design

Web design is the designing and maintenance of websites.  There are a lot of things that go into web design.  You need to have a lot of skill to be a web designer.  I don't know a lot about web design, but I know that you need to be skilled.  Also, I know that a good web designer should make sure their web page is easy to use and looks good at the same time.  Viewers should not have trouble trying to find something on the website.  I have never programed anything in my life or done some site work either.  I'm pretty sure it's hard work to do so.  

From this class, I hope to learn how to design and create a website and how to create a program as well.  What I learn from this class can benefit me in my life because it might help me when I'm at college.  What I learn from thus class can help me get good grades in a future web design class.  

Netiquette

Netiquette is the etiquette of the Internet. Etiquette is like a social code of conduct.   So basically, netiquette is the Internet code of conduct that everybody should follow while online.  Good netiquette is important because without it, people on the Internet will view you as a bad person, a person that they don't want to associate with.  If you have good netiquette, people on the Internet will be nice to you too like respond to your e-mails or posts.  To have good netiquette, you should not use all capital letters or else people will think you are screaming because they can't see your body language/ expressions, you should not spam, you should treat others the way you want to be treated, you should act like you act in real life, and you should use your writing skills.  You would use netiquette when trying to e-mail someone, commenting on something, posting something, and in other places.  

My netiquette is not good but not bad.  I use manners sometimes, but other times I don't when someone has a different opinion than mine.  I don't go berserk and write in all caps and say bad words, but I don't like to hear the other side's point of view.  I need to work on my netiquette by being more polite and patient.  

Digital Footprint

A digital footprint is the "footprint" that you leave behind on the Internet.  You leave a "footprint" on the Internet through e-mails, videos, Facebook posts, tweets, etc.  It shows information about yourself. Basically, almost anything you do on the Internet that people can view later is your digital footprint.  Having a positive footprint is very important.  It can be the deciding factor of you landing a job or career or getting into college.  A positive digital footprint is a digital footprint that shows information about yourself in a positive way.  When people google your name, stuff like blogs, books, etc. should show up, not pictures about last weekend's party and other shenanigans.  

I can improve my digital footprint by becoming more active online.  When I search up my name, I don't find myself at all.  I can begin to blog, maybe start a YouTube channel, and maybe create my own website to improve my digital footprint.  Online, it does mater who you associate with.  You can't just randomly friend every person you find without knowing a little bit about them.  That person can be a criminal for all you know.  If you are friends with a criminal on the Internet, it can lead colleges into believing that you too, are a bad person.  Employers may also deny you of a job because of your criminal friend that you may or may not know is a criminal.  Everything you do on the Internet can be viewed by others in the future, which is why information that you leave behind from your actions on the Internet is called a digital footprint.  

New Vocabulary Words:

1. Digital footprint - Basically the information about yourself that you leave behind from your actions on the Internet.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is how honest a person is about their work.  It is something that everybody pursuing their education should have.  To have academic integrity, you should not plagiarize, give credit when needed, be original, cite your resources, and not copy other's work.  You should have it at all times.  Academic integrity is important because if you have it, you will show your teacher and others that you work hard, are creative, honest, and a trustworthy student.  

Plagiarism is the copying of some body's work word for word and making other people believe that it is your work.  If you plagiarize, you are basically stealing some one's hard work.  There are many consequences to plagiarizing.  It can ruin your reputation as a student and make people believe that you do not have academic integrity.  Teachers will view you as not honest and not trustworthy.  Plagiarism is taken very seriously.  You can be suspended for your first offence and for later offences, expelled.  Also, plagiarism follows you your whole life.  It can affect your job and career choice.  In addition, you can be sued by the author that you plagiarized from.  In conclusion, plagiarism is a bad thing.  

New Words I Learned From This Lesson:

1. Integrity - The quality of being honest and having good moral principles

2. Consequence - the effect of an action

Blogging

A blog is a website where a person can share information with other people.  It is a place where someone can post about whatever interests them or about their life and others reading about it can comment on the post.  I don't know too much about blogs because I don't follow any body's blog or Twitter account, but I know the basic concept of one.  Blogging can help the learning process in our class because if someone finds something educational and interesting, they can blog about it and the whole class may be able to view it.  The blogger can include pictures, links to videos, and even audio so that we can learn a thing or two.  In addition, a blog can also help us to become better writers because we are practicing our writing.  People can comment on our blog and constructively criticize our writing so we may become more advanced writers.  

Cars are pretty interesting.  Car A can accelerate faster than Car B, but Car B looks better. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  A few car blogs I have come across are MotorTrend's blog in which there are many writers blogging about cars http://blogs.motortrend.com/, Autoblog in which there are various bloggers http://www.autoblog.com/, G.M. Fastlane http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/ where they blog about Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and G.M.C., and POPSCI http://www.popsci.com/taxonomy/term/2/0/,  where they talk about anything that has to do with cars.  My favorite is POPSCI because it talks about cars and other interesting stuff. For example, the bloggers blogged about what happens if you put rocket fuel in your car. Your car will not go any faster, but don't try it at home!