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.

Wiki Dissection AG

1. What is the purpose of this Wiki?

The purpose of this wiki is to provide information on disruptive technology and examples of disruptive technology.

2. When was the last post?
The last post on this wiki was on June 23, 2010.

3. How was this Wiki created?
This wiki was created on k12wiki.wikispaces.com by Vicki A. Davis.

4. What would you add to it?
We would add more recent versions of disruptive technology to this wiki, seeing as this post was last revised in 2007.

5. What did you learn from it?
We learned that the term disruptive technology applies to technology that has fallen out of use due to new inventions. This occurs because the new invention has advantages over the old, disrupted technology.

6. If you had to create a Wiki with a team, what would be the specific topic(s)?
If we had to create a wiki with a team, we would write a wiki on a novel or any topic related to literature. We are avid readers, so we would do well on writing a wiki on a  topic of literature or a novel.

7. How can Wikis be used in the classroom or in education?
Wikis can be used for education in the classroom by creating a Wiki for the purpose of learning a new topic. Every student will be able to join in the collaboration and contribute to the Wiki.

Web 2.0 Wiki Research

1. How can a wiki be used in a current class on your schedule (not this course)? Pick a class and be specific how the class could create and use a Wiki on a regular basis (tip: Use the Internet, here is a good source).

           A wiki can be be used in history class to create study guides. Students can edit the page to add more helpful information on their assigned topic of the study guide. If several study guides for different chapters were added to the same wiki page, then the wiki could also be a study guide for finals and midterms. 

      2. What are the benefits of using a wiki in class?

          Using a wiki is beneficial in class because it allows everyone to participate and contribute to the   wiki. Students can collaborate together to create a wiki that can be viewed by anyone in class and can help them learn the material. 

      3. How can we create a wiki in this class, what would be contribute to it and how would be utilize it  on an on-going basis?

          We can create a wiki in class by using a website that allows us to create a wiki page. An idea of what we could contribute to it is the topic of how to improve our blogging skills. Students could discuss ideas and provide helpful criticism for each other every week after the blog postings are updated. 

      4. What experience do you have using or creating wikis?

          Whenever I hear of a topic I am curious about, I briefly look at a wikipedia page on it. I have created wikis on wikidot.com in history class last year.
      

The Mind of a Google Hacker 11/14

• Google has recently released the results of a 3 year study on hackers of gmail accounts.
• The study revealed that you are much more likely to have your account hacked if someone in your contacts has had their account hacked. 
• Only an average of nine in one million google accounts get hacked every day. 
• Deceptive scams work 45% of the time; these scams are clever and manage to trick the reader into giving their login credentials. 
• Hackers can scan your email in 3 minutes for valuable information. 
• If you get hacked, try to quickly warn your contacts, because they may be targeted by the same hacker. However, hackers may manipulate your account so that all emails to your contacts never reach them, so warning your contacts over email is not an effective way. 

If you wish to read an article on Google's study on hackers, click here.

The Guggenheim Museum (Do Now 11/10)

This weekend, I went to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The Guggenheim Museum is known for its amazing exterior and interior architecture, which is in a circular shape. The museum features artwork usually from 1900 and onward. Among the exhibits featured in the museum were an exhibit based on the space exploration in the 1950's and 60's, and an exhibit by artist Wang Jianwei, with artwork based on the rise of communism in China. I enjoyed the Guggenheim museum very much, and will keep an eye out for any new upcoming exhibitions.

To learn more about the Guggenheim Museum, click here.

(The exterior of the Guggenheim)

Version 3.0 of Aeromobil

Version 3.0 of Aeromobil flying car unveiled

• The prototype of the flying car was unveiled on October 29 in Vienna.
• Both co-founders of the aeromobil say version 3.0 is close to the finished project.
• The flying car includes an autopilot option and a parachute deployment system. 
• Version 3.0 is about the size of a limousine or a large Sudan; it can be parked in regular city parking spaces.
• It has a short takeoff distance, and can land and take off from rough terrain. 
• The co-founders claim that it has a low cost maintenance, and runs on standard gasoline.

Apple Computer 1976 up for Auction

1976 Apple Computer up for Auction

-An original 1976 Apple computer is being sold for auction on October 22nd.

-It is still operational, and comes with a monitor, keyboard and power supply.

-The computer is one of the first fifty Apple computers to ever be made.

-The computer will be sold for between $300,000 until $500,000.

-It may be sold to a private collection or a museum.

-Only 63 original 1976 Apple computers are remaining. Of them, only 15 are still operational.

Pantech's Vega LTE Smartphone with eyeSight's Gesture Recognition Techno...

Smartphone Understands Hand Gestures

• Scientists at UIST in Honolulu, Hawaii have developed an app that allows users to control their smartphone through hand gestures without touching the phone.
• The app recognizes a six different kinds of hand gestures, from simple ones like moving the index finger left and right to mimicking firing a pistol to fire down enemies in a game. 
• The app recognizes gestures from a stored memory, and can tell how far the hand is from the screen of the smartphone.
• Unlike other gesture recognizing apps, it does not require a large amount of processing and memory power.
• It may be suitable for smart watches and devices like google glass.
• The app is still in development and has not yet been released to the public.

