Unit 28, Task 1, M1 and D1

M1

Web 2.0 - Web 2.0 is the second generation of the World Wide Web which allows people to collaborate and share information. Web 2.0 refers to a more dynamic web that is based on serving web applicators to users. Web 2.0 also has other improved functions for example, open communication with emphasis on web based communities. I have used Web 2.0 when using social media sites. Uploading pictures to Facebook or Twitter and editing a Wikipedia page are examples of using Web 2.0.

Blogs - Blogs are web pages that are set up by authors. It is almost like an online journal where writers can share their ideas and opinions. They can either be set to public or private which determines who is able to read the blog. They are usually filled with thoughts and ideas of the author. I use the website Blogger to upload my school work to. My classmates and teachers can access my work however I have complete control over who views my work as it can be kept private.

Online Application - This is a program made using a browser supported language that relies on the browser to use the application. Examples of online applications are calendars and calculators. I have used Google Calendar to keep track of my school work.

Cloud Computing - Instead of storing data on your computer's hard drive you are able to store and access it online using iCloud and Google Drive. This easily allows you to access documents that you have created online. This makes it much easier to access documents as you can sign into your account on any computer and have immediate access to the data. I use Google Drive to create all my documents with school work on. This makes it easier as the work can be easily accessed at home and on other computers.

D1

TCP/IP - The first layer of the transmission control protocol handles data that gets sent to other computers. When you buy a computer that has the internet already installed the TCP/IP will already be installed. The role of the TCP is to compact all the data. The main packets will be sent to the second layer of the protocol which is used to obtain the web page address that the data is being sent to. The protocol is adds the address to the packet. Before the packet is moved, this section is always read and handled with first. If the internet connection is bad or slow the packets are assembled slower. For example, the text or images may appear before anything else. Also, if there is a large image it can sometimes take a while for it to load. 

HTTP - This stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol which is used to distribute hypertext across the internet. HTTP makes the web pages actually work. This is what lets you access different parts of a website. For example, if you are on a clothes website it allows you to click on the different pages.

HTTPS - This stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure and basically does the same as HTTP but is much more secure and is used for online banking and other services that require more security. I have experience with HTTPS when using online banking. It is vital that personal details are kept secure.

SMTP - This stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is used for electronic mail transmission. This enables users to send electronic mail between two devices e.g Gmail. I use SMTP when I exchange emails with my teachers to get feedback on my work. 

Unit 28, Task 1, P1

Hardware - Hardware is physical machinery that connects to the computer, for example, wires, desktops and tablets.
Router - The router is connected to the landline and pockets of data are transferred along it. The router uses information to determine where the pockets of data will go. This means that the web page will appear on the screen of the device that you are using. 
Software - Software is the programmes that are used in the computer. They can be installed and downloaded to the device that you wish to use. 

Unit 1, Task 5, D1

Verbal Communication

I used verbal communication throughout my work when I asked my teachers for feedback on different tasks. This has been very helpful to me as it made it clear what I had to add and what I'd done well. Also, by talking through it made me understand the task in more depth. A disadvantage of verbal communication in my work was that when I was given things to improve on I didn't always remember what had been said. In my opinion, writing down the corrections that need to be made is a better way of communicating.

Teacher Broadcasting Demonstration

Having a demonstration broadcast to the class helped a lot in my work. I was able to see clearly what to do. Also, the teacher could talk through what we had to do at the same time as showing us which made it easier. A disadvantage of this is that sometimes if something is small on the board it is difficult to see. Also, if people are talking throughout the demonstration it can be difficult to follow.

Using Blogger

Uploading my work to Blogger is an easy way to get my work marked. It makes it much easier than printing work off and handing it in to get marked. Also, it is easier to see feedback and what I need to add. It makes it easier to peer mark our work too. A disadvantage of this is that if something goes wrong with the computers or internet, I am unable to access my work and continue with it. Also, at the beginning it can be quite difficult to understand how to use Blogger.

Using Gmail

Using Gmail is an easy way to communicate with my teachers. If I need to send them anything, for example the screenshot of my google calendar, I am able to easily send them it. Also, when my work has been marked they can send me an email to let me know. A disadvantage of this is that if I have feedback and forget to check my emails I could end up not seeing the feedback. 

Publishing Images

I have used a lot of printscreens throughout my work. This has helped to show how I carried out some tasks which made it clear to my teachers that I have done all the work myself and how I done it. A disadvantage of this is that when I copy and paste the image it can be quite small and make some of the details unclear. Also, if I enlarge the image it can become distorted.

Using PowerPoint

I used PowerPoint for a lot of the tasks. This made it easy to produce presentations. It easy to upload PowerPoints to Blogger by saving them as a JPEG. Also, it is easy to organise information clearly. I do not think that there are any disadvantages of PowerPoint as it is a very efficient way of doing my work.

Using Google Calendar

I used Google Calendar to plan out what skills I was going to learn. This made it easy for me to see what I had to learn and on what day. It was easy to printscreen and send to my teacher to show them and it was clear for them to see. A disadvantage of Google Calendar is that you need to go online and open it therefore if you had no internet access you would not be able to view the calendar.

Unit 1, Task 6, M3

There are different types of learning styles e.g. visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Depending on what type of person someone is will depend on which learning style they find the most useful.

The visual learning style means that you learn by associating different information to different images. People who learn by visual learning use images, colours, diagrams and maps to organise information. I have used visual learning this year in IT to teach myself how to create a customised dictionary, add a table of contents and create an index in word. Visual learning can be very beneficial as you can see what you are supposed to be doing which makes it much clearer.

Auditory learning is when you listen to something being explained. This can be listening to a teacher, friend or something online. This can be useful as rather than reading it someone can go into more detail when explaining it to you. Also, by hearing something may make it stick in your mind better therefore making it easier to understand.

Kinesthetic learning is a way of learning by physically doing something. For example, when I learned how to do different skills on the computer, I first watched videos or read about them then I physically carried out the task myself to ensure that I knew what to do. By doing this, you can see what you need to improve on and what you are still unsure of. It is great practise as the more you do the task, the better you will get.

In conclusion, I usually prefer using visual learning as I can see what I need to do. However, I like to pair this with kinaesthetic learning because it helps me to understand what I actually need to do and what I still need to work on. I do not usually like to use auditory learning because I cannot see what I need to do. I prefer to have a visual image or video to show me specifically what needs to be done. Also, when I listen to something being explained I sometimes forget key information because it is not visually in front of me.

Unit 1, Task 4, M2

Rachel commented on my Dummies Guide and suggested that it would be best to use the Dummies theme throughout. I have now made the changes to my PowerPoint.

Unit 1, Task 4, P6

Unit 1, Task 3, D2