Blogs
Oct. 9th 2015
Today was the first day of Shodor. Sadly, because we had to drop my brother at the airport, I had to leave early. However, I came in on Friday and got all of the doom and gloom from Ernie that I missed. It was so much fun... However I do understand that going over all of that information was necessary. Anyway, can't wait to meet all my fellow apprentices and learn new stuff. I really think that my time at Shodor will be really educational and I think it is a really great opportunity for me. I think this will be a great year at Shodor for me.
Oct. 16th 2015
Today was technically my first full day at Shodor as an apprentice. Dr. Panoff about making sure our sources are taught us the importance of always making sure that our sources are credible. After that, we got to start working on our websites. I really enjoyed that part! I also made a bunch of new friends. I am looking forward to editing my website some more so that it looks a lot cooler. I know that I do not know a lot about HTML and CSS right now, but I am looking forward to learn about it.
Oct. 24th 2015
Today we got to bring in our computers to set up programs through which we can work on our websites from home, which is really convienient. I think this will be really useful to me, especially since Shodor is pretty far from my place, so it will be hard for me to come in whenever I need to work on something Shodor related. We also learned how to create a new file using vim and we created a portfolio page. Ron also came in and gave us a presentation about office ethics. He wore a really..interesting outfit at first to show us what we should not be coming to work dressed as.
Nov. 7th 2015
Today, Dr. Panoff was talking to us about the different types of models and how important they are. I realized that there are actually so many uses for models. We also manipulated certain variables, like the rate of change, and saw it's effect on the behavior of the graph associated with it. I'm looking forward to working with more models and constructing my own models. I am also looking forward to learning to use more types of software to make models.
Nov. 14th 2015
Today, we learned more about models but today was a lot more interactive and I really enjoyed being able to set up my own model. It involved a lot of logical thinking and it was really interesting! We used Vensim to make the models and we learned about the box variable, thin air, the box variable and the arrow to link what you need to know to what you want to compute. I know how useful models can be, especially in educating other kids. Can't wait to learn more about the different methods of setting up more models to make more complex models!
Nov. 21st 2015
Today. we learned about expectation, observation and reflection. We also learned about agent modeling and how it is different from the other type of modeling (have = had + change )that we previously worked with. We used agentcubes to make a model that dealt with how a disease spreads. We added different agents, rules and shapes to increase the complexity and to make the program count the amount of sick people and make a graph for us.
Dec. 11th 2015
Because I was taking the SAT last week, I missed last weeks class so I had to come in today and make it up. I worked with my group, Albert and Nikhil, to come up with ideas for our project, and we began working on the rough drafts for our models. We actually made a lot of process, thanks to Ernie's assistance. We chose our topic for our project (the bubonic plague).
Dec. 12th 2015
Today, we got to work on our projects for basically the whole day, which was really nice because we got to apply all that we've learned in the past few weeks about modeling. We worked together on all of the models for the most part, although some people worked on certain topics more than others. We finished the Vensim model and we are still working on the Excel and the AgentCubes model. Albert, Nikhil and I are planning to continue working on our projects later in the week.
Dec. 19th 2015
Today, we got to finish up our projects during the first part of class. It was kind of stressful because even though we worked on it during the week, there were a lot of parts that we still had to piece together. However, thankfully we got everything to work out. After lunch, everyone presented their presentations. There was a large variety of model topics, so it was interesting to watch how their models came together. Most people said that they liked the Vensim model the best, and I agree because for me, it was easiest to see the relationships between the different variables. I think our presentation went smoothly.
Feb. 12 2016
Because I had to go to the Science Olympiad regional competition last Saturday, I decided to come in today to make up what I had missed. Aaron sat with me and taught me all of the concepts that I missed. I learned the basics to JavaScript, including defining variables, basic operations (such as the differences between =, == and ===) and learning about Booleans. He also showed me several examples of what you could do with JavaScript (like the model of diffusion) and conditional statements. It was very fascinating because I've always wanted to learn about programming languages, and now I'm finally getting a chance to learn it.
Feb. 13 2016
Today we continued learning about JavaScript. We learned about the difference between for and while loops. We also did some practice with these for and while loops, and more complicated nested loops. I was able to, with the help of Anja, create the triangle made out of asterisks. I really enjoyed learning how to do the different problems that we were presented with because they are providing me with the fundamentals to create even more complicated code in the future. In addition, we learned about what arrays are and we played around with it on the console.