Tech Article 10/3/14

German Regulator Warns Google Over Collecting Users' Data

• Data collector of Hamburg, Germany says that Google must ask permission of its users before using their data to create online user profiles for emails, online search, etc.
• Regulator claimed that Google's current power over online data could lead to accessibility to a person's financial information, relationships and other personal information
• Google can also collect location-based data when using Google Maps, and does not currently allow you to opt out of this
• Google my face charges up to 1 million euros ($1.27 million US) if it does not listen to demands of the regulator
• Not the first time this year that Google faced a privacy challenge; France national regulator fined company with 150,000 euros ($190,000 US)
• Google may take the case to a local German court if they do not agree with the original ruling

Do Now 9/29

        An editorial is an article in a newspaper or other type of periodical. It can be written by an editor or another writer of the periodical. It is usually a supported opinion on a topic. My teachers claim that wikipedia cannot be counted on for accuracy. Many say that wikipedia is not always written by experts and professors that know the topics well.
        My teachers have often strongly forbade myself and my fellow students from using wikipedia. Occasionally the teachers will allow us to use wikipedia if we can find backup from other sources to support the information found on wikipedia. After reading this article, my opinion about wikipedia has changed to some degree. I know longer view it as a blatantly wrong source. However, I do not believe that I will use it for school research. I will probably use it for researching topics that I'm curious about and are not connected to school.
        Wikipedia is good for general questions. An example is if you wanted to know what company made an old video out of curiosity, and if there were any sequels. I would not recommend using wikipedia for specific facts, like a quote from someone who lived many centuries ago. Specific quotes should be obtained from a primary source whenever possible, which wikipedia is not.

Driving While Wearing Google Glass Is Not Illegal

Driver's, don't trade in your smartphones for Google Glass

• Drivers who texted using Google Glass outperformed drivers who texted through cell phones
• Despite this study, it is still not recommended to text while driving no matter what device the driver uses
• Researchers hope that the improvements upon the Google Glass could lead to a product that could be used to safely text while driving
• Many states are considering banning the use of Google Glass and similar products while driving
• Researchers observed that drivers with Google Glass did not have quicker reaction times, but instead recovered faster than drivers who used cell phones 

How To Do Algebra 2-1 Solving equations basics and introduction

Algebra II Honors

This year I am taking Algebra II Honors, which is taught under Mr. Olsen. I expected this class to be quite hard, as I have heard from older students that he is a hard teacher. So far, in the past two weeks we have mostly reviewed old aspects of algebra we learned in 8th and 9th grade. At the moment we are learning how to solve equalities and inequalities that involve absolute values. It is pretty simple so far.



     Our grading policy is very different from the policy of the regular classes. Homework is 5%, tests and quizzes are 75%, and projects are 20%. It is set up this way to challenge the honors students so that they re always on the top of their game. Here is a link to the course syllabus of Mr. Olsen for our Honors class: http://wood-ridge.schoolwires.net/cms/lib6/NJ01001835/Centricity/Domain/424/Algebra%20II%20Honors%20Syllabus%202013-14.pdf

    In the future, we will expand on knowledge we already have and explore new algebraic aspects that have previously been ignored. Such subjects include matrices, logarithmic functions, quadratic equations, and others of which I do not have a clue as to what they are. We are assigned homework almost every night, which is not fun but expected. I am nervous that I may be overwhelmed by the work, However, I have smart friends in the class and my mom is a math teacher so hopefully I'll be fine.

(An example of logarithmic equations)

    Technology plays a huge role in the class. Everyday our 'do now' is on the smart board, Mr. Olsen is able to have what he writes on his ipad appear on the smart board. So far, almost everything we do in class somehow involves technology. We also have khan academy as a weekly homework assignment, which is a website that helps you build your algebraic knowledge. Here is a link to the website if you want to learn more: https://www.khanacademy.org/

     Math has never been my favorite subject. I am pretty good at it, but I do not enjoy it. So when I found out that Mr. Olsen was a hard teacher I dreaded being in his class. However, so far it has not been so bad. It is helpful to be surrounded by friends who are also in the class and who may understand the subject better. I am optimistic that I will survive the class.

   

   



     

Educational Technology and Copyright Law

• Copyright laws are made in the books to encourage creation of content, not restrict it
• Copyright does not require filing papers
• Copyrighted work can be used for nonprofit purposes, such as education
• In order to use some images, you must have a license and give credit to the photographer
• Almost everything is copyrighted, but not everything is licensed
• Copyrighted work of your own includes these four rights: the right to reproduce, display the work publicly, prepare works derived from the copyrighted work, and distribute copies of the work to the public by sale, rental or lending