Do Now 12/7

     There is one particular class that I would add to the school curriculum and that would be the Performing Arts Academy. There are many dancers, actors, and singers that should be able to identify with one single class instead of being divided into choir, glee club, musicals, and plays. In my old school, we had a program named the Performing Arts Academy and it served to unite dance, acting, and singing. If we were to have a Performing Arts Academy in Wood-Ridge High School, it would seem best for the members to meet in the auditorium on a daily basis and it could count as an elective so it would be during the period of said elective it is replacing.
     In addition, the students would be able to do sign-ups, like in gym, and they would pick what they want to do for the marking period. However, every Thursday, they would be required to take a different course than the one they chose. For example, if they chose dance, then on Thursdays they would be required to take either acting or singing. This allows the student to be more well-rounded and have a wider learning experience. The members of the Performing Arts Academy would also feel very comfortable among others who share their interests and would have the ability to express themselves freely. For finals and midterms, the students could be required to work together as a class and put on a show or recital in order to prove how much they have learned throughout the entirety of their time in the class. I strongly believe that the Performing Arts Academy would be a good addition to the Wood-Ridge High School curriculum.

RSS Discussion Questions

Why did you select the sites you subscribed to?

   I selected the sites I subscribed to because they are either some of the most known websites or I have taken a personal interest in the sites.

Was it easy to find feeds and to subscribe to them?

   Some of the feeds were easy to find because they had a link to the RSS feeds on the homepage but for others you really had to dig through the site in order to find the feeds.

Which sites were your favorites?

   My favorite sites are the ones under my personal file. Those would include EDM, MoMA, Glamour, Fandango, and Rolling Stone.

What else can you use RSS feeds for?

   You can use RSS feeds to gain better access to the latest articles posted on a site.

How likely are you to continue to use RSS feeds in the future?

   I probably won't use RSS feeds in the future because the career field I'm interested in doesn't require much knowledge on technology.

Do Now 11/30

     I am grateful for all the people that surround me, that have been by my side for a long time, and that will continue to be in my life for many years to come. A few people don't appreciate those that are in their lives but I'm sure to be thankful for them, not only on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. Even though I may argue with half of the people in my life I know that they have stuck with me through thick and thin, mainly because they have to. What I admire the most about all these people is that most don't have to stay in my life but instead they find a reason to always be with me through anything and everything. The three main people that I'm thankful for are my mother, my step-father, and my best friend.

     The people aforementioned are very important to me because they are the main people in my life. Although my parents and I tend to fight very often, I know that they simply can't get rid of me no matter how hard they try. My step-father has been my father figure for 6 years now and my mom has had to deal with my rudeness and disrespect for 16 years. Both have comforted me in times when I've had problems with my actual father. They supply me with the necessities like shelter, food, and clothes but they also spoil me occasionally. On a side note, I am also very thankful for my best friend because, even though she lives in Arizona, she is always there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes there are some things that you can't share with family members and that's why I thank my friend for always being there for me. 

     To conclude, I've always been told that one should not take those who surround you for granted. Everyone is in your life for a reason and I'm particularly thankful for my mother, step-father, and best friend. It's often hard to find people that'll stick with you throughout the entirety of your lifetime. I don't consider everyone to be my best friend or even my close friend but these three people just so happen to be my best friends. I wouldn't trade these people for the world and I am very thankful for them not only on Thanksgiving but every day of the year. 

W-R Wikipedia Page Findings

Things that should either be changed or removed from the Wood-Ridge High School Wikipedia site are:

• The school name, which should be updated to Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School
• Also, on the side box which gives a brief description of the school, the site lists Dr. DeNobile as principal when it's currently Mr. Petrocelli
• The awards, recognition, and ranking should be updated due to the fact that the school's teams have won more awards since this site was last updated.
• The school actually teaches from 7th-12th grade
• The enrollment rate and other rates should be updated because it was last edited in 2012-13 which was about 3 years ago
• The picture is also outdated
• Tennis is no longer a sport offered in Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School

Do Now 11/9

     Over the short break, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I work at a ballet studio in Hackensack from 5 to 8 on Thursdays and Fridays. Not many students showed up because they thought it was okay to miss class due to the fact they didn't have school both days. The few that showed up, however, were rewarded and were allowed to fool around throughout the duration of the class. The girls enjoyed the fact that they didn't have to continue with their choreography because most of their classmates didn't show up.

     On Saturday, I had to catch up on all the chores I missed Thursday and Friday due to work. I spent all day helping out my mom and step-dad clean the house. We wrapped the day up by going to Olive Garden for dinner. On Sunday, we had planned to take my sister to Chuck E. Cheese because she helped out and did her chores the day before. We only went for an hour because we were expecting family to come over and they did. Since we had people at our house, I had to help my mother cook and tidy up any mess we had created. After everyone ate, I had to do my homework which was understandingly hard to do because I had to read "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe while all my family members chose to play music with very high volume. Although many might think that any sort of break would be relaxing, it was actually very stressful for me.

Do Now: Nov. 2

Educational Technology and Copyright Law

     Throughout the article, I learned many things that I didn't know prior to the reading. For example, I learned that almost everything is copyrighted the minute it's created whether its musical, dramatic, or other creative work. It is legal for someone to use copyrighted material for educational purposes but there are certain cases in which you might need a license in order to use a certain piece of creative material. Also, once something is copyrighted you are automatically given four rights; you have the ability to reproduce the copyrighted work, display the copyrighted work publicly, prepare other works based on that one, or distribute copies of said work for rental, sale, and/or to display the material. Generally, one has a pretty good chance of being able to use images that you find off the internet. If you can't use the image, chances are that you need a license in order to use the image.

Do Now 10/19

     Google Forms can be used as a method of collecting information. It serves as a way to be more organized and if you're a teacher, you can create tests or quizzes for your students. You can also arrange various amounts of information in a more collected manner and plan certain things such as events using Google Forms.