B-rye speaks computer skills 1300

A Word Of Advice

2008-12-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

Before taking this class, I was a little bit nervous due to my vast inexperience with all things computer related. However, for anyone who is about to take this course, keep an open mind because the material covered has helped me finally feel comfortable with computers. The programs learned will help you with all your classes and the assignments are actually interesting and sometimes fun. If I could leave everyone with one sentence it would be this: Go to class and pay attention, that way the nightly assignments that account for most of your grade will go a lot easier.

Students Websites

2008-12-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

Today in class everyone had the opportunity to present their own personal web pages, and in my opinion everyone did an outstanding job. It was hard to pick just three of my favorites, but when it comes down to it I particularly enjoyed Chiara, Angel, and Reuben's pages. Chiara's site frankly looked professional. She was able to use one of her own scanned in drawings as her background, and it instilled the theme of creativity and uniqueness for her site right of the bat. I loved seeing the galleries of her work, and also learning more about where she gets her ideas from and the artists who inspire her. Angel's site was also very unique, because of her incredible design techniques featuring a beautiful blue patter as her background. Angel's site flowed very nicely. There were links that took you to photos of her mariachi band, then to the Spurs web page, and even to the mysterious site of the magician Chris Angel. I could really appreciate the time Angel must have put into her site, and it really reflected in how great the final product was. I think all in all Reuben's web page was my favorite. Reuben's site looked professional, but at the same time had a very personal touch to it. He also did what no one else really could, and inserted a great home video that his family had put together for him, and also a youtube clip of a very impressive clip of a football player hurtling his opponent. His site featured everything from his first football days to his future career plans, and I greatly enjoyed his presentation.

If you are curious to see how my web page turned out, you can see it at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bpabian

HTML Coding

2008-11-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

In today's technological savvy society websites serve as our main means for discovering new information. Anybody can create websites using new programs that make web design a breeze. However, using fancy programs is not the only way to create a website. HTML coding is a tedious, but effective way to construct a site exactly how one wants it to turn out. This system works fairly simply, as data is transcribed onto a notepad document and then is transferred and illustrated on a web page document. This system is often times more useful then web design programs because it gives the author complete control over his work. Sometimes Web designs are hard to tinker with when one wishes to change the font throughout the work or maybe unbold certain lettering, with HTML coding users can target the exact points in which such problems exist. It is also helpful to be able to check ones source as one is creating a page, that way one's progress can be tracked and organization can be maintained. As you can see it is important for people to understand HTML coding in order it edit and produce well thought out websites.

My two cents

2008-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Our most recent project in our Computer Skills Class was to create a power point presentation that would inform others on a specific aspect of study that we were each interested in in perusing. Although all the presentations were informative and showed great design techniques, I did have two particular favorites. Angel's presentation was particularly well done. She had a great background that was aesthetically pleasing and connected to her information. She timed out all of her pictures, so her presentation would flow and allow her to stay under the time limit. She was able to fit many pictures into limited slides by using the staking technique. The graphic of the lady spinning also caught my attention, because it added an interactive aspect to the presentation. The other presentation that caught by eye was that of Reuben's. Reuben's presentation was good because one could tell that he really knew what he was talking about. He was also able to make it fun, through a creative animated gif and good music. He was able to connect the information to himself at the end, through a picture of himself and his sister with dollar signs in their eyes. It was fun to see what all my classmates were interested in studying, and I thought the creativity within the class was impressive.

I would tell Reuben that he did a great job, and that he made his presentation fun through music and effective visuals. He seemed enthusiastic about the topic, and that definitely made viewing the project more effective.

Chris Nolan

2008-11-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Last class, we had the privilege of hearing one of the very knowledgeable librarians from Trinity University, Chris Nolan, speak to us about searching for good sources on the internet, and how to determine if the sites found are credible. The information that was new to me, and frankly the most interesting was how sites like Google and yahoo actually operate. For example, Google is advanced enough that it ranks websites according to relevance. Google can trace the number of times sites have been linked to, therefor figuring out the popularity and reliability of sites quickly and efficiently. It surprised me that advertising does not play a major role in which sites are displayed higher up on the lists of results. Search engines make their money off advertising, but it has no effect on which sites are displayed first. The second part of Mr. Nolan's presentation focused on judging which sites are scholarly and the most unbiased. He gave us numerous tips. First of all, instead of using the normal search engines, narrow down searches by using programs such as Google Scholar. Secondly, once one has reached a site, take note of what kind of site it is and what are the authors possible biases. If a website ends in dot com, org, or edu, it tells the researcher the nature of the site, meaning it could be commercial, non-profit based, or educational. For example, however, a url could end with the words dot gov, which mean the site is government regulated and the information could be presented in a certain way that fulfills government agendas. More information about the authors of sites can usually be found on the bottom of pages, and is beneficial in trying to make note possible biases.

