Personal Blogs

It has been an eventful few weeks since last writing a blog. I received my TMA01 result and completed TMA02, just needs a bit of polishing and I possibly need to stick some glitter on it.

I have completed the first block and have moved onto the second one. I finding this block a little more challenging, and interesting, in equal measures. Boolean algebra and comparison gates, is quite a step up from making pretty shapes in sense. The course is starting to take shape and making me feel a little bit more like a computer scientist.

I have also complete the next online test, I found it to be fairly straight forward. I will try to keep the pace up with studying and get, at least, three weeks ahead. I feel Christmas is a time for family, friends and alcohol, especially alcohol, so I will probably take a few weeks off from studying over that period.

Leaning outcome;

• Attenuation, interference and error correction
  
• Wireless network technologies
  
• GSM and cellular networks
  
• How computers use symbols and formats for data
  
• Protocols and Algorithms
  
• Transistors, and why they are so important
  
• Boolean operators and logic gates AND / OR / NOT

Looking forward to getting my teeth into more of Block two and having a look at TMA03, hopefully I will get back to writing these blogs on a more regular basis.

Here we go, my first blog of many. I have decided to do this once a week as a reflection on how I'm finding studying. I was going to do them every day, but I think I'd bore myself, let alone anyone else reading them.

It's been a busy week in the world of OU learning. I really enjoyed the 'Live Event' on Monday, lots of lovely people sharing their tips and advice, and cake recipes! Followed by the site going live and being able to see what this first module is all about. Then receiving my eagerly awaited parcel, with sense board.....Oh yeah and some books of course.

Once I had everything ready, pens, pencils, rubbers, sticky notes, highlighters, blockbuster style mascot, calculator and bar of chocolate. I read the guide, then started on Block 1. Although there hasn’t been anything that has really challenged me yet, I must say, I have really enjoyed it so far. I have been making notes in one of my many exercise books, then transferring them into ‘mind maps’. I have realised that I need to make lots of smaller mind maps, rather than the colossal one I first did (not sure my printer even prints on paper that big!).

I’ve started to watch the BBC/Open University DVD’s on the train, they seem well produced and very interesting. I also managed to set up my sense board and do all the relevant tests.

The main learning achievements I have taken away from this week’s studying are;

• Introduction to the fast paced development of computers

• The difference between the Internet and the Web

• We live in an increasing information society.

• We need to protect ourselves, with the information we share and from malicious people.

• We all need to think about our online image, not only to the people we know, but the people we have not even met yet.

• Always think about the ethical and legal side of online behaviour.  

Looking forward to this weeks ‘Live Event’ and also getting stuck into the first TMA. I really didn’t know how I’d feel about studying when I started, but so far I really enjoy it and I’m hungry to learn more