Do Now 12/15

People often think that one person cannot make a difference, but if everyone thought that way, change would never occur. I actually started thinking about how I could contribute to this world when I was a young teen. I feel like my life would not feel fulfilled unless I know for a fact that I have given back to make this world a better place. I choose to pursue a career I can use as a medium to give back: physician assistant. Aside from the obvious humanitarian rewards of working in the medical field, I try to be the best person I can be every day, and do good for others. When I do people favors, I choose not to take their money and do them favors solely out of my kindness; I hope this serves as an example to do good deeds for pure motives.

Blog- Post Assessment

The Best Affordable Restaurant: California Pizza Kitchen          

   

          Ever since the first time I went out to eat at California Pizza Kitchen, I was hooked.

 Given by the name, yes, they are famous for their pizza. But this is no ordinary pizza; this is pizza like no other.  It's not just your typical tomato sauce and cheese on a crust. These pizzas innovatively incorporate wholesome ingredients to make a truly spectacular and unique pizza. The service is fantastic, with charismatic waiters eager to serve. And the ambiance is very warm as well, marked with an open kitchen and visible pizza oven. If you don't take my word for it, check out all of these great reviews!



       
          It all started with two former federal prosecutors, Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, who open their first restaurant in--you guessed it--California! The first California Pizza Kitchen was specifically born in Beverly Hills in 1985. Since then, not only has California Pizza Kitchen expanded across the nation, but it has also opened chains in over 10 other countries as well!

Learn more about CPK's history:

          Aside from a vast variety of pizzas, CPK also serves a plethora of other great foods, such as pastas, salads, soups, etc. CPK's menu is vast and diverse, and is quite Italian oriented, although there are other kinds of dishes on the menu as well.

 My two all-time favorite dishes have to be the absolutely amazing Pesto Creme Penne and the decadent Thai Chicken Pizza.

 The Thai Chicken Pizza has peanut sauce instead of the classic tomato sauce, and is topped with Thai chicken, bean sprouts, and an Asian-oriented mix of other thinly sliced vegetables. CPK is so innovative!

Take a look at how CPK prepares their food!

                                                                           

Location

          Since CPK is a chain restaurant, they are located all over. However, I live closest to the one located at the Garden State Plaza. Click here for directions to the Garden State Plaza! However, if you want to find a location closer to you, use the "location finder" on the CPK website.

          I really hope California Pizza Kitchen never closes down, but if it ever does, I would go to Olive Garden, because they have gourmet Italian food as well--although in my opinion, it is nothing compared to CPK.

Tech Article 12/19

Smart Artificial Skin Could Give Prosthetic Limbs Feeling

• stretchy and warm like real skin
• jammed w/ tiny sensors that can sense a multitude of environment cues: heat, pressure, and moisture
• self-healing
• 1,000x more sensitive than human skin
• smart prosthetics are often very rigid and easy to fracture
• the smart skin is composed of an elastic, transparent silicone material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) 
  
• packed w/ 400 sensors per square millimeter
• made of silicone nano ribbons in a snake-like shape that allows the delicate sensors to withstand more strain
• sensors generate an electrical feedback signal when stretched or squashed, and can also detect levels of temperature (hot/cold)
• the smart skin also has capacitors that can detect humidity
• with further development, it could transmit sensory info to the brains of amputees to give prosthetic limbs feeling
• don't enable the user to feel if something is dangerously hot, or whether the user is about to drop something b/c the grip is too soft
• currently unsuitable for humans

Click here to read the original article!

RSS Feeds

1. Discussion Questions

1. 1. Why did you select the sites you subscribed to? 

                To be honest, for the news and government sites, I just subscribed to them to fulfill          

                the requirements of the project. However, I subscribed to the five sites in my

                "Personal" folder because I really enjoy reading science and travel articles.

1. 2. Was it easy to find feeds and to subscribe to them? 

                Some RSS feeds were easier to find than others. Like you said, some of them don't

                just "smack you in the face." But finding them on most sites was manageable. 

1. 3. Which sites were your favorites? 

                My favorite sites were the science article sites under my "Personal" folder. Even in

                my free time at home, if I come across an interesting science article, I'll stop what

                I'm doing just to read it. I also really enjoy reading some of the articles about crimes

                and politics from news sites as well.

1. 4. What else can you use RSS feeds for?

                I can also use RSS feeds to follow people's personal blogs or other kinds of blogs

                in general. It doesn't just have to be for news and articles.

1. 5. How likely are you to continue to use RSS feeds in the future?
2.     To be honest, I don't see myself using RSS feeds in the near future. It is
3.     because I never so to any one site to search for articles. If I want to research a
4.     topic, I simply directly search the topic in Google and click on relevant links.
5.     Perhaps I will find use for RSS feeds one day after school is over when I'll have
6.     more time to read excessively for fun.

