4/28/08

Today I will be working on the first print ad, which is due next Tuesday 5/6, and perhaps start the second one, which is due on Thursday, 5/8. Once I finish those, I will work on Dreamweaver, I suppose, but I might not get to that because of weird TAKS schedules. I started the first print ad in Photoshop. I used an image that I found on Google Images and changed its color using Image> Adjustments> Replace color, and changing the hue, saturation, and lightness.

This relates to TEKs 9(b), developing a plan for completing a project, and 18(g), using time management techniques to develop and maintain work schedules and meet deadlines.

Mister Bjerke's blog is at misterbjerkeca.wordpress.com

4/25/08

Today we finished the Package Design. We used Illustrator to create an image of the bag with it's pleats and tag, and the text on the back of the tag. We used Photoshop to create the front of the tag, using methods such as Filter>Extract to remove the leaf from its background for the logo, the Crop tool for resizing the image, and the Text tool. This relates to TEKs 13(c), applying decision-making techniques to the selection of computer technology, 3(c), using software to create and modify images, and 3(a), developing a product or system that meets specified objectives.

4/24/08

Today I was absent for an art field trip to the Fine Arts Museum of Houston, the Menil Collection, and the Rothko Chapel. It was amazing and fascinating!

4/23/08

Today I worked on the package design. We will not be able to work on it tomorrow because I will be on a field trip. We decided that since our product is not fragile or easily damaged, and since minimal packaging is preferable, we only need a tag and a way to fold the bag during transport. So, today we designed the folds and pleats in the bag and created an image of them using Illustrator. We also designed the front of the tag on Photoshop, and started the back using Illustrator. On Friday we will finish up the tag design. This relates to TEKs 9(a), participating in the organization and operation of a real or simulated computer project; 6(b), identifying, selecting, and sequencing the proper computer resources to complete a project; and 3(c), using graphic software to create and modify images.

4/22/08

Product Design:



































Today we finished our product design and turned it in to Mr. Bjerke. We used Illustrator, and in it, the same tools as yesterday. I learned about planning the structure of a basic product using computer technology. This relates to TEKs 13(c), applying decision-making techniques to the selection of computer technology, and 18(g), using time management techniques to develop and maintain work schedules and meet deadlines.

4/21/08

Today I need to finish the Product Design - it is due tomorrow. BUT, I cannot find the Google SketchUp file I started last Friday (I suppose it did not save), so I have to start over! I used Adobe Illustrator to begin to create the images for the product design, and in it used the Line tool, Brush tool, Rectangle tool, Live paint tool, and Text tool. This relates to TEKs 3(c), using graphic software to create and modify images; 6(b), identify, select, and sequence the proper computer resources to complete a project; and 9(a), participating in the organization and operation of a real or simulated computer project.

4/18/08

Today I resent my 5th 6 Weeks Exam because I had forgotten to attach the word document that explained the ad. I tried to create the product design in Google SketchUp, but I didn't figure it out. So, I am now considering just using Illustrator, but I'll spend a few more minutes trying to use SketchUp.

Well, now I am using Google SketchUp, and it is somewhat successful. I shall finish it on Monday. Today's work relates to TEKs 2(d), identifying and describing the roles of computer technology, and 9(b), developing a plan for completing a product.

4/17/08

Fifth Six Weeks Exam:
Apply Your Skills

Fifth Six Weeks Exam: Apply Your Skills

To create my advertisement, I first sketched out a plan of what I wanted my product to be and some ideas for the advertisement of it. I looked for the ballerina and shoe pictures on Google Images, and copied and pasted them into Adobe Photoshop CS3. Then, to extract the picture of the ballerina from its background, I selected Filter>Extract, and outlined the image while pressing the Ctrl key to snap to the picture edges. I placed one of the extracted images from Photoshop on the page. I copied and pasted the ballet shoe picture into the file, over the ballerina. I used the Quick selection tool to select the image of the ballerina and dragged it, cutting the shape out from the picture above it, to the left. In Adobe Illustrator CS3, I created the background of the dance shoe company’s logo in Illustrator by using the Ellipse tool while holding down the Shift key. I placed the circle created in Illustrator into my Photoshop file and then arranged the elements using the Move tool, added words with the Text tool. Finally, I added text with the Text tool about the product to the left of the image. Doing this project relates to TEKs 9(b), developing a plan for completing a project; 13(a), developing or improving a product by following a problem-solving strategy; and 16(a), preparing a marketing plan for a(n) idea, product, or service.

4/17/08

Product Idea

Our product is a reusable grocery bag made from the organically grown plant materials of hemp and cotton, and is designed to decrease the amount of waste placed in landfills, which damage the environment, and help contribute to the practice of recycling. Our goal is to help people carry the items that they purchase, and at the same to establish a business that is fair to its workers and the environment. The bag comes in a variety of colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, aqua, and purple – that are achieved through the use of all-natural dyes. The product is approximately fifteen inches deep, twelve inches long, and eight inches wide. The bag has two straps, each one an inch wide and twenty-four inches long, which are intended to both be worn over one shoulder. The bag has one large front pocket that measures twelve inches by six inches. To work with the product, the user simply opens the bag, places their purchased goods within, and carries it with both straps on their shoulder each time they go shopping. The bag can be washed periodically in a washing machine without causing any damage to it, but should be washed with like colors.