Power Point Guidlines

2008-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Power Point is a great tool that can , when used properly, make presentations more effective and easier to understand for audiences. However, when used improperly, power point presentations can be confusing and leave audiences confused. Here are my five guidelines that I believe make a power point effective:

1. Limit the amount of words on each slide. Having too much text, makes slides seem jumbled and crowded. It is important that the audience is listening more to the explanations of the presenter rather than just reading words that mean little to them. This is often an aspect of power point that I find frustrating. However, now when I feel like I am adding too much text, I just cut it from the slide and add it the the notes section, ensuring that I will include the ideas in my explanation.
2. Keep all themes and animations consistent. An audience can become distracted by complicated transitions and unpleasant colors. Therefor, it is important to create presentations that flow, and keep the attention of the audience focused on the content.
3. Use Visuals! As mentioned before, slides with too much text never result in good presentations. Strategically placed visuals bring the information to life.
4. It is very important that presenters do not read directly off the screen, and add spoken additional points that back up the information displayed in the presentation. It bothers me when presenters speak too fast and aren't loud enough, simply because they are reading the exact words as they appear on the screen.
5. Be sure to use appropriate font style and size. The words should be large enough to see from anyway in the room, and appear in a way that is easy to read that connects with the overall theme of the presentation. There is nothing worse then sitting in the back of the room and not being able to read the slides.

Excel

2008-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Upon entering this computer skills class, I brought with me numerous fears about the complicated and seemingly unnecessary computer applications such as Excel. However, after working with this tool for several weeks, I have realized that Excel is much more than just numbers and grid lines. I never knew the vast equations and formulas Excel features that can be called upon to analyze data. Perhaps one of the simplest ideas of Excel, that I was unaware of, is the idea that once a formula is inserted, a drag of the mouse will suffice to analyze huge columns of data. This means that hundreds of calculations can be made in the time that it takes a person to complete one. I originally thought Excel was primarily a presentation tool that displayed data in interesting ways. I was in a way correct, because organizing data is one of the many benefits of using this great application. Excel features numerous graphing tools which provides users easy ways to organize their data. The days of slaving over gridded paper with pencils and rulers is over, one can create any type of graph within seconds on Excel. In the future, I plan on taking advantages of the fancy table and graph set up tools for any class which calls for them. I can even take the work done on Excel, and transfer it onto a power point presentation which will make presentations a breeze in all my classes. Once pasted into power point properly, any work one changes on an Excel project will be immediately transferred onto the power point slide you are working with. Excel is useful in for any type of business because it saves time. Like the old saying goes, time equals money, and for those who do not like math and or calculations, Excel will save you huge amounts of both time and effort. Not to mention, Businesses will be more likely to hire young people with an advanced knowledge of such a hugely practical tool.

More Than Meets The Eye

2008-10-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

At one point in history a picture was perfect evidence, because it illustrated the event exactly as it happened. However, with new Photo shop technology, and digital editing tools, images can be manipulated to communicate opinions and show extreme bias. I recently viewed the 1994 cover of Time magazine, that features a digitally altered image of O.J Simpson following his arrest for murder. I chose to discuss this picture, because it shows how easily the overall message of a work can be altered with just a click of a mouse. This picture is interesting because it came out at a time where corruption among authority was a giant predicament, and a major magazine cover page changing the image of O.J Simpson to seem darker, and perhaps more guilty was a huge issue. As I previously stated, the image in question was originally a standard mug shot taken by police after O.J's arrest. One can see vast differences between the image in question and the original mug shot that was used in the cover of Newsweek Magazine. The altered image is dark and gloomy, presenting a mood of darkness and despair. A message is immediately sent to the reader that Mr. Simpson is dangerous, and thereby probably guilty. I believe this manipulation was indeed harmful, in that it classified Simpson as a guilty figure before the Justice System had been given the opportunity to analyze the case. Judges, future jury members, and the entire public heard the biased opinions of editors, before any trial took place.

The wonders of CLT

2008-10-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of touring the Center for Learning, found on the first floor of the Coates Library. This center is an incredibly useful place, where students are given the opportunity to use the newest, and most advanced computer technology whenever they wish. It is a crime that not everyone is aware of this center due to its somewhat hidden location, because one can really expand their technological horizons in a place like the Center for Learning. As I first entered the Center, the first things I noticed were very nice computers organized in two separate areas. I was informed that these areas were called the Studios at CLT. In one area, there were computers that specialize in design applications. These computers contain programs such as Dream weaver and Adobe, basically any and all programs that will enable me to create a website that I might need for this class or others. Just across the room, are a mix of Mac and PC computers, that specialize in Audio and or Video Editing. Our group then ventured into the Innovation Studio, which is typically a space where faculty can sit and have workshops. Just recently a workshop was held, that focused on useful ways in which faculty can use the newer TLEARN, instead of Blackboard. Many times students are given the opportunity to sit in on such meetings, where they can become aware of the new exiting technological advances that are being made on campus. The next room we learned about was locked, which was a shame because it sounded like an actual recording setup, where students are free to use high tech song making technology. This room is the Digital Audio Lab, featuring editing software, a synthesizer, CD players, a keyboard, and even a turn table. This is useful to any student who wishes to make or edit music, or just simply wishes to act like a recording artist for the day. We then moved back across the central room to get to the Media Presentation Lab. This room can be used for practicing power point presentations, or even just watching movies on the pull down screen. Speakers surround the room, making all presentations exiting and clear. This room is often booked for meetings, but at times students can take advantage of this room's impressive setup. The final room we had the privilege of seeing was the Video Conference Center. This room was interesting, because it was the former stage for Tiger TV. In fact within this area are the hard drives that run Tiger TV and MTV U. The main room is mostly used for storage, now that the actual Polycom is mobile and can be used wherever there is an IS TN hookup. I could see myself using this room for my drama career at Trinity. It seemed like they allow taping numerous student projects in this room, using the various cameras that remain from the Tiger TV days. I am definitely going to make many more visits back to the Center For Learning. I'm sure there will come I day in my Trinity Career, where I will need to edit something, record some sort of audio project, or even just tape me and my friends doing a skit. I suggest all students take a trip up to the library, and prepare to be amazed.

