Kayla Smith

Wk 10: List of skills learned

smithkay — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:26:30 +0000

This course has really expanded my knowledge on technology and how it applied to feminism. In addition to learning about the course topics, I have learned through tutorials and experimenting different ways to use technology using my computer to present work.

Skills learned include:

Learning how to use OSU’s Online Library catalog (for the Culture project).
How to use the WordPress image icons to both upload and move images around the pages.
How to use WordPress pages and posts and link pages to pages and number order pages.
How to use Wordpad to type my culture project and paste into my pages.
How to create screenshots to use for both my Financial Analysis and Teach projects.

Wk 9: Teach update

smithkay — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:16:00 +0000

I made a list of ideas last week, and I have my decision declared. I decided that I want to teach how to upload an image and place it onto a MySpace profile page. I have several ideas on how to present my lesson. I want to use my own images by using the screenshot method I learned during the Financial Analysis project to help explain my lesson.

Some technical issues I need to research include the resources needed to upload images. Luckly, I am familiar with these resources as I use them to upload my own images to my page. These resources include webpages such as Photobucket and Tinypic.

The tools I intend to use include the screenshot method, images currently on my computer for my demonstration, and the websites needed to fulfill this lesson.

Some other people who have had success with MySpace editing include the founder of the popular website named WhateverLife. From this website, there are many tutorials on how to edit areas of MySpace include editing font, adding graphics, and other fun “stuff” (WhateverLife, 2008).

Wk 8: Teach Ideas

smithkay — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:33:50 +0000

Looking ahead at the Teach Project, here is a list of some processes I would like to teach:

How to set up a MySpace account
How to add MySpace layouts to your MySpace page
How to add images onto a MySpace page
How to add a WordPress theme to your blog and how to order pages
How to edit a song and/or music video to your MySpace page
How to add digital photos from your computer onto your digital picture frame

Wrapping up Financial project

smithkay — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:25:43 +0000

Wk 8: It is the end of week 8 and I am finishing the financial project with a new knowledge base on finances and some terminology! I have learned so much these past two weeks about budgeting for a huge asset. This project was very interesting and I am so glad I decided to do the topic I choose because I believe this will really prepare me for what is yet to come. My income and expenses are destine to change soon with my new career and will continue to change in the next coming years. This project has helped be see the adjustments I will need to make and I know it will be quite a journey.

For working on the project, I didn’t have many difficulties. I did however end up making more spreadsheets than I first intended. However, I feel that the extra spreadsheets were a bonus to my project because it helped describe how my income and expenses will change and how much I want to save for My Dream.

Both the Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and online mortgage calculator were helpful in my project. I enjoyed using these tools and can see myself using other online financial calculators in the future when my incomes and spendings really do start to change.

Wk 7: Financial Analysis progress

smithkay — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:10:21 +0000

I finished the first few steps including writing about what my dream is, why it is important to me, and gave a link to a website that shows various approaches. I was having a hard time finding about other peoples approaches when first buying a house unless it was an article on how people got out of debt to buy their own home. I cannot relate to that situation so those type of success stories I found online do not apply to me.

I also finished analyzing my finances using Microsoft Excel. I made screenshots of both my files by using the tutorials provided. I went to upload the images on my finance page, and althought the images do not appear small, when uploaded, they are too small too read. I don’t mind having my finance infor public, however I am going to email Ms. Van Londen my two images to meet the deadline this week. I am also going to ask for any ideas on how to make the images large enough to read. I can’t seem to figure this out.

I need to still take the two images which have my financial analysis, and summarize my report (which is also next weeks assignment). I have explaining to do regarding my financial analysis images which I think will make the project easier to follow. Although I am having image difficultly, I am really enjoying this project thus far because it has given me a great idea of what my income, savings, and planning I will need to do in order to fulfill my dream.

Looking foward to the financial analysis project

smithkay — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:13:10 +0000

Wk 6: Ideas? Let’s see. I have many goals, both short term and long term, in which many have something to do with money. Because like many tangible things in life such as a car or a home, there is no getting around spending money. I have thought of this recently, and one big dream I have is to buy my own home sometime in the near future. As a home, I am open to either a condo or a house. My goal is to save enough money so that I could put a down payment on a place that I could someday own entirely to my self.

To create a list of ideas for this project, my number one idea would be to figure out using a financial analysis program, the budget and earnings I would need to implement in order to obtain my goal of affording my own home. Other dreams of mine that I could include in a list are as followed:

buying my own car
taking a two week vacation to Europe
continue on with my education to earn a Master’s or Doctorate

Wk 6: Wrapping it up

smithkay — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:05:03 +0000

This week I posted my cultural site on the Bb forum for peers to review. I look foward to reading their comments and suggestions for improvement. I also posted several pictures of Madam C.J. Walker and her invention to my project. The layout of some of the pictures are not turning out the way I would like them to. I click to right or left justify photos, and the photos continue to be justified to the left and not text wrapped like it shows before viewing the page. on the other hand, two photos are text wrapped just fine. I even tried to center the photos and this mechanism is not working either. The pictures continue to left justify. Althought the layout is not exacly how I would like, it works and I feel proud of the work I posted. I am going to read feedback from students, proof read my paper, and then submit by final work by Monday, May 12th at 1000.

Week 5: Progress and Difficulties

smithkay — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:27:48 +0000

This week has been quite busy. I have typed my project and placed it online with many successes and a few short term difficulties. For the blog pages, I was initially confused about how to add pages to my main page. After looking around, I discovered how to add pages. I was then able to figure out how to re-number the pages into the order I wanted them.

It was a different experience to use Notepad because I had never used this type of document to type an assignment on. It was interesting not having spell check or paper alignment on the document. Overall, everything went smoothly and I was able to transfer my work onto my webpage without any difficulties.

I feel good about the information I have written, however I still feel I need to re-read my work and work on changes. I am looking forward to adding images to my webpages.

Discussion with Jane Nichols

smithkay — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:14:40 +0000

I contacted Ms. Nichols via email on Monday evening. She responded today and her response has already been very helpful. Ms. Nichols suggested using Academic Search Premier, America: History and Life, and using Google Scholar. Already, I have tracked more resources, particularly one that gave more information about what types of ingredients Walker used for her hair products. I think the biggest challenge will be to find information on the technology for creating hair products because the technology is like homemade ingredients. And however Walker did not invent the ironing comb, she did help advance its concept, which I could discuss.

Ms. Nichols also informed me that she did not find much research on other inventors of cosmetology. However I plan to do research about other African American female inventors of that timeframe.

I did browse around the OSU library catalog, but realized that it would be unrealistic to continue searching for books I would have no time or intention on retrieving in Corvallis. My sister goes to University of Oregon and I used its library catalog so she could retrieve the few books I have at hand now. My sister plans to re-check them out for my use. These references include the ones I used in my post from week 3 about Madam C.J. Walker.

Overall, I think I am off to a good start. I still need to do more research on the technology aspect and timeframe/statistics using the additional suggestions Ms. Nichols gave me.

Update

smithkay — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:35:12 +0000

I did week two blog assignment with week one. So far, things are going good. Linking posts to categories was probably the most confusing at first, but now it is easy to understand and navigate through. I am continuing to become more familiar with this website. It sure is unlike anything I have used before and wordpress definitly has more to offer than the last blogging site I used. However, I’m doing well and am excited to see how the cultural project will turn out. I have decided on a female inventor and have completed week three’s blog assignment.

Kayla