Getting acquainted with the OpenLab

To prepare to write ENG 1101 Project #1, here’s a pre-writing homework assignment:

  • sign in to your City Tech email account via the City Tech website link or http://login.microsoftonline.com/
  • sign up for an OpenLab account by Friday, August 30th at 12:00pm noon (remember that the college will be closed for the Labor Day weekend, so there will not be support available between Friday and Tuesday)
  • If you have trouble clicking the confirmation link in the email from the OpenLab, try cutting and pasting it into the address bar of Firefox or Chrome
  • Log in to the OpenLab
  • join our course, Being in Brooklyn
  • browse through the OpenLab, noticing how people use it and what kind of materials they include
  • click on People to see OpenLab members
  • browse through a few pages of members, looking at the avatars
  • choose an avatar of a member of the OpenLab that conveys something about that member
  • without reading anything about the person, what do you understand about them based on their avatar? If you click on it, you will see a larger version—but try not to read the member’s details yet!
  • make a list of what details you observe in the image when you look at the avatar
  • make a list of the interpretations you make about the details you observe
  • write a paragraph about how you interpret the avatar
  • now read about the member. Can you confirm or correct any of your interpretations or inferences? Do you think that the avatar does not represent them accurately? Add a few sentences to your paragraph to answer these questions
  • include your lists and paragraph, as well as a link to the member’s profile, in a comment in response to this blog post
  • submit it by Tuesday, 9/3, at 3:00
  • now you should be ready to write Project #1, which you will write as a blog post, due at 9:00am on 9/9

Questions? Ask them by posting a comment here! If you need technical support, you can always contact the OpenLab Community Team.

23 thoughts on “Getting acquainted with the OpenLab

  1. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/auhines27/
    This person’s avatar is of a tooth with a toothbrush. This tooth is giving a wide smile while giving a thumbs up. With the given details, I think that he or she is going into a Hygiene or Dentistry program at City Tech. Because of the thumbs up and smile, I think this person encourages in everyone to brush their teeth and that if you keep your teeth clean and healthy like the one in his or her avatar, you’ll be happy and smiling. This person does not have a bio so I can’t prove much of my interpretations but I know that he or she is interested in Dental Hygiene and is currently in the Dental Hygiene Major. He or She is enrolled in Student ADHA which is a student organization for first year and second year Dental Hygiene majors, so he or she must really be into this subject.

  2. The person who I chose has an avatar of what looks to be chibi style drawing of someone of German ethnicity. What I can take away from this is maybe the person is going to major in some form of art or animation. Maybe this person happens to be German herself. The cartoon picture seems to have a shy expression on his face which leads me to believe maybe the person is shy or introverted. After clicking on her profile picture I found out that she does not have a bio so I can’t really build upon any assumptions I just previously made. But it does say that she is majoring in Entertainment Technology so she may still be into animation.
    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/echo/

  3. The person I choose seems like he enjoys playing the drums, probably a musician and plays other instruments. He also seems like he plays at places like at clubs, restaurants in the night time. And since he is probably a musician he probably also likes to listen to a lot of music. He probably majoring in the branch of music. After reading about this member I was mostly right! He is a musician and actually plays Drummer, Keyboard, Guitar & trombone. What I didn’t get off he picture is he’s interest is also Architecture and Photography. After observing the picture and reading what he’s interests are , he’s avatar is accurate and represents what he is.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jaybravo29/

  4. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/aherrera/

    This has to be one of the most positive avatars I’ve seen. The phrase: “All things work out” simply just captured the idea of hope, prosperity and happiness. I believe she has very strong faith but is also realistic. The pendant does not quote something religious nor has any spiritual emphasizes. The background of is wood and which is natural; and nature is all around us. Its very old-looking; like its been through some harsh seasons but, it still maintains its structure and durance. I believe this reflects the statement that is engraved on the pin. With such uplifting words, Ally must be very optimistic and out-going.What I didn’t collect from her avatar is that she enjoys learning and that she is also taking a course in Advance Career Writing, which would leads me to assume that she must be good writer. She still hasn’t written out most of her information but with her avatar I was able to get a good glimpse at what she could be like.

