Ok ya I know I'm a week late posting the CS interview; but I interviewed Brandon the same day BF he came to class.. but ya know those techies are hard to track down and then deciper what the alphabet soup they are trying to tell ya :>).
I know many, talk to many, w/o giving personal information; the bottom line is you need to be organized person to0 be successful >>> Non alcoholic programmer>>> or to be involved in any form of computer management. Think file folders...file folders... name folders...name folders >>>save and resave.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
interactive digital communication: I interviewed a student here at UNI, his name is T...
interactive digital communication: I interviewed a student here at UNI, his name is T...: "I interviewed a student here at UNI, his name is Tim, I thought it was interesting on some of the thing he had to say. What are you learnin..."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I interviewed a student here at UNI, his name is Tim, I thought it was interesting on some of the thing he had to say.
What are you learning? Well I'm just finally starting to get the classes that are more hands on and actually learning about hardware and software, last semester I had to learn a lot what computer programming is and how it helps people in their everyday lives.
How do you view Creativity? Creativity is being able to view something from your own perspective and no one elses; in a way creativity is like your individuality.
To what extent is programming a skill? Well I view it as any other skill, some people are better at it than others, it all just takes practice just like everything else in life.
What classes are you taking? Programming languages, Programming 101/102, Computer Engineering 210
What programming languages do you know? CSS, Java, HTML, etc
What do you want to do when you graduate? Web design and graphic design, at least I think, mind is subject to change before then.
Are you working on any projects right now? Actually I am not right now, just been busy keeping up with all the classes, it is a very tough major. That and work.
How do you feel collaborating on projects? I like it, not very often do you find a slacker in the computer science programming major, so it's perfectly fine working with someone else who has a whole head of other ideas.
What are you learning? Well I'm just finally starting to get the classes that are more hands on and actually learning about hardware and software, last semester I had to learn a lot what computer programming is and how it helps people in their everyday lives.
How do you view Creativity? Creativity is being able to view something from your own perspective and no one elses; in a way creativity is like your individuality.
To what extent is programming a skill? Well I view it as any other skill, some people are better at it than others, it all just takes practice just like everything else in life.
What classes are you taking? Programming languages, Programming 101/102, Computer Engineering 210
What programming languages do you know? CSS, Java, HTML, etc
What do you want to do when you graduate? Web design and graphic design, at least I think, mind is subject to change before then.
Are you working on any projects right now? Actually I am not right now, just been busy keeping up with all the classes, it is a very tough major. That and work.
How do you feel collaborating on projects? I like it, not very often do you find a slacker in the computer science programming major, so it's perfectly fine working with someone else who has a whole head of other ideas.
I didnt know any UNI students that were computer science majors so I actually interviewed my dad.
My dad works in Cedar Rapids and has always had a love for computers. He is very savvy when it comes to the language of computer technology and makes sure that his office has the most up to date Creative Suite software so that they are able to compete with other businesses in the area.
The hardest thing about learning the program back when he was studying to do this as a job was coding. It was hard for him to remember certain things about what fonts to use...where to use them...but he always tells the people that work for him that the style sheet is the most important thing to use. He said that he didnt know for the longest time about it and was trying to either remember or was writing things down he thought was important and now is very reliant on the style sheet.
HTML, Java, and Javascript, and CSS are important in his work.
about collaborating programs with others: my dad said that he encourages working with other people as well as with yourself. "You will keep learning throughout life...how do you think you do that? By hearing what other people have come up with and taking those skills and applied them to your own projects." he also stated that working by yourself you really get a feel for your own skills and talents when programming and working with computers.
-Kelsey R
My dad works in Cedar Rapids and has always had a love for computers. He is very savvy when it comes to the language of computer technology and makes sure that his office has the most up to date Creative Suite software so that they are able to compete with other businesses in the area.
The hardest thing about learning the program back when he was studying to do this as a job was coding. It was hard for him to remember certain things about what fonts to use...where to use them...but he always tells the people that work for him that the style sheet is the most important thing to use. He said that he didnt know for the longest time about it and was trying to either remember or was writing things down he thought was important and now is very reliant on the style sheet.
HTML, Java, and Javascript, and CSS are important in his work.
about collaborating programs with others: my dad said that he encourages working with other people as well as with yourself. "You will keep learning throughout life...how do you think you do that? By hearing what other people have come up with and taking those skills and applied them to your own projects." he also stated that working by yourself you really get a feel for your own skills and talents when programming and working with computers.
-Kelsey R
I interviewed my friends roommate, Andrew
What are you learning?- I am currently learning Cobol
How do you think view creativity?- Creativity is important especially for programming because you have to envision the results of coding.
To what extent do they think programming is a essential skill?- It is an essential skill for myself however it's not for the average person. Some concepts of programming can be carried over to other subjects but programming is unique.
What classes are you taking? - Bioinformatics, data systems
What programming languages do you know? HTML, C#, Java
What sort of projects are you working on? None right now
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? It's important to be able to work well with groups in programming however I don't prefer it.
What are you learning?- I am currently learning Cobol
How do you think view creativity?- Creativity is important especially for programming because you have to envision the results of coding.
To what extent do they think programming is a essential skill?- It is an essential skill for myself however it's not for the average person. Some concepts of programming can be carried over to other subjects but programming is unique.
What classes are you taking? - Bioinformatics, data systems
What programming languages do you know? HTML, C#, Java
What sort of projects are you working on? None right now
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? It's important to be able to work well with groups in programming however I don't prefer it.
