Development Diary

Blog Post 5

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:16:32 +0200

Networking

This lesson I have nearly completed now. I took the final exam yesterday for Routing Protocols and Concepts and scored 94.0% which is a relief because if I took a second time I would probably fail! Now all there is left to is the assignment which seems pretty straight forward, and also the practical part of the course which I should hopefully pass. I feel that I have learned a lot since I started this specific course, and of course, having a good teacher helps.

Programming

This particular part of my course, I finished over a month ago now. When I started this course, i new nothing what so ever about programming and I feel that I have learned quite a lot in the time that I have been at college.

Key Skills

This lesson, was probably the easier out of the lot. This could be because I have already got a CLAiT Plus Diploma in Microsoft packages meaning that I know my way around some of them. I finished this lesson well over three months ago now, and have actually learned quite a lot of things that I didn’t know about the Microsoft packages.

Organisational Systems Security

I literally finished this particular subject yesterday. This is probably one of the best lessons that I have had since I started this course and have learned loads since.

Computer Systems

This probably is one of the easier subjects that I have had since the start of the course. I have virtually completed all of the assignment work now, just having one or two issues with the distinction criteria.

Advanced Database Skills

This may be one of the most boring lessons that I have, but hey, it is quite a good thing to be able to understand. I have nearly finished this subject now and am hoping to get signed off for it soon.

Website Management and Production

This is probably the lesson that I am the furthest behind in at the minute. I have still got the actual website to finish creating, and once that is done then I still have to document it all. I knew a little bit about website design when I started the course, but I have still learnt a lot more since then.

Communication and Employability Skills

This was probably one of the lessons that I enjoyed most out of all of the lessons that I have. I think that we have a great teacher for it, and the subject as it is, is quite an interesting subject especially as the teacher makes it interesting.

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Blog Post 4

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:08:29 +0200

Networking

Its coming to the end of my course now. I was clueless about networking when i started this course and now i know so much. Since i last wrote a post, i have learnt about all of the different routing protocols, what they are and what they do.

Programming

I have totally finished my programming now. We had to create a meal planner program for our assignment and document and then improve on it. It actually went really well, i only hit one or two problems with code so that was all right.

Organisational Systems Security

This lesson i still have the whole of assignment two to sort out. Its going quite good now though, were not actually learning anything in the lessons no more, it’s just all assignment work.

Computer Systems

This lesson i have virtually finished now. We haven’t been learning anything in that lesson for a real long time now, its just really doing your assignment work. That i have handed in today.

Advanced Database Skills

This is probably the lesson that i am the most behind in. I have god knows how many tasks left to do now. It is getting a bit more interesting now though, learning to password protect databases also creating a database that cant be edited by the normal user.

Website Production and Management

I am also a little behind in this lesson also. I have managed to sort some of the tasks out and am planning to sort the rest out over the holidays. Also, we are actually creating our website now, which is a break from actually doing theory most of the time.

Communication and Employability Skills

This lesson we have nearly finished also. We also finished of our presentation that we needed to do to pass the unit. I thought that mine didn’t got to bad in the end!!!

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Blog Post 3

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:18:12 +0100

Blog Post 3

Networking

I have recently been scoring just above the past mark in all the chapter exams and was quite worried because I had the end of unit test in a couple of weeks. In the last week or so I packed in the revision doing practice tests and looking at the slides and managed to get not just a past mark but 98.1% in the final exam and got just one question wrong. I’m really pleased with the result I got and glad that I actually got down to doing some revision.

Programming

We haven’t really been creating any more programs in this lesson no more as we are concentrating on getting our task 1 and 2 for our assignments. I have completed task 1 and finally completed task 2 – task 2 took ages because it involved testing all of our programs to prove that they work properly – there must have been at least twenty pages of information in the end – just for task 2!!!

Key Skills

I have completed the major task now which means that I only have to do the minor task and then I have completed key skills. It took a while but I am glad that it is done and dusted now.

Organisational Systems Security

The first assignment is nearly done for this subject. I only have one task left to do and when that is done there is only one more smaller assignment that we need to do. Also, we have been promised some practical work which should be interesting.

