Hey everyone,
This semester has gone by so fast....It's astonishing to think that I have under two weeks left of school for this year. It has been a great freshman year and I hope the years following are just as great!
This Comp 2 project has been a blast for me. I feel like I have learned an incredible amount of information regarding biofuels and their production. The artifacts were an awesome alternative to the (in my opinion) boring research paper. Lots of these artifacts allowed us to show our creativity, while being educational as well. All that remains for me to do is to finish my portfolio and present it to the class on the day of the final.
I appreciate all the help my group and Ms. Lieske have given me, I'm sure my projects wouldn't have turned out as good if it weren't for this help. I hope all of you have a successful week of finals, and have a great summer too!
Matt
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Blog Assignment #11: Bringing it all together
Hey everyone,
Halfway through artifact 2, I started to think about how I am going to tie all of my artifacts together. I thought about what my first two artifacts represent, then I had to think about what would complete the cycle, so to speak. My first artifact represented the current biofuels, or think of it as Point A. My second artifact represented the future of biofuels, aka Point C. So I thought the logical thing for my third artifact to be would be to explain how we get from the current biofuels to the future, this would be the Point B.
It also got me thinking, how would I present all of this? I got to thinking, my presentations would work like an actual biofuel seminar or presentation in front of an audience. I came up with the idea that my artifacts together would all be a part of a realistic biofuel seminar titled "Biofuels: Today and Tomorrow". Then it hit me, my third artifact could bring the two presentations together, while being take-home materials that you would get from an actual seminar. My final presentation will follow the seminar format, I will briefly go through my two presentations, then distribute my brochures at the end.
For my portfolio, I plan on creating it digitally. The two presentations best fit the digital format, and the brochure can be easily presented in either digital or print easily. All-in-all, I am feeling confident at where I am in this point in class, and I hope that my ideas will be as good as I think they will be.
I hope everyone had a great weekend,
Matt
Halfway through artifact 2, I started to think about how I am going to tie all of my artifacts together. I thought about what my first two artifacts represent, then I had to think about what would complete the cycle, so to speak. My first artifact represented the current biofuels, or think of it as Point A. My second artifact represented the future of biofuels, aka Point C. So I thought the logical thing for my third artifact to be would be to explain how we get from the current biofuels to the future, this would be the Point B.
It also got me thinking, how would I present all of this? I got to thinking, my presentations would work like an actual biofuel seminar or presentation in front of an audience. I came up with the idea that my artifacts together would all be a part of a realistic biofuel seminar titled "Biofuels: Today and Tomorrow". Then it hit me, my third artifact could bring the two presentations together, while being take-home materials that you would get from an actual seminar. My final presentation will follow the seminar format, I will briefly go through my two presentations, then distribute my brochures at the end.
For my portfolio, I plan on creating it digitally. The two presentations best fit the digital format, and the brochure can be easily presented in either digital or print easily. All-in-all, I am feeling confident at where I am in this point in class, and I hope that my ideas will be as good as I think they will be.
I hope everyone had a great weekend,
Matt
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Blog Assignment #10: Looking past Artifact 2
Hey everyone,
This week I completed my second artifact and took a sigh of relief! I put a lot of time into my second artifact and it was really nice to see it be completed. I was also really proud of the final product of my artifact, and I was glad I learned how to create Prezis.
Now that artifact 2 is complete, I have to think about what lies ahead of me for this semester. It's amazing to think that we only have 3 weeks of classes left. What is even more amazing, or scary, is all of the work that will be accomplished in that time. I know I have several big projects and tests in nearly all of my classes. When it comes to Comp II, though, my focus will be on finishing my third artifact and then molding all my artifacts into a presentation.
I think I have settled on creating a brochure that ties information from my first two artifacts together as well as elaborates on some areas that I find important. I plan on making the additional information included in the brochure to be helpful to farmers. I want to focus on farmers because I believe they will be tasked with growing the world's energy and food in the future. I don't think I will have trouble tying my first two artifacts together, because they seem to connect very easily already.
I plan on working on my artifact immediately, so I don't get behind in any of my classes. Once I am finished with the artifact, I will combine all my artifacts into my presentation. Sounds like I got my work cut out for me....Ahh it should be a wild ride!
Hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt
This week I completed my second artifact and took a sigh of relief! I put a lot of time into my second artifact and it was really nice to see it be completed. I was also really proud of the final product of my artifact, and I was glad I learned how to create Prezis.
Now that artifact 2 is complete, I have to think about what lies ahead of me for this semester. It's amazing to think that we only have 3 weeks of classes left. What is even more amazing, or scary, is all of the work that will be accomplished in that time. I know I have several big projects and tests in nearly all of my classes. When it comes to Comp II, though, my focus will be on finishing my third artifact and then molding all my artifacts into a presentation.
I think I have settled on creating a brochure that ties information from my first two artifacts together as well as elaborates on some areas that I find important. I plan on making the additional information included in the brochure to be helpful to farmers. I want to focus on farmers because I believe they will be tasked with growing the world's energy and food in the future. I don't think I will have trouble tying my first two artifacts together, because they seem to connect very easily already.
I plan on working on my artifact immediately, so I don't get behind in any of my classes. Once I am finished with the artifact, I will combine all my artifacts into my presentation. Sounds like I got my work cut out for me....Ahh it should be a wild ride!
Hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Blog Assignment #9: Spring Break
Hey everyone,
It is Sunday March 27th, but more importantly it is the last day of spring break. These might have been the fastest 9 days of my life. It is going to be tough adjusting back into college mode. I am excited to be going back, because it means I only have 5 weeks left of school to complete until summer break! Hopefully these last weeks will be successful and fast.
My spring break was a lot of fun. I was able to hang out several times with some of my old friends, and I was able to do some serious videogame playing. Unfortunately, I got sick with a throat cold about half way through spring break. The cold gave me a rough couple of days at the latter end of my break, but I am feeling great now. The best thing about spring break was being able to relax and have a good time at home.
That being said, I was able to do a little work on my second artifact. I edited a few mistakes that I had found and I tweaked a few things about the coloring of my Prezi. I have very little left to complete on my artifact and I will be able to finish it easily tomorrow. Once that is done, I will have to start thinking about my third artifact. These last five weeks should be lots of work, but hopefully they will be rewarding too.
Hope all of you had a great spring break,
Matt
It is Sunday March 27th, but more importantly it is the last day of spring break. These might have been the fastest 9 days of my life. It is going to be tough adjusting back into college mode. I am excited to be going back, because it means I only have 5 weeks left of school to complete until summer break! Hopefully these last weeks will be successful and fast.
My spring break was a lot of fun. I was able to hang out several times with some of my old friends, and I was able to do some serious videogame playing. Unfortunately, I got sick with a throat cold about half way through spring break. The cold gave me a rough couple of days at the latter end of my break, but I am feeling great now. The best thing about spring break was being able to relax and have a good time at home.
That being said, I was able to do a little work on my second artifact. I edited a few mistakes that I had found and I tweaked a few things about the coloring of my Prezi. I have very little left to complete on my artifact and I will be able to finish it easily tomorrow. Once that is done, I will have to start thinking about my third artifact. These last five weeks should be lots of work, but hopefully they will be rewarding too.
Hope all of you had a great spring break,
Matt
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Blog Assignment #8: Artifact Presentations!
Hey everyone,
I know at the end of the semester, I have to present my artifacts to the class. I am sure for some that this will be a dreaded day on their calendar, but not for me! It is strange, but I actually really enjoy presenting what I have learned and listening to other presentations. There is almost always something new that I learn when listening to a presentation, and I hope my presentations do the same for my classmates. When I present my projects in other classes I always feel good knowing that someone in the class has learned something, or that there is a chance that I have persuaded someone to take my side on an argument. This feeling gives me a sense of accomplishment for my project. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I'm crazy for feeling this way, but to each their own I suppose.
Anyway, when it comes to actually presenting my artifacts, I think I will have no difficulties presenting my first two artifacts. The PowerPoint and Prezi lend themselves perfectly to a direct presentation for an audience. I need to have some written notes of what I will say during the presentations in order to make my presentations appear as professional as possible. I hope that my visuals in my artifacts will also be able to maintain to audience's interest during the presentation.