Do Now 12/3

Learning by Doing: Physical Therapy

     

     As of lately, it appears as if grades are stressed more than the actual education. Too often, students become so concerned with their grades that they exert the majority of their focus on how to take the test and how to find loopholes to succeed numerically as opposed to actually learning and understanding what is being taught. Take it from an overachiever. Grades take out the fun in learning. 

     In school, we learn through the words of textbooks, but are those words really going to fully prepare us for the future? Only to a minimal extent. The most valuable source of education is experience, and that is what I want to bring into public education. I want to establish a physical therapy class in school. And no, we will not be learning from a textbook. Instead, we will be learning by doing. The classroom will be set up to resemble the structure and equipment of a real physical therapy clinic. Students will learn real physical therapy exercises for different conditions, and actually practice it on dummies or real people. They will then learn how to use, clean, and store all of the equipment. They will learn how to manage their time and overcome the distinct obstacles of a physical therapist as well. 

     There will be no formal test grades, for tests do not define one's full capacity. Instead, grades will come from how well the students listen, actively participate, and overcome the simulated obstacles of a physical therapist. Learning by doing: that is the objective.

Technology Article 12/5

The Lowline

• one acre trolley terminal abandoned in 1948
• location: Lower East Side of Manhattan
• innovative solar technology will be used to grow the plants in the park 
• street level reflective parabolas will be used to capture sunlight and direct it underground via fiber optic cables; the light is then aimed at reflective dishes, which disperse the light
• electricity will be used when there is insufficient sunlight
• $60 million dollar project
• timeline of five years for the Lowline to be completed

Inspired by the Highline

• the Highline is a "park in the sky" located in Manhattan 
• was once an abandoned high rail  

Click here to visit the Lowline site!

Wiki Dissection & BQ

1.  What is the purpose of this Wiki?

The purpose of this Wiki is to inform readers about positive technological innovations that have      changed the way things are done. Such technologies/innovations include graphing calculators, blogs, Google, SMART Board, social networks, etc.

2.  When was the last post?

November 7, 2007

3.  How was this Wiki created?

This website was created via wikispaces.com.

4.  What would you add to it?

Personally, I would add some videos and pictures to make it look more appealing to the eye. 

5.  What did you learn from it?

From this article, I learned about the various innovations that have changed the way things are done. Sometimes, I take our technologies for granted, and I forget how things started off prior to all of these innovations. It leaves me in awe to see how far we have come.

6.  If you had to create a Wiki with a team, what would be the specific topic(s)?

I know that bias should not be part of a Wiki, but there are various controversial issues out there that all involve bias of some sort. That is just the reality of it. I would make a Wiki about the abortion debate with a team. One section would include all of the factual specifics about the abortion process, while another section would include bias about whether or not abortion should be legal. To make things fair, both sides of bias would be included so that readers can evaluate both sides of the argument. People across the world can collaborate and share their views.

7.  How can Wikis be used in the classroom or in education?

Wikis can be used in the classroom to collaborate on projects, or to add to an online class discussion. It can also be used as a tool to help those in class who are confused about certain topics. Perhaps homework could be posted on a shared Wiki, and classmates can work as a team to collaborate on it and understand the questions they do not initially understand. You could learn from your classmates' answers and thought processes. Perhaps we can use it for our do-nows as well, so that everyone can see one another's posts/opinions.

Wiki

Wiki Appliances

1. Wiki is a very versatile network that is very applicable even in the classroom. To me, Wiki would specifically be very helpful in my AP Chem class. AP Chemistry is the hardest and most rigorous class I have ever taken. I really have to try in that class; I have never struggled more academically with any other class. Before the start of each chapter, it is required that we all tie comprehensive notes; however, some of our notes are more comprehensive than others', so it would be nice if we could all collaborate and share our notes on a wiki that is viewable to all classmates. The homework and labs can be very tricky as well, so it would be very beneficial if we all collaborated on a wiki with the homework questions on it. 
2. Some of the benefits of using a Wiki in a class are noted above. Overall, I think it would enhance the learning experience, for you can learn from your classmate's answers and thought processes. It would also be great for working on group projects as well, because everyone could work on the project simultaneously while in the comfort of their own home.
3. We can create a Wiki, first by making accounts for each of us. We can use it to technologically contribute to in-class discussions, collaboratively work on projects, and make presentations. Perhaps we can use it for our do-nows as well, so that everyone can see one another's posts/opinions.
4. The only experience I have had using Wiki is Wikipedia, which is great. I use it for practically every project; there is such a vast range of information.

My Extended Weekend

     Last weekend marked six months with my boyfriend, but college apps were due last weekend, so we decided to celebrate our anniversary this weekend. My sister has been wanting to see The Book of Life in theaters, so we took her on a movie date with us. The trailer for that movie made it look really stupid, so I was not looking forward to it at all. However, the movie itself was one of the best animated films I have ever seen, and it was rated four out of five stars so far. It was very comedic and entertaining, but more importantly, what made me really fall in love with it was its sentimentality and moral. It is a highly recommended must-see, especially if you have kids or young siblings!