Feb. 20 2016
Today we learned about all about objects and other data types; we were able to understand the reason arrays (and null) are considered objects and we learned how to add more things to already existing objects. We also played around a lot with console, and learned about local vs global scale. We also learned about how you can have functions, strings, and objects inside each other. We worked with console and js files from Aaron's website. We also learned what document object models and application programming interface are. I am looking forward to starting our group project so that along with some of my fellow apprentices, I get to apply all of this cool stuff that I have learned about JavaScript. I can't wait for our next class!
Mar. 5 2016
Today we got to spend the majority of class working on our project. Darius, my partner for this project, and I actually made quite a lot of progress. He was able to set up our website for our project and I was able to finish most of our HLD page. I was slightly confused about how we were supposed to set up our HLD, but I'm pretty sure I was able to figure it out. We were able to finish till step 5 on the HLD, and Ernie said that we would be given more instructions about step 6 next week, so we're in a pretty good spot right now. I really hope we can get our model to go above and beyond the expectations set for this project! We also learned about the value of making the right decisions and that all actions have consequences.
Mar. 12 2016
Today was another project day; we were able to make quite a lot of progress. We finished most of our HLD and we have done a lot of our code. Darius and I worked pretty diligently on our project. I was confused about several things at the start of class, but we were able to figure it out with the help of Ernie, Aaron and Iain. They were all very helpful and now I understand our project a whole lot better. Now we are individually testing each step of our code and if it doesn't work, we are making the appropriate changes. I think that our project has the potential to be really nice and I hope that by the time we have to present, it will be awesome!
Mar. 19 2016
Today was yet another project day; we were able to finish our project! Now all we have left to do is making our main website, from which we can navigate to the our actual project and our HLD. I was very happy when our project finally began working and I'm looking forward to presenting it. Aaron, Ernie, and Albert all helped me out a lot today, by assisting me when I did not understand something. Now, other than making our main website, the only other things that we can do is add other aspects to our model to make it cooler, like letting the user control the number of trees.
Apr. 2 2016
Because of a mistake on my part, I had to come in and make up class for this day. It all turned out okay though- I got to go ahead and present my presentation on my own, since Darius already had done so on his own time. I think the presentation went pretty well and I was able to answer all the questions my audience asked me. Dr. Panoff also pointed out certain places where I could improve my model, and hopefully I can implement those soon.
Apr. 9 2016
Unfortunately I had to miss class again today because of a tennis tournament that I had. However, I organized a time with Aaron and we were able to go over everything that I would have to do to catch up. I don't think it will be too much of a problem, since most of it is pretty easy work.
Apr. 16 2016
Again, because I got into NCSSM and had to go to Welcome Day for that, I had to miss class. However, once again, Aaron has said he is willing to meet up with me so that I can catch up. I've also been extremely busy because of AP exams coming up, but hopefully I can finish all my catch up work soon. I should be able to go in next Friday to finish up the curriculum.
Jun. 20 2016
Today was my first day of my summer apprenticeship block. I am going to the first 3 blocks of the summer. Today, I got started on my HLD and finished a good amount of it. The topic that I chose for writing my software project manager HLD was Mobeens Myrmecology Madness. In this model, ants are moving around randomly- when they move, they leave behind a broken pheromone trail. When they find a food source, they take as much of the food as they can (which, in this case, is 3 drops of sugar) and they trace their steps back to their nest. As they travel back to their nest, they leave behind a solid trail of pheromone, so that other ants can find their way to the food source. This is very similar to the process that happens in real life when one ant finds food and sends for the other ants.
Jun. 21 2016
Today we got to work on our HLDs some more. I was able to finish mine, so I am ready to get the second part of the project. I also edited my website a bit (I made the menu horizontal instead of vertical). I am currently working on the other projects that are on the apprentice docs so that I can get ahead. This includes the website HLD that we have to make before we can edit anything on our website. Additionally, today we had an amazing opportunity- all the girl apprentices got together and talked to several women who are in STEM fields. We asked them about their careers and what we should do in college to have a successful career.
Jun. 22 2016
Today I spent most of the day completing the responsive web design tutorial. I was also able to make all of the corrections that Ernie pointed out to me. I was very productive today- I finished and put two of the projects that we had to do for block 1 on my portfolio. I also finished the majority of my website HLD, which is what I will be using later to improve my website. I also really enjoyed learning about the responsive web design because it is definitely something that I want to incorporate into my website. I was just assigned Caroline's HLD, so I am looking forward to starting to work on making the models that she has described. Furthermore, I am actually really looking forward to improving my website.
Jun. 23 2016
Today was my first day working on the model that I was assigned by Ernie. I did a good amount of my agentcubes model. Aaron assisted me a lot today when I was struggling with specific parts of my model. Caroline has also started working on the models for my HLD. I think that it will take at least all of tomorrow to finish my agentcubes model and maybe even some time on Monday. After that, I have to do the Vensim model, update my website, and do the rest of the projects that Ernie has listed on the block 1 requirements page. I think my agentcubes model is coming along very well, and I have high hopes for it once it is finished.
