Extra Blog: JIIS

As the holidays continue to be moving along, my mentor and I met together to discuss the assignment JIIS, how I should work on it, and the procedure I should take in relation to the real work place. First of all, JIIS stands for "Jason Internet Information System" and is an assignment from my mentor to help me practice web application development. The JIIS is what I will be using as my independent component as the requirements and structure is closely modeled off of the Financial Reporting System (FRS) used in LA County.

Within the JIIS, the requirements consist of creating a logo, a login page, a banner and footer, links to different pages in the site, a welcome page, and under construction pages. The following is the sheet of current requirements for JIIS (Click to enlarge):

The JIIS Service Request Specifications

I will be making this with Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2012 and Photoshop for the graphics. Once I make these, I would need to get the approved by my mentor, as this is the procedure that the programmers and customers undergo. In the coming days, I will be learning HTML and CSS with my fancy book and will be creating the website and images.

Aside from Senior project, things I've been doing these past days consist of sitting at home, visiting my old, torn down school, moving rooms, searching for scholarships, and achieving exactly rank 10,000 in a video game (down from 7417). Hopefully this next year comes with great experiences as this our last winter break of mandatory school and our class will be moving towards college next year at this time. Cheers for the next year and the class of 2015!

Extra Blog: break;

[Note: I've done this blog 3 times now due to this Blogger phone app not doing what I want. This is either due to my inability to use phone apps properly, lack of a user friendly design, or the general lack of functionality phones can provide. I'd like to believe it's the last one on that list.]

As college appeoaches its finals week, my 5 hour, bi-weekly homework is finally coming to an end on Monday, Dec 1. What this means is that I will not only get a break from staying up till 3am, trying to finish half of what I'm supposed to accomplish, but that I will have more time to work on my independent component - creating a website using HTML, JavaScript, and a little bit of CSS. However, for the time being, I'm concentrating on finishing the last of this boring homework, writing this blog post, and, most importantly, finishing my UC application so I can submit it before Nov 30th when the UC servers get jammed.

As for my independent component, I am planning to first create a logo, then learn HTML formally through the use of my pretty HTML and CSS book, then design the layout of how I want it to look, and lastly, coding and testing it. I hope to get from this experience a clearer perspective of what a programmer does in the 21st century, what were some things that worked and did not work during this process, and whether my current answers will be stronger or weaker in answering mu EQ. But for the time being, I will (attempt to) enjoy my Thanksgiving break at Las Vegas - walking around during the day; sitting in my room and working on assignments at night.

[Another note: I can't put photos in here, so I can't really format this post with pictures in the way I want. I'll upload a picture here about this app. I don't really know where it will show.  Someone, or maybe in the near future, me, should make an actually intuitive word processing application for mobile phones. But who uses their mobile phones for anykind of seriously formal work? I certainly don't. *looks away from cell phone screen as I type this]

Photo caption: This interface is misleading. If you exit this program without clicking 'done' at the top left, your progress is all erased. It's basically a "save" button, so why not label it "save." I mean, what if I'm not "done" and I want to save? There's no option for that, is there?

Blog 10: EQ

1. Review this. Confirm by stating "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."

Essential Question
Once a topic is chosen, the student will develop a working essential question. The purpose of the working essential question is to help the student build a strong foundation of research which will allow him or her to create an essential question that encourages depth and rigor in the chosen topic. An essential question must:

Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
Take a stance (It allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2. Review the following EQs and

Tell us if each meets the rule of three.
Tell why they do or don't. 

a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

Does not meet rule of three

Research is not in depth; can find information to this question with a google search.

Not specific on what "healthy weight loss" is

Answers can be given as a word or as a list (e.g. going on a diet, exercising, sleeping well, ect.)

b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

Meets the rule of three

Format is specific on the topic of "securing a conviction"

Allows research to be in depth towards finding what is "most important" to securing a conviction.

Answer can take a stance on what is most important, answer is larger than just a one word answer since securing a conviction is complex

c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

Does not meet rule of three

Not specific on what customer sanctification is.

Format is ambiguous and confusing; is it asking what is most important in actually doing the customer's hair or developing a style suited to the customer'd interests?

