Making My Design

Okay guys. Well, I guess you are probably wondering how I am doing in building my designs. 
I have started in Design Tech by building a design out of manilla (hee hee rhymes with Vanilla) envelope paper stuff. Yah know the stuff that Manilla Envelopes are made out of? Well I am making a scale model of my design out of that. 
My shelves are kind of flimsy, so I need to support it some way. Mr. Connors (our Tech teacher) had two ideas

The first idea was to support them with these little triangle supports underneath the shelves. Here is an example of what I mean: The little triangles will be solid, so they won't have a gap in the middle. What I mean is, on the picture, there is technically only an outline of the triangle supports. Mine will be solid.

The second idea was to sandwich the shelves with two other pieces, then secure it at the back so the shelf is thicker. This is also a pretty good idea (thank you Mr. Connors!)

I honestly don't know which support I want to use, so GUESS WHAT?!
I am gonna try BOTH! On one of my shelves, I am going to try the bracket-triangle supports, and the sand which method. Each one on one of my shelves, since I have two shelves. But in the end, I am probably going to use both together. Here is a picture so far of my triangle support. It has tabs and is multiple layers of manilla envelope paper. 

Sorry, it's a bit blurry. 











WOOHOO! It works pretty well. I glued it and it holds good. The back part is very strong, but the front needs work. I guess this is just a test... YEAH! It's so FUN! 

YEAH! I finished! Okay, here are the two shelves: 

Which one is... STRONGER? 

Well, they BOTH are, in different ways. The bracket-triangle supports make the back part of the shelf very strong, and the sand which helps the shelf just, be stronger, but the triangle things help connect the shelf to the back better, which is good!

I AM going to use both! YEAH! So I am gonna use the sand which thing and then the triangle-supports too! 

Now... how long will it take? 

Hee hee... see you NEXT .

-Clara

Pictures from:

• Moi (thanks Photo-booth) 
• "Heavy Duty Shelf Brackets." Instructables.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

Thank you for allowing me to cite correctly Easybib!
"EasyBib: The Free Automatic Bibliography Composer." EasyBib. , Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

The Final Design

Okay guys, we have a winner!! *****
Observe the magnificent lights blazing down the field and the cheering from the crowd, as the judge calls from a little slip of paper, the winner of the contest.

"Design Number Two, the Shoe Rack!" she announces with a flourish.

Cries of anguish are heard along with the clapping and the squealing. Design Number Two descends the steps of the bleachers, down to the podium, where the judge stands with a large smile on his face.

"Congratulations!" she says, patting Design Number Two's back. Suddenly, a wave of grinning people, flow towards them, showering Design Number Two with confetti and flowers. When the crowd recedes, Design Number Two has leis slung around his neck, and confetti tossed wildly in his hair.

"I thank you all!" He announces into the microphone, his voice seeming to have an underlined quality. No one could quite place it.

