Caroline's Blog
Day 1: 11/7/11This was my first day as an apprentice at Shodor. We got a lot of papers and we talked a lot. I missed the first day, but I was able to come in to go over everything they did. It was just me, Ernie (the Apprentice Coordinator), and three other apprentices. We went through the handbook that outlined the rules. Then, we went over the basics of Terminal and Textwrangler. I also found new websites on Shodor that I think will help me a lot. It was really fun, and I can't wait to start my website next week.
Day 2: 11/12/11
This was my second day as an apprentice at Shodor. Today I worked on making this website. It was really fun, but also hard. I learned some new tags and some new parts and new commands on html. I got to start many new pages and it turned out great. Then, I got to design each page. I picked out colors, and sizes. I also got to write about myself. Then, I polished it off and put in spaces and indents. It was not as easy as you would think. I had to use many different tags. But, I got much better, and learned so much. I also got my mentor and I met him. He seemed really nice. Overall, it was a great and productive day, and I cannot wait until next week.
Day 3:11/19/11
Today we learned about observations and about other skills we need to use when learning about computers. At first we just learned about how we can not always just trust computers. The teacher showed us an example on excel. While we thought that we were subtracting .2, the computer was really subtracting a tiny bit less than .2. This showed us how the computer is not always exact.
After a short break, we listened to a presentation on office ethics. We learned all about what to do and what not to do while working. I learned never to just walk into an office, especially if the person in the office is on the phone. I also learned what to wear whenever I come into the office. Overall, I learned how to act at work.
I had a wonderful Saturday. I learned a lot, and I was also able to work on my website. Thanks for reading!
Day 4: 12/3/11
Today we learned about AgentSheets. In case you have never used AgentSheets before, you create rules (conditional statements) to tell agents how and where to move. Agents are the characters that you give instructions to. In the end, you create what is called a model. I have used AgentSheets before, but today I learned how to do many new things, including scent. Scent is where one agent follows another agent. Each agent has a scent, and you can tell one type of agent to follow another type of agent. I had never heard about this before, but today I learned actually how to use it.
Towards the end of the class we learned a little about Excel. I learned how to use Excel to make doing problems easier. You can enter code in to make Excel average and do other cool problems. I do not use Excel very much, and since I learned how much easier Excel can make my life, I think that I will be using it a lot more.
I learned a lot today about AgentSheets and Excel that I have never learned before. I look forward to seeing what else I learn at Shodor.
Day 5:12/10/11
Today we learned more about Excel. I learned how to create basic formulas and how to implement them. To do this we first had to rename a cell. For example, we named one "infection chance." Then, in the formula we used the exact words "infection chance." This would cause the formula to look at the number written in that box and use that number to calculate the answer. I would like to start using this, because instead of having to change multiple boxes and formulas, you just have to change one box and everything else changes itself. This makes life a lot easier.
I have learned so much already, and I cannot wait to learn more. At first I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about AgentSheets and Excel, but I have realized how little I really knew. This makes me understand how much I am really learning. I am extremely excited to learn more about Excel and many other topics.
Day 6:12/17/11
Today we learned more about Excel. We tried to duplicate the model that we had originally created in Excel into AgentSheets. We ran the model in AgentSheets a few times, then we put the results of these tests into Excel. Then, we created a graph. After this, we created several formulas to make each number to react with other numbers. For example, the infection rate that we created reacted with the recovery rate. This was really cool because I never knew how to average numbers on Excel, let alone make the numbers on Excel change themselves. Then, we created a slider bar that would change every number on the sheet at once.
At the end of class we got a homework assignment to add an interaction rate, and answer a few questions. I was able to add the interaction rate, change the formulas to react to the interaction rate, and create a scroll bar that changed the interaction rate. I am very happy that I was able to do this because I feel more confident now in my comprehension.
