Legendary Myths

Personally, I have not found the need to type in my web browser. Typically, whenever I need to write large chunks of text in webpage forms, I just go type in my preferred word processor and transfer it after I'm finished. For example, I use Microsoft Word whenever I need to write large pieces of text. The built-in word count, spellcheck, and thesaurus tools are all useful to enhance the overall typing experience. I like the aspect of being able to type in my browser so I can negate having to open up another app on my computer. However, I found that the browser typing experience is limited in terms of formatting and appearance. If I'm looking to type out a piece that needs to be specifically formatted, I'd have to resort to a traditional word processing software in order to complete it. As such, I would probably not use a web browser to type up large pieces of text. Even for small webpage forms, I could easily just type it up in Microsoft Word and copy the text to the webpag...

I tried the Typing Test found at KeyHero.com to gauge my typing speed and accuracy. I was able to muster out 68 words per minute with 94% accuracy. I liked the test because it prompted me with a realistic sentence that someone would type to give more accurate results that are reflective of how I would normally type. I didn't find anything that I disliked about the test in particular; it was simply laid out and straight-forward. Overall, I would definitely like to improve my typing speed and accuracy as it would provide a significant boost to my productivity level as I am working on course assignments. I have not spent much time recently to working on my typing to improve. Though, I figure from this semester's extensive writing assignments, my overall typing speed and accuracy will improve dramatically. Undoubtedly, good typing skills are quintessential to performing schoolwork more productively. Reading skills are also necessary to comprehend written text. I'd also add tha...

When I am working hard on an assignment, I sometimes find myself invested towards finishing a particular section of it before I get up to take a short break. Maybe too often, I find myself too invested to even take a break or relax for a bit. Other times, it feels like I'm just too unmotivated to even begin. I learned that playing a YouTube video in the background so I have some entertaining content to watch as I work helps me concentrate better and be more productive. I should probably note that I have two monitors so I typically have the video play on the other monitor as I work on my native laptop screen. I doubt this would be a very effective strategy if you only have one monitor as screen real estate would likely be extremely compromised. However, with the YouTube video playing in the background, I have found that I often take little breaks to watch a small portion and then return to my work. The background noise is also helpful for me to concentrate better. I currently do not...

I can't believe I didn't learn about this "What If" grading spreadsheet earlier! I was debating on making my own spreadsheet to help me keep track of my overall progress in this Mythology and Folklore class, but now I don't need to make one! What I enjoy about these types of spreadsheets is that I am able to easily track my progress throughout the semester, as well as track my overall performance on previous assignments. Additionally, I am able to predict how many points I have left in the semester, as well as how much work I have left until I complete the course. I like how I am able to make a plan of which assignments I can complete to achieve the total number of points needed for the grade I want for this class! I can then enter my finished assignments into the "done" column to act as a checklist to easily view my overall progress towards my goal. Overall, I found the spreadsheet quite simply to use and well-designed. I will definitely be using this s...

I enjoy using Canvas Gradebook to help keep track of my performance in my various courses. Canvas Gradebook allows me easily view total points for a class or the overall weighted value of each assignment group. I also like how I can now sort graded assignments by various parameters, such as due date, module, title, or assignment group. This allows me to easily find grades for a particular assignment. Canvas Gradebook also denotes newly graded assignments with a blue dot, which makes it significantly easier to locate and check on recent assignments. Sometimes, I am also able to "test" potential scores on the final exam to determine my final grade in the class. Ultimately, I am only able to perform this test whenever the final exam is entered as an assignment in Canvas and all other assignments are graded and entered properly. Also, some instructors do not utilize the built-in assignment weighting calculation within Canvas so grades are entered into the system on a pure point b...

I like the fact that I am able to configure the Canvas Dashboard to better suit my personal needs. I like to change the color of each course card so it is more appealing whenever I am on the Dashboard to navigate to my different classes. I also often use the Dashboard sidebar to navigate to specific courses from other Canvas pages. I also use the sidebar to access features such as as the Calendar or Inbox. I have also configured each course card to display the course name instead of the course number. For example, I changed "MLLL3043" to "Mythology and Folklore" so I can easily recognize which course I am looking for at a quick glance. In general, I like how the Canvas Dashboard is laid out. It is simple to use and easy to navigate to different courses. I also enjoy how you can configure each course card's appearance to suit individual preferences. I do not have any changes that I could suggest to improve the Dashboard; it suits my needs very well and is visuall...