Interview
I interviewed a friend of a friend, her name was Allison, she is studying here at UNI. Here is how she responded to the questions:
What are you learning? Programming languages, How computers have their own language to understand what we are asking them to do.
How do you think? You must be very open minded and good at trouble shooting, more times than not there is more than one way to fix a problem.
How do you view creativity? Creativity to me is when a person can step back from a problem or project and look at all angles of solution. This is how new strategies are developed.
What classes are you taking? Computer Architecture, Motion Graphics, and some art classes that were mandatory.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? It just depends what you want to do for the rest of your career. I'm not sure what exactly I want to do with this major but I"m sure the skills I am learning will be very essential.
What programming languages do you know? C++, HTML, Java, Javascript, and I think that is all right now.
What do you want to do when you graduate? Like I said before I am not rally sure but I do love working with computers, I love programming. I am definitely in the right major.
What sort of Projects are you working on? Fun stuff like developing websites for friends. I am currently trying to fill the opening at KULT Radio as the Webmaster.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? I usually like to work to myself that's just how I am, but having more than one head is always a plus. You get to see things from a different perspective which can in turn brighten you imagination.
What are you learning? Programming languages, How computers have their own language to understand what we are asking them to do.
How do you think? You must be very open minded and good at trouble shooting, more times than not there is more than one way to fix a problem.
How do you view creativity? Creativity to me is when a person can step back from a problem or project and look at all angles of solution. This is how new strategies are developed.
What classes are you taking? Computer Architecture, Motion Graphics, and some art classes that were mandatory.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? It just depends what you want to do for the rest of your career. I'm not sure what exactly I want to do with this major but I"m sure the skills I am learning will be very essential.
What programming languages do you know? C++, HTML, Java, Javascript, and I think that is all right now.
What do you want to do when you graduate? Like I said before I am not rally sure but I do love working with computers, I love programming. I am definitely in the right major.
What sort of Projects are you working on? Fun stuff like developing websites for friends. I am currently trying to fill the opening at KULT Radio as the Webmaster.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? I usually like to work to myself that's just how I am, but having more than one head is always a plus. You get to see things from a different perspective which can in turn brighten you imagination.
Blog 6
I interviewed Michael, a friend and Computer Science major who graduated a couple years ago. He attended both UNI and ISU, and in the interview, he briefly discussed the differences between studying Computer Science at each university.
*Unlike almost all Universities, Iowa State includes Computer Science as part of the College of Liberal Arts instead of the College of Engineering. Therefore, more liberal arts classes are required for Com Sci undergrads than at other colleges. ISU feels this makes the programmers better communicators and expands their world view.
- What did you learn as a Computer Science major?
- How do you view creativity now?
- To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
- What classes did you take?
*Unlike almost all Universities, Iowa State includes Computer Science as part of the College of Liberal Arts instead of the College of Engineering. Therefore, more liberal arts classes are required for Com Sci undergrads than at other colleges. ISU feels this makes the programmers better communicators and expands their world view.
- Which programming languages do you know?
- What are you doing now?
- How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
Blog 6
I interviewed my very good friend George Tasseff who is a senior this year. This guy has fixed my computer many many times!
What are you learning? The hardware and software sides of computers. How computer hardware works and how software interacts with it. How to create software. Software testing. Engineering quality software.
How do you think? I think my thought process is more analytical or logical which isn't always a good thing.
How do you view creativity? Creativity is a staple of human existence. Creativity is very important.
To what extent do they think programming is a essential skill? I do not think that programming is an essential skill. It is a very useful skill.
What classes have you taken? This semester - Software Engineering, Intermediate Computing, Database Systems, and Intro to Circuits.
Known programming languages? ADA, C++, and in the process learning java and ruby on rails.
What do you want to do when you graduate? Create the next facebook (user-wise), except have it be more useful.
What projects are you working on? In software engineering, our group is creating a program that will automatically login to an e-mail account receiving, parse through the messages, download attachments, and compile the data into a pretty redistributable e-mail.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? More of an essential skill with programming. This brings the creativity aspect into the group as well (different viewpoints).
What are you learning? The hardware and software sides of computers. How computer hardware works and how software interacts with it. How to create software. Software testing. Engineering quality software.
How do you think? I think my thought process is more analytical or logical which isn't always a good thing.
How do you view creativity? Creativity is a staple of human existence. Creativity is very important.
To what extent do they think programming is a essential skill? I do not think that programming is an essential skill. It is a very useful skill.
What classes have you taken? This semester - Software Engineering, Intermediate Computing, Database Systems, and Intro to Circuits.
Known programming languages? ADA, C++, and in the process learning java and ruby on rails.
What do you want to do when you graduate? Create the next facebook (user-wise), except have it be more useful.
What projects are you working on? In software engineering, our group is creating a program that will automatically login to an e-mail account receiving, parse through the messages, download attachments, and compile the data into a pretty redistributable e-mail.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? More of an essential skill with programming. This brings the creativity aspect into the group as well (different viewpoints).
I interviewed my friend, Kyle, who is studying graphic design.
What are they learning; how do they think; how do they view creativity?
-Learning different aspects of Adobe, most of what he learned was in CS4, In the beginning of the program, most of the focus is on art foundations and everyone has to take foundations courses before they can take design courses.
To what extent do they think programming is an essential skill?
-Definitely essential to what he wants to get into, which is web design. Maybe it's not so important for people who don't plan on getting into web.
What classes are they taking?
