Final Project

For my final project, I started by asking my family for help with making my family tree by writing and sending a persuasive letter (click link to view letter). I also asked for volunteers that would be willing to sit down with me and participate in an interview (click to view interview and responses) about  themselves and their family history. I was able to get both of my grandmothers, who helped me immensely by answering my questions. With that information gathered I was able to make my own prezi presentation and info graphic that you see below.

November 24, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you have any traditions? Go in to detail about your plans for the 5 day weekend.

I am staying in town for this thanksgiving and I plan on just spending time with my family and my girlfriend. The only "tradition" that my family has is making a special blueberry pie each year and then eating too much of it. I plan on spending Wednesday just sitting around the house and then Thursday and Friday will just be family time. By Saturday I'm sure I'll be sick of my family and I will want them to go back to their own homes. It is fun every single year, though.

November 19, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Reflecting on the comments and grade of your stop-motion animation... what you would do differently if you had to do it all over again? Would you manage your time better? Find better lighting for your photos? Come up with a better idea? Explain what you would change about your video.

If I could resubmit my video then I would have made the frames go by a little faster because a lot of the comments I got was that it was really long. If I made each frame only stay up for .3 seconds then I think that people would get less bored by it. Also, I would make the story a little less obscure and weird. Overall, I think I did OK but I could definitely improve upon it.

November 17, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your weekend.

This weekend I just relaxed and finished homework. I had a lot of fun doing nothing and watched The Graduate which is a pretty solid movie. I also watched Book of ELI and it is a really cool movie. Denzel Washington is a pretty amazing actor and I like him in basically everything he does. I hung out with my girlfriend and we got sushi at this really cool place in town center. It was the first real sushi I've ever had and I loved it. It was a really good weekend.

November 14, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your experience with taking your stop-motion photos. What problems did you run in to? What did you find difficult about the process? What would you go back and change about HOW you took the photos? Explain yourself.

When I was taking the pictures, I always made sure that the lighting was correct. I did not want the pictures to be too dark or too bright because then the finished animation would not look very good. Also, I thought that it was hard to not move the camera or move the objects on screen too much in-between the pictures. I had fun though.

November 11, 2014

What is your stop motion animation idea? How is your idea creative? How are you going to execute your idea?

My idea is going to be a car going a lot of different rotations and weird tricks in a parking lot. My idea is creative because a car would not be able to do the things that I am going to have it doing in real life. For example, a car would not be able to do a 360* rotation while driving. I will druive my car and change positions a little each time.

November 10, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What is stop motion animation? If you don't know, look it up! Explain.

Stop motion animation is a type of animation where you take several successive pictures of something and play them back in a way that makes it look like animation. A good example of this is the popular cartoon, Wallace and Grommit. In that show, they use a type of stop motion animation called calymation. In claymation, a clay sculpture is manipulated to look like it is moving. Other popular stop motion animations are South Park and Team America: World Police.

5 Frame Story Board

November 5, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your idea for your 5 frame story board. What is the plot? How do you plan to make the story creative? Who's the main character? What is the beginning, middle and end? Tell me about your plan of attack.

My idea for my story board is me getting ready for school. I made it creative by putting some funny stuff in the pictures. I am the main character because I am the only person that you see in the pictures. The beginning is me waking up, the middle is me getting ready for school, and the end is me going to school. I am going to edit the pictures so that they look a little better and then I am going to post it to my blog.

November 4, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Yesterday you edited and uploaded photos to your blog. Tell me more about your photos. HOW did you edit them? Why did you choose the photos that you did? Explain your assignment.

All of my photos were pretty basic. They weren't very impressive or artsy but they fit the assignment's requirements. I edited the photos by fixing the exposure and the white balance that were in the pictures. It was pretty easy to do, but I tried to avoid the auto-correct feature of the program. The software was very easy to use.

Edited Photos

November 3, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your weekend. Give me details and photos!

This weekend I just enjoyed not working. I probably spent about 10 hours playing Destiny, which has officially consumed my entire life. My friends and I started this thing called a raid and it is so hard that even after playing for four hours we still didn't beat it. I also hung out with my girlfriend and watched a movie with her. On Halloween I spent my night pretending not to be home so that I wouldn't have to give candy to little kids. All in all it was pretty uneventful but I still had a lot of fun.

October 29, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What do you know about photography and/or photo editing? Do you take photos? How do you take photos? Do you edit photos before posting them on social media? How do you edit them? Explain any background or knowledge you have about photography and photo editing. Do you like it? Do you have any interest?

