Maia's Blog

Technology Remix

maiarosales — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:16:18 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8TS92A4Vwg

Project Proposal Developed in Class

maiarosales — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:31:18 +0000

My project proposal is:

I am going to do my project on how video games effect peoples lives today.

My claim is that too many people are wasting their lives away playing video games.

I will present my claim with a series of examples showing how video games really do effect people.

Podcast

maiarosales — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:20:10 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBuH6JNXltE

The format that I chose was just a series of pictures that were important to me. The content was pictures of me and family. I decided to make my video this way because it was simple, but I feel that a picture speaks a thousand words. That is why I didn’t put any music in my video. I have never used the Windows Movie Maker before, but I found that it was relatively easy to put a video together using this program.

Location Portrait

maiarosales — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:58:09 +0000

Little Brother

maiarosales — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:35:17 +0000

“When the bombs went off,” I said, then something welled up in my chest,something painful. “When the bombs went off, there were four of us caughtup by Market Street. For whatever reason, the DHS decided that made ussuspicious. They put bags over our heads, put us on a ship and interrogatedus for days. They humiliated us. Played games with our minds. Then they letus go.“All except one person. My best friend. He was with us when they picked usup. He’d been hurt and he needed medical care. He never came out again.They say they never saw him. They say that if we ever tell anyone about this, they’ll arrest us and make us disappear. (Little Brother Pg. 112)

To me this scene is important because he is telling about his story and the trouble that the DHS put him and his friends through. He discusses how he plans to fight the DHS for as long as it takes to get his life back. He is worried that his friends that knew about the scheme will tell on him, but they assure him that they won’t. It is a very interesting scene to me because there is tension and Winston is worried about what will happen next.

