Assignment 10: First Blog Post

Hey guys! I just published my first blog post onto my website. Here is the specific post: http://paolaacsta.com/uncategorized/hello-world/.

As I’m on this journey of figuring out how to customize and build my website some more, I thought I’d give readers a bit more detail on my plans for the site; what I’ll talk about or share and the sort of content they can expect from me.

Honestly, it’s been hard trying to find ways to be more creative with my site. I want to make it more attention-grabbing, but it’s definitely a work in progress. Please enjoy what I have this far. Way more is to come!!!

Here’s a video I’ll be using to help me:

 

Assignment #7- Domain name

Potential Domain Names 

  1. Groomingwithki
  2. Animalsandki
  3. Animalsworldwide
  4. Gonzalezanimalcare
  5. groomingwithcare
  6. caretogroom

Why these names?

I plan to create a website for my future career. I plan on becoming a veterinarian and I am currently in the dog grooming business (soon to be cats too), with these sets of skills I can become a one stop shop for some animal caregivers. Sometimes in the grooming industry there are accidents that happen and with a veterinarian close by, all can be taken care of. Sometimes with some rescue animals they need medical grooming and that can occur in my  business. There are so many different options and services that I can provide when the time comes, a website would make it easier to spread the news about the business, promote the business and give information on the business. Although I major in journalism, I can use my acquired skills to expand on my business and broadcast it so that my audience is unlimited and it can expand.

Some Websites

The internet makes the world smaller and the ASPCA is one of the most recognized facilities for animal related care and rescue, I like it because it is where I was able to adopt my cat who is my bestest friend.

On television National geographic is another animal related watch and there are so many different stories about different animals, it is always dramatic but fun to watch and gain some knowledge.

I own a cat and a dog so I like to use a website to get their food, any medications, toys or any other things they might need.

 

The only thing that has me worried about websites is that when building them, a lot of complications can arise so every intricate detail matters and can effect how the website might function. I will have to do a lot of research and make sure that the website will be as perfect as it can be.

Assignment #6- The Mid-Semester Assessment Post

Mid Semester Assessment Post

Assignment #1: https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/gfing-for-ct/

Recap: This was my first time blogging like this and I actually submitted this assignment late because I was confused on how the whole process worked. It wasn’t until we had our first in person session and that was where I got the clarity I needed to move forward with the rest of the assignments. I think the most challenging thing at the time was choosing which GIFs to use to express the emotions I was feeling but it was fun. I’ve never made a GIF before so it was a really cool first time experience.

Assignment #2: https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/making-happiness-on-the-internet/

Recap: I was a little bit confused by this assignment. I thought that we had to reflect on our week and what made us happy and post it to the internet. But then Professor had commented on my post and told me that the assignment was to mention what things ON the internet have made you happy, so that was a silly mistake of mine. Nonetheless, it was nice sharing what made me happy in a blog format and that just gave me another outlet to express myself creatively.

Assignment #3: https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/what-a-meme/

Recap: I really liked this assignment because I’m a sucker for debates. People’s opinions are different and sometimes justified but in a discussion like this, where memes are questioned to be art or not, there are many opinions that like to deter what art really is. I also liked the irony of debating if memes are art in my response and inserting memes into my response as well. I think the most challenging thing was trying to explain myself as much as I can because I want to sound convincing. I wouldn’t mind blogging about a debate or discussion and express ourselves through memes or GIFs, I think it was informative and engaging.

Assignment #4: https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/project-from-ds-106/

Recap: In this assignment I learned how to hyperlink an image and this has only showed me how much I’ve learned in this class, I was born in a generation of technology and there is still so much more to learn about it. I really liked the creative freedom on this assignment and the thing about it, no one assignment is the same and even the topic is different too.

Assignment #5: https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/digital-art-making-and-creative-immediacy/

and .. https://ct101.commons.gc.cuny.edu/digital-art-making-immediacy/

Recap: Being a journalism major, there is a lot of writing involved when it comes to the classes you have to take. Before coming to college, I always had a journal that I’d write in to and share my thoughts on paper. This assignment allowed me to be transparent and it was nice to write it all down on a safe platform. I learned to create a piece that involves pictures, stickers and edits that involve music and writing. Learning and using the skills that was learned is all that school is about and this really executed that.