Day 7:1/14/12
Today we started a new project. The project is to create an AgentSheets model and an Excel model. We had two choices for the topics: Cops and Robbers or the Water Cycle. My partner, Eve, and I picked Cops and Robbers. I am doing the AgentSheets model, while Eve is doing the Excel model. I have already started. I was able to create all the agents and do most of the model. But then I ran into a few problems so I decided to start over. I tried again, but I eventually started over. Right now I am on my third try, and I feel like I understand the project and AgentSheets much more. But, as Ernie, the Apprentice Coordinator, says, sometimes you just need to start over from scratch, because then you get a new perspective. I look forward to another week of working on this project and then presenting it to our parents.
Day 8:1/21/12
Today we worked on our project. I was able to continue working on the AgentSheets model, and I almost have everything perfect. I am extremely excited since we might present next week, and I hope that I am able to finish.
For the last 2 hours of class, we learned about probability. First the teacher asked us a few questions that we were able to answer without much trouble. Then, the questions got harder. After another few questions, there were a few demonstrations. First two people stood up and flipped a coin four times. The goal was to get it to land on heads three times. They both flipped it four times, and they both got it to land on heads exactly three times, even though the probability was very low. Then, we found out the probability for how likely it was that that you would get a flush in cards. After a couple of more experiments, we had to end. I feel like I learned a lot about probability, and it was extremely fun since we got to actually watch probability by seeing experiments.
Day 9:1/28/12Today we worked on the project for about half the class, then we presented. I was very happy when I got in, because everything was working perfectly. After checking to make sure that everything was fine, I created a website to put the models on. This took about an hour, then Eve (my partner) and I practiced our presentations. After this, we presented. I was nervous at first, but everything went perfectly, including both models. Overall, I have learned a lot about AgentSheets and Excel by working on this project.
Day 10: 2/4/12
Today we learned about computers and parts of computers for the first half of class. We got to see and touch all of the pieces of the computer. Then, we went to a website to find pieces of computers such as the motherboard, fan, and the case. Then we got to find all the pieces that would make up our dream computer. This was very fun, and I hope someday soon I get to buy the pieces I choose and make my dream computer.
For the rest of class we listened to people present their projects. This was very fun, because I got to see the differences between our project and model, and others. This was very interesting, and extremely fun. I look forward to learning more about computers, AgentSheets, and Excel.
Day 11: 2/11/12
I was not here on this Saturday, but I came in 2/22/12 to make it up. We learned about binary code, and how computers connnect. We also learned about IP addresses and how they function in computers. I also learned about the Sub Net Mask and the Gateway. These are computer terms for which host the information goes to and how the information leaves. This was very interesting, because I have heard about an IP Address, but did not know what it was. I have not heard about many of these other terms, but when I learned about them I found them fascinating. I also realized how many tasks have to happen just to do simple things that most do every day, such as checking email and sending an email.
Day 12: 2/18/12
Today we learned about supercomputers. We also learned about problems that can happen with a supercomputer, such as resource contention, race condition, communication overhead, deadlock, and livelock. These all result in the computer stopping, or slowing down because of a problem. This was extremely interesting for me, because I barely knew about supercomputers, and by the end I could tell you the largest supercomputer on Earth (the K computer in Japan), how to make a supercomputer, and many of the problems that occur in supercomputers.
We also learned how to make several computers into a supercomputer. First, we assigned one computer to be the "head node." This means that they just entered in some extra code and put in some extra steps. After this, the rest of the "nodes" turned on the computer and joined the "head node." Anna (another apprentice and my friend) was the head node, while two other apprentices and I were the other nodes. We all went on, and performed the same task (necessary for the computers to be considered a supercomputer). We entered some code, and we were able to successfully make a supercomputer as we all completed the same task. It was extremely fun, interesting, and something I've never seen or even thought about.
Day 13: 3/3/12
Today we learned about JavaScript. We are learning about programming right now, and JavaScript is extremely useful and versatile. It can be used to create web pages from scratch, or even make apps. I have never learned JavaScript, but I have used other programming languages, so I thought that I'd be able to catch on pretty easily. But, thirty minutes, and ten lines of code later, I realized not every programming language is the same. Eventually I understood everything, but at first I was a little confused. No matter how many workshops and classes I have taken at Shodor, each class and lesson requires me to have a different thought process, and think in a completely different way.