The only thing I am worried about is how to present my third artifact. I am currently planning on making my third artifact a pamphlet or a brochure that will teach agriculturalists on the changing world of biofuels and how they might have to change their profession along with it. Currently I plan on distributing the brochures/pamphlets to the audience and then elaborate on some of the information that is listed on it. I might rehearse this a little bit, and if it doesn't feel right I will change it.
As for my whole presentation I really have only a couple goals. The first, and most important, goal is that I get that feeling that I have educated/persuaded the audience. This feeling lets me know that I did something useful and not something that is shrugged off as irrelevant. The second goal is that I want my presentation to be professional and not done sloppily in any fashion. If I achieve both of these goals, I know that I will feel successful in my presentation.
Hope you all have a great weekend,
Matt W.
I know at the end of the semester, I have to present my artifacts to the class. I am sure for some that this will be a dreaded day on their calendar, but not for me! It is strange, but I actually really enjoy presenting what I have learned and listening to other presentations. There is almost always something new that I learn when listening to a presentation, and I hope my presentations do the same for my classmates. When I present my projects in other classes I always feel good knowing that someone in the class has learned something, or that there is a chance that I have persuaded someone to take my side on an argument. This feeling gives me a sense of accomplishment for my project. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I'm crazy for feeling this way, but to each their own I suppose.
Anyway, when it comes to actually presenting my artifacts, I think I will have no difficulties presenting my first two artifacts. The PowerPoint and Prezi lend themselves perfectly to a direct presentation for an audience. I need to have some written notes of what I will say during the presentations in order to make my presentations appear as professional as possible. I hope that my visuals in my artifacts will also be able to maintain to audience's interest during the presentation.
The only thing I am worried about is how to present my third artifact. I am currently planning on making my third artifact a pamphlet or a brochure that will teach agriculturalists on the changing world of biofuels and how they might have to change their profession along with it. Currently I plan on distributing the brochures/pamphlets to the audience and then elaborate on some of the information that is listed on it. I might rehearse this a little bit, and if it doesn't feel right I will change it.
As for my whole presentation I really have only a couple goals. The first, and most important, goal is that I get that feeling that I have educated/persuaded the audience. This feeling lets me know that I did something useful and not something that is shrugged off as irrelevant. The second goal is that I want my presentation to be professional and not done sloppily in any fashion. If I achieve both of these goals, I know that I will feel successful in my presentation.
Hope you all have a great weekend,
Matt W.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Blog Assignment #7: End of One Artifact, Beginning of Another
Hey everyone,
This week I completed my first artifact and rationale for this class! I was so proud of what I had accomplished, and I hope my future artifacts turn out just as enjoyable as this one was. It was a big relief when I finally turned it in, but I knew turning it in meant that I would have to start working heavily on my second artifact right away.
Fortunately for me, I knew that the second artifact would be due soon, so I put forth some effort while working on my first artifact to organize what I want out of my second one. I have already decided that my theme will be cellulosic ethanol/biofuels and how they will benefit us in the future. I have already gotten research for this topic, and I have already decided to use the Prezi software to make a creative presentation. The idea I had for this artifact was that the presentation would be based around the cellulose molecule and that information would be displayed in different parts of the molecule. To give you a better idea of what I my idea is, I want you to click this and imagine the Prezi taking you to different parts of that molecule and information about the fuel being displayed there.
Currently, I have already started creating my Prezi, but I really have just the framework of the presentation created. This includes the theme and some crucial pictures of the presentation. I still need to decide what information I want to include within the presentation and create the text pieces for my Prezi. Once all of that is done, I will need to revise the Prezi heavily and make sure the transitions go smoothly and ensure my information in grammatically and factually correct.
What I have ahead of me looks like a lot, but I think this artifact will progress even smoother than my first artifact. I feel that this software will make designing my presentation to be immensely enjoyable and rewarding for me. I also think that creating my rationale will be easier because I have already created my first one and kind of know the ropes. I hope that I will continue to be motivated to work hard on this project and not allow myself to get behind.
I hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt Willis
This week I completed my first artifact and rationale for this class! I was so proud of what I had accomplished, and I hope my future artifacts turn out just as enjoyable as this one was. It was a big relief when I finally turned it in, but I knew turning it in meant that I would have to start working heavily on my second artifact right away.
Fortunately for me, I knew that the second artifact would be due soon, so I put forth some effort while working on my first artifact to organize what I want out of my second one. I have already decided that my theme will be cellulosic ethanol/biofuels and how they will benefit us in the future. I have already gotten research for this topic, and I have already decided to use the Prezi software to make a creative presentation. The idea I had for this artifact was that the presentation would be based around the cellulose molecule and that information would be displayed in different parts of the molecule. To give you a better idea of what I my idea is, I want you to click this and imagine the Prezi taking you to different parts of that molecule and information about the fuel being displayed there.
Currently, I have already started creating my Prezi, but I really have just the framework of the presentation created. This includes the theme and some crucial pictures of the presentation. I still need to decide what information I want to include within the presentation and create the text pieces for my Prezi. Once all of that is done, I will need to revise the Prezi heavily and make sure the transitions go smoothly and ensure my information in grammatically and factually correct.
What I have ahead of me looks like a lot, but I think this artifact will progress even smoother than my first artifact. I feel that this software will make designing my presentation to be immensely enjoyable and rewarding for me. I also think that creating my rationale will be easier because I have already created my first one and kind of know the ropes. I hope that I will continue to be motivated to work hard on this project and not allow myself to get behind.
I hope everyone has a good weekend,
Matt Willis
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Blog Assignment #6: Artifact 1's Key Ingredient
Hey everyone,
My ultimate goal with my first artifact is to convince the viewers of my PowerPoint that corn ethanol should not be expanded in production any further. In order to do this, I needed numerous pieces of information to help me accomplish this goal. Amongst all of the pieces of information I decided to put in the slideshow, one piece felt like the most convincing argument that I made. The environmental impacts were those pieces of information.
By comparing corn-based ethanol between more advanced biofuels, I was able to show the very small greenhouse gas reduction that corn ethanol provides. Deforestation, an aspect I had not considered before researching this project, proved to be a huge hindrance to corn ethanol's environmental benefits. Nitrogen pollution was in the same boat as deforestation. All of these environmental considerations contributed together to form a strong piece of evidence against corn ethanol's expansion. In the PowerPoint, I feel like my artifact's argument began to present itself with my environmental impacts section. This worked out perfectly, because it felt like I was presenting my strongest evidence right off the bat to engage in the PowerPoint.
After compiling my research, I knew that I wanted to expose corn ethanol's many bad attributes when it comes to the environment. By presenting these eye-opening statistics, I feel that this artifact accomplished this goal. In addition to this, those statistics have provided the biggest contribution in my ultimate goal of convincing the viewer to not support corn ethanol's continued expansion.
Doing this artifact has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope my other artifacts feel just the same way.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
My ultimate goal with my first artifact is to convince the viewers of my PowerPoint that corn ethanol should not be expanded in production any further. In order to do this, I needed numerous pieces of information to help me accomplish this goal. Amongst all of the pieces of information I decided to put in the slideshow, one piece felt like the most convincing argument that I made. The environmental impacts were those pieces of information.
By comparing corn-based ethanol between more advanced biofuels, I was able to show the very small greenhouse gas reduction that corn ethanol provides. Deforestation, an aspect I had not considered before researching this project, proved to be a huge hindrance to corn ethanol's environmental benefits. Nitrogen pollution was in the same boat as deforestation. All of these environmental considerations contributed together to form a strong piece of evidence against corn ethanol's expansion. In the PowerPoint, I feel like my artifact's argument began to present itself with my environmental impacts section. This worked out perfectly, because it felt like I was presenting my strongest evidence right off the bat to engage in the PowerPoint.
After compiling my research, I knew that I wanted to expose corn ethanol's many bad attributes when it comes to the environment. By presenting these eye-opening statistics, I feel that this artifact accomplished this goal. In addition to this, those statistics have provided the biggest contribution in my ultimate goal of convincing the viewer to not support corn ethanol's continued expansion.
Doing this artifact has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope my other artifacts feel just the same way.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Willis
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