Last Blog!!

I really recommend CS1300 for anyone who is able to learn about computers. Computers are changing and you want to stay on top of the technology and its applications. CS1300 prepares you for what all the skills you can use on the computer and the best way to complete a project. I am so glad I was put into essential computers because I learned much more than I thought I would and the class is very efficient without being too strenuous. Take CS1300 from Ms. Belisle, you will not be disappointed.

Student Websites!!

The website project has been a great experience. Everyone put so much time into their websites and the work shows through their websites. It was hard to pick my favorite three because everyone did so well, but here are the websites that stood out to me:

Brittni Scruggs. Brittni's website was composed in an organized manner which displayed all of her accomplishments and places she have been. Her sense of background pictures were exciting to see because it did not take away from the page. Overall, Brittni did a great job bringing me into her world.

Brittany Flores. Brittany's website was interesting. I loved the sound clip used on the home page and her unique design. She kept the pages simple, but the information on each page was filled with great aspects of her life. Her page was lively and kept the person interested into what was coming next.

Andrew Gill. Andrew's website was a great idea. A website of the school could have been boring, but the mini stories from a Trinity student's perspective is beneficial to any student looking into coming to Trinity University. He used his own life at Trinity to engage someone else to witness a normal day on campus. His flashbacks of certain places on campus was clever and humorous.

The websites engaged me to know more about my peers and I am glad we learned how to compose websites. If you ever have time, please visit my own website at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bgordon.

Designer Ways!!

It is important for web designers to know how to use and know HTML code because what if something went wrong. The designer should be able to read the codes to fix the problem. With the new technology softwares that are more accessible to use can handicap a person. A true web designer getting paid to make web designs should be able to write in HTML code and interpret the code into a language many cannot understand. If I was an owner of a web designing company, one of the prerequisites to the job would be to know and use HTML code. It makes it so much easier to have a result to the problem if the designer could read the code just as fast as they can speak in English or their common language. A web designer to software programs is just like a math teacher to a calculator. The math teacher should know how to solve a problem with paper and pencil, and not just put it in the calculator.

Power Point Presentations!!

I think the overall power point presentations were well put together. Everyone conveyed a purpose of their topic in a way that someone could relate to their field of interest. One of my favorite power points was Leigh-Anne Ladymon's Marketing Advertisement. I liked how she broke down the terms of ethos, pathos, and logos to create a better understanding of the advertisement world. The design layout she used was very catchy. All the advertisement pictures used conveyed an advertisement point of view and marketing agents used technology to appeal to society. The Dove video used was proficient and interesting to know about advertisement. The other power point I liked was Brittany Flores' Jury Selection. She started the power point with a powerful picture of a jury and explained the difference between actuality and stereotypical. Her power point did not have much words, so you listened to her to get all information. The images used were very detailed and it could catch any one's eye from a far. Also, psychology is a broad subject and she narrowed her information down to one aspect. All the power points were informative and I think everyone did a good job. Well Done!!

Power Points Creativity!!

After reading the articles provided, I learned some new techniques about improving my power point presentations in the future. The you tube comedy show made me laugh more because it is true. Most people have their own conceptial thoughts of how a power point should function and how it should flow. My best advice for all presenters is to:

1. Keep it simple. No one wants to see a whole bunch of cluttered words on a slide with loads of animations and sound.
2. Use color well. You can have a color scheme, but think about the color of the font as well. No one could see the words if the color of the font and background clash or blend in.
3. Spend time inside slide sorter. The slide show should have logic flow and clarity, and the slide sorter is very helpful in making the best judgement on which slide comes next. No one would be able to comprehend your project if the ideas are everywhere.
4. Limit bullet points/texts. The more white space you have, the better. The one thing I hate about a slide full of bullet points and texts, it encourages the audience to be less interested.
5. Use high-quality graphics. Clipart and pictures on the microsoft program are repetitive. No one wants to see the same graphics everytime and the childish picture. It is always best to use professional graphics and appropiate visuals for the audience.

Power points have their ups and downs, but the main focus is getting your idea across in an organized manner without boring the audience. Less is better and the visuals keep the audience involved into learning more about your project information.

Internet Searching!!

I was highly impress with Chris Nolan's presentation on internet searching under Google. Most think they know about searching through the internet system, but there are some techniques I have never heard of. I learned Google has an advanced search just like the Coates Library search engine, which comes in handy when specifying a particular topic. There are "limits" too that can be applied to a more specific subject. I can use the same procedure learned before to search on Google or any other search engine. One aspect of the presentation that I thought was surprising was that not all search engines are bad. Each one of the search engines can respond to different searches applied that may be better than Google. I was brought up on Google and never doubted the system, but now I feel more comfortable using other search engines to gather more of an academic research. All in all, Mr. Nolan's presentation taught me new skills for searching on the internet in a more proficient and effective way.

Copyright Rights!!