-Everyone starts out taking the same things, and you go from there. Since there's no "graphic design" major, you have to major in art studio and have it as an emphasis, so it's still a lot of art classes, but you have to take so many graphic design classes (21 hours) to have it as an emphasis. Currently taking motion graphics.
What programming languages do they know?
-Not many. Basically have just worked with Dreamweaver and the Adobe Bridge.
What do they want to do when they graduate?
-Graphic design and web design since there isn't much of a market anymore for graphic designers who don't know the web side, and web design is a growing career field.
-What sort of projects are they working on?
-Currently working on a motion graphics and animation project about sustainability for a motion graphics class.
How do they feel about collaborating on projects with others?
-It's good to learn how to work well with other people, but it's important to never lose your own sense of creativity and what you want out of a project.
What are they learning; how do they think; how do they view creativity?
-Learning different aspects of Adobe, most of what he learned was in CS4, In the beginning of the program, most of the focus is on art foundations and everyone has to take foundations courses before they can take design courses.
To what extent do they think programming is an essential skill?
-Definitely essential to what he wants to get into, which is web design. Maybe it's not so important for people who don't plan on getting into web.
What classes are they taking?
-Everyone starts out taking the same things, and you go from there. Since there's no "graphic design" major, you have to major in art studio and have it as an emphasis, so it's still a lot of art classes, but you have to take so many graphic design classes (21 hours) to have it as an emphasis. Currently taking motion graphics.
What programming languages do they know?
-Not many. Basically have just worked with Dreamweaver and the Adobe Bridge.
What do they want to do when they graduate?
-Graphic design and web design since there isn't much of a market anymore for graphic designers who don't know the web side, and web design is a growing career field.
-What sort of projects are they working on?
-Currently working on a motion graphics and animation project about sustainability for a motion graphics class.
How do they feel about collaborating on projects with others?
-It's good to learn how to work well with other people, but it's important to never lose your own sense of creativity and what you want out of a project.
Blog 6
What am I learning: Right now I am learning Object Oriented Languages. I am also learning how computers talk or send data to each other.
I think: I think I always have to be prepared for class when I am learning something new.
How do I view creativity: When I am programming or facing new challenges I need to think of all possibilities. I think this is a type of creativity. Not only do I need to solve problems but being able to solve problems in the most efficient way.
To what extent do I think programming is an essential skill of life:
Well as a programmer I feel is it very necessary to know how to program. Getting a BS in computer science, a person should know how to program leaving the program. Programming will be used in every aspect of their carrier.
Programming in High School: Everyone has their own taste and idea of who they want to be when they grow up. I would say programming should not be required because not everyone is meant to be a computer scientist. I would argue that high schools, at least where I came from, should offer more insight to programming. Coming to UNI and wanting to be a computer scientist was a difficult transition because I did not have the experience other students had. Ryan (Dupuy)
For all who would like to see what CS majors can take, follow this link.
http://www.cs.uni.edu/courses.php
Discoveries: Same with my interviewee, I see that many think programming is not yet a essential part of curriculum in schools. I would have thought, many of these interviews would have agreed or have said that programming should be a essential skill that should be learned.
I also see that some people may see coding and programming hard, confusing and boring but CS majors view it as a moment of creativity or an opportunity of creativity.
Looking at the picture above, CS has many routes to take and shows the complexity of how in depth CS and computers have come.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Jess Blog 6
I interviewed a sophomore, computer science major named Matt.
what are they learning; Right now he is working on becoming more familiar with Drupple. He works on various university websites, and since they are changing to Drupple he is trying to stay up to date on it.
how do they view creativity? When asked how he viewed creativity he talked about trying to improve something that is already out there, or creating something that doesn’t exist. He said that it is important for him to try and stay familiar with the newest programs as well as what other people in the industry are going. In an industry that is constantly changing and advancing he looks at creativity as striving to do what hasn’t already been done.
To what extent do they think programming is an essential skill? Matt thinks that programming is becoming more and more essential to know as we enter into the professional world. Just about every company/ organization uses websites and other online media. Because of this, knowing how to run those programs is more important than ever.
What programming languages do they know? Java, C++, JavaScript, HTML, HTXML, and CSS.
What do they want to do when they graduate? Matt isn’t entirely sure what he would specifically like to do after his graduates. He knows that he enjoys programming, but he isn’t clear on what kind of a company he would like to work for yet.
What sort of projects are they working on? Outisde of class Matt works on a couple different websites for groups on campus. He is the webmaster for CAB and Financial Aid.
How do they feel about collaborating on projects with others? In general, Matt doesn’t mind collaborating with people. He is pretty good at working with other people, however sometimes it is just easier to work by himself.Blog 6
I asked Nick Cash, a computer science major here at UNI, the questions for this blog post. His answers are as follows:
1) How do you think?
I tend to be very analytical at every step of a problem or project. I also prefer to only move ahead when I get a good grasp of the big picture. This can take a while, so it also generally means I end up thinking constantly. I often have trouble turning my brain off. I find this is actually true of most problem solvers, even if they aren't aware of it. A good deal of planning and analysis happens in places you wouldn't expect, like in the shower, driving, or walking around on campus. Thus, thinking (and working) is not confined to you being in your office or in class -- it happens everywhere, all the time.
2) How do you view creativity?
I would define creativity as the ability to go from nothing to something. Sometimes this is finding an elegant solution to a problem, and sometimes it means creating something that doesn't exist. If you're a creative programmer, a blank screen tends to look like an infinite number of possibilities. I think creativity is an important part of almost every profession, and is certainly required for being a good software engineer.
