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!

6. Global Technology

1.  Look at the logos above.  Identify and list, in order, the top 10 companies you believe lead the world economy in technology today.  It will be fun to see what you select. There are more than 10 logos shown to make this a genuine challenge.  Oh...and do you know all of the companies represented?  Do this first, then reply to your post after you do the reading and answer questions 2 and 3. 

2.  Do some reading:                        

• Fastest Growing PC Company
• One Day Changed Everything
• Biggest Companies (overall) in the world 2014
• Changing the world's economy
• Fastest Growing Tech Companies You Haven't Heard Of

Are you surprised?  What did you learn?

3.   What does this mean to a young, professional, tech person, like you, who is about to enter into the global market in a few years?

5. Apps

Dropbox and Flipboard are two of my favorite Apps.  

If you don't have a Flipboard App get one here:  Flipboard

If you don't have a Dropbox App get one here:  Dropbox


1.  Evaluate and describe the benefits of the Apps I've chosen: Dropbox and Flipboard

2.  List two outstanding Apps.  Do you use them on a regular basis?  Explain.  

3.  Discover a new app that you have never used before.  What benefit could it have for our class?  Or your own productivity? Or for teachers?  Or changing lifestyle?


There are literally thousands of Apps!  So while many of you like a few great or game Apps, lets do this without any repeats so we can all discover cool new stuff!  

4. SkillsUSA

GenYES is a Career and Technology Education Program (CTE) 

We are sponsored by a national charter for our Career Technology Student Organization (GenYES CTSO) and that is national organization is SkillsUSA.  

Visit SkillsUSA

1.  Look around the site.  Find information about SkillsUSA that you think is relevant to you. Such as perhaps the skills gap, Mike Rowes comments, the competitions, the organizations mission, a student success, special programs, training modules.   Discover something that's of interest to you about this organization.  Explain why.

2.  SkillsUSA has a local chapter here in Arizona.  What's happening with SkillsUSA in our state?  AZSkillsUSA

3.  What ideas do you have for our GenYES CTSO?  

3. Microcontrollers

In the spirit of being 'makers', 

over the next few weeks we will be embarking on arduino projects. 

It's likely we are going to start up the 3D Printer to enhance your projects too.

But first get a sense of what it means to be a 'maker.'  
Click on the link and read a few articles :

Maker Movement

Take a look at some of the possibilities:

Arduino Projects

So what do you think?  

Homework assignment: 

1.  From the Maker Movement articles that you read, copy and paste one or two significant sentences that tell you something about the movement.  Then, in your own words, tell what you learned about the makers or maker movement from the statements.  

2.  What exactly is an arduino?  How is it the same / different from other processors or controllers?

3.  Why would we care about learning about these devices?   Do you have any experience with these?  What do you think you could do with this technology? 

2. Tech News

Where do you find the latest, cutting edge information about technology?

Popsci	Engadget
W I R E D	Technewsworld
Fast Company	Gizmodo
TechCrunch	Discovery : TECH
EXTREME•TECH	ZDNet

Open up each of the 10 links above.  Skim through them.  Decide which news link you like the best. 

1.  Which news link did you pick?  Or did you find one of your own you like better?  What makes this news source the best in your mind?  Interface?  Type of stories?  Readability?  Navigation?  Or?

2.   Find an article that interests you about something in the world of technology from the links above.  In your own words summarize the article.  Why did you pick that article?  

3.  How will this technology impact you personally?  Change the world?  

Remember no ARTICLE repeats!    Follow directions ➜