Today's presentation of copyright and plagarism by Ms. Graves taught me new thoughts about the importance of copyright. I never thought someone could get sued for the use of someone else' s work or violating the copyright laws. One particular issue is the use of a deceased author or creator and their work. Most believe anyone could take another person's work if they are dead because they are not benefitting from the proceeds. Others feel there are certain ways to go about copyrighting a deceased author's work. I agree a deceased author's work should be credited and copyrighted if in use by the public because the author might have signed for the proceeds to contribute to somewhere else. The proceeds of using the work could benefit a children's hospital or particular charity. So even though, the author is dead, their work could be the only factor to contribute to a certain cause. A person should be prosecuted if they were illegally copyrighting a deceased author's work without proper citation and a license of legal copyright. There are many laws and rules on what is "fair use" and what is not. Any person who so ever uses another person's work should be able to know the copyright laws and how to incorporate the laws into legal use. It is always better to copy right than to copy illegally.

Excel Experience!!!

I have learned more this time around about excel than ever before. My excel experience was limited to making charts and tables, but now I can incorporate many other essentials. I have learned how to keep a running balance, which I could use to double check my banking account information. I have learned how to compose a table for calculating commissions which includes an absolute cell. The absolute cell makes the task easier rather than entering a percentage in each cell. Now Excel 2007 have many ways to organize graphs, tables, headings, and formats to fit any enviroment that you might need. It is more convienient and accessible. I am a Chemistry major and I am required to take labs. The labs must incorporate an excel spreadsheet with every assignment. Now that I know more about excel, it will not take me long to accomplish a project. Excel can be used for other subjects such as Business and Economics. Such subjects have set formulas that can be easily entered into the formula bar and report an answer "as quick as a snap." Before, I used excel outside of school. I used excel to calculate service hours and the treasury amount of whatever club I had participated in. Now I can use more advanced techniques of excel to help me in any position I may take in the future. I am glad I know how to use excel more proficienty because I can go back home and teach my brother an easier way to run his private business.

Picture Fraud!!

The picture I chose of fraud was the University of Wisconsin undergraduate application cover (2001-2002) because I think of how many times schools and institutions can manipulate any photo to engage more students to attend or pay the application fee to apply. The picture was taken at a 1993 football game where the students were showing lots of school spirit. The photo was manipulated by adding a picture of an African American in the midst of the crowd taken a year later to reflect the great diversity of the institute. I think the manipulation was harmful because it is false advertisement. Many students look at the diversity of a school before they commit and what if a student base their judgement upon this cover. The student would be upset and stuck at a school with no diversity.

Trinity's Wireless Network

Trinity's wireless network have been one of the easiest systems to use around campus. I can bring my laptop anywhere on campus and connect to the internet. Sometimes the system can create a distraction because the internet has so much to offer. There is email, facebook, and myspace to keep me occupied when I get bored. The system is an important part of my academic scholastic because I can access all work from my network drives and the Trinity web page. Wireless internet is the best creation to any school campus and anywhere else. Here is a link to a website discussing new wireless systems on college campuses: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid7_gci1275414,00.html

The Use of Microsoft Word!

My Microsoft Word experience is very limited. I know how to complete simple commands, such as using clip art, simple paper techniques, letters, and pictures. The new clip art have a variety of pictures unlike the old Word, which gave you a limited selection of pictures. My problem with Word consists of using the control and alternate keys. I do not know all the specific keys to accomplish a faster way of typing yet. Some of the icons at the top of Word, such as the editing tools are unfamiliar to me, but I am gradually learning. The other icons are becoming easier to use when you learn their specific function. Overall, I have learned much more in the beginning of Essential Computer Skills than I have in all my years using Word.

Blue Screen of Death

My computer will not let me access my homework. I thought I was doomed until I realized I could use my roommate's computer. It would take me awhile to adjust to her Mac computer, but I would have to get it done. Another option is to run to the library and work from my Y-drive. This is horrible, I should have done my homework earlier. I made extra work for myself.

About Me

My name is Brandi Gordon and I am from Beaumont, Texas. Beaumont is a small city outside of Houston that is constantly growing. I come from a family of five with an older brother and younger sister. My parents were born and raised in Beaumont, where I have spent most of my life. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, and having fun. I love my dogs, Oreo and Snickers. I laugh at everything and I am always smiling at any given moment.
I went to public school my whole life, where I was involved in community service groups, the marching and concert band, majorette, and dance. I played the clarinet and oboe in concert band for 8 years, where I advanced to state two consecutive years. I recently received the Gold Award in Girl Scouts, which is the highest honor equivalent to the Eagle Scout Award in Cub Scouts. One of my favorite activities I accomplished in my life was twirling batons. Baton twirling is a task I was not use to, but was honored to twirl fire batons once in my life. Twirling taught me about being an individual and taking pride in being more confident in myself.
I am glad I had a confident booster to follow me into college. My background in twirling and dancing helped me to get the confidence to try new activities, which caused me to try-out for the cheerleading squad. Now I am a proud member of the Trinity Tiger cheerleading squad, a sport I would have never participated in one year ago.
Trinity University has opened my eyes to new things, such as working with computers. Computers have never been my best friend. I only used computers for schoolwork and important projects, so I only know a few computer functions. I hope the Essential Computer Skills class will help me advance into the growing world of technology.
Here's a map of where I live:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.086167,-94.101168&z=12&t=h&hl=en. My email address is bgordon@trinity.edu.