Research can be in depth, but the topic being researched about needs to be clear first.

d. How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

Meets the rule of three

Gives frame work of study to figure out the best way to treat chronic pain

Specific on the topic of chronic pain

Allows stance on what methods and ways can BEST treat the pain, not just simply treating it

3. Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project. The senior team will be meeting with students shortly for EQ revision and approval; you are expected to bring your research notebook to that meeting with your EQ draft written inside in pencil.

How can an individual become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?

Blog #9: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?

I am most proud of speaking exactly what I wanted to say at the pace I wanted to say. I had enough information planned to extend as far as 15 minutes or more, but I was able to quickly omit, speed up, and leave time for me to get all my points across in ten minutes. I am proud that I had enough preperation and knew my topic well enough to be able to do this.

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE/P

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

Professionalism:

• Volume/enunciation: Had clear volume and clear speech, fumbled over words a few times
• Body language/eye contact: Felt relaxed and move to the boards as I needed to. Looked as various places in the room and not just one spot
• Engages audience/content clarity: Engaged audience twice, used presentation method as an example in itself for my 1st answer, and clearly enunciated what I was going to talk about and what the purpose was for.

Justification of Foundation:

• Application of research made evident by referencing specific examples: Cited or showed about 10 examples of content through props and pictures.
• At least one published research cited: Mentioned 3 printed sources, 1 book, 2 internet articles
• Mentorship and/or interview referenced: Referenced mentorship twice, one for suggesting the book I read and one of her actual experience in the work place.

I deserve an AE/P because I met and went above and beyond the listed P requirements on the contract by doing extensive preparation, engaging the audience in meaningful exercises, and incorporating the presentation itself as actual content of my presentation (Answer to the EQ of having foundation knowledge; Teaching basic fundamental concepts in the presentation) while making this apparent to the audience. I also had fun teaching during my time up at the front of the room.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

Getting the audience involved and getting multiple participants to answer questions. Also, content all related to each other and I was able to explain something complex in to simplistic terms the audience could relate to and understand. Also, the powerpoint worked to show examples of my topic, rather than containing content in itself. Knowing what I wanted to say and studying the topic thoroughly helped tremendously.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

What didn't work was the whole paste code on the white board with tape. It didn't work because it became too much of a hassle and would have wasted too much time. I had to skip part of putting the whole code up on the board. If I could go back and do something differently, I would have reminded myself that I could use technology to do that code, or that I could use the doc cam rather than big pieces of paper. Also, I would not use a powerpoint since I didn't really need it; I knew the examples and knew what I needed to say. I could have visually shown the examples on the doc cam, but I wasn't aware that I could use when I was planning for the lesson.

Extra Blog: if (today == "Monday") {

The days leading up to the First Lesson feels like time crawls by very slowly. I have a solid foundation of what I want to say, but other factors other than the senior project are currently pressuring me for next week (11/3 - 11/7). In addition to presenting my topic, I also have a midterm as well as a yearbook deadline on that exact same day. Also, that is when the UC application submission time opens up and I still need to (at the time of writing this) type out the essay to the 2nd UC prompt. However, despite this work that I got myself into (2 college classes, Yearbook, and UC applications), I still feel confident in my my 1st Lesson. The following text will be about what I generally plan to say and what my reasoning is for saying these things. Not only will this help me to organize my thoughts and organize what I have to say in my lesson plan (since it's too long anyways), but I can also complete this month's extra blog as well. Hooray for multitasking!

The hook I want to start off with is show pieces of technology that have become an essential part of our lives. I want to show things from super complex computers to minute programs such as the TI calculator. The goal of this is to get the audience to relate to what I have to say. I will then ask the audience what is in common with these different devices - what makes them run and do what they do. The answer will be Computer Programming. I will then state that this is what will influence society in the present as well as in the future.

Pictures I will use for the hook.

After, the hook, I will say the overly generic introduction everyone has to say: "My name is Jason Wu, my topic is Computer Programming, and my Working EQ is 'How can an individual become a successful Computer Programmer in the 21st century?'"

