Week 15

This week we were tying up any loose ends and finishing up with using webcam, tablet pc, and Google docs. Google docs is pretty useful if you’re at a computer that does not have Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. What is offered is pretty basic by comparison, but it does that job if it’s really needed. Though I think it may be pretty hard not to find the basic Microsoft programs on any computer these days.

The webcam can be a pretty useful thing. I have a webcam that’s built into my laptop and have been able to use it with Skype. It makes it possible to not only communicate with people in real time but you’re able to see them too. That could be really useful for meetings or interviews with people who may be on the other side of the country or on the other side of the world for that matter.

The tablet pc although I did find it a little finicky, could be very useful for taking notes during a meeting. Truly paperless notes since you literally write on the screen. The only problem is maybe saving your notes because I’m not sure how it could translate itself to a normal desktop computer.

Next week we come in on Monday instead of Wednesday for our exam time. The groups will be presenting their Photoshop decade projects and it will be interesting to see what the other groups came up with. Overall it’s been an interesting class and although there were some kinks along the way, I have learned some new things I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

Week 14

This week we showed high school students from Penta the OAD program and what they can do if they decide to come to Owens. Though there were a few kinks when we first started out working with students. We were able to figure it out and it was really surprising that technology was on our side for a change. In my group we had students scan an Owens letter head, use the Wacom Tablet to cut the Owens logo off the scanned sheet , and insert it into a greeting card template in Photoshop.

I thought it was pretty practical what we had the students do, there were varying levels of skill and comfort level with the equipment we had them use. I know I’m not perfect using the same equipment , but still it’s good to have exposure to different bits of equipment and technology. But on the other hand, I don’t know how excited the Penta students were to be in our class in the first place, so I do wonder how much they really cared to begin with.

I did like demonstrating and explaining what activity each student had to do in our group. Though I think that I need to remember to not just grab the mouse away from a student and do it myself, rather I should let them do it. It’s good too to see how much I really know or have learned in class in order explain what’s going on if a student had a question. I mean it’s good to be knowledgeable of what’s going on with a program or piece of equipment because I might find myself in a situation where I am the only one who knows how to work it. Demonstrating something knew requires lots of patience and again just not doing something for someone.

Next week it seems like we will be finishing up our rotation projects. Also within our groups we will need to decide what we want to saying during our decade college presentation. I have already found what I basically want to say for my section of the presentation. It just seems a matter of seeing what everyone else has and making it a whole.

High School Student Activity Ideas

Ideas for high school student activities: Adobe Acrobat- creating forms, LinkedIn, OneNote, how to use Blackboard site for class

Week 12

This week we worked with students for Market Your Assets Day. It was actually a little boring at least with what I was assigned to do. Because the students needed to make changes to their resumes it was not the time for them to scan. During the first part of class they would have been able to scan any way because there were problems with scanned items not showing up, but it was fixed eventually. Basically of the two students I did end up helping, I showed them my LinkedIn account and how they can upload different files to the site and pointed out other features on the site.

I would not have used LinkedIn if it were for this class and basically being required to. Of the two students, one said she had never heard of the site, but liked the idea of it. Because these students were able to see what I had done with my page on LinkedIn it hopefully gave them some ideas of what they might want to do with their own pages. I told them that their pages could be whatever they want to them to be, it’s discretionary.

Though I have not personally been contacted about any possible jobs via LinkedIn, it’s still a good idea to show what I can do from a professional standpoint. I like having an almost resume like page, but I am also able to actually attach some of my projects on the site. It can be physically seen what I have done and just not describing what I have done or just saying I know how to work the program.

Next week it sounds like we will be back on our rotation projects. We have only completed one project so far, but I guess it’s going ok so far. I guess it is good being in group of people working on the same thing, because then we can ask questions and help each other out.

Week 11

This week we started doing group rotation projects. Originally my group was going to start with PDA’s, but something’s got changed around so we worked with Adobe instead. Normally when I have used Adobe in the past it has been for viewing and reading PDF files and not really creating anything. It actually didn’t seem too hard what we worked on because I have previous knowledge of how to convert files to PDF’s.

I have had to convert files to PDF’s because sometimes when uploading it’s easier to upload a PDF rather than a Word file for example. I have had the instance in a past class where the instructor would only take assignments as PDF files. So in order to follow instructions I would have to convert my files to that so they could be viewed in Adobe.

I know that sometimes not everyone is using the same version of a program. Sometimes we are not able to view something for example if a sent file is only available in the newest version. If we send our files as PDF’s then it’s possible for everyone to be able to view something. But I think it doesn’t matter where someone is, if it’s at work or home they should really be up to date on software and just not always continue with older program versions.

Next week we are going to be doing Market Your Professional Assets Day for Owens students. With our groups it sounds like we are going to be helping out students with different tasks, such as recording a podcast. We are to dress professionally, so I will have to remember to do that because it’s not going to be a typical class day. Will have to see what happens because I not sure how the day will turn out until it actually happens.

Week 10

Today we used the Wacom Tablet when working on our decade projects in PhotoShop. It’s a little awkward using the tablet, though I do like the pen little better than the mouse. I can see how using the pen things can be drawn or erased a little more easily. As with a great many things in this class I wish I had some of the programs and equipment at home to spend a little more trying things out. At least I can get some exposure in class, better than having to go out and spend a lot of money.

We used the tablet mostly to help us change the background on some of our pictures in the decade collage. We wanted to have the background in our pictures to look the same as the background of our collage, because the white backgrounds on the pictures stood out a little too much. I’m sure that there are many more things we do using the pen in Photoshop, but we either just do not realize certain features are there or we have no use of them.

Particularly for poster design PhotoShop and the Wacom Tablet go together very well. I’m sure that a lot of people use both to help design posters and other things for upcoming events either personal or professional. Personally I don’t have any reason to make anything really outside of class projects, but I wouldn’t object to using the program for other things. It’s just a matter or knowing that the technology is there and more importantly how to use it.

Next week it seems that we are going to be started our rotations and it looks like the group I’m in will be starting with Palm and Blackberry. I own a Blackberry and really love it. It’s not the latest model since I got it two years ago and haven’t upgraded it yet. I have the 8830 World Edition, and now they would give me a Tour if I upgraded since it’s about the same thing. Blackberries really live up to the name Crackberry!

Week 9

Welcome back from SPRING BREAK! This week we were introduced to Photoshop for the first time. I have never used Photoshop and it seems pretty easy to use. I think it will just be a matter of getting used to it, just like all programs for the first time. I kind of liked messing around with my photos and it seems there can be a lot of creativity with this particular program.

I could see using this to clean up some pictures that I have. Such as correcting the brightness, because sometimes it’s really hard to help pictures from going too dark or too light. Redeye is a big thing too, it seems that I’m the one who always end up with redeye, but that can be fixed too! If I had this program at home realistically I would do a whole lot more, but since I’m just limited (at least right now) to using Photoshop in the computer labs on campus I will probably just do my class assignments and that’s it.

There are a whole lot of options with Photoshop and the possibilities can be pretty endless. I could create posters, newsletter, calendars, and greeting cards for personal or professional use. I think it would depend upon the situation, but as long as the project has a great need for photos Photoshop would work just fine. But I can see perhaps other office programs being used as well for similar projects such as Publisher.

I think for next class I should probably gather up some images for the group decade project. My group decided to do the 1980’s. Should be an interesting decade based on the way people used to look and how ancient all the office equipments looks too. There should be plenty of pictures out there to use, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.