Satchie's CS1300 Blog

2009-12-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed my semester in computer skills. I learned a lot and was able to apply my knowledge to my other classes. I think the most valuable skills I learned were in Excel. I was in two accounting classes this semester and I was able to use Excel in a way that really expedited my assignments and also put them in a clear, organized format.The workload is moderate and there are homework assignments due for every class typically. My suggestion would be to make sure you come to class and keep up with the assignments. It is very easy to slip behind if you arent careful, but as long as you make the effort to be on schedule, you will be just fine. Ms. Belisle is always ready to help if you need it. Enjoy the class and have a great semester in computer skills!

2009-11-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

I found this picture on stock exchange. I wanted to make a picture of a student who was studying too hard to show that pushing yourself to intensely when studying can be harmful. I changed the hue and saturation of the picture to make the girl's skin tone appear flushed and unhealthy. I also used the laso and brush tools to create dark circles under her eyes to show how exhausted her mind and body are. I dont believe the manipulation is harmful because it is not deceptive. The image has clearly been doctored because the girl's color is not normal. It is a tool to help make a simple point. Therefor, in this case, I feel that a manipulation of a photograph is ok.

2009-11-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed today's PowerPoint presentations. I feel that everyone did a good job delivering their presentations and used good graphics to enhance their work. My two favorite presentations were Anne's and Ellee's. Anne used a very appropriate template for her presentation on the Three Little Pigs. The child-like theme went excellently with her topic. Ellee used really great graphics in her presentation on the honey bee and colony collapse disorder. Her black background really made her graphics stand out. Both girls did very good job on narrowing their topic and had very engaging presentations. Good job!

2009-10-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

I found the articles on power point to be very informative. The articles had very good suggestions and reminders of what not to do. One of the best pieces of advice in the articles was to "keep it simple." It is unnecessary and distracting to have cluttered slides that contain too much information. The audience will either divert their attention away from the presenter to try and sort through the cluttered slides, of they will be disenchanted by the overload of information and lose interest. Keeping the information on slides to a minimum also takes away the tendency of the presenter to read straight off the slides. I also liked the suggestion to keep bullet points to a minimum, this is another way to get the presenter to offer the majority of the important information verbally instead of visually on the screen. What seemed to be a big theme in all three of the articles was that less is more when it comes to a power point presentations. Slides should be simple and professional and serve as a reinforcement of the oral presentation. Crazy font and over-the-top graphics are unnecessary and will only take away from the message the presenter is trying to deliver.

5 Tips:
1. Use your power point as a supplement to your presentation, not as the core of your presentation. Keep the information on your slides to a minimum so that the focus will be on what you are saying.
2. Use colors and graphics that compliment your presentation and go along with your theme.
3. Be sure that your text is legible so that the audience is not struggling to read your slides.
4. One of the articles said to have slides that reinforce what you're saying instead of slides that repeat what you're saying...this is something good to think about when planning your presentation!
5. Be confident and enthusiastic and I'm sure the class will be more receptive. Good luck!

2009-10-27T01:03:00.001-07:00

Our visit to CLT was very enlightening. I had no idea that as a student I had such an extensive amount of great technology at my disposal. One really impressive new fact that I learned was the recording technology available in the Chapman auditorium that records class lectures and makes them available for students to re-watch online. This must be incredibly helpful for students when preparing for tests. Also I was so impressed that the CLT staff could help with any media projects. For example, the CLT staff would be able to help a student use old VHS tapes for a project by putting them on a DVD. Another great feature that is offered in CLT is the opportunity to present projects such as power point presentations and get feedback. This gives students the opportunity to practive their oral presentation skills and polish their presentation before delivering it in the classroom. CLT is an incredible resource for Trinity students and I most definitely plan on utilizing it in the future.

2009-10-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed my experience with Excel in this class. I had very little experience with Excel when I started the semester but I have learned that it is a very useful program that could benefit my academic career as well as have practical applications in my everyday life. The formulas on top of the intuitive nature of Excel make it great for organizing data and doing complicated calculations. The themes and templates are very useful for things such as creating a budget or a schedule of some sort. I have become much more comfortable using the formulas and I feel that I have learned how to use them both efficiently and effectively. I really have gotten a lot out of the classes we've spent working with Excel and have already put some of my new skills to use with Excel in my accounting class. I have been able to set up spreadsheets for my homework assignments that have made my homework more presentable and organized. Using the formulas in Excel for my accounting homework has also allowed me to complete assignments faster than I would have been able to do otherwise. I am certain that I will find other ways to use what I have learned about Excel and am eager to play with it more and find other ways that I can incorporate Excel into my school work.

