Design Journal
Nina
Reflection 1
1. What are the different ways you interact with computers?
I interact with computers by visiting sites, typing and completing assignments for homework, taking lots of pictures, chatting with my friends, and playing games.
2. How many of those involve you creating with your computers?
Not many of the things that I listed. Some of the things that I listed are, but not all of them. I guess that I don't really create a ton with my computer. Hopefully that will change!
Reflection 2
1. What surprising discovery have you made in Scratch?
I never thought that I was good with working computers. Today, I made my sprite move wherever my mouse went. I never thought that I would be able to do that!
Reflection 3
1. What are three aspects about myself that I can represent through images and sound?
One aspect about myself is that I really like the arts. I love theatre, cooking, dance, writing, anything really, that involves creating. I can represent this through images and sound by listening to music, or through movies, or motion pictures, because they included the things that I love to do the most.
Another aspect about myself is the fact that I love to get active. I love sports, all of them, especially soccer. I can represent this through pictures and sound by taking a picture of me and at one of my games, or a team picture. Through sound I can record the sound of our team cheering whenever someone scores a goal.
Lastly, I really like to eat. Anything. Well, maybe not anything, but, I will most likely try something at least once. I can represent that through taking pictures of food that I like to eat, or finding pictures of food that I want to eat. Also, the sounds could be of food being made.
Reflection 4
1.In your About Me project, what are you most proud of? Why?
I am most proud of the fact that I made my character speak in a speech bubble and recorded my own voice, and made them both go at the same time. (I did this with help, of course.)
2. What might you want to do next?
I think that I might make a video game. I think that the game will a dodging game, where you have to dodge and hide from a certain sprite.
Reflection 5
1. What are 5 situations where you use instructions?
Situation 1: If you are trying to set up a tv
Situation 2: If you are in a treasure hunt, and you need to follow a map
Situation 3: If you are doing a homework assignment with specific directions
Situation 4: If you are making out-of-the-box pancakes
Situation 5: If you are trying to set up a booster seat
2. What are instructions good for?
Instructions are good for following, and they help you get whatever it is that you want to do, done.
Reflection 6
1. Describe how you built your project a little bit at a time.
In the beginning I had the vision of a human character with different costumes rocking back and forth in one spot. In the end it turned out to be an animated character moving to different spots on the screen. I built it a little at a time, changing colors, positions, here and there, and eventually it turned out to be something completely different from what I thought I was going to make.
2. What different things did you try out as you went along with your project?
I tried to switch who, and how many characters were in the scratch at a time.
3. What revisions did you make and why did you make them?
I made one mistake when I was editing a sprite, and it turned out that my mistake looked really good. I changed the background to match the color/theme of the sprite. Only thing is, that was one faze the scratch went through before it became what it is right now.
4. Describe different paths you explored in your project.
While I was making the scratch, I had an idea to make it like a rock concert. At another point I was looking for music that made you feel like you were in a garden because that was my idea at the time. Finally, right before the final, I had the idea to make a JUST DANCE theme, and make the sprites do the the moves that the background ( JUST DANCE ) was doing. But that proved to be WAY too difficult.
Reflection 7
What features would an Art-themed project in Scratch have?
An art themed project in scratch could have multiple things. It could be sharp quick lines moving across the screen or it could have different shapes moving around, and then coming together in such away that they fit, and make a picture. But every Art-themed project in Scratch would have a similar feature. They all would have a script.
Mine would probably feature lots of colors and lots of movement.
Reflection 8
1. Describe how you built your project a little bit at a time.
I typically go through fazes before I settle on an idea and go with it. When I started my art themed project you moved a paint brush sprite, and it painted a picture. But when I settled on the idea of the whole scratch being abstract, I tried different backgrounds. It took me a whole class to settle on an idea for a background. The next class I made different shapes that would run across the screen.
2. What different things did you try out as you went along with your project?
Different things that I tried are: Making the theme vibrant colors and making the vibrant colors with a paint brush aka sprite 1. Making the theme about animals. And making all the sprites downloads from the internet.
3. What revisions did you make and why did you make them?
When I was making the shapes run across the screen, I noticed that 2 of the shapes went to the same spot at the same time. I didn't think that it looked good, so I moved one of them to a different spot.
Reflection 9
1. What was a challenge you overcame in your last project?
One challenge that I overcame in the last project is try to make the sprites that were moving across the screen bounce in rhythm with the music. It did work at first, but I don't think it will work once I change the beat of the music. Before I recorded myself twice and it turned out to be sort of like acapella but now I think I am going to replace it with Mozart.
2. What is something you still want to figure out?
Something that I still have to figure out is how to use broadcast..
Reflection 10
1. How did you decide what sprites were needed, and what each should do?
Before I made any sprites I thought of an idea. Then I made sprites to do what I wanted them to do.
2. How did you organize the scripts of your sprites into meaningful, easily understandable stacks?
If one sprite had a lot of scripts I tried to spread out them out, so it is easier to look at and contemplate.
Reflection 11
1. How did you adapt part of another project for your project?
First I looked at what the people before had done, and the first thing that came to mind was attempted.
2. How did you modify an existing project to improve it, or enhance it?
I tried to bring an unexpected twist to the project that was given to me. Even though I could tell where they were trying to go with the scratch, I went a totally different direction.
3. How did you give credit to people whose work you built on?
I actually didn't really think about it. Thinking about it now, maybe I should have included their names somewhere within the scratch.
