REFLECTION NUEVE

This week I baked turkey with my uncle for Thanksgiving. I would have cooked with my mother, however she is still on a business trip with my father. Cooking this turkey was essentially the equivalent of cooking a whole chicken; the only difference is a turkey is a lot bigger than a chicken. Therefore, while I was cooking I noticed the similarities between the two which made it easier for me to cook because I had experience. We began by taking taking the turkey out the freezer for two days in order to let it thaw; once the turkey became soft we cut the fat off of it. Afterwards, proceeded to seasoning it; we spread the seasoning all over the perimeter of the turkey and eventually inside of the turkey. Then we put the turkey inside the oven and let it cook, however we occasionally checked the turkey to make sure everything was running smoothly. We repeated this process in order to make another turkey and in addition to cooking turkey, I also cooked white rice. Overall the turkeys were fantastic and the rice well done, therefore it was a successful week.

Reflection #9

             This week for my 20% project I was able to pick up some more things for my scrapbook. I wanted to do something different because I felt like my designs needed to be a little bit more interesting since I kept tying in some old ideas. So now I found some new themes and decided to tie them in. It adds a little more life to my scrapbook and I think it just makes it feel more complete. I added in some more funky pictures and everything is starting to come along. I even layered some pictures to flip up vertically as if a book was being opened sideways. It is a really cool feature and makes my scrapbook feel unique. I cannot wait to see the final product!

Reflection Week 9

This week was mostly uneventful for me just because I spent it looking for videos/resources for my own video for CSPAN's StudentCam 2016. I made a MyC-SPAN account to gain access to all of their videos. CSPAN offered me a wide variety of videos to choose from. I watched "Impact of Citeizens United v. FEC" in parts, in the video law professors and political commentators commented on the Court's decision. I also enjoyed "Supreme Court Argument on Campaign Finance" with Adam Liptak. Liptak is a journalist at the New York Times and does a great job at explaining what goes in the Supreme Court and how the Justices' decisions affect us all. I plan on watching a video later with Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Harry Reid (D-NV) on campaign finance. In the video, Senator Reid proposes an amendment in response to the Court's decision, to grant states the right to control campaign finance.

Reflection 9

Okay so last week I talked about how I got new yarn and needles and started knitting my scarf. Well, I quickly realized that the scarf I was knitting was very tight and heavy. My mom suggested that I get even bigger needles, so that's what I did. I went to AC Moore and got myself some size 19 needles. They're honestly huge, but when I started over on my scarf (for like the millionth time) it actually came out exactly how I wanted it to. The stitches are very loose which makes the scarf very light and comfortable. I knit a little bit in class on Wednesday, and I'm going to try to bring my scarf in more often to work on it during 20% time. Everything's been going really well and I'm really happy about it.

Week 9 Reflection

To start off the week, I've decided my change for this week was for more ab workouts. I've decided last week that I would do ab workouts 5-6 times a week, if not the entire week. I've also made my December schedule, so I will be ready for anything that I need to do. Other than that, I'll get on to this weeks schedule. I did ab workouts from Tuesday to Sunday, only missing Monday. Monday and Wednesday I worked out in the gym, Tuesday and Saturday I did Cardio exercises, and Sunday was a flexibility training day. This was a quick blog because I feel i'm beginning to get used to this process of workout out either at home or in school, whether it be running or going to the Magnet gym.

Week 9

The week started out well. I didn't run Monday, but I hit the gym and did some cardio. Tuesday, I ran 5 miles, no big deal, but big enough for me to feel like I pushed myself a little. Wednesday since it was a half day, I had nothing to do until 4 so I though it would be a good idea to go to the gym. I used the treadmill (something I don't like to do) and followed the advice I found from runners on the internet on how to change the incline and speed to stimulate running outside. But I found that I get tired a lot quicker. I only managed to do 2.6 miles and then I walked to make it an even 3. I got off, took a break and then did cardio on the elliptical. Afterwards, I went and did some strength training exercises with weights.