3) To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
I think a basic understanding of programming can help everyone. There is not one person I know that hasn't complained about some tedious task on the computer, and with some basic knowledge you can make a simple program to do it for you.
Also, this day in age, it is extremely helpful to understand the basics of the web. Chances are some day you'll end up editing your company's web site, start your own blog, or otherwise want to format something for the web. It will be a lot cheaper and faster to learn the basics than to outsource every web problem that comes across your desk.
4) What classes are you taking?
I've taken most of the CS curriculum, so I'm mostly taking some economics and gen ed courses at the moment. I am taking our Entrepreneurship course as part of the certificate program, and it has turned out to be quite interesting.
5) What programming languages do you know?
I started learning C/C++ when I was 14, so I would say I know them the best. I've also done professional work with PHP, Perl, and Javascript. I like to play around with Ruby and Lua when I have the time. I've done some work with Python, Bash, Java, and Scheme, but I would not claim to know them well.
I would say that markup languages don't really count as "programming" languages, but they inevitably get included. So I guess I should also throw HTML, XML, and XSLT on the list.
6) What do you want to do when you graduate?
I've tasted various jobs that a software engineer could have, and I've enjoyed all of them. One summer I worked on flight control software at Lockheed Martin (which ranks number 44 on the Fortune 500). I've worked as a freelance programmer over the years, and I did an internship at a local firm with embedded software. Recently I've been working on launching my own company, and I think it is the most fun I've ever had. When I graduate I'm sure I'll keep working as an entrepreneur.
7) What sort of projects are you working on?
I spend almost all of my time working on Book Hatchery (http://www.bookhatchery.com). Book Hatchery is a platform of software tools designed to help authors publish t
heir works digitally in the form of eBooks. However, there are a lot of time sinks involved with launching a business, so I don't spend as much time on the software as I would like.
When I'm not working on Book Hatchery, I often work on enhancing my custom 2D game engine or work on making various online games. I've also maintained a blog for many years (http://www.nick-cash.com), though I don't usually have the time to update it frequently.
8) How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
Collaboration is critical for bigger projects because software is much easier to produce if you have a team working on it. That said, your team needs to know how to communicate well and what each person's responsibilities are. Collaboration really sucks if you don't have the right team.
For medium and small sized projects, collaboration is a lot less important since you may not have co-developers. A single developer can make a lot of progress very quickly on these types of projects, and much of the time they will probably enjoy it more. However, the end result may very well have issues related to the programmer's choices and that could have been avoided if they had collaborated.
I thought Nick had some great insight and it was cool to see his first-hand experience using his knowledge of programming, software, and business. It seems like he is already having success and I think it comes from his mindset. In the first two questions he talked about how he is very analytical and his mind is almost always running, and also how he believes a blank screen can mean an infinite number of possibilities. This definitely takes a certain type of thinking. I know that when I look at a blank screen I just see what there is, not what there could be. Nick seems to be open to figuring out new things and has already done so.
I also thought it was interesting to see the contrast in Nick’s view of thinking some knowledge of programming is helpful to everyone, versus the previous answers in other’s blog posts that basically said this was only essential to those in technical fields. I think it would be helpful to know some programming, especially if it made tasks easier, like Nick said. In class we discussed how not enough attention is given to computer courses in high school, but I think it should be emphasized more. I think Nick was on the same track as Cassie in saying that we all need to be able to use the technologies that are being developed in order to keep up.
1) How do you think?
I tend to be very analytical at every step of a problem or project. I also prefer to only move ahead when I get a good grasp of the big picture. This can take a while, so it also generally means I end up thinking constantly. I often have trouble turning my brain off. I find this is actually true of most problem solvers, even if they aren't aware of it. A good deal of planning and analysis happens in places you wouldn't expect, like in the shower, driving, or walking around on campus. Thus, thinking (and working) is not confined to you being in your office or in class -- it happens everywhere, all the time.
2) How do you view creativity?
I would define creativity as the ability to go from nothing to something. Sometimes this is finding an elegant solution to a problem, and sometimes it means creating something that doesn't exist. If you're a creative programmer, a blank screen tends to look like an infinite number of possibilities. I think creativity is an important part of almost every profession, and is certainly required for being a good software engineer.
3) To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
I think a basic understanding of programming can help everyone. There is not one person I know that hasn't complained about some tedious task on the computer, and with some basic knowledge you can make a simple program to do it for you.
Also, this day in age, it is extremely helpful to understand the basics of the web. Chances are some day you'll end up editing your company's web site, start your own blog, or otherwise want to format something for the web. It will be a lot cheaper and faster to learn the basics than to outsource every web problem that comes across your desk.
4) What classes are you taking?
I've taken most of the CS curriculum, so I'm mostly taking some economics and gen ed courses at the moment. I am taking our Entrepreneurship course as part of the certificate program, and it has turned out to be quite interesting.
5) What programming languages do you know?
I started learning C/C++ when I was 14, so I would say I know them the best. I've also done professional work with PHP, Perl, and Javascript. I like to play around with Ruby and Lua when I have the time. I've done some work with Python, Bash, Java, and Scheme, but I would not claim to know them well.
I would say that markup languages don't really count as "programming" languages, but they inevitably get included. So I guess I should also throw HTML, XML, and XSLT on the list.
6) What do you want to do when you graduate?
I've tasted various jobs that a software engineer could have, and I've enjoyed all of them. One summer I worked on flight control software at Lockheed Martin (which ranks number 44 on the Fortune 500). I've worked as a freelance programmer over the years, and I did an internship at a local firm with embedded software. Recently I've been working on launching my own company, and I think it is the most fun I've ever had. When I graduate I'm sure I'll keep working as an entrepreneur.