How am I doing in CT101?

I think I’m doing fairly okay in the class, I can do better as far as submitting my work when it is supposed to be turned in. I can also participate more in the class, the online portion of it. I’m honestly not sure if I commented enough on other people’s post so that is something that I can work on as well. I’m glad that I haven’t completely given up and it is better late than never. I’ll take a C grade over an F grade any day. I do think I have the potential to do better but I’m honestly just overwhelmed with all of the six classes that I’m taking. I can excel in one class but then my other class suffers, it is hard to balance and I’m doing all that I can. I work and I’m in the middle of my softball season, yes I am an overachiever but I’m also not a quitter so I take what I can get and what I’m working for.

How many points have I earned so far and what grade do I believe I am maintaining? 

I’m going to be honest and say that I have not kept track of any points or calculated my grade so I have no idea what grade I might have in this class. But if I can take a guess, I would say a high C or low B. I show up to every class, even the in person ones and I do my best to complete all of the blogs and assignments to it’s fullest extent, although I submit it late. I would like to continue to do my best and hopefully, the work I do will reflect upon my grade and god willing that it is a good one. I also am not the type of person to meticulously keep track of grading because I feel like that’ll slow me down. Just do the work and do what you’re being told then it’ll all fall into place. I know that I will get the grade I deserve so I just do my best.

What have I learned and retained the most?

I definitely learned the shortcuts on the keyboard PC of creating a hyperlink, taking a screenshot and printing a page. These are skills that I will carry on with me until my fingers stop working or I no longer use a computer/laptop. Regardless, I can share this information with others and they can pass on the knowledge. I also learned to make memes and GIFs in a storytelling way which was fun and I would probably use that again some day, I don’t deny it especially in a digital world.

What new skills have I developed , cultivated and displayed regularly in my weekly posts?

I learned to properly blog, in a more organized and engaging manner. Using different fonts, indentations, bold, italic and even the sizing of the font to create a more cohesive post. It never occurred to me to organize it in a certain way since it is being read from a screen but in a way it is just like writing an essay or newsletter.

How do I assess my performance through self-reflection in this class?

I may assess my performance through self-reflection in this class by looking at all of the posts I’ve done and if I did what was asked of me. The evidence is all there, I just got to go through it and complete what needs to be done. I know that I have three or four other assignments that I have to catch up on and I will get there. I already wrote down what needs to be done, I got the assignments lined up, the videos to watch lined up and I have a separate paper that I write down the requirements needed for each assignment. It makes me process the assignments easier and it stresses me out less to lay out what needs to be done.

What do I know now that I did not know before taking this class?

I did not know that you can create memes and GIFs using your own imagery, I just had a naïve way of thinking that there was this special process to making memes and GIFs. I’m pretty sure with the rest of the semester ahead of us there is still so much more to learn. Again, I did not know all of the shortcuts on the PC keyboard: taking a screenshot, creating a hyperlink and printing.

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain –  or am I stuck in a loop where my posts seem to look the same most of the time, how will I change that?

I definitely see my blogging work expanding creatively because the limits are endless. There are so many different ways to express myself on this platform and I plan on taking full advantage of it. I plan to freely write my thoughts, express my emotions and no response will be the same or plain. I know that the more I work on these posts, they are bound to improve and progress. I am not the type of person to move backwards from what they learned because once I learn something, I use what I learn and apply it to the next thing that I’m working on.

Are there any assignments that you are missing? If so, list them. Are you commenting regularly on your classmates posts? Are you responding back to comments given to you by the professor & your classmates? Are you participating during the class time? If not, explain why. This is the time to be accountable. How will you make needed improvements?

I’m currently missing assignment number 7, 8,9 and maybe 10. I’ve definitely have been in a weird state of mind and been off the rails as far as handling all of my classes but the comeback will be real and I refuse to quit or allow a temporary emotion take me over and win. I am not commenting regularly on my classmates’ post but that is something that I got to work on to and it is all a work in progress. I definitely haven’t responded to anyone’s comments including the professor’s comments so now that it has been brought to my attention, it is on the to-do list. I honestly participate more during in-person class time rather than online. I feel like the online portion of the course is good but not as good as the in-person sessions.