The week started out promising, but Thanksgiving came along on Thursday. I already knew I wasn't going to be productive that day. I just ate on Thursday. An insane amount of food, if I do say so myself. Friday, I was also unproductive, but I didn't have a good excuse. Saturday came and I was running around all day. Running a million and one errands for my mom in preparation for my sister's birthday on Saturday and then work. Sunday was my sister's birthday so more unhealthy food. After a huge serving of homemade pie I decided to go for a run. Bad Idea. I didn't get far. I felt heavy and was worried of the possible repercussions if I pushed myself further.

Reflection #9

This week, I learned about how to speak about sports in German. I also learned that you get no choice in what you learn about through free daily lessons. So I was mostly forced to learn about sports but I didn't mind. Many words for sports in German are similar in other languages. So it did not take long to understand these words. For instance, soccer or futbol is just fusbol in German. Many of the terms are like that so I found it pretty easy to learn. I wish the rest of the language was like that though.

Reflection 9

The cartoon has been coming along quite well. However, as I watch the entire entity of the scenes put together, I've notice some scenes missing that would make the scene smoother. The same as when you write an essay, but not everything is put across because you understand what you want to write, but not what's actually written. I think the well deserve Thanksgiving break has given me separation from this project to look at the cartoon with a fresh perspective. I am able to see the details that a person looking at it for the first time.

Next week I will work on the scene transitions because some people might not understand some context of the script. A few extra seconds including the setting or extra background information can add crucial factors for the viewer to enjoy the cartoon.

Reflection 9

This week I learned more about the aesthetic design of an HTML code. I didn't realize that you had to basically make another file that is a CSS code to make the website more aesthetically pleasing. I always thought that everything was done on the same file. I also added more to my code and continued to do lessons on CodeAcademy.

Reflection #9 :D

Yay! Progress!

It's almost Cyber Monday (tomorrow, actually) and my parents are getting most of their Christmas shopping done then. I've been allowed to make a list of what I want, and I've already exhausted the money my mother's given me, but I'm 95% sure I can swindle a tablet (especially if it's cheap, and on Amazon!) from my father. I've started using my sketchbook like I originally planned, because I am a hot mess and I am terrible at hanging on to loose leaf.

Since this is a reflection, I guess I should reflect and say that I did not anticipate Krita to be this difficult or time-consuming. But I'm still down for this project because I low-key think it would be cool to post my art somewhere. Thar's all. Drizzy out.

Reflection Week 9

This week, I missed the 20 Percent class time for kickoff. So, all of my time spent on sign language was at home. On Friday I spent a lot of time watching my brother, and we ended up going through a few tutorials together. He always used to watch the Goodnight Show on Sprout, which included a new word in sign language every night. He's only four, but he seems to understand at least a little bit what signing is, plus it's really cute to watch him try to mimic the motions. At the beginning of this project, we discussed the difficulties I might face. The main one was that I would not really have anyone to talk to. While that is still a challenge, my siblings have actually been pretty helpful with it. They are all pretty young and none of them are fluent, but they find the language interesting so if they see me practicing they like to jump in. It's not a full conversation, but every little bit helps and teaching them helps me to remember what I already know.

Week...I don't even know anymore

This week, I started working on a trap influenced beat. Trap is a subset or genre of hip hop which arose most prominently out of Atlanta, taking also influences from Houston and the South in general. Trap at the moment is the most popular movement in hip hop by far, spawning superstars such as Migos, Future, and Young Thug. The entire sound of mainstream hip hop has also been influenced by trap music, most notably the deep and dark 808 drums and the synths associated with it. If the song fits the mood of a dark, crowded, live club at 2 A.M. on a Friday, it's trap. On youtube, there are plenty of examples of trap beats and the processes in which they're made, and on Fruity Loops there are tons of plug ins that are trap inspired; trap drums, trap keys, trap synths, etc. Relatively speaking, trap beats can be very barebones and simple. The most important part of a trap beat is creating an often dark, spacey, yet energetic environment. It's going relatively well.

