Blog Entry 9/30

Revision Strategies:

• Finish your project a week ahead of the deadline.
• Sleep on it.
• Read it aloud to friends or family.
• Work your way backward through the paper paragraph by paragraph.
• Scrutinize word choice to see if you have chosen the right word for the right effect.
• Use computer functions to correct spelling and grammar.
• Proofread two hours ahead of the deadline to catch mistakes.
  

Video Project Details

Final: 10/26
4-5 People Per Group

• Scribe(Script Writer) * Due 10/9 *
  
• Actors
• Director
• Producer
• Editor
• Camera Operator
• IRC

30 Sec - 3 Min Max

• Beginning/Middle/End - Have a Twist
  
• W/ Intro/Outro Titles (optional)
  
• Music/Audio Tracks (optional)

Meta-tags + HTML Class Notes 9/30

• HTML = Hyper Text Markup Language
• XML = Extensible Markup Language
• XHTML = Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language
  
• <*Head*> - Meta-tags, Title, Scripts, Javascript - Invisible Code
  - Meta-tags: Title, Description, Keywords (250 Characters only), Googlebot (Index,Follow)
  
• <*Body*> - Everything you see. Ads, content, etc.
• HTTP = Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• WWW = World Wide Web
• .Com, .Edu = Suffix

Blog Entry 9/28

Referencing page 278 for this blog entry.

1. Writing and speaking is extremely important in any job or career you have.
2. Every job requires working with other people. You need speaking skills in order to communicate well.
3. Good writing is an important part of any career as well.

• A thesis statement is the main point in your paper that you are trying to prove. Everything in your paper will back up your thesis statement.
• A thesis statement is important because it will help define what your paper is about so you can prove your point to the reader.
• Students should avoid plagiarism in order to to keep everything original. If caught, a student could be put on academic probation.
• To avoid plagiarism, cite all of your sources.
  

Group Meeting 9/23

Types of Speaking Opportunities:
- Delivering a researched position.
- Give an extemporaneous speech on a topic.
- Group speaking (Case presentations, panel discussions, and debates) This works best when group members can coordinate their individual pieces and practice together.

Writing a Good Speech:
- Define your purpose.
- Engage your audience.
- Building a message.

Choosing Topics and Keeping the Audience Interested:
- Do not overwhelm the audience with statistics and stories.
- Instead choose your evidence carefully to create both emotional and logical appeal.
- Reflect what you've learned from the course.

- Relate to the audience as much as possible. Know your audience.
- Do not choose a topic that does not interest you or your audience.
- Be strong on your stand point. Don't get distracted by the audience.

Self-Portrait Poem

Michael
Ambitious, Creative, Easy Going, Nonconformist
Mom, Dad, Older Sister
Family, Friends, Education
Free, Youthful, Unstoppable
Love, Compassion, Respect
Trust, Friendship, Respect
Heights, Pain, Disappointment
Future, Peace, Graduation
Milpitas, Terra Alta Dr.
Tran

Blog Entry 9/21

Today in class we talked about ways to improve our writing.

Some tips and tricks:

• Know the audience of your paper.
• Your thesis presents your position clearly and concisely and creates interest in your paper.
• You need to do research and gather sources for your paper.
• Plan to look at more materials than you will ultimately refer to in your work.
• Quality of evidence is more impressive than quantity.
• Find some articles that argue against your assertions.
• Read original sources to support your ideas. Internet sources can be false and not backed up with other sources. No Wikipedia!
  
• Make use of the internet wisely and with caution. Look for articles that are peer reviewed.
• Write with an active voice, using action verbs.
• Use descriptive language that draws on the senses.
• Don't use "big" words just to impress.
• Remove words to clarify your meaning.
• Replace words that don't seem right.
• Shorten sentences to make writing crisper. Less is more.
• Rearrange sentences to find the correct structure.
• Avoid being confusing. Good grammar and spelling are the essential elements of a paper.
• Learn from feedback from your instructor carefully for future assignments. Allow yourself to be disappointed.
  

Blog Entry 9/16

Referencing page 24 for this blog entry.

My college catalog is an important resource because it lists all the majors and minors available at SJSU. It also lists the classes and units required for each major and minor. They list a small description for each class so you can decide if you want to take it or not. My career exploration teacher told us that it is important to look at all the classes we would be taking for our major and decide if we like it or not. The key considerations for choosing a major are: What jobs could you get with this major? Do you like this major? Is this major taught well at SJSU? You might know when you've made an inappropriate choice when you realize that you do not like your classes.

Blog Entry 9/14

Referencing page 5 for this blog entry.

• How can I check out materials?
  - You can check out books or look up databases and articles on the library website.
• What are the penalties for late book returns?
  - A charge of one dollar a day.
• Do instructors place materials on reserve? How does it work?
  - Yes, through the website, you click on the reserve button. Once the book is available, you can pick it up using your library card.
• Can I access the library's resources electronically?
  - Yes, databases and articles are available through the internet.
• What kinds of reference materials are available?
  - All kinds of reference materials are available from all the majors and minors at SJSU.
• What technological resources does the library have that will help me succeed in college?
  - RefWorks will help students save a lot of time as well as research on databases and articles.
  

Blog Entry 9/9 - MLK Library Tour

Today the class met in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. I've been to the library before, however, I had no idea where to find things or what services the library offered. One of the many librarians took us on a tour of the library's website. He showed us RefWorks. You use it to save and manage your citations online. He showed us some online databases that will help us write scholarly papers and the paper that will be due at the end of the semester. He also showed us what we should do if a book we want is checked out. Send a request through the website and see if you can find the book you want at a different school. They will ship the book to the MLK library so you can use it. I also got my own library card. I had no idea how to get one but it was very easy. All of the services are free so it's important to take advantage of them.

Database Suggestions:

• Academic Search Premiere
• Communication and Mass Media Complete

Blog Entry 9/2

Referencing page 26 for this blog entry.

The activities I enjoy doing the most are graphic designing, watching movies, hanging out with friends, reading, and playing video games. When I'm doing what I want, I'm usually on the computer working on some designs. On my leisure time, I'm always with my friends doing anything around town. I also try to find time to work on my freelance graphic design website. My interest in graphic design made me think of majoring in that but I soon realized that it's not what I want my career to be. I could possibly major in advertising because of my experience in graphic design. I'm really interested in watching movies so I could link that to being a journalist. I try to be as social as I can so maybe a job as a social worker is an option.