Reflection on Rachel Chung’s IT150 Course

Towards the end of my fall semester, a couple of my friends and I were putting together our spring schedules when we saw IT150 was being offered.  We decided to take it and figured it should not be hard because it is just a computer class.  When the first class came around, it still did not seem that hard until that night….

We got our first assignment and I was so confused on what we were suppose to do.  The assignment took me atleast three to four hours to complete.  I thought to myself, I do not have enough hours to get this amount of work done two nights a week.  I even called my mom and explained to her how hard and time consuming the course was.  I contemplated on dropping out but decided to stick with it because no matter what I do, I need the course to graduate.

I am really glad I stayed in the class because I really have learned a lot.  From the parts of a computer, to different systems in computers and how to do a Google campaign.  I have also learned certain aspects of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access that I have not learned in those classes I am currently taking now.  My favorite thing that I have learned in IT150 so far is how to make flow charts.  I found it very interesting because I did not know you could make them in Mircosoft Word.

Over the whole semester, I feel I have gotten to be a better student overall.  When I had questions about assignments, I email Rachel and got in contact with her easily.  I learned how to manage my time wisely because inorder for my to get the assignments finished, I had to plan ahead and know when to work on them.  Since I play basketball here at Carlow, I have a lot less time to get homework completed.  For anyone who is considering taking IT150 in the future, just know that it is a ton of work but in the long run, I believe it is well worth it.  I have learned a lot that I know will benefit me in the future during my career.

Melanie Cribbs

Christy’s IT150 Experience

Over course of the semester, I have learned a lot about computers. I find myself showing friends and classmates my new found tricks. There are few pros and cons to taking this class. I would recommend it, because it teaches very simple things that I use every day now and will carry on with me after this class.

One pro is how I learned to take a screenshot. I have probably used that feature the most. I take screenshots to explain things to people, in which they may not understand what or how to complete a task.  I also use screenshots when emailing Dr. Chung and asking for help. It is a lot easier to see what someone is talking through a screenshot.

Another things I use a lot is Google. I have had Google email for a long time, but never used Google to it full potential.  I am constantly using the calendar and the documents. I use Google Documents for class projects. It is one way people can put all there work together collectively. Also, I have met with groups before and have wasted time and talking about nothing. Google Documents lets you do things at your pace, in the comfort of your own place.  Google Documents lets you share your work and edit other peoples work, without wasting time.  The nicest part about the Google features is time.  You are able to complete group assignments at 3:00 A.M. without disturbing your partners studies or sleep. 

You can see that I have used Google Documents for more than my IT150 class.  I also used screenshot to display this image.

One thing I did not like was the Google Online Marketing Challenge. I think that they Google Challenge should have been done without any other conflicts, like other assignments. The other assignments really took away my motivation for the Google Online Marketing Challenge. I was really excited to do the Online Marketing Challenge and I really wanted to put it in my e-Portfolio, but it was rather complicated, especially when we were doing the Databases.  These assignments too a lot longer than I would have expected and required a lot of input and knowledge of the all the material. Databases were another con of the class.  They were complicated and did not work from all computer on campus.  We used Microsoft 2007 in class; I use Microsoft 2003 on my laptop.  This really created a barrier, which added to the frustration of databases.  In the end, both databases and Google Online Marketing Challenge were useful tools, but it took much longer to understand the whole process. I am taking a Database course in the fall, hopefully Dr. Chung’s lessons paid off.

On recommendateion, I have for student who want to take this course, is that this class is not a blow off class.   There is a lot of work involved.  You have to prepare yourself and do your assignments on time.  Task management and time management really play into this class as well.  The work really does pay off.  I am proud of myself, because I was able to learn new techniques that I have still continued to use.  That’s the real benefit to this class.