The main points I want to covering my presentation are "What is a Computer?" "What is Computer Programming and why is it important?" a class "activity" where I ask people what a block of code means, explain that block of code using code I will put on the white board, and my first answer to my essential question. Although it seems like a lot, I feel that doing this exercise helps to support my reasoning for my first answer not only in just stating facts, but in practice as well. Teaching people the basics of computers, programming, and simple code embodies my answer to "Have a solid foundation of programming knowledge in coding through practice"

I will state the question "What is computer programming?" and emphasize that in order to fully understand what it does, one must know what a computer is at a basic level first. My plan is to explain are computers are any kind of technology that interprets binary code into an action. This binary code, on or off, can be described in physical switches or electrical current flowing through wires. After this, I will go back to show examples of modern computers and applications that run on programs. An additional statement I will make, if I find I have enough time, would be how simple technology like 9 digit calculators are considered computers as well as the wires and transistors are represented as off or on.

Pictures I will use to illustrate the products of programming.

Once I state this, I will transfer over to the topic of "what is computer programming and why is it important," Computer Programming allows us to go beyond simple calculators and makes the altering of 1's and 0's into something legible. Here, I will cite my source from an article on Wisegeek titled "What does a computer programmer do?" saying that "computer programmers design software in logical work flow charts" through different programming languages. I will summarize this stating that computer programming basically represents the 1's and 0's in a visual form of plain English that the computer will understand. In order to ease people's fear that code is overly complicated, I will reassure them that coding can be complex, but having a good foundation in coding will lead to success in the future. If there is time, I will state this is my answer which I will explain shortly. This will lead into showing a simple block of code - the "if statement."

The "if statement" will look like this

I will ask the audience to try to explain what the "if statement" says. I will describe each line and symbol briefly to both  to provide a basic under standing for the audience. I will use printed out pieces of paper with the code on them to illustrate each point. I will reference the book "A Smarter Way to Learn Javascript" as it taught me in this way also.

Reused picture from September's Extra Blog!

Once I finish with my explanation the "if statement," I plan on stating my first answer to my EQ: ""Have a solid foundation of programming knowledge in coding through practice." Here, I will cite my mentor as she taught me how it is obvious when hiring when someone does not know the basics. She encourages that becoming an expert requires dedicating time and practice towards obtaining programming knowledge.  In addition, I will also cite norgriv.com which states that in order to master a programming language, one must continuously use and practice coding with that language. Mastery of in a field of work is desirable of employees and will lead to success in the 21st century.

I will conclude with: "Thank you for listening and participating in my lesson. Remember that having a good foundation in computer programming is essential for success. Therefore, as a parting word, remember this: creating things in life is difficult, but for computers, creation is literally at your fingertips."

TL;DR
I will hook with questions regarding current technology and cover what a computer is, what computer programming is, what an "if statement" is, and what my first answer to my essential question is.

Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

(Apparently I posted something similar to this already in September's Extra blog)

1.  What is your working EQ?

How can an individual become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format. 

• Have a clear understanding of the specifications of a program
• Continuous learning of new skills and languages as technology changes with time
• Good communication, planning, and responsibility with the team you work with
• Have a solid foundation of programming knowledge in studying algorithms, knowing many languages, and practicing over a long period of time

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

The most important sources that has helped me to come up with and answer to my EQ has been my mentor and my own experiences so far. From what my mentor says and from what she does, I came up with the answers "Have a clear understanding of the specifications of a program" and "Have a solid foundation of programming knowledge in studying algorithms, knowing many languages, and practicing over a long period of time." I developed these answers due to my mentor stating that the programming field is a "Life-time learning experience" where one would have to continually learn how to operate or use new forms of technology. This is similar to what Clint Shank, a writer of technological subjects, once said:

"Technology changes fast. Don't get left behind."

However, although this is a very viable answer, my mentor is continuously telling me that learning developing takes a large amount of time, and with that too comes a large amount of time to learn languages. I have also read in an article that in order to master a programming language, which means to have an understand and a feel for the advantages and disadvantages the languages in certain situations, one must dedicate a large amount of time using, practicing, and learning the language. However, sometimes with the demand of the programming workplace for new projects, there may not be enough time for complete mastery of a programming language. It can be possible that just knowing how to use a program effectively maybe enough for the company's needs. I will need to look into this more. As for algorithms, which are ways to solve programs and identify the time it will take a program to find a solution, my mentor said that if you have a solid foundation, one would be very good in programming and figuring out what to do when a program runs into problems. 

