Final Semester Blog Post

Let's Share Our Goodbyes!

As we say our farewells, goodbyes and well wishes, let's recap on what we all learned over the course of the semester! First, of all, make sure you write in black ink (or...shall I say, in our case: black font).. Try to refrain from using extravagant colors, as it's comes across as a bit too flashy for our reading capabilities! Too flashy...also deters individuals from continuing to read.. so let's just forget those colors are even there! Even though, we all love colors, keeping it bland, with some flashy photos offers for the possibility of an A+ blog post (just keep in that in mind)! 

Recapping on the many assignments we did over the semester: allowing photos to tell a story, rather than your words.. Or, for example, use your words to tell a story on video, with a presentation, slides, or various photos. The various presentation formats we discovered over the course of the semester involved Prezi, Google Slides, different ways to create infographics, different ways to create a video while providing an included presentation (video blogging).. We even reviewed "memes"..which were a lot of fun! Aside from creating a presentation, the process was a lot of fun! We learned about the different rights we hold..for example..fair use allows for other individuals the ability to use copyrighted work. Copyrighted work is an individuals personal work that requires permission if needed for individual usage. We also explored the different storage areas available online (cloud, google drive, Office 365) and the five key components to a successful web design: Colors (The two key colors : Black and white. Black signifies elegance, while white signifies cleanliness), Content focus (Content has to focus on the value of the blog), White space (No Clutter please!), Typography (Font), Social prominence Easily read/viewed content).

Now, let's focus our attention on why we aren't writing too much.. 

Well, as we learned throughout the semester, too many words, is too much! If we are writing more than we are expelling, what's the point to creating a presentation? Why not just hand me a pamphlet.. (no, we aren't talking infographics).. we're talking big, giant, word-filled, old-fashioned pamphlets.. discussion sheets, information packets....

....booooring!

So, Ken Robinson would probably have cut me short by now, since I still have yet to get to the point.. So.. Here it is:

I, very much enjoyed this semester! I would say, the most I gained from this class is more confidence in myself. If I were given the choice, I would have never gained the courage to speak on camera, or on video and then share it to the world. Creating videos of my face with a presentation on the side of me while speaking on camera was quite frightening, however, I now have great confidence to use those resources again in future presentations! I also, now understand more about presenting. (I still struggle a bit with telling the story without many words, but I'm getting there!) I want to thank Professor McCarthy and the semester community for a wonderful and enjoyable semester!

Let's talk infographics!

The amazing tools we have...

The past two weeks, I have been struggling to get as much painting done in our house as I possibly can. With a busy toddler, that is very difficult to do (actually impossible).. but, I've managed to get my dining room (finished), living room (finished), and a first coat of my kitchen painted. I also decided to paint all of the wood trim white, which has really made each room of my house pop! A new idea, that I found on Pinterest, but had previously seen on social media sites (actually a blog group I follow on Facebook) had inspired me to paint the brick of my fireplace. Before, I had to scrub that sucker, as the previous owners did not take good care of the beautiful brick. Even as beautiful as it was, I figured it was a fun idea and would make the room POP a bit more! Aside from painting, this week's new learning tools are Infographics and creating surveys!

How Not to Be Ignorant About the World: Hans and Ola Rosling

Personal bias - Outdated bias - New bias - Skewed info - intuition

Teach outdated worldviews..because, well, that's what they "major" in! -Teachers

If you can understand today, you will have a viewpoint of the future! You can figure out the outcomes of what the future will bring -Hans

The vaccination against measles survey was mind boggling to discover only 17% of US public believe and 8% of Sweden Public believe 80% of children (specifically one-year olds) are vaccinated.

Hans presented some great information, that we can review and use to our advantage (when presenting)! Offer your information in words, rather than presenting it in front of them..

Hans offers his information by showing it

Hans also used a new tool ..new to him, at least: Animating data! I'm not sure I could ever do half as good of a job as he did while using this new innovative tool, however he did a fantastic job! Animating data is a tool to expose your data (animated), while offering your audience a formulated argument that can be understood by your provided data..It is actually, very interesting!