For my Canvas Profile, I decided to keep it simple, especially since it's my last semester here at the University of Oklahoma. At least that's the plan anyway. I chose a personal image that my friend took as my avatar image because he put a filter on there that places several mathematical equations and symbols over the image. Personally, I thought that was suiting for me since I was majoring in engineering. At this point in my collegiate career, I have invested so much time towards mathematics and science that it's often difficult to invest time in other aspects of life. My avatar image was taken right before finals week last year when my friend and I decided to go to the premiere of Avengers: Endgame. Now you may be wondering why we went to go see a movie right before finals week. Truthfully, we just could not keep on studying without a break, and it seemed like a promising option. It was a great movie and a great end to the semester. Other than that, my biography simply s...

I have previously configured my Canvas Notifications for other courses. I configured my Canvas settings to send me a notification for when grades were added for an assignment or files were added to a course profile. This was especially helpful for me to keep track of grades to fully know of my overall performance in the class. It also helped alert me to when new files or presentations were added for each of my courses so I can stay up to date on all the important course information. Overall, I configured my Canvas Notifications to alert me of grading, added course content, announcements, submission comments, invitations, conversations, appointments, and global announcements. Utilizing this configuration for Canvas notifications, I have found that I am able to receive sufficient updates on various courses without the notifications feeling overbearing. These notifications have helped me stay on top of all my courses and updated on any course changes or announcements. Paired together with...

Currently, I am allocating all of my available free time towards working ahead in this class since my other classes do not have assignments published yet. As classes begin to kick into gear, the Canvas Calendar will undoubtedly begin to be useful to ensure that I complete all the assignments for a given week. Previously, for my other classes, the Canvas Calendar has provided me with important dates to keep track, such as assignment due dates and meetings with instructors. I also like how you can toggle the listings for different classes or personal events to customize what you want to view at any particular time. As is the case with most online courses, time management will play a key role into being successful in this class. I will need to be sure I closely monitor the Canvas Calendar so I do not miss any important assignment due dates. I will try to keep working ahead so that I can prioritize my time better towards my other engineering classes, especially my Capstone class. Overall, ...

I have had the Canvas Mobile App installed on my iPhone for the past year or so. It has been especially helpful to keep track of grades and course announcements without needing to log in with a browser on a traditional computer. It is also useful to easily send Canvas messages to professors without needing to dig a laptop out of your backpack. The Canvas Mobile App also allows me to keep track of important due dates in each of my classes via the built-in Calendar function. Overall, I have had a great experience using the app. I even enabled the Canvas widget on my phone to keep track of course grades and assignments!

I use a fair amount of Google services via my Google account. I use email, Google Drive, Calendar, and various other services. I do not particularly think about Google's data collection or data re-use whenever I use a Google service. I do not know a lot about this topic; however, after reading through this Tech Tip, I learned to be aware about how my online information can be collected and distributed. When I want to learn more about topics regarding online privacy, I would most likely typically turn towards online resources to research further topics and find potential workarounds or solutions. Overall, as of the time of this writing, I am content with how Google uses my data to fine-tune their search algorithms to better suit my web-browsing needs. To be fair, I have also not had any issues with hacked account information or leaked personal information yet either. I will be weary of Google's data collection in the future to better protect my personal information.

Using the Google Reverse Image Search tool is useful when you need to search for a higher quality image for a blog post or other types of digital writing. Using this tool, I was able to find a higher quality image of one of the mystery images included in the Tech Tip for this course. Using higher quality images like the one shown below permits readers to have a better overall reading experience by supplementing the written material with clear images that help readers envision the story and bring it to life. Indian Depiction of the Buddha - Courtesy of TheReaderWiki

I was having some issues with logging into Canvas at the beginning of this semester as courses were being published and made available for students to view. For one of my courses, PowerPoint presentations are posted online as notes for upcoming lectures for students to easily follow along as the professor is teaching the course material. However, I was having issues with my browser, Safari, not being able to load the PowerPoint presentations within Canvas. Following the Browser Troubleshooting Tech Tip, I was able to change some preferences for the blocker I use with my browser to allow Canvas to load PowerPoint presentations. This was especially helpful since I did not need to close or reset my browser, potentially losing all of my open tabs. By checking the blockers first, I was able to solve my problem without needing to reboot my computer, logging out and back in, or using a different browser altogether! I was able to save all of my work and quickly solve my issue!

The Text to Voice tool is quite useful, especially when it comes to reading long articles or proofreading your own writing. I do not currently use any audio tools like this, but I have used them quite extensively in the past for previous English class projects to catch spelling errors or grammatical issues. I stopped using voice-to-text tools because I realized they were often quite slow and difficult to listen to. However, the Text to Voice tool for Chrome has many customizable features to accommodate different readers and writers to perfectly suit individual needs. I currently do not use any other text-to-voice tools, so I don't particularly have a preference. However, I have found that the Chrome extension for text to voice is useful and quite customizable to suit different people. Personally, I have not listened to audiobooks before, but many of my friends prefer to listen to audiobooks in the car instead of the radio. I can see why this option is preferred by so many people as...