long time, no blog

Well, as you can see, I've slacked off on my blogging due to summer and the requirement for a grade was no longer there. Whoops :) but college is approaching more quickly than I think I would like it to. Also, the MTV series I'm going to be on, "If You Really Knew Me" premiered Tuesday, and Riverside's episode will air on the 3rd of August. Time has flown! When they came to school to film, I still had my senior prom ahead of me, graduation, college orientation, amongst other important events in my life. All those have gone and passed, and in less than a month I will be attending Marshall University as a full time student. Wowzers.
As for now, my main worry is about the show. I'm nervous about how all will be portrayed and how my family and friends will react to what I have said. The upside is how many people will be positively affected by the show, and how, hopefully, the students at Riverside will gain a new insight on how everything they say, and do, not only affects them but the others around them. Also, that some may lend an ear and hug to someone who just needs to talk. The "Be the Change" club we instated last year should become a successful program that will aid Riverside in becoming a better school. Well, folks that is all for now. I'm not allowed to say much, can't spoil anything ;) Be looking for more! :)


Katie :)

My Blog I Owe Chez

Which team pages did you visit?
What is your overall constructive review?
What do they still need to work on?
What ideas might you take back to your own team page?
Does the topic of the game meet the educational requirement?
Be sure to hyperlink their team page to the blog.
Be sure to leave comments on classmates' blog posts too.


First, I visited Team JESSAMIAH!'s team page. I love that all of their team page is filled out and updated. It's complete and their game, is obviously amazing. They've worked so hard and completely succeed in what they set out to do. Great job guys!
The second team page I viewed was, Team Ninja Hobos , I love how they have every step uploaded here. Although they may not have been able to use everything they created it's still great to see it. I know they've had some struggles and I respect them for fighting through them. I would like to see some more elaborative asnwers for their questions though, some of them are very short. Overall, I'd give them an "A".
As for our team page, it's completely filled out and all of our steps are uploaded. I'm proud of it.

Overall, I believe our entire class overall has worked our butt's off. Hooray for us!

Globa-what? (almost finished :)

After you have presented, please create a blog post that reflects on your work that you have accomplished in this class. Blog posts must be multi paragraphed, provide links (not a website written out, but an actually hyperlink), pictures/video, and take a serious look on the work done. This last blog post will be worth 75 points. Therefore, it is not to be taken lightly or to be completed without thought. All of this work must be finished by Tuesday afternoon. You will have the evenings, weekend, and Monday and Tuesday in class to complete what you haven't finished. (75 points

Well, the end has finally come. Not only to my senior year, but my amazing senior English class. When I went to walk into Chez's room my first day of class, and there was a sign to go to A15 (a computer lab) I should have known that something was up. We all took seats at the desks and were immediately ask to take a chair at a computer. We then learned about this program called Globaloria. Globa-what? Yes, Globaloria. In a nutshell, we were about to embark on the first paperless, penless class at Riverside. This is how our journey began.

First, we were asked to create a personal wiki. Wiki!Wiki!(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)This is remotely like a profile page for yourself, embedded in the schools main wiki. This aspect of our class allowed us to upload pictures, tell a little about ourselves, and change backgrounds/font colors using HTML. Psht, I thought this class would be a breeze...if only that had been ALL we had to do.

Next step, a blog. My FAVORITE part of this class was our blogs. I love the way they can be customized and you can let all that you're feeling loose on here. I do plan to keep up with mine after this class is over. Our blog was to be utilized for writing our "papers". Since we clearly aren't the typical English class, you shouldn't expect us to use lame "Microsoft Word" to write a paper. We would just log-in and post it on here. Many of our assignments were to write blogs; I think it's an interesting new and fun way to take the stress out of writing a generic two page report.

So far, so good. I had mastered uploading my avatar, updating my wiki, and blogging. Then came the curve ball: FLASH. I have so much respect for anyone that can decipher a FLASH code, because I'm not going to lie; after four and a half months, I still can't make heads or tails of it. If it didn't work correctly the first time, I had to think about maybe holding up the white flag. This is when I knew who was going to be my parter for my senior project; Amy.