The answers "have a clear understanding of the specifications of a program" and "good communication, planning, and responsibility with the team you work with" are derived more from my own experiences. The understanding of specifications, or the understanding of what the program is used for and what will be required of it, is very apparent in the independent component I am working on right now. My mentor gave me a list and explained to me the many requirements I must have on the website I will be making and I observed the immense detail in what needs to be required. She stated that in the workplace, employees are given sheets like this to work on and that everything must meet these requirements and cannot deviate from what is said to do. Therefore, one must understand the specifications very deeply. I will be experiencing more of this as I continue on the component.

That answer also relates to the next answer, but in a different way. "Good communication, planning, and responsibility with the team you work with" came from how I sat with my mentor to work out the exact requirements and specifications of what I needed to include in the website. She stated that whenever some one gives her, or anyone else, a service request (a request to develop something for a customer), they must sit down with the customer to talk about specific detail of what they want, what they need, and whether their request is reasonable in the stated time span. Also, a topic in many different articles I have read emphasize communication of your thoughts through code as well as the communication with others. The articles also emphasize planning to have organization with workers. My mentor even has a sheet that lists the specific duties of members. Therefore, planning and communication is vital as well. (I also inferred this from group work in iPoly, although this is not related to programming.)

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you doing mentorship, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

My mentor is my mom, Lily Wu, who helps to teach me how things are done at her workplace. It relates to my EQ since what she teaches me and is having me to for my Independent Component #1 is based on her own, current experience as a successful 21st century programmer. Therefore, what she tells me and what I learn from her all related to my EQ, "How can an individual become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?" This mentorship is a direct source of information towards answering my EQ.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I plan on making a website that includes different kinds of functionality that a standard website has and other functions that my mentor will suggest that I add. Some of these functions that we currently have in mind are multiple pages, animated objects, and an email box. After the initial creation of the site with its basic functions, more things will be added later to add depth to its interactions and make it look visually appealing.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

What I will do to meet the extra 30 hours is spend:

• 10-15 hours reading and learning about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and how to integrate them with each other
• 10 hours making the initial framework and functionality of website
• 5-10 hours adding additional features to the website.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

Creating a website will not only make me familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but it will also help me understand the software in which I will use and give me experience in the process of actually making a website.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Updated.

Extra Blog: calculate();

A few days ago, my mentor assigned make a web application. I programmed my first ever functioning program primarily using HTML and JavaScript using Microsoft Visual Studio 2012. What did I make? A calculator. A calculator that can add, subtract, multiply, and divide two values a user inputs into the program through buttons. Yes, I know, it sounds like a very simple program (and the interface makes it look even more so), but the amount of programming and coding behind it is actually quite complex (from my current standpoint anyways). From creating flexible functions that can calculate the two inputted values and detect which of the fours operation the user wishes to use to getting JavaScript to actually do something when a button is pressed was quite an enormous feat.
At first, from the books alone, I couldn't figure out how to do the latter and have it pass a button ID's from the HTML code to the JavaScript code. I resorted to searching on Google for a solution and eventually found out how to do it on this particular website, http://www.w3schools.com/. As it turns out, I found from my mentor that many programmers and Computer Science majors use that website as a source for help, guidance, and a place to learn different programming languages. There is also a public forum that allows questions to be asked directly to other users on that site for specific questions that may not otherwise be addressed with general lessons.

The simple interface of my calculator. Includes the functions of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing two numbers, checking to see if users entered values or not, and using a resulting value as the first number of input.

This part of the code detects which number button was pressed and displays its value. It does this by looping through the numbers 0 through 9, determining whether the button's ID matches "Button" + the looping number, and displaying the looping number in the 1st Textbox.

