Day 1 (Monday, December 3, 2007):

 

In class today, Ms. Jansen introduced us to pbWiki. We were shown how to make an account, and how to edit our wiki. I named the wiki after the bacteria that Hunter and I are studying.

 

Tonight, I began general research and the search for the classification of my bacteria, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. At first, I tried netTrekker for general information. Despite checking and re-checking the spelling I had entered in the search engine, no results at all came up. Then, I searched encyclopedia Brittanica for any information at all, and again none came up. Finally, I found a few magazine results on Gale Group, Virtual Reference Library. Unfortunately, I found that more results came up on search engines such as Google, however at this point in the research, I can only use approved search engines.

 

Day 2 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007):

 

Today in class we filled out some notes on viruses, and I worked on half of my timeline. At first, in class, I had planned to work on, and maybe complete my homepage tonight. Then, while doing my gram research, and working on my classification page, I realized that it would be much easier if I waited to nearly the end of the project and my research, so I could better summarize it for my homepage.

 

So, the firs tthing that I was start my Classification page. I found the classification off of a resource from google, confirmed it with the suggested databases, and began to make a simple classification guide on word. I then decided, to make it even better, I would do this on a Powerpoint. I copy pasted what I had on word into the Powerpoint, and added custom animations, as well as a few extra slides. It is just a rough draft, and I plan to come back to it either when I have some spare time, or on an editing day.

 

The next item set for me to do was begin researching information about gram-staining, particularly the gram stain of my bacteria. Again, as I did yesterday, I found the most useful, and the largest quantity of information on Gale Group. I took a few basic notes down, many of which will eventually go into my gram page (which I will make tomorrow), and a few of which will go into my homepage.

 

Day 3 (Wednesday, December 5, 2007)

 

Today in class Ms. Jansen showed us how to make a Website Evaluation guide, something that we use to evaluate website not obtained from suggested databases. I have already had to fill out a couple. However, while finishing my research for gram-stain, I did not find any bogus or seemingly false or untrustworthy websites. All of them I found on google.

 

Tonight, I finished my brief amount of research I had left for the gram stain. Not only did I research what it was, but I also researched the gram staining process. I put alot of information about what being gram-positive or negative tells us about a bacterium cell, as well as information on the gram staining process. I also found a quality imagine depicting the differences between a + and a - from Wikipedia. I was sure to cite it and check the reliability of the animation. I created a link and the sidebar, and finished my GRAM page. It is only a rough draft, and I plan to go back and add a few more pictures on editing day or when I have free time.

 

So far, I have completed my classification page (yesterday I made the powerpoint,) and my gram page.

 

Day 4 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)

 

Today in class we had a chance to work on our microbiology project. I did some overview research on structure and habitat. I have for the most part stopped using netTrekker, Gale Group and most other suggested databases for my research on Lacbobacillus Bulgaricus, as i have found wikipedia and a site called MicrobeWiki much more helpful. I have also used many other sites, and I have found most useful ones through Google.

 

Throughout my entire reserach process so far, I have not found a questionable website. I am also wondering whether or not I have to fill out a Website Evaluation form for every single webpage i found that is not from the suggested databases. In my research I found that LBB does not pertain a flagellum. I also found that it does not create endospores. Tonight I also created the link on the sidebar to my Structure and Habitat page. I have started my habitat page, and started my Structure page.

 

Day 5 (Friday, December 7, 2007)

 

Today in class we completed a lab experiment. The purpose of the expirement was to see waht different effects different antibiotics had on different bacterias. The antibiotics we used were penicillin, and ampicillin. The bacteria we used we Estherichia coli and Staphyloccus epidermidis. We swabbed a petri dish with either of the bacteria, and we added a thick paper filter disk of sterile water, ampicillin and penicillin. We will see the results on monday. Can estherichia coli and/or staphylococcus epidermidis help us in any way, as can Lactobacillus Bulgaricus?

 

I finished the structure page, obviously my research as well. I found that LBB is a rod shaped, anaerobic gram positive bacteria. I also found that it tends to form chains of rod shaped bacterias. All this being said, it can form into cocci or spirilla under certain environmental conditions. It is non sporulating; which probably means that it can protect itself on it's own. Today, while working on my website, I found out how to do some cool things. These include, make a photo slideshow as a plugin, create a "Recent Viewers" Tab, and change my layout, although I haven't done that yet. I also created a sidebar for Nutritional Information. I plan to do that in class on tuesday, because I am not sure whether or not LBB is an autotroph or heterotroph. I found a website that said it is a heterotroph, however I am not certain on this website's credibility.

 

Day 6+7 (Weekend, December 8+9, 2007)

 

Today I decided to finish my habitat page. I found very little information on the free web (none at all on the suggested databases), and what information that I did find was very vague. I managed to squeeze out of one website the fact that it originally was primarily found in plant organisms. However, since the diary cultivation of the bacteria in the very early 20th century, it has begun to mainly be found in cheeses and yogurt. I also found that LBB is the cause of an uprisal in cheese sales in the US, as it helps fermentation.