We were told to try to make a table containing algebraic equations, and to tell the computer to solve it. First we learned a few common phrases, such as "document.write()" This was what contained the equation. After putting in a few line of code, we had finished. Then we got the task of creating a code to convert years to seconds. We were given an outline, and we filled in the rest. I found that I was able to do this without much trouble. After this, we learned a new phrase, "loops." This means that when told to "loop," the program will repeat itself multiple times. Then we learned about arrays which are used in loops. Finally we each got a partner (mine was Tess), and converted three minute amounts into seconds. This was relatively hard, but know I feel as if I'm really starting to understand JavaScript.
Day 14: 3/10/12
Today we learned more about JavaScript. In addition to learning more about how to write our own, we learned how to use a debugging program to correct and find mistakes in our code. The first code that we wrote was to create a calender that showed a month with 31 days. Then we wrote a code to simulate a dice roll. I left at this point, but came back later to catch up and learn how to do this.
After lunch we learned about fractals. In addition we learned about Julia sets and Mandelbrot sets. It was very interesting because it presented a new way of thinking, since there were lots of visuals. I had a very good time, and I am very happy that I was able to understand all of this.
Day 15: 3/17/12
We continued learning about JavaScript. We put the Dice program that we created last week in a external JavaScript file. Then, we got to be creative and create CSS that randomly assigns 6 colors using something called hexadecimal notation. Then, we got to try to write a program that drew three rectangles on a sheet. After that, we played with the code trying to get them to change colors, move, erasing, and getting them to stay inside a specific area. Finally, we tried to get the rectangles to walk around, which is slightly different then just moving. Overall, I learned a lot, and I'm beginning to realize how much it takes to do everything that we see on websites.
Day 16: 4/14/12
Today we began our final project for the spring: creating a model using JavaScript imitating a model that we have created in the past. My partner (Jenna) and I decided to do the fire model. First we created a High Level Design Document (HLD). We were able to do that without much of a problem. Then we started to write the code in JavaScript. We had a couple of problems that slowed us down, but we were able to make some progress. We have next week and part of the week until we have a show the project. I learned a lot about JavaScript today, specifically about problem solving, and I can't wait to learn more.
Day 17: 4/21/12
Today we worked more on our final project for spring. We had some problems, but with the help of Ernie and Aaron (one of our instructors), we were able to get a lot of work done. I was extremely proud, because I was able to help create code that was able to get the fire to spread to the bottom. I am also proud that I am able to understand this after missing a few weeks. But, we did have a few problems, so I hope that I can learn some more so that I can solve these problems by myself.
Day 18: 4/28/12
Today we almost finished our project. The fire was able to spread without any problem. We just need to add a probability and put it on our website. Then we will present. I am extremely proud because we overcame many problems to make it work. I also now understand JavaScript much better after solving problems, creating loops, and adding more code. I am happy with the model, and I can't wait to learn more about JavaScript.
We also celebrated Ernie's birthday today! He would not tell us his birth date, so we decided to have a birthday party for him today! There was cake and a card. We surprised him and we all had lots of fun! It was a lot of fun!
Next week my partner (Jenna) will present, but I will be gone. This is my last week at Shodor until July. I'll miss Shodor, but I am very excited for July!
Day 19: 7/9/12
Today was the first day of the summer block 2! There are four blocks during the summer and I am attending block 2, 3, and 4. Each block lasts 2 week and different material is learned each block. During this block we will be learning about php page render, svn, and snap 2. Today we focused on php. We learned the basis, did a project as a group, and started a series of projects that we will be completing individually. As a group we set up a MadLib! It was hard at first, but once we got into it is was extremely fun and cool. Individually we will be doing 8 projects. The projects are: Hexcode, Calendar, Dice, Dynamic Pages, MadLib, Background Selector, Dane Joe, and XML Blog. As a class we finished the MadLib project. Today I worked on the Dice Project. It took about 3 hours, but I finished it. A few of the projects that slowed me down included: missing semi-colons (needed after every line), misplaced parenthesis, having to name many different variables, and making sure that I use each variable correctly. But, by the end I understood and was able to overcome all these problems and finish the project! 2 down, 6 to go!