Jun. 24 2016
Today was my second day of working on my agentcubes model. It is still a work in process, but it is getting better. I spent a lot of time today trying to get everything to work. I sat down with Aaron yesterday and we planned almost everything out on paper, but there were several gaps, so it is currently not doing everything I want it to do, but I am sure that I can fix it soon. Additionally, I did my weekly reflection and I am also going to start working on the gimp and inkscape projects. I was also helping Mikayla understand some parts of my HLD where she did not know what I was asking her to do.
Jun. 27 2016
Today was my third day working on my agentcubes model. I was able to add several new elements, which is really good, but it is still not doing exactly what I need it to do. It is a big improvement from what I had on Friday though, so that's good. The main problems with my model have to do with trying to get the ants to follow the pheromone trail that other ants that have sugar leave when they are heading back to the nest. Other than that, everything else seems good. I need to add in a death rate so that the screen does not get overpopulated with ants, and after making those two edits, I should be ready to move onto my Vensim model. We also got free cookies in the morning because we came on time!
Jun. 28 2016
Today I finally finished my Agentcubes model! I'm really proud of how it came out looking- it does exactly what I want it to do. I finished that in the morning, so I spent the rest of the day working on the inkscape projects. It was pretty easy compared to what I was doing before, so I enjoyed that. Additionally, now I have to start thinking about my logo- I still don't really have a clue about how I want it to look. I'll probably go home and think about it some more. I really hope that I can finish my other model (the system model) and the rest of the work that I have due by this Friday.
Jun. 29 2016
I did quite a lot of work today- I finished the Gimp and Inkscape tutorials and the photoshopped picture of Ernie. I also put all of that on my website portfolio. Now I only have one project left: the vensim model. That is my systems model. I'm kind of getting worried that I will not be able to finish my model but hopefully if I keep working at the same pace that I have been working with for the past few days, I can get it done in two days. Worst case scenario, I need to work on some of it at home, which shouldn't be too bad. I need to make sure that my Gimp and Inkscape projects are what Ernie wants.
Jun. 30 2016
Today I spent the whole day working on my Vensim model. It was quite challenging to figure out where to put everything, and I needed to get some help from Dr. Panoff and Aaron, as well as look at my past Vensim models so that I knew what I was doing. I also drafted out my model in my notebook so that I knew what I was doing when I was actually working on Vensim. Lunch was really fun today though. A bunch of my fellow apprentices and I all played cards at lunch and we talked. Anyways, I really hope that I will be able to finish my Vensim model tomorrow!
Jul. 1 2016
Today was another day spent totally on my Vensim model. I got it to work but the data was messed up somehow (I was getting a negative number of ants in the anthill, and I did not know how to fix it). However, I realized that several I needed more rate arrows and a few more normal arrows so that everything was linked together properly. Dr. Panoff came by and helped me out with a few things on my model and made me realize that the you had to think of all of the variables such that whatever arrow was leaving that variable was being subtracted from the total in the formula and whatever arrow was coming into that variable was being subtracted in the formula. It seems pretty obvious, but when you are creating very complicated models, it is a good thing to keep in mind. Anyways, this means that I am officially done with all of my block 1 projects! I'm looking forward to this July 4th weekend and learning more stuff in the future Shodor blocks!
Jul. 11 2016
Today was my first day back at Shodor after the one week break. Our main focus for today was learning the basics of PHP. We learned a bunch of syntax and a lot of necessary skills needed to use PHP in our webpages. We did two exercises together as a class, but after lunch we were assigned PHP projects where we have to write all the code to accomplish the goal that was asked of us. The projects look pretty hard right now, but I am sure that with a lot of work, I will soon be able to figure them out. However, I still have a lot of work to do, so I am grateful for the fact that we have a lot of time to work on these projects.
Jul. 12 2016
I spent the entire day today working on the calendar. It was really difficult to get it working because I have no starter code, but with some help and a lot of thinking, I was able to finish it. I have to work faster on the next few projects if I am going to be able to finish all of them on time and not have to work on them at home. I really hope that I will be able to do that because I am getting quite worried. Tomorrow we are going to be learning new stuff, so I am only going to be able to work on these projects when the interns are done teaching us. Hopefully everything works out well!!
