Weekly Review Blog Post #9

With week nine drawing to a close, I am elated to inform that we are finally in our school building. This week has honestly been the best week of the school year, since Halloween was on Wednesday and we moved into our new school building on Thursday.

Throughout the chaos of moving into our new building, we have still managed to continue school business as usual. This week, we learned about how companies will sell your personal information to make a measly profit.

Blue target, July 1, 2007

We learned that companies can alter your web experience (search engines, consumer shopping, etc.). Companies track your computer information and your online activity by making suggestions that best suit you, and by limiting the amount of information you can view.

To understand the basics of company tracking, our teacher distributed key words and definitions.

Track: when companies collect information about you based on online behavior

Target: when companies tailor content to you based on the information they have collected about you

Cookies, August 14, 2007

Demographic: common categories of the population, such as age, gender, and race

Cookies: data files that are stored on your computer when you visit certain sites, which are often used by companies to identify repeat customers and personalize visitors' experience.

Also, I made a Mixbook this week that displays tips on avoiding data collection. Mixbook is a website that allows me to create virtual scrapbooks. I really like how simple this website is, and virtually anyone can use it. I see no problems with Mixbook, and I will definitely be using it for future projects.

Below is the Mixbook that I made relating to data collection.

| Start your own Photo Books | Create custom Christmas Cards



Overall, this week has been great. We moved into our new school building, and things at Gaston Early College High School have never been better. I love this school, and I hope that as we continue with the school year, things will remain this awesome. Until next week, happy blogging!

Week 4 at Gaston Early College High School

As warm days grow cold and the leaves start to change from dark green to light crimson,canary yellow, and brown, another week has passed by here at Gaston Early College High School. Oh, how the times have flown by, and before I know it, my freshman year will be over and done with.

My favorite lesson that we learned this week was grammar. I like knowing how to grammatically analyze a sentence easily and efficiently. We also learned how to diagram a sentence to make identifying the parts of speech much easier.

http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/flickrCC/index.php?terms=digital+citizenship&edit=yes&page=1

http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/flickrCC/index.php?terms=digital+citizenship&edit=yes&page=1

The major lesson this week was Digital Citizenship, which is something everyone can relate to. We learned what it means to be a good citizen online, and how to respect other people while using modern day technology. We learned that good digital citizens don't bully people online, put other people's private information online, or discriminate others. We received vocabulary that relates to digital citizenship in every way possible. Here's some vocabulary that we got this week:

• Ethics: the principles and morals that govern people's behavior
• Online Ethics: governs people's behavior online, as it relates to Internet and digital devices
• Digital Citizenship: a safe, responsible, and ethical approach to functioning in the digital world
• Privacy: respecting privacy of others online
• Self-Expression and Identity: presenting yourself honestly and genuinely 
• Connected Culture: treating others kindly, respectfully, and avoiding cyber bullying
• Respecting Creative Work: citing others work and asking permission to use their work

This information has been helpful to me by giving me guidelines on what to do and what not to do while using technology. It's a great lesson that everyone that uses the Internet and other technological devices should learn.
 

Mostly everyone knows that Tuesday was the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center back in 2001. In class, we watched several 9/11 dedication videos to honor and remember those who lost their lives that day.

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJVkZaRLe4I&feature=fvst

 August 15, 2011

                       
One of my favorite things I did this week was create my first Animoto presentation about digital citizenship. For those who don't know what Animoto is, it's a website that allows you to make your own music videos easily and efficiently. I've attached the link to my Animoto video below. 

Some cool things about Animoto is that it is easy and virtually everyone can use it. I like the amount of options I have regarding the looks and music I can include in my presentations. However, I don't like that your word choice is limited. It isn't like making a power point presentation where you can type however much you want. In Animoto, your sentences have to be short, sweet, and to the point.

Overall, my week has been fantastic. Although school is challenging at times, I always find a way to stay on top of things, which makes me proud of myself. As always, happy blogging!

Gaston Early College Week 3

Wow, another week at Gaston Early College that has passed by! I guess time flies by when you're having fun! The lessons that we have learned this week have been interesting, challenging, and fun all at the same time.

I learned how to subscribe to other blogs through my Google Reader account. To do this, I used an application called an RSS feed. RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication'. Through this feature, I can subscribe to other blogs easily and efficiently. I've attached a link to a Google Reader tutorial video below, to help you get started with your reading.

http://goo.gl/LrpPj

April 23, 2009

We also learned about different viruses that computers can contract through an email. We learned that a virus can hack your personal information, steal your money, and potentially steal your identity. I've attached a link to a tutorial on finding where a virus might lurk on your computer. 

  http://goo.gl/iepjW

December 14, 2009

Also, we learned about proper email etiquette. We learned the general email etiquette rules, how to format an email, strengthen the subject of your email, sculpt the bulk of your message, and how to identify spam and viruses. The information that I have received affects my actions online by introducing ways to identify sketchy emails that may contain harmful virus links. I've attached a link to the notes I took, in case you want to better your learning on the right and wrong things to do while sending an email.

 Email Etiqutte Notes

One of my favorite things that I did this week was making my own favicon. It was fun because I got to add my own personal touch to my blog. At first, the website was confusing, but eventually I got the hang of it. The favicon that I chose was a rainbow unicorn, combining my love for rainbows and unicorns all into one piece of art. If you want to build your own favicon, I've left the link to the website below. 

Favicon Maker

My week has been purely spectacular. It's been a little stressful with all of my projects and assignments, but for the most part it has been a walk in the park. For the first time in my life I actually enjoy school. I hope my optimism stays with me throughout the whole school year and the school years to come. Have a good weekend, and happy blogging!