How to present data

-Garr Reynolds-

Words & Images...

Why present the data you are about to offer? ..Doesn't make sense, does it?

Offer a simple statement that can offer your audience so much more aside an attractive photo...watch their curiosity grow!

What would you make your own infographics on?

Here are some options available to create infographics:

Visual.ly: Offers infographic creations (focuses on sharing and social atmospheres)

Dipity: Multimedia Timelines

Easel.ly: Easily create charts!

Venngage: Create data and track through analytics

Infogr.am: Import your data to create your infographic

Tableau Public: Offers a live Dashboard; Can create interactive infographics

Photo Stats: Analyzes photos on cellular devices and creates infographics (fees involved)

What about me: Uses social media apps

Gliffy: Similar to Prezi

Piktochart: Offers easy ways to create themes with ready-tools

Here is my very first Infographic! I chose "Breastfeeding" and researched statistics on medical support. In 2014, these are the statistics below: Breastfeeding mothers in 7 states out of 43 influence a mothers choice (one of those pro-breastfeeding states being Vermont)! Yay! I also browsed a chart of statistics that enlightened me to more information regarding mothers who introduce their infants as early as two days of age to formula.. The highest percentage I found was 28.8-28.4% Between New York and New Jersey, with the lowest being 8.2% North Dakota (Vermont: 8.5% one of the lowest percentages of introducing formula rather than choosing to breastfeed). Here is the link I received most of my data from:
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/2014breastfeedingreportcard.pdf

I decided to insert my survey in my blog this week for those of you who are unable to view (or haven't viewed) my survey and can include your data if/when viewing my blog posts!

Let's Talk Prezi Continued..

My Prezi Assignment
"Projects With Karry"

 

Let's Talk Prezi

What is Prezi?

Prezi is another form of “presenting” presentations. This was the first online tool I was taught how to use in grade school after learning how to create presentations using powerpoint. Prezi is very similar to creating a powerpoint/ Google Slides. Prezi, as referred to in the video, is put together like a giant puzzle. Your presentation is available before you on the screen, but in the form of an online poster board (which I find really neat)! You have many different templates available to you, are able to brainstorm at once and arrange different "slides" as you see your ideas.  Those first brainstorming ideas are also able to be dragged and moved in the order you would like to explore each topic. With Prezi, like I said above, you have a poster board before you, however you can zoom in on the different topics so that is all you are viewing, but you can zoom out to the full content. In order to zoom in/out, you scroll your mouse up to zoom in and scroll the mouse back to zoom out. You can also change the order in which you view things by adjusting the icon thumbnails on the left hand side of the screen.

You can add sound in two different ways!

You can add sound that continuously plays by clicking “insert” in the top menu and then scrolling down the options to find “Add Background Music”.

Or

You can add sound to a specific “path step”. You can do this by clicking on that specific icon thumbnail and then click “insert” from the top menu and scroll down to find the option “Add Voiceover to Path Step”.

You can also insert charts to your Prezi by clicking “insert” from the top menu and then inserting a chart (line, pie, bar, or column chart) from the options in the menu. You can adjust the chart from the various options provided (such as data, style, if you want to show values/ or not, chart colors, label colors, etc.).

My Prezi Assignment

This week..I decided to do a bunch of projects...for no apparent reason what-so-ever..but to give my house more appeal! So...I decided to paint my dining room a "foresty" olive-colored green, as well as paint my kitchen... a bright maroon red!

I also decided to paint all of the trim from cream colored..to white, and the wood trim around my front window..as well as a spiked idea of painting the mantle white, and soon to be black! So, there I was, in painting mode..all week!

Later in the week, I saw an idea on pinterest about "painting" fireplaces...which I thought was kind of a silly idea, so I decided to do some research on it. I then looked at more ideas and eventually browsed upon "whitewashing brick fireplaces". I thought this was a really neat idea, so I decided I would look into it some more..and eventually, today, I decided to give it a try! It wasn't too strenuous, however it is very drippy! I actually applied two coats because I didn't like how the first coat appeared so light...and I applied numerous black bricks before even starting to see how it would look in the end...and I really like the outcome!


