Project 3 – Spring 2015 Class Blogs

Tools of the Trade

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:18:17 +0000

I chose the tool Timeline JS for project three for a number of reasons. When I opened the page I was greeted with the words, “Beautifully crafted timelines that are easy and intuitive to use,” which initially drew me in. I loved the idea of being able to create a representation of past events that is classic in nature but fresh due to its strong visual, interactive, and integrative capabilities.

I am also intrigued by this tool because of its versatility to work for individuals of different skill levels. On the home page there are four easy to follow steps and tips to help get started. From there, if individuals have advanced JSON skills (I have no idea what that is) they have the option to develop their time line even further. I find this great because with this model everyone is able to create a visually appealing and functional site, no matter their skill level.

Lastly, I was interested in this tool because of its ability to pull media from a number of sources. I think this will make the final timeline even more interactive, appealing, and rich in visuals and other media.

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Video, Video Everywhere!

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 15:54:49 +0000

The tool that was presented today that I am most likely to explore further is Vialogues. As a Communications major, I’m being forced to recognize how important video is becoming in the industry and this application is something that could be very useful. I thought it was cool that it could be used in a few ways – as in to communicate with others watching the videos or as sort of a video note-taking tool. Essentially, I liked that it was versatile! I thought that presentation made about the application was the more clear and concise one given today so that also aided my decision to choose it as the one I’d like to look deeper into!

The only part I was wary about was the portion where I would have to sign up as an EdLab user too. I’m becoming more conscious about my online identity and trying to cut down on the amount of random accounts my name is linked to. That being said, I’d prefer it if it was just a user versus a sign-up application but, you can’t win them all!

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Project 3 Presentations – Day 3

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 15:52:08 +0000

TimelineJS! Woo! I thought that the timeline concept was great and it was something I could really utilize. I love taking pictures and most of the things I use the internet for are visual and as a sort of scrapbook so this feature can only enhance what I currently do on the internet. I’m not well versed in HTML so this is something that could really help me. I like that I can link images, papers and videos; it’s a great way to really save events and remember them for all time! Definitely going to try and incorporate this feature onto my personal website so maybe future employers can see the progression of my work and my experiences.

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Project 3 Presentations – Day 2

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 16:02:23 +0000

Happy Hump-Day from home! Due to Shanks hating children and turning off all of the water in the building, we were able to have “class at home” today! I will admit this confused my whole class schedule but hey, sleeping in until 11am is never something I’m going to complain about!

As far as the checklist goes, so far I have fully completed numbers 1 and 2 and have begun on number 3. Because I am presenting on Friday, I decided to focus my time on finishing my visual presentation. I am essentially done with the essay and project itself minus the completion of integrating it into my website.

What I Did and Why I Did It (Combined, for Clarity’s Sake)

I finished my GoogleDoc PowerPoint presentation. I wanted to solidify the best text and image pairings so I put all of my energy towards completing that process. I like my product very much and I think it will be taken well my by classmates! My goal was to make it as simple and straightforward as possible so that it could be understood, while not compromising the aesthetic appeal of the overall product!

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Project 3 Independent Work

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:52:48 +0000

The tool I found most interesting was the Digital Vaults tool. I thought it was the most interesting because it was very different than a lot of the tools out there because of its connection with history and the National Archives. Most tools I feel like have to do with some sort of functionality with education or entertainment but this one was all about viewing old records and stuff from the archives. The National Archives by nature seem old and outdated but this tool looked like it did a good job of modernizing the viewing options for some old records. I’d use this if I was interested in learning about history or needed to review some background information for some topic in history.

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