Jul. 13 2016
Today we learned about mySQL. The interns taught us the basics of it and assigned us a project. I was also able to finish my Background Selector project all by myself. I also finished the dynamic pages project. I only used the internet for one part (creating the drop down menu), which makes me really proud since some people are just taking their code off the internet. I also got started on the Dane Joe project and got a decent part of that started. Now I'm starting to think that I can finish all my work if I continue working at my current pace. Overall, today was a pretty good and successful day for me, and I feel like I got a good amount of work done.
Jul. 14 2016
Today was another project work day and I got quite a lot of work done in the morning. I started and finished my XML blog page, and my dice roller. So I am officially done with all of the php projects that we were assigned, which is a relief. Now I only have to worry about the mySQL project, but we haven't formally be introduced to it yet. Lunch was especially fun this week- a bunch of my fellow apprentices and I all played card games, which was really great. In the afternoon, I was documenting the Explorations in Engineering workshop. I thought it was a nice experience. I was part of the same workshop last year as a student, so watching all the students in the workshop brought back some nice memories.
Jul. 15 2016
Today was a really chill, but kind of boring day. We didn't really do much in the morning because I had finished all my projects and I didn't know how to start the next project that uses MySQL. However, I found Travis and told him that we needed help understanding what the project was about. So, most of the afternoon we spent relearning the syntax for MySQL and starting to learn how to incorporate the table that is created on MySQL into a HTML webpage using php. We all played cards during lunch again (we were playing ERS and it got really intense), which was really fun. I also edited my website HLD. We learned a bit about Version control, which was interesting. I am looking forward to coming back next week and getting started on some more projects.
Jul. 18 2016
Today morning I got to document the programming concepts workshop. It was quite interesting because there were some cool things in the workshop that somehow got skipped over in the apprenticeship program. I thought Aaron was a really good teacher and all of the students really seemed to be interested in what he was teaching them. After lunch, Ernie instructed us on how to make the connection between php code and a mysql database. The code is actually quite complicated, but I think I understand most of it. We also got assigned a project (Ernie kind of decided to drop the calendar events project) and hopefully I can start working on it soon. I'm going to have to miss class tomorrow, so I am hoping that Anagha will help me catch up.
Jul. 19 2016
I was not able to come into class today because I had to study for my calculus placement test.
Jul. 20 2016
Today in the morning, we did some fun activities to understand concepts of structural engineering. We used several online applets to do this (one calculated center of mass and one calculated the tension and compression on a bridge that we created). I came in second place in the small competition that we had where we had to try to create a bridge with the smallest largest number as either our tension or compression on any part in our bridge. During lunch, we played some ERS and we got some cake because it was Aaron's birthday. After lunch, we learned a little about snap2 and pagerender. We then opened up terminal and started learning how to use vim (another texteditor), which I thought was pretty cool. I am starting to get stressed about the project that we have though, since we keep learning more and more stuff everyday. I am probably going to have to work on some of my project at home.
Jul. 21 2016
Today we spent the morning building a tower out of straws and pipecleaners. We tried to make our tower the tallest and strongest that we could. We came in third place in the competition- I think we could've done a lot better, but I guess it's fine. We spent the afternoon working on our projects. My project is creating a table full of movies on mySQL. Using php, we call on this table and display it on our website. The user should be able to put information into the table and also use the search options to comb through the table for whatever rows they want. I got the insert part working, but I still need to do the search part. I think I can get that part done tomorrow though.
Jul. 22 2016
Today I had reception in the morning, so I did not do the engineering lesson today. However, the good thing was that I could work on my project the whole morning since I was alone, and therefore I was able to finish my project. Of course, I also spent the majority of the time in the afternoon working on my project too, but I am really happy that I got my Movie Catalog working. There are 5 options that people can choose if they want to narrow down the information that they are seeing. The options include just narrowing down the columns that you can see or narrowing down the content by only displaying a row if it meets certain criteria. The only problem I, and all the other apprentices, seemed to have was having the form resubmit the entry when the page is refreshed. However, Ernie said not to worry about it because it really can't be fixed easily. Well, now I am just looking forward to enjoying this weekend and coming in next week!
Jul. 25 2016
I did not come to Shodor today because I had a calculus placement test to take.
Jul. 26 2016
Today I spent the entire day working on my website and making it look the best I could get it to look. I redid a lot of things and I researched several things that I wanted to add because I did not know what I was supposed to do. Since I got into NCSSM, school starts on August 13th, which meant that if I attended all 6 weeks of Shodor, I wouldn't get any break time. Fortunately, I talked with Ernie and he said that I can take next week off, so I decided to do that. I might even take off the rest of this week (I'm not really sure yet). If that is the case, this could be my last day as an apprentice at Shodor. I've learned so much and I've really enjoyed all my time at Shodor. I'm really glad that I decided to be part of the program this year!