Day 20: 7/10/12
Today we worked on the projects for the whole day! I was able to finish one project (Calendar) and am almost done with another (Random Hex Code). The calendar was pretty easy and I was able to get the days and numbers to print pretty quickly. The spacing took a while and was a little harder, but I was able to overcome this problem by adding echo statements. Then I started the Random Hex Code Project. It is very hard because you first have to get a random number then translate that to hexadecimal. But, I am almost done figuring out how to translate the random number to hexadecimal. Today was a hard, but fun day!
Day 21: 7/11/12
During the morning we learned about was subversion, also known as svn. Subversion is a repository with projects that we can look at and edit. We had to download two files. Then we edited one of them to view a website design. This was pretty interesting, but every command that we put into terminal had to be perfect. Any mistakes that we made could stop the command from running.
For the rest of the day we worked on the projects. I completed 3 more! Each time I finish a project, I feel like I understand PHP better. The projects do get progressively harder, but I was still able to finish them and understand them. The hardest one today was the Dynamic Pages. I didn't quite understand this at first, but once Krista (an intern) explained the directions to me, I understood it. Overall, it was a day where I learned a lot, but had some fun when I finished the projects.
Day 22: 7/12/12
Today we learned about page render and snap2 in the morning and we worked on the projects for the rest of the day. Snap 2 is where we can edit the content of website and page render is a php framework. For the rest of the day we worked on the 8 projects. I was able to finish the remaining two today! I finished "Dane Joe" and the XML Blog. Dane Joe was pretty simple, but the XML Blog was definitely the hardest of all the ones we have done so far, but I was able to finish it. I am extremely proud and I feel like I have learned a lot in the past few days, and I'm sure as I explore php more I will learn more about it.
Day 23: 7/13/12
Today I got to improve on my projects and explore code a little more. I was able to do a correct calendar for the entire year, add colors to my Background Selector, and edit my website. I changed the background, the font, and different things that involved editing the CSS. It was very fun and extremely interesting because the code that changes things that look prominent on the screen are actually very simple. At the end of the day we presented and were able to look at other people's projects. It was very interesting to see how everyone was given the same project, but we all came up with different results. People did extremely cool things and I got new ideas on what I can do in my free time and different things I can do to my website.
Day 24: 7/16/12
Today I worked on my HLD for the Apprentice Portal Project. This is the project where we basically make a copy of our website so that when we are no longer at Shodor, our work will still be here. I also started to edit the new site and I learned a lot about Page Render and Snap 2. It was very interesting, but I hope to learn some more about Snap 2 and how it interacts with Text Wrangler.
Day 25: 7/17/12
Today I worked on the Apprentice Portal Project. I worked on making the pages link and getting information into each page. I was able to get the pages to link by linking them dynamically. Then using Snap 2 I put information into each page. Next I am going to try to link the projects so that the projects are not on my other website. This means that the url should not have: "shodor.org/~carolineg/..." This will be hard but I am excited to try this. I also was able to finish my HLD and get it approved by Ernie.
Day 26: 7/18/12
Today I worked more on the Apprentice Fun Project. We actually have two projects right now, Apprentice Portal and Apprentice Fun. I have been working on Apprentice Fun, which is in preparation for Apprentice Portal. I am almost done for Apprentice Fun, I just need to add a few of my final projects. Then I will do the Apprentice Portal Project. This is almost the exact same project, but it will be available to everyone, including the public. I am excited to experiment with this new website, especially since I feel like I understand this now.