The calculate() function I coded that receives 3 values, the value in the 1st Textbox, the value of the 2nd Textbox, and the value of the operation Textbox. Depending on the operation, the function will do the corresponding calculations to the values of the 1st and second text boxes and display the result in the result Textbox. Note that I also included an exception for dividing anything by 0 in order to prevent the program from breaking the laws of the universe and crash.

On another note, my mentor recently gave me two new books on HTML, CSS,JavaScript, and JQuery that she will help to go over with me as we do mentorship hours. On a first glance, these books looked like the ordinary programming books (and textbooks) with a pretty cover and back cover with black and white, boring walls of text that strain the eyes. But when I opened these books up, not only was I surprised at the color, but I was also impressed my the amount of designing done within the book coming from a design editor's perspective. They were relaxing, easy to read and understand, and, most of all, not boring. Honestly, this is probably the best looking educational book that I've ever seen since reading Dr. Seuss over 10 years ago.

Pretty covers usually attract me enough to read the inside text, but the text usually do not the same as much. These book being an exception.

This back cover is very nice. If I was doing some design work as my senior project, I would even consider using this book as a reference!

The most attractive educational books I've ever seen since Dr. Seuss.

I will continue to fine tune my programming skill, in the mean time, I will start learning more HTML and C++ in the coming month.

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

Lily Wu

Works at the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department, Information Technology Service.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

What position do you hold in your field and what are you responsible for?

How long have you with this company and in this field of work and what have you done in the past?

What is the company's goal or purpose?

Did you go to college? If so, what did you major in, what did you study in this major, and what level of degree did you obtain? If not, in what ways did you gain experience for your job?

Why did you pursue this career?

What do you think makes a person an expert in your field of work, being one yourself?

What do you think has been the most influential factor that allows you succeed in the work that you do?

Blog 5 - Mentorship Reflection

Based on what you have done for your senior project so far, answer the following questions (be specific and use examples).

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

My mentor is my Lily Wu - my mom. Having her as my mentor is very convenient since she lives with me and I talk to her almost everyday. I found this to be very lucky since my interest is in the same field as what she does for work. She was willing to take the time to teach me computer programming and, because of my explanation of the project, she knows my EQ and the goal of this mentorship component - to learn practical skills in the real world that is not regularly provided in school course work. Once she understood these things, she taught me what she does, what is required of programmers in her field of work, how to program, and has given me input on my current EQ.

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

The most important article I have read so far is "Computer Programming in the 21st Century: Quo Vadis?" which is a compilation of many writings of authors in the programming field. This article not only pertains directly to my working EQ, "How can an individual become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?" but it also outlines and summarizes possible answers towards this question. In addition, it also gives me a general direction of what I should study such as 'problem solving' or 'continuous learning.' This article has helped me advance greatly in my senior project. Therefore, I feel that this is the most important article I have read so far.

Extra Blog: alert("Hello world!");

This past month, I have worked with my mentor in learning the structure of LA County's Internal Services Department (ISD), the Financial Reporting System (FRS), and learning how to program in JavaScript. Learning about these things gives me assurance that it was a good decision for me to choose Computer Programming as my senior topic. I found that the work I did and the subjects I will, and have already, start studying are very interesting. I've always enjoyed using computers, applying logical thinking, and creating things that work, so there couldn't be a better choice than Computer Programming. 

Below are some pictures that represent what I have done so far.

The ISD Logo.

The book my mentor goes over with me to show me how to program in JavaScript.

As with learning any other language, I displayed a message saying the iconic "Hello world!" with the code:

alert("Hello world");

My current working EQ is "How can an individual become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?" Through my research these past weeks and from my study of JavaScript, I have come up with several answers that I think approaches the best answer for my working EQ. The following are my current, possible answers:

• Having the end-goal in mind during programming
• Continually learning new skills/knowledge as technology changes
• Good communication/responsibility with those who work with you
• Have good code design/structure
• Dedication to learn/practice coding over a large period of time
• Enjoy Computer Programming 

At the moment, I feel that the answer, "Continually learning new skills/knowledge as technology changes," is the most reasonable and strongest answer out of the ones I have made so far. This is because my mentor is constantly,and thoroughly, learn new programming languages and apply them in the workplace. She said that being in the field of work is a "Life-time learning experience" and that one would need to study out side of the regular 8 hour work day. Companies and organizations, such as the Justice Service within the ISD that my mentor works in, who are based around the work of programmers often send their employees to classes to learn a variety of new subjects such as working efficiently or how to operate under a certain kind of system. In addition to classes, countless amounts of new programming books and internet articles are constantly being published with the specifics of the latest versions of programming languages and many instant messaging boards are constantly exchanging help to those have problems. Also, many times in programming, one can even copy and modify a program that someone else had made. This become a learning experience in itself of new information. 