The panoramic view

Every picture has a story behind it and it is up to the viewer to decide what the image may be trying to portray. It was fun arranging everyone in class that were in my group because we all put our heads together to come up with an idea to tell a story in our picture.

On one side of the image the group is fighting with each other and the dominant fighters are visible. Where as, on the other side of the picture the recessive opponents become the dominant fighters and fight back. Moral of the story, fight back against those that provoke.

After breaking the ice with the exercise, we decided to take another picture to tell a different story/message.

On one side of the image we have our socials, the interactive and movement group. On the opposing side of the image, we have our tech socials. This group is on their phones and interacting through social media. I like the juxtaposition in this photo since we have two different kinds of social groups.

We decided that we didn’t want to stop there, we wanted to play with the panoramic and see how the image can be distorted.

Some of the challenges that we faced were: the perspective change also changed the lighting on the subjects and some of the movement from the subjects were minimal. Nonetheless, things like some of our subjects, the ceiling and the floor were distorted. Maybe if the camera itself had some movement it would capture the subjects to be more distorted.

All in all, this group activity was enjoyable and it definitely brought out the creativeness in all of us so it was really cool to put our heads together to come up with our product.

This was awesome 🙂

A New Hope…

HEY EVERYONE!!! Although it took a while to get my site somewhat together, I would love to invite you guys to check out my very first blog post on there! I’m very excited about it if I do say so myself and think it could benefit some of you as well. How could your blog post possibly benefit me? Well, I’m glad you asked.

If you’re a movie lover like myself or just looking for a good watch,  then you should check out my post! basically,  I wrote about five really good movies that I have watched recently with a little description and my rating of it all. I also included the links so you can see the watch options, the actors/actresses starring in the movie, and much more. If that isn’t enticing enough, I have also made some changes to my site from the last time so maybe that will catch your attention! 

Assignment#11

Assignment#11 Panoramic Storytelling & Multiplicity.

In this assignment I will share my multiple attempts using a 360 panorama, with my phone inside my room. This is my first attempt using the 360 panorama(Sorry for my messy bed), I think that it was a solid and good attempt, it actually looks like if it was a normal photo to me, however you can kind of see that there is some curvature on the bed and probably in the walls.

This is my second attempt on doing something with the 360 panorama, here I tried to replicate my hand in each frame, however since I was using one of my hands to grab the quarter and the other grab my phone, therefore I end it up shacking a bit, as you can see I end it with a somewhat of a fainted hand over each frame, you can even see a black void in the top left corner due to my shacking hands.

This is my last project/photo with the 360 panorama,  I tried to make a mini story with a plushy, the narrative of the story is that the plushy is trying to get to the computer, in order to start doing his homework, however he has to make a huge jump from the kingdoms of my bookbag to the land of the bed to finally arrive to the land of the laptop.

Building my website and posting my first blog

 

In my last piece, I discussed how I went about constructing my website. I describe how I downloaded Astra and began customizing my website by altering the theme initially.  I choose to get a starter template that will provide me with website template options that I can tweak for my own website. A starting template is what it’s called. Elementor is also what I use to design and update my pages. Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress. This plugin helps you to create gorgeous pages using a visual editor. It’s designed to make creating dynamic web pages simple.

Since last week, a lot has transpired, and I’ve updated my website to make it more presentable for today. I’ll show you my newly updated page, and you’ll get the opportunity to visit my website today. I haven’t completed revising the ABOUT categories, but you should have a look at the rest and let me know what I can do to better any of the work I’ve already done in the comments. I haven’t change the name of the website but I’m working on creating a really great logo for it. My website is still a working progress….

Before you read the next paragraph, take a look at my website so far. By the way, “learn more” is not working because I haven’t linked anything to it yet.  Also check out my first blog

I wanted to discuss nutrition in my first blog on my website, and how vital it is for people to take the required steps to care for their bodies. Food is vital because it provides energy for activity, development, and all bodily processes such as breathing, digesting food, and staying warm; as well as materials for body growth and repair, and for keeping the immune system healthy.

