Week 9

Where I'm Going

As you can hopefully tell from the formatting and colouring of my post, I've gotten pretty far in my learning. I'm still struggling with CSS, but I've basically got HTML figured out. I still have to use google for help occasionally, along with the html and css I wrote for my website. I really need to work on that too.

My 2015 Goals

• Fix my website more
• Understand CSS past text color coding
• Maybe learn how to make interactive areas on the website
• (hyperlinks don't count)
• Learn
• ????

Happy Christmas!

Week 8

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I actually have to take a moment to be thankful. I have a lot to be thankful for, but I don't usually think about it.

In regards to my Blueprint to Brilliance project, I'm most thankful that my project is helping me learn HTML and CSS. I'm also really thankful that my project is allowing me to make a website.

I'm really thankful for the help I've received from codecademy.com, the always wonderful Google, and my boyfriend.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!! :)

Week 7

My Next Three Steps

• Continue learning html and css
• Find an expert that isn't Google or codecademy.com
• Make my site look less like a 13 year old made it

None of my next steps will be very hard. I don't have any particular order for them at the moment since they all correspond with each other. I do think learning more css will really help with fixing my site, though.

My Site

Week 5/6

After the speeches, I decided I wasn't going to make it very far with my chosen topic. Luckily, I had a couple backup topics I could fall back on. I have thus changed my topic, title, and url. I will now be learning and applying HTML and CSS. I have a website I'm playing with coding on (www.angrilyconfusednerds5010.net)*, and I will make it look less like a 6th grader's computer apps project and more like an actual site.
I'll be using Codecademy for the majority of my learning, but I'll also use other reference sites. I'll probably also get help from some of my team mates who know coding.
Hopefully, this topic will be a better year long project, and I'll be able to have a good end product.

*This site is not the official website of Tiger Dynasty and is in no way associated with the team. Our actual site is www.tigerdynasty.org.

Week 4

To give my speech, I plan to write down what I have to say and then practice it until I have it within the time limit. I need to figure out how to organise my speech and what I want to say in it. I think I will probably talk about what PFL and respectful language looks and sounds like. I will probably give examples of PFL and talk about how there are occasions where you don't use it when it seems like you should.
During the question and answer phase, I hope to learn what my classmates want to know about PFL and respectful language, so I can decide where I should focus my research. It will also be interesting because I will be able to learn if my classmates are even interested in my topic.

Week 3

The York School Videos were really cool to watch and see what students my age did with their projects. I almost wish I had chosen to learn sign language because its such a beautiful language, and I would be able to talk to my best friend's parents if I knew ASL. It didn't help me to watch the videos, but I enjoyed watching them.
So far, I haven't found an expert in my field. I'm not sure there really is an expert in Person-First Language because its not big enough for someone to devote their life or a huge amount of time to learning about it. Respectful language in general also isn't really a topic people research alone. I'll continue to look for an expert.

Week 2

Doing the peer review didn't really help me. My peers didn't know much about PFL or respectful language in general.

A lot of my research has shown that support of PFL really ranges and a lot of people with autism don't support the use of PFL because they don't think their disability can be separated from who they are. I'm starting to wonder if my project is going to turn into the pros and cons of PFL as well as using other forms of respectful language, since it seems to be so controversial.
I hope to share what I've learned with the people around me, like my fellow students and the adults in my life.

Week 1

For English class, we have to do a Genius Hours Project. I'm not creative in answering questions so this first post will be boring. Bless you if you read the whole thing.

What am I researching?
My goal is to research what wording and language I should use to be respectful towards people with disabilities. I also want to talk about how our media uses "female poet" and "female athlete" to discuss women, but only uses "poet" and "athlete" to discuss men. I don't believe my gender makes my accomplishments any more or less amazing.

What do I want to learn?
 I hope to learn the best ways to respect those around me when I am describing them, and spread awareness about those ways.

Why that topic?
I have a love for children and adults who have special needs and I want to be able to make a difference in the way others view and talk about them. I also would like to change how the media views women and people of other races.

People with special needs are not special because of their disability. They're special because they're human.