7) What sort of projects are you working on?
I spend almost all of my time working on Book Hatchery (http://www.bookhatchery.com). Book Hatchery is a platform of software tools designed to help authors publish t
heir works digitally in the form of eBooks. However, there are a lot of time sinks involved with launching a business, so I don't spend as much time on the software as I would like.When I'm not working on Book Hatchery, I often work on enhancing my custom 2D game engine or work on making various online games. I've also maintained a blog for many years (http://www.nick-cash.com), though I don't usually have the time to update it frequently.
8) How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
Collaboration is critical for bigger projects because software is much easier to produce if you have a team working on it. That said, your team needs to know how to communicate well and what each person's responsibilities are. Collaboration really sucks if you don't have the right team.
For medium and small sized projects, collaboration is a lot less important since you may not have co-developers. A single developer can make a lot of progress very quickly on these types of projects, and much of the time they will probably enjoy it more. However, the end result may very well have issues related to the programmer's choices and that could have been avoided if they had collaborated.
I thought Nick had some great insight and it was cool to see his first-hand experience using his knowledge of programming, software, and business. It seems like he is already having success and I think it comes from his mindset. In the first two questions he talked about how he is very analytical and his mind is almost always running, and also how he believes a blank screen can mean an infinite number of possibilities. This definitely takes a certain type of thinking. I know that when I look at a blank screen I just see what there is, not what there could be. Nick seems to be open to figuring out new things and has already done so.
I also thought it was interesting to see the contrast in Nick’s view of thinking some knowledge of programming is helpful to everyone, versus the previous answers in other’s blog posts that basically said this was only essential to those in technical fields. I think it would be helpful to know some programming, especially if it made tasks easier, like Nick said. In class we discussed how not enough attention is given to computer courses in high school, but I think it should be emphasized more. I think Nick was on the same track as Cassie in saying that we all need to be able to use the technologies that are being developed in order to keep up.
Blog 6
I interviewed Nikola Todorovic at the UNI as a Graphic Design student. Here's what he had to say:
what are they learning at UNI?
"Currently studying a double major – French Business and Graphic Technologies. Currently I am learning different ways to incorporate creativeness with a problem solving mentality."
how do you think/how do you view creativity?
"Creativity is a process, one that can be learned to some level; however the most creative people come up with concepts on their own. Everyone has a creative process and a work flow process however creativity comes from within. The same with athletic ability, you can teach someone to run 2 miles under a certain time, and some people don’t need to be taught because they’re good at running."
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
"Programming is important because it provides a foundation for website development. However, technology will soon eliminate most need for advanced coding knowledge and it will just be required to be basic knowledge in how to fix some things."
What classes are you taking?
"Graphic Design II, Technical Visualization, Website development, Graphic Technologies Foundation, Pre-press. "
What programming languages do you know?
"HMLT, CSS (C++)"
What do you want to do when they graduate?
"Photographer and graphic designer. Photographer for D&G and graphic design for a firm in California or internationally. "
What sort of projects are you working on?
"Websites, utilizing flash and dreamweaver, other creative side projects. Typography projects for Graphic Design II, in which a set text is repeated within 25 slides adding in difficulty as the slide number goes up. "
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
"It depends what kind of project it is, and who the collaboration is with. There has to be a fundamental understand of not only software, but of technical and creative skill. If you were to ask me to do a collaboration with one of my graphic designer friends, I would say yes, however it also depends on what the outcome of the collaboration is supposed to be. If it’s for a grade, then yes as long as the person I’d be working with is experienced enough to complete the project and to complete it well. I think this question is better answered on a case-by-case basis. "
-Nikola Todorovic
Nikola is someone who I find very helpful and informative in his department. He is passionate about his work and he enjoys being active with his experience in the graphic design world. I found his responses to come fairly easy for him so you can tell he has a comfortable realization of what his thought process is as a graphic designer. It also reflects well in his answers he's provided.
In comparison to my thoughts I would say there are slight differences in who we are as individuals but some of our thought processes are the same when it comes to this topic. He says it best when he talked about finding creativity at different levels and within each individual. -TM
what are they learning at UNI?
"Currently studying a double major – French Business and Graphic Technologies. Currently I am learning different ways to incorporate creativeness with a problem solving mentality."
how do you think/how do you view creativity?
"Creativity is a process, one that can be learned to some level; however the most creative people come up with concepts on their own. Everyone has a creative process and a work flow process however creativity comes from within. The same with athletic ability, you can teach someone to run 2 miles under a certain time, and some people don’t need to be taught because they’re good at running."
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
"Programming is important because it provides a foundation for website development. However, technology will soon eliminate most need for advanced coding knowledge and it will just be required to be basic knowledge in how to fix some things."
What classes are you taking?
"Graphic Design II, Technical Visualization, Website development, Graphic Technologies Foundation, Pre-press. "
What programming languages do you know?
"HMLT, CSS (C++)"
What do you want to do when they graduate?
"Photographer and graphic designer. Photographer for D&G and graphic design for a firm in California or internationally. "
What sort of projects are you working on?
