Project Two Reflection: Complicated

 When we were first assigned this project I was somewhat excited but also scared. I was excited because I have never utilized Google Maps this way before, but I was also nervous about the fact that I did not know how to create and insert all of the hyperlinks. However, I quickly addressed those problems and went to some of my classmates asking for help with the technological aspect of this project.

The writing portion came pretty easily which made the overall project less overwhelming. I first thought about focusing on birds on campus but I ended switching my topic to the dorms on the Arizona State campus. Even before I started writing my project I was already familiar with all of the freshman dorms on campus and I have already gotten to visit them all. I knew of each complex’s amenities and what people like and dislike about each building. I am confident in my evaluation because I went to review each dorm once again just to make sure my evaluation was thorough. I went around my dorm first (San Pablo) just to check out the rooms and lounges and I even interviewed a few people and asked them about what they think about their living experience in the dorms so far. I then traveled over to Hassayampa, Center Complex, and McClintock to check out the rooms, lounges, and courtyards just to see what unique characteristics each dorm had. So, while the writing portion was fairly easy, the map aspect was a different story.

I consider myself to be fairly tech savvy and I can find my way around a computer most of the time. However even though I paid attention to the class lecture, I still had trouble creating a map online and embedding the blog post annotations within the place markers. So to solve this problem, I met with one of my classmates, Rebecca, and she helped me understand the whole process. I learned how to create a map, add place markers, and even embed the blog annotations in the actual map. I also had trouble with making the actual in-text citations into links that directed the viewer to the works cited page.

Fortunately, this project did teach me how to write an effective evaluation and now I know how to observe and research something and spin that into an evaluation. I learned that you need specific evidence to establish authority in your evaluation by using credible sources. In the future I will make sure to back up my claims with credible sources of information. Additionally, I learned that I need to organize my thoughts more effectively so that the person reading my posts will not get confused or lost.

Lastly, I plan to apply what I have learned during this project in the outside world by evaluating whether or not I am making smart choices in life. For example, I will try to keep track of the amount of recycling I do and evaluate whether or not I am doing enough for the environment. Additionally, I could evaluate the other choices I make in the future and decide whether or not they are beneficial to me and those around me.