Speaking of senior projects, I must have failed to mention, that once again, our class is beyond average. Ninety percent of our senior class had to stand up with a research paper and tri-board while being pounded questions about the subject they chose to research; not us! Our senior project was to create a video game on FLASH, creating awareness to a social issues. Sounded easy enough; boy, was I wrong.

We then selected partners for this shin dig. I chose my life long bestfriend, Amy. She had the technical skills, and being an art geek, I could draw in FLASH (just about the only thing I could do.) We decided that since the drop out rates in West Virginia and in our area are increasing rapidly, we'd design our game with a fun aspect of how to stay in school, even when obstacles are coming at you. The next big decision, our team name.

Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain...yes, the hit 90's cartoon. THAT! would be our name. Pinky is a fun loving, sometimes a bit of an air head, mouse and Brain is the serious let's get to work mouse. Our team perfectly. Amy figured out keyframes, how to make buttons, and all that technical jazz while I drew our characters and mazes. When things got tough and frustrating, I would unleash my Pinky Powa and provide humor to the situation; at least I was good for something besides being able to draw an adorable mouse in FLASH. We thought our game was going on the straight and narrow path to success, until we hit a bump in the road with coding in FLASH.

The object of our game? You are a mouse who has been trapped in a maze, to make it to the winning screen, you must hide in doorways to dodge oncoming objects that represent situations that could cause you to not graduate. As you moved up a level, one doorway would disappear, causing each level to increase in difficulty as you went from freshman, sophomore, junior, then to senior year to finish the game and "graduate". Everything was going fine and dandy until we ran into trouble trying to make our maze into a movieclip. When converting the maze, it would erase some of our lines, creating gaps in the structure of our maze. We searched google, help from other classmates,everything to try and make this work. Sadly, we found no answer. Our game was incomplete and somewhat of a let down. Looking back at it now, I should be proud of what we did accomplish. FLASH is not easy and learning that much about technology in four and a half months is stellar.

After watching the rest of my class' presentations, I must say we are one special and phenomenal class. We have risen above the rest and taken a challenge most would back down from. We have gained a new set of knowledge that not many may ever learn in their lives. Even though this class was extremely difficult and hard at times, I'm thankful that it kept me going through to the end of my senior year. I can't remember a day where I didn't laugh in this class or that there wasn't something going on that could make my day brighter. Thank you Globaloria, my class, and of course Chez for this opportunity. At least come next Saturday when I'm walking down the steps of the stage with a diploma in my hand, I won't need a FLASH code to tell me how to make it back down to my seat, because if I did, I would have to stand there until Jessica or PJ came to save me. Thank y'all. It's been one heck of a ride.

Chatting

Yesterday, Destyne, Chad, Tiffany, and I held a G-Mail chat conversation about a set of three poems we read. Chatting with more than one person is a different level of difficult. It's so hard to keep up with the conversation as each of us are thinking and taking time to type. It seems as if it would just be much easier for us to be sitting in a group discussing it. Although, if you're apart I feel as if the chat would be extremely useful. This would allow you to conversate via internet to discuss topics. I believe it was a great way to discover a new means of communication and allowed us to understand each other's thoughts and ideas to understand the poems better.

