Ending Computer Skills Class and Advise

I initially did not think that this class would be helpful, but it turned out to be an educational and enlightening experience. I advise people to do their homework right after class. Some of it requires time and creativity, and besides, a lot of the homework is doable and not difficult. I enjoyed my time here in Mrs. Belisle's class, and I appreciate her effort to educate us in the powers of the computer. A lot of the topics we covered were extremely interesting, and I loved using photoshop and web design in this class. Furthermore, you will learn much more than you think when it comes to Microsoft Word and Excel. I personally know that i will be using my newly gained knowledge in my future courses here at Trinity, and I would recommend this class to anyone in need of learning and developing basic computer skills.

Websites

All of the websites presented on Thursday were creative and wonderful. I enjoyed listening to each of their presentations and looking at the things each student was interested in. I also enjoyed the other websites that did not have the chance to be shown that day. The websites I loved looking at were Brandon's, Nick's, and Jeff's. Brandon, in both his website and in his powerpoint presentation, discussed his interest in geology. However, this time he also included other interests such as playing the bass and speaking in french. I loved the topics that he used because they all seem extremely interesting. Nick's website had a good balance of personal and professional topics. He talked about research but he also included good-quality pictures of his friends. The website also looked as if he fit his personality into it. I liked Jeff's website because it was neat and organized. The simple red and black color scheme was easy on the eyes, and his resume also impressed me a lot. Lastly, I loved the picture of his dog.

Overall, the websites I visited were all fantastic! It was evident that everyone put a lot of hard work in it.

Feel free to look at my website at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~mopina/. ***The website is best viewed on Internet Explorer ***

PowerPoint Presentations 2

Since I am majoring in biology, I was especially interested in those who talked about certain diseases that did not have any known cures. For me, Esha's presentation about Alzheimer's Disease was informative and I learned a lot of of new things about this disease that I did not expect. I especially thought The Nun Study was interesting. Nick also gave a presentation about a disease that still does not have a cure. He presented his material with sophistication, and I thought it was especially interesting that he will be researching this disease with Trinity's chemistry professor Dr. Urbach.

I wish I was present in class to listen to the topics people presented on Tuesday, but I am sure that those presentations were just as great as the ones on Thursday.

PowerPoint Presentations

The presentations on Thursday were thoroughly entertaining and extremely interesting to listen to. I found myself wanting to know more about the topics each student discussed. Brandon Shaw's presentation was solid and well-done. I appreciated his enthusiasm in presenting and the humor he put into his slides. I learned a lot of interesting facts about craters, such as determining its age based on the amount of dents it had. I also liked Nick Lilly's presentation about the subtropical wetlands of Southern Florida. His presentation brought out environmental awareness, which I think is highly commendable. I think I found interesting but also devastating is that the Everglades have been tampered with for over 60 years and because of this intrusion, the Everglades is turning into an environmental ruin. Overall, I thought all of the presentations were enjoyable and entertaining.

Power Point - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

PowerPoint has been one of the first routes one takes when presenting a particular project or task. After all, the many features it provides is fast and helpful. Unfortunately, users have abused the program so much that its purpose is completely defeated. Frequently, presenters regurgitate the exact words the slides display and the presentation itself leaves much to be desired. Thus for the most part, I agree with the three articles with which Ms. Belisle provided. Each offered important information and tips that could both help the presenter and capture the audience.

I felt that the first link offered pointers that could aid those who were to give a professional presentation. Professional and innovative PowerPoint presentations that display concise information and high-quality pictures give a lasting impression.

Although short, the second article was succinct and down to the point. For someone who is not the greatest at public speaking, I wholeheartedly agree with practicing enough until one is prepared and confident. A lively and enthusiastic presenter will encourage the audience to connect and better understand what is being displayed.

I thought the author of the third article had exaggerated the negative aspects of PowerPoint. However, many of the points he made, such as reinforcing your words and selling your presentation, are extremely important. I also agree that the presenter should convey emotion in order to connect with the audience. I sometimes find it irritating when people give long, drawn out presentations that do not exhibit any enthusiasm.

After reading these three articles, I came up with 5 guidelines that I feel all users could benefit from:

1) Limit your words.
2) Incorporate professional, high-quality pictures.
3) Rather than using tables to display quantitative information, use graphs.
4) Practice your presentation and bring cue cards so that you do not have to rely on PowerPoint.
5) Show enthusiasm and liveliness when presenting your subject of interest!

Excel

Learning excel this semester has been extremely helpful. Initially, I did not believe there were that many beneficial things about Excel that I did not know already. Thanks to Ms. Belisle and this class, however, I have learned several aspects of Excel that could save me a lot of time and effort. The lesson about absolute and relative cell references, for instance, helped me calculate large data in a short amount of time. I also learned about several aspects of Excel that could make your spreadsheet more presentable, such as wrap text, merge and center, themes, and format painter. Excel can also organize your data by sorting them in a certain fashion or conditionally formatting information in order to highlight certain aspects of them.

