The Internet is beautiful.

The idea for the Internet was born from the launch of the Russian Sputnik satellite in 1957. The US government was worried that the then Soviet Union possessed superior technological capability and could potentially strike the US with a nuclear missile. So it began to prepare for the consequence. The Internet essentially began as way to communicate if part of the country was destroyed.

In 1969 the technology was advanced enough to begin testing it at universities and the first successful test was completed between the UCLA and Stamford campuses in California.

It wasn't until around 1991 that the Internet was introduced for individual and commercial purposes.

Today we see more an more users clustered around the same sites. Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon collectively consume most of our attention and that's sad because there is so much more to it.

For this post I want you to visit this site: https://www.reddit.com/r/InternetIsBeautiful/ or https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/ and as part of our exploration of Digital Literacy, find a link to something that you think would help you learn in one of your classes or help you be a better student in general. Explore the link and write a brief description of how you think it will benefit you and your classmates. Please also copy and paste a link to the source in your comment.

Example: I found a map that might help me learn Geography and Social Studies. https://worldmap.harvard.edu/maps/5565. This map helps me identify ancient civilizations  in a more precise way than the maps in our book. You can also overlay other options on the map by checking the boxes on the left hand sidebar.

Memes

For our final blog post of Q1 we turn to meme's. Meme's are a cultural phenomenon that evolved with the ability to add text to images and distribute them online...

For this post I want you to put your creativity/humor/culture hat on and design your own meme. Your subject can be about anything but try to connect your meme to a subject your studying or Song Contest. For example here's a school/history meme idea...

Most important, you must respect the guidelines for blogging that we setup in the beginning of the year.

1. NO DEGRADING CONTENT. You may not make fun of, mock or slur anyone
2. Create your meme using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
3. Never reveal personal information about yourself
4. Never disrespect someone.

As well, do not copy a meme. Come up with your own original idea using the following resource. 

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

There are a few options for sharing the meme on our blog. If there is an option to copy/paste a share link use that. Copy the link (Cntrl or Command + C) and paste (Cntrl or Command + V). Or if there is only an option to download,...download the image and upload it to your Google Photos. Then click Share in the top right hand corner and create a link of the image. Finally copy/paste the link into the comment section. 

Technology and learning development

We discussed in class the importance of non-verbal cues and discussed the impact adolescence has on learning development (see below). We also talked about how technology can negatively impact social development because our focus is  removed from everything else.

So for our blog post using the above chart, pick one element of development under Early or Middle Adolescence and make an argument for or against using a phone in school. Then go online and find an article that supports or negates your position and give us a brief summary of what the article states. 

For example: During Early Adolescence as my intellectual interests expand I need a phone to engage more with what I'm interested in studying. The article I found talks about how 75% of students using cell phones in class are performing worse than those without. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/04/do-smartphones-have-a-place-in-the-classroom/480231/

Please include a link to your source in the comment as demonstrated in the example above. 

Do not copy my example.

Icebreaker Blog Post

For our first real blog post of Q1, please answer each of these 3 questions in the comment section and write a short review of why you liked it or maybe disliked it. Please include the question.   You can have multiple answers to each question.

What are you reading (not a school book)?  

What are you watching (recent TV show or Movie your really liked)?

What are you playing (Video game, sport, musical instrument...)?

Here's an example.

What am I reading?

Scam Me If You Can, by Frank Abagnale. Good book of tips and tricks on how to protect your identity and yourself from being scammed.

What am I watching? 

BroadChurch - Netflix drama about a family that endures the death of their son. Who is the killer?

What am I playing? 

Bass Guitar - Trying to remind myself to practice 1 hour a day!

Welcome to the blog.

Welcome to your Freshman Tech blog. A blog, for anyone who doesn't know, is a web page that is updated and typically contains information about a specific subject. Blogger is free with your Google account and you can create your own to share what you are passionate about with the world.

Blog examples: 
Frugal (adj.Costing little; inexpensive: a frugal lunch.) https://www.miss-thrifty.co.uk/ Adventure : https://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/
Food: https://pinchofyum.com/

A blog is a powerful tool because of the contributions of its followers. Commenting on our class blog will be part of your grade throughout the year.

To follow and comment on the blog please follow these steps: 

1. Login to Gmail
2. Open a new tab and goto blogger.com
3. Select Reading list on the left hand sidebar
4. Click the pencil Icon on the right
5. Click Add and Copy/Paste the link of our blog: https://ftb1-2019-20.blogspot.com

Please follow these Procedures: 

• Write your comment as you would a letter. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. No acronyms ie: LOL or slang. -2 points for incorrect grammar. 
• Never reveal personal information about yourself. No last names, addresses, screen names, email names. This is a public space so anything you say can be seen by anyone in the world.
• Never disrespect someone. "Do unto others as they would do unto you."  No matter what someone writes, respect their opinion and do not offend. You will be removed from the blog and be responsible for lost points for those assignments. 
• Don't just write your opinion. Include facts, from sources you find. Link to the sources but do not include something you have not analyzed first. 
• Be aware of copyright. Make sure what you use is copyright free. (Just because you found it online does not mean it is free for you to use without permission). 
• Stay on topic and keep it about education.

 Best practices for blog posts: 

• PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE COMMENTING. -2 Points if it is evident you did not. 
• Type up your response in a Google Doc first. Proof read before copy/pasting it into the comment section. This is good practice in case the post does not register, you will still have the Google Doc as proof. *(THIS HAPPENS OFTEN)