I signed up for three classes: Tangible Interfaces, Context Aware Computing, and How to Build (Almost) Anything. Tangible Interfaces, while interesting, was mostly a backup in case I didn't like the teaching style in Context Aware Computing or I didn't get into the very selective How to Build (Almost) Anything. There was a project in Tangible Interfaces due tomorrow, so luckily I found out that I did get into How to Build (Almost) Anything this morning, before I would have had to do the project. It still scared me that I had left it until so last minute. I had planned the time in the day today to do it, but that is assuming I wouldn't have procrastinated and not followed the plan and stayed up all night or something like that.

How to build (almost) anything seems very interesting but also very hard. We learn about all sorts of shop tools (laser cutters, water jets, 3D printers and scanners, etc). But it is a lot of material to cover in the time we have. Each requires input that neccessitates the use of many hard to learn specialty programs. This semester, unlike previous instances of this class which used powerful but hard to install and use program, we will be using weaker but simpler open source applications and modifying them ourselves, as neccessary to get the job done. We need to come up with, already, an idea for a final semester-long project using the skills we will learn. How am I suppose to do that if I don't really understand anything I'm going to learn yet? Part of the way the class works is that the students are responsible for helping each other and other people. As we learn about things we will generate documentation which will go on the web. Also for different parts different people will be required to become the guru for a particular task, and they will be responsible for teaching and helping the rest. I have already signed up to be the web guru. This means that I will be in charge of managing the webpage and organizing all the material that people in this class generate. I did this both because of my experience with doing such things for Sharon High and for the Stayton robotics project and because I thought it might help me get accepted into the class. Since they can't take everyone we needed to write about our backgrounds and interest in the class in order to get selected.

So far I have enjoyed Ted Selker's Context Aware Computing class most. He isn't the most organized lecturer, often getting side tracked onto totally irrelevant tangents, but everything he says is interesting. While voting regulation isn't something that relates to context aware computing, his rant on it was educational. This class seems the most laid back, as I have not yet been asked to decide without guidance what I will do all semester. Instead he has mentioned many systems, previous student projects, and what things he think might make interesting projects. The difference in my comfort is striking with this helpful and unpressured approach. If he ever gets to talk about the AI topics that are on the sylabus, I think I will learn a lot.

This weekend I went with my friend Julia to see STOMP. I've seen the show twice before, but I like it a lot and enjoyed it as much this time. We had to wake up early to get to Bostix and buy the half price tickets. We spent most of the day wandering around Boston with nothing to do. We hung out in the park and saw some crazy people with giant posters explaining why Psychiatry is evil. When we went to the show, Carly and a friend came with us. Oh, I forgot to mention that for some reason my back hurt when I would put weight on my right leg that day, so I could barely walk for part of the day.