Memorial Speech

Do me a favor; look to your left, now your right, in front, and behind you. The people you just saw are your classmates. They feel the same things you do, they go through similar things you have, and they may understand certain things you don’t. WE are the students at Riverside High school and the residents of this community and state.
I've pretty much grown up the classic West Virginia girl. My daddy's a coal miner, Thanksgiving break was meant for deer hunting, and going barefoot is an all year 'round tradition. One of the most vivid images from my childhood is my dad coming home late at night or early in the morning covered from head to toe in coal dust. I always wondered why I couldn't hug or touch him and why all his clothes went in a separate hamper than ours; as I grew older I then realized there were many more consequences to his job than the few I noticed on a daily basis. The smell of muscle relaxer would roam through my house as he'd come home from a long day of being underground. He'd tell me how hard he had to work, how he sometimes wouldn't see the light of day for weeks at a time, and how becoming a coal miner may have been one of the worst decisions he made at the young age of 19. Being thrown from mine to mine and working his muscles to the bone were harsh on our family; the long shifts lead to not much time at home, and intense labor lead to many injuries. Through all this, my dad continues to work midnight shifts at a union mine in which he drives two and a half hours to work at, at 54 years of age. I thank God every single day that he comes home safe.
You'll learn things in West Virginia that you wouldn't experience in other states. Where else would a door be held open for you if you're more than 5 steps behind? We respect each other and live the small town life. You know you're neighbors; they know you and maybe even your quirks. I love the thought of knowing I could walk down my street and wave at anyone I see; those I know, and those I don't will throw up their hand and a smile. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this more than a few times in our life.
We are also the most compassionate group of people I have ever witnessed. When anyone is in need of prayer, love, or a friend to talk to; we're here for each other. Lately, especially in our area, we have experienced many tragedies; the most recent being the loss of some of the bravest men any of us has ever known. These men were brothers, sons, fathers, friends, husbands, and heroes and surely will never be forgotten. This loss has had an array of affects on us individually, as a school, as well as our community and state. Some of us are confused, hurt, lost for words, and dismayed; but with support and love from one another, we can become the strong group of people we know we are.
Our community has been through and overcome so much. We’ve had many fallen Warriors in the short 10 years our school has been open, and each of us have lost someone in our family that may have meant the world to us. We all know what hurt feels like, we all know how hard it is to deal with hurt, and we all know how to help each other heal the hurt. Helping each other is the simple solution to this unfortunate problem. We all have two arms, those being extremely useful for a hug, a shoulder, excellent for someone to cry on, and a smile, that could brighten someone’s entire day. Combine all these together and you’ve become an amazing support system, don’t be afraid to use this method repeatedly. Doing this could be the difference in someone feeling their worst and making it through the day.
In a nut shell, help those around you as well as help yourself through positive influence and love. Together we can overcome so much more than you could ever imagine. May your faith and friends carry you through.

Coal Miner's Daughter

I would like you to take a minute and reflect on what you just read, what has recently happened within our community, and what the state of West Virginia means to you, to other residents, and also what it might mean to outsiders. How has technology helped and hindered us? How are West Virginians perceived?

If only the people who do not live in West Virginia, could just expierence the pride and loyalty us residents have for our state. I could not imagine living anywhere else in the world. There are times when I get so frustrated with the people around me, or feel trapped by the beautiful mountains surrounding my home, but I could not imagine growing up and living anywhere else in this world.
I've pretty much grown up the classic West Virginian girl. My daddy's a coal miner, Thanksgiving break was meant for deer hunting, and going barefoot is an all year 'round tradition. One of the most vivid images from my childhood is my dad coming home late at night or early in the morning covered from head to toe in coal dust. I always wondered why I couldn't hug or touch him and why all his clothes went in a seperate hamper than ours; as I grew older I then realized there were many more consequences to his job than the few I noticed on a daily basis. The smell of muscle relaxer would roam through my house as he'd come home from a long day of being underground. He'd tell me how hard he had to work, how he sometimes wouldn't see the light of day for weeks at a time, and how becoming a coal miner may have been one of the worst decisions he made growing up. Being thrown from mine to mine and working his muscles to the bone were harsh on our family; the long shifts lead to not much time at home, and intense labor lead to many injuries. Through all this, my dad continues to work midnight shifts at a union mine he drives two and a half hours to work at, at 54 years of age. The only days off he takes; hunting season. From the time I got my first gun at 10 years old, I've brought home deer for dinner. Getting up early in the morning is completely worth the thrill of making your dad proud with a kill; especially being a girl. Now, imagine it being the middle of winter and your next door neighbor needs you; are you going to put on your best pair of Jimmy Choo's? No, barefoot it is the best choice. Not that we don't have shoes like some people like to assume, just because we're the most down to earth people you'll meet adn don't feel the pressure that we must dress to impress every second of the day, especially to those who know us best.
You'll learn things in West Virginia that you wouldn't expierence in other states. Where else would a door be held for you if you're more than 5 steps behind? We respect each other and live the small town life. You know you're neighbors, they know you and maybe even your quirks. I love the thought of knowing I could walk down my street and wave at anyone I see; those I know, and those I don't will throw up their hand and a smile. I couldn't imagine it any other way.
Nothing irritates me more than when I hear people from out of state talk down about our loving,caring state. Some like to assume that we all dress in overalls with no teeth, shoes, or a shack to live in. How I would love to give them a great tongue lashing to explain to them why they couldn't be more wrong. We are the most compassionate group of people I have ever witnessed. When anyone is in need of prayer, love, or a friend to talk to; we're here for each other. Lately, especially in our area, we have expierenced many tragedies...