 

I brushed up on my Classification powerpoint and made a few edits to that. Today I also changed the layout for my page, and caught up on a few days worth of notes and journal entries. I have planned on starting work on the homepage, by adding some general research that is not listed on the Contents, but that I think is interesting and necessary . Later today, I will hopefully go into the Settings tab on pbwiki and find out how to change the layout. Or, if at all possible, I aim to search for some free web layouts on the free web, to make my page even more interesting. On sunday, I did the prelab for the lab that we are going to do Wednesday.

 

Day 8 (Monday, December 10, 2007)

 

Today in class, we reviewed the results from our previous lab (done on Friday.) We were unable to have a lab report done for today, as we had not yet even seen our own results. We turned out to have somewhat boring results, as no antibiotic had an effect  on any of the bacteria, except for the ampicillin on the E. coli. The rest of the classes results were very similar to ours.

 

I have completely stopped using approved library databases; they were absolutely no use to me, except for two pages; Beneficial Properites, and Problems with Reomoval from the Environment. I found all four of my other sites on the free web, and still have yet to make the Website Evaluation forms for them. Although I have not yet done the evaluation for them, I did check their validity, and they all seemed credible. Today I used a website from Gale Group to help me finish my homepage. I also created a slideshow on Slide.com to make it more interesting and attractive.

 

Day 9 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)

 

Today in class we turned in our Antibiotic Sensitivity Lab Reports. I was worried that we were supposed to have a hypothesis or a conclusion, which the lab didn't state we needed, but I was reassured that we didn't need to have either of those. Ms. Rasmussen went over what our upcoming labs on Wednesday and Thursday. On thursday, we are going to do the gram staining procedure, which is to test to see if a bacteria is gram - or gram + using differential media. On wednesday, we are going to do a MacConkey plate test, and a motility test.

 

Tonight I edited the homepage with all of the Benificial Properties, and I used some of that research to also finish my Problems with Removal from Environment page, as well as using another page from Gale Group. I started researching for news and current events about Lactobacillus Bulgaricus by searching '"lactobacillus bulgaricus" recent.' It worked very well, and I found a very recent PDF file all about Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. I did not find any signifigant current events to do with L. bulgaricus, but I found something recent about L. bulgaricus itself, so I used that. I have almost completed and edited that page, which I will finish tomorrow.

 

Day 10 (Wednesday, December 12, 2007)

 

Today in class we did the Bacteria Confirmation lab; the motility tests and the MacConkey plate tests. We will have to be able to take our results down from those tomorrow, whilst at the same time be able to do the gram staining process for four different bacteria, and be able to get down those results too. We are also expeceted to make drawings of all our results for the Lab report. I anticipate tomorrow's lab to be quite tough. I was unsure of some information gathered from my research, so after class i asked Ms. Rasmussen and she confirmed it for me.

 

Tonight I completed and edited the News and Current events page. There was not alot of information, but I think I juiced the information well and created the page to the informations full potential. Then, I started research for a "FUN FACTS" page. I found some interesting information, and I created the page. Although there wasn't much info, I think it looks good for a fun facts page. I did the research for and completed the Nutritional Information page, thanks to some previous help from Ms. Rasmussen. I also started the History page. I found some spare time to work on the analysis questions due in the lab report for Friday.

 

Day 11 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)

 

In class today we finished the Bacteria Confirmation Lab. The gram staining procedure was much easier and less complicated than I anticipated it to be, however it still required that we all had to be very careful and cautious throughout the whole procedure. We did the procedures, and then took all of our results down from all of the tests down in one big table. We thought that would make it easier for our lab report due tomorrow.

 

Tonight I finished the Lab report and I thought that the analysis questions were very easy, especially the Gram stain question, as I had already done a signifigant amount of research on gram staining because of this project. After finishing the lab report, which actually took awhile, including brushing up on the prelab questions, I got to work on the project. I finally finished the GRAM page, after doing the research for it about a week ago and yet never actually making the page for it. It was a breeze. I started my research on the free web for information about L. Bulgaricus' reproduction. I didn't find very much information, but enough to elaborate alot on.

 

Day 12 (Friday, December 14, 2007)

 

Today is the last week day that I will be able to work on the project. In class, we turned in our Bacteria Confirmation Lab reports, after being able to work on them for a couple minutes. I thought that we were going to be able to work on it for longer during class, so I had to quickly print it out, and do the sketches of the results in a hurry. I managed to finish it in time, however I don't think that I will get the grade that I could've gotten and that I wanted on it. Luckily, I had two free periods today, so I was able to have time editing and revising the pages that I had made. I also revised and better organized this journal, and my notes.

 

I finished my free-web research on Reproduction, and created the page. I was now done with all of the pages that I had made; what a relief. Unfortunately, I still needed to take time and work on editing and revising everything. I did a little bit of that. Then, finally, I finished the Works cited page. I then remembered that I still had to do all of my Website evaluations for the four free web sites that I used. I did two, and put the rest off until tomorrow.

 

Day 13+14 (Saturday + Sunday, December 15+16, 2007)

 

Luckily I don't have much other homework for Monday except for preparing for our presentation, so I was mainly able to focus on finishing the website. I did some last minute editing and revising. I finished the last of the two Website evaluations, and I completed the Audience evaluation, and attatched it to the website, so I wouldnt have to attatch it by itself to my email to Ms. Jansen and Ms. Rasmussen. It is 11am on sunday now, and I plan to read it a couple times, and send it around 1pm.