On the last leg........

Well, well, well it's finally come to the last stretch and class has less than two weeks left. This week we were assigned groups in order to create our last project, A MOVIE!! I worked with the four people in my row of which I've been working throughout the whole semester whenever group projects were assigned so it was a comfortable environment and everyone had good chemistry. We decided to make our video a spoof of presentations we had to present in class just two weeks earlier and I think it's an ingenious idea and the whole class will love it.....Dr. Strong seems to love it and I can't for the final product! This coming Tuesday we'll gather all of our filming and edit and VIOLA!! We're hoping to be done on Tuesday that way we can present on Thursday and do not have to come to class the following week for evaluations which would be nice however I probably still will come because I'll like to see my classmates finished products of their movies. Well that's it for now, I know it's been a while since I've written but I allowed life to get the best of me.....later until I write again.... :D

CRUNCH TIME!

Yes ladies and gentlemen it’s coming down to the wire now, this semester is almost over and I can’t believe it. Crunch time is NOW! Things are up and coming and due like clockwork, click, click, BOOM! Aside from the heap of projects due in my other classes things are quickly approaching with CST as our spreadsheet analysis, electronic presentation, movie, and website finales are soon due. However, it should be interesting with the last four major projects. I’m excited to put together all the final workings of my research project in my spreadsheet analysis and electronic presentation and I think it will be nice to see everyone’s data all gathered and organized. I’m also very excited because we’ve been working with powerpoint and although I had background knowledge on PowerPoint I’m learning many new tricks that will help my liven up future my ppt presentations. Lots and lots to do on my part starting right about…….NOW!

EXCEL INTO THE FUTURE!

What a great week! My stress has definitely digressed from a 10 to a 2 in the words of my professors little granddaughter. This weekend was stressful with midterms and such but I believe my group and I did an excellent over magnificent job on our ethics assignment. The PowerPoint was splendiferous! ……. in my opinion that is, and I’m excited to see what Dr. Strong’s reaction will be and especially our grade, but that goes without saying. Aside from that this week we worked on Excel spreadsheets, ahhhhh my favorite. Ok, well not really but it was pretty basic and I had background knowledge of just about everything we covered, mainly because both of my parents are teachers. I know next week we’re getting back to photoshop dealings and it’ll be interesting. Until then……..

Nice......FUN!!

This week was nice and fun…. Nice because we’re getting to the end of our ethics assignment as a group, which is due next week. I really liked my group and we have everything in order and I think the final product will turn out well. I’m anxious in a nervous excited way to see what grade we get as a group. Aside from that today was digital images day…FUN, FUN, FUN!! Once again I worked with the same group that I’m doing my ethics project since we have good chemistry together and it was really awesome. We all had great ideas although I feel like we kind of held back because things could have been a lot more interesting if we were more comfortable. One of our group members in particular was quite the photographer and she was able to take some nice photos of us and other things. My favorite part, was after having my digital camera for a year and counting, I just figured out today by some miracle how to manipulate the color swap function. This was so cool because then I had the idea to take a picture of myself in a tree while using the color swap function to make the tree RED! It turned out beautifully…..this was such a lovely day and I enjoyed every bit of it. Funny how things can change dramatically from one day to the next or in this event from one week to the next…

COMING ALONG.......

After being so stressed for a while now, things appear to be coming along now but only time will tell how long that will last. We’ve finally submitted our research proposals which wasn’t even an entire proposal and that was stressful enough but I’m glad now that I have some background information on how to go about starting one as it’s a given in the near future I will have to do a few. Aside from that we’ve just started a new project on ethics that involves group work and effort and I think it will turn out very nice because my group is very agreeable and we are very organized thus far. Next week we’ll be finishing up our PowerPoint as a group on computer usage in education all the way from kindergarten right on up to grad school. It will be interesting to see the final product as we review the pros and cons and layout the actual facts with guidelines and policies on the actual matter…….check up next week to see what life brings…

DRAINED!

Wow, well first of all I just remembered my blog two days late as is obvious by now which I'm stressed and upset about as I fear losing points. This week has been too much, I'm finally at that stage, I don't know how I've been making it but by the grace of God. I've recently been hired since I've been out of work for a few months. It's been so hectic because since day one they've been working me for hours and hard from the beginning while I've been trying to stay together with those demands and balancing my school work with a serious lack of sleep as I feel so sleep deprived right now. Then on top of that my sister was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and I've been driving back and forth to San Jose every chance I get to be with her and with the mix of all of this and i just knew I would forget something and I guess this turned out to be the something I did forget. This week in class was not so difficult but with all the things going around me its been too much and I think the stress has finally gotten to me as I can feel myself getting sick with a scratchy throat which is how it usually starts out for me. Next week is pretty hectic but I hope I will get the swing of the things between balancing my new job and school and my sisters recovery. There is so much I can say but I'm so overwhelmed by it all I just can't even begin to get into. I hope all of my other classmates are faring better than I am. And as the saga goes on, lets see what will become of the upcoming week......

