Social Bookmarking Project

1. What's another way you can organize and store information on your computers?

Another way to organize information on your computer is by using digg reader. Instead of reading through every website to find new posts on a topic you're researching, you can see a summary of website updates to know if they're worth reading.

2.What have you learned from researching the above topics? What do you know now about those current events that you didn’t know before?

I learned about the amount of deaths from the ebola outbreak in Africa, and which countries Ebola patients were most commonly found in. I also learned that there have so far been four states to legalize marijuana, which I had not known before. 

3. What are other social bookmarking apps/websites?

Evernote is another social bookmarking that allows you to use its Web Clipper to organize websites. Learnist is a social bookmarking website that is especially good for educators. 

4. Will you continue to use social bookmarking?

I think I will continue to use social bookmarking, especially for essays that require much research. I may also use it to organize websites that help me understand topics in school.

Do Now 1/5

I had a very relaxing winter break. The day before Christmas and the day before New Year's I spent most of my time baking for my family holiday party. Most of the recipes I used were from a blog called Sally's Baking Addiction. When I had free time I could read the many books I had gotten for Christmas. One of the books I got was the autobiography of Malala Yousafazi; it is very interesting.

Towards the end of break I went to see the third movie in the hunger games series, Mockingjay Part 1, with my friend (Alyse). The acting was great as always. What I especially liked was that for the most part the plot in the movie was the same as the plot of the book. Jennifer Lawrence played the main character Katniss. To learn more about her career in acting, you can read a short biography here.

Web 2.0: Do Now 12/15

 "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

I want to make the world a better place when I see people who are suffering. I watch the news and see so many good people from all over the world being negatively affected by circumstances out of their control. It is the duty of the more fortunate to help the less fortunate. I consider myself as one of the more fortunate in this world. Therefore, I consider it my duty to help the less fortunate. 

I try to help my community as much as I can. I volunteer through girl scouts, and will begin to volunteer for a hospital. My goal is to change the world and make it better in small ways. If every person takes small steps to make the world a better place, these steps will lead to a bigger outcome. Many people say they don't have time to focus on helping other people, but that is the benefit of taking small steps. Just helping a neighbor or a loved one for a few minutes can make someone's day, and thus make the world a little better. If you wish to see the world change in some way, take small steps every day to make the world a better place.

Blog Post Assessment

Sofia's Mediterranean Grill

My favorite restaurant would definitely be Sofia's Mediterranean Grill in Hasbrouck Heights. My family often goes there for birthdays and other special occasions. It is owned by a family that has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years. In other words, they know their stuff, which can easily be proven by the deliciousness of all their dishes. They specialize in 'contemporary Greek dishes'. If you'd like to learn more about the history of Sofia's Mediterranean Grill, visit their About Us page.

The interior of the restaurant is spacious and comfortable ,as can be seen in picture at the right. In the spring and summer outdoor

seating is also available. The restaurant offers many meat and seafood dishes, and a wide variety of appetizers. My favorite main course would probably be the falafel in pita . One of my favorite appetizers are the dolmades, which are stuffed grape leaves. Here is a recipe for homemade dolmades. If you'd like to learn more about Greek dishes, watch the video above. 

Falafel in Pita. Yum!

For me, the real make or break quality of any restaurant is how good their desserts are. My family orders dessert every time we go to Sofia's for dinner, and we are never disappointed. The baklava cheesecake is my favorite dessert there. Baklava is a phyllo and nut pastry with cinnamon, and is popular in Greece and other countries near it. It is the perfect end to a meal from a great restaurant like Sofia's.  

My favorite dessert: Baklava Cheesecake!

It would be very unfortunate if for whatever reason Sofia's closed down. If my family could not go to Sofia's Mediterranean Grill, we would probably go to Chok Dee Thai in Wood-Ridge. We have only been there once, but it was very good. Our entrees were curries; our appetizer was the a papaya salad, and it was quite good. Even with Sofia's still open, I will probably go to Chok Dee Thai again sometime in the future.

RSS Feed Discussion Questions 12/9

1. Why did you select the sites you subscribed to?
     I selected sites that met the requirements and matched my own interests. I made sure that they were credible websites that updated frequently.

2. Was it easy to find feeds and to subscribe to them?
    Thanks to digg reader, it was quite easy to find feeds and to subscribe. I did not find the process at all confusing.

3. Which sites were your favorites?
    My favorite sites were the ones in my hobby folder. Inside I included sites about books and cooking,

4. What else could you use RSS feeds for?
     You could use RSS feed to write research papers and essays. They can also be used to read my friend's blogs. RSS is a great way to receive the main points of topics that are important to you.

5. How likely are you to continue to use RSS feeds in the future?
    I think it is likely that I will use RSS feeds in the future, especially when I am too busy to visit each individual website that I want to view.
   

Manhattan Robot Exhibition 12/5

• The National Museum of Mathematics, located in Manhattan, has developed an interactive robot exhibition that will be open to the public starting on December 14th. 
• Museum visitors stand on a thick glass floor; underneath the floor are robots. The visitors wear a reflector pod on their shoulders, which sends a location signal to overhead cameras that is then sent to each of the robots under the glass floor. 
• The robots respond differently to the visitors depending on what mode they're programmed to be in. 
• There is "Run Away" mode, where the robots try to run away from the visitors. "Pursue" mode is when the robots try to get as close as possible to the visitors. When on "Robophobia" mode, each robot will try to get as far away as possible from their fellow robots. 
• Creators of the exhibition hope that it will be fun for all ages, and will inspire visitors by showing them what math can do. 

To read the full article, click here.

Web 2.0: Do Now Writing Prompt 12/2/14

   If I were a teacher I would teach a home improvement  class. So many students graduate and get their own apartment or home without knowing how to fix the most basic problems. This would be an elective course, and the class would meet every day during a designated period for one semester. Students would learn how to assemble furniture when buying an unassembled set, and how to fix basic plumbing issues. They would also learn how to fix yard problems, such as building a fence and working with a shed. Simple design skills, such as painting, would also be taught.
   Students would become acquainted with tools. An idea for a field trip would possibly be going to a hardware store and going on a scavenger hunt for supplies needed for a home project. Students would be required to fill out written tests and accomplish hands-on tasks. A final exam could be students coming up with a complex design idea and accomplishing it. This class would be a great way to help students prepare for when they will be responsible for their own home.