2009-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

I found Chris Nolan's lecture on search engines to be very useful. I learned a lot about searching the internet with search engines and how to refine your search so that you get results that are optimal for your purposes. I was not surprised that Google was the majority of the class' preferred search engine because it is my preferred search engine as well. I use Google frequently but never knew about the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button, Google Scholar, or how to best enter my search for accurate results. When Chris Nolan was explaining the basics about how search engines filter results by how many sites link to the site that are returned as top results, he explained that Google's complicated and superior filtration system allows them to have the confidence to have the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button to send users directly to the site Google feels will provide them with the information they are seeking. I was really impressed with the Google Scholar feature that Mr. Nolan explained. He showed us how to access Google Scholar and explained that it allows you to do a search on a topic and filter your results to be what Google considers as "Scholarly." This feature will undoubtedly be helpful for research papers and class assignments. I also found it helpful that he explained the different commands such as (+) and (-) and (") and how they can be used to help refine your search to get the optimal results out of Google.

Pictures that Lie

2009-10-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

The picture I have decided to analyze from the CNET News "Pictures That Lie" article is one of a British soldier directing Iraqi citizens to find cover. The picture was doctored, combining the photo of the British soldier and the one of the Iraqi people. This photograph was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times. This photograph is symbolic of how biased the media is. It is wrong to mislead the public about international affairs, especially in times of war. This photo portrays the situation in Iraq as under control and also leads people assume good relations between the Iraqi people and the soldiers of the United States and our Allies. The journalist's reasoning behind doctoring the photograph was to "improve the composition." It is wrong to lie to the public, and though the journalist who combined the two photographs to make this picture may not have seen much harm in doing so, it is a misrepresentation of reality and he lost his job as a result.

Copyright Lecture

2009-09-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the copyright lecture by Jason Hardin. I thought I understood the protections offered by copyright laws as well as what is constituted as a copyright infringement, but after listening to the lecture I realized I had a lot to learn. One of the major issues with copyright infringement today is the illegal downloading of music. I was shocked at how easy it is for an outside source to catch someone illegally downloading music, especially while on a campus network. Unfortunately, as Mr. Hardin pointed out, it is often time the person downloading illegal files, not the person uploading the files, who gets caught. While I do think that the punishment for illegal file sharing is extremely harsh, especially for those dealing with lawsuits over just a few files they were caught with, I also realize how harmful illegal file sharing can be for businesses and takes away from an artist’s right to control the distribution of his or her creative works. Though extremely harsh, and often targeted at those on the receiving end of illegal files, I do believe copyright infringement laws are an effective deterrent against illegal file sharing.

2009-09-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed listening to our guest speaker, Joe Hatch. He gave the class valuable information about the Trinity network as well as tips to keep our computers running smoothly. I have not yet tried CCleaner on my personal computer but am definitely planning on doing it soon. It seems like a very useful and easy to use program to help maintain fast computer performance. I also learned more about the dangers of identity theft. I had no idea how easy it is for people to access your personal information if you are not on a secure connection.

All About Me

2009-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Satchie. I am from San Antonio, Texas and this is my second semester at Trinity University. I transferred here from Texas Christian University and am currently a junior. I have really enjoyed my experience at Trinity so far and am an economics major. While economics is my favorite area of study, my biggest interest and passion is dance and the performing arts. I got involved in a dance performance last semester and am hoping to continue to find other performing arts opportunities at Trinity this semester. As well as getting involved in performing arts, I am really hoping to have a good semester in my computer skills class. While I am able to get by with the basics, my knowledge about computers is limited. I am hoping to become more comfortable and familiar with computers and acquire skills that I can effectively incorporate into my everyday, academic life. I especially am ready to learn more about Microsoft Word and Excel because I know those programs have many useful features that I will find helpful in my other classes.

You can email me at satchie.leighton@trinity.edu