Excel can be used for academic purposes or for even daily, routine reasons, such as grocery lists, etc. In regards to academic fields and businesses, Excel is extremely helpful in displaying data in spreadsheets or graphs. It is also a great way to organize and sort your data in a simple and easy way. Since I will be taking many science classes during my stay at Trinity, I will most likely be using Excel more than most of the other Microsoft Office programs.

I am thankful that I have learned many things about Excel from this class, and I am looking forward to learning more new material!

The Wonders of CLT

This past Tuesday, we visited CLT, also known as the Center for Learning and Teaching, and learned a variety of things that could benefit us at Trinity. Although I have often walked past this area of the library, I have never stepped foot in such a place. Believing before that CLT was only for specific courses and majors, I was surprised and excited that the technology there was readily accessible to anyone in need of it. The most interesting place of CLT was the recording studio. I paid particular attention to this aspect of the center because I had to create a project last semester, in which I recorded myself playing a self-composed song. I did not know of CLT then, so I went through all sorts of trouble trying to find a keyboard and a quiet place to play it.

CLT offers several equipments that can aid students in their classes. One can check out laptops, headphones, cameras, recorders, and many other useful technologies. Scanners are available, and students can also be able to convert VHS to DVD.

CLT offers many things that students can take advantage of , and I am thankful to have discovered such a place that is abundant of resources. I am sure that I will be visiting CLT more often, whether the reason is for a class or studying.

Pictures that Lie!

Manipulating pictures and photos have long been an issue, as it could easily affect the audience and change their perspectives on certain topics. The picture featured on the left originated Basra and was later placed on the Los Angeles Times. It presents a British soldier gesturing and urging Iraqi civilians to seek cover and shelter. It was later revealed, however, that Brian Walski, a veteran photographer at that time, had combined two previous photographs into one. As a result of the manipulation, the picture evoked sentimentality and compassion among the public.

This photo was probably manipulated in order to change the negative stigma of the war in Iraq. As sentimental as the photo was, I believe that manipulating the previous pictures was especially harmful to the public. With a highly controversial subject as the war in Iraq and with a newspaper that is as highly read as the Los Angeles Times, I thought it was wrong to trick the public into thinking a certain way. The revealing of the manipulated photos makes this issue even worse, since people will now become suspicious of other pictures depicting the Iraqi War. Brian Walski defended his picture by stating that he wanted to “improve” his composition. However, I beg to differ. Manipulating photos damages the situation these pictures represent.

Chris Nolan's Presentation

This past Tuesday, Chris Nolan visited and provided the class both useful and helpful information regarding search engines, particularly Google. One aspect of Google that I found interesting was how some websites are not as credible as one initially believed them to be. For instance, one can use site: gov in order to find sites related to the government; however, government sites aren’t always safe. These sites may be bias, and government agencies can color the site contents in order to make an issue appear appealing. Non-profit organization websites (.org) are not always reliable sources, either. One must look carefully at the information provided by the site before using it for academic purposes.

There were a variety of other topics Chris Nolan mentioned that I found beneficial, especially the subject on how to narrow down your search. Google Scholar was something new that I thought could help me narrow my search down to more scholarly results. Chris Nolan also introduced the class to a database called Infomine, which I did not know existed until then. I am thankful that he has provided information that could help and aid me whenever I search for specific topics.

Facebook Entry Numero Dos

I commented on the blogs of both Jenni and Luisa. They had interesting takes on facebook, and I agree with a lot of their comments.

Copyright Infringment. Above and beyond.

I would like to extend my thanks towards Mrs. Diane Graves, who took time to offer the class important information about copyright infringement. There were many topics she discussed on Tuesday that I felt were interesting. However, I was most curious about the file-sharing and illegal downloading aspect of her lecture. I’m sure we are all well aware of how rampant such methods have gown throughout the years. With technological advancements expanding rapidly in this country, it is hard not having at least heard about illegal downloading and copyright infringement. Therefore, I would like to narrow the topic particularly to how file-sharing actually works.

During her lecture, Mrs. Graves discussed the several methods of sharing music and videos on the internet. One of the methods she mentioned was BitTorrent. Programs, such as Limewire, allow sharing that can be easily detectable by the RIAA (Recording Industry Assn. of American), MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), and ESA (Entertainment Software Association. However, BitTorrent actually searches the internet for copies of the requested file and reconfigures the bits and pieces it takes from these copies. Thus, it is harder to detect any violation of copyright laws.

Many students would be tempted to illegally download music and violate copyright laws, and the reasons are obvious. It’s free, and money doesn’t fall from trees. But what I like to point out is not only why some people download but also why people make such programs like Limewire and BitTorrent to start. Granted, the idea behind BitTorrent is ingenious, and the reasons for designing these programs are the same reasons why people illegally download. After all, people will constantly try to bypass the rules in order to save a little. However, it is personally mind-boggling to think of the extent these program makers would go through just to create such software. To save money, they sacrifice time that could have been better invested in something more law abiding and beneficial.Perhaps the creators would think otherwise, but it's a situation that I don't believe one can win in.