"Websites, utilizing flash and dreamweaver, other creative side projects. Typography projects for Graphic Design II, in which a set text is repeated within 25 slides adding in difficulty as the slide number goes up. "
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
"It depends what kind of project it is, and who the collaboration is with. There has to be a fundamental understand of not only software, but of technical and creative skill. If you were to ask me to do a collaboration with one of my graphic designer friends, I would say yes, however it also depends on what the outcome of the collaboration is supposed to be. If it’s for a grade, then yes as long as the person I’d be working with is experienced enough to complete the project and to complete it well. I think this question is better answered on a case-by-case basis. "
-Nikola Todorovic
Nikola is someone who I find very helpful and informative in his department. He is passionate about his work and he enjoys being active with his experience in the graphic design world. I found his responses to come fairly easy for him so you can tell he has a comfortable realization of what his thought process is as a graphic designer. It also reflects well in his answers he's provided.
In comparison to my thoughts I would say there are slight differences in who we are as individuals but some of our thought processes are the same when it comes to this topic. He says it best when he talked about finding creativity at different levels and within each individual. -TM
Blog 6
I wasn't able to find a student from UNI with a Computer Science major, but I was able to interview Dallas Petersen, a high school friend, that currently goes to Iowa.
What are you learning?-How to develop datebases, lots of coding/programing, and how Internet servers have developed over the past few decades.
How do you think/ view creativity?-Logically. It is necessary to become successful.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? -Well everything is web-based these days so it is important to have a database developer in every company. If you want to stay up to date with technology it is necessary.
What classes are you taking? -Systems Analysis and Design, Computer Science 1, Visual Basic, Database 1, Finance, Marketing.
What programming languages do you know? -HTML, C#, Python, and Visual Basic.
What do you want to do when you graduate? -Become a business analyst.
What sort of projects are you working on? -Developing my own websites, databases, and writing scripts from code.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? -Multiple minds get things accomplished a lot faster. You can always spice up anything with more than one person's creativity.
Transferring less than a year ago and not exactly knowing a lot of people, it was difficult to find someone attending UNI with a Computer Science major. Luckily I thought of Dallas and I'm glad he was able to give me his time.
Since I wasn't able to hear his answers directly from him, nor visually experience the type of coursework he encounters, it was hard for me to understand the depth and meaning of some of the answers. As discussed in previous classes, we often look over Computer Science students and their significance, when in reality, our society is built upon these programmers. As Dallas stated, it is important for them to stay up to date with technology; it's key to their area of study/possible profession.
What are you learning?-How to develop datebases, lots of coding/programing, and how Internet servers have developed over the past few decades.
How do you think/ view creativity?-Logically. It is necessary to become successful.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? -Well everything is web-based these days so it is important to have a database developer in every company. If you want to stay up to date with technology it is necessary.
What classes are you taking? -Systems Analysis and Design, Computer Science 1, Visual Basic, Database 1, Finance, Marketing.
What programming languages do you know? -HTML, C#, Python, and Visual Basic.
What do you want to do when you graduate? -Become a business analyst.
What sort of projects are you working on? -Developing my own websites, databases, and writing scripts from code.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? -Multiple minds get things accomplished a lot faster. You can always spice up anything with more than one person's creativity.
Transferring less than a year ago and not exactly knowing a lot of people, it was difficult to find someone attending UNI with a Computer Science major. Luckily I thought of Dallas and I'm glad he was able to give me his time.
Since I wasn't able to hear his answers directly from him, nor visually experience the type of coursework he encounters, it was hard for me to understand the depth and meaning of some of the answers. As discussed in previous classes, we often look over Computer Science students and their significance, when in reality, our society is built upon these programmers. As Dallas stated, it is important for them to stay up to date with technology; it's key to their area of study/possible profession.
Blog 6
I talked with a student named Leah, who is currently working toward her Master's degree in Computer Science. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
What are you currently learning? Right now, I'm learning about logic circuits.
How do you think? I prefer to take one step at a time and to not look too far ahead. With programming, it's so important to do things right and in the right order, otherwise it's easy to mess things up.
How do you view creativity? Creativity is important in this field because it is growing so rapidly. However, now at the level of the class the basics principles are important and those can't really be compromised by creativity.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? I don't think programming is essential to daily life, but I enjoy it. It's good to know how it works, and if you're going to do anything related to technology, it would be wise to have a basic understanding of programing.
What classes are you currently taking? I'm taking a few classes, but one of my favorite ones right now is structured computer organization.
What programming languages do you know? I'm most familiar and comfortable with C, but I do know Java and JavaScript and others that are most predominant in computer programming today.
What do you want to do when you graduate? I don't have a specific company I would like to work for or a particular city or state that I would like to live in, but I would like to work with embedded structures once I get my Master's degree.
What sort of projects are you working on, if any? I don't have any projects going on right now.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? It is essential but not always easy. Everybody has a different idea about how things should be done, and of course more people are more difficult than others, so when you work with those people, it can get quite frustrating.
What are you currently learning? Right now, I'm learning about logic circuits.
How do you think? I prefer to take one step at a time and to not look too far ahead. With programming, it's so important to do things right and in the right order, otherwise it's easy to mess things up.
How do you view creativity? Creativity is important in this field because it is growing so rapidly. However, now at the level of the class the basics principles are important and those can't really be compromised by creativity.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill? I don't think programming is essential to daily life, but I enjoy it. It's good to know how it works, and if you're going to do anything related to technology, it would be wise to have a basic understanding of programing.
What classes are you currently taking? I'm taking a few classes, but one of my favorite ones right now is structured computer organization.
What programming languages do you know? I'm most familiar and comfortable with C, but I do know Java and JavaScript and others that are most predominant in computer programming today.
