Advice

For those students taking Essential Computer Skills with the wonderful professor Dr. Belisle, there are a few things you need to know. You need to go to class. Everything on the quizzes and homework is derived from her well-articulated lectures. Trust me, I’ve missed class, and the homework is always difficult to finish following the absence. Skipping class because of the “I know everything” mentality will also hurt you, especially because it is impossible not to learn something new in this class. As far as homework, be meticulous about your work, and definitely do not skip homework assignments. You will find she is not afraid to ding you for slight errors in the homework. The best way to verify that your work is satisfactory is to compare your final result with her online tutorials, which can be found on the comprehensive class website. Use her online lists, to verify that every part of the assignment is completed and included in the final work. I suggest you find a fellow classmate to work with; they can help you with the assignment and should prevent you from making mistakes. Punctuality is a must, because you will be docked unless you complete your homework on time. Also, avoid the urge to skip homework assignments; they may seem like busy work, but they are designed with the intent to prepare you for the quizzes. In all honesty, the work is going to take sometime if you are doing it correctly, so just work diligently and try to include some creativity. Know that she generously awards creative work so think about incorporating a nice composition or design feature that doesn’t detract from the overall purpose. Probably, the best advice I could give is to be forward thinking. Always, look ahead on her website to see when classes and homework is coming up. Plan your time well so that you can adequately devote enough attention to each assignment you have, and be prepared to try to learn from class rather then just get by. Check blackboard, for the status of your grade and make a conscious effort to maintain a goal for this course. Overall, I think you will find this class really enjoyable just as I did, but remember it won’t be difficult but it won’t be as easy, it takes work and devotion. Anyways, good luck and work hard.

One Sentence of Advice:

Remember it won’t be difficult, but it won’t be as easy, it takes work and devotion.

Class Websites

In my opinion, I thought all of the websites were great. However, there were a few standout features that really caught my eye.

I thought Morgan’s work with Photoshop and incorporating the image with the roses was an extremely nice touch. I also enjoyed here color scheme.

I liked Amy’s webpage. The font and image map used as the introduction page were a nice touch. I thought it had one of the most attractive layouts. She did a great job balancing text and pictures. Overall, I thought it had a nice composition.

I really liked Jessica Mackey’s as well. She made good use of the music ribbon which created a nice touch. I also liked the black and white scheme; it keeps the design simple. On her “Piano” page, she used a nice downloaded image which was tilted, and added a lot to the design. I also liked that she used pictures as the focus rather than text.

Joann did a good job as well. She used high quality pictures that were well placed and proportioned evenly throughout each page. She also did a good job implementing the interactive buttons for here links between pages.

Charnele’s web page was also excellent. I liked the animated GIFF, it was a good way to capture people’s attention, and further the notions of her interest in music. I also liked links, I thought that the strip was really attractive and added a lot to the overall composition.

In short, I was really impressed with everyone’s efforts. It seemed as if people really worked hard, and made their websites true pieces of artwork. In fact, I’m jealous that my webpage wasn’t the quality of my classmates. Great job everyone. Anyways, if you would like to see my website you can view it at: Logan's Webpage.

Chris Nolan: More then a Man

I found Chris Nolan’s presentation on web search-engines enlightening. In fact, I would have considered myself a research guru prior to Thursday’s class, but leaving I definitely felt humbled. It absolutely amazed me, how I was completely oblivious to Google’s advanced searched options, especially since I use Google at least twenty times a day. I was also surprised to find the “I’m feeling Lucky” tab which is located right next to the search button. I didn’t know this gave the option of immediately going to the website I typed into the search bar just as if it was the same website typed into the address bar. I also was unaware of how search engines function. I always assumed that the pages appeared because they were purchased to be listed so high. Instead, I surprised to see that the websites were aligned according to how many times that particular page has been cited through a link by other pages. I thought it was extremely innovative to measure the “usefulness” of a webpage through these means. But then again, useful information has a tendency to slip through the cracks but I think this system is still extremely beneficial especially with regards to finding scholarly information. I also was surprised to hear that Mr. Nolan thinks it is worth time to search past the first couple pages of a website. Personally, I usually check out the first few hits to see if there is any pertinent information and if there isn’t then I generally refine my search. But it was also good to hear that I’m not the only person with this poor research methodology, but I definitely will try to implement a more scholarly and thorough research the next opportunity I get. I was also surprised that the endings of the websites URL have such significance: gov = government, edu = educational, and org = non-profit organization. I was also oblivious to the fact that searches can be refined to search for websites exclusively ending in a particular end. I also didn’t know that these could make the search more legitimate by searching for only relevant scholarly websites. Today, I now realize that I definitely need to exercise caution when researching, as it is easy to be swayed into biased opinions. With all of the research capabilities provided by Google, it is no wonder why Google is the most popular search engine with 50% which beats second place Yahoo by nearly 25%. Anyways, I personally would like to thank Mr. Nolan for the presentation; it was the best this year.

