Time Strategies

Time Strategies 

One thing that is very important when dealing with any amount of workload is Time Management and Strategy. I discovered this amazing habit at the end of 6th year in secondary school. It is a skill that has stuck with me for years and it is one of the biggest factors in become successful in my opinion. I've noticed that when I don't plan for the week ahead, everything goes to s**t. What made things 100x easier for me was when I bought a bullet journal. A bullet journal is a small little journal but instead of lines on the page, it has

 dots. These dots on the page expand the possibilities of being organised to another level. 

This semester my strategy for this semester is to make a plan ahead for every week. Every weekend I plan to draw up sections for each day and in these sections I will write what is due and what needs to be done. 

Image Information:

Photo of Bullet Journal; http://www.charisadarling.com/

Technology Tools

Technology Tools

I am looking froward to using some of the tools this semester. Blogging is a completely new skill to me and so far I am already enjoying it. I've never done anything like blogging so I am happy to get started and to learn more about the tools that are required. 

One of the tools that I am familiar with is Google Docs. I love Google Docs and all of their services. I use it for all of my assignments and it is just a great platform.

I am also looking towards learning about graphics creation, this is completely new to me and I am eager to get started. 

Image Information:

Graphic of electronic devices and sysmbols; https://itex365.com/compass-sales-solutions-announces-new-api-integration-tool/

Class Assignments

Class Assignments

My first impressions on how we will be working through different assignments throughout the week seems like a very good system. It makes sense that we will be completing multiple short-medium tasks throughout week at a constant rate. This is effective for me because I am the type of person to leave things until the last minute. This system will make sure that the workload is divided evenly throughout the semester. 

Also, I like the idea of being able to complete tasks every week to earn extra credit. This is a very good option to have in case you miss a week or fall behind. 

Image Information:
Illustration of student carrying books; https://gemreportunesco.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/let-teachers-teach-the-dangers-of-expanding-teacher-workloads/?shared=email&msg=fail

Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset

Today I am going to be talking about how a mindset that is focused on "Growth" can be a huge tool in your life. Not only in everyday activities, but in important tasks and situations, it is very important to have a solid mindset. When talking about  a growth mindset, I tend to think of words like; positive thinking, planning, gratitude, drive, confidence, routine. This are words that, in my opinion, are what will turn your mindset into something that is going to make you achieve your goals. 

This semester I am determined to continue the practice of having a growth mindset. In my opinion, a strong mindset is one of the most important things to have in life. I once heard a quote, "Nothing can be achieved without positive thinking and confidence". This really stuck with me and I try to implement it into my life every day. 

Image information:
Image of two heads with contrasting mindsets: https://chrishildrew.wordpress.com/growth-mindset/

Introduction Post

Introduction Post

For all of you who do not know, my name is Jordan Dempsey. I am a 19 year old student who is studying Creative Digital Media in I.T Blanchardstown. I live at home with my parents and my brother. I am currently working in Arnotts department store as a Sales Assistant in Menswear. I love my job.
I love listening to music. My two favorite genres of music are house/techno and rap. When I was about 15 I started listening to electronic dance music. From about 1999-2010 there was an amazing period of time where D.J's were releasing great music. I was introduced to house music by my friends. I remember one of my best friends had an Ipad (this was before anyone had any apple products) and it was loaded with hundreds of songs, all house music. My friends and I would sit in his bedroom listen to songs every time we were in his house. 

Another thing I would like to talk about is my love for media production. I first thought about pursuing media as a career when I was in 5th year of Secondary school. It was around the time where we were urged to start thinking about our course choice for when we finish school. At first, I was thinking about following a career such as engineering or science. I was good at subjects like these and I found it interesting. After doing more research, I realized that I wanted to follow a path that was a bit more creative. I did not want to stuck in a job that was extremely focused on calculations, numbers and other stressful tasks. I started researching ideas along the lines of travelling the world and creativity. Money wasn't my first concern, I wanted a job that would make me happy. This is where I stumbled across Photography.  
When choosing my courses I put at the top of my course choice list; Creative Digital Media in I.T Blanchardstown. I studied hard so I could get enough points to get accepted. After I got my results I was delighted to see that I was accepted in I.T.B. I decided that I wanted to up my Photography skills before I started so I decided to do a P.L.C in Photography and then start the course next year. I am glad I made that decision and now I am year 2 of my course and I am loving it!

Image Information:

Recent photograph that I took in Howth. I like this photo because I am proud of how far the quality of my images have came. 

Workshop 01

Workshop 01

Today I am going to talk about my first workout in Multimedia Development. This was our first session of the year. The task that was presented to us was to create flow chart that accurately described how a set of traffic lights at a cross-junction would work. 
As I have a driver's license, this task was not too much of a challenge to me. When we were first put into our groups and given the task, I was puzzled. It required a level of lateral thinking in order to put it down on pen and paper, even though I encounter traffic lights very day. 

During this exercise I learned that sometimes a task may seem as if it is very difficult but when you sit down and think about sometimes we understand a lot more than we initially think. When this task was first presented to us, I felt overwhelmed by how difficult it was. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write down. After I put my head down and actually thought about how it worked, it became clearly. 
Firstly, I thought about how to distinguish all 4 directions of the junction. The system I thought of was using the terminology; Northbound, Southbound, Eastbound and Westbound. These terms refer to the direction in which the road is going. 
After that, I thought about the sequence of the lights. While one direction is allowed to go, then its opposite direction is also allowed to go. This meant that each opposite direction both had a green light at the same time. while the 2 roads opposite each other have a green light, the 2 other directions who are opposite each other have a red light. Obviously after each green light it must display a amber light before all junctions get a red light. Then, the other 2 roads get a green light. The sequence then repeats itself. 
With all of this in mind, the answer I gave was; All Red>N+S Green>N+S Amber>All Red>E+W Green>E+W Amber>All Red>Repeat

After I gave this answer to Shaun, he pointed out to me that while 2 of the roads are green, we must specify what light is displayed at the other 2 roads. This was a good point and I changed my answer accordingly. 

Overall, it was a good experience. I enjoyed the method of teaching and I enjoyed the problem-solving aspect, instead of listening to a lecturer ramble on for a hour or two. I enjoy working in groups but for such a simple task I found it easier to devise my own method and the present it to my peers. In my opinion, team work is only necessary with a task that require multiple skills or a big workload. 

It feels weird writing about my experience. I think maybe because it was just a half-hour task there isn't much to say but I can say that in larger projects and tasks, self-reflection is very important. 

Image Information:

Aerial Photograph of a cross-junction: https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-road-junction-road-traffic-425054/

Flow chart of traffic lights: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/?noHomepageRedirect=true

My Favorite Game

 My Favorite Game 

Player-Unknown's Battlegrounds is my favourite game to play at the moment. It was first developed for P.C and gradually it was made for console. I play this game on my PlayStation 4.

This is a Battle Royale game. This means that only one player or duo or squad can survive and be the last player(s) standing. It can be played in first or third person. The game starts with 100 people and only 1 player or squad can win. 

The game starts in an air plane flying over the map and players must parachute to different areas around the map. They must collect guns, armour, medicine and other items to battle with other players. A large circle that causes damage slowly closes in towards a random area on the map, some players die to the circle and others get killed by other players. 

There is no re spawn. As the circle closes, players battle it out until one person or squad can be crowned the winner.

Image Information:

Player-unknown's Battlegrounds image: link to website

Test Post

      Test Post 

 Welcome to my blog! Here I will be talking about all things Multimedia. Hope you enjoy.