Copyright infringement and violation continues to exist on the internet, and it is inevitable that, despite the pursuance to stop illegal downloading, more people will find loopholes above and beyond the loopholes that have existed before them. With an already massive population that is still growing, it is unimaginable the extent people will go through for free music and videos.

Oh The Wonders of Facebook!

Facebook is a social-network whose prevalence on the internet is also present in the lives of students. What once started as a site exclusive to students has now erupted as a national craze that allows virtually anyone to participate. As with any social network, invasion of privacy is inevitable if no precautions are taken. Because of this aspect, many users, including myself, feel the need for more security measures. My parents until recently had always discouraged facebook, fearing that I would fall victim to identity theft or other devastating events.

Nonetheless, the site is a great way to keep in touch with friends, organize celebrations and special meetings, and upload and store pictures and videos to share with your friends. Facebook has impacted society so much that it has emerged as not only a site for social means but also a foundation for communities, advocates of certain fields, and scholars to exchange information, discuss ideas, and create efficient schedules. It connects people across lands and presents a convenient way of communication.

I was once addicted to the facebook in high school in that I would log on, check for updates, and talk to friends constantly. However, I hardly use facebook ever since college started. I still think facebook is a terrific way of inviting friends and making aware of events in the future. This is one of the main reasons I still go on every now and then. However, while commenting back and forth with old friends on facebook is wonderful, I realized how great it feels to send real letters and actually call them. I now prefer physically talking or hanging out with friends.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1213/p13s01-legn.html

Ode to Microsoft Word

I must give my thanks to Microsoft Word. I don't think I could have gotten through middle school and high school without this program, considering how much I had to use Word for most of my classes. I still have to use Microsoft Word for the classes that I'm taking at Trinity University, as well. I've used Microsoft Word 2003 for essays, lab reports, notes, and even recreational writing for so long that I've grown accustomed to using most of the functions this program offers.

However, there are still a few aspects of Microsoft Word that I would like to touch up on. For one, I still get a bit confused when dealing with Microsoft 2007, since I do not know where all of the functions exist. After reading Chapters 1-3 of the textbook, I also realized how many tools I have yet to learn and use. Therefore, I hope that I will become familiarized with the structure of Microsoft Word 2007 and the tools it provides by the end of the semester.

Joe Hatch's Visit

Hey, guys!

On Tuesday, Joe Hatch came by to discuss issues concerning computer security and protection against malicious viruses, spyware, and adware. He also discussed the history of Clean Access and why we need such a program to act as a protective shield against things that may threaten our computers. He also talked about Winn 103, a place that I have already gone twice to. The students who work there are extremely kind and helpful, so don't hesitate to visit should you have any questions or concerns! What I also find interesting was Joe Hatch's explanation for why hackers do what they do and why people like to send viruses in the first place. Overall, I found his lecture interesting and insightful, and I like to thank him for coming in and informing us about computer safety and security.

About Me

Hello there!

My name is Marilou Opina. Most of my friends call me by my real name. A few, though, have called me Lou, Loulou, Loulou Pie, and even Louie in the past, so I’m quite used to any version of my name you can make up. However, I prefer being called Marilou for the sake of simplicity.

As for a brief history of my life, I’ll begin by saying that I am from Missouri City, Texas, which branches off from the ever so large metropolis of Houston, Texas. As fate would have it, I suffer from the same trait my filipino ancestors have suffered from – being short. However, I like to think that big surprises come in small packages :) I'm the only child in my family who was not born in the Philippines. I’ve only visited the motherland once, and I feel incredibly happy to be visiting again this summer. My favorite places to go to are the beaches in the Philippines. http://www.philippinegallery.com/main.php?g2_itemId=501

Music and writing are my passions in life. I have been playing piano since I was around seven years old and clarinet since I was in sixth grade. Most of my life centered on participating in ensembles, recitals, marching band competitions, and full band rehearsals with my friends. Similarly, I’ve always seen writing as a stress reliever and way to relax. I'm planning to major in biology and minor in English at Trinity University, and I hope to still have time to participate in an ensemble here, as well.

I believe my computer skills are fairly good, though I know I can learn many new things in this class. I’ve used the programs in Microsoft Office frequently for many of my English and Science classes in the past. However, Microsoft 2007 and Excel 2007 seem foreign to me in that some of the functions are now placed in different areas. I have also studied Java programming, constructed some of my own websites, and used programs such as Photoshop. I am looking forward to this class and hope to gain new insight and knowledge.

My secret fact is that I used to be extremely susceptible to any sort of sickness. For the first twelve or thirteen years of my life, I have suffered each year from bronchitis, which very often resulted in pneumonia. A machine called an inhalator would have to be used in order to get better. It’s been a while since I’ve had these sicknesses, though.

Well, that would be all, folks! I’d love to get to know you guys. I currently live on the third floor of Herndon, so if you guys want to talk, feel free to visit me or even email me at mopina@trinity.edu.