16. Code Week!

Coding: Considerations and Controversies

PART 1. What is the difference in:
scripting, programming and/or coding? What other terms are analogous?

PART 2. How many programming languages are out there?  Which would be the most useful to learn first?  Or do you feel none are important to learn? 


PART 3.  Pick one of the six sections below, read the entire article or watch the movies and share what you learned and your personal thoughts: 

• (1.)   Teaching our Children to code, a Quiet Revolution.  England will become the first country in the world to mandate computer programming in primary and secondary schools.  Should America do the same?  Why?

• (2.)   Computers are the future, but does everyone need to code?  What's the point? What side are you on? Why?

• (3.)   Computer Programming | A short interesting film.  What's the message?  What do you think?  What should we do as GenYES?

• (4.)   Computer Programming is a Dying Art.   Understand what MUSE is and what is the potential?  Are we giving computers too much control?

• (5.)   Don't believe anyone who tells you learning to code is easy!  What is the author's advice?  Did you feel better or worse at the prospect of genuinely  learning to code after reading this?

• (6.)   Two Short videos: Best Jobs in 2014 (Now) and  Future Jobs (Later)  What do you think?

IMPORTANT READ THIS! This weeks blog is a bit longer than most and worth 100 points.  You will have time in class to work on it as well. The expectations are higher.   Do real exploration of the topics, analyze what you read and write over 200 thoughtful, intelligent words to gain full credit.  

The knowledge you glean here might directly impact your future.

15. Thankful

As I thought about this weeks homework, Thanksgiving and all,  I thought about how thankful I was for my classes this year.  Truly, you are a great bunch of kids and I love coming to 'work.'

So I put in the search box "Thankful and Technology"  just to see what came up.  A lot of these pictures came up (or variations of it).  ☛

Then that made me think of my holidays growing up and how different this looks for you guys who never knew life without the Internet, phones, devices, computers, gaming systems and such.

So do you feel cheated or blessed?  Do you feel thankful about all the cool tech out there that has enriched your life?   Do you feel there might be important things in life, that may be not things at all? Give this some real thought and share significant thoughts that reflect your life.   Please be specific.  

This week,  reflect a little and enjoy a...

Happy Thanksgiving.  

14. Internet Privacy

Most Americans say they want Internet Privacy but act like this

Full Info-graphic

1. After reading the top article about "Most Americans ...,"  where do you fit in?  How exposed are you on the internet?  Do you care about your personal privacy a little?  A lot?  Is this statement common knowledge: "If it's on the Internet, it isn't private." ?

2.  Image this scenario:  A terrible criminal kidnapped a member of your family.  Would you want the police to have every possible tool like; phone tracking, camera surveillance, GPS, or other sophisticated spying technologies to catch the bad guys?  How much technology and privacy access should the police have?

3.  What about protecting our country?  Terrorists?  ISIS?  Bank Hackers?  Russian spies?  Who are the NSA  and how much power should they have?  Is this good?  Bad?  Why?

4.  What does all this mean to your personal privacy online?  Ideas?

13. Presentations

Presentation Week! 

Please look at the links below so this doesn't happen to us..

 

Take a look at them all.   

Steal This Presentation!

8 Tips for an Awesome PowerPoint Presentation

You suck at PowerPoint

Presentation Zen 

1. What is your PowerPoint topic?

2. Based on what you learned looking at the links above, how are you going to make your presentation exciting? 

3. What do you think are the top mistakes people make in giving presentations?

4. Suggestions to make "Presentation Day" more interesting. Give some ideas for audience engagement.

5. What bores you the most?  (In general...)

12. Tech Topics - Open Forum

You asked for it!  Here it is!

Blog topic this week:  Yours!

Share a tech tip, topic, idea, controversy, revelation, problem, trend or... 
whatever you feel is relevant to technology today 

Work alone or in a small group

All members contribute for credit.  You decide how.  

Be sure your topic is supported by facts 
and 

you all share your own spin on the content

Let's see your ideas...

