Information Technology: Investigate

Investigate: The first stage of the MYP Design Cycle

We are now in Information Technology for term 2. We are using apple Macs which I am really happy about because Macintosh is what I first learnt to use computers with. I also use Mac at me so it is an easy switch between the two.

Investigate:

Investigation is the first part of the MYP design cycle. A series of steps in which we follow when we are creating something. In this case we are going to be creating a website explaining how web 2.0 tools can help us in the event of a natural disaster. 

For this unit our guiding question is "How can we use Web 2.0 tools as a community to help another community when a natural disaster strikes?"

My first thoughts about this question is the main reason we would be able to use Web 2.0 tools when a disaster strikes would be to communicate. For example I check the New York Times everyday for news. Even if I am not in a place I can still learn about it through blogs that reporters have set up or other stories. This is a form communication that we can use to find out about events that are happening around the world. Another way that we can communicate is that people can send images to others around the world. This can easily convey the level of damage and the effect of the disaster. Another advantage of using images is that people can understand them no matter what language, culture or background. Also we can use programs such as email or skype. This way we are using more private methods so usually it is only between  2 people. This information that has been shared between those two people can be spread by word of mouth or be posted in articles, blogs, twitter, email and networking websites. 

As I said before  pictures are very useful because they can be used to communicate information in different countries where different languages are spoken, so it does not have to be translated. We can easily share, past and view images on flickr.com . A website that allows people to post and comment on photos. For example there would be a victim of the tsunami in Thailand and post images of the effect on flickr. Then people around the world can see first hand what has happened and what the effect and damage is. 

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Another software that can be used in a natural disaster is Skype. This could be used in case someone doesnt have access to a phone that could call overseas, but they did have internet. They could use skype so that they could let family and friends know that they were okay and not hurt, or the opposite. They would be able to do this just with the use of internet.

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We could also use email to let people know that we are okay. This is a good way to let people know your condition because you dont need high speed internet for it to work, like you would using other software such was Skype.  Also you dont have to be on the internet for a long time--so if your internet time was limited you would be able to meet the deadline. 

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In terms of hardware we could use devices such as iphones, blackberrys or other smart phones. We could use them for many of the above softwares such as skype, email or flickr. Another way it could help us could be if they were to be looking at the news on their handheld, they might see that there was a tsunami warning. There are also Global Positinting Systems so if they were lost and displaced during the disaster they would be able to find their way home. Also they could check weather if there was going to be a bad storm. Most of all they would be able to use the phone to call people in case they needed assistance such as an ambulance or other services like it. 

The final hardware we could use would be a laptop. You might be thinking why a laptop and not a desktop. The answer is simple. Portability. You could have it with you in your hotel room, at a campsite, on the beach or even on hill where you could be hiding from flooding. We could use this for all of the above softwares. You could even use it for the phone to download files and

other items.

 

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Evaluation and Reflection: Final Stage of the MYP Design Cycle

This term during Information Systems (Robotics) we looked into the basics of Robotics. Some topics within this unit were the rules of robotics, the basic components of robots, merging robot technology and more. This unit gave us a good understanding of what robots are and what they can be used for. Throughout this unit we poster the information we found on our blogs and wikis. So we have a good document of what we have learnt this term, which we will be able to use for future reference. For this term the objective was to 'build an autonomous robot.'

I felt that using our wiki spaces as a tool for documenting information worked really well and was very useful. This was because we could not loose our Wiki the same way that we would loose a piece of paper or a notebook. Although at times there were some technical difficulties such as documents saving. This happened to me on a few occasions, one page refused to safe-the window would 'not respond' every time I tried to save. Some things that I felt brought down the level of the project were the programming software that we were supposed to use to program the robot because there were problems downloading the software onto all of the computers. Another problem that we had was the hardware that we were using for this project, mindstorms. Mindstorms is an easy to use robotics building kit that you can buy and all of the pieces that you need are in the kit, it also includes a catalogue which contains a host of robots that you can build by using the pieces in the kit. Mindstorms created problems for this project because in most kits not all of the pieces were in the kit. This made it difficult to build the robot in many cases. I don't think that this is a fault of mindstorms I just believe it was our individual case. If we had mindtorms and robolab all working correctly then I believe everything would have gone very well because the two products are designed to work with the other.



Through this project all of the programs that we used were Wikispaces, Blogger, Animoto, Windows logo Maker, YouTube, Google, Robolab, Mindstorms and other Internet tools.



During this project we didn't fully achieve our objective due to loss of time through technical difficulties. This meant that the greater majority of the class was not able to program their robot. So most of the class only got the chance to finish building their robots. This was disappointing but at least we realized what we had to do. Thanks to useful tool such as YouTube we know what our robot should have been able to do.



I believe that this project could have been improved by the Lego Mindstorms and Robolab being tested before we started the project so that we could have a clearer idea of what we would be able to get achieved in the project. Also if there were obstacles that we knew about before the project then we could plan the project so that we plan around the problems.

Here are some of my findings from this unit. For more information on Robotics visit my Wiki at http://14das.qataracademy.wikispaces.net/

The rules of Robotics (Isaac Asimov's Rules of Robotics)

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
   
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
   
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

• We need rules for robots so that we can protect ourselves against their power and skills. So that they don't harm humans or take over our civilization.

The basic components of Robotics

1. Sensors» sense information about the envioronment around the robot.
2. Processor» This decides what action the robot should take based on the information from the sensors
3. Actuators» controls the gears, levers, pulleys and other output devices to get the job done
4. Power» makes all of the other components work

Hondas' "Asimo"

Asimo is a Robot made by Honda that has been programmed to do many things. Asimo can kick a ball, walk up stairs, run, ride a bicycle and conduct an orchestra.

From this unit I have learnt a lot about how robots affect and can be used in our society. I feel that this is valuable information because as humans keep developing new robotics technologies civilians will most likely be using them in the future. So now after this unit I have a better general idea of Robots.