Category: Technology

design, Technology

Adobe Education Exchange (Design Courses Continued)

msbrittanyg

First things first…Happy New Year!!!

I pray this year, 2020, will bring more prosperity than last year.

With that being said, in this post I would like to share with you a site that has a lot of resources involving EdTech (Education Technology). I use it for teaching purposes as well as a way to continue to enhance my digital skills. Adobe Education Exchange is a free professional development and resources site owned by Adobe, the leading design software company with well known softwares such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Adobe Education Exchange is similar to MOOC courses like EdX and Coursera but do not charge a fee. Upon completion of the course you will receive a digital badge and a certificate of completion via a pdf file.

I’ve taken quite a few courses and workshops and find this site at the top of my list when it comes to online learning. Most importantly because I use Adobe Creative Cloud software everyday its good to know I can go to their site and find these tutorials or go deeper and take a course.

Though Adobe Education Exchange is geared towards educators I feel their intro workshops and self-paced courses can benefit anyone who is looking to enhance their creative skills with Adobe.

Adobe Education Exchange can be found here.

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Change, design, Technology

Online Web/Graphic Design and Development Courses

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Though I went to school for Graphic Design and Multimedia Design, I always find myself searching the web for resources. Technology changes everyday and I have to make sure I’m on the up and up. I’ve paid for courses online as well as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). I’ve attended different graphic and web design workshops in the city (NYC) also.

Below I’ve listed great online and campus courses that I think are very resourceful. I will continue to post more companies once I check them out…

coursera

Coursera

http://www.coursera.com

Coursera was actually the first online MOOC that I’ve taken. It has come a long way from 2012. You can take a course with well known colleges and universities and receive a free certificate of completion or you can pay for a “Verified Certificate”. Coursera also offers specializations certificates which is a set of courses put together that you can purchase individually or together. Upon completion of all courses in the specialization subject you will receive a verified professional certificate.

edx-logo-header

Edx

http://www.edx.org

Edx works just like Coursera. They are also very big on interacting with other students who are taking  the same course as you. Since its debut, it has change a lot. While you can audit the courses for free, if you want to submit work and receive a verified certificate you will need to pay a fee.

udemy

Udemy

http://www.udemy.com

Udemy is another company where I take courses from. Most courses are paid courses but you can complete them at any time and still receive a certificate of completion. Udemy almost always have sales on the courses so be sure to sign up for any newsletters to catch the deals.

General Assembly

https://generalassemb.ly/

General Assembly offers training in design, marketing, coding and data. You can take a course by yourself or with your company. Courses are offered full time, part time and even as a one or two day workshop. Courses are offered online and on campus. Check out their website to find a location near you.

*Prices do vary starting from  free and up and can get expensive. 

Touro College

gst.touro.edu/

Touro College offers workshops every few months and you receive a certificate of completion. When I first started attending workshops at Touro they were free but as of late they have been charging a registration fee which is usually around $20. I’ve  attended workshops as an educator and designer and found all workshops at Touro to be really good and filled with a lot of resources.

 

 

feelings, Life, Technology, Throwbacks

Go Go Gadget Brittany Part 2: “GoodBye To My First”

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Pocket Pc, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone.

I have been using computer phones since they pretty much came out. Computer phones have always been my choice of “Tech Drug” since cell phones became popular. Back in 2002 with a Pocket PC, you could type papers, listen to music, surf the web and even mess with the system by customizing the wallpaper, ringtones, etc… Those were things you couldn’t do with the average phone back then. This was when Windows Phones were ahead of the game.

Fast forward ten years and I’m still a fan of Windows Phones. My latest Windows phone was the Nokia Lumia 710. I liked the live tiles that Windows Phone 7 offer and the instant updates of my friends and families on my wall from various social networks. But with the development of various operating systems dating back to about five years ago ( Andriod, iOS) Windows Phones started to become unpopular. Android phones are coming out left and right and the iPhone is in a league of its own. With that being said I’ve made one of the hardest decisions I could make as far as technology is concerned: I will not be buying a Windows 8 phone but instead I joined Team iPhone this past weekend (tears). It was definitely a tough decision.

The image above shows all of the Windows Phones I’ve owned spanning the past ten years. All the years i spent using this OS has not been in vain. Maybe down the line I will come back to it but I think its time to turn over a new leaf. But Windows Phone will always be my 1st love.

Change, feelings, Life, love

Anticipating

msbrittanyg

40 weeks…….10 (not 9) months of waiting. Anticipating the day I get to see your face….the day I get to hold you in my arms for the first time. From the moment I found out I was carrying you I knew you were a blessing. My little blessing……. I dont know how many more hours or days I have to wait until you finally make your debut, but just know that you have a big family thats ready to spoil you.  You have a mommy that can’t wait to teach you so many things: how to walk, talk, how to sing, reading, writing and most importantly about God 🙂

This is just a little note to let you know I’m waiting and ready…..just  take it easy on me though on your way out Miss Skylah Julisse lol  🙂

Love your Beautiful Mother

Change, feelings, friends, Life, love, Memories

Washed Away

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*THIS POST WAS STARTED ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2011*

As the rain, sleet, hale and snowflakes hit my windshield, I begin to think about all the different experiences I’ve been through, about all of the friendships  I’ve made and lost, about my experiences and my recent revelations. The main thought I had that evening was CHANGE….

