Well, the time has come. The quarter is beginning to wrap up, and it is time to reflect. Overall, I really enjoyed Emerging Communication Technologies over the course of the quarter. It was a time for me to unwind, and learn and participate in activities that I really enjoyed.
        What I most enjoyed about this class was getting the chance to learn Photoshop. I've always wanted that to be in my repertoire of skills, and it is really satisfying to be able to use it effectively. That being said, it is going to take a really long time to master it, but hey, it'll be fun.
        I also created a LinkedIn for the past blog post, but honestly, I haven't really done much with it. Perhaps over the break I can find some time to update my information a little more, as this will really be a helpful tool in the future.
        Maintaining a blog over the course of the quarter required more diligence than I expected, and as someone who often forgets about assignments due over the weekend, I ran into some issues. Nonetheless, blogging has been fun and relaxing, and I plan on continuing these Blogger posts in the future, in a less class-specific sense.
        The skills and programs that I have learned to use over the quarter have been a lot of fun to use, and I think the work I was able to compile really showed my personality. Go check out some of my work at joshuasteele.weebly.com!
        This will be my last post for Emerging Communication Technologies, I hope you have enjoyed reading!

Blog Post, Oct. 22nd.

        This week, we worked alot with personal website builders, specifically, Wix and Weebly. These platforms are so simple to use, and can easily convey information to the world. These can be perfect for businesses, or even something as simple as a personal blog.
        I got to use both of these programs in class, as well as outside of class as I help put together our group website. We started with Wix and tried to begin putting the elements of our website into place.
        At first, I thought I enjoyed working with the Wix website builder, but definitely fell in love with the ease of building a website with Weebly. Everything just seemed to come together like my website group pictured.
        My partners and I decided to build our website centered around dog owners in Bellingham. We talked to dog owners, researched the best places to purchase products for your pup (alliteration) and even the best places to take your dog for a walk. I was very pleased with our end product,
        Even for beginners, these platforms are very easy to use. you simply need to get started.

        For anyone who chooses to read this blog, congratulations. You made the right choice. My name is Joshua Steele, i'm a Western Washington University student (scholar), and I am currently enrolled in the Emerging Communication Technologies class. For this particular blog posting, I will get you all LEARNED about personal blogging, branding, and a popular editing program, Photoshop.

        First, blogging. Blogging is basically expressing your interests to people on an online social platform. Also, viewing others ideas and interests also plays a large part in the blogging process. With this particular blogging platform, Blogger (how creative), you are able to communicate your ideas widely to other Blogger users, and anyone who wants to view your page. Blogging is pretty simple, just find a blogging site and start writing about... well basically whatever you want. You can also attach videos and other graphics to your posts.

Here are some links that can help you learn about blogging as well as Photoshop.

http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-do-i-start-a-blog/
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/tutorials.html

Second on the agenda, personal branding. I do not really know much about personal branding other than what I have learned in this class, but it is basically creating an image for yourself that can help you convey ideas, or your own personality, to others. A good example of personal branding would be Jordan, or Lance Armstrongs' LiveStrong foundation and brand.

Last on the list, Photoshop. Photoshop is a pretty cool tool that allows you to perform a variety of manipulations on images, and even create your own. I was able to create my own logo using Photoshop, which is pretty awesome! I am still learning about it, but i'm definitely getting more acquainted with the tools within Photoshop. Above is a helpful (and extremely long) video to help beginners get started.






That's all I have on these topics for today, but stay tuned for future posts!