TO BE CONTINUED! :)

Thee FLASH Master; PJ.

As most of you know, PJ is practically thee flash master. I'm sitting here struggling and somehow, PJ knows exactly how to fix every problem I'm having. Yesterday, he came into our class and showed us how to create keyframes and buttons. My oh my, I still do not comprehend how to do that, but I'm slowly learning. I think with assistance from thee FLASH master, PJ, and his right hand woman, Jessica, I will be just fine. Their knowledge is great and they are willing to help those of us who are struggling. All in all, I believe Amy and I will be doing just fine in the month to come.

Buttons

Wellll, I don't like buttons. Amy is the woman in charge of buttons. I watched Amy do buttons, and it confused to me to no end, so I continued to draw our mouse while she did the technicality. We divide up the responsibilities according to our strengths, mine being drawing, hers being mechanical. I think we should get jerseys, cause me make a good team :)

i win.

katie's korner > knappsterrr

Cantebury Tales

In the Cantebury Tales, Chaucer describes each character vividly and so easily relateable. In everyday life, we are all categorized as something, much like how Chaucer described his characters.

The first character described is the knight. The knight is of course apart of the hierarchy in the time period this was written in; probably a very good justification in why he was first mentioned. Honorable, generous, and humble are a few adjectives I would use to describe the character mentioned above. It seems like he fits in accordingly to what you would envision as a knight. Characters continue to go in justification order as his son, the squire, is next described. The Squire is the charming, young, handsome guy who only acts against evil when desperately needed. Following the trend; his right hand man, the Yeoman, does his "dirty work" for him. The hierarchy level continues down as the rank in society changes. I do believe that these character descriptions stand true to those in which we have learned about in the past. I also feel as if it stands true to how people are judged and categorized in modern day societies.

When deciding game characters, Amy and I are going to have to pay close attention to how each character is portrayed. We simply can't have our freshman dressed as a senior would, it just wouldn't fit his/her known description. As the game continues on, the characters attire will continue to develop. Not only in our game, but overall, game avatars must blend in with their surroundings. A bright, cheery superhero would not belong in a dark lair; the both simply don't coincide. All things in a video game or a book must make sense and blend in order to achieve the full effect. All the above are things to keep in mind when planning and executing our game.

From here on out, especially after reading the Cantebury Tales, our thought process will be a bit deeper in how we create our characters. Reading what Chaucer wrote has enlightened me on how important it is to connect a characters' description, mood, and surrounding in with their objectives. This has been an eye-opener to our team to how important details are.

MTV Day 2

After I left my 4th block yesterday, I mosied my way to tennis as usual. Halfway through tennis I get a call from my enthusiastic producer, Dara. Needless to say, in the next 5 minutes my crew was down at tennis practice to do some filming. Now I can say I've played tennis on national television ;) Anywho, they filmed some footage there and then then the funniest thing ever occured. We managed to fit my camera-man in my little VW Beetle. My sound-guy was too tall to fit in the back! I wish I could have taken a picture of the huge camera sitting in my dash, and me "talking to myself" and having to pretend that I didn't notice him or the camera 8 inches from my face beside me haha. When we finally arrived at my house, I was filmed parallel parking; not my best feat. haha From there we went into my little apartment with my mom and filmed my homecoming crowns, sash, and pictures. As well as my hunting equipment. Mom was fixing an amazing dinner, spaghetti, so they also filmed her stirring her concoction while I filled out a scholarship (booo on scholarships). Oh! and of course my mom's 5000 clocks went off as they were there haha now all we needed was a cat and mom would look like a crazy lady :) My new bestfriends then left at 6. I was lonely today as they didn't follow me around from class to class, but we'll be reunited as they film some of our student council meeting today. Tomorrow is the big day, I'm so excited/nervous to see what the day has in store.

