Exploring Photoshop

     Photoshop is great to create and alter images because it works on a professional level and it’s really easy to use. I don’t know much about Photoshop but the basic tools I know can take me mile; imagine being a professional with Photoshop. I have nothing against the program and I think it can be used for a lot of things except for altering models on the cover of magazines. I feel accomplished and happy when I use Photoshop because I feel there is so much you can change on one image and I’m making those small changes. I sometimes use it on my own images when I want something changed.

     I feel that the six workshops went well; everything was really easy except for the workshop with the woman and the eye patch. It was quite hard to make the eye blend in because tools such as smudge and blur are very distinct and the viewer can clearly tell that something is not right with the eye. After much exploring, I discovered the Dodge tool which helped blend the eye in with the rest of the face. Another thing that bothered me was that when we flipped the eye the woman’s wrinkles on the side of her face were on the side of her nose but I soon fixed that after great difficulty. This problems also come up when I was trying to give the bald man new hair. It wasn’t quite blending into his head. In the end, I found the solutions and the workshops proved not to be that hard.

     Photoshop can help me in the production of a website because I can alter and create images that would suit my website whether that’s in size or color. I could crop images to fit in certain places or even play with the brightness and the saturation. There are a lot of things I could do to an image to make it suitable to my website.

     I can relate Photoshop to my to my Digital Portfolio because I can use it create images such as banners and logos. Also, as discussed before, I could use it to alter images to fit them into areas I need to. Photoshop would allow me to make images more interesting and fun.

IB Learner Profile Poster - Reflection

   I think that my plan for making my poster wasn't well thought out and very efficient. I originally intended on brainstorming templates then choosing the best and from there on just changing the picture and text. I was supposed to find pictures for my posters but some issue would always come up because I hadn't thought very well into the future and when I said that I would work on that particular image or poster next week, there would be another issue I didn't think about. This threw my plan off-track and I was doing other things when I was supposed to be working on different things. In the end, I ended up with a single template and really bad pictures because I hadn't planned ahead. I should have seriously sat own and thought about what I was going to do and maybe write it down on a piece of paper; brainstorm ideas for each trait and how I would accomplish what I wanted. Planning for the poster was supposed to have helped me but since I didn't really think it out very well, I didn't benefit from it as much as I could have. Although, I didn't plan very well I still had a vague idea of what I wanted and how it would all pan out. If I planned it out more maybe I would have better and more posters.

     My poster could improve by using more text to elaborate on what the trait meant so viewers could really grasp the meaning of the ‘IB Learner Profile’ and let the picture and words sink into their heads so they remember what the IB program is looking for. I think that my poster with the word cloud could use a border so it helps the text stand out more. Another way I could have improved my posters is create new posters to complete the set so I didn’t have one random trait and a word cloud with all the traits.

     If someone were to do this in the future I would definitely recommend planning and brainstorming. For example, they should write down all the traits on a piece of paper and brainstorm picture and word ideas for each trait. Also, it would be easier to have a template so they can just place images and text onto it without wasting too much time.

My work on MYP Computer Technology – Grade 8

     My Digital Portfolio is designed well and I find it very easy to navigate. I also think that the overall look of it is pretty good; I have heard from friends and family that it is an attractive website. I think that my website could improve in terms of layout; I feel that the content is stretched too far down the page forcing the viewer to continuously scroll down. Other than that, I think the website is pretty good. The Digital Portfolio could impact my friends and family with accessibility and a sense of knowing. With the portfolio my parents and friends would easily be able to access my school work and look at how I’m doing; they would also be able to know what I’m doing at school making them happier that they know what’s going on.

     Throughout the year I think I worked well except for this semester where I could feel my motivation and work ethic slope downwards and was very unproductive during class times. In the beginning of the year, though, I felt quite accomplished because I managed to finish my work and produced decent products. I think towards the end I began lacking in organizational skills and lost a sense of time which caused barely any productivity and lack of motivation because I was slightly disorganized. If I were more organized, I would have felt a need to work more because I knew what I would need to do as everything would have already been planned. This is something I plan to begin to focus on next year so I don’t lose track of what I need to do.

     I used most parts of the Design Cycle except for one-planning. I always researched before beginning a project but spend a bit too much time on that sometimes which usually makes me feel like I’ve wasted time. When I work on a project the designing phase is ongoing; before I begin a project I always have a vague idea with what I want to do but details and other ideas always pop into my head while working. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this but I feel this could disrupt the planning phase because if you suddenly feel you want to do or add something but you’re supposed to be working on something else; it could throw you completely off schedule. This is what happened to me and I found it rather frustrating but know I’ve learned what I need to do next time.

     After completing this MYP course this year I’m kind of dissatisfied. This has nothing to do with the course because I really enjoyed the activities – except for creating the posters – but I’m unhappy with myself and my performance. Other than that, this was an enjoyable with great activities and I hope there’s more to come.