The Significance of HTML Coding

Sure, programs like Expression Web are more practical then HTML coding; however they can often detract as much as they contribute to the web making processes. Expression Web inhibits creativity. This is because artists who are composing web sites are limited to a few very basic functions offered in web designing programs but those artists who are experienced in HTML have virtually endless bounds when it comes to web design. HTML breeds creativity, it allows artists to be free, liberal, and novel with their ideas making works that deserve a greater appreciation in the world of web design.

I also feel that HTML is one of those essential stepping stones. You do not just dive into differential equations in math; instead you learn the basics, like essential algebra skills, before progressing upwards. HTML draws parallels to this because it forces the web designer to truly understand both what they are doing, how it works, why it is important, and why other simplistic programs are a true luxury. I think a better analogy is comparing HTML to learning how to drive. You don’t just give someone a licenses and expect them to appreciate nor respect the car. Instead you make them earn it through driver’s education and through passing a driving test so that they appreciate the privilege and responsibility. It is the concept of knowing and appreciating how something works before using it.

Just overall competency of HTML is important. Knowing it, allows you to decipher code for design details that you might find attractive when searching the web. So by knowing HML you can reuse those design details in your own works making web design more universal. It gives the artist complete and unadulterated control to do as they will. One particular advantage of hand coding is being able to hand code when a web design program is not working, instead of being stuck you are able to use hand coding to get the work done as necessary. Overall, HTML is a useful application that everyone should acquire or at least dabble with prior to learning the less arduous web design applications such as Expression.

Power Point Reviews!

Thinking back on Tuesday’s PowerPoint presentations, I have come to the conclusion that this blog assignment is simply impossible. How do you single out a few “better” presentations when in my opinion all of the presentations were perfect? Each creator used their unique style and showed off their intuitive and creativity thinking which was evidenced by these diligently constructed works. Instead of selecting two PowerPoint’s which were “elite” I’m going to modify the assignment by talking about the highlights of all of the presentations. It is in my opinion that everyone deserves some love for the passionate presentations and extensive efforts.

Ruby’s interactive map was outstanding. I can’t believe that she was able to use the map to illustrate the cities in a more engaging way. I also loved her topic. I think that international unity and cohesiveness is a commendable goal which humanity should try to achieve.

Charnele’s PowerPoint on the signing idol was great. She seemed more passionate then most people about the topic she had chosen. Also, the background and the transparency were perfect for visible font. The video was captivating and a key feature which made the PowerPoint more understanding of Charnele’s aspirations.

I liked Chloe’s because she knew so much about topic. Also, I liked the background which furthered the notions of a western theme.

Robert’s was good because his backgrounds changed constantly giving us a new picture to look at. It kept the presentation truly interactive. Also, I just like history so I was able to enjoy the presentation and his appreciation for political science.

Jordan did a great job in her color scheme. The black and grey tone’s kept the presentation simplistic and serious which coincides with her topic.

Morgan’s was great because she talked about something she clearly expressed interest in. Also she used good illustrations which were really high quality. Also her design was really consistent with her topic.

Kate’s presentation was great because she was very technical in her terminology. You could tell that she really knew her stuff. Also, her animated giff was really appropriate for her topic which is difficult to find in animations.

I liked Amy’s presentation on integrating language into the classroom at any early age. I think it is an excellent idea and it was completely new to me because I come from a predominately white area. I was surprised that people were doing this at an early age. Also, I thought that her design was really attractive and her illustrations were appropriate.

Ama’s presentation on the poet was excellent. I liked the black color scheme and the interesting facts she included about the man cheating on his wife. I also am still curious at how provocative his works actually are?

Natasha’s as usually was excellent. The way she had the text appear like it was pyrus was quite cool. Also her photos and knowledge of photography were amazing.

Anyways, I thought a lot of Tuesday’s class. It was so interactive and I though everyone did an excellent job both demonstrating their area of interest as well as their abilities with PowerPoint. Undoubtedly, we have all been learning from this class.