 

In the next few weeks, I’ll be writing more blog posts on my culture’s food and offering various types of dishes for you to try. I’ll show you how to cook jollof rice, Moi Moi, fried rice, and Gizdodo. You’ll get a deeper look at how to prepare Nigerian cuisine.

 

 

Assignment 8 domain name and registration

       

During the process of selecting a domain name, I thought it would be fitting if I make my website based on my podcast the Chokeholdepodcast Is a podcast about wrestling that I had started about 5 years ago with my friend from college First the process seems a little difficult because it took me a while To understand how to use WordPress from the reclaim hosting site and not from wordpress.org which was the issue I was running into but figure it out eventually.

https://giphy.com/gifs/tipsyelves-math-26gR0YFZxWbnUPtMA  

I really enjoyed delving into the process and figuring it out step by step and just kind of getting  ingratiated with the material and the website building process and although I still feel like I’m getting the hang of it I still feel that I’ve come along further than I have when I first started which is the keep and Walmart website is still in development I have a direction that I want to take it in and I’m playing to see it through and hopefully I’ll be able to bring some of these ideas to the forefront and be able to share them as I go through my process.

https://giphy.com/gifs/GGOO8NJNh5kty

Panoramic Storytelling & Multiplicity

(click the images above to enlarge)

Week #12 –> Welcome Back! (another FUN in person week!)

Assignment #11 – details are below!

A few semesters ago in our Digital Storytelling class we played with the idea of non traditional image-making and multiplying ourselves into a single image frame. (No photo editing software required, but it helps later on) By using the “panoramic” feature of our smart phone cameras we created two examples above to show the potentials of the project by using our immediate surrounding in this case, the hallway outside our classroom and the class. 🙂

The top image is a traditional class portrait. It’s a long stretched frame that bends itself in an overly extended way. The light source is coming from behind the photographer giving off a great amount of natural bright light. The bottom image is the opposite and we see how the bright light from the windows serves as back-lighting when the photographer is behind the light source shooting the image directly at it. The light places an emphasis on the absence of that light and creates a shadow effect of the students in their composition. We talked about how lighting can add this effect and extend a narrative.

Let’s try again with our class this week in person!

But how can we push the idea further? Should we collaborate as a single group or work in 2 or 3 smaller groups? Will other objects be added to the potentials of the project? How can we create a “story” through this idea?

But wait, “how” are these images (above) created?

  1. Open your smart phones camera and set it to “panoramic” mode.
  2. Arrange the subject(s) in one area to the left side of the photographer. Give a good amount of distance between the photographer and the subject(s). The subject(s) need to hold still as the photographer begins to move the camera past them until they are out of the view finders frame.
  3. Once the subjects are out of the viewfinders frame the photographer stops the motion of the camera and holds it in place. The subjects then move behind and around the back of the photographer and slowly gather themselves back into a new pose or position on the right side of the photographer.
  4. The photographer continues to move the camera past the subjects until they fit into the composition.

What will you do with this new technique?

How will you use it to “tell a story” in one frame using the same subjects/objects? What kind of situation or narrative can or will you you create?

Let’s share our results in class!

**Assignment #11 Details: Create a new blog post here on CT101 that tells a multiplicity story in one panoramic image frame, as you now know, the potentials are endless! Yes, you can take more than 1 picture and I highly encourage it as you will need to practice and have contrasts, perhaps you take a whole series of images? Either way, your image(s) should tell a story, share a situation or aftermath of “something” –  Perhaps your story is fictional? Perhaps your story is also written in a “How-To” tutorial format about your process? 

PS – panoramic images can be pretty big in terms of file size! Its likely best to resize the images and make them smaller before uploading them here to CT101 – I suggest resizing the images with one of these free tools -(yes, plenty to explore!)  https://fixthephoto.com/best-free-photo-resizing-software.html

What will you do? Have Fun!

Customization Sensation :)

This is kind of overwhelming I thought to myself as I opened up WordPress to start customizing my site (overthinkersanonymous.net) It was time to decide on a theme. Hmmmmmmm. Decisions, decisions, keeping in mind what Professor Seslow said, I went with the safest option that being twenty twenty. I was already feeling overwhelmed about creating a website in the whole so the last thing I wanted to do was complicate things more. I then proceeded to choose a background color, and image and added a little introduction to my about page.

