Blog 2 - 9/12/10

Hola Peeps! Thanks for coming back . . .

So I want to jump off into some pretty deep medical technology. There's a fantastic Readers Digest article about some of the newest medical advancements. Please follow this link to view the article. Please don't stop at page 1 . . . there are 5 pages.

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/new-medical-technology-lifesaving-and-life-enhancing/article34117.html

I want you to read on Tuesday. I want you to let it work on you a couple of days and come back and post on Thursday. I want you to choose at least one of these medical advancements and give an opinion on it. How can it benefit you or someone you love? How can you see it advancing? Alternatively, you may discuss / debate someone elses opinion that's already been given.

As always, you must advance the discussion to get credit. A "yes" or "no" or "I don't care" will earn you a zero.

Here are MY opinions:

A) Ewwwwwwwa for using spider silk to repair broken bones. I mean, it's cool and all. But I absolutely ABHORE spiders and anything arachnid related.

B) Yay for fighting asthma in new ways. I developed asthma earlier this year (!) and it's a pain in the rear end to deal with.

C) Microchip for Meds skeers me. To think that I will need a reliable wireless signal for the microchip to transmit my meds to me? Pffffft. I can't even get a wireless signal reliable enough to play Words with Friends!

D) Using a scorpions sting to cure aggressive brain tumors? Well, at least those little buggers would have SOME actual use on this earth!

So what do you think? Talk to me . . .

Blog 1 - 9/6/2010

Hola Peeps! Thanks for logging in.

Let me 'splain how this will work:

Every Monday morning I will post a discussion question relevant to technology. You will have the entire week to post a short blog answering the question. It's very simple . . . you either advance the discussion or you don't. It's either a 100 or a 0. You can also respond to a thought posted by another user to advance the discussion. Every Sunday evening I will check off names. So you have from Monday AM to Sunday PM. Grading closes at 6pm Sunday. The first ten minutes of class on Tuesday will be devoted to reading the blog, and the first ten minutes of class Thursday will be devoted to answering the blog question.

Here are the things that this discussion is NOT:

This is not a social forum. All you guys have MySpace / Facebook / Twitter for that stuff. Holla at your friends on those sites.

This is not a place for you to ask me questions about your grade. Please remember that EVERYBODY will see all of your communication on this site. If you have questions about grading policies, etc. please see me before or after school, before class or on my conference period (6th). Barring that, please email me at rlanham@nacogdoches.k12.tx.us.

This is not a place for you to air grievances of any kind. Bad language, derogatory comments and intolerance of any kind will not be accepted. These will result in blocked usage for you, and zeros on weekly discussions for the remainder of the year.

What this discussion IS:

This is a place for us to explore how technology is affecting our daily lives. You guys are digital natives (meaning you were practically born with a cell phone in your hand) and you are not accustomed to thinking about life before this technology came along. I would also bet that most of you haven't given a lot of thought to where this technology is going either. Well, that's what I want to do here.

One more thing:

To the best of my knowledge we are still the only classroom in the district to use blogging as part of the classroom learning. Occasionally our Principal, Superintendent, and others from the district will be blogging with us. All eyes will be watching as this district prepares to incorporate more technology into everyday learning. Please keep that in mind. Let's have fun, but please be responsible.

Here's what you need to do now:

Make sure you are logged in and hit the "comment" section. Post a comment to me. By posting this first time you are agreeing to:

1. ALWAYS read my words. You should never just log in and click links. Doing that will cause you to miss the questions that I want addressed.

2. Leave your display name as I have it set. I have 92 students right now. I have no intention of figuring out nicknames every week.

3. Comment in the correct section for the week.

4. Understand that you get one (1) makeup blog for the YEAR. Because this blog is available 24/7/365 from any computer in the world, I don't allow more than one makeup. Go home and bookmark it. Go to the library and bookmark it. Always remember that if you're absent on Thursday when we comment, you'll need to get it taken care of before Sunday at 6pm.

OK, questions? Talk to me . . .

Blog 32 - 5/16/10

Howdy Folks!

Welcome to your last blog of the year!

Can you believe we've been in this room together for 10 months? I know I can't. I'm so excited for summer to get here. For the first time in my adult life I'm going to have the WHOLE summer off. As in no college classes. No summer school. No work of any type. I'm VERY EXCITE! (Borat reference)

But . . . I've got lots of really good memories of this year. I can honestly say I've truly enjoyed our time together. So many of you guys have made me laugh. You guys have been a lot of fun. And we've gotten a lot done too. Think about everything we've been through . . . six weeks of drill and kill. Adobe Illustrator. Photoshop. InDesign. Audacity. Flash. Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about all that stuff.

And for you DGA people, lemme just say thanks for paving the way for this new AVP class that's coming. You guys have been willing to dive in and work out some of the bugs and I appreciate that.

So to honor our year together I thought I'd put together a list of stuff that's come out of my mouth this year. And also a list of stuff that's come out of some of your mouths too. Just for grins.

Out of my mouth:

1. I'm JUST sayin'

2. Get up or get out!

3. I don't have a magical answer to pull out of my butt for that.

4. I feel like poo.

5. Has your heart stopped beating?

6. That makes me wanna bang my head on the desk.

7. Please do not make me get up and come over there and kick your chair.

8. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and stop doing drugs right about lunchtime.

9. Have you pressed F1?

10. (@ Seth) Get that "O" off your broccoli!

