Week 6 Clear Application Software 1

http://www.wetakethecake.com/9-strawberry-layer-cake.html

Finally! We have covered a topic that I get 100%!

 This week we covered Application Software and I feel Mr. Olsen's layered cake analogy was the concept that really brought it home for me. It allowed me to visualize how the user, application, operating system, and hardware were individual parts coming together to create a whole. It is easy to view the whole cake as one, but once it has been sliced for consumption you see the different sections within.

http://facultyweb.cortland.edu/connellm/cap100web/Unit4/Unit_4.htm

One area here that I didn't know anything about was the Application Programming Interface, also known as the API. This is the mechanism that allows the user, the applications, the operating system, and the hardware to communicate with each other. What I found most interesting was that each layer does not need to know what the other layer is doing. The API is in control of when and if another layer needs to be involved.

Extra Credit Avatar

Today I was finally able to get to the Avatar extra credit assignment! Never having done this before, I was a little intimidated by the thought have having to create a likeness of myself. I chose to use the Doppelme online tool. It was my first choice as a tool and I ended up staying with the avatar I created once I finished.

  So......without further ado, I present my Avatar!

Now, I must say, I think it actually looks like me. Well, close enough anyway. If you were to see me out and about, I would most likely be dressed exactly as I'm portrayed above. I may have a little gray in my beard as compared to the Avatar, but overall, I'm pretty satisfied.

Using the Doppelme tool was very easy. It immediately got me started as soon as I accessed the site. I was able to put the avatar together from a selection of facial features, eye color, and clothes. The only bit of information that I needed to provide was my email address. This was only so I could be able to customize him with extra features and also to add him to any websites or my blog.

So, for anyone still needing to create an avatar, I would immediately recommend Doppelme as the tool to use. Not only was it easy and free, but no private information will need to be transferred. And these days, that alone is a rare quality!

Week 5 Clear Presentations

 "In giving presentations, use the 10/20/30 rule....use only 10 slides, take 20 minutes maximum, and use at least 30-point fonts." - Guy Kawasaki, formerly of Apple

Well, this weeks lesson on Presentations was one that I needed. All the presentations that either I have done or seen as an audience member, have pretty much been the "standard" presentation that I now find is really an attention killer. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by this. Looking back on those presentations, I see that I was bored right off the bat or read ahead and became bored waiting for the next slide. I won't even talk about when the presenter pretty much reads from the slides!

This weeks topic also brought to the forefront for me the over used method of cramming a bunch of PowerPoint "tricks" to give the illusion of a professional presentation. While this may have been the way of doing things previously, there is now a "less is more" kind of approach to PowerPoint presentations. The video "Life After Death by PowerPoint 2010" really showed what NOT to do in your presentations. For those of you not in this class, I have posted the video here for your viewing. It is absolutely hilarious as well informational.



One area that I was totally unaware of was the use of Storyboards. Storyboards are a layout or plan for your presentations. They include all the details of your presentation like the images, audio, and script notes. Storyboards help you organize your thoughts and give the presentation its structure. They also provide clarity to your topic while also keeping it concise. This will be much appreciated by your audience!

The biggest takeaway for me this week was a bit of  advice from Chip and Dan Heath, authors of "Made to Stick".  They said to tease your audience. Make them curious about what your presentation is about. Don't start out with a bullet list of what your topic is going to cover. Grab their attention with a story or an example. They referred to stories and examples as "the building blocks of presentations". They will enhance your presentation by forcing the audience to listen instead of expecting everything to be displayed in PowerPoint.

While I am about to step into uncharted waters with the Presentation Project, I look forward to the challenge of trying new techniques and creating a presentation very different from the old ways of bullet points and clip art.   So to borrow from an old saying, it's time to teach an old dog new tricks!