I do not know a whole lot about photography or photo editing. I do know that a lot of people use photoshop to edit pictures but I have no idea how to use it. I take pictures on my phone but for the most part it is just of things that I want to remember. I don't think I have ever taken a picture in the hopes of being artistic. I don't put many pictures on social media but if I do edit them by choosing filters or something. I think photography would be fun but I don't have a big interest in it.

Global Issue Paper

You can see my finished paper by clicking HERE.

Global Issue Prezi

Global Issue Infographic

October 20, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your weekend. Share pics!

This weekend I spent most of my time at work. However, I did put in my two weeks notice so I will only work at Petland for another week. I'm excited to have more free time than I did before and it will help me get caught up in school. I also went to capital grille with my girlfriend on Friday which was really good but it was super expensive. The entire dinner ended up costing me $190. My parents got my entire family world series tickets too.

October 14, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:

Below is a letter written to the editor who wrote the article 'Enforcement of dress code creates negative effect' that your blogged about last week. Most of you wrote on your blog that you agreed with the writer. What are your thoughts after reading the letter below and seeing a different perspective. Are they the same? Are the different? Do you agree? Disagree? Explain yourself.

I agree with Riley. While there is a time and place that is appropriate and inappropriate to wear certain clothes, the school does not have the right to decide when that is. Education is mandatory in the United States, so students are forced to be in school. Considering that, it is extremely unconstitutional to force students to go to a certain place at a certain time every single day, but then you want to tell them what to wear as well? There is authority that is legally allowed to decide what "appropriate and inappropriate" is. Also, teachers should be able to teach students no matter what. If someone is distracted by what another student is wearing, then maybe the teacher should do something to get their attention.

October 13, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:

My ideal curriculum would be one where I take the classes that interest me and am not forced to take classes that don't matter to me. For example, I want to major in molecular biology in college so I took as many science classes that pertained to that topic as I could, but I was not able to take AP Chemistry because my schedule required that I take a computer class. So I had to take emerging technologies, which I have come to enjoy, but chemistry would have helped me a lot more in the long run.

September 29, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about your Homecoming weekend! If you didn't participate in the Homecoming festivities, what did you do? Share pics!

Over the weekend I did not participate in homecoming but my girlfriend and I spent Saturday night at work and then we went and saw a movie. It was a really quite weekend and I had a lot of fun just hanging out and doing nothing.

September 24, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Imagine Mr. Bacon has asked you to suggest one way of improving Blue Valley High School to make it a better place for students. Think about the changes that are needed at your school. Pick one change you feel would really make a difference and explain what it is and why you'd make the change.

I would recommend taking the block off of the internet on school computers. A lot of the issues that face our world today are spread via Youtube, social media, or alternative news sources. By blocking those websites, we are potentially blinding students that want to learn. Also, many reputable websites are blocked because it uses a word like "sex" which automatically causes the filter to block the entire site. I was doing a report on sexual abuse in the catholic church and it was impossible for me to find sources at school because of the filter.

Photo courtesy of youtube

September 23, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What are your favorite apps on your phone or tablet? Why?

My favorite app is probably flappy golf. In flappy golf, you control a golf ball and try to get it into the hole. It is a great way to pass the time or play with friends because there is a multiplayer mode.

Photo: http://www.gamesworlditalia.com/img/16/recensione-flappy-golf.jpg

September 22, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What is email? When do you use email in your own personal life? List reasons and ways that people use email. What do you know about "email etiquette"?

"Electronic mail, most commonly referred to as email or e-mail since ca. 1993, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks." That is how Wikipedia defines email. Email is used today as a quick and easy way to communicate with your peers, friends, and coworkers in a fashion that is faster than standard communication. Email has also come to replace fax machines because you can just attach any document to an email and it will be sent to whoever needs to see it.

14 most important email etiquette tips:

1. Be concise and to the point
2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
4. Make it personal
5. Use templates for frequently used responses
6. Answer swiftly
7. Do not attach unnecessary files
8. Use proper structure & layout
9. Do not overuse the high priority option
10. Do not write in CAPITALS
11. Don't leave out the message thread
12. Add disclaimers to your emails
13. Read the email before you send it
14. Do not overuse Reply to All

September 19, 1014

Blog Post of the Day:
Now that you've been in Emerging Technology for several weeks... what do you think? Do you think the web tools (Drive, Evernote, Bubbl, etc.) are helpful to you? Do you think they will be helpful throughout high school or even college? Explain.