Claps erupted from the audience, but some boos could be heard within the sea of happy, screaming faces. A small cluster of designs slunk, downcast, towards the exit. One had tears streaming down their cheeks. For a second, Design Number Two felt sorry for the designs that had not been chosen. He knew that Design Number Three had been very close, the Piano Stool, because the judge had been in favor of it since she had wanted a piano stool, with a perfect height, to play the best. Design Number Two felt like rushing down there to apologize, and welcome them to come back and watch, but he knew that he should enjoy his own victory with as much happiness and content as he could. Design Number Two also knew that if he hurried down to comfort the loosing designs, it would cause an uproar. He had no choice really.

~~~

Okay! Sorry guys! Just had to do that! Anyway, if you want more of that story, click here. Right now, I am @ an inconvenience because I don't know how to share this Google Drive document with anyone how has the link, so just request access. 

So, design number two, the shoe rack, won for a certain reason! 
First of all, it would be easy to build and would be fun to build as well. I wouldn't need as much cardboard as some of the designs. However, as you read in the story, I did really like the Piano Stool, because I, #1. Wanted to make a design that would come in handy, and that I would actually use, and #2. I really liked the design and I am in great need of a piano stool like that. Anyway, the only problem was that it would take too long to build, and would be too hard. The compartment would be challenging and I would need quite a bit of cardboard. I kinda wish I chose that design, because I liked it, but I am also glad that I didn't because I knew something like that would be a bit too ambitious, though, once I have a little experience with this cardboard thing, I could build the Piano Stool! Actually, I really want to! In fact, I will, later… 


Okay… Over and Out… and, I will be working on that story of mine if any of you want to read more of it, those of you who find it interesting! …


-Clara
Who ever got this message is extremely smart! Be on the lookout for more of these in future blog posts!

Furniture of the Future

Hello readers! Welcome back! Sorry that I haven't been posting in a while! So, in tech class, we have been working on orthographic sketches! Orthographic is a method of graphing or sketching something in scale! You show all six sides, the top (plan), bottom, side A, side B, front, and back! The best way to do this, is to draw it on graph paper so that you line up your drawings with the squares, and so that it helps you with the scale! On the left is an example of an orthographic sketch, except that it is missing the back view! An ideal way to draw this, is to write the scale (1 square on your graph paper=2 inches...) and then line up your drawing with the squares on the paper. Once you do that, you can label on the sides, what the actual length is of the sides.

Okay, enough talk about orthographic designs. If my explanation doesn't really make sense check out our teacher's blog on the "Draw like an engineer" page: Click Here
I have made 5 orthographic designs, complete with labels and measurements, colors, and descriptions of the design! Sadly, one design, is not completely in scale, because it was too hard to draw! But I will still share it with you, dear reader! Before I show you the designs, I must explain something to you!
I must narrow down these designs to one design to actually build! YES! You heard (well... he he, read) dear reader! I must build one of these designs out of cardboard, in the exact proportions and measurements! I have certain design specifications to narrow down these designs, and choose the best! Okay, here are the specifications!

Aesthetic	Size	Needs to be an appropriate size and should be as close to a universal size as possible.	I can see if a few different people can fit comfortably in the chair and ask them it they think the size is right.
Sustainability	Environmental Impact	It must be decompose easily and quickly and shouldn’t harm the plants around it.	I can leave a piece of the material I think I could use might be able to use, outside, in dirt, and see if it decomposes and how long it would take.
Cost	Production/ Manufacture	The materials need to be cost effective. We can’t spend too much money.	I can see how much the amount of cardboard or material I am going to use is. Then, I can calculate how much I would spend and see if that is smart, or too much for the amount I am buying.
Aesthetics	Weight	The chair needs to hold a person, up to at least 200 pounds and must not crumple or break apart after only a few sittings. The sitter must also be able to move around and change positions without the chair falling apart.	We could test this by letting several people of different weights sit on the chair and every now and then, change positions. Then we can see what parts of the chair can’t hold as much weight, and what parts don’t seem as strong.
