Additional Post 2: Computer History Museum

While on my trip to the Bay Area with my family, I was able to visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Their exhibit showed the ideas and concepts of early computers and how it eventually led to a huge technological Revolution.

Me in front of the Museum

It was a very enlightening experience to understand the influence basic computing had, ranging from the early calculators and stamp cards to the very first mainframes and super computers. With devices such as decoders used by the military, it greatly advanced the revolution of technology.

A code-breaking machine used by the British during WWII

Variations of storage over the years

Data storage options like optical storage and floppy disks

Chart explaining relationship to memory and storage

Programming was very difficult to understand, especially since the knowledge of using systems of binary code is very limited in its use. Over the years, many languages began to appear and improve upon themselves as hardware quality rose.

A chart connecting all the programming languages

Pins representing different Programming Languages

Pins of various languages

The original Jeopardy! set while Watson was competing

Software became a huge part of the market in light of the rise in personal computer usage. It eventually went from a smaller industry to one of the most important proponents that is required by every computer today. Such companies like Oracle, Microsoft, and Apple would not have been as successful if their software had not been part of the PC revolution.

Description of the Software Section

Various amounts of software in light of the PC revolution

The early netbook

The Internet and the Web are also very different in how they function. One requires the connections of computers to create a network while the web is made up of social connections.

Difference between the Internet and the Web

Overall the Computer History was a great resource for research and a fun way to learn about the history of computers. I recommend visiting it the next time you are in the Bay area.

Blog 6: Second Interview Questions

Content: 
The purpose of the second interview is justify your mentor as an expert in the field.  Thus, you will be asking at least 5 questions about their background and/or the background of the organization or company where they work.

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

I have not been able to find a mentor yet. However, a possible mentor I hope to interview includes Patricio Beltran, who is the Information Systems Manager at Cal Poly Pomona.

2.  What five questions will ask them about their background?

• What influenced your decision to work in this field/ occupation?
• Where did you earn your degree?
• What classes did you take in order to earn your degree?
• How long have you been working with computers/ software?
• What was your first experience in developing software?
• How many years experience do you have with creating software?

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

Content:   
The Pentagon: 
(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing happened as a result of what you have completed so far?

After completing some research, a summer mentorship, and an interview about my topic, one of the positive happenings that occurred was the fact that I was able to get an idea of what my Essential Question will be.

(2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

My first interview with Robert Cruz has helped me improve my understanding of my topic by providing me some insight about skills needed in the development field. The interview also assisted me in terms of understanding how software problems lend to problem-solving skills and knowledge on the situation.

(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

 At this time, the research amount and interview has worked very well for me regarding the senior project. It has been very helpful in providing information as well as the extra interview questions.

(4) What hasn't worked so far?
  
 Finding a mentor has not been very simple in terms of software development. This can also be contributed to the fact that I have not been very assertive and progressive in my search. Another minor problem would be the relevance of research as software development branches off into more specific jobs.

(5) Finding Value:  

•  What is a potential question you would like to study this year?  (working EQ)
•  What do you plan to do for mentorship?  If you haven't found a mentor yet, then discuss where you are currently looking and who you are talking to to find it. 

 Potential question: What is the most important step in the development process when developing application software?

For my mentorship, I plan on either going to a local software company and follow them in the work place while learning and assisting them, or by asking a computer science professor in a university to be my mentor. From the local software company, I have not found an ideal company to contact for a mentorship. I do have potential people to contact from the Cal Poly Pomona Computer Science and IT branch, such as Cathy Bates or Patricio Beltran.