Day 27: 7/19/12
Today I worked more on the Apprentice Fun Project. I was able to put all the projects on the website except the JavaScript and PHP projects. I spent some time trying to get the JavaScript and PHP on the website, but I was not able to do that, and so far no one else was able to successfully get the JavaScript and PHP on their website. But, after trying to put the JavaScript and PHP on the website for at least an hour, I decided to work on the Apprentice Portal project. I was able to download all the files and information onto the computer and I started taking some of the code that I already have from the Apprentice Fun Project and putting it into the Apprentice Portal Project. Since the projects overlap a lot, it did help that I have already done most of the code that will be needed for the Apprentice Portal Project. Hopefully once I have completed the coding I will be able to experiment with the code and the CSS some more!
Day 28: 7/20/12
Today I worked on the Apprentice Portal project. I am almost finished except for putting in a few projects. Specifically I need to put in my final JavaScript projects and my PHP projects. It was very hard to get the JavaScript projects on the website because it required putting in lots of different pieces of code in many different places. But, after I got the first one done I used that one as a model for the others. I am extremely proud that I was able to almost complete the Apprentice Portal project and that I was able to import a JavaScript project. Only a few people have been able to do this, and I know understand what code goes where and what it does. I feel like now that I have learned a few programming languages, the next one will be easier and I'll be able to understand it even better.
Day 29: 7/23/12
In the morning I had ODAA (Other Duties as Assigned). My ODAA today was morning receptionist. This is the third time I have been receptionist. I got lots of calls, greeted the workshop students and parents, and made sure everyone signed in. It was extremely busy, but very fun!
During the afternoon I worked more on the Apprentice Portal Project. I worked on getting my final JavaScript Projects so that they could be downloaded onto my website. I ran into a few problems, but after a lot of thinking and some help I was able to fix these problems. I finally finished putting all the JavaScript projects on the website and tomorrow I am going to try to do the same thing with the PHP projects.
Day 30: 7/24/12
Today I worked on the Apprentice Portal Project. I was able to get 5 out of my 8 PHP projects loaded onto my page. This was a little easier than the JavaScript because most of the loading was done in TextWrangler (a text editor), but each project differed. When I tried to load the Calendar php project, it came up with a lot of errors. I had to retype some of the lines in, then it worked. For the Dynamic Pages project I had to rename the links so that it didn't conflict with one of my new links. But, I learned a lot from dealing with such different projects and I look forward to completely finishing the project tomorrow!
Day 31: 7/25/12
Today I worked on the Apprentice Portal Project. I was able to get 7 out of my 8 php projects downloaded onto my website. Around 10:30 I realized that I was editing the existing copies and not making copies of them. This means that the copies that were on my original website would not work. So, I had to edit the versions that I had and basically remake them so that they would work on my original website. This took a while, but I feel like after completing the same project 2 times, I understand it extremely well.
In the afternoon I had an ODAA. I documented in the Modeling Your Universe Workshop. The class was very interesting, but I have done most of the material before. That was a long time ago though, so it was very beneficial for me because I was able to relearn some of this material and understand it better. It was also very interesting to see the workshop students. For the past few years I have attended many workshops and to see these kids who are doing activities and workshops that I have done in the past is interesting.
Day 32: 7/26/12
Today we learned about databases! Monte, the first intern came in to teach the class. It was very interesting and different than many things that we have done before. First I learned that a data base is something that holds data. Then we learned about tables and ER diagrams. We got to learn about them first, then try to draw some. We worked as a group to try to find the profit of a grocery store chain. It was very hard, but we did well. After that we worked on a database on the computer. At first we explored the database and it was very interesting. Then we were given a few questions to answer. We got to explore some more and learn some new commands that helped us answer these questions. Overall it was a very interesting day, especially since this was the first day in a while that we have not work on the Apprentice Portal project!
Day 33: 7/27/12
Today I finished my Apprentice Portal project. I was able to put all my projects onto my Portfolio, get all my blog entries onto my blog page, and create my home page. I have learned a lot by completing the project and I look forward to learning more about Snap 2, PageRender, and PHP.