4/16/08

Today I am finishing the other product project which is due tomorrow - I'll probably have to come in early tomorrow and do the write-up for homework... My product was going to be a recycled-paper notebook, but I'm changing it to colorful ballet shoes made from organic-fibers. Haha. Anyway, I applied what I had previously learned to work on the advertisement in Illustrator and Photoshop, and learned about advertising and developing a product. This related to TEKs 3(c), using graphic software to create and modify images, 9(b), developing a plan for completing a computer project, and 13(a), developing or improving a product by following a problem-solving strategy.

4/15/08

Today my partner and I finished the Final Project Proposal and sent it off to Mr. Bjerke. I learned about planning for a business and marketing a product. This relates to TEKs 9(b), developing a plan for completing a project, 14(a), developing a budget for a computer project, 16(a), preparing a marketing plan for a(n) idea, product, or service, and 18(h), completing work according to established criteria. This is our Final Project Proposal completed:

Final Project Proposal

Team Members

Team Member 1 – Carly Dennis

Team Member 2 – Byron Mann

Project Part	Due Dates	Your Grade
Proposal		/50 points
Product Idea		/50 points
Product Design		/100 points
Package Design		/100 points
Print Ad 1		/50 points
Print Ad 2		/50 points
Web Page		/100 points
Web Ad		/50 points
Web Banner		/50 points
Radio Spot		/100 points
Video Spot		/100 points
Portfolio		/200 points

Total possible points on this project: 1,000

1. Describe the problem: (What is it that people need, who needs it, who will but it, why will they spend money to solve their problem)

- People need a way to carry multiple things during activities such as grocery shopping. We want to create a product in way that does not have a negative impact on the environment or the workers involved. Also, to reduce waste and consumption, a reusable item for the job is important. People who buy groceries (most everyone in our society) could use this product, and would buy it if they knew about this problem and realized the impact that other many other products have.

2. Describe the existing solutions: (What are the existing solutions for this problem – describe both commercial products and home-made solutions)

- Currently stores provide plastic and paper bags, and in some cases sturdier reusable bags. Some consumers carry canvas tote bags or other bags made from green or recycled materials from home to stores.

3. Describe your solution: (Describe how it will solve the problem, for how long, and what actions will be required by the consumer; also describe how it will work)
   - To solve this problem, people can buy reusable shopping bags made from organic materials. This will solve the problem in that it will allow people to carry the goods they purchase, but not to create waste while doing so. The bags would be very durable, and has a lifetime guarantee. The consumer would simply have to place items in the bag and carry it. The bag will have 2 straps and will be wide and rectangular; items can be placed within it and should be carried by both straps on the shoulder.
4. Describe the market:(Describe existing solutions, how much they cost, how many are sold, what companies sell them, where they are sold)
   - The average American family brings home approximately 1,000 plastic bags each year, most of which end up in landfills. Plastic bags cost retailers about 4 billion annually. Reusable bags have become increasingly popular, because they satisfy the need to carry more, but do not have to be thrown away. The average prices range for such products is about $0.50 to $30. Such products are sold at various grocery stores, on the Internet, and at various retail stores (clothing, home furnishings, and office supply stores…). Specific companies that sell reusable shopping bags include IKEA, Whole Foods, Central Market, Wal-Mart, Baggu, EcoBags, Reusable Bags, and Target.

5. Describe your price: (Describe the cost of production, the prices of existing solutions, how much people will want to pay for your solution, and what the retail and wholesale price will be)
   - As the organic production of hemp is approximately $0.90 to $0.95 per pound, to produce our product, and workers (who will hand-make the bags) will be paid more than minimum wage, it will cost approximately $10 to make each bag. With production costs at this, our product’s retail price will be about $25 and its wholesale price about $20 per bag, when purchased in quantities of 50 or more.
6. Describe your marketing strategy: (Describe how you will reach your audience, how you will convince them it is a good product and how you will get people to trust your product)
   - We will explain the problem in our advertisements, which will include print and web ads, a video, a radio advertisement, and a web page. We will explain that our product is environmentally friendly and ethically created by giving details on materials and methods of production.
7. Describe your marketing budget: (Describe how much you will spend on advertising and where you will spend that money)
   - We will spend money to create a video spot, radio spot, a web ad, a web banner, and to put 2 print ads in publications. We will spend approximately $100 or less on advertising.

4/14/08

Today we found out about our new Final Project. Ah, I really need to finish my other product project. Well, I am working with Byron. We worked on the Final Project Proposal, which is due tomorrow, and our product is a handmade, environmentally-friendly hemp and cotton reusable grocery bag. I learned about planning a business today, and I must say that I am not at all fond of it. Today's work relates to TEKs 6(d), using a variety of computer resources to complete a project, and 9(a), participating in the organization and operation of a real or simulated computer project.

