Do-Now 9/29

    An editorial is a written piece of work that gives an opinion or standpoint about a certain issue. An article may contain quotations or citations, however, the article focuses around a single opinion of the editor. Many believe that Wikipedia is a form of editorials; giving more opinions than factual information. Teachers specifically tell us that Wikipedia is not a reliable source and do not suggest Wikipedia as a data base for helpful information. Wikipedia is very well known as a website where anyone is able to contribute information.
     Many teachers do not allow us to use Wikipedia for any school papers. Although is helpful for definitions and simple things, one should not rely on Wikipedia for factually correct information. Teachers stress the ability for random people to contribute any type of information, correct or not. I, personally, have not questioned the usage of Wikipedia. I know that Wikipedia is not always completely true, and always double check certain information that I find off the website.
     After reading this article about Wikipedia, I have not changed my mind about the website. I never relied on it as a primary source and only use the site for quick, simple information. Personally, Wikipedia should only be used by people who need opinionated answers. The website should not be considered a type of primary source and should never be used as a useful website for finding information.

Motorized Pants Help Soldiers and Stroke Victims 
     The newly Harvard-created Exoskeleton allows many people to find the support they need in every day life. The lightweight, battery powered machine can be used to support the wearer and allow them to carry heavier objects over longer distances. It propels the legs forward without effecting the normal human gait. 
    












     The exoskeleton mimics the human limb by using nylon mesh, cables, and sensors to connect directly to muscles, tendons, and nerves. Although it cannot help people who have lost full usage of their legs, it can still greatly improve the lives of some. For example, those who encounter muscle weaknesses from strokes find the research of exoskeletons quite useful. The machine can help weak people walk more easily or help healthy people carry heavier objects. The potential for this machine varies from supporting soldiers, assisting the elderly, rehabilitating children or adults, and easing the physical struggles of firefighters or paramedics. Although the machine is only a recent protocol, the exoskeleton is being largely researched and has many updates before its released into the public. 

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/530751/motorized-pants-to-help-soldiers-and-stroke-victims/

Web 2.0: Multimedia Blog Pre- Posting

                         

     One course that I am taking this year is English IV Honors and it is taught by Ms. Millar.  You can see her website if you click here. I expect to learn about various British authors and writers. So far, we have learned the history about the Anglo-Saxon Time Period and the Medieval Time Period. In addition to learning about the history behind the literature, we also learned about various authors; including The Venerable Bede, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Beowulf. 

     As an honors class, our grading policy is very strict. The grading policy that Ms. Millar uses is a 45% projects, 45% tests, 5% homework, and 5% classwork/ participation. What I enjoy the most about this class is that we learn about British poets and authors rather than American poets and authors. It is refreshing to be focused on a different nation's literature after constantly learning about American literature. 
     Although our class is mainly taught through a textbook, Ms. Millar uses various technologies as teaching-tools. Through certain websites she was able to create crossword puzzles, word searches, and quizzes that were used as review games. I enjoy the usage of different technologies rather than being taught out of a textbook.  Her website also includes videos and projects that her students created, you can see one if you click here. You can see the rest of her videos if you click here. 

Educational Technology and Copyright Law

From this article, I learned what copyrighting is and how it has affected students and teachers. Copyrighting protects the plagiarism of literary, written, artistic, musical and other types of works.
When someone copyrights their own work, they are entitled to four things:
1. Reproduce the copyrighted work
2. Display the work publicly
3. Create works based off of their work
4. Distribute copies of the work
Some images are licensed and allows people to reuse their photos. However, the site requires the user to give photo credit to the photographer.


http://teachamazing.com/educational-technology-and-copyright-law/

9/12 Weekly Tech Article

Brain Mapping: A new map, a decade in the works, shows structures of the brain in far greater detail than ever before, providing neuroscientists with a guide to its immense complexity.

Recently, new and improved mapping technologies are becoming more useful in the fields of neuroscience. Mapping technology can allow scientists to create a detailed simulation of the human brain. Specifically, Europe's Human Brain Project and the U.S.Brain Initiative have taken in the ideas of transforming modern mapping technology. These technologies are able to reveal three dimensional images with 50 times greater the resolution than previous creations. These improvements in neuroscience technology have allowed scientists to accurately see neuron structures, nerve fibers, and many other hidden complexities that are inside the human brain. The reformed "supercomputers" can show details as little as 20 micrometers. In the future, scientists hope to improve the supercomputers so that they can view pieces of tissues and cells as small as 1 micrometer.

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/526501/brain-mapping/