Aesthetics	Visual Appeal	The chair needs to look good and be neat so that people will buy it. It should also include some extra things like cup holders or a messaging mechanism. (I doubt that I can do that)	We can ask different people how they like it, if they would buy it, and how it could possibly look better.
Ergonomics	Mobility	The chair needs to be able to move around and can’t be an odd shape or too heavy to lift or move.	We can test that by getting people to move the chair around and asking them if it was easy to do it.
Ergonomics	Ease/comfort of use	Have the chair be comfortable. We could include some pillows.	We can test it by having people sit in it and asking them if it is comfortable.

If you are wondering why the design needs to decompose, please comment! 
Okay, the first design:

This is a chest of drawers. It is blue, with pink handles, and the bottom has small pink rubber strips to prevent it from scratching on the floor. Here is the description! "This chest of drawers has 3 compartments to store things in, all about 11 inches tall and 14 inches with, with a 1 inch thick separator board in the middle. It has pink handles, and on the bottom, has pink strips of rubber to avoid scratching."

So, what specifications does this design have? 
Size- This design is the right size and can store things easily.  It is not too big and bulky, or too small so that you can't fit anything inside.
Environmental Impact- All designs will be made out of cardboard so they will have minimal environmental impact.
Production/manufacture- We wouldn't need too much money anyway if all of the designs are made out of cardboard.
Weight- Again, this design will be constructed out of cardboard, and will not weigh that much.
Visual Appeal- The chest of drawers is a nice light blue, but could look better! It is a matter of opinion on if you think that this design looks good. I think the color goes nicely, and the design is simple, but good looking, and appealing.
Mobility- You could easily move this chest of drawers
Ease/comfort of use- This design is easy to put things in the compartments, and is the right size, so it is comfortable and feels right when you are using it...

Is it a universal design, something that everyone can use no matter, age, gender, or anything else? 
Oui oui! Any one can use it, it's easy to pull out the handles, but if someone is really short, they might not be able to open the top drawer!

Do you think that this design is the right one to build based on the specifications, if it is a universal design, and if it won't be too hard to build? 
The design specs show that this is a pretty good design. It is also a universal design, but it might be hard to build. I would need to build all of the drawers (well... only 3 but whatever), and get the right size/measurement for each one! If all other designs turn out harder than this one, then I will make this one, but so far, I think this is not very probable of me building it!
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Here is the second design! It is a shoe rack! The scale is, 1 square on the graph paper = 2 inches. It's brown, with small 1 inch high legs to keep it elevated a little bit off of the ground! Here is the description if you can't see it on the picture, "This design I made, is a place to put shoes up to 10 feet long, even though a shoe is usually shorter than that. It has small legs to keep it 1 inch off of the ground, and two levels to put shoes."

So, what specifications does this design have? 
Size- This shoe rack is a good size for shoes, but is a bit short if you want to be comfortable putting shoes away. It is 18 inches high… Is that too short?
Environmental Impact- Like I said before, this will have minimal impact on the environment because all designs will be made out of cardboard, including this one!
Production/manufacture- Since this design is also made out of cardboard, we wouldn't need too much money to buy materials and make it!
Weight- Same as before, it won't weigh too much because it is made out of cardboard!
Visual Appeal- The colors are kind of dull, but I think overall, the design looks good, and it is practical. Since the shoe rack is a bit short, it could look odd or out of place around many other pieces of furniture or any place around a house… it really depends!
Mobility- Since it doesn't weigh much, the shoe rack is able to be move around.
Ease/comfort of use- This design is a bit too short for most people, so it might feel/be a bit awkward using it, bending down and all. It all depends on opinion. Is an 18 inch high shoe rack too low?

Is it a universal design, something that everyone can use no matter, age, gender, or anything else? 
Oui oui! Short people, tall people, anyone can use it. Young short people can use the bottom shelves, while taller people can use the higher ones.

Do you think that this design is the right one to build based on the specifications, if it is a universal design, and if it won't be too hard to build? 
This design is probably the easiest design out of all of them! It's easy to build and is also a universal ensign, meaning that basically everyone can use it! The only questionable thing is, the height. I don't exactly know if this is too low, unless I build it. And, why can't I? I mean, why can't I build something that I am not exactly sure if it will be perfect? It doesn't matter if this is trial and error, it will be fun to make, and I will learn something from making it, if it doesn't work out.

