Array vs. ArrayList

          There are many differences between Arrays and ArrayLists in Java. I have made the following graphic to explain the differences. 

         These will be very important to know and completely understand. I hope to have ease in my learning and understanding of these methods.

Reflection 2

These past weeks in Comp Sci have been interesting. I have learned a lot about arrays, loops, and Boolean logic that has all helped my understanding of computer science as a whole tremendously.

The best thing about Comp Sci has been how all of the units connect. In one week, we learn about loops and all the different types. In the next week, we learn about arrays and incorporate the loops material in the labs to help drive the concept fully into our heads. This is an extremely helpful tool because it also helps us not forget things that we did earlier in the year. I hope that this is implemented even more in the future to help us learn.

The worst thing about Comp Sci is the system of doing the labs. Most of the kids read the lab objective through and immediately start programming. They get stuck because they haven't clearly planned out how they are going to do the labs. We should do a class-wide discussion before we start the lab where kids have the ability to get the basic framework of the lab and understand how we should accomplish the goal. We could also brainstorm different ways if some kids want to do the labs in a differently than others. This current system leads to a lot a frustration and stress because while some kids start planning out there labs, others immediately start them and leave the other kids behind.

Reflection 1

           The previous three weeks have been very interesting. These first lessons have served as a refresher for my java skills and have really introduced me to some new topics which I had never explored.

           I took a Programming in Java class in 8th grade and also attended a week-long computer programming camp the following summer. Given that, I know a fair amount of Java but my skills were pretty rusty coming into 11th grade. These first couple of lessons have helped me remember much of this information. It helps that I have learned it before because it makes much of it easier to relearn. 

           Additionally, I have been working on a couple of projects on projecteuler.net, which offers extremely tough math problems that can only be solved using programs. I have completed the first and second problem and hope to finish the third problem this upcoming week. The third problem asks for the largest prime factor of a long number around 900 billion. It is helpful for me because it ties in the lesson (on long, string, int, double, etc) with some skills that I need to develop (prime number checker). It has really advanced my computer programming skills and made me think long and hard about these problems. I don't expect to get too far on the website; the problems get very hard very quick. 

           Also, there have definitely been some lectures in class that involved things I did not know about. For instance, I was not familiar with many of the codes to get quotation marks or tabs inside the output text box. I also did not know the specific limits on data types such as long and double. These lectures have really helped me learn things that I was never taught or completely forgot from my earlier classes. I have also gotten help from the other students in the class who are more advanced from a programming standpoint than me. 

           All in all, these first lessons have not been too difficult for me, but I soon expect them to get harder while I start learning things I was never taught before.

TED Talk Videos

(8-28-18) - I found the TED Talk by Blaise Aguera y Arcas to be a good sign of the direction that technology is taking us. This video is primarily a demonstration of the new Microsoft tool, Photosynth, which has the ability to connect photos from all over the world electronically. The software was developed using Seadragon software, which allows photos and graphics to be browsed seamlessly, regardless of their relative quality. He shows the application of Photosynth in his last example, where Photosynth represents the Notre Dame Cathedral digitally as the compilation of thousands of human pictures posted on the social media site Flickr. This Microsoft Labs project gives us a glimpse of the future of the internet by showing just how connected everything can become. This can radically change how we search for a picture and our understanding of places and natural phenomena.

As compared to Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Andrew Blum looks at the physical side of the internet in his TED Talk. He explores how the internet is connected and where it comes from. He also looks at the reasons for these connections. For instance, three years ago in Africa, there was only one cable that connected the people. But now that industry in Africa is growing, six other cables have been or are planned to be built.  

Both speakers look at how technology is connected and the real world effects this has on people. Even though Blum looks at it physically, which is unusual, both of them contribute ideas to show how all people are influenced by the connection of technology. They also both look at the real world effects by showing the possibilities that these new tools and cable offer.