So, that is what my Prezi is about..how to whitewash brick!

Week 9: Let's Make a Video!

Let's Make A Video!

You can record with only a Chromebook..!

I think, I’m in luck...I have a Chromebook!

Also, there were three options mentioned for Chromebook users ...Oh, it just keep’s getting better!
Option one: Google Hangouts on Air

And…

Option two: Movenote

...
Option three: Screencastify

Google Hangouts on Air

Google Hangouts on Air is located in your Google Drive; on the lefthand side, which includes five options to choose from..(technically six, I guess..). The tab that resembles three “dots” is where you will find Google Hangouts on Air (ninth option down).

Now, once you are in Google Hangouts, everything will be recorded (and uploaded to your famous Youtube account)!

Okay, let’s move onto Movenote! I’ve never used Movenote, nor heard of it before this week..so here we go! Movenote works, as explained in TechRepublic, almost as if you are casting a live feed of yourself, with your research beside your live cast to back you up! I like this presentation format better because the presentation isn’t necessarily focused on me..The video feed offers information side by side to my recorded face (which is a unique format and very useful now and for future presentations)!

Another recording option that allows for the computer to capture what’s on the desktop screen is known as screencastify. This is a unique way to essentially “screenshot” what you’re seeing in front of you, while continuing to record your video!

These are very useful tools that were explored this week ...and will come in handy in the future..I'm sure!

Now, making a video was the difficult part! I am awful with presentations..and we shall leave it at that! .I tried out each of the three options explored this week, and my final option that I found the easiest to use was Movenote! So, here is my video below..!

Week 12: Google Forms, Sheets & Maps

Let's learn about Google: Forms - Sheets - Maps

I knew Google was a great resource, but I hadn’t realized the extent of the wonderful resources it offers us Google Users! There are many useful tools in Google Drive, such as Google sheets, maps, and forms (Located in My Drive, under “New”).  I hadn’t fully realized until this week that we have been using Google forms all semester! I created many different Google Spreadsheets/forms before creating my finale Week 9 project. I chose a topic of grocery shopping in Vermont! I figured that would offer me a bunch of different locations which would support the mapping aspect of the project (Can be viewed below).

It took re-watching videos over and over again and for myself to create the first response of my survey, but I finally figured out how to create a form! It was a bit confusing, as I am still getting used to Google Plus, but I figured out that you can add new questions by clicking either duplicate question (which requires more work) or by clicking the “+” button on the upper righthand corner of your creative title. Under “adding new question”, you are also able to upload photos and videos to your survey! You can also create a spreadsheet after receiving responses on your survey! You do this by clicking on the responses, and viewing the green, cross-like box on the righthand side. You can create a new spreadsheet with a new title of your responses, which then allows you to upload into a map, or create a fusion table!

Basically, after you create your spreadsheet, you are able to separately create a map, and import that information from your spreadsheet. How easy does that sound? It’s actually pretty simple! Creating a fusion table requires a bit more work...but not much! Basically, you are taking two tables and fusing them together! How difficult can that be? Not difficult at all, by any means, trust me! Here are the few steps to remember when creating a fusion table:

1. upload two tables
2. merge tables; visualize the merged table on a map
3. style and share the map

Having the option to create spreadsheets on Google is impressive, but being able to combine those spreadsheets and then offer the opportunity to relay that data in a map is mind blowing…. But more in the aspect of how incredible technology (internet) is!

Another fascinating example of how incredible the internet is.. understanding how to import data into sheets without copying and pasting that data. The video revealed that if you take the first box of sheets and write “=IMPORTHTML (“ link “, “table”, 1), and your data will suddenly appear in the format of a chart! How awesome is that?

Here is my example:

=IMPORTHTML (“http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/normaldevelopment/”, “Table”, 1)

Multimedia Apps & Tools Slideshow