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The next design is a chair, which I named the, "Random Chair".  The scale is, 1 square on the graph paper = 1 inch. Here is the description: "This chair comes in all different colors, but the most common is green. There are also a few designs  to choose from. This sketch has the red and green striped design, with al of the other colors, green."

So, what specifications does this design have? 

Size- This design is the right size for a chair, and will probably work on a standard table.
Environmental Impact- All designs will be made out of cardboard so they will have minimal environmental impact.
Production/manufacture- We wouldn't need too much money anyway if all of the designs are made out of cardboard.
Weight- Again, this design will be constructed out of cardboard, and will not weigh that much.
Visual Appeal- The design is an appealing green with nice, eye-catching designs. It also comes in these color schemes: Yellow, Orange, and purple, blue, pink, and magenta-ish, and red, light green, and slightly darker green. 
Mobility- You could easily move this chair somewhere else if you wanted to.
Ease/comfort of use- This chair is the right size, and is probably comfortable to sit in. It is a bit lower than standard chairs, the legs are 12 inches high, but I think it is going to be pretty comfortable if I make it, and it will be nice to have a shortish chair like this!!!


Is it a universal design, something that everyone can use no matter, age, gender, or anything else? 
Yes. Pretty much everyone can use this chair, can sit in it, and get comfortable. But, if someone is really tall, or small and short, it might be hard for them.


Do you think that this design is the right one to build based on the specifications, if it is a universal design, and if it won't be too hard to build? 
This design is a bit big and might require a lot of cardboard to build. Other then that, it will be fun to build and easy. It is just a problem that this design could take a lot of time, and use up more cardboard then I can get. I don't think I will build this design. But, I have second thoughts because it seems really cool. Once I finish my chair, it will be awesome! I could sit on it and have other people sit on it if it is strong enough! That will be awesome!! The colors and designs on the chair are also really cool!
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This is the second to last design, a piano stool. Here is the description that I wrote on the paper. "I designed this piano stool, because our piano teacher has been saying, that the proper way to play piano and the way to sound the best is to have a high stool so that I can curve my fingers properly. This bench is not only high (well, the right height), enough, but has a compartment to store music, and a cool pattern on the front!". This design is pretty complicated to make, because, just like the Chest of Drawers, it might be hard to make the compartment.

So, what specifications does this design have? 

Size- The Piano stool is the perfect size, because, like I said, the whole reason that I built this, or hee hee, designed this, was because I wanted the right size of a stool.
Environmental Impact- This will have minimal impact on the environment because all designs will be made out of cardboard, including this one!
Production/manufacture- Since this design is also made out of cardboard, we wouldn't need too much money to buy materials and make it!
Weight- Same as before, it won't weigh too much because it is made out of cardboard!
Visual Appeal- The colors are appealing, and on the front (sorry, I don't have the front design there yet...), the blue-ish and the purple go very well with the main color, orange. I really like this color scheme and, the design, like the way the compartment is situated, I think, makes the stool look nice. It all looks very compact and nice in my opinion.
Mobility- The stool is a bit bulky I guess, since it is kinda big-ish compared to the other designs, but, I think, since it doesn't way much because it is made out of cardboard, it is pretty mobile and easy to carry and all.
Ease/comfort of use- This design is probably going to be really comfortable and easy to play the piano on since it is designed to be the right size! Also, the cushion/pillow-thingy will make it comfortable. But, the question is, where would I get the materials for that.

Is it a universal design, something that everyone can use no matter, age, gender, or anything else? 
Yes, pretty much... anyone can use it.

Do you think that this design is the right one to build based on the specifications, if it is a universal design, and if it won't be too hard to build? 