11. Technical Terminology

1. Take the first 5 letters* in your pvlearners user name and look up tech terms from the links below that start with your names letters.  Pick terms you can relate to.  Define each term then write a sentence or two in your own words on each about how this technology is used or why your choice might interest you.  Absolutely no credit will be given for repeat terms!

Tech Terms

Tech Glossary

* See my example in the first comment below. If you have less than 5 letters pick a random letter to finish the assignment.  Read all the other comments so you don't repeat a term.

10. Workplace Productivity

Face off

Compare and contrast productivity suites for school, business and personal use

Microsoft Office vs. Google Apps

1.  What are, based on what you researched, the top three best features of Microsoft Office 365?   

2. What are, based on what you researched, the top three best features of Google Apps?

3. Why do you think the PV School district uses Google Apps for staff and students?

4. If you were in charge of a business, which productivity suite would you pick?  Why?  Support your answer with solid facts that support your opinion. 

9. Laptops 2014

In the last of a series evaluating and updating our knowledge about digital devices, we come to explore the options today in the laptop market.

Read the comprehensive article on the link below and decide on the best laptop for you.

This week you can choose the same type of device as another persons post, however your reasoning must differ based on your personal preferences.

What is the best laptop for you?



1.  Describe how you personally would get the most out of your device choice.  Why did you chose this laptop over the others?   What are the most important features in shopping for a laptop that you need?  Talk about how you compute, what you would do with the laptop this year and in the future.  How do you spend your time online?  Is it productive or mostly fun?  What peripherals would you deem necessary?  Would it replace your desktop, if you have one?  Why/why not?  Would you bypass buying a laptop and keep a desktop and some mobile devices like a tablet or smartphone? How many devices do you need? Desktop, laptop, tablet and phone?  All?  Some? None?  (haha)  There are many questions here to pique your thinking about laptops in general.  Write a thoughtful commentary on this subject focusing on the perfect scenario for you and computing including your personal opinion of this type of computing device.

(Be comprehensive.  100 words minimum.  However, 200 thoughtful words would be better. )

8. Mobile Phones 2014

Massive Confusion?

Phone makers: Yikes! Cell Phone Finder Cell Phone Carriers

CNet Best Phones  TechRadar Best Phones  Tom's Guide Best Phones Infographics

1. Pick a popular phone model that you know the LEAST about. List:  

          1. Model  

          2. Manufacturer/maker  

          3. Operating system  

          4. Service Carrier Options (Yep all of them) 

2. Describe the best or coolest features of this phone.  After learning about it.  Would you ever consider getting it?  Why?

3. Look at the infographics link. Gasp! Open up a few of the infographics.  Discover some fact that surprised you and share it.  

4.  What phone would you want if you could have any phone?

5.  What phone do you have now? 

I'm exhausted just thinking about all this!

READ THIS:  The links above are a guide.  There are NEWER and OLDER phones than listed in the links.  Feel free to do your own independent research! Just make sure it's a somewhat popular phone available in Arizona!

No repeats!  There are way too many phones out there!  So NO CREDIT will be given for repeats!  Read the posts of the people before you when picking your phone choice. 

7. Tablets 2014

A New Look at Computer Tablet Devices

Top 8 Tablets

Tablet Market is Fragmented
Tablet Review

2013 Tablet Models

2014 Tablet Models

Wiki - Tablet Model List

This week we are going to create a list 
of the 10 best tablets TODAY, 

based on market sales, popularity, features.

• First person to post: pick the top tablet contender in popularity, sales, features 
• Next person to post: pick another top tablet
• Next person to post: pick the next top popular model

         and so on....with no repeats.

                         
In your post list:

1. Name of device, operating system

2. Five great features of the device

3. Models, Sizes 

4. General range of prices (Top price to cheapest model) 

Note: The ipad counts as one post entry, even though it currently has eight sizes/models. Which, of course, you would list in your description.  

Let's find the most popular models out there and be experts!