5 Tips for Students Taking Computer Skills

1. Do your work.
2. Re-check your work to make sure you do not leave anything out.
3. Be creative.
4. Study for quizzes and tests, despite how easy you think they will be.
5. Make friends and have fun!

Websites!!!

Everyone who presented in class on Tuesday had great websites. I like how Alicia had lots of pictures of family members and vacations. She also used simple backgrounds, which makes it easier to read the text. I liked Stu's video at the end of his presentation about Canada and he also had a good layout. I also liked Mica's website. She presented it well and gave informative and interesting data.

Please visit my own website at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~dwheeler

HTML

It is important to know how to use HTML even though there are programs out there that can do everything for you. Knowing HTML allows for a better understanding of creating websites and allows someone to be more personal when creating a website. People who know HTML can create new things that would not be found in a program such as Expressions or Dreamweaver. The person is smarter than the computer.

Which powerpoints i liked...

Overall I was impressed by every one's PowerPoint's. I really liked the story that Mica told. She seemed like she was well informed about the topic and interested in it too. I liked how enthusiastic Nicole was with her presentation about accounting. Her PowerPoint made me want to take an accounting class just to see what it is like. Both layouts were very nice, as were the other PowerPoints in the class.

PowerPoint

The advice for making a Power Point is helpful to make it effective. I found that the most important things to consider when making a Power Point is to keep the slide simple and not include too much information. My advice to other classmates would be to not read off of the slides and to chose non-distracting pictures and color schemes.

5 Important things to remember:

1. Make it simple
2. Choose appropriate colors
3. Do not use sound effects (this is often annoying)
4. Do not read off of slides
5. Make the power point a pleasure to read

What I learned from Chris Nolan

I learned about different ways to search the Internet. I learned about how to limit what I am searching for by adding an ending address such as .gov. I also found out that I can limit my search on Google by clicking on the limited search. What I found surprising was how some sites can be false Internet sites. One of my favorite tools to use when searching is the cached tool that highlights on the site what you typed in when searching. I find this helpful when searching the Internet and the page contains a lot of information.

What I learned about copyright

In the copyright presentation I learned many things. I learned that copyright is older than the Bill of Rights. I also found it interesting how many people get caught for illegally downloading music. We were told that one person got sued for $250,000!!! This amount amazed me. What the person was doing (distributing music by illegally downloading it) is unfair to people who put time into making the music. I think that it is fair for somebody to be sued when they have downloading large amounts of music and distributed the music. However, it is not fair for a student to get sued for illegally downloading one song. A song is only worth $0.99. That is like stealing a candy bar. Also, a person would not get sued for stealing a copyrighted book from a store. It is ridiculous that people are sued for downloading one song. Artists and producers make millions of dollars. They are at no loss. The RIAA needs to leave students like this alone and focus on people who illegally distribute music for a profit.

EXCEL!!!

I have learned a lot about Excel in this class. The most important thing I learned was how to use the math formulas on spreadsheets. I will now be able to manage my debit account on a spreadsheet without having to use a calculator. Other important things I learned about in Excel was how to insert tables, make graphs, and format tables and graphs. Excel is a useful application for many jobs. For instance, sales people can use Excel to make graphs to use in Power Point. My dad is a Hydrogeologist/Environmental scientist and uses the formulas in Excel spreadsheets almost everyday. The computer class is beneficial in that knowing how to use Excel is a critical element in many jobs.

Photoshop Editing

I chose this altered picture of Katie Couric because it shows how photo shop editing works in the media. Celebrities might not be as glamorous as they appear in magazines and on TV. The original picture was released by CBS, while the photo on the right was doctored by Watch magazine. This photo was manipulated to make Katie Couric look thinner and more glamorous. As you can see her face, arms, and torso are all thinner in the right picture. The photo has also been brightened. This photo was manipulated to make Katie Couric look thinner so that she would fit in with Hollywood's thin ideal.

The manipulation is both harmful and beneficial. The reason this photo is harmful is because it shows how being a normal size is not good enough for the entertainment business. The edited picture portrays the message that thinner is better. The reason this photo is beneficial is that it shows that not all celebrities are as perfect as they seem. This photo portrays the idea that any person can look like a celebrity with the work of photo shop.

Wireless Networks

How I use Trinity's wireless network:
I use Trinity's wireless network to get on the internet to check PerezHilton.com. I also like to get on Facebook.com, check my e-mail, and go to Youtube.com to view funny videos. The wireless network is helpful when I am in the library and have to do research for a paper. The wireless network can be both a distraction and helpful. It all depends on whether or not I feel like procrastinating on homework.

Here is a link about Ball State University as the nation's top wireless campus:
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,7273-850-37100,00.html

Previous Word Experience

My freshman year in high school I took a required computer class called BIMM (I don't remember what it stands for). In that class I learned all about Word. Most of what I learned about Word I still remember. One thing I have found useful in Word is the "Format Painter", which will make all of your text look the same. The one thing I want to learn in this class is how to work Word through Vista. I want to learn where all of the buttons are relative to the old Word. Also, learning any other things I have not learned or have forgotten would be nice.

"Blue Screen of Death"

New entry: It is 9:00 the night before Computer Skills class. You turn on your computer in your room to start the homework for tomorrow. You get a "blue screen of death." What you might do or could have done to get your assignment completed before the deadline?

If I were to get the "blue screen of death," my first reaction would be to use my roommate's computer. Her computer never has any problems and her internet is faster. Most likely her computer would work. However, if her computer also had the "blue screen of death," I would go to either the Beze underground, Murchison lounge, or library to access a computer. If the whole campus was experiencing a computer break down then I am sure that the assignment due date would be delayed. However, the most likely case is that I would be able to use my roommate's computer to turn in my assignment on time.

About Me

My name is Darcy Elizabeth Wheeler. I was born in Austin, Texas. I currently live in Round Rock, Texas, just outside of Austin. I have two younger brothers, Wesley (a junior in high school) and Gabe (an eighth grader). I also have a dog named Patch and a cat named Weezie.

Some things I enjoy are music, art, dancing, going back to Austin, the lake, playing 42 with my family, playing Wii with my brothers, walking my dog, reading PerezHilton.com, and swimming. I started swimming at the age of seven and have stuck with it for twelve years. I am currently on the Trinity Swimming & Diving team. Places I have traveled for swimming include Mexico, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida. I have met many famous swimmers, most notably Michael Phelps after he broke his first world record. He was only fifteen at the time. I remember telling myself that I needed to get his autograph and a picture with him because I knew that he would be famous someday. As for my major, I am still undecided. I have thought about going pre-med, but the decision is not final yet.

I took a computer class my freshman year of high school. The class taught me PowerPoint, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and how to make a website and add music to that website. Since I took that class four years ago, I have forgotten most of what I learned. I am excited to take this class so I can refresh my memory and become better with computers.

Here is a satellite picture of Round Rock: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.542895,-97.692299&z=17&t=h&hl=en

dwheeler@trinity.edu