It will be kind of hard to build, just like the chest of drawers because of the compartment. Also, I might need a bit more cardboard then I could get. The pillow serves a problem too because of this question, "Where would I get the materials?" The stuffing, the outer-black cloth, and the needles and thread to sew it all together. Also, it might be kind of hard to sew it, but I do have a sewing machine. Well, maybe I don't need to include the pillow, because after all, this is just a thing that we are doing in class. Anyway, it is too hard to do it, and it will take too much time I think. Plus, securing the pillow onto the actual cardboard top will be a challenge. Overall, this design is probably too complicated for me to build in the amount of time we have, and with the materials that we are using.

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Finally, the LAST DESIGN!!! After this, you will be able to shut off your computer, and take a break from this horrible torture-post!!
~~
Okay, this design isn't really a design. I mean, it kinda won't be 'submitted' into the choosing of which design I should use! The reason is, it is DEFINITELY too hard to build, even though I lve this design, we already have a "cat condo" and, besides, I couldn't really build this out of cardboard.  Okay, so, here we go! I don't have the description from the paper now, sorry... but yah know... I'll get back to you later. We will skip directly to the design specs and stuff... HERE WE GO!!

So, what specifications does this design have? 

Size- It is a good size for a cat condo, but it will be way to big to build... Also, it is too big and ambitious of a project and it will take too much time.
Environmental Impact- I can't really make this out of cardboard, but if I do, yah know, it will have minimal environmental impact.
Production/manufacture- Well, since I couldn't make this out of cardboard, if I did make it at least, it would be expensive to get all the materials, the paint, the wood or what ever else I need. Plus, the pillows, blankets, and cat toys.
Weight- Well, you wouldn't really move it, but... if the wood parts to get up are on the wall, then I would need to make sure that it is not too heavy, so that the wall can support it.
Visual Appeal- The colors are appealing, and it looks nice.
Mobility- You wouldn't really move it, so I don't really need to worry about this one!

Is it a universal design, something that everyone can use no matter, age, gender, or anything else? 
Well, humans can't use it, but pretty much any cat (or small, not~too~heavy dog) who wants to go up, could go up. But, a hurt cat, or a baby that can't really jump or something, might have trouble getting up.

Do you think that this design is the right one to build based on the specifications, if it is a universal design, and if it won't be too hard to build? 
Like I said, I won't make this because it would be WAY TOO HARD, and a WAY TOO ambitious project. I mean, I bet I could do it with help from parents, a long time, and the right materials, but I don't really have any of that, except for help from parents... So, I am definitely not going to build this design!

COME BACK NEXT TIME FOR THE DESIGN ELIMINATION!!! HOPE TO SEE YAH THERE!

-Clara

Picture credits:
Thanks to Easybib.com, I can site all of the pictures I have used, correctly!
Orthographic example pic from "Graphics TG201." Course: TG 201. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Faucets, now Twisting!

LOADS AND FORCES!!! 
Hi again! Today when I was washing my hands, I noticed another force in my house! The knobs on the sink in my mom's bathroom, is a good example of twisting. Sorry that is a bit random, but now that we are making blog posts about loads and forces, I am starting to notice so many more forces and loads. Here is a picture of what I am talking about. The thing on the right is one of the knobs. You can see that it is slightly turned already. The dead load of this object is the metal and everything else it is made out of. The live load, well, there isn't really a live load on these knobs. You don't put something on it.
The faucet is different. The dead load is the same (metal), but the water in it, could be the live load if you think about it.

WELL, happy meowing!!!! And be on the lookout for forces and loads in your house!

Sincerely,
Meow

Loads and Forces

Hi again everyone!!! Today I will be talking about meows! 

me·ow

mēˈou/

noun

1. 1.

   the characteristic crying sound of a cat.

verb

1.

(of a cat) make a characteristic crying sound.

synonyms:

mew, mewl, cry More

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No! Just kidding!!!! I will be talking about forces and loads. If you don't know what I mean by that, read the following:

Here are some examples of forces:

1. Squeezing:  Compression - a pressing force that squeezes materials together.
2. Stretching:  Tension- a force that stretches a material apart.
3. Bending: Buckle- the force makes one side of the material squeezes together and the other stretches apart
4. Sliding:  Shear - a force that causes part of the material to slide past one another in opposite directions.
5. Twisting:  Torsion - an action that twists a material

Loads are what they sound like, loads. Whether it is someone sitting on a chair (live load) or the actually chair itself (dead load). In this post, I will be focusing on loads around my house and the forces that are taking place on them. Well, here goes…