Reflection Week 9

This week I didn't post on my blog. I started sto write about the suffrage movement, but it's still saved in my drafts. I was in Virginia and I had a busy week. On a positive note, I got feedback from my family members and they enjoyed my posts, and that always makes me feel good. I have tests and quizzes this week, but hopefully I can still find the time to create blog posts two days out of the week.

Reflection 9

Oh gosh time is running out and I'm looking at my progress with my song. Originally I was supposed to learn how to play Creep, but now I'm not so sure. I tried playing, but for some reason it didn't sound right on my guitar. I'm not quite sure if the strings are a bit loose, because the sound it made when I played the chords just didn't sound clear. Because of this I was struggling to follow along with the video I was watching and I got a bit frustrated. As a result I tried to play another song, which ended up being A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. I followed along with a video tutorial and I was able to follow along really well. I'm not exactly sure if I should follow up with learning Creep or just continue learning A Thousand Years since I've already learned so much of it and there isn't much time left. The only thing I'm worried about with A Thousand Years is that it might not seem challenging enough when I present it. However, I feel that I might not be able to successfully learn Creep by the end of the semester. Also.. I'm debating whether or not I should sing along.. erm.. I'll see how everything goes.

Reflection #9 11/25

Kamryn
Intro to Humanities

25 November 2015

Reflection #9

          My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. So, my coach did not allow me to install her weave, but it is okay after I finish this project she will beg me to do it. This past week, I began braiding the circle and it is very time consuming since I am not the best braider and I have to spin my hair doll every few seconds. I know it must be ten times harder braiding on a human being. In class, I researched the vixen weave installation process and I found it very interesting. Basically, the vixen sew in allows the hair to be more versatile. Regular sew ins do not allow high ponytails and buns. The stylist leaves a path in between the cross-section of the hair and installs the hair in four separate quadrants. By leaving hair out in the middle, it allows space for parts in the hair and helps the hair move more freely. The video I watched that taught me some of this information is "

The BEST EVER Vixen Weave Installation with Sassy Mitchell Hair" on youtube. I actually really like this style and might do this one for my end project. Researching this style makes me want to get this weave, but I feel as if this weave is not a good protective style because of the amount of hair still left out that will still need to be continuously styled. Next week, I will continue my circle braiding and look into more techniques. 

 this picture shows new hairstyles the vixen style creates this picture shows the braiding technique used.

Reflection Week 9

Christian

            I just realized that we are now more than halfway done with the 20 Percent Time Project. I feel as if I have improved my knowledge of the camera and its functions greatly. As far as the actual pictures go, I see small improvement, but I know that the actual pictures are something that is developed, not learned. You can read yourself to your grave on how to capture the perfect shot, but from what I experienced, it’s a gut feeling. The photographer has to feel the shot and be able to use their knowledge on the functions of the camera to get that perfect shot. Nature photographers are the most interesting photographers because they actually interact with the elements in order to get that perfect shot. They camouflage themselves, hide themselves, or camp out in a specific place for a few days, waiting for something special to happen, and photograph it.

Reflection 8

This week was amazing. I went up to 9.5 miles on my long run on Sunday. After a long shift doing nothing but sitting down , my legs were ready. I ran and ran and ran. After 5 miles I feel like I could go on forever. But I decided to stop at 9.5 because I knew the problem isn't WHILE running. It's the after effects of stopping the run. As expected, the cold air hit me and I was left gasping with an uncomfortable taste in my mouth but nonetheless it was a success. The rest of the week I took it somewhat easy. An average of 6 miles about. I run every other day now so as to not overwork my body. One thing I'm not proud of is my eating schedule. I've had little to no appetite but I know I need calories if I'm running this much. Being on the go isn't helping. When I do eat, it's healthy things (whole grain sandwiches loaded with vegetables). I also started making my own juices again that I drink throughout the day (loaded with fruits and vegetables). One thing I'm reluctant to let go of is coffee and energy drinks. I know they're not beneficial but I've become accustomed to them to help me get through the morning. But I'm slowly beginning to exchange coffee and energy drinks for green tea.
I have high hopes for the upcoming week. I hope to hit 11 miles. However, I have time so I won't be disappointed if I don't.