TL;DR

This explanation can be summed up with something Clint Shank, a writer of technological subjects, once said:

"Technology changes fast. Don't get left behind."

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

Alan Wu

Has a wide variety of knowledge in science, engineering, and computing and has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems. Knows co-workers who come from technological backgrounds.

2.  You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  

• From your past experience, how should I approach Computer Programming in order to achieve mastery of this topic?

• What are some ways I can apply the knowledge of Computer Programming in the real world?

• There are numerous aspects of programming such as knowing syntax, having logical thinking, and keeping things in certain organizing formats. How might I go about learning all of these specific details of programming that may not be taught though books or internet articles?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1.  List your topic here: 

Computer Programming

2.  Write a question that helps to focus your research this month.

How can a person become a successful computer programmer in the 21st century?

3.  Post the working bibliography (WB) on the right hand side of the blog and share it so anybody can view it.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gbpYaCiCrApm52MtwhHtHRA--ZTPvj4OTNjefpiYfuU/edit#gid=0

Summer Mentorship Component

1. (Know) Using google doc (drive) link a log of specific hours and a description of your duties:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pk06m750zrh1IsLXwaHWU21neVqb5LkzlIeC5KYTGr0/edit#gid=0

2. What is the contact name & number of where you volunteered?

• Contact Name: Lily Wu (Senior Application Developer)
• Number: (909)-241-3771

3. (Need to know) What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?  List them.

• How does one determine the steps needed to be taken and in what order before starting a project that use the Project Management Methodology (PMM)?
• In what way can a programmer use code to accurately meet a customer's requests?
• Are they any specific guidelines or formats one must put their code in?
• What is the most efficient way to train and inform a new employee about how everything works within the system?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?.

The most important things I got from this experience were obtaining the general knowledge of the type of work I am getting into and learning the mindset one must have in order to fully succeed in the programming world. The general knowledge I received is important because it helps to show me what to expect in the following year and helps me to prepare myself for the work I will be doing. Learning these during the 10 hours of mentorship has allowed me to also gain the type mindset I must have to prepare myself mentally for what is to come. I learned that the those who succeed in the programming field of work must pay close attention to all details, no matter how small, within the assignments and projects they do. Therefore, in order to truly benefit and learn from this mentorship, I have given myself a similar mindset and will approach the upcoming ideas and concepts from a detail-oriented perspective.

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

The topic that I will be using for my senior project will be Computer Programming. 

The 10 hours I have completed with my mentor helped me to further solidify my previous choice of Computer Programming as my Senior Project topic because, not only was the 10 hours interesting and fun, but I also feel that this topic will help me in my future studies as I am planning on majoring in Computer Science and planning to have career related to computer programming.

Blog 1: 2-Hour Presentations

1. What presentations did you see?

The following is a list and a brief description of the senior projects I saw over the past 2 weeks:

05/21/14 - Block 1 

Lupe Lara, Music Performing and Promoting:

- Concentrated on the best way to engage an audience during a performance
- Went into detail of singing techniques, voice tones, and overall performing tips

05/21/14 - Block 2 

Krystal Lam, Editorial Publishing:

- Explored the different ways of making a quality yearbook that can incorporate design and content with the overall feel of the school
- Described general design, photography, and teaching techniques and how they are used in yearbooks everywhere

05/21/14 - Block 3

Viviana Bravo, Photography Galleries:

- Went over the best possible way to bring viewers to an art gallery during an event. 
- Showed what is done with the art is played and how to get the word out of the gallery to the general public.