 

Although it may not look like much, I worked on the appearance of my website and was just trying to figure out WordPress on the whole. If a series is considered two pages, then yes, I created a series of new pages. I added recipes and poetry pages BUT they do not show up on the menu bar which is something I have to figure out.  However, the pages pop up when you type them in the search bar. Although I rewatched the recorded lecture two or three times, I was not having the best experience with WordPress and decided that it was best if I go on YouTube. When I was adding the finishing touches to my half-complete website, I finally figured out how to edit my pages properly and decided to save that for the next assignment because at that point I was getting frustrated and when I get frustrated I don’t do things to the best of my ability but just do the bare minimum which is the last thing I wanted to do for this site.

 

Overall, I think I had a decent experience with my first time using WordPress though things could have gone much better. However, this is not stopping me from achieving my desired website despite the difficulties I encounter along the way which is expected because I’m not the biggest fan of technology all the time. 

Assignment #9

Website- http://videogknow.com/

First, I went through some themes to see what I would like; I clicked the appearance tab to see the options.

Then I decided to use this theme because there’s red in the design, and that’s my favorite color.

The next thing I did was to put out a background image because having an excellent background will make your theme pop out, making it easier to see and read the text provided. After that, I decided to give my website an icon because it’s an excellent way to represent something and give you an idea of what that might be.

I used this light red as my background color since it’s bright and mixes with my theme’s colors.
White Black And Red Background Images – Browse 2,223,131 Stock Photos,  Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock
(Website Icon photo)

From customizing my website, I learned that there are millions of things to choose from when building a website. You can go from gaming to business, and everyone can look at it. I haven’t decided on what to write yet, which I will in the future as soon as I can come up with some topics/ prompts so that everyone can follow.

Assigment-8: Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation!

Stepping into WordPress Blogging World….

First of all, I would like to thank prof Ryan Seslow for making the process of Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set-Up & WordPress Installation so smooth and straightforward! It literally took 5 minutes for me to complete the entire process and including the account set-up in WordPress.

To begin the process, first I click on the link of  Reclaim Hosting that prof provided to register the Domain Name. Since I wanted to build my website based on my traveling experiences, the domain name love2explore.net fits perfectly for my website, and fortunately, it was available. In fact, most of the names from my list were available.

After that, I authenticate my account by entering the required information and using the offered promo code and that’s all. Before installing  WordPress, I changed the username, email and password, saved them for me as the prof mentioned, and then I installed WordPress.

In order to make changes and customize my site, I followed this YouTube tutorial. This video shows how to work with the new WordPress 2022 Theme Editor.

Overall, I would like to say, it was a pleasant experience. I am excited about this new blogging journey with WordPress and can’t wait to start customizing my site and post my first blog. I would like to invite everyone to visit love2explore.net  and hope you all will like it!!

 

Assignment #8

I have selected VideoGKnow.Com as my domain name. First, I looked through the post to better understand it before doing it, then I clicked the link provided, the reclaim link. I checked to see if some of my domain names were there, but some are taken while others are free, so I decided to go with VideoGKnow.Com. In my previous post, I mentioned that I want to use a website to provide information on specific videos games so people can get someone else’s opinion.


When you click the reclaim link (which takes you here, type your domain name), you will have to fill in some personal information after selecting a domain name. (Don’t forget to use the code sent to your york email).

After filling in your information, you will end up on this page.

They would ask to verify your Gmail that you used (they will send a link for you to click to verify ITS SIMPLE!). after that, you can head to your Cpanel and click on the first box which would be WordPress.
You click the install button, and it will begin installing; word press into your computer.

Overall experience was simple to do, but at the same time, I needed to research further to understand how to do it. I watched back the zoom video that the professor had provided us (Helpful).

Assignment 7 Domain names

Write a new blog post that shares a few of the potential domain names that you would consider using for your website. List them (at least 5-10 potential names) and say a few words about why they would be good examples for the website that you will build.