MTV Expierence

So, yesterday I was told I was chosen to be followed around until Thursday by MTV camera crews. The reason? Riverside High was chosen along with 9 other schools in the United States to participate in Challange Day; which is a day in which students share their stories and challenges they've faced to become the person they are today. After a phone interview and a personal interview, I suppose I was interesting enough to film for a week. It all started with being hooked up to sound and positioned in the perfect light for the camera. I was asked many questions, where I told about my life, school, and how I portrayed myself. From there, we hung a piece of my artwork in the hallway and got my screen shot of me smiling. Then the fun began, a camera crew of 4 people followed me through my daily routine as I walked to lunch and ate with my usual friends. They caught every move I made and every word I said. My filming for today is over, but tomorrow it begins again as they are coming to my student council meeting, tennis practice, and then my house. What I ride this has been thus far. I'm so privledged to have had this expierence in high school. Never in my dreams, would I have ever imagined MTV would be coming to my school, let alone follow me for their show. Out of all this, I hope a positive expierence will occur. So far, it is BY FAR one of the coolest/most nerve wracking things I've ever done. I can't wait to view the outcome.

Yet Another FLASH Expierence

Yesterday, I set out on the FLASH path yet again. Amy and I brainstormed as well and figured out our game idea. (I'll leave that as a secret, because it's pretty much amazing. Just saying.) Creating a text box on FLASH was pretty simple, actually scared me a bit because I understood for once, and I'm starting to learn the process to publish it and upload the files at once to my projects page! Oh, success feels sooooo good! Anywho, we tweaked our game again today, making it even better, and team Pinky and the Brain will be the most awesome-est group, ever. As this process goes on, you will soooon find out!

Anglo-Saxon Comparison

How do the heroes of Ango-Saxons compare to the heroes of today's video game industry?

As each of us have grown up, we have always witnessed that the "good guy" always wins. This was not only in our time, but began years ago with a group of people; the anglo-saxons.
G-man and Beowulf were epic heros that valued the same belief system. They battled to the end in order to achieve what they thought was right. These two heroes were prime examples for modern day video games/movies, and provided us with the statement, "the good shall always prevail."
In this day and age, ourselves along with our peers and even parents have grown up watching movies in which good vs. evil will battle and by the end, good always prevails. This doesn't simply apply to movies, it also applies to video games as well. Children and teens in my generation are obsessed with the video game genre. Many sit hours upon hours developing strategies and codes to "win" these games. As the "good guy" your player is trying to defeat the obvious villian, and through your actions it will be done. Missions continue, and if all lives are lost, there's always the chance to begin again with a new game; all in hopes of battling and defeating the "bad guy".
I don't play video games much myself, my extent is Tetris, so I'm not up-to-date on how to control/play video games. Yet, I know enough about them to realize the main points. This plot "good vs. evil" will forever be the main stage for video games and movies alike for generations to come. The Anglo-Saxons set the stage for all stories from their time to now.

FLASH MINI-GAME

Today, I finished my mini-game. It was so difficult, and I still haven't figured out how to upload it to my wiki, I'll need some assitance in that. Also, I want to try and add the wolf, chocolate, etc. I hope I'll begin to catch on and this will all become easier, because right now, I want to pull my hair out. Let's just hope...

Well....

Right now I'm supposed to be blogging about Beowulf, yettt I can't quite concentrate to comprehend it, so I believe I might wait until I can focus at home to do it. Until then, let the question of " What has Beowulf left his people? " will remain unanswered... haha :)



THE UPDATED PORTION: haha

Beowulf left his people pride and persistance. He showed the people who belived in him that he could conquer and also remain a symbol of authority and dominance. Through his heroic actions, he lost his life but his story will remain told. It's an inspiring story of triumph and the ability to previal and will be passed down generation to generation in order to prevent the disappearance of Beowulf in a story form. He may physically be gone, yet he will live on through others.