Not my actual table.

An example would be the dinner table. The live loads on it would be anything set on top, like forks, spoons, and knives…, any type of food or dish/plate/cup, or just anything we put on to it like books , paper , CDs , or computers. The dead load would be the table itself, including the wood and glue used to make it. 

The force taking place is mostly compression from gravity and the weigh of all the things on it.

An interesting thing is, I could be a dead load and a live load. For example, my hair is a dead load to me. It is part of me and is always connected to me (unless I shave of course). The things that I am wearing, like my watch and my clothes, are a live load. 

Loads and forces are everywhere!!! The chair you are currently sitting on, the screen that you are looking at!!! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS POST!!! SEE YOU SOON!!

image credits: Table from http://discoversouthwestnm.com/wood-dining/33/reclaimed-wood-dining-tables/

Unit 1: Bloggers of the World Unite!

Design Technology
Unit Question: How can sharing our ideas online (in a responsible and safe manner) have a positive effect on our community?
Significant Concept: Information can be created to better connect with an audience.



Evidence:
I learned that creating a blog helps put your thoughts and ideas out to the world but also having fun with and expressing creativity to make your readers interested. I learned how to use and navigate Blogger and I learned how fun it can be to have a blog.
I also learned the Design Cycle;

Investigate
Design
Plan
Create
Evaluate
Attitudes in Technology

I learned so many other things but it would take to long to write. You know, those sort of things that you write down on paper, but don't memorize by heart? 
In this unit, I learned so much and am eager to learn more. We did many fun and educational activities, and when I look back on them, I begin to realize how much I enjoyed them all. I wonder what the next unit will be about…

I think that creating a blog helps people put their thoughts out in the world and express their creativity, personality, and originality. The blog creator can post thoughts and ideas out there that can influence people who read it. It may cause those readers to do something kind and beneficial to the environment, the world, or people in need.  Also, the blogger can write something inspiring that they might read later and be influenced by what they wrote. I will use my knowledge about blogs in a positive way by posting interesting helpful, and creative ideas and stories on my blog. This could affect  readers in a positive way and cause them to do something that is beneficial to the environment, people, or the world we live in.

Image Credits:

Computer from:
http://intergratedtechnology.com/oceans-action-plan-ocean-science-and-technology-2.html/science-and-technology-picturesoceans-action-plan-ocean-science-and-technology-bxbauc

Reflection Time!

Welcome back readers! It's nice to see you here!-

:)

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WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MIGHT CONTAIN BORING, tedious, dull, monotonous, repetitive, unrelieved, unvaried, unimaginative, uneventful; characterless, featureless, colorless, lifeless, insipid, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, unstimulating; unreadable, unwatchable; jejune, flat, bland, dry, stale, tired, banal, lackluster, stodgy, vapid, monochrome, dreary, humdrum, mundane; mind-numbing, wearisome, tiring, tiresome, irksome, trying, frustrating; informal deadly, ho-hum, dullsville, dull as dishwater, and plain-vanilla CONTENT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

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For me, it is  to reflect. What will I reflect about? Well, you'll see...

It is important for me to reflect and evaluate my blog (previous posts, design, colors ect...). This helps me see what things I can improve on, what things I am doing well, what things I edited or changed and more! I can also tell what went well, by examining my blog with a different point of view and a critical eye or sifting through the comments, seeing what readers like and what they don't. That is why, you dear reader, should (actually you are highly advised, majorly suggest, desperately recommended, immensely pleaded) comment. 

Anyway...

I better get to the meaty, juicy, succulent, delicious content of this post or, well,  is running out. If I keep on babbling on and on then this will take centuries to write! 

I feel that the final product of my blog is a great success! The colors, layout, and gadgets add a nice touch to my blog! I am very proud about my blog outcome and I think it is a very positive design! Also, I hope that you like it too. My future posts will be more colorful, with different fonts (with bold, underline, or italic) on different paragraphs! This makes the posts more readable because, I am sure that you readers don't read the whole posts, just tidbits and funny small parts for the same reason I don't read my posts after I finish them . 