Reflection 12
1. Describe what happened when you ran your project that was different from what you wanted.
When I ran my project, and it didn't go the way that I was expecting it to, or didn't go the way that I wanted it to, I immediately went to the scripts because they are the source, and you will usually find the answer to your problems there as well as finding the problems.
2. Describe how you read through the scripts to find the cause of the problem.
If I were looking at some scripts for a problem, I would probably start with changing something that I wasn't completely sure was right. If I changed what I thought was questionable, it usually worked. If it didn't work, then I would ask for help.
3. Describe how you considered solving the problem.
If the problem were that my sprite wasn't moving in the direction that I wanted it to move, I would look if I had put any directions in, which would tell the sprite exactly where to go. If they weren't clear, and if they weren't specific enough I would change them accordingly.
4. Describe how you made changes and tested to see if they worked.
In a previous project i tried to make my sprites exit the stage at the same time without using broadcast, and I had to experiment and tweak the amount of time it had to wait over and over again because it wasn't right.
Reflection 13
1. What is a game?
A game is a form of game or sport, and is typically really fun.
2. How was working with someone else different from your prior experiences of designing your Scratch projects?
Before we had to work with partners, we got to work on our own, and we didn't have to compromise our ideas, and we didn't have to communicate with anyone else on our ideas. But also, the ideas that the partner brought to the table may have never been thought up by ourselves. There is a big difference between working by yourself, and with another person.
Reflection 14
1. What did you like about the maze project?
I like that the maze project is challenging, and that there is a certain requirement that we have to meet. Before, we could do whatever we wanted without any requirements. This has directions that we have to follow, which makes it more challenging.
2. How might you want to change it?
I think that I might change my background, and change the maze structure altogether. I think that I might change the sprite going through the maze, and make it smaller, or make a story or reason that the sprite has to go through the maze.
I will try to figure out why the moving sprite is being so glitchy, because it is messing up the whole point of the maze. You are not supposed to go through walls, and you can.
Reflection 15
1. What is a variable? What is it good for?
A variable is something that can change according to something that happens outside of it, or it can change on its own accord.
2. How did you decide what sprites were needed, and what each should do?
When you have an idea, and you start making sprites for your scratch, you start to have an idea of what it is going to look like in your head, and you have details, you make your sprites accordingly. You know exactly what which one should do, and when they should do it.
3. How did you organize the scripts of your sprites into meaningful, easily understandable stacks?
I expand the amount of space in the sprite's script section, and I space out the stacks a reasonable distance apart.
Reflection 16
1. What has been your favorite Scratch project to work on so far?
My favorite has been the Maze project so far. I liked that you got to use a lot of the controls. You got to use sensing, looks, motion, and control, and I don't usually use all of them, especially in the same project.
2. What are three ideas for something you could work on next?
3 projects I could work on:
- A dressing game, where you have a sprite that you can dress up, hence the name "dress up".
- An arcade sort of game, one where you try to dodge things, and move a sprite to avoid them.
- A writing/drawing game where you are free to write or draw anything you please.
Project Planner
1. A description of the project that I want to create:
The project that I want to create is a dressing game with money, and to earn the money you have to play games within the scratch.
2. The steps I will take to develop my project:
First I have to make all the sprites that I will need, and make the scripts. Later, much later, I put finishing touches to the background, and fix up the scripts if it is a little glitchy.
3. The resources (e.g. people, sample projects) I already have to develop my project:
I have my teacher and skilled friends to help me with the project, if I need help.
4. The resources (e.g. people, sample projects) I might need to develop my project:
Things that I might need to complete my task are a game tester, and other things.
Reflection 17
What part of your project will you be working on today? What might you need
help with in order to make progress?
I will be working on making the sprites today. I think I will need help with the scripts for the sprites. And scripts for the background to change. I think I will need with scripts in general.
Reflection 18
What aspects of your project could someone give you feedback on?
They would definitely say something about the money factor, either that it was a good idea, or that it was too complicated. Another thing they could comment on is the amount of variables in the scratch itself.
What? (19)
1. What is your project?
My project is a dressing/game/life game where you play games to earn money, and use the money to buy a house, clothes, furniture, etc.
2. How does it work? How did you come up with the idea?
It works because I will have a lot of sprites and I will try to keep the scripts to a minimum, and orderly. I came up with idea by thinking about games, that I would want to play, and a game that I would enjoy making.
So what? (20)
1. What was your process for developing the project?
I start from the beginning and work my way to the end a little at a time. First the sprites, then the scripts, and then the backgrounds.
2. What was interesting, challenging, and surprising? Why? What did you learn?
It was really challenging to get everything in sync, but it was really fun as well. It was difficult because you would think something was working fine, then move on, and then when you ran the whole thing, it would turn out that the timing threw everything off. I learned a lot more about how to make things in sync, like using the second feature to time when what sprite should do what, and broadcasting.
Now what? (21)
What are you most proud of about your project? What would you change? What do you want to create next? Why?
I most proud of the sprites that I made because they were hand-made, and I think they look very good for being free hand. I would change the backgrounds to be more interesting if I could find the right ones. I want to create a racing game next, mostly because I have never made one before, and I am looking forward to the challenge.
Finale
Look through your design notebook.
What types of notes did you take? Which notes were most helpful?
I took really thorough notes. The most helpful ones were the ones that talked directly about the questions being asked and the most thorough ones.