What do you want to do when you graduate? I don't have a specific company I would like to work for or a particular city or state that I would like to live in, but I would like to work with embedded structures once I get my Master's degree.
What sort of projects are you working on, if any? I don't have any projects going on right now.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others? It is essential but not always easy. Everybody has a different idea about how things should be done, and of course more people are more difficult than others, so when you work with those people, it can get quite frustrating.
Blog 6
I interviewed Dylan Freking and here is his response:
What are you learning?
I am learning about how computers accomplish the tasks we ask them to do. Whether it is running a program or communicating with another system on a network, there is much more going on than meets the eye.
How do you think?
I take things one step at a time. Problems do not need to be solved all at once; they can be broken up into pieces that, when the solutions are all combined, will lead you to the final answer.
How do you view creativity?
I see creativity as a necessity in any problem solving situation. Real life problems, unlike the ones we often see in school, typically don't have one set solution. Specifically in the Computer Science field, creativity is essential for finding a balance between the efficiency and ease of use of a program.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
I think that anyone who does a lot of work with software should have some kind of understanding of programming. We don't all need to be able to write the next Microsoft Word, but the only way to truly understand what a computer is doing is to understand how it is doing it.
What are you learning?
I am learning about how computers accomplish the tasks we ask them to do. Whether it is running a program or communicating with another system on a network, there is much more going on than meets the eye.
How do you think?
I take things one step at a time. Problems do not need to be solved all at once; they can be broken up into pieces that, when the solutions are all combined, will lead you to the final answer.
How do you view creativity?
I see creativity as a necessity in any problem solving situation. Real life problems, unlike the ones we often see in school, typically don't have one set solution. Specifically in the Computer Science field, creativity is essential for finding a balance between the efficiency and ease of use of a program.
To what extent do you think programming is an essential skill?
I think that anyone who does a lot of work with software should have some kind of understanding of programming. We don't all need to be able to write the next Microsoft Word, but the only way to truly understand what a computer is doing is to understand how it is doing it.
What classes are you taking?
Networking and Translation of Programming Languages
What programming languages do you know?
Java, Ada, Scheme, SQL
What do you want to do when you graduate?
My dream job would be to work on a video game. That or get a job with Google... Either or.
What sort of projects are you working on?
I am currently working on a semester-long project in Translation of Programming Languages. We are writing a Compiler, which basically takes a program written in one programming language and translates it into the exact same code in a different programming language.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
I personally don't care for working in groups, but I understand the necessity of it - especially in the Computer Science field. There is much more to writing a program than sitting down at a computer and writing code, and real world projects are made up of so many lines of code that it isn't even possible for one person to do that alone.
Networking and Translation of Programming Languages
What programming languages do you know?
Java, Ada, Scheme, SQL
What do you want to do when you graduate?
My dream job would be to work on a video game. That or get a job with Google... Either or.
What sort of projects are you working on?
I am currently working on a semester-long project in Translation of Programming Languages. We are writing a Compiler, which basically takes a program written in one programming language and translates it into the exact same code in a different programming language.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
I personally don't care for working in groups, but I understand the necessity of it - especially in the Computer Science field. There is much more to writing a program than sitting down at a computer and writing code, and real world projects are made up of so many lines of code that it isn't even possible for one person to do that alone.
As stated previously, We are in a time were you can't say 'I'm technologically challenged.' One of my best friend uses this all the time and it scares me to think that she is becoming a teacher. She needs to be in the know because she is teaching the next generation and needs to be able to keep up with them.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Blog 6
I interviewed Zach Abbott, a UNI senior computer science major with a bioinformatics minor. Here is what he told me:
What are you learning?
We are learning not only how to program, but also what goes into programming. We learn how programming languages are made through math and computer science.
How do you view creativity?
I think it’s a really good thing in programming, especially when creating things. The more creative a person is the better program they can make. I think creativity is an essential skill, because not everything you do is in a book. You need to be creative to make algorithms. For example, if you go on to get your Ph.D.; you will have to develop your own algorithms.
To what extent to you think programming is an essential skill?
It’s not an essential skill for everyone, but if you are working in a technical field, you should have at least a little knowledge. For example, industrial technology students should know at least some code with what they are doing. But I don’t think everyone in the population needs to know it – you only really need to know it if you are doing programming.
What classes are you taking?
Artificial Intelligent, Intermediate Computing, Bioinformatics, and Computer Architecture
What programming languages do you know?
I know Java, C++, and Ruby really well. I also know HTML, HXTML, and CSS.
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I will be going to UNI for graduate studies in computer science. I hope to get my Ph.D. and become a professor. I really like computer science so I want to go deeper into the field and I want to help people understand. I don’t think a bachelor’s degree will prepare me for what I really want to do, which is research. I want to do research on artificial intelligence.
What projects are you working on?
I am working on an agent that plays tic tac toe. It’s really neat because I created it so that you can play either X or 0. It’s more strategic than regular tic tac toe. I used Java to create it.
For work, I am working on an agent that actually takes excel spreadsheets and cuts them up into a form of HTML, and then it is dispersed to everyone at work. I also created this in Java.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
I actually really enjoy working on projects with other people. I did a project where two people program. During this project, one person will watch and one person will program. The other person can watch you and see if you make mistakes. I really like it because you get another person’s input on how to do something better.