How to Make a Good Power Point

Personally, I find that power points are an incredible tool for conveying thoughts and data. They are dynamic enough to capture an audiences’ interest but also can lull that same audience to sleep. Consequently, I have found most power point presentations to have a lulling effect rather than a stimulating effect. It isn’t that I find the material that people are presenting innately boring, instead I think it is the methodology in which people present their findings in power points.

First off, people who write short novels on slides should expect to lose their audience. The best bet for a presenter is to condense the information and present it in large-visible fonts which can be read from every angle of the room. The general rule is the less content the better with sacrificing as little quality as possible. I also find that presenters tend to clutter their slides. Again, I think that for design purposes the simpler the slide the better. Audiences can experience the feeling of being overwhelmed when there is a bunch of text, irrelevant clipart, and flashy animations that add nothing to a presentation.

Also, I would do away with slide transitions and animations; I believe that these are childish additions and distract from the overall purpose of the power point as an informative tool rather than a piece of entertainment. Essentially, power points are not bad cartoons which I believe a lot of students make them into. Continuing on this theme of simplicity and clarity, bad power points often falter because they try to be to interactive with an inclusion of a broad range of color schemes and templates. This is a no-no. Color is good, but in my opinion more neutral colors are more satisfying then an array of rainbow colors. Staying with a beige-brownish color is a more “classy” and articulated design then hot-pink and dragonfly-blue. Simplicity, is more elegant and soothing which should attract the readers’ attention rather than distract.

In contrast, good power points have a design which is constant throughout the entirety of the works. It doesn’t deviate. Instead it keeps the same font, the same background, and the same neutral color schemes. Another important pointer is that the power point should be appropriate. Don’t bombard the audience with irrelevant smiley faces and avoid using clipart. Instead use pictures and diagrams pertinent to the data. This should give the power point a more professional feel. I also find short hyperlink videos to be a useful and dynamic way to grab the attention of your audience. Good power points find short relevant clips which support a conclusion or idea of the power point. It also validates your claims by showing the audience that you are not making everything up and have factual support. Also, inclusion of hyperlinks and references during the power point further the notion of validity. Another satisfying and professional approach to better your power point is to include various slide formats. Don’t change the overall theme or design instead change layout so you can incorporate diagrams, pictures, sub-titles, graphs, and charts.

In summary the following are things to avoid in making a power point:
(1) Too many colors – more distracting then attractive
(2) Difficult to read font – audience looses interest
(3) Long text or too many bullets - audience looses interest
(4) Clipart and animations
(5) Slide transitions

Also, five good pointers for a presentation
(1) Condense text – easy, readable, pertinent
(2) Make sure all included items are relevant and appropriate
(3) Be “Professional”
(4) Simplicity and Clarity over Quantity

The Greatness of Excel

Excel, in my opinion, is the most applicable tool we have learned in computer skills. Outside of entering basic formulas like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division I was unaware of the other countless operations available. Computing averages, standard deviations, and medians make Excel a true tool which can be used by both professionals and non-professionals alike. Undoubtedly, accountants, economists, scientists, teachers, and virtually everybody can find their niche using the applications offered in Excel. Excel’s ability to be more than just a spread sheet is astounding. Personally, I was unaware that you could merge cells to create titles for diagrams, color the spreadsheets differently, and use conditional formatting to highlight interesting eye-grabbing data. There seems to be countless ways to format information to organize charts into the professionally looking diagrams without much added difficulty. I also didn’t know that data being entered into charts could be refined into pie graphs, line graphs, column graphs, bar graphs, and scatter diagrams. This viability to manipulate data saves the person working oodles of time. Excel is possibly most impressive through its innate flexibility to organize data, compile statistical information, and efficiently depict the data in visual form.

I personally expect to use Excel in the future for numerous purposes which could include a list of financial transactions, possibly a list of physical workouts and their dates, as well as “to-do” list of chores needing to be done. Currently, I keep an excel spread sheet for all of my college purchases. Even though I have being doing this prior to our unit on Excel, it wasn’t until after, when I started to make charts by selecting only contiguous cells, using the “control” key, and also implementing conditional formatting to highlight cells with purchases over fifty dollars. I have even generated a line chart to see if my spending is unusually high so that I can am knowledgeable about how I stand financially. Prior to the Excel unit, I found keeping a spreadsheet extremely tedious and boring. However, now that I have added some skills to my Excel repertoire I find my spreadsheet to be far more interesting and colorful but also organized and easy to interpret.

Most importantly, I find Excel as an easy application for any individual to achieve professional results without much prior knowledge. I truly appreciate Excel as being, in my opinion, the most useful application available in the Microsoft Office package.