  5. The avatar I choose is a girl, in a simple, gingham shirt, which tells she is a student. And two people are next to her, probably the professor and other student, so it took place in the classroom. The girl holds a color board and brush, and draws her art work earnestly, this tells me she has great passion on art, and she probably is an art major student. However, on her profile, it does not have bio, and the only thing that I know more about her is her major, Advertising Design and Graphic Arts. In some way, I was correct at my previous interpretation. Her study is related to her interest—-art. Moreover, she seems not having much friend in our school, since there are only one person at her profile, and from the course she join, she is not new student.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/amiishida/

  6. The avatar that I chose is The Dark Knight Rises movie logo which is the Batman insignia created by the outline of a semi demolished skyline when viewed from street level. The image is mostly different dark shades of grey making up the buildings and rubble. The light source is the overcast sky above the street and buildings, this is what creates the image of the Batman symbol. However the emblem itself is usually a matte black or blue. So either the person who chose this icon has a desire to become a officer of the law or is involved in the fields related to buildings and structures such as civil engineering or architecture.

    The latter subject area proved true for the persons major is Architectural Technology and all the course that they are a part of flow with that.

    post by Sky Cpataina, A.S.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jgonzalez87/

  7. The individuals avatar that i have selected practically describes what her/his goal in their career is. The avatar is a stack of 6 books, these books are all in the field of nursing and nutrition. The first thoughts that run through my head, are that this person is majoring and nursing and this field interests them a lot. This means that this is the career that they are pursuing which leads me to thinks many things. This person is interested in helping others and being helpful in the medical area. This person has a strong passion for assisting others and ensuring their health and success. After analyzing this individuals profile, i found that i was on the right track. Although she does not talk about nursing, it is stated that she is majoring in nursing. She also expresses how she writes her blog to help others and make their time at City Tech a more prosperous and enjoyable one.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/ruchoma/

  8. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/aherrera/

    The vibe that I get off this persons avatar is hopeful even though her major is undecided. It is also a reminder to me that even though you may not know what you want to do in life it is not a bad thing. Another aspect of her profile I did notice however is she joined a group called “Advanced Career Writing”. She could have a strong interest in writing stories or articles which could push her to be a journalist in the near future. Her avatar specifically says ” All things work out” and it is written in a gold medallion. Even though she is undecided on what she wants to do with her life, her avatar symbolizes that she still believes in the path she is headed on with City Tech. I felt like I could relate to this profile because even though I have a major, I could change my mind at any time.

  9. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/oscarg/

    I chose this avatar because it stood out to me in a sea of avatars. Maybe because of the neon colors initially, but when I looked closer it shows me more about the actual person who posted it. From one view I take on this avatar it seems to be somewhat artistic because of the placement and angle of the photo. Other than knowing he is a college student, I am inclined to believe that he is a dedicated person. Especially to soccer. The color choice of the cleats shows me that he wants to stand out and that he has confidence in his abilities on the soccer field. Unfortunately his profile doesn’t give too much info, but it does say that he is going to school for hospitality management. For this major he will need to be dedicated and if he puts as much effort into this as I believe he does into soccer, he will be very successful.

  10. The avatar i chose is a simple saying said by many great people. But as a matter of fact it is actually followed by very few people in our society. By putting this picture as a profile image i think my classmate Obediah is a simple man who just believes in telling the truth. I also think he is a fellowman of god who believes in god’s words. After clicking on his bio i actually found out that the assumptions i made was totally right. He says that lying is not the right path to follow in life it always leads to failure. You can never succeed in life if u never learn how to be honest and truthful to everyone. In conclusion, I personally think he chose the right image to represent his character to the class.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/obediah/

  11. I chose this person because his avatar really captivated my attention. On his imagine it shows a lady that has a calm expression on her face laying down on a dentist chair. While she lays down Jeremy who I assume to be the owner of this profile is working on her teeth. He looks really committed and focused on what his doing. By this details I can infer Jeremy is in the dentistry program in city tech. Also , by how he looks focused and committed we can say he loves the profession his majoring in , as a result for him dental hygiene is very important. Lastly , by the painless expression in the lady’s face it looks like his doing a great job on her teeth. This person does not have a bio, but it does say he is majoring in Dental Hygiene. Therefore, I was correct on my interpretation of his avatar.
    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jeremypr82/

