Tuesday, October 20, 2015

App Review: ACT Test Prep apps

ACT Test Prep apps are commonly used by students to help prepare for the big test.  However, there are many choices out there...which ones are the best?  Download and install both of the apps linked below, and take them for an extended field test.  Take the diagnostic tests, and begin the exercises and practice problems.  After you have made some progress, write a review in the comments below.  Answer the following questions in your review:

  • Which one do you like the best?  
  • Why?  
  • What features do you feel are the most helpful to you in preparing for the ACT?





ACT Up on the App Store:






play2prep: ACT, SAT prep - Android Apps on Google Play: "www.play2prep.com"



Thursday, September 24, 2015

51 Books That Prove Reading Can Change Your Life

51 Books That Prove Reading Can Change Your Life:




'via Blog this'

Which of these books have you read?
Which of these would you like to read?
Have you ever read a book that changed your life?  If so, explain...




Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Technology Assignment: Creating an Infographic


Infographics have recently become very popular with news media, big business, and educators.  They are very effective as a tool for communicating ideas and displaying large amounts of information relatively quickly.  Infographics combine text, graphics, and images together in a way that is aesthetically appealing and engaging to the viewer.  

Below is an example of a typical infographic.  Click on the image to examine a larger version:



The video playlist embedded below gives a brief overview of infographics: 

Infographics




1.  Read the articles linked below as an introduction to creating infographics:
2.  Select one of the 10 tools listed in the articles, and create an infographic about your survey results.   
  • Include pictures, graphs, and charts in the infographic, as well as written descriptions of your survey results. 
  •  The graphics and charts for your survey data are available in the form you used to create your survey (in your Google Drive, under survey responses). 




3. Embed the infographic on your website (place it on your "Survey" page, right below your embedded survey).





4. Post the link to your website's "Survey" page in a comment below.




Thursday, August 27, 2015

Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Brittanica

"Wikipedia is about as good a source of accurate information as Britannica, the venerable standard-bearer of facts about the world around us, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature."




 

=




  1. Does this study change your opinion of Wikipedia as a source?
  2. Did you notice the year that the article on the study (above) was published?  Do you think Wikipedia has become more or less accurate since then?
  3. Summarize what Wikipedia says about itself in terms of reliability:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia


        N.B.  Everyday reference is different than academic research.  For more on how this difference applies to you (as a student):   Wikipedia:Academic use - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

        B

          Thursday, August 20, 2015

          Basic Computer Maintenance














          Read both the articles linked above.
          In a comment below, answer the following questions based on the information in the articles:


          1.  What activities did you already know how to do on your computer?

          2.  What did you learn from reading the articles that you didn't know before?

          3.  In your opinion, what is the most valuable advice in each article?






          Monday, August 10, 2015

          NASA just released an incredible video of the far side of the moon - Vox

          NASA just released an incredible video of the far side of the moon - Vox:



          'via Blog this'

          1.  What are your thoughts about this article?
          2.  Were you familiar with how the moon's orbit works?
          3.  Summarize in your own words why we are not ever able to see the dark side of the moon from the earth.




          Tuesday, May 5, 2015

          Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica


          "Wikipedia is about as good a source of accurate information as Britannica, the venerable standard-bearer of facts about the world around us, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature."



           

          =





          1. Does this study change your opinion of Wikipedia as a source?
          2. Did you notice the year that the article on the study (above) was published?  Do you think Wikipedia has become more or less accurate since then?
          3. Summarize what Wikipedia says about itself in terms of reliability:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia


                N.B.  Everyday reference is different than academic research.  For more on how this difference applies to you (as a student):   Wikipedia:Academic use - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



                  Wednesday, March 18, 2015

                  How Teens Do Research in the Digital World


                  Source:  http://www.jofsr.com/public/journals/1/slider/researchpen.jpg


                  'via Blog this'



                  1.  In what ways has the internet had an impact on how students do research?

                  2.  What are the primary concerns of teachers in regards to students using the internet for research?

                  3.  What are the drawbacks or downsides of internet research versus traditional research methods?

                  4.  In your opinion, and based on your experiences, has the internet changed research for the better, or the worse?





                  Wednesday, February 18, 2015

                  Mozilla's Net Neutrality Petition

                  "This is our final stand because the Web is not owned by any one of us; rather, it is shared by all of us. That’s why net neutrality is so important."