After being in emerging tech. for a while, I have come to really like the class. I thought that this class would just be something I do as a filler class. However, I have learned a lot of new things in here. I never thought that I would use blogger or Google drive like I have, nor did I think that I would use Google slides. This class has made me step outside of my comfort zone and explore a lot of new things that I would have never tried otherwise. 

September 17, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Do you enjoy writing? When do you enjoy it? What kind of writing do you enjoy? Why do you think the ability to write is so important no matter what kind of writing it is? Give an example that you enjoyed writing or hated writing. Why?


"Writing is a medium of communication that represents language through the inscription of signs and symbols. In most languages, writing is a complement to speech or spoken language. Writing is not a language but a form of technology. Within a language system, writing relies on many of the same structures as speech, such as vocabulary, grammar and semantics, with the added dependency of a system of signs or symbols, usually in the form of a formal alphabet." That is what Wikipedia calls writing. I kind of like writing but I almost always hate it if it is a school assignment. I like writing if I am not given very many constraints or regulations that I have to follow. Writing well is important because it is how we communicate our ideas to others.

Photo Credit: http://www.whatsonmybrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/writing2-1024x685.jpg

Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church Outline

To view my Text 2 Mind Map web, click here.

September 16, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Reflect on this quote. Give an example of a time in your life that this might have been the case.

There have been several instances where I have not adequately prepared for a test or assignment in school. There are a lot of times where I know that I don't know the subject matter of a test but I still don't study. By doing that, I am setting myself up to fail and it is impossible for me to actually succeed. If you aren't proactive in preparing for an assignment or test, then you are actually being reactive and setting yourself up to fall behind. 

September 15, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What did you do this weekend? Share pictures if you have them!

Over the weekend I spent my time at work or doing things that aren't that fun. On Saturday, I woke up early so that I could take the ACT. It was my fourth time taking it and I was hoping I could improve my score. On my previous tests I've gotten a 34, a 33, and another 34. Maybe this time I can finally get a 36 like I have wanted. The rest of my weekend was spent at work because I had to work 1 to 9:30 on Saturday and 10:30 to 6:30 on Sunday. There is an upside, though, because I made a lot of money.

Photo Credit: http://www.hayshighguidon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ACT-Prep-Course.jpg

September 12, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What is the importance of research? Why do you need to know how to research? What have you learned in high school about researching topics and finding quality resources? Have you had a helpful teacher that has taught you to research? Explain.

Research is important because it makes you informed regarding what you are talking about. If I just started to talk about a subject without knowing anything about it, then nobody would listen to what I had to say. However, if I researched the topic and knew what I was talking about, then people would give me more authority. Knowing how to research is equally important because you have to know which sources might not be reliable and you need to know what information is relevant to the topic. In high school, I have learned that if you don't have to pay to go to a website, then it might not be very reliable. Also, I learned that it is extremely important to cite your sources so people know where they got that information.

Photo Credit: http://iserotope.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/research-paper.jpg

Sex Abuse in the Catholic Church

For my global issue in Emerging Technology I have chosen Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. I have begun researching the issue and you can find my research questions here.

Photo Credit: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/x

September 10, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:

Kids these days... all they do is spend time on their cell phones texting and twittering away. They never actually sit down and have a conversation with somebody that is right in front of them. They don't know how to have an actual conversation with somebody. And then they worship people that don't even matter. Today’s celebrities tend to be great because they are famous rather than famous because they are great.  Doesn't it seem that for quite a while the nightly news was becoming "The Charlie Sheen Show?"  

September 9, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me about the global issue you selected. What do you already know about the issue? What are you looking forward to learning about it? Explain.

The Catholic Church has endured as one of the world's most important religious organizations for almost 2,000 years. It is the largest Christian church, with more than 400,000 priests serving a congregation of over a billion worshippers worldwide. Many (but not all) branches of the Catholic Church require priests to be unmarried men who are celibate—meaning that they do not engage in sexual activity. In recent years, the church has been the focus of criticism and controversy due to several publicized cases in which Catholic priests were found guilty of sexually abusing children who were members of their congregations.

• What are the causes? 

Some of the causes could be that the priests or other church officials are not being punished when they commit these crimes, so they just keep doing it.

• What are the effects? 

Psychological issues for children that victims. If they do not receive help or therapy of any kind then it is very likely that there will be long term psychological damage.

• How can it be prevented?