TownSafe.com

Decisive.Net

Mastersbot.com

decisivenow.com

masterssale.com
These names can relate to me because I always wanted to make a sort of bot website for this app called discord. Discord is just like the other social media platforms which its mainly about gaming/connecting with people. I had discord since 2016 and always used it. In discord, there are bots that people make that make it a game-changer.  An example of a discord bot would be a bot called Chip.  Chip is a bot that people use to listen to music. the purpose of having a music bot is list/play your favorite music with your friends in one place.

How to use chip

What will your new website be about? This part is totally up to you! If you wish, you can use the website project itself for a specific project, for example, perhaps you want to share your passion for cooking and poetry. Which means you will be primarily writing blog posts about cooking and poetry. This can also be applied to sports, or gaming, or politics or journalism, or simply put, website that fused together many interests as well as your ct101 assignments.  Share your thoughts, excitements, fears and any other sentiments about how you are feeling about this next chapter in your life as a website owner! Please include a few hyperlinks and or screen shots of some of your favorite websites, let us know why you like them!  

I plan to make my website about either, as I said earlier, making bots for this specific platform or something related to gaming since I enjoy it very much. Listing games that I would recommend people try out. So it will mainly be a source of information type of website for a specific topic. Youtube is what I always use because of how useful it is. Many people, including myself, enjoy having something to watch to learn or find something entertaining. Another website I like is Imgflip which is a website to make memes. I always like making memes for just the laughs and giggles. Memes are very enjoyable, and making your memes is just as cool as finding memes.

Mid-Term Reflection Post

Recap
Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Assignment 4

Assignment 5

How am I doing in CT101?

At first, I felt like I would fail, but I am doing somewhat ok right now. I am still rather behind everyone else; I let myself go out of control and poorly managed my time. I always let the time get a hold of me and get me to think that I have time, but in reality, time never waits for me.

How many points have I earned so far, and what grade do I believe I am maintaining?
I am not sure how many points I have due to not having a lot of work, but I have started posting and commenting more.  I will keep myself in check and try to maintain an A or B when I get my final grade at the end of the semester. I have been slow and managed the time I had poorly, but I will turn this around.

What have I learned and retained the most?

I have learned a lot of ways to express and customize, including a lot of information as well. That information would be the many websites I obtained throughout this semester at CT 101, such as  https://mmm.page//https://assignments.ds106.us/, and https://giphy.com/. I have been experimenting and researching more with these websites to expand my creativity and knowledge of websites.

 

What new skills have I developed, cultivated, and displayed regularly in my weekly posts?

I started using photoshop more to get used to it to use it more in the future. I have slightly felt like my grammar got a little more substantial from posting blogs since I often double-check to see if my sentences are lined up. I have gotten better when getting ideas due to how many ideas I had to think about for the blog posts.

How do I assess my performance through self-reflection in this class?

I can assess my performance by checking the feedback on my posts so I can edit them to make them better.  If I have trouble doing a blog post, I will look back at the professor’s recording to see if I am in check when it comes to completing the blog post correctly. I can also look at other classmates post’s to help me understand more.

What do I know now that I did not know before taking this class?

I realized that it requires a lot of thinking to get some of these posts done. I know now that they are not easy as I thought they were. I also realized that this is an excellent way to find out who you are. I feel like not many people can express themselves due to the emotions they contain; by typing them out, it’s easier to see what we dislike, enjoy, love, goals, and so on.

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain –  or am I stuck in a loop where my posts seem to look the same most of the time? How will I change that?

I feel like throughout most posts, I have been typing more and more just because there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to specific posts. I have started thinking more about the topic, so it gives me more ideas to write about and how to explain them in general.

 

Are there any assignments that you are missing? If so, list them. Are you commenting regularly on your classmates posts? Are you responding back to comments given to you by the professor & your classmates? Are you participating during the class time? If not, explain why. This is the time to be accountable. How will you make needed improvements?

I am currently missing 7,8,9,10, etc., due to my improper time management and having to do finals projects/Midterms for other classes, and I know that I can always have the time to make these up since there is no due date. I did wrong because I focused on one thing too many things to the point where I get fell behind on other work without realizing it.  I have started to get better at managing my time throughout college and slightly improved. I am slowly making up the work and will get them done.