Reflection #8

This week, I practiced using daily challenges again. I mostly learned about the different expressions to describe wine and other food. These might not be everyday topics of discussion but I still found them to be very useful anyway. Now, I would be able to describe what I had for lunch and speak proper table manners as well in German. Next, I plan to tackle how to pronounce how someone would prepare these foods. There are many words in the German language that have parts of another word integrated in them. So hope not to confuse myself as I continue to learn.

Reflection 8:+ tips for fellow 20% timers

I am currently very happy with how the production is going. My deadlines have been met and I'm excited as I see the pieces come together and the final picture is forming. I have finished scene 2 which is the part where i describe the characteristics of drivers in the middle lane on the highway. i won't give away too much, but it will be quite relatable.

Some tips for focusing that I've learned the past few weeks is to set a playlist full of songs, which motivates me. I am able to keep working because I have my jam blasting and I'm singing along making work more enjoyable. Also, I've added certain relaxing music that signals for a break from the computer. Instead of being pumped with electronic music for four hours straight, I've added one 5 minute acoustic song where I allow myself to close my eyes and relax before I starting drawing away.

Whatever 20% you're doing, make sure to allow your brain to relax before doing a 5 hour project. Being active or switching topics can help the mind.

Good luck to all :)

check out my cartoon as of this week's updates:

https://www.animatron.com/project/c6e9455604ce7e241b7aea58

Reflection #8 :D

This week, fortunately, in terms of this project has been going along a lot smoother. Since Cyber Monday is coming up, my parents said they might be able to purchase a few items that I've been longing for, including a drawing tablet! That will help me make significant progress in my project.

I still draw at least once a week, I don't have time for it everyday, I've realized that with my schedule that it is unrealistic to have those expectations.

And! My mother found her iPad, so I can take pictures of what I draw and post them online that way. Since this weekend we have off from school for Thanksgiving, I can focus more on Krita this week.

Drizzy out.

Reflection 8

This week I honestly did not get to do much work on my code. I joined a website called Code Academy to learn more about the actual design and aesthetic of my future website. They have a variety of lessons and activities to help teach HTML coding. I did a few of the lessons and they are helpful, but I did not feel the need to include them in my code just yet. I still have a lot to do, so this week I will try to add as much to my code as possible on my days off.

Reflection Week 8

To start off, I would normally discuss what I've changed or improved, but this week I've haven't really had anything to improve. So now I'll go directly to my schedule for this week, and It was quite a weird week. Tuesday and Sunday were Cardio days,Thursday and Monday were strength training days, and compared to what I normally, Saturday was quite different. On Saturday I was at a competition from the morning to about 7:45 at night, so I felt I could count this as a exercise day, simply because f the amount of time and energy I spent at the tournament. So far I feel that my exercise has really helped me in tournaments. At this tournament, I felt that I could endure much more than I could after I came back from summer. That's about all I did for this week, and I feel that my improvements really have been shown in my performances this tournament.

Reflection week #8

         Wow time is really winding down! I have a long way to go with this scrapbook and I am hoping that it will be done in time. One thing that I have really learned from scrapbooking is that it really is a stress reliever; especially for me. In my hectic life, It feels nice to set aside some time and just be creative. It feels nice to express myself freely and it blows my mind how many different things you can put into a book that you really didn't think was possible. This week I just kept trying to tie the techniques that I have learned together. I have sown in some precious memories and my project is coming together very nicely. I really cannot wait to see the final product!

Reflection Week 8

This week, I continued learning colors and also started with some emotions. I am still watching thedailysign's videos, which I still think are very helpful. For colors and emotions, though, I have been using Spreadthesign. Since Spreadthesign is kind of like an online dictionary, it is good for learning specific words. Thedailysign's videos are better for putting those words into context. The website has some phrases but most of them are not that common. Also, it is really helpful for when I am watching the videos and cannot tell what the girl is doing for a certain word or something. I rewatched the numbers tutorial because I was starting to forget it, but once I got back into the pattern everything was fine. I decided I need to spend a little bit more time at home reinforcing what I learn in my time in class. It is very easy to mix things up; signs are very specific and two completely different words could have signs that are almost exactly the same. So I definitely need to dedicate more time to this. Overall, I am proud of my progress from this first marking period.

