Initial Questionnaire

Why Do I Blog

I blog to keep a record of my thoughts and ideas so that I can remember what has happened in the past. I feel that it is essential to remember my past and make sure that I don't repeat my past mistakes. I hope to learn off my blog and who knows I might even be able to improve off my mistakes and learn from them.

Initial questionnaire for Computer Applications

August 2015

You will be required to document your learning in a blog in the new established school blog service. You should use a design that is easy to read, supports video, and can be read from the most recent post.

When you have created your blog send the link to mshappell@wbais.net (check that the link works before you send it)

copy this document into your blog and then complete

Questions	Name:
When did you come to AIS?	I came in the 8th Grade.
Where were you in school before AIS? For how long? Was the school a one-to-one laptop school?	I was in ISK (International School of Kenya) which wasn’t a one-to-one tech school but was still pretty tech oriented.
What computer/technology courses have you taken previously?	I have taken Computer Apps last year for a semester. Previously in my old school I took an after school Computer course.
Do you have a Mac or a PC. What other devices do you regularly use?	I have a laptop which is not a mac. I mainly use it since my desktop isn’t really powerful and is really old.
How much time do you spend on the computer at home on a typical school day? What are the three most common applications that you use?	I usually use it for 4 hours on a usual school day since it is my main utensil for doing homework at our school. Occasionally when I have free time I work on projects.
If you could not get online for a day, what would you miss the most?	Funny joke sites which generally cheer up my day if I’m having a bad day.
Information Technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data How would you rate yourself as an information technology user. Which of the following best describes you. What would you add to give a more complete picture of your IT usage? A. I use IT all the time. I'm a very confident and competent user who can figure out how to solve pretty much anything. I like to experiment with new applications. B. I use IT when I need to use it. I see myself as competent and confident in the areas that I need. I have no real interest in spending time with IT unless it serves my needs. C. I tend to lack confidence with IT. My experience is a bit limited and I feel that I have quite a lot to learn.	A . But I disagree with the can solve anything part since there have been times where I just couldn’t figure out why things didn’t work and after a while I just gave up. However does are for small problems that I was just experimenting with and were just fun side bits.
Computer Science: Do you have any prior experience in computer science for example programming languages (Basic, Logo, Java, Scheme, C++,Python), robotics etc. Do you think that you might be interested in taking AP computer Science?	I don’t have any real prior experience with any programming languages. I tried to learn one once but unfortunately I couldn’t continue learning since it required something that my computer didn’t have.
Digital Arts: Do you see yourself as a creative type? What art classes have you taken and will be taking this year? What experience do you have with... Bitmap graphics (ex: Adobe Photoshop) Vector graphics (ex: Adobe Illustrator) Audio (ex: Audacity) Video (ex: Adobe Premiere) Special Effects (ex: Adobe After Effects) 3D Design (ex: Google SketchUp, Blender) Animation Music Anything else?	I’m a semi creative person and last year I used computer apps to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop. It was a lot of fun and definitely is something I would like to do again.
Publishing: Do you have any prior experience using publishing applications such as In-Design. Are you enrolled in journalism or yearbook.	I do not have any experience in this department.
Web Design What experience do you have  with.. HTML? Site design applications (ex: Dreamweaver) Web Graphics (ex: Fireworks) Web Animation (ex: Flash) Web programming (ex: PHP)	I tried to learn HTML however due to time constraints I had to give up on that project.
Business Applications: What experience do you have with.. Spreadsheets, Presentations or Data Bases.	I have used Spreadsheet however I am not very experience in Spreadsheets, I hope to grow my skills in that department.
What other computing experience do you have that has not been explained above.	I mod games sometimes for fun. I have modded Fallout: New Vegas and Europa Universalis 4. However both of this games had huge modder resources and need almost no coding knowledge.
How do you normally learn new technologies? How did you learn to learn in this way? Do you feel that you are an effective independent learner? Give an example of some technical skill that you learned independently. How did you learn, what resources did you use?	I learn it by experimenting with it and using it. If I really want to learn something I look up a guide for answers.
You will be required to keep a learning log during this course. How would you describe yourself in these kinds of tasks. A. I hate writing about what I have done or what I am thinking or feeling. I tend to forget to do it and when I do I tend to be minimalistic and monosyllabic. B. I don't mind doing this kind of writing. I am usually pretty thorough. C. I welcome the opportunity to write and reflect about what I am doing. I see this as an integral part of my learning.	A . I hate writing logs but I still do it though and do it on time/ don’t forget to do them.
Take a look at the Course Connections page. What would you like to learn in this course?	I would like to learn how to use C++
Do you think that you understand how your performance on the course will be assessed? See assessment guidelines. Do you have any questions about this?	None
Are there any other questions that you would like to ask at this stage?	None thank you