Copyright Infringment

2008-10-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

We as a society have made it clear that protecting the work done by authors, poets, and other artists must be of top priority. Laws have passed making it illegal to use the work done by others until seventy years after the author or artist has passed away. After that time period the work is usually placed in the Public Domain, meaning that people can use the work without receiving permission from the creator. This gets increasingly complicated when dealing with corporate creators, due to the fact that the law states that copyrights concerning them are valid for ninety five years after the date of publication, and can sometimes be renewed.
Now that we aware of the laws, the key topic I would like to discuss, is the idea of record companies that seem to be targeting colleges trying to find students sharing music files illegally. The fact that record companies want to find people pirating music files is completely understandable. Illegally downloading music directly violates U.S copyright laws. Artists are not getting compensated fairly when people use their music and distribute it among the internet. The idea that record companies monitor the internet looking for these illegal downloads makes sense, but I disagree on how the companies handle violators. What I have a problem with is the fact that these record companies force colleges to submit names of students only so they can scare the students into making out of court settlements. Even Trinity University has had to supply three names to protect themselves from suet. The average amount of money the companies accept for compensation is seventeen thousand dollars. It scares me that multi- million dollar companies are willing to ruin lives, simply to prove a point about file sharing on the internet. In closing I would to say that I do not condone illegally downloading music, but would still have to side with my fellow students, who are constantly at risk of being bullied by the Man. All we can do as students, is to make sure our downloading is legal, therefor staying in school and not living at home with two angry parents.

The Wonders of Wireless

2008-09-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

When applying to college, a characteristic that seems to stand out for alot of people is the universities' wireless network. Trinity for example has great wireless capabilities and is listed among the top 10 universities in this category. I, however, choose not to take part in this seemingly beneficial aspect of the campus. For one, I have the lingering fear that If I were ever to bring my computer anywhere outside my room, somehow I would end up dropping it, and I would be forced to explain myself to some angry parents. Secondly, I am most productive working in an environment in which I feel comfortable in. At my desk, I can listen to music, look at old photos for inspiration, or even just kick back and watch some T.V if I find myself needing a break. Perhaps someday I will expand my horizons and venture into the wireless community, but for now I am happy in Miller 226. For anymore information on Trinity's wireless capabilities you can go to:

http://iraa.trinity.edu/iraa/x132.xml

For more information on wireless computers in general you can visit:

http://www.tcet.unt.edu/wlan.htm

What you know about me?

2008-08-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Whats up everyone, my name is Brian Pabian. I am very proud to say that I am from the great state of Massachusetts. The most important things one must learn to do if traveling to Boston are to worship the Sox, watch the Pats every Sunday, and to stop pronouncing their r's in everyday sentences. It was extremely hard for me leaving the Bay state, but the great weather and fantastic academics at Trinity forced me to pack up and move to bigger and hopefully better things. Sports make up a huge portion of my life. I love both watching and playing baseball, football, and basketball. Taking part in physical activities provides me with a perfect outlet in which I can just let loose and forget about any problems I might be having. I am strongly looking forward to playing a plethora of inter mural sports here at Trinity. Baseball is the sport I cherish the most. It has become a very strong hobby mine to travel to the numerous professional baseball parks around the country until, hopefully, I have seen all thirty of them. Currently, my family and I have traveled to twenty stadiums spread throughout the country. Aside from sports I also love to perform. As a senior I learned how much fun it was to throw myself on a stage in front of hundreds of people with all eyes focused on my every move. I plan to continue my acting career at Trinity in one of their many productions. Computers were never a major concern for me during my high school career. The only programs I ever found myself using were facebook and microsoft word. A huge concern of mine is whether I will find myself behind the majority of Trinity students who already have Power Point and Excel mastered. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of computers and learning important methods and strategies that will enable me to be successful in whatever field I may find myself in. You can reach me at bpabian@trinity.edu.