Day 34: 7/30/12
Today I worked on improving my Apprentice Portal Project. I worked on editing the CSS so that the page looked like I wanted it to. I changed the colors so that they were similar to my other website and I got rid of extra spaces where I did not have text. Also there were some weird borders that I worked on for a while to get rid of. That took a while, but it made it look a lot better. I also worked on making my projects load better and in a similar way to the way that my other projects load. The day was very fun, and my website now looks a lot better.
Day 35: 7/31/12
Today I "submitted" my project! I used terminal and officially finished it so that if needed it could go "live" now it would be in ready and good enough to be available to the public. When everyone is done and has submitted their project the Shodor staff will put it on the Shodor website so that people can click on pictures or names and view each person's website! During the afternoon I was the afternoon receptionist. During that time I was able to experiment with a few different programs, but then Ernie gave me the sheet describing what we will do next block (the next 2 weeks). The next few days I will be starting that work! I am extremely excited and proud that I finished the other Portal project!
Day 36: 8/1/12
Today I worked on the HLD for the project next week. Then I worked on the actual project! The project is an AgentSheets project called Deer and Lynx. The HLD had to be extremely detailed. Everything from what the agents are to how the agents do what they do had to be defined and explained. I was able to complete this and begin to create the AgentSheets project. I created all the agents and the background.
Day 37: 8/2/12
Today I worked on the AgentSheets Deer and Lynx project. I had an extremely fun and successful day. By the end of the day I was able to edit all the depictions (how the animals look), create all the depictions for each animal, make all the animals walk around, make all the deer eat, make all the deer have babies, and make the babies grow up! I did have a few problems along the way though. At the beginning after the deer ate the grass they would not move because at that point they were on brown grass, not the green grass that I had told them to walk on. After I attempted to make the deer have babies, so many babies appeared that it filled up the whole screen and froze the computer! To fix this I had to make the variable called energy. Every second the deer loses 3 "points" of energy, and whenever it eats grass it gains 3 "points" of energy. The deer has to have 75 points of energy to have a baby, and then loses 60 points of energy after having a baby. After that I tried getting the babies to grow up. I assigned a variable to age so that when the baby is 50 "years" old it turns into an adult. Overall it was an extremely fun and progress-filled day!
Day 38: 8/3/12
Today I worked on the AgentSheets Deer and Lynx project. Today I ran into a few problems. After I successfully got the Lynx to have get energy, lose energy, and have babies, I tried running the program. After a few times, I noticed that the Lynx always killed the deer and took over in a few seconds. Then the Lynx would die after a few seconds. I tried solving this by increasing the amount of energy required to have babies and decreasing the chance that the lynx will kill the deer. This made the lynx take a little longer to kill all the deer. I hope that next week I will be able to make the lynx take even longer or make the deer win sometime.
Day 39: 8/6/12
Today I documented for the Shodor Scholars Program. I have done this program before, and I did recognize a lot of the material, but a lot of it has changed. At the beginning they did an activity that emphasized the importance of reading directions. After that they learned about parallel programming and clusters. During the morning they just learned what parallel programming is, but during the afternoon they got to make their own cluster out of a few of their laptops! It was a fun day, and I do think I learned some new information.
Day 40: 8/7/12
Today I worked on my AgentSheets model. I'm almost done, but I am going to try to make the model more even. Most of the time either the lynx or the deer is the only animal left after a few seconds, then dies out after another few seconds. But, today I added scent so that my lynx chases my deer. This made the model a little more even, but tomorrow I plan on changing some of the numbers (such as the birth chance, chance of the lynx eating the deer, chance of the deer eating the grass, etc.) so that one animal does not die out too quickly.
Day 41: 8/8/12
Today I worked some more on my AgentSheets model. I was able to do some extremely cool things that I have not done before. I was able to make a counter to count each of my deer, lynx, and alive grass. Then it takes these numbers and graphs them! After I did this Ernie challenged me to try to make the model even. This means that whenever the grass number goes up, the deer number goes down. I was able to do this, but I also need to try to make it so the lynx do not die out. The model should be formatted so that whenever the deer number goes up, the lynx number goes up, and whenever the deer number goes down, the lynx number goes down. Tomorrow I am going to try to make the lynx number a little more even compared to the deer number.