Revision

maiarosales — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:38:24 +0000

I think it is safe to say that this world has come a long long way when it comes to technology. Not many years ago there was no such things as the computer, internet, or email. People used to write letters to each other as a means of communication and I can honestly say that I do not know of very many people that write letters anymore. There is no need to wait days for a letter when you can simply pick up a telephone and be talking to someone on the other side of the world within a matter of seconds. Before the internet came about people read books to look for information for their research papers. Don’t get me wrong, millions of people still take up reading as a hobbie but as far as looking for information and different sources, ninety-nine percent of people will most likely turn to the internet before they pick up a book. One other piece of technology that has come full circle is games. We now play video games or online games, which is a big step up from card or board games. My ipod is a relatively important piece of technology that I use every single day faithfully. Music is a really huge part of my life and my ipod helps me feel closer to the art that I love. I think it is a great invention that has really made a difference in the way the world listens to music. The older generations are more than likely used to listening to music on a cd player or even on a cassette. Ipods are so advanced and they are capable of doing so many things that most people never even dreamed they could do. An ipod, depending on what size you get, can hold thousands of songs. Your average CD could hold somewhere around 20 songs at the most. This amazing little gadget can also hold hundreds of pictures and and hours worth of video. The new ipod can even record footage. It is also a lot smaller than any CD player I have ever seen. Most ipods can fit in the palm of your hand. An ipod is the best way that I know of to pass time. I listen to my ipod when I am walking to class and when I am working out. My ipod does not need all the other fancy things that it does, I just need the music to help me function throughout my day. I do not know what I would do without this tiny piece of technology. Another really amazing invention is the digital camera. I have already owned more than one in my lifetime because when I lose or break it, I absolutely must go buy another one. This is an object that has become really advanced in terms of the quality. Cameras that were used years ago were HUGE and required a lot more work to take a photo than cameras now days. The type of cameras that we see in history books do not look even relatively close to the digital cameras that the world has today. The cameras that I have owned are all really small and I love that because I can take it everywhere I go without it being an inconvenience. Most cameras also record video and have great LCD screens to review the pictures that you have just taken on. A camera is a gadget that every person needs to have to capture important or meaningful moments. Personally, I believe that pictures are one of the greatest ways to preserve memories and I would not leave my house without my digital camera. Different game systems also have their own little role in my life. I never really used to be the kinda person that was into games but I must admit that I am absolutely addicted to the Wii. It is a relatively new game system that not only requires you to press buttons on a remote but it also works based on your movement and physical activity. It is the only game system that I know of that requires some time of motion from your body. There are hundreds of games that are available for this game system. It even has a game called Wii Fit that you can play and it is supposed to get you into shape. Get inshape by playing a video game? That is pretty unheard of and I think that is why I love it. Another game system that I use slightly less than the Wii, is the X-box 360. It is pretty much your average game system but the reason why I like to play it is because it has an option that you can apply called Live. It allows you to play literally “live” with anyone all over the world who is online and playing the same game you are playing. It is a pretty amazing way to communicate with people in places you’ve only imagined. I would have to say that the cell phone is by far the most important piece of technology that has ever been invented. I got my first cell phone when I was in seventh grade but I believe children now days are getting cells phones way younger than that. I do not think that parents give their kids cell phones as a luxury, but as a necessity. In case of an emergency, they can get ahold of their children. Cell phones play a key role in not millions, but billions of people’s lives. Cell phones have also come a pretty far stretch from when they were first presented to the world. They were originally really big and bulky but now that are extremely sleek and small. I feel that it is one of the most important pieces of technology ever made because many people heavily rely on their phones. Many people run their businesses from their phones or even pay bills from their cells phones. It is amazing what you can do on your cell phone now days, it has become so much more that just a device to talk on. My cell phone is most definitely my life line. I am on my cell phone most hours of the day whether I am at home talking on the phone or in class texting on my phone. Text messaging is by far my biggest addiction and I can not seem to ever stop. Texting is a cool way to send little messages to people when its is unneccesary to make a phone call. I think its pretty convenient and I love to do it all day. I rely on my phone heavily when I leave my house because in the case of an emergency, I can make a phone call and fix whatever the matter may be. People can contact me at anytime an I can contact other people whenever I need to. Its the perfect way to communicate with the world and my life would never be the same without it. The internet is just below the cell phone in my list of important technological inventions, but it is still a HUGE part of my life and has effected it dramatically. The internet has millions of uses and millions of pages of information. One really major way that I use the internet is to check my email. Email is an important source of communication for me because it is how I communicate with my teachers. I check it every morning before I leave to school to find out if any of my classes have been cancelled or to check if there are any assignments that I have forgotten to do. Email is also a huge help for me because if I am not going to be able to make it to class on a particular day or if my printer is malfunctioning, I can simply send all my assignments to my teachers by email and they won’t be late. It is such a timesaver. Another extremely important use for the web is research. I can sincerely say that I do not know what I would do if the internet was never invented. To me it is the most reliable source to find information and a lot of it! No matter what is is that you type in a search engine such as google.com, it will find you millions of things related to what you searched. If there is anything I need to know, find, or look up, all I have to do is simply type a few words and I have what I am looking for within seconds. The last use for internet in my life would have to be for websites such as Myspace. These websites are just another way to communicate with people who live far or near. It is a way to view other peoples lives and for others to view yours. I frequently use these sites to stay connected to my friends. There are many different ways to use the internet, it was made to make our lives easier and it has done just that. The internet has without a doubt revolutionized the way we live today. The world is such a different place than it was years ago with all these advances in our technology. Some say that may be a bad thing but these inventions have only made my life easier and more convenient. With all these inventions it makes it easier to communicate with people, which I think is important to everyone. I do not know how life would be without such devices and I hope that we continue to make advances in our technology.

Personal Narrative

maiarosales — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:23:00 +0000

My ipod is a relatively important piece of technology that I use every single day faithfully. I think it is a great invention that has really made a difference in the way the world listens to music. The older generations are more than likely used to listening to music on a cd player or even on a cassette. Ipods are so advanced and they are capable of doing so many things that most people never even dreamed they could do. An ipod, depending on what size you get, can hold thousands of songs. Your average CD could hold somewhere around 20 songs at the most. This amazing little gadget can also hold hundreds of pictures and and hours worth of video. The new ipod can even record footage. It is also a lot smaller than any CD player I have ever seen. Most ipods can fit in the palm of your hand. An ipod is the best way that I know of to pass time. I listen to my ipod when I am walking to class and when I am working out. I do not know what I would do without this tiny piece of technology.

