Tech Tip: Tech Tips with Blogger (Favicon Image, Featured Post, Featured Link)

Hello VagaBuddies,

Welcome to my first Tech Tip Extra Credit post! I used this relaxed, retrospective week to update my blog and put in some new features!
One of the things I added to optimize my blog was a favicon image. I used a picture of the world to go along with the traveling theme that I had started early on!
I also added a featured post, which I set to my Introduction post. I wanted to make it easy for any new visitors to get to know me easily!
The last thing I added was a featured link to my storybook! I have added one story so far, and I am really proud of how it is turning out, and I can't wait to add more!

I am glad that I had this week to update my blog and do some much needed work on it to make it something I can be proud of!

Technology through the decades: WannaJoke

VagaBuon Voyage!

Week 8 Progress

Hello Vagabuddies!
This is retrospective post part 3: progress edition! I will review the progress I have made so far in this class!
So far, out of the 410 total points I need for an A, at the beginning of week 8, I was at 204. The goal for Week 8 was 205, so I am one point short, which is not too bad! To make up for it, during this retrospective week, I have started an extra credit reading (finishing up the Mahabharata reading) and a Tech Tip post (about refining my blog).
I definitely started off the class being very proactive and working ahead, but I progressively got more and more distracted to the point where the last two weeks, I have missed assignments. Hopefully, this week will be good to make it all up and then some more!
For the second half of the semester,  I hope to be more proactive about completing my assignments. Also, I am looking forward to finishing my storybook for this semester. The mantras and everything was fun to research for the first story and I can't wait to do it again!

Edna Moda cause why not: Pinterest

I don't know why Edna Mode showed up when I searched for motivational memes, but I also don't think I should question it. And neither should you.

VagaBuon Voyage. 

Week 8: Comments and Feedback

Hello VagaBuddies and welcome to retrospective post Part 2: Electric Bugaloo!

In this post, instead of being meta and reviewing my previous posts, I am going to be even MORE meta and reviewing my reviewing techniques! A large part of this class has been. learning about the feedback process and practicing giving and receiving feedback throughout this class on various assignments.
For myself, I found it interesting to learn about the feedback process, especially because of my job outside of school. Working as a math tutor to grade school kids through high school means that I work with a lot of kids with low self-confidence on a subject that they struggle with. Giving good feedback has helped me be more encouraging to my students, even when I tell them that they're wrong.

From Feedback Cats: Cheezburger

I chose the above Feedback Cats (TM) picture, because I am by far my own worst critic. I don't think I am overly critical of myself, but I usually find much more fault in my work than others do. I hold myself to a high standard, and sometimes I fail. Usually, though, I am able to have a great attitude and work/study harder for next time. I feel lucky to have a great attitude when it comes to working, and I hope I keep with me all my life!

VagaBuon Voyage!

Week 8: Reading and Writing

Hello VagaBuddies and welcome to a very retrospective blog post. 

I am going to take the time here to look back on the last couple months of reading and writing blog posts that I've done, just to see how I can shift gears to make better content in the future. 

Overall, I can say that all the reading and writing blog posts are going great for me personally! The reading notes give me a chance to develop my thoughts on the readings, which is difficult to do if you're not in a book club or anything and aren't forced to talk about what you read. The stories, on the other hand, give me the chance to express myself and be creative (and it has been a great outlet for me this semester!) Overall, I think my writing is pretty good, and I have had a lot of fun trying out different styles of stories to tell. However, I have noticed that my sciency stories did NOT do very well in terms of page views, comments etc (LOL)(See Image below from my very first story!). That makes sense to me, because like who wants to read a story about water purification?? I am kind of glad I moved away from that style, because honestly it has been a lot more fun writing stories where I don't need to do a lot of outside research to write! I did like that those stories were a unique retelling of the original stories, but I just didn't feel as creative about it. 

Figure 1: Cartoon drawing of a normal cell next to a carcinoma cell with description of the carcinoma cell in green: YouTube

Overall, I am looking forward to doing some more creative writing, and continuing the meta-writing style I developed in my Week 5 story! That one was by far my favorite one to write, and it came so easily! Not only that, but it definitely seemed to be received well among the other people in this class! I think that I would like to try a lot more meta-style writing assignments. My roommate is a connoisseur of meta-fiction, so I am sure he could give me some ideas to try to incorporate into my writing. What a challenge!

Vaga-Buon Voyage!