Day 42: 8/9/12
Today I finished my AgentSheets model! My model is now in complete balance so that half of the time the lynx win, and half the time the deer win. Also, as the deer population rises, the grass population goes down. I also added simulation properties so that the user can edit the properties and edit the actual model to what they want. Tomorrow I am going to help test some of the interactivate material and help some of the other apprentices.
Day 43: 8/10/12
Today I helped test part of the Interactivate website and I helped prepare for the SSP students' presentations. I followed some directions and tested every part of the models to make sure that when it is available to the public it will be functional and perfect. I also helped clean and help the SSP students in preparation for their presentations that happened in the afternoon. They had awesome presentations and it was fun to watch them and remember my presentation from last year.
Day 43: 8/13/12
Today I worked on my possible website designs and my logo. I worked for a while on making a few different website designs, including a soccer themed one and a math and science themed one on Inkskape. After I did that, I worked on make a logo in Gimp. I tried a few different things, and I made a few different logos with the same themes as my website designs. I have not decided which logo I like best yet, and I might try to combine a few of my ideas, but I think that it is off to a good start and I can't wait to apply some of my ideas to my website.
Day 44: 8/14/12
Today I worked on my logo some more and I tried doing a new project: editing a picture of Ernie and a picture of another picture and trying to combine them so that Ernie's face is on another person's body. I settled on which logo I want to use and I put it so that it is on all of my potential website designs. I also tried using Gimp and Inkscape to edit different pictures of stars (such as Peeta from the Hunger Games, Tom Brady, and Abraham Lincoln) and then I tried editing a picture of Ernie so that then Ernie's head was on different stars' bodies.
Day 45: 8/15/12
Today I worked on editing Ernie's face and stars' bodies. For a majority of the day I worked on putting Ernie's face on Abraham Lincoln. I do not know if I am completely done with that one yet, but I think that it looks really good right now, and if I finished now, I would be happy with it. I also tried to put his head on a model and Mount Rushmore. When I tried to put his head on a model, it did not turn out very well because I could not match the model's skin-tone to put that color on the face, and the lighting and shadows were different. But, once I started putting his head on Mount Rushmore it worked a lot better. I am not yet done with that one yet, but so far I have been able to match the color and the size. I think I got a lot done today, but I also had a lot of fun discovering how to use Gimp.
Day 46: 8/16/12
Today I put a lot of my projects on my website. I was able to add most of my projects, but there were a few projects that I need to work to get on my website or ask someone for help. Tomorrow is going to be the last day of the apprenticeship. I hope to apply for the internship and see some of my apprentice friends and the staff again. Tomorrow we are going to wrap things up, and we will also have pizza (that I will be bringing in), cookies, and drinks (courtesy of other apprentices). We will also being saying goodbye, since not all people will be interns. But, I am excited to celebrate tomorrow!
Day 47: 8/17/12
Today was the last day of the Apprenticeship. I put all my things on my website, helped other people put their projects on their website, and did an extra project towards the end of the day. I did another Graphics Project which included putting three photos of Ernie onto Mount Rushmore. We also had a special lunch (pizza, cookeis, and soda). Towards the end of the day we all said goodbye. I have loved being an apprentice and I have learned a lot, but I am sad to say goodbye to some of my friends. I also know the next time I walk back into Shodor I will be applying to be an intern. I hope I can be an intern and see all of the staff and my friends again.
Day 48: 10/26/12
Today was my first day as an intern! After the apprenticeship I applied to be a volunteer intern (I am only 14 so cannot be a full intern) and was accepted! Today I met with my new mentor (Ron), turned in all my paperwork, and learned a little more about what I will be doing as an intern. I am very excited to start my new work!