Another really amazing invention is the digital camera. I have already owned more than one in my lifetime because when I lose or break it, I absolutely must go buy another one. This is an object that has become really advanced in terms of the quality. Cameras that were used years ago were HUGE and required a lot more work to take a photo than cameras now days. The type of cameras that we see in history books do not look even relatively close to the digital cameras that the world has today. The cameras that I have owned are all really small and I love that because I can take it everywhere I go without it being an inconvenience. Most cameras also record video and have great LCD screens to review the pictures that you have just taken on. Personally, I believe that pictures are one of the greatest ways to preserve memories and I would not leave my house without my digital camera.

Different game systems also have their own little role in my life. I never really used to be the kinda person that was into games but I must admit that I am absolutely addicted to the Wii. It is a relatively new game system that not only requires you to press buttons on a remote but it also works based on your movement and physical activity. It is the only game system that I know of that requires some time of motion from your body. There are hundreds of games that are available for this game system. It even has a game called Wii Fit that you can play and it is supposed to get you into shape. Get inshape by playing a video game? That is pretty unheard of and I think that is why I love it. Another game system that I use slightly less than the Wii, is the X-box 360. It is pretty much your average game system but the reason why I like to play it is because it has an option that you can apply called Live. It allows you to play literally “live” with anyone all over the world who is online and playing the same game you are playing. It is pretty amazing.

I would have to say that the cell phone is by far the most important piece of technology that has ever been invented. I got my first cell phone when I was in seventh grade but I believe children now days are getting cells phones way younger than that. I do not think that parents give their kids cell phones as a luxury, but as a necessity. In case of an emergency, they can get ahold of their children. Cell phones play a key role in not millions, but billions of people’s lives. Cell phones have also come a pretty far stretch from when they were first presented to the world. They were originally really big and bulky but now that are extremely sleek and small. I feel that it is one of the most important pieces of technology ever made because many people heavily rely on their phones. Many people run their businesses from their phones or even pay bills from their cells phones. It is amazing what you can do on your cell phone now days, it has become so much more that just a device to talk on. My cell phone is most definitely my life line. I am on my cell phone most hours of the day whether I am at home talking on the phone or in class texting on my phone. Text messaging is by far my biggest addiction and I can not seem to ever stop. Texting is a cool way to send little messages to people when its is unneccesary to make a phone call. I think its pretty convenient and I love to do it all day. I rely on my phone heavily when I leave my house because in the case of an emergency, I can make a phone call and fix whatever the matter may be. People can contact me at anytime an I can contact other people whenever I need to. Its the perfect way to communicate with the world and my life would never be the same without it.

The internet is just below the cell phone in my list of important technological inventions, but it is still a HUGE part of my life and has effected it dramatically. The internet has millions of uses and millions of pages of information. One really major way that I use the internet is to check my email. Email is an important source of communicatiom for me because it is how I communicate with my teachers. I check it every morning before I leave to school to find out if any of my classes have been cancelled or to check if there are any assignments that I have forgotten to do. Email is also a huge help for me because if I am not going to be able to make it to class on a particular day or if my printer is malfunctioning, I can simply send all my assignments to my teachers by email and they won’t be late. It is such a timesaver. Another extremely important use for the web is research. I can sincerely say that I do not know what I would do if the internet was never invented. To me it is the most reliable source to find information and a lot of it! No matter what is is that you type in a search engine such as google.com, it will find you millions of things related to what you searched. If there is anything I need to know, find, or look up, all I have to do is simply type a few words and I have what I am looking for within seconds. The last use for internet in my life would have to be for websites such as Myspace. These websites are just another way to communicate with people who live far or near. It is a way to view other peoples lives and for others to view yours. I frequently use these sites to stay connected to my friends. There are many different ways to use the internet, it was made to make our lives easier and it has done just that. The internet has without a doubt revolutionized the way we live today.

The world is such a different place than it was years ago with all these advances in our technology. Some say that may be a bad thing but these inventions have only made my life easier and more convenient. I do not know how life would be without such devices and I hope that we continue to make advances in our technology.

Brainstorm

maiarosales — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:55:31 +0000

The main things that I am going to talk about in my essay are:

The websites that I use such as Myspace.
My cell phone.
The computer.
My ipod.

Do Games Teach Us Things?

maiarosales — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:19:11 +0000

Video games