Wayne's Blog

Introduction

Hello! This is Wayne again, and I am going to start this weeks’ (probably this and the one before) blog. We have obtain a lot of new information about computer science (mostly in the aspect of basic computing system which means how computers works) this week, which is important for future study. This blog will contain the following aspects:

• 1. How to set up online portfolio of WORDPRESS BLOG
• 2. Basic model of a computing system
• 3. What is a computer and Who invented the computer
• 4. Layers of a computing system
• 5. Presentation on the hardware (STORAGE)
• 6. Conclusion and Reflection

How to set up online portfolio of WORDPRESS BLOG

After the post of our first blogs, dear Mr. Pete taught us some basic ways to set up our blog website (The use of category and menu), which keeps our site well-organized for visitors (If I have).

-Category-

Category mainly means the folders which I sort my blogs in, it helps me a lot will organizing the website, and keep the process of publishing and finding my blogs nice and easy.

Enter /MY SITE/, drag the left menu and click the /SETTINGS/, find /WRITING/ and finally enter the /CATEGORIES/, and that’s how you can get access to editing the categories and to sort all the blog you posted.

For me, I first created 1 new main category “Pre-IB”, which is used for covering all the material this year. Next, I added 2 new categories “Computer Science” and “Project week” which take “Pre-IB” as their parent category. Then, I set the “Computer Science” as a default one, which means all the blogs including this one will be sorted into that category automatically at first, because as we know most of the blogs I written on this website is mainly for showing my work in my CS class.

-Menu-

Menu mainly means the menu at the top which enable visitors to get access to other files on my website conveniently.

Enter /CUSTOMIZE/, choose /MENU/ on the left of the screen, click the /PRIMARY/, and that’s how you get access to editing the menu of your website on WORDPRESS.

For me, I just added categories to my menu simply, because it can help visitors to view other blogs much more easier and there isn’t much thing on my website, so it is probably my only choice. I added the three categories above, and dragged the “Computer Science” and “Project Week” under the “Pre-IB” as its sub menu.

Basic MODEL of a COMPUTING SYSTEM

All modern computers function on the same general model of input, process and output.

–Mr. Pete

Here is the basic definition of the three terms from the presentation: input – type in the message and press send (command)
process – the phone’s hardware and network process the message
output – the message goes to the receiver

Let me take the activity from the class as an example: If the system is Lucy, a girl from IB grade 10, we input the aroma of BBQ, and after a set of processing in her brain which is mainly recognizing and identifying the smell belongs to BBQ, she will get an output of the feeling of hunger.

This model can almost generalize all the system in this world. However, in computers’ world, this means the most essential thing to understand how does the computer actually work. I used to study the C++ coding, but I cannot understand them to be honest. While, after this class, I got a whole new version on the understanding level of the C++ programs.

• “INT” and “CIN” represents the INPUT, you define an object while coding and input the object while processing the program;
• “WHILE”, “IF” and almost all the other stuffs are the ways you design for the PROCESSING of a program;
• “COUT” represents the output, which is the result you got at the end of a C++ program;

THANK YOU COMPUTER SCIENCE!!!

What is a computer and who invented it?

-Computing system: Hardware and Software-

Hardware means the physical elements of a computing system; Software means the programs that provide the instructions for a computer to execute…

–Mr. Pete

And as for the computing system, it represents the resemble of all the hardware, software and data, which interact to solve problems.

-Computing system diagram: Hardware-

As what we talked about in the model of computing system, input, processing and output, they are the most essential part of a computing system and they all have specific devices or HARDWARE to perform these tasks.

• INPUT DEVICE: in an input device, we send message or signal through different media to the computer, like the keyboard: while typing we insert the signal of button being pressed, and it is transferred to the next device.
• PROCESSING DEVICE: in the processing device, CPU most the time, the computer recognize the signal and process the program which is set initially, and pass the information to the next component.
• OUTPUT DEVICE: in the out put device, the computer presents the react to us. In my opinion, this is how the computer actually “communicates” to the human-being. Let’s take headphone for an example, the headphone receive the information of a song written in data form, and perform with the audio.
• STORAGE DEVICE: storage device are separated into Primary Memory and Secondary Memory. Their function is to store data, and provide them when needed.
• COMMUNICATION DEVICE: it is the way that computer get information from the outside or transfer its information to the outside.

-History of Computers-

We watched a short video about the evolution of the computer and we knew that “COMPUTER WAS NOT INVENTED BY A SINGLE PERSON“, and it is after centuries of hard work of those pioneers that comes today’s computer.

Layers of a computing system

We learnt about the 6 layers in a computing system.

• Information: the innermost information in terms of data which is binary digits(0 and 1);
• Hardware: physical hardware of a computing system, devices;
• Programming: the instructions used to accomplish computations and manage data;
• Operating systems: it manage the resources in a computer, like hardware and programs and data, like iOS, WindowXP;
• Application: programs that solve actual problem, made up by programming information, need hardware device and Operating system to perform;
• Communication: it helps with communicate with other computers, like sharing data and information.

Presentation on hardware (STORAGE)

At the end of this week, we provided a presentation of the STORAGE in the computing system. A storage means a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The storage is divided into Primary Memory(AKA internal storage) and Secondary Memory(AKA external storage).

We started with the STORAGE IN GENERAL, where we apply an example: If CPU is a person in his study room, then the Primary Memory will be his desk, where he can get access to information and address problems quickly. But there is not enough place for him to put everything there, so he needs a bookshelf, which is the Secondary Memory, where he can store information there that can still function well when power is off, and he can get access to the information when it is needed.

Then we introduced about some essential part of the Internal Storage and the External Storage with their specific characteristics. For example: RAM, floppy disk and USB flash drive…

FLOPPY DISK:‌a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium.
The floppy disk has a slow access speed and a small capacity(1.44MB), but is detachable and portable. As a removable storage method, it is ideal for small files that need to be physically moved.

–Wayne

Conclusion and Reflection

In this week we did learn a lot in the computer science class.

First, I have a better understanding on how computer works, this helps me a lot on the understanding the program I have coded with C++. Because for the program that I written before, I just knew how to code them but I didn’t see through them to get access of how did this program actually work. Now, I get it , the input, processing, output thing helps me decompose the process of coding, and I believe with its help it will be much easier for me to code program in C++.

Second, in the group presentation part, at first, I don’t trust others about the presentation, because I was worried that they might get things wrong, so I decided to finish all the tasks by myself, which means I didn’t want to use the online ZOHO website at the beginning. However, they told me that it will be ok, so I just let it go, and they did a wonderful job. We have a great time co-working on the ZOHO website, it felt like we are just working together face to face. This experience helps me a lot on the co-working skills and as well as the how to use the ZOHO website, and it is a super efficient tool while cooperating (when the internet is not being normal, which means at most the time they are broken).

THANKS YOU AGAIN COMPUTER SCIENCE!!!!!! and please wait for my next BLOG 😉