Computer Systems

Assignment Task 2 for this was really hard. It was so vague what they expected you to do but I finally passed it and scraped the M criteria on it as well. I think that this is one of the hardest tasks that I have done so far.

Advanced Database Skills

I have now completed all the tasks that are needed in by review week. This took me a while but we are now starting to get to the more practical side of things – so it is getting as interesting as it possibly can be!

Website Management and Production

In this lesson I have now completed task one and task two and now I am onto task three. This is quite a big task next and could take me quite a while but I am motivated to do it because task 5 is where the practical work starts and it should be a lot more interesting from then on.

Communication and Employability Skills

In this lesson I am up to date in everything and have nearly finished another massive task which is not in fact due in for quite a while.

I am still enjoying college and glad that I passed my test in the CISCO Subject.

Beyonce If I Were A Boy

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

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Blog Post 2

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:40:45 +0100

In this last four weeks I have learnt many things.

Networking

I have learnt many things during the past three weeks. I have learnt how to configure a router (obviously only basic things as this course I am on is the fundamentals course), and recapped on different types of networks such as bus and star networks and their attributes and protocols. I am still getting on really well in this lesson (I like to think!) and am finding the new criteria quite easy to understand.

Programming

I have learnt only a few new things in this lesson. The best thing was that I made a plane fly across the screen, apart form the fact that when I actually looked at it properly, I realised that the plane was facing the other way around and technically flying backwards! I am still enjoying this lesson.

Key Skills

In key skills, we are still working on our major task but today we have started revising for our test in January. We are practicing Access mostly but also Word and Excel which I find really easy but made a really, really simple mistake today which I was really annoyed about. I still like this lesson and get on fine with the teacher.

Organisational Systems Security

In this lesson I am still getting on well with. I have completed my task 1 and 2 and now to completed the criteria P3 and P4 we have to do a presentation to the whole class which I am really not looking forward to. This is really what we have been focusing on for the last three to four weeks.

Computer Systems

In this lesson I am still getting on all right with it, but I have completed task 1 and that took me such a long time but now I am working on task 2 and that is going to take even longer. I thought this lesson would be more interesting but I have learnt just to get on with it no matter what because I know that I have got to pass this subject to get my qualification!

Advanced Database Skills

In the lesson we are now covering how to validate things in Access and many more which I have already covered so to me, the lesson isn’t that interesting. But, now I have finished task 1 and am working on task 2 there is something to do.

Website Management and Production

We recently have been learning how to use Cascading Style Sheets. I found this really interesting as it save putting tags in for every line of code you want to format.

Communication and Employability Skills

Recently we learnt about skills that are valued by employers and why they are. I identified these and am now much more aware about what employers want than what I was before.

Also, I was asked earlier to choose my strand choice, whether I was going down the software or networking route. This is a hard decision but I have chosen networking for the minute and am still not total sure that I have chosen the right one but luckily I am going to be able to change my mind up until January.

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Blog Post 1

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:11:54 +0100

I have learnt a great variety of skills since I joined this course at Bedford College. When I come here I didn’t really know anything about computers apart from how to use them. Now, I can create windows applications, design websites and many more.

Networking

This is one of the subjects that I didn’t really have a clue about. I have made good progress though and have learnt many things, this can range from configuring IP addresses, analysing IP addresses to find out default subnet masks how to insert a video card into a PC etc. I have learnt very well in this lesson, the teacher is very nice and easy to get on with and we do plenty of practical’s as well as theory as this helps me because I am more of a practical person. What I could do to improve on this subject is to listen more when it comes to theory and ask questions when I don’t understand something.

Programming

This would be another one of the lessons of which I didn’t really have a clue about as well. I have found this lesson very enjoyable and have learnt how to create simple windows applications that range from a pub quiz, kids questionnaire right up to what type of weather it is. This subject again, I am learning greatly, it has been virtually all practical work which suits me and the teacher is very good and understanding when you have problems. What I could do to improve is troubleshoot more myself instead of immediately asking the teacher after a minute or so of troubleshooting and not being able to find a solution.