Overall, I would strongly recommend taking this class. It will teach you things that will simplify your computer skills and make life a little easier. It’s a good class that you will learn a lot from. I can’t wait for the class to be over, but than again I am taking another IT class in the fall. IT150 was very useful and I wish I had taken more computer classes before my third year of school.  I think this class should strongly be recommened by all majors.  It should also be suggested int he first or second year of school.  There are a few classes that build onto this class and I am finding that I simply don’t have the time to take more computer courses.

the IT150 experience

I think we can all agree that IT150 is not a blow-off course.  Even though everyone was forewarned that this class would be a lot of work, I don’t think anyone really understood the extent of how hard this class would be, or else most people would have opted out of it.  Within the first week of class we were given assignments that, much to everyone’s surprise, took hours to complete.  Those of us who waited until the last minute to complete these assignments quickly learned that this would not work for this type of class.  As time passed it became common for the majority of the class to be in the lab an hour before class, getting extra help or trying to complete the assignments due for that day.  Although the homework led to a lot of late nights, eventually I learned how to manage my time to complete them.  This helped with my time management skills.

Once we started the Google AdWords project, it became clear that this class was going to be extremely hard.  Not only did we have to do the regular assignments, but now we also had to do the work for the AdWords campaign.  One good thing about the Google project is that it does look good on resumes, but at times the tasks did become complex.

For any students considering IT150, I will share some information that may have helped me had I been aware in the beginning of the semester.  It is imparative that all of the assignments are at least half way completed the night before they are due, or else you will be up until morning trying to figure them out.  It is always a good idea to read the text carefully, not only does this help with the quizzes, but it often times relates to either the project or the homework in some way.  I do think this class is interesting, but I probably would not recommend it for a person who has absolutely no interst in technology, or a person with extremely basic computer skills because this could create problems.

Overall, this class forced me to work harder, and manage my time more wisely, and anything that allows me to do that is worth taking, in my opinion.

Gabrielle Ilochi

Reflection on IT150: Spring ’09

When I first signed up for this class, I honestly was not sure what it would entail. I did, however, think that it would be one of my easier classes for the semester. This was not the case.

Being told on the first day that this was not going to be an easy class kind of scared me and almost made me want to drop it. Then I decided that I would go through with it and continue in the class knowing that it would be a lot of work. IT 150 was definitely a lot of work.

The assignments keep coming non-stop and the Google Online Market Challenge hovers in the background with its own assignments. Now, looking back on the semester, I realize that every assignment taught me something new or built upon skills I already had.

The Google Online Marketing Challenge introduced me to a whole new concept that I had no knowledge about. The project was difficult at times and took a lot of work to understand the logistics of online marketing and how it worked. Once you figure it out though, it’s actually sort of fun to watch and see who is visiting your client’s website and the number of clicks. Completing this advertising challenge has even helped me with interviews and given me a “real life” experience to reference.

Some assignments were difficult and there were times when I had no idea what I was doing, but Rachel was always willing to help. She was available to assist students all the time and answered email questions very promptly. Having an instructor that was dedicated to the class made it easier to keep up with the work and learn.

I had yet to realize all the new skills I have acquired in this course until we did the assignment about our resumes.  The “Enterprise Me” lecture really got me thinking about how important it is to stay informed and read up on people in my desired career area.  The lecture got me thinking and I am going to try to read up on accounting more often and try to subscribe to an online newsletter to stay informed.  I think that the lecture was a good way to get the class to start thinking about careers and how to make you marketable after college.

Overall, this class was a lot of work and taught me many new things that will follow me into my future career.

Ramblings and Reflections

I really had no idea what to think about this class when I signed up for it to fulfill the IT requirement.  I was prepared for it last semester, but due to a scheduling conflict, I had to push it back a semester.  To be honest, I’m glad I did, because I ended up having way too much work last semester and I might’ve died.  This semester was a little more leisurely, although this class has sure given me a workout.

The main thing to remember about this class, folks, is: NONE OF IT IS REALLY HARD.  IT’S JUST TIME-CONSUMING.

I don’t have a lot of free-time this semester, but at least I’m not frying my brain.  Typing 3 pages where I don’t have to be linguistically correct or self-censoring of my thoughts is easier than writing 3 pages on literary criticism where writing “I don’t get this” would mean a failure.