We tend to want to hold on to people, friendships, relationships, material things, jobs……. We know they arent the best for us but because we dont have the courage to let go and move on we would remain quiet about it and be unhappy, knowing that we’re just making things worse.

A few people have told me that I’ve changed, some said for the good, some said otherwise, but I say for the Good,  I’m sorry but my mentality of life should not be the same from 10 years before. I will be 30 on my next birthday, i should not have the same thoughts and goals from when I was 19.

So while I drove around having one of my “thinking sessions” I’ve come to the realization that all of my doubts about changing my old ways of thinking, living, and loving, were being washed away. The people and places I used to associate myself  with were being washed away.

And GUESS WHAT…….. I dont miss any of it! <huge smile 🙂 >

That storm washed away everything I DIDNT need in my life and made way for a new season…….. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT NEED TO BE WASHED AWAY?

Memories, Technology

GO GO GADGET BRITTANY

msbrittanyg

(Long Live Windows Mobile Phones!)

For all that know me, know that I love gadgets. Especially anything that deals with media; cell phones, video consoles, mp3 players, you name I have it. But you will be surprised to know that out of all my gadgets, my windows mobile phone is my prized possession.

When I heard that Microsoft was launching their Windows Phone 7 in NYC on October 11, 2010, I was super excited. Being a huge fan of Windows-based phones since practically their first one, (Below is my first windows-based phone), I Knew I had to be a part of the launching. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the launching; but I did view it live online.

The Windows Phone series has come a long way since it launched over 10 years ago. I remember when there weren’t any sms messages or a camera, wifi or Bluetooth.  Now you can connect with friends instantly on your home screen, upload photos to various social networks, etc.  Now with various mobile development sites, you can even put different operating systems such as android, meego, linux, and Windows Phone 7 on your windows mobile 6.5 phones. Below is my HTC HD2 running Android 2.2. These abilities are limited on the “other” types of smartphones.

Windows Phones have come a long way, i can’t wait to try out the new Windows Phone 7. I’m still checking out all that my HD2 can do. This is why Windows Phones will always be the Originator =)

Change, feelings, friends, Life, love, Stress

Man In The Mirror

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On Thursday I was driving home in my car listening to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”. While singing along with the chorus, I began thinking about a conversation I had with a friend earlier in the day and also a conversation with another friend last week. To sum up both of the discussions, they were about making changes and moving on to better themselves. I was proud to see that both of my friends were deciding to take control of the situations in their lives and pressing forward to do better.
I definitely can relate to their situations and was honored that they wanted my advice and encouragement. I shared my story of the past 12 months of my life and was able to give ensight on what happened when I began to take control of situations in my life. I spoke to them about how I didn’t give power to my fears but I had my faith overpower my fears.

With that being said, we can live our lives blaming everyone else for things that happen to us, but when will we stop and look at ourselves and say “what is it that I’m doing on my end  that just isnt right?” Though I’m not where I want to be in life right now and there are still some things that aren’t right but I do thank God that I’m not where I was mentally, spiritually, financially or emotionally 12 months ago. So if you want to make YOUR world a better place, take a look at YOURSELF and make YOUR change.

…………RIP Michael Jackson……

“I”m Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I’m Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change”

Change, Technology

Just a Matter of Time

msbrittanyg

Just a Matter of Time

(My Journey Through Technology)

I remember back in the year 2000, the weekend before I graduated high school, my oldest sister gave me a prepaid Omnipoint cell phone.

I thought I was “that lady” because no one really had cell phones yet.  It was this black phone that everyone thought was real nice. It looked sort of like this……

Fast Forward 10 years and I currently hold in my possession a HTC HD2, G1, and a T-Mobile Wing.

I often look back and think about how just in a matter of ten years technology has changed to the point where at first it wasn’t really a major necessity to now in the year 2010 it’s a major part of everyday living. People pay bills online, synchronize contacts and emails with their computer, keep in touch with loved ones, etc….

When I first enrolled in college at Virginia Commonwealth University as a journalism major in August 2000, I didn’t have the slightest clue how to operate a personal computer. It took me forever to write my papers, and I was struggling in my computer class. I was actually intimidated by the computer. I wanted to get to know it but was also scared at the same time. Kind of like when you first enter a relationship, lol.

But I’m a very fast learner and I knew the only way to get past this whole “Brittany v. PC” battle was to just dive in…..

I left VCU, enrolled at The Katharine Gibbs School, in NYC. I changed my major to Digital Media and now hold an Associate in Digital Media from KGS, and I also hold a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Briarcliffe College, graduating with Honors in both degrees (3.69 GPA).

For my friends and people I meet on the daily basis, I’m known as the ultimate computer geek, lol. I went from carrying my little Omnipoint/Voicestream prepaid to web developing, freelancing in graphic design, creating my own ringtones, and developing my own personal apps on smartphones and for the PC. (SEE BELOW)

Im so glad I never gave up and just got over my fears of change and taught myself how to use the computer. If I hadn’t, I would definitely be computer illiterate, degree-less and my passion for gadgets would not exist. On that note, I would like to end this blog with a quote I thought made a lot of sense…..


“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”- Marie Curie