Key Skills

In this lesson we have been studying Microsoft packages, in particular Microsoft word access and excel. These packages I am already qualified in with my CLAiT qualifications but I still found these lessons interesting and learnt some new things as well. I am learning well in this lesson as it is mostly practical and the teacher is very good. At this moment in time I have completed all the work and do not see how I could improve on it. But that will change shortly as we are going to be moving onto the assignment.

Organisational Systems Security

Another subject that I didn’t really know about but this is one of the lessons that I enjoy most. We are learning about all types of attacks to computer systems at the minute, this can range from denial of service attacks to time bombs. This is a lesson which I am good in and wish to understand more so I am motivated to learn more which makes me pay more attention in lesson.

Computer Systems

This lesson I am not so keen on but understand that in order to complete my course I need to pass this module. This is all about learning the ins and outs of computer systems. I have learnt about the binary language, what buses (in computer terminology!!!!!) are the purpose of input and output ports and many more. To maximise my performance in this lesson I could try and listen to my lecturer a bit more which would enable me to have a broader knowledge of this module.

Advanced Database Skills

This lesson I am not keen on at all. It is mostly theory but it has to be done so I’m doing it. In this lesson we are learning all about relational databases, how to join tables by using foreign keys and many more. I may be able to improve more on my knowledge of that subject if I paid more attention in the lesson.

Website Production and Management

This is one of my favourite lessons at the minute. This is where we are learning how to create and manage websites which is a very interesting subject. The teacher is great which makes me more inclined to pay attention in the lesson. It’s never really boring and that what I like really about this lesson.

Communication and Employability Skills

This is the lesson which I am writing these blogs for. In this lesson we are learning about developing ourselves by using personal development plans, discovering our strengths and weaknesses and creating these very blogs to help us with our personal development plans. The teacher is great and understanding in this subject and what I could do to improve on my knowledge in this area is ask more question when I am unsure of things etc.

I think that I have learned lots in the matter of months that I have been at Bedford College. I have improved greatly on one of my main weaknesses of being very unorganised. I keep everything in a big folder ensuring that I leave nothing at home and also I have handed in MOST of my assignment tasks in on time. I could still improve on that though, I could get ALL of my assignment tasks in on time!!!

I think that the first few months of college have gone very well. I like my teachers, they are all very nice, class mates are cool, and most important of all i am enjoying the course. So far!!!!!

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My Blog

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:56:51 +0200

A blog can be defined as many things, it could be someone’s online diary from which the person will write posts (equivalent to diary entries), it can be a memo to the world, it could also be a personal and/or political soap board. A blog post, which I mentioned earlier, is an entry to the blog, so let’s say if this person used a blog for keeping a diary a blog post would be equivalent to a diary entry. Over the years popularity with blogging has increased in popularity. Here is one example of why it has increased; in the 20th century communication across the internet was very professional meaning that the communication was one way. As we moved into the 21st century, the communication on the internet has become more personal, people can voice their opinion and they can reply to peoples post etc. Basically, as we moved on with technology this technology has become more user friendly, interactive and more two way than it used to be.

In my opinion, blogs are fantastic. This gives people a free way of communicating to the world and they can socialise on them and much, much more. The additional bonus when it comes to blogs is how easy they are to set up and maintain. You can set these up in a matter of minutes and then you can be personalizing them and starting to write your posts in a matter of ten minutes. For a person who is not very computer literate, this is a fantastic way of socialising via the internet.

As I have said throughout that this is such a good idea I think it wise to list the advantages and disadvantages of being a blogger.

Advantages:

One of the most important factors of being a blogger is that anybody’s voice can be heard, and this is great for people with lets say for example people with disabilities which makes them unable to go out, then they could start creating blogs and start socialising online as they are unable to go out so then they could make friends online. Some of the other factors is that they are easy to set up, cheap, dynamic, and they can “break and shake” the news, meaning that blogs can have an influence on people.

Disadvantages:

A main issue is Propaganda. This means trying to change/influence other peoples minds on views and stuff. Now this is wrong basically, so you have to watch out for what you are reading – if there is some massive story on a blog and you have seen a actual news print of something totally different to the blog itself you know that then there is a good probability that the blog could be untrue. Another is leaks of confidential information – which could get people into a lot of trouble, attacks on bloggers.

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