05/22/14 - Block 1 

Carlos Cerrillos, Information Technology:

- Focused on using technology to market real estate companies
- Taught how technology is used, what it can provide to a company, and how to integrate it into marketing

05/22/14 - Block 2 

Patrick Montoya, Video Game Graphic Design:

- About the box art of video game and how to get gamers to buy their product  from their boxes alone
- Went over the demographics and design of games box art

05/22/14 - Block 3 

Brian Cabantug, Software Development:

- Presentation was on the use of different codes used to code mobile applications and explored which ones were the best one
- Displayed different codes such as HTML5, Java, and Command C

05/23/14 - Block 1 

Study Hall, Mr. Hedman's Classroom No Presentation:

05/23/14 - Block 3 

Bradley Schott, Computer Science:

- Presented on making mobile applications and what to do to get the application to be used
- Taught about elements that should be included to provide the most enjoyment and most usability for uses of an applications

05/27/14 - Block 1 

Angel Arredondo, Angioplasty:

- I was not present for this presentation

05/27/14 - Block 2 

Isaac Salas, Engineering:

- Was about traffic and how engineering can be use to help relieve road congestion
- Gave information about different road aspects and different kinds of transportation other than automobiles that are used elsewhere

05/28/14 - Block 1 

Daniel Gamboa, Electrical Engineering:

- Talked about what is most important when repairing and dealing with power lines
- Identified what things are safety hazards and how to spot them

05/28/14 - Block 2 

Vanessa Pacheco, Marketing Management:

- Explored the best way to market a product or service to consumers
- Identified marketing terms in competition and what companies can and should do to make their product stand out.

05/28/14 - Block 3 

Brandon Beghtol, Information Technology:

- Showed how databases worked and how to support small businesses with technical support
- Taught the general needs and interests of small businesses and how to set up technology to support them

05/29/14 - Block 1 

Alfonso Esquivel, Internal Medicine:

- Dealt with the symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease and the best ways to cure them
- Showed how nutrition and surgery methods can be used to cure a person who has this disease

05/29/14 - Block 2 

Lionel Arellano, Computer Technical Services:

- Described the symptoms of damaged computes and how to fix them
- Gave information on the source of viruses and how to see computer symptoms and identify what type of issue it has

05/29/14 - Block 3 

Wesley Wu, Structural Engineering:

- Talked about what is most important in created  a stable structure
- Went over drawing schematics and the different types of structural supports 

2. What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project? This can be about the senior project in general, any components or about a presentation topic you saw or what they said.

A question I have about the senior project is how many independent components are required and how to make a legitimate, independent component for us to do. In addition, if we were to make a component ourselves, how would we be graded on them since everyone's would be different in both difficulty and in relevance toward their topic.

In addition to independent component grades, my other question is how much impact our senior presentation grades will be on our overall grade for the year. I have heard that the senior presentation grade can possibly dictate what grade we will receive in all the other classes, but I want to confirm exactly how that works.

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

The most important part about the senior project that I got from the presentations is to have an understanding of one's own topic to become essentially an expert in that field. Once this is achieved, it is almost like becoming like a mentor for the time span of the senior presentation. With understanding of the topic, which can be obtained through application of the information or doing in depth studies of the topic, one would be able to relay the information in an way that not only makes sense to the audience, but also in the way that the person's mentor had taught them as well. 

Understanding is the most important part of the senior presentation because understanding of the information gathered throughout the year is basically the foundation of the any project, especially for the senior project. Without understanding, it is highly unlikely that the person learned from the experience. Therefore, if one has a strong understanding of the acquired information throughout the year, their senior presentation at the end of the year will also be strong.

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

The topic I am considering for my senior project is Computer Programming. The reason for this is because I plan on majoring in computer science when I get into college and I plan on working in a technological based field much like my parents who have careers in Computer System Analysis and Engineering. I feel that working on Computer Programming will help to prepare me not only for college, but for my future career as well. 

5. What are you doing for your summer mentorship?

Over the summer, I plan on mentoring with my mom at her workplace where they develop applications and manage databases for the court of the county of Los Angeles. As Computer System Analysts, they work within the court's system to help organize and make the data accessible to those who need court files. This will give me information on how database systems work and how different programming languages are used.