Reflection 8

I can't believe we're already halfway done with the 20% Time Project. Now that I look back at it, I feel like I've learned nothing so far except a few chords and techniques here and there. I'm starting to feel as if I'm obliged to learn the guitar and not out of my own enjoyment. However since I just started learning the song, I'm sure that It'll be a lot more fun to put what I've learned to good use. I think I'll feel a lot more motivated learning an actual song now. Now I need to actually focus and work hard in learning the song successfully. I've decided on the song Creep by Radiohead, because I really like the song and I feel like it will be a challenging enough song for me. Though it probably doesn't look hard, learning the guitar in this limited amount of time is a lot more difficult than I originally thought. I've started learning the song and getting familiar with the chord transitions, and I hope I will be able to complete it by the end of the next 8 weeks. Wish me luck!

REFLECTION OCHO

This week I did not learn to cook any new foods however, I did practice cooking foods I already knew how to cook. The foods that were practiced are white rice and egg. I cooked without supervision and there were no real conundrums therefore everything went perfectly fine. In addition, I began preparation for next week by researching tips on cooking turkey because Thanksgiving is approaching. Also, my parents left to go to Ghana on for ten days, therefore my mother won't be assisting me next week when I cook turkey. However, my uncle promised to feel the gap by assisting me in her place. Even though, this week was pretty boring because I did not learn any dishes, I am really excited for next week where I will cook turkey.

8th Reflection

Fallout 4 ain't so bad anymore. Still, other things have been getting in the way of life. It seems all my teachers decided to assign big group projects right before thanksgiving! :) And I'm finishing writing supplements for colleges that said they didn't need writing supplements! You see, what they do is hide the mandatory 250-500 word essay under questions, and leave the writing supplement tab blank! Aren't they great? So, a surprising amount of work kinda leaped out at me this weekend, not leaving much time for my side project. If it seems like a reoccurring theme, well...it's because it is. I look forward to at least having Thanksgiving break, unless teachers assign projects over it and slate all their tests to be on the Monday and Tuesday we come back. Whatever, I'll get on this, because I need to. Truthfully, making beats isn't as exciting as I thought it'd be either. Not saying regrets, because I haven't gone far enough for that yet, but...well, it's a bit of a drag.

Reflection 8

I made a lot of progress this week. I finally got a chance to go to AC Moore and buy some new yarn and needles. The yarn I bought was a lot thicker than he one I practiced with at home so I had to purchase some thicker needles. The size of the needles depends on the number indicated on the packaging of the yarn. When I got home I was really excited to start my scarf. I cast on the stitches and began working on it right away using a rib stitch. Since the yarn and needles are a lot thicker and bigger, it was more difficult to work with. It took a couple of rows before I got used to the feel of the needles. Its starting to look so nice and I can't wait until I can finally wear it.

Reflection Week 8

I had another successful week of creating two blog posts out of the week. I decided to write about the attacks in Paris and the controversy behind letting Syrian refugees into America.

I recently comment by a person who I didn't know personally, and it made me feel really good about my writing. They commented on my post about Missouri, and they said that I made valid points and should keep up the good work.

I have recently been told by Mrs. Roy that more people might be viewing my blog since she is going to share it with her friends, and I'm excited that more people will have access to my writing, something I really appreciate to do.