I do think I’ve grown in this class.  The laid-back attitude has helped me come out of my shell – I usually sit in a corner and hide, trying not to speak and trying not to be noticed.  But Rachel has such a nice personality and relaxed way of speaking, it’s hard to stay quiet.  Rachel’s idea of group projects in the hopes of replacing bad memories of group projects worked really well, for the fact that my group took me in out of the goodness of their hearts.  THey have been THE BEST group I’ve worked with, ever, period.  They actually listen to me, and respect my opinions, and ask me what I want to do in the projects.

The Google project itself is really daunting, and it has baffled me at points, but it had definitely given me an experience that will affect my future carreer.  Not many people our age get to have these kinds of experiences, which puts us at a great advantage overall.

Reflection on IT150 with Rachel Chung

To be completely honest, I – like most of you – only took Information Technology I at Carlow University in the Spring semester of 2009 because it was part of my major’s requirements.  I didn’t even know what Information Technology was when I registered, but I figured my first semester classes were pretty easy and I’d be able to fly through this course too.

I was wrong.

When I walked into the classroom the first day, it was almost full.  By the next class half of those students had disappeared.  Rachel had spent most of our first meeting warning us about how much work we were going to get and it scared some of the students away. I, on the other hand, didn’t believe her.  I’d heard that so many times before and it always turned out to be an over exaggeration.  Again, I was wrong.

IT150 is a lot of work, but for what you get out of it, it’s completely worth it.  In the beginning we got packets of homework assignments almost every class and I spent hours each night just trying to get it done in time for the next class.  Then on top of that, the Google project was added and we had to do even more work every day.  It was hard and stressful and I didn’t always agree with the workload, but in the end, it was useful.  I don’t think there is one thing in any of those assignment that I won’t use again in the future or that won’t give me an advantage and put me ahead of other people in the workforce.

I liked the hands on work we did with Microsoft Access and Excel and the in class exercises.  I also liked learning about the different Information Systems businesses use in the background to help themselves improve and the other little things we learned like how the internet works, Google’s various useful applications, and how to read database language.  The Google AdWords project was a lot of work and could be really confusing sometimes, but it was fun to work with a real business and real money and it really gives you a lot of experience and a great advantage.

If I had to give advice to any future students all I would say is don’t give up and don’t slack off.  It’s a lot of work and it’s going to stress you out and overwhelm you, but I think that what you get back from it is the dealbreaker.  Not only will you learn inside the classroom, but also outside of the classroom because it’ll teach you how to teach yourself, how to learn from your mistakes, and it will really get you ready for the workload that you’ll face throughout the rest of your college experience.

The best thing that you’ll get from this course is a competitive advantage.  Of course you only touch on things like Access and Excel, DreamWeaver, information systems, HTML/database language, and various other useful things, but you can build on those skills and use them to your advantage in your career because there aren’t a lot of other people out there who are going to know what those things are let alone how to use them.  I bet you’ll meet plenty of employers who have no idea what Google AdWords or Google Apps are and might not even know what information systems are and because you do, you’re going to stand out and they’re going to want you.  IT150 is tough, but like I’ve said before, what you learn from it will continue to help you throughout your career.

Information Technology, Rachel Chung

Whenever Cory helped with scheduling in FYI, Information Technology was listed underneath requirements for an accounting major. It was in the 100’s and i figured that this class wont be that hard, the teacher will give easy assignments and I’ll breeze right through.

I entered the classroom on the first day, sat down and the first thing Rachel had to say was this class was going to be a  lot of hard work, working on your own outside of class, and you will need to use your imagination constantly. I am the type of person who likes to be told exactly what to do and step by step instructions on how to complete assignments; the word imagination scared me. The first assignment we got was a couple pages of typed up work and I thought great I’m never going to make it through this class, I jinxed myself earlier.