Beowulf 2

When the first teller of Beowulf prepared to share the tale, what assumptions do you think he (or she) made about the purpose of the story?

- How do you think the storyteller's beliefs about the intended audience--men gathered in mead halls--affect the content of the story?

- How do you think YOUR beliefs about your video games' intended audience (you will need to determine who your audience is) will affect the development and final version of your game? Think of age appropriateness, learning goals, types of characters, etc.

When the first teller of Beowulf was speaking I believe it was for two reasons. I feel as if his main reason was to pass the story down from generation to generation until the tale was able to be recorded down as written word. Also, he may have been impacted by this hero, and feels as if his story should not be forgotten.

Since the intended audience of the storyteller was men gathered in mead halls, he probably made the components of his story more masculine and maybe a bit exaggerated. In this day in time, the scene could be compared to guys night out at the local pubb; sitting around telling stories that have been told to them.

In my video game the targeted audience will influence many decisions. You must consider the education level and the ability to comprehend and react to certain areas of content of which you're trying to reach. A 2nd grader cannot do the same things as a 12th grader, therefore those things need to be accounted for.

All things in life need to have consideration and thinking. Stories need to be told, and life should be recorded.

Beowulf

In this picture the cool colors complimented by warmer colors symbolize dominance; the perfect adjective for Beowulf. Beowulf would be like the captain of the varsity football team in all movies in Hollywood; the muscular leader and hero of all his croneys. Beowulf is the hero to all when his battle and wit are summoned upon, and will fight, but fight for what is right, much like what we would consider a hero today. Through the days of modern time, people look up to others who are more powerful than them, constituting them as a hero, much like Beowulf.
I feel as if Beowulf would make a prime hero for a video game. When deciding in a video game of who you want to play, most will always go for the main character (the hero). In this case, Beowulf would be the number one choice. I would feel so confident with Beowulf on my side, I know that all things will be done right, and all problems resolved.

My Hero

My hero, by far, is my sister. My sister has overcome a lot of the same struggles I have and created a successful life for herself and family. Both our childhoods and teenage years were not the breeze they seemed to be, and we've made great people out of ourselves. We had every reason in the world to let go of ourselves and not create something positive out of our life; she was the person who showed me that overcoming this was possible. Although my sister, Jennifer, is ten years older than me, we are so close and she has set a straight and narrow path for me. When I'm at my lowest lows, she reminds me of what I need to do with my life. Without her, and my mother as well, who knows the person I'd be today. Without the guidance I've been given and the examples that have been set, my life wouldn't be going in the right direction as it is now. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Reflections on Playing to Learn

As I played these games, I learned different concepts to include in my future video game. Ideas started to form in my head that I think I may use from now on. I also felt encouraged and given faith that I can also create games just as other student have. I will continue to play more games in hopes to learn.

As this cartoon shows, no one knows who, or in this case what, is behind a computer. People can pretend to be who they want to be. When anyone, teens especially, log on to an account, they must remember to take extreme precautions is what vital and personal information they put out on the world wide web. A so called 17 year old guy who sounds like the one you've always dreamed about could be a 43 year old man with a wife and children. Children every day make the mistake of believing someone on the other side of the screen, sometimes even going to the lengths of meeting them. Generally, if not careful, the person you imagined will not be the one to show up. Younger individuals are more likely to be less precaution and need to be watched more closely. Some give out names, phone numbers, and addresses; such personal information should remain private unless approved by a parent or a confirmation of the individual is made. All in all, watch what you post and be careful of who you talk to.

oh boy :)

I'm ecstatic right now because I finally figured out how to do all this technology stuff :) By the end of the year, I'm going to be a pro. (or so i hope :) Now, I must submit this so I can finish the other things I must figure out before Chez comes back tomorrow :)
peace&love