I smell freedom in the air!

      In one sense, this week was a smashing success. Out of the two scratch assignments, i completed one with time to spare! The other one, not so much....Not only did i take longer than intended trying to complete (i have yet to finish it) I had to phone a friend on numerous occasions  Do i like scratch any better? Certainly not. But at least there was some improvement this week (no matter how minor).
      However, there are other things to be thankful for. For one, the break's fast coming up....: ) But more than that, I wonder what the course is going to look like after the transition is complete. What will the course look like?  So far, my take on computer programming hasn't been all too great. I definitely don't want the future class to be like an extended scratch assignment. That would be horrific. But I suppose i will just have to wait and see....

Scratch- the senior version of my most hated nightmare

        I don't remember much from freshmen year but the little I do remember can't be described as my fondest memories. I can never forget the hours I spent in the school dungeon with my glutes glued to a blue plastic chair and my eyes fixed on the background of the program's home screen  Nor can I forget the four hour long brain freezes that occurred afterwards as my body attempted to  recover from excessive neuron transmission. The stuff of nightmares known affectionately by professionals as Solidworks, became my biggest hurdle during the fall semester of freshmen year. Even though it was difficult, I consoled myself through mental pep-talk of the educational kind, convincing myself that every minute spent in mental duress would undoubtedly repay itself at least ten fold in the form of mental acuity. Although I have yet to realize the impact of Solidworks improved brain cognition, I can say that the pep-talk got me through eighteen weeks of torture. Unfortunately, things didn't all go exactly as planned.
        Backtrack three years, I though the end of freshman year would also mean the end of having to do a design or engineering based assignment at least for the rest of high school. Boy was I wrong. I have one word for you: Scratch. But as the old adage goes, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade or die by lemons. Things haven't changed much since freshmen year. Scratch is almost just as bad as Solidworks but isn't it funny that I give myself the same mental pep-talk even three years later? It's been a  long week and the future doesn't seem any less challenging. Regardless, there's not much use in complaining. Now to think of some way to circumvent future bouts of brain deadness like the three-hour-long one i experienced today after finally turning in my quiz lab.....

Tests Galore

  
 The purpose of tests is to test one's ability, one's level of learning. This weeks benchmark was just that. No consequences no negative emotions, just an assessment. I like it. Never in my twelve years of education did i ever have the opportunity to take such a test. Now i know that i only know about half of the material. I'm not contesting my level of understanding. This benchmark served as an accurate marker. The question is now what?
  
Intro to Programming
   More questions than answers for the module so far. Maybe I will be more learned next week. On the other hand, I'm really looking forward to Scratch. The concept of giving something directions to follow is different, a virtual autocracy. Makes me feel conniving.... But once again, i have more questions than answers....how are the actions coded for? How much reign does the character have over his own actions? Where does binary fit in to all this. They say patience is a virtue. Only next week will tell : )

Digitization Module? Check. Sort of...

Preemo Advertisement Project

     Supposedly a comprehensive project designed to test a student's understanding of content, this project showed me that there are many nuances of digitization that i didn't understand.  In other words, i had to research a lot of the topics outside of class in order to write the digital interview. The one thing i appreciated most this week was the chance to look around at other portfolios. The experience solidified the idea of "work smart, not hard." The digital interview did not need to be written as a thesis paper. It could be as simple as a powerpoint with each question answered on a slide. In other words, the interview could have been short and sweet but i chose to write it as i would in a dissertation. There is always room for improvement : ).
     As for some good news, I really appreciate the groups i've been in so far. All group members have been very complimentary and hardworking--the best groups i've had in my academic life thus far. For this project especially, one group member was experienced in audacity and photoshop, one in voiceovers (is that the proper term?) and another in script writing. In the future though, I hope to be able to delegate work more equally. What do I mean? I have a tendency to take the initiative...be the boss...take on the bulk of the work...It's actually rather tiring.... Other people deserve a chance to learn too. By trying to do everything, I am in fact hindering others from learning the concept. I guess it only shows my priorities...grades over development of peers...Perhaps I will be able to back off next project...perhaps...

The Module
      What can i say that hasn't already been said? Only the benchmark will tell....

Arggghhh Matey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7m5Int1hAA

     I never imagined myself to be a pseudo Jack Sparrow. But I guess  it isn't too far from the truth. Although I haven't pillaged ships or hoarded stolen treasure,   I can't deny not having done my fair share of  fishy actions.  Even if other people never give the proper credit to artists when using their images or listen to illegal tracks, that doesn't make it right for me to do the same ...Although the consequences of my actions are never the first thing on my mind, this week's debate has definitely served as a good reminder to consider the impacts of my choices for other people, the industry, and the country.  

Some Highlights

Auto-Tune:

       What do all popular songs have in common regardless of artist, theme, or lyrics? According to some, its their pervasive use of auto-tune. Essentially the post-processing effect used to correct and perfect an artist's natural sound, auto-tune has come to corrode the good name of the entire genre. Furthermore, the lure and effect of auto-tune  are such  that stopping completely might not even be an option anymore; the symptoms of withdrawal would be too much for produces and audience alike to handle.

Representing Digital Images:

Vector or raster, size,  brightness, one must consider all these factors when creating or editing a digital image.  For one vector and raster speak of what kind of format one desires the image to be in. Choosing one over the other requires that images be edited in different programs and may impact the quality and visual aesthetics of an image if format is not properly considered. Other than that , the basics of digital image encoding as far as color concerns had to deal with..wait for it....the oh so confusing BINARY CODE (*end dramatics).

Group Portfolio So far:
Topic? Done
Images? Selected.
Interview? Started.
Problem? Well, not so much problem as an observation. I have a tendency to act as project manager even when that isn't my official role. This could become a problem in another group with peers with just as strong personalities....

Project Numero Dos

  Now binary makes sense. In introducing the concept, students were taught the fundamentals of binary, that its a code used to store information in a computer, and how to convert numbers into said code. This week was a continuation of last week's bit, byte,0,1, discussion. So, how are alphanumeric symbols and letters encoded in the computer? Still in the form of zeros and ones except the method of version is through code! There is the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and then there's Unicode. Fun fact: ASCII only applies to the English. That means programming for non-english language must be done in Unicode. Although seemingly better at first, the internationally friendlier version of code takes up more space than it's american counterpart. It has a state space of 2^16 versus ASCII's 2^7. Even though this might make instill the notion that ASCII is better, Unicode can code for way more symbols. So, which is better? Depends on how much space you have and where you live : )