I am most proud of my organization and my nice use of color. I think that I have nice organization that makes readers have an easier time to read. One of my goals is to create posts that are interesting and easy to read so reader's comments are more relevant and the readers understand what I am trying to say better. But, I am most proud of my fantastic use of color. The color makes the blog more eye catching and interesting. It brings the reader in and makes them want to read my posts. (Which, by the way, I work very hard on writing) I encourage you, dear reader, to read my posts. I believe that use of color is very important for a blog. Like I said before, it makes the blog more interesting and easier to read. 

These are my design specifications that I think my blog should meet:
~Interesting content
~Icons/gadgets/widgets
~Links
~Videos/photos
~Organization

I think my blog meets most of these criteria. It has pretty interesting content and has a good amount of photos, except I think I need to add more. It is also very important to me to site the photos that I use. I believe that I have a good use of gadgets and widgets too. One of the things I need to work on is links. I need to add more links to my posts. Links provide the reader with great websites that I recommend and websites that are similar to my blog. Organization, like I said previously, is something that I am doing well. I think my blog is well organized and easy to navigate. If you have any recommendations on how my blog could be better, please tell me via a comment! 

I think that I should work on making my blog posts shorter. If I expect readers of my blog to read the posts, I should make it easier for them and create shorter posts but with the same amount of information, just summarized. Also, at the bottom of my blog, I have a few gadgets that seem out of place. Some of those gadgets include, a Harry Potter spell gadget, a poll (which is hard to find if you didn't know it was there), a time gadget, a real Earth and Moon phase gadget that doesn't seem to work, and numerous other gadgets that don't work. I really need to change those gadgets. Maybe delete them or replace them with others, I am not really sure yet. 

I think I can grow my blog by adding informational, moving, and interesting posts that leave readers thinking and taking action to do something beneficial and good to the environment. An example of this would be to inform people about things I think are important, like not littering, and not abusing animals. I can use this blog for a good purpose and I believe I can start soon, maybe even now! 

I think, during this unit in Design Tech class, a lot of behaviors helped me. For one, I did most of my homework on the day it was assigned. I think this helped me because I completed the assignments usually right after school when I had ideas still fresh in my mind. Also, I had more time to do other things so that homework was a balance with fun. Doing my homework prevented me from becoming stressed out, but, since our school schedule has tech so close together, sometimes, it was hard to complete my homework and I ended up needing to do it in class. I need to work on checking my planner to make sure what homework I have because sometimes, I forget what I need to complete and what is soon due. 

I think I was  reflective during this unit. I think I was reflective because I reflected on what I did well and what I would work on during this unit. It really helped me because sometimes I had no idea that I was doing something wrong or something exactly right! I was also a thinker when I was blogging, reflecting, even doing my homework. When reflecting, I thought deeply about what I could change and looked at my blog with a different point of view to see what others might think of it. This is one of my favorite methods of reflecting and looking back on my work. 

In my opinion, blogs are important if you use it in the right way. The blogger can share their thoughts in a safe way that can benefit the readers. They can put their thoughts out in the world and express their creativity, personality, and originality through their blog. The blog creator can post thoughts and ideas out there that can influence people who read it. The blog post might be very moving and cause the reader to continuously think about the post. It may then cause the reader to do something kind and beneficial to the environment, the world, or people in need.  

Also, the blogger can write something inspiring that they might read later, be influenced by what they wrote, and learn something about themselves. My goal is to use my creativity and knowledge about blogs in a positive way by posting interesting helpful, and creative ideas and stories on my blog. This could affect  readers in a positive way and cause them to do something that is beneficial to the environment, people, or the world we live in.

Image credits:

http://www.cutestpaw.com/images/the-thinker-2/

http://hypervocal.com/culture/2012/25-cats-helping-with-your-homework/

http://depositphotos.com/20332497/stock-photo-Evaluation-Report-Card-Clipboard-Assessment-Grades.html

A screenshot taken by Clara

                      

• Synonyms for boring (at the top of this post) comes from the built in computer dictionary (on macs)