4/11/08

Today I learned about formatting in word because I had to finish working on my newspaper project. I worked mostly with textboxes, as well as columns, fonts, and pictures. This relates to TEKs 2(d), identifying and describing the roles of computer technology, and 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software. Tomorrow I believe I will be working more on Dreamweaver...

4/10/08

Today I continued to work on Lesson 3 of Dreamweaver. I had to go back to step 1 of 'Defining styles for tags' because the parts added to main.css were apparently not saved. Hmmm. Well, it was very messed up, but, I have fixed it now. I am very proud, but I only ended up getting a few more pages done; I am at step 1 of 'Saving and attaching a print style sheet'. Anyway, I learned about applying styles and changing properties. This relates to TEKs 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software, and 7(b), following safety manuals, instructions, and requirements.

4/9/08

Today I worked on Lesson 3 of Dreamweaver. I got to step 4 of 'Setting up custom classes'. I learned about defining a Dreamweaver site by choosing Site>New Site, previewing a file in a browser, attaching an external style sheet by choosing Window>CSS Styles and clicking Attach Style Sheet (the chain link icon) and choosing the css file you wish to attach in the dialog box, creating new CSS rules (defining styles for tags and setting up custom classes). This relates to TEKs 7(b), following safety manuals, instructions, and requirements, and 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software.

4/8/08

Today I finished Lesson 2 of Dreamweaver. I learned about adjusting toolbars (which included customizing Favorite Objects for the Favorites category in the Insert bar by right-clicking on the Insert bar and choosing Customize Favorites), and personalizing preferences by choosing Edit>Preferences. I also learned that you can employ icons which show the location of Invisible Elements on your page by checking off those that you wish to see in Preferences>Invisible Elements. This relates to TEKs 18(h), completing work according to established criteria, and 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software. I then worked on my Product Project, which relates to TEK 13(a), developing or improving a product following problem-solving strategy.

4/7/08

Happy birthday Luke Jacob Dennis.
Anyway, today I worked on Lesson 2 of Dreamweaver again. I got to step 8 of 'Adjusting toolbars'. I learned about creating custom workspaces, using the Property inspector, and using and adjusting toolbars. This relates to TEKs 6(a), describing properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software, and 7(b), following safety manuals, instructions, and requirements.

4 April

Er! I wish I could go to that extra credit poetry recital, but I have to babysit from about 12:00 to 6:00. What a disappointment. Oh well. I have also been having major printing difficulties with my essays for english and geography... Anyway, today I finished Lesson 1 of Dreamweaverj, learning how to view the webpage you create in a browser using File>Preview in Browser>Firefox. I then started Lesson 2 and learned about basic navigation in Dreamweaver;controlling the welcome screen, choosing a document window (switching between types of viewing), using the status bar (located at the bottom of the page), and adjusting panels and groups. I got to step 5 of 'Adjusting panels and panel groups'. This relates to TEKs 6(c), describing the processes used in computer technology, and 7(b), following safety manuals, instructions, and requirements.

3 April

Today I worked before school on moving things which previously had to be saved to my desktop to my Z:/ drive. During class I continued to work on Lesson 1 of Dreamweaver; I got to step 1 of 'Previewing a page in your browser'. I learned about adding images to a webpage, creating links, modifying CSS styles (which included changing background colors of the page body, inserting a graphic background, adjusting fonts and colors of text, and altering size and spacing of text). This relates to TEKs 2(d), identifying and describing the roles of computer technology, and 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software.

April 2, 2008

Today I showed Mr. Bjerke the books I found that I plan to put on an archive site for my project. One of them, Alexander and the Magic Mouse was too recently published to use (1969), but the other, a book which contains the stories of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland illustrated beautifully, was published in 1957, so the copyright is expired, which means I can use it. Yay! I plan to take pictures of each page using a tripod and digital camera, and perhaps a scanner for high resolution on the pictures. I also started Dreamweaver today. I didn't get too far, because of project planning (which relates to TEKs 6(b), identifying, selecting, and sequencing the proper computer resources to complete a project, and 9(b), developing a plan for completing a project) and catching up on blogs. But anyway, I got to step 1 of 'Adding new images', which taught me some basic information about the location of tools in Dreamweaver. My work today also relates to TEK 6(a), describing the properties and characteristics of computer-related hardware and software.

April 1st

Flash is officially incredibly frustrating!!! Well, I came in early today to finish Lesson 5, and realized that it is not working correctly at all when it comes to the eyes blinking, which is what I worked on all of yesterday. So, today I am redoing that (I actually have to go back to before where I was yesterday: to page 155) and hoping that I can get a bit farther and do a bit better. Well, after attempting to start from there, I believe I will have to start over completely! Rrrrrr. I hope I'll have time to do the extra credit (which relates to TEK 11(a), using an assessment strategy to determine the risks and benefits of technological developments in computer technology)... I also would like to do that project about buying and discarding electronics. But most importantly, I need to do my product project (which relates to TEK 13(a), developing a product by following a problem-solving strategy)! Anyway, today I learned about all the same things I did last Thursday and Friday, and yesterday. This relates to TEKs 7(b), following safety manuals, instructions, and requirements, and . We also started learning about Dreamweaver today. I'll start that tomorrow.