WEBSITE MANIA!

To sum up this week into two words: WEBSITE MANIA! And the intensity goes on. At the start of this week I was absolutely and ultimately frustrated. We had been working on our websites now for a couple days, yet it only seemed more difficult for me. Between working on it at school and at home, I just couldn’t get the hang of it. I was so extremely happy when Dr. Strong returned and advised us to turn our stress levels from a 10 down to a 2. I’m sure she realized how high strung everyone was and assured us not to let it suck our lives away as I was most definitely doing. All in all I’m just elated she’s returned and I feel more relaxed and confident as she is being so patient and understanding with us which I greatly appreciate more than she may know. I’m also glad to say I think I’m finally getting accustomed to it all and I’m willing and determined to make it all work. Hopefully the ending product will be FANTASTIC! And I must say although this has been such a frustrating experience and I’m sure it will continue to be so I’m really, really grateful we are learning all these things and I will not take them for granted as I realize how important it is to be tech savy in this day and age. These are skills I plan to never forget but rather continue to nurture and hone by taking further tech classes. Be on the lookout for more to come!…..

Burnout Week!

This week by far has been the toughest. I’ve been struggling to keep up, and especially now that we’re starting to create our websites and unfortunately but very understandably Dr. Strong was not able to be with us for well-needed guidance. I haven’t yet started on the website but I’ve read and watched the whole nine-yards and then some on how to go about it, and quite frankly I’m overwhelmed. Today I was literally over the edge, so frustrated, and almost near tears (which is quite funny right now that I’m thinking about it) because I was so confused about how to setup the hierarchy regarding what goes where and under what. When I was somewhat confident that I had finally got it and was ready to capture my screenshot and send it, here comes the next problem. I was able to snap the screenshot but if you asked me where my computer decided to store it I couldn’t give you the slightest hint. Good thing my life didn’t depend on it ;) I assure you I would be six feet under right about now. After being brought close to tears over trying and trying to figure it out I decided to try the diagram version which I still wasn’t sure what was expected of the diagram so I simply made a diagram hierarchy on Microsoft windows and called it a late night. I’m not looking forward to this weekend because I know that I know that I know all the work, time, and effort that will have to go into getting my website set up but then again I’m excited to see how it will turn out. Well we shall see how I fare…………… Wish me luck!

Still going strong.....

This is the third week and I’m still pushing through. I think I’ve got the hang or pattern if you will of our class by now. Thus far we have definitely been kept busy and I feel accomplished so far. I did well on our second quiz which I’m also excited about and it’s given me confidence to know that I will do just as well on the other to come so long as I prepare properly as I did for this one. As far as the research topics are concerned I’m still having a bit trouble refining mines but today led me on to a lead and I’m slowly but surely getting to the research topic that is valid. In addition I do appreciate how much we’ve been learning on how to research any topic and learning the ropes on search engines, which will enable a more smooth and efficient searching experience. I’m also pleased in having learned of the various online library databases and other widely acclaimed database search engines, these I know will come especially in handy in my latter years of schooling.

P.S. I’m so excited that we’ll begin creating our very own websites and that by this I’ll become well acquainted with dream weaver which I know zero about!

And the beat goes on.......

And the beat goes on because the frenzy ceases to die. Yet again this week it was busy busy busy. We had our first quiz this week which I totally bombed but now I'm confident I will do well on the rest to come because now I know how to study for the ones to come. Aside from that working on the research topics was really delightful because I'm really interested in my particular research proposal so it was exciting to do the research and discover some facts that I knew as well as ones I didn't on the topic. Although still it all seems overwhelming to an extent I enjoy how we are kept busy all throughout class it helps me to stay focused and not drift off into lala land as one often does in lecture. I guess the whole fact of doing activities hands-on is what keeps me engaged and the time constraints. Thus far I'm still enjoying the class and loving all the new things I'm learning. Anxious to see how things will go next week.....

Barely getting my feet wet.....

Wow! What an adventure it has been thus far and it’s only been the second day! Although we had our hands full today it was very fun and motivating I must admit in hopes to get everything done!
I personally felt very intimidated at first when I reviewed the syllabus before the first class and during the first class. However as the first class began to progress and Dr. Strong explained in greater depth with a high-spirited attitude which helped :D things started to become easier and I relaxed. I’m not well acquainted with macs which is my primary reason for taking this specific course especially as I’ve noted that many schools and businesses use mac as their computer of choice. Aside from that I have fallen victim to the criticizing of macs only because I did not understand them and I’m partly shamed (as a pc lover) but happy to say I am truly learning to LOVE MACS!!! YAH!!! It truly is easy once you get the hang of it. I’m beginning to enjoy using the mac computers at school and right now I’m using my sister’s mac desktop that I chose over my pc to work on tonight. :D My hopes upon completing this course is to be familiar and comfortable with the use of mac computers and at this pace I can see that goal clearly down the road!