As the class went on, the work didn’t seem as hard or as much once you got started. In addition, having to teach myself how to do some assignments like Access and Excel helped me learn better. I really enjoyed the hands on experience and how it was an overview of everything that had to to do with technology. Also, Rachel gave us links to where you can watch YouTube videos that help you understand concepts. We watched the Warriors of the Net video and it helped understand how the interet works. Here is a clip from the video.

On the other hand, I didn’t like how much work needed to be completed between Monday’s class and Wednesday’s class. I spoke with Rachel and for you who are taking it next semester she is trying to work on this. The Google Challenge was a lot of work, although I learned a lot of valuable tips and things which will set me apart from others in the work force. I liked doing the campaign and making the advertisement although I didn’t like how much Google expected us to type up for them. Most of it was repetitive and a waste of time.

Some recommendations for potential students would be number one, don’t get over whelmed and drop the class after the first couple days. The work does get easier and the Google Challenge is exciting. You get to work with actual clients and money! Also, make sure you don’t put the assignments off until the last minute. It is possible to get them done quick, but you should take the time and try and actually understand the assingments. Lastly, make sure you read the book and the Google Textbook it will help a lot with the quizzes.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed taking this class. Rachel is a wonderful teacher and is also there if you need a little assistance with the assignments. I like how you can just send her a screen shot and she can see what your working on and how it needs to be fixed. Here is an example of a screen shot from Access. She makes sure you understand the material and puts it into terms that will help you grasp the concepts. Also, I learned how to manage my time better because the work load at times can be stressfull. I also got to use my imagination a little and it isn’t so bad!!

Ashley Majorsky

Reflection on IT150-Spring 2009

So I walked into IT150 on January 13, 2009 with an open mind, and no expectations. After listening to the instructor’s overview of the class I was in shock. I had no idea how I was going to have the time to complete the assignments, especially to the best of my ability. In the beginning of the course we mainly focused on forming our groups for the Google On-line Marketing Challenge. This was a stressful time because this group assignment runs the entire length of the semester. After that part was over, the work started. We had to pick a client to work with, and begin thinking about a campaign that would advertise for this company. The hardest part of starting this challenge was balancing the group work with our individual assignments. I will admit that during the first 3 or 4 weeks of the class I was majorly stressed. The work never seemed to stop and the intensity only seemed to grow. After forming the campaign and keeping up with the assignments, it was time to present our campaign to the class and a few guest judges. I was very nervous, because I was new to on-line advertising and I felt as though I would be judged as a professional consultant. The presentation went alright. The judges gave reasonable help and a few gave us some really good ideas. As the campaign got started the assignments seemed to spread out, and get a little easier at the same time. At about the time of spring break, things seemed to be going alright. Now that we are only a few weeks away from the end, I am proud of the work that I have accomplished in this course, and it is something that I will never forget.

Although the class is a lot of work, it is easy to succeed in because the instructor helps you with anything that you need help with. She is available pretty much anytime of the day through e-mail, or Google chat. She is usually just a short click away.

One thing that you must understand when taking this course is that you are going to come out knowing a good bit about technology and how it all works, but you are going to come out knowing a whole lot more about yourself. This course forces you to push yourself to your maximum potential, which is something that we all need at some point in our lives. IT150 truly showed me what I am capable of, and just how much I can accomplish when I set my mind to it. Never in my life did I expect to do an on-line marketing campaign for a client that actually may affect the success of their business.

“It Takes a Village to Track a Child”

How much new knowledge and insights can we gain from following, not 100, but 100,000 kids from before birth to the time they complete college? One of the most ambitious government research studies launched in January 2008 promises to offer exciting opportunities for new scientific discoveries by 2030 when babies born new begin to graduate from college. 

Respect the little guy “\”

[image source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/383797276_b81e232f4b_m.jpg%5D

If you’ve ever built software, you would realize how easy it is to make errors. Building software is like trying to communicate with robots with a foreign language. When we learn a foreign language, we often make grammatical errors, silly pronunciation mistakes, etc. The human ear is amazingly tolerant of these minor errors. Usually we can get our point across OK despite minor speech imperfections.

Creatures like robots or computers are not as forgiving as humans.