     After the movie, we went to California Pizza Kitchen and ordered the most delicious pasta dish: 

A highly recommended dish, as well as a highly recommended restaurant.

Overall, it was a very memorable night out with two of the people I love and care for most.

Technology Article 10/24

Air Umbrella Creates "Force Field" That Keeps You Dry

• Air Umbrella created in China
• head has a motor that forces the air up and out
• forced air creates a canopy that shields one from rain
  
• the shaft is a rechargeable lithium ion battery
• the air canopy can be expanded to over a meter in diameter, making room to shield two people
• can perform well even in heavy rainfall, but cannot withstand heavy wind
• cheap models sell for $118
• battery life is a maximum of 30 minutes per charge

Click here to read the full article.

Technology Article 10/10

Facebook Developing Anonymous Chat Service

• Facebook may be developing a new app that allows users to interact anonymously
• allows users to use pseudonyms
• experts say that this app could be related to facilitating the anonymous discussion in regards to health issues
• Facebook is trying to weed out competitors (Whisper, Secret, Ello, Twitter, etc.) that already embrace anonymity in response to the outcry/opposition against Facebook due to its recent ban of pseudonyms

You can read the original article here.

Web 2.0: Multimedia Blog Pre-Posting

AP Literature

     This year, one of the three AP courses I am taking is AP Literature with Ms. Green. In this class, we will be reading and analyzing various classic literary pieces in preparation for the AP exam in May. In addition, we also study vocabulary from the Wordly Wise book. Most importantly, we write several in-class essays to adapt to writing under time pressure and thinking quickly on your feet, so that we are well prepared for the AP exam at the end of the course. 

     This year, I expect to expand my horizons in regards to literature, and learn more about the lives of respective writers. So far, we have gone through one word list and have written two in-class essays. We have also gone through our first piece of literature: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. The AP grading policy is as follows: 50% for tests, 25% for quizzes, 15% for projects and informal assessments, and 10% for homework and class participation.

     Technology is certainly of use in this class. I use websites such as Sparknotes to aid me in my understanding of literature and analysis. Additionally, I use Purdue Owl for references for MLA guidelines. 

     I personally think that Ms. Green is wonderful at lecturing. Her dry humor keeps me engaged and she is very thorough in her literary analyses. Although I personally do not enjoy reading, I have an appreciation for literature that many non-readers lack. I love learning about how the lives of writers influence their work, and I love analyzing symbolism and the tendencies of human nature within literary works.

Learn more about the AP Lit exam:

To access Ms. Green's website, copy and paste the following web address:
http://wood-ridge.schoolwires.net/Page/585

To access the complete set of word lists, copy and paste the following web address:
http://www.wordlywise3000.com/games/book12.cfm

Educational Technology & Copyright Law

     Copyright is a United States federal law that protects original “works of authorship” which include literary, written, dramatic, artistic, musical and certain other types of works. When anyone creates any kind of writing or illustration, it is automatically copyrighted. Even if one takes a picture it is copyrighted. The four exclusive rights one has to his/her copyrighted work include the following:

1. The right to reproduce the copyrighted work
2. The right to display the copyrighted work publicly
3. The right to prepare the derivative works based on the copyrighted work
4. The right to distribute copies of the copyrighted work to the public by sale, rental or lending, and/or to display the image

     However, according to fair use, one is allowed to use copyrighted work within their project, presentation, etc. as long as one does not sell the material or claim it as his/her own. It is okay to use copyrighted work for nonprofit educational purposes. The copyright law states the following:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

     However, there are exceptions to the fair use policy. For example, if a photo is licensed, it cannot be used unless stated otherwise. 

Technology Article 9/12

Head to Head: How Apple's New iPhone, Watch Compare to Samsung's Products

• Apple and Samsung revealed new products to be released just within a week of one another; there will be great competition between the two.
• Apple's iPhone 6 and new iPhone 6 Plus will be in the market on Sept. 19.
• Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge will be on the market later this year.

~The Battle Between the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S~

    Apple Watch

• starting at $349 and will be on the market in 2015
• requires iPhone 5 or newer as a companion mobile device
• potential for health: can help users track exercise, daily movement, standing time, etc.
• personal style: different watch modes, and watch strap can be switched to match different outfits

    Samsung Gear S

• does not require a companion mobile device
• customizable screen faces and changeable straps as well
• large (measures 2 inches diagonally)
• more capability than the Apple watch; has a digital keyboard
• potential for heath as well: pedometer, heart rate monitor, and exercise tracker

~The Battle Between the iPhone 6 Plus and the Galaxy Note Edge~

    iPhone 6 Plus

• giving Samsung competition in regards to large phones
• reachability: a double-touch slides the whole display down so that anything can be reached from the top of the phone, making it great for multitasks
• $299-$499

    Galaxy Note Edge

• slightly larger than the iPhone 6 Plus, with the screen at 5.7 inches
• more aesthetic value than practical advantages
• comes with a stylus as well

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/head-head-apples-iphone-watch-compare-samsungs-products/story?id=25385809