Google Cars

This article discusses Google's efforts to make a car that drives itself. There's a video that shows a car driving around, but the people inside aren't doing anything. I think it's crazy that technology has advanced to the point where someday we might not even have to drive. It sounds kind of dangerous to me, but I'm sure if the cars were on the market in the future they would be very safe. Sebastian Thrun is the engineer in charge of this project, and he found his inspiration through a childhood loss. His friend was killed by a car so he has worked to make driving safer. Maybe some day the driving world will be completely different thanks to Google.

What I Believe About Learning

People have a natural tendency to distract themselves from things they need to do so I think teachers should find a way to eliminate all distractions in the classroom. Teachers should make students put their cell phones and ipods somewhere else before class starts so they are not tempted by them. I think technology can play a great role in learning because it's a quick and easy way to find what you need. When I do reading for English class, if I don't know what a word means I just pick up my ipod touch and use my dictionary app. Within seconds I have a whole new understanding of what I'm reading as opposed to taking the time to look it up in a dictionary. I also think teachers should not give homework every night. A common argument for this is that college professors give work every night, but the difference is that in college you don't have that class every day. With sports, clubs, work, and many other responsibilities after school, students have to stay up very late at night to complete their homework. This is probably the main reason why kids are always so tired and can't even pay attention or stay awake in class. In one of my classes we have homework maybe once a month, yet I've learned so much. Learning is definitely evolving and will be very different here at BHS for the years to come.

Osama's Death

When looking back to September 11, 2001 I remember a lot of choas and worry among the teachers. We weren't allowed to go outside for gym that day and I did not understand why. They told us there were machines working on the field, but I didn't see any when I looked outside. When I got home that day my mom was hovered over the TV watching the news, and she was on the phone with my uncle who lives in New York. I never understood why the attack happened, and to be honest, I still do not fully know the history between our country and the Middle East. The death of Osama has definitely already brought American pride, and I'm sure many people feel a sense of relief. Hopefully after this huge step we can move forward and bring our troops home soon.

Facebook Effects Grades

I definitely agree with this article that discusses how Facebook effects students' grades. Although Facebook is a great social network that can help students interact, it can also be extremely distracting. When I'm writing a paper and I get bored or lose my train of thought, I open up Facebook and distract myself from getting the assignment done. The night before my term paper was due, almost everyone in my class was on Facebook making statuses about the paper and joking about how they were so distracted. I found it really interesting to read that, "Students who use Facebook and hit the books simultaneously found their multitasking led to 20% lower grades than those of their more focused peers." I am guilty of being distracted by Facebook when trying to do school work, but hopefully I can break the habit when I go off to college.

Fitness Builder App

An app that I really like is called Fitness Builder. This app gives you hundreds of different workouts targeting all areas of the body. You can search for workouts based on what you'd like to work on. If you want to do a set of abs, you can select many different ab cycles to do. The best part is that each exercise has pictures and step by step instructions to make sure you know how to do it correctly. The app also allows you to make your own workout by choosing your favorite exercises. If you're at the gym and run out of exercises, you can take out your iPhone or itouch and search for one on this app. The only downfall to this app is that it's now $9.99 and when I got it, it was free. If you're looking for some good exercises at your fingertips, I recommend the Fitness Builder app.

My Life at BHS

 The library where we use the computers or hang out during study period

The cafeteria where I've had lunch for the past 4 years

 The main office where I do the morning anouncements

The rock wall where the Seniors spray painted our names

The statue in the lobby where everyone meets after school

The gym that we've had phys ed class, pep rallys, and sporting events

The student parking lot.. such a mess to get out of every day

Open Campus

I definitely think our high school should have an open campus. It's such a hassle to have to get dismissed every time you need to run home for something. If I forgot a lunch, I would just go home and eat if there was open campus. Sometimes I don't have time to eat breakfast so I just grab something little on the go. If there was open campus, I could just run to Dunks during my study or go back home and make myself something. I understand that the school faces liability if anything happens while we were gone, but I honestly don't think parents would blame the school if they had an understanding that their kids are allowed to leave. This reminds me of the whole preparing us for the real world idea. If we're locked up in the school and can't leave without the consent of a parent, we're being babied and not preparing to make our own decisions. Our high school should definitely consider having an open campus and allow the students to be more independent.