If there is swift punishment for the priests that are committing these crimes, then there will be less of a problem. Also, if the church takes a more active role in finding cases of sexual abuse, then it will be harder for the perpetrators to get away with the crime.

Photo From: Gstatic.com

September 8, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What did you do this weekend? Share pictures if you have them!

Over the weekend I went and visited LSU with my girlfriend and family. It was really fun because I just got to spend the weekend walking around my favorite college and learning new things about it. We left for LSU on Thursday morning and arrived later that afternoon. On Friday, I toured the campus and spent almost the entire day learning about college life at LSU. It covered everything from what it is like living in the dorms to deciding what majors might be the best for you. Saturday was by far the best day because we spent the day tailgating and watching the football game. LSU beat Sam Houston State 54-0. Sunday was the worst day because weather made travelling impossible so we did not get home until 3:00 on Monday morning when we were supposed to be in at 8:30 Sunday night.

September 3, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Yesterday I asked your to "think differently" and push yourself to be uncommon with your PSA project using Google Slides. Why do you think I asked you to do that? What is the point? Why not just use bullets and headers? Explain.

I think that we were told to be creative because a lot of school work kills creativity. Creativity is defined as "Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is created (such as an idea, a joke, an artistic or literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.)." In school, we aren't supposed to be creative. For example, in a math problem we are told to do it a certain way and then show our work in a certain way and then write the answer a certain way. In English, we are told to write about a predetermined subject and stay within those limits for a certain amount of pages and then turn it in. In this class, we have a rare opportunity to be unique and creative because part of technology is inspiring creativity.If we just used bullets and headers, we might as well have just written a paper about the topic. What would be the point of a slideshow that doesn't have creativity.

Photo Credit: Fesheninger.blogspot.com

September 2, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me all about your Labor Day weekend. What did you do? Include photos!

Over this Labor Day weekend I just spent my time relaxing and doing homework. On Saturday I went down to my friend's lake house and spent a few days there. While we were there we just spent most of our time hanging out on his dock and enjoying the sun. We also spent a lot of our time playing poker and other card games. I ended up losing $200 but we had a lot of fun doing it, especially my friend who won $350 by the end of the weekend. Lucky for us, he is a pretty good guy and bought us a really nice dinner on Sunday night. On Monday I just spent my time trying to catch up on my homework and preparing for a visit to LSU on Thursday.

Photo Credit: http://upload/9/95/Waldo_Lake.jpg

Seatbelts PSA

August 29, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
Read this small newspaper clipping and then write a blog post about it. What are your thoughts? How does it make you feel? Do you agree? Disagree? Explain yourself.

I completely disagree with what this principal said. He tries to assert that teenagers need to start doing something with their lives instead of participating in recreational activities. As a teen that routinely works 30 hours a week and attends school, the burden of trying to be an adult while in high school can weigh heavily on you. Stress affects teens and young adults a lot more than it affects adults that are already out of school, so it does not make sense to burden them with the same responsibilities. Mentalhealth.org writes "Some teens become overloaded with stress. When it happens, inadequately managed stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use." It is imperative that young people take time to relax.

August 26, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
What is a Public Service Announcement? If you don't know what it is, Google it. In your own words, now tell me what it is? What are they used for? Can you recall an example of a PSA you've seen before?

A PSA is an announcement that is intended to educate a group of people so that they can lead better lives. They are constantly being used by local governments to address problems in a community in an effective way. A few marquis examples of a PSA are the campaigns against drunk driving and driving without seat belts. In those commercials, a driver is depicted do something that they aren't supposed to be doing, so they get arrested or get into a crash. PSAs like those have caused a dramatic decline in the amount of people who speed, drink and drive, text while driving, smoke, and do drugs.

Photo Credit: http://t1.gstatic.com/

August 25, 2014

Blog Post of the Day:
After watching the short clip of Ashton Kutcher's acceptance speech what did you take away from his advice? What does this quote mean to you -"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use."

I took away that the world is what you make it. He said that people will try and tell you that the world is what it is and there is nothing you can do about it, but they are wrong. The world is the way it is because people make it that way, so if you were to do something to change it, then it will change. The point of his speech was to say that if there is something that you want to do or something that you want to change, then don't listen to the people that say that say that it won't happen because they aren't any smarter or more important than you are. If you just work at something, then eventually you will get it.

Photo Credit: http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/ashton-kutcher-teen-choice-awards.jpg?w=300&h=269

Who Am I?