What is a Computer

A week ago, a team of three constituents that included Elly, Gabriel, and I participated in a festivity that required the use of teamwork and basic reasoning. In the beginning of this group-oriented activity, we were instructed to acquire one piece of poster board, a marker, and a pile of photographs that rarely pertained to computers. We were required to categorize them on our poster board, placing them on the side it pertained to. There were two sides on the poster board divided by the writing utensil that we previously acquired. One side was dedicated to the photographs that contained a picture of our idea of computers, while the other did the opposite. During our process of categorizing, we took it upon ourselves to be arbitrators and come up with a consensus that all parties would agree to if disagreement was met. In our process of arbitration, we unanimously agreed that a computer is a piece of machinery capable of solving mathematical equations with little human intervention. In the middle of this activity, the hardest photograph to categorize was the image that depicted the USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive. Arguments were made back-and-forth until a solution was unanimously voted as viable by constituents of our group. After we completely categorized each photograph to its corresponding section, we gathered with the rest of the class to watch a video explaining what a computer actually was. After we observed video the points made in the video showed to the class, we were quickly corrected. In the four-part definition provided by the video, a computer had to be able to:

1. Take input
2. Process
3. Store memory
4. Output

We quickly corrected our misinterpretations of a computer and our final product shone through. Our project was officially concluded after this point. The result of multiple corrections administered by all constituents of our group can be found in an image located at the end of this entry. One of these photographs relocated had an illustration that depicted a traffic light. After careful consideration, this was moved to the area that held the photographs that did not depict a computer. In my opinion, this activity was quite enjoyable, and it was a great way to test the reasoning of everyone on the team. I also enjoyed the debate, as it proved to be a challenge. Additionally, after I watched the video, my idea of a computer partially changed. I thought that a computer was a piece of machinery that was capable of calculating mathematical equations that would be too arduous for a human. However, it turns out that there was a more advanced four-part definition of a computer which was previously listed. I would definitely take part in this activity again since I now have a better understanding of the actual definition of a computer.