11. I'm gonna need you to simmer and settle (more times that not @ Cassidy Lyn)

12. Save frequently!

13. Do not waste this day . . . you will need it on the back end of this project!

14. It scares me that you know how long a body would continue to live without it's head attached (@ Magali).

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE . . .

15. 'Cuz if I ain't happy, ain't none of yall gonna be happy either! (@ Advisory, affectionately known as Bebe's kids).

From other people's mouths:

1. I don't do drugs! (Kenneth Crenshaw)

2. Ms. L, I *AM* the radar (Vincent Cole, when I told him he needed to get off of administration's radar).

3. I'm so more than tired today (again Vincent, right before I suggested he go to bed sometime before 4am)

4. Gucci baby! (Neontay, at least 1000 times in my room. He's obsessed I'm tellin' yall.)

5. Leave us alone! We're working! (4th period?)

6. Cesar G, taking baggies out for his project: "Survivors . . .", "Zombies . . ."

So for your last blog of the year I want you to do at least one of three things:
A. Add to my list.
B. Tell me your favorite class memory.
C. Leave a piece of advice for the classes coming next year (ala Mrs. Christian)

And once more, for posterity:
It's time for the Friday talk. Wanna hear it? Here it goes . . .
No drinking and driving.
No riding with anybody drinking and driving.
No doing anything illegal, unethical, illicit or immoral.
No kissing on anybody of the opposite sex.
No kissing on anybody of the same sex.
In fact? Why don'tcha just stay home.
You may go to church on Sunday and go have lunch with your elderly grandmother, but you must come immediately home and study. That is all. Have a lovely summer.

Blog 31 - 4/29/10

Hola Peeps!

Before we get done with movie technology I want to look at special effects. There's a lot of cool stuff in this topic.

Sometimes I'm surprised by things I *think* are effects which actually turn out to have really been filmed. A perfect example of this is Transformers. I thought all the action sequences where the cars turn into their alter egos were probably special effects. Nope. They actually built full-size models with moving parts to film close-ups of. This is why it pays to sometimes watch the "extras" on the DVDs.

My favorite movie special effects comes from my favorite movie of all time . . . The Abyss. The movie is about this underwater drilling and exploration team that encounters an alien life form that is made of water. The aliens look so real, like drops of water that have come together. I'm telling you, if you haven't watched this old-school movie you have no idea what you're missing. Hey Beth . . . wanna watch it with me?

PLEASE, for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT click anywhere it asks you to play a video. I would like to avoid spending next week in Mr. Chaddick's office. LOL

So take a look at these effects links. To get credit for this week: 1) please comment on at least one effect OR 2) tell us about YOUR favorite movie special effect.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/177951/top_50_movie_special_effects_shots.html

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question295.htm

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/visual-effects/4218826

http://www.moviespecialeffects.org/

http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue09/reviews/abyss/ MY FAVORITE!!!

Blog 30 - 4/19/10

Hey Homies!

You know how last week we talked about 3D coming to our living rooms? I would like to explore the ways in which 3D has changed over the years. There have been many technological advances from the 3D movies of old (with the horrible paper glasses with one red eye and one green eye) to the new 3D (where we get to wear cool looking shades that just appear to be gray).

Where did the red and green plastic lenses go? Why don't we need those anymore?

Back in the day when 3D first began to get popular, it made people nauseated. I don't know about you, but I can think of no worse Friday night date than being stuck in a movie theater with a bunch of barfing people! In fact, one of the first reviews I read of Avatar was from someone who had gone to see it in IMAX 3D and got lightheaded and felt they were going to pass out in the theater. Thankfully, that's not the *normal* feeling you get from 3D anymore and was probably a product of that particular viewing being 3D AND IMAX.

So read up chickadees. See what you think about it. Answer one of these two questions for credit this week: 1) where do you think this 3D technology will end up? OR 2) how do you think this will change moviemaking in general?

Talk to me . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_shutter_glasses

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/3d-movies/

http://www.www.helium.com/items/1772728-3d-movies

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-New-3D-TV-Technology-Will-Change-the-Scope-of-Future-Movie-Making&id=3932553

Blog 29 - 4/12/10

Hola My Peeps!

This week I want to explore the new 3D television technology.

Included you will find a couple of articles about how we're all going to be watching 3D TV very soon, and a couple of articles about how the technology actually works.

Tell me what you think. Are you jonesing for this technology? Can you not wait to get the 3D TV into your living room to test it out? Could you not care less?

I don't know how I feel about it. I'm a bit on the fence. I think it's cool that we have the technology to be able to do this in our living rooms, but I'm not convinced we're all going to jump on the bandwagon. I view this kinda like I viewed Blu-Ray. Yeah, it's pretty and all . . . but I have no intention of spending that much money because I don't watch enough television to get my money back out of it. Somebody who watches all the time would probably be better able to speak to this technology than I can. Any takers?

Talk to me . . .

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-19167_1-10142957-100.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/18/3D.home.television/index.html

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/3d-tv-explainer/

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-3D-TV-Technology-Works&id=3488775

Blog 28 - 4/5/10

Hola Peeps!

I think next week we're going to 3-D technology, as it relateds to both the movies and the new TVs that just came out.

In preparation to switch subjects, please blog about sparkly new technology.

www.yankodesign.com

If you choose to blog from a site other than Yanko, please post a link.

Pick a product and give me an opinion.

Talk to me . . .