I thought what Zach had to say was really interesting. After listening to him, I realized that computer science must be a REALLY hard major! Taking classes like "Artificial Intelligence" and "Bioinformatics" cannot be easy. Like Professor Fabos said in class, computer science majors are a certain breed of people. They must be a very intelligent breed! I also found the projects he was working on fascinating. I would have no idea how to work on the projects he is creating. How do you just "make" a tic tac toe game? I guess I never really thought about how much goes into creating the little things we use on our computers. A lot of programming goes into making our day-to-day luxuries (good thing we have computer science people to create them!) I also thought it was interesting when he talked about the programs he knows. I was so proud that I actually knew what HTML, HXTML, and CSS were. However, I felt stupid when I had to ask him multiple times how to spell C++ and Ruby. I had no idea what those were.
I was glad to see that he thinks creativity and working with others on projects is essential. I thought he would hate working on projects with others. I agree with him, I think you need to have creativity no matter what business you are going into. It's essential. I also agree with him that when you work with others, you will learn new things. No matter what you do in the future, you must know how to work with other people.
I was a little surprised when he said that he doesn't think programming is essential for everyone. He thinks it's really only essential for people that are really doing the programming. In a way, this makes sense, but I think it's a good tool for anyone who will be working with computers, especially this day in age. Technology is advancing quickly, and we need to keep up. Like Cassie said earlier, "The information age is in full swing, so being able to say 'I'm technologically challenged,' is obsolete."
What are you learning?
We are learning not only how to program, but also what goes into programming. We learn how programming languages are made through math and computer science.
How do you view creativity?
I think it’s a really good thing in programming, especially when creating things. The more creative a person is the better program they can make. I think creativity is an essential skill, because not everything you do is in a book. You need to be creative to make algorithms. For example, if you go on to get your Ph.D.; you will have to develop your own algorithms.
To what extent to you think programming is an essential skill?
It’s not an essential skill for everyone, but if you are working in a technical field, you should have at least a little knowledge. For example, industrial technology students should know at least some code with what they are doing. But I don’t think everyone in the population needs to know it – you only really need to know it if you are doing programming.
What classes are you taking?
Artificial Intelligent, Intermediate Computing, Bioinformatics, and Computer Architecture
What programming languages do you know?
I know Java, C++, and Ruby really well. I also know HTML, HXTML, and CSS.
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I will be going to UNI for graduate studies in computer science. I hope to get my Ph.D. and become a professor. I really like computer science so I want to go deeper into the field and I want to help people understand. I don’t think a bachelor’s degree will prepare me for what I really want to do, which is research. I want to do research on artificial intelligence.
What projects are you working on?
I am working on an agent that plays tic tac toe. It’s really neat because I created it so that you can play either X or 0. It’s more strategic than regular tic tac toe. I used Java to create it.
For work, I am working on an agent that actually takes excel spreadsheets and cuts them up into a form of HTML, and then it is dispersed to everyone at work. I also created this in Java.
How do you feel about collaborating on projects with others?
I actually really enjoy working on projects with other people. I did a project where two people program. During this project, one person will watch and one person will program. The other person can watch you and see if you make mistakes. I really like it because you get another person’s input on how to do something better.
I thought what Zach had to say was really interesting. After listening to him, I realized that computer science must be a REALLY hard major! Taking classes like "Artificial Intelligence" and "Bioinformatics" cannot be easy. Like Professor Fabos said in class, computer science majors are a certain breed of people. They must be a very intelligent breed! I also found the projects he was working on fascinating. I would have no idea how to work on the projects he is creating. How do you just "make" a tic tac toe game? I guess I never really thought about how much goes into creating the little things we use on our computers. A lot of programming goes into making our day-to-day luxuries (good thing we have computer science people to create them!) I also thought it was interesting when he talked about the programs he knows. I was so proud that I actually knew what HTML, HXTML, and CSS were. However, I felt stupid when I had to ask him multiple times how to spell C++ and Ruby. I had no idea what those were.
I was glad to see that he thinks creativity and working with others on projects is essential. I thought he would hate working on projects with others. I agree with him, I think you need to have creativity no matter what business you are going into. It's essential. I also agree with him that when you work with others, you will learn new things. No matter what you do in the future, you must know how to work with other people.
I was a little surprised when he said that he doesn't think programming is essential for everyone. He thinks it's really only essential for people that are really doing the programming. In a way, this makes sense, but I think it's a good tool for anyone who will be working with computers, especially this day in age. Technology is advancing quickly, and we need to keep up. Like Cassie said earlier, "The information age is in full swing, so being able to say 'I'm technologically challenged,' is obsolete."
Manovich
Manovich shows us how in the last 10 years computers and hardware went from being a scientist thing to a every person who wants to stay in the loop of technology thing. It also helps that they are constantly making this software easier to use. 10 years ago the average person had no clue what a computer could be used for. Today we know it can be used as a search engine; to store information; communication, etc. For example if you do not have a facebook account today (no matter what your age) it’s like come on get with the program. Many years ago people didn’t need TV’s now today the average household has 2-3.
Some of the inventors of computational media are Liicklider, Sutherland, Nelson, Kay, Negroponte and Engelbart, etc. The reason we don’t hear much about them is because software is ever changing in our world. You see the commercials were someone goes and gets the latest greatest new computer and technology, and then on the way home they see an advertisement for the newest computer which comes out in a few days. It’s just competition and turns into Capitalism which is what America is all about.
The inventions that spawned this experimental, unfixed, and democratic visual culture started in the 60’s through the 80’s. Thanks to their every changing minds and experimenting, today people do the same in trying to create the most “user-friendly” and most capable software. This leaves all of us who use computers and software as the beneficiaries because we get the newest up to date versions. It is a lot like survival of the fittest.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)