5/30/2011

Today we learned how to use iPhoto.
It was really fun! I like editing images but I never knew iPhoto had so much intelligent tools.
I especially like the Enhance button which make the color contrasts more vivid. The picture I uploaded was a picture of knockerbocker glory, and the enhace button made it look even more attractive.

After that we learned about skitch.com.
Skitch enables you to edit pictures and upload them on on your computer, on twitter and even on facebook. You can also upload your own drawings that you created on skitch. The tools for drawing are well developed and easy to use. You can only use skitch on mac computers, and there are some versions in skitch; Skitch lite which is free, and the normal skitch which costs money, and skitch plus which costs more money. I want to download the free version on my home computer.

Next class we're going tolearn about how to use iMovie. I am really looking forward to it:)

5/25/2011

Today Shantonu and Saori taught us how to use Prezi.
I was in the same group with Shantonu when we actually presented about dependence on technology in Chris's class, so I was already a fan of prezi before the class.

Prezi presentations are really fun and cool, but the thing is you need to get use to it because there are techniques in using Prezi effectively. Our presentation in Chris's class went fine, but after watching popular Prezi presentations online(you can see them by clicking Explore), I feel there were some things that we might have improved.
For example, placing keywords clockwise and showing them one by one might a good way to get advantage of Prezi because in Prezi you can turn around the words and even the whole screen.

Oh and I decided to change my essay topic form energy in Japan to marriage in Japan.
I know that it's completely different, but I was not satisfied with my topic these days and I thought there would still be chance to change it.
Energy in Japan is an interesting topic, but I felt that there are many people who are going to write something similar to it, and I also thought that through my research that I can't conclude my essay with the kind of thesis I had in mind(I wanted to end up by suggesting a new way to generate electricity..).
I'll have to try hard to catch up with the others and collect many sources.

5/23/2011

Today we first learned about Grammerly(which used to be called Sentenceworks)

I had forgotten my account(like Shantonu), so I made a new one.
Grammerly is really useful to check for any mistakes in your essay, but you have to be careful not to follow all the corrections because some of them might be fine the way they are.
I always have about 80 to 100 mistakes.X(

Then we learned how to make a website using google sites.
It's really easy because all you have to do is to make a title for the web and you can easily change the colors and the fonts of the letters. You can also put images and videos and create background images and all those.

I exchanged my site with Haruka. The title for the site was "energy in Japan" and I had an image of Redbull on my site, and after sharing the site Haruka had made it a REALLY energetic website.lol
It's like I'm going to present about Redbull itself^^

5/18/2011

Today for the first time I learned how to use Keynote.
I was aware of the icon with the table on apple dock, but I didn't know that it was such an intelligent software.
Keynote makes presentation slides more artistic and attractive. I should have used it from the first time because I happened to have Keynote on my home computer.
Rab said that we only learned the basic things today about Keynote such as uploading pictures and using different texts, but it already seemed great to me.
I've got to check out the apple video guide to learn more about Keynote!

5/16/2011

Sorry for being late for class...I totally forgot that today was C-Week!;;

Today we learned how to record ourselves so that we could see our facial expression and gestures during presentation.
When I made a short speech in front of my class, Rab said to us that looking up or looking sideways should be avoided.
I always tend to look up when I am trying to remember something, so I should be careful.

I also learned that the word "intensive" is a good expression to speak academically.
I heard so many people using it :)

5/11/2011

Sorry I forgot to post the blog for the class on 5/11 so I'm quickly going to post it and move on today's post.

Today we learned how to record our presentation.
It always feels weird to hear your own voice:P
I want to be able to talk more smoothly and with a bit more passion.

I need to reduce the words on my slide so that people can understand it in less than 5 seconds.
I want to have a lot of blank parts in my slide so I'm planning to use images with white background.

5/9/2011

Today we first learned about Google Format.
this tool can easily make surveys and send it to people.
it also automatically makes a summery and chart for the replies.

Then we learned about Google Presentation.
Most of the things I already knew, but I didn't know you can insert shapes and drawings in a slide so that was new to me.

I want to make my slides simple and interesting:)

5/2/2011

First we looked at a page with many useful search engins, tools and databases.
I knew some of them, but most of them were new to me so I need to have a good look through the page.

Then we looked at several sites that teach us ways to use the internet with efficiency.
For example, using AND, AND NOT, OR helps filter information to get exactly the ones that we want.

We also learned about Wonderwheel, but I think this tool needs to be improved a little more. The idea is wonderful but the content was not as well. The keywords that Wonderwheel suggests keeps coming back, and the more I move to a new keyword the more I tend to move away from the main points of my topic.

Then Rab introduced us Flickr.com, which is a site that provides free images provided from individuals and institutions. We can use photos on essays and presentations without copyright. It is simular to Picasa but the difference is that Flickr has images provided from institutions.

After that he showed us Xmarks, which is a really useful tool that syncs bookmarks and other datas(except for applications and add-ons) between Mac, Windows, Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox and many other browsers.
I've got to download that on my computer:)
If you want to carry around add-ons, the only way would be to use Portable Firefox.

Why did we have school on the April 29? and May 2nd?;;
I remember that there were a lot of holidays in ICU High School..
Anyways I hope you all have a wonderful golden week!