  12. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/elementdude/

    This avatar caught my eye out of the many pages I flipped through because of fictional character he chose to represent himself. The character he chose is Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game character, and this stood out to me because Sonic was once my idol growing up. From this I can tell that he is a huge fan and played a Sega console as a child meaning he may be even be a big gamer now. Gaming also means he is into technology and the next big thing out there. Plus the Sonic picture he applied to his profile is on a skateboard and his username is “elementdude” (Element being a successful skateboard company) I think it would be safe to say that he is a skateboarder. So by skateboarding you can say that he is highly athletic and very dedicated because with this sport it is constant commitment, trial and error to land even the most simple tricks and maneuvers.

  13. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/azeeshan786/

    This individual’s avatar caught my attention as I was browsing the current list of members on our course : Being In Brooklyn. The avatar is of a male cartoon character. After interpreting his avatar I’ve come to the conclusion in which, Zeeshan Arif is more of a person who spends his time indoors opposed to outdoors. It also occurred to me that he is a person who likes to spend his time on the computer and other techie things such as programming, video editing and etc…, Zeeshan Arif is also a person who looks like he prioritizes his image via the clothes he chooses to wear as his avatar is a cartoon whom, in my opinion is well dressed and organized.
    After reading Zeeshan Arif’s bio it seems to me that his avatar does not suit his description of himself as he is VERY outgoing, he has a part time job and plays Cricket with his friends on his free time.

    • My initial thoughts on the person after inspecting his avatar:
      1. He’s interested by technological advancements.
      2. Studies a lot.
      3. Organized
      4. Prefers to stay indoors unless necessary.

  14. Brandon Jaspaul
    English 1101
    Professor Rosen

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jmart1102/

    The profile I chose captivated me because unlike many other profiles he manifests his interests and career through his attire, which I found divergent from the crowds of other profiles. From my perception the avatar presented is interested in pursuing a career in cuisine, such as becoming a chef. The photo presented looks to be a man of hispanic background, which leads me to believe that he is probably interested in cooking a variety of foods from other cultures or even from his background. The avatar may be looking to infuse his own heritage of food with the american cuisine or perhaps to learn the different styles of cooking. He looks to be pursuing his dream at New York CIty College of Technology. From my own knowledge, New York CIty of Technology offers a Hospitality Management program,that will equip him with the necessary skills to create a career of this field. From the persons posture and attire it is easy to tell that he not only has passion but drive to seek his dreams. His attire consists of a toque and a white double breasted jacket, which is ideal apparel for a chef, this shows that he embodies his career both mentally and physically. As mentioned in his biography the avatar flawlessly represents a character of passion and appetite for the world of cuisine. The avatar certainly represents himself well,as he took his photo in his college of attendance,which displays his need to constantly learn about his major, Hospitality Management. His major shows his need for a grand position in the restaurant/cuisine business, which exhibits his aspirations to make something of himself in this study.

    Make a list of what details you observe in the image:
    -He is wearing a chef’s hat which is called a toque and a double breasted chef jacket.
    -He shows pride and passion in his posture and facial expression.
    -He looks like he loves to cook.
    -He looks like he is from a hispanic background.
    -He is located in New York City College of Technology.

    Make a list of what interpretations you make about the details you observe:
    -He is studying to become a chef.
    -He appears to have drive to become a appreciable chef.
    -Since he is located in a school, I assume he is constantly achieving greatness through education.
    -He probably wants to learn different kinds of cuisines and attain a career out of it.

  15. The avatar I choose is a girl, in a simple, gingham shirt, which tells she is a student. And two people are next to her, probably the professor and other student, so it took place in the classroom. The girl holds a color board and brush, and draws her art work earnestly, this tells me she has great passion on art, and she probably is an art major student. However, on her profile, it does not have bio, and the only thing that I know more about her is her major, Advertising Design and Graphic Arts. In some way, I was correct at my previous interpretation. Her study is related to her interest—-art. Moreover, she seems not having much friend in our school, since there are only one person at her profile, and from the course she join, she is not new student.