Reflection #8 11/20

Kamryn
Intro to Humanities

20 November 2015

Reflection #8

 My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. I was not as busy this week, but I did not braid as much as I planned on. I did watch videos at home and in school though. I watched "Best Braid Patter For A Sew in Weave," "Basic Sew in Start to Finish," and "Braid pattern for sew in with invisible part." In the last video it brings up the invisible part, which is a weave "closure" and none of the person's real hair is out. In the invisible part, the weave is lined up to appear as the part itself. I also read about weave being a protective style. So, some women do not get weave because they do not think their hair is long enough or nice enough, some get it to protect their already long or nice hair. Others use weave as a way to grow out their hair. For example, my sister got a perm when she was 12 and it broke her hair and it became damaged. Last year, at age 20, she decided to cut her hair, go natural, and grow it out. As a way to protect her hair, she got weaves. With weave, one does not have to continuously put heat on their own hair, but the hair they purchased. On the other hand, if a person does not have a "closure" or "invisible part", they will have to still style their leave out (hair left out of the weave) in order to blend it with the weave. Hair that is not blended looks absolutely horrible!!! That is actually one of my biggest pet peeves!!! I also hate when people's tracks (the track of weave sewed into the hair) show!! Tonight, I am going to do the circle and try and convince my cheer coach to let me install her weave because yesterday she was telling me she bought new hair and needs someone to install it. 

This picture shows an invisible part sew in weave. This picture shows hair that is not blended. This one has her hair tracks showing.

Reflection Week 8

Christian

            This week, I talked to my dad about the idea of getting a camera of my own for Christmas. He was fond of the idea, but added that I can use his camera whenever I please because nobody else in my family uses it often, including him. He works to often and is busy when he is home, so there is not much time for him to use it. I also am in need of a new laptop, as my dad mentioned. He asked me to think if I would get along better with my current laptop and a new camera, or a new laptop and his current camera. I’m just going to have to put some thought into it and decide what is more important. Oh, I also took this picture of my dog, I’m really happy about how it turned out with no editing involved.

Reflection 8

This week my family has gotten multiple home repairs from stores nearby me. I took advantage of this. I would jog and/or run to these stores instead of driving there with my parents. My parents called me crazy because for 1: I ran there instead of driving with my parents; 2: the weather is very very cold out. I actually thought it would help out since we wouldn't have to wait in the store longer since I'll already be there waiting with the groceries/house tools. I believed this will help me out later for spring track and my final project. I watched many videos on youtube and I know I'm not as good as those guys running the mile in 4 minutes....YET. All I have to do is keep it up and one day I'll be on that level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcop8vIazA

Reflection 7

This week's completion of scene one continues my driving adventures. I've obererved that the right most lane drivers have a similar characteristics of being slow and super annoying when merging with new lanes. Of course, over the four hours of driving other characteristics popped up for the middle and left most lane which will be the next installation for next week.

I found a new trick within Animatoon that allows me to draw paths for objects to follow. This will improve the speed for me to animate because before I would move the object frame by frame. The smoother transitions and more coordinated paths will be an excellent addition. However I have to go back to my previous scene to follow the same process, which is a small step back. However I am very excited to learn this new skill.

Reflection #7

     This week for my 20% time I was able to accomplish very little unfortunately. I started to run low on some materials. I did however use what I had left and added on a couple of more details to my scrapbook. I put some actual pieces of meaningful moments in my life on there.  An example of these things would be a small piece of the dress I was wearing when I got baptized at the age of three years old. It really is crazy how much detail and love goes into a scrapbook. Making this scrapbook has made me appreciate these special moments in my life and I am so excited to see what it is going to look like when it is all done. For this upcoming week I am hoping to learn something new and really move forward in my scrapbooking journey.

Week 7

This week I got sidetracked from...well, life, by Fallout 4. It's an incredible game. A lot of my leisure time, when I wasn't with friends or doing school work, was spent playing this video game. As a result, I didn't get a whole lot accomplished towards my goal here...if it's any better, I didn't get much of anything accomplished this week. The game is incredible though. On Sunday, I picked up on the beat I was playing around with last week, adding different effects and the such. Man, I do love me some reverb effects on the bass. Overall, I still have the skeleton, and I started trying to layer upwards yesterday and will continue to do so this week. I don't know if this would be a beat I'd present for a midterm project, but it certainly is...something, a physical thing I created. The quality isn't so bad either. It's not anything head turning, but it's not totally horrible either. I'd like to make a lot more progress this week, but Fallout 4 looms large. We shall see....