                  Dear Member of Congress,
                  The Federal Communications Commissioners will take a vote February 26th on net neutrality rules. I want the FCC to do all it can and put strong protections in place. I expect you to do the same.
                  As American citizens, we have been clear about what we want. To date, the public commented nearly four million times demanding that the FCC support full net neutrality. More than 300,000 of those comments were by phone — at one point reaching 1,000 calls per minute.
                  Clearly I am not alone in my belief that the Web is a global engine of innovation and entrepreneurship — a level playing field from which we can learn, connect and create. I stand with the millions of others in the global Web community that have opposed fast lanes which leave the majority in the slow lane, restricting freedom of choice online. There should be no blocking and discrimination of content online. If the FCC votes to uphold these protections, I am asking you to stand in support of full protections, and to leave a legacy that will ensure a free and open Web for generations.
                  Sincerely,
                  Your name will go here



                  "As of now, the Internet preserves our right to access all lawful content and software without interference. In other words, the Web is a level playing field: you can read, watch, play, browse and share on the same terms as everybody else.

                  That level playing field — or "Net Neutrality" — is under threat. If we stand by, the Internet could become increasingly closed, centrally controlled and designed to serve the few instead of the many. It's up to us to protect the open Web.

                  That's where you come in. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a community, with a unified voice and solution, to protect the world's largest public resource. It's up to Congress through its oversight authority to make sure the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) adopts rules to keep the Internet accessible to everyone. Mozilla needs your voice to make that happen.

                  Mozilla already submitted a letter to the FCC that explains our support for Net Neutrality and why U.S. leaders must enact real authority to maintain it. The FCC is presenting Mozilla's proposal for comment — which is a BIG step, but we need to make sure Congress follows through. Will you add your name to make sure Congress supports Mozilla's call for real authority to protect Net Neutrality?"



                  https://sendto.mozilla.org/page/s/protect-net-neutrality



                  After you have read the petition, you may choose to add your name and submit it on the webpage linked above.  


                  In a comment below:



                  Thursday, February 12, 2015

                  AppInventor - Create Apps and Learn Programming

                  AppInventor 





                  'via Blog this'


                  1. What kind of an app would you create?
                  2. Create an account and explore the features of this new tool.  What options do you like?  Is AppInventor easy to use?  Give your feedback in a comment below.





                  Friday, January 16, 2015

                  Ear-bud headphones proven to cause Deafness

                  Ear-bud headphones proven to cause Deafness








                  Ear Bud Headphones Causing Deafness

                  Because the tiny phones inserted into the ears are not as efficient at blocking outside sounds as the cushioned headsets, users tend to crank up the volume to compensate.


                  “I have an audiologist friend at Wichita State University who actually pulls off earphones of students he sees and asks, in the interest of science, if he could measure the output of the signal going into their heads,” Garstecki said. Often he finds students listening at 110 to 120 decibels.


                  “That’s a sound level equivalent to measures that are made at rock concerts,” said Garstecki. “And it’s enough to cause hearing loss after only about an hour and 15 minutes.”





                  1.  Read the following articles from some of the most respected news sources on the planet: 

                  • What do they have to say about hearing loss and earphones? 

                  • What are the most alarming facts, in your opinion, from the articles linked below?







                  Listen Carefully







                  iPod Safety: Preventing Hearing Loss in Teens










                  The Argument Against Headphones









                  Earphones potentially as dangerous as noise from jet engines, researchers find











                  2.  What are your thoughts about these articles?

                  • Do you know someone who has suffered hearing loss due to prolonged exposure to loud noise?
                  • Is this an issue that we should take more seriously? 


                    Tuesday, January 13, 2015

                    What's Behind the Accuracy of Google Maps




                    'via Blog this'


                    • Were you aware of all the work that goes into making Google Maps work?
                    • What are the most surprising revelations in this article?
                    • How do you feel about Google's use of your phone's location data to improve it's maps?