    List of observation:
    1. purple gingham shirt
    2. brush and color board
    3. 2 people next to the girl
    4. Girl’s eyes looks at her art work and draws.

    List of interpretation
    1. Simple,student style
    2. Painting, she probably is an art student
    3. since she is not alone, then she probably in classroom, not so many indoor room is quiet and allow lots of color mess
    4. The girl focus on her work, so earnest. she must love the art.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/amiishida/

  16. The avatar i choose is of a math cube. The name tells its a male. The cube tells me that the person likes math. They have spend their time doing math or probably wants to do math. I think from seeing the picture i can say maybe this persons major is math. They like doing math. I think this person is more of a indoor person and likes to use his time studying.
    List of observation:
    1-cube
    2-reminds me of math
    3-colorful cube

    List of interpretation:
    1- Person really like math
    2-Enjoys his life ,has a colorful life
    3-Major is math or math related
    4-spend his time outside

    After viewing the profile i was half right because he was a professor not a student and he is math professor and has also spend time doing math and is always doing more research projects related to math and he is well educated.

  17. Details observed:
    1. A frog.
    2. Rain.
    3. Frog shielding itself from the rain.
    4. Frog seems like it is frowning.
    Detail interpretations:
    1. John likes frogs.
    2. likes rain.
    3. Does not like the rain.
    4. Wouldn’t be happy to get caught in the rain.

    Just by looking at John’s avatar I can assume that he is not a fan of the rain. Also he likes frogs and may have one as a pet at home. Since the frog is holding a leaf over its head I assume that John wouldn’t like to be wet by the rain and would be upset if he did. By looking at John’s avatar he seems like a simple calm guy who’d rather be indoors while it’s raining rather than out. Unfortunately he didn’t write anything in his bio but his major is Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering Technology. I can’t really tell if I can tell if my interpretations of John’s avatar is right from his major.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/johntenten/

  18. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/azeeshan786/
    Details seen:
    1. A cartoon man
    2. Has spiky hair
    3. Thumbs up
    Observation:
    1. Likes cartoons
    2. Have confidence
    3. Dress well
    4. Happy person

    Seen Zeeshan Arif Avatar seems to be a pleasant person. With a great personality who seems to be optimistic. Likes to be the guy who helps everyone out. Dress for success and proud. Has a great taste in hair style.As had readied his profile he is a out going person. Who spends time with other people and having fun. His avatar represented him greatly in describing him. Other then that I cant say anymore without meeting him in person.

  19. I shosed roqueayala’s avatar and don’t know if it is male or female but the person is angry and confuse. Like that person is lost, don’t know what to do and where to go. Roqueayala is in real dark place scare to move on like if she/he make mistake every think will be failed. After I made my inference I went to see what is in he/she profile. I found only major was undecided. No Bio written in his/her profile.

    http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/roqueayala/

  20. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jmart1102/

    From looking at the avatar I assumed:
    1. Chef
    2. works at a 5 start banquet restaurant
    3. his major was cooking

    The person I chose looked like he loves cooking because he’s wearing a chefs hat and a apron. Looking at the avatar and it seemed like he was those high quality chefs that works at a 5 star restaurant. It seemed like his major was a cooking major. he seemed like a out-going and a cool type person who doesnt like to argue a lot. After I read his details my guesses were wrong. His major was hospitality management. His bio said how he wants to go all around the world and try different cultures food and he really wants to see how the hospitality teaches him to be a real chef.

  21. http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jmontgomery07/
    Based on Jason’s avatar, I understand that he’s into sketching and architecture.
    Upon observation of Jason’s avatar:
    -I can see that its a very detailed sketch of the inside of a building.
    -The sketch is in black and white so it doesn’t seem very artsy. It looks more like a plan or schematic for constructing a building.
    Based on these details, I’ve interpreted that he’s most likely an architect major at NYCCT and he’s a fan of an older style of architecture rather than modern architecture.
    Jason seems to be an aspiring architect. He doesn’t have a bio yet but based on looking at his avatar I can see that he pays attention to detail. After viewing his website’s profile at http://www.truongmontgomery.com , I see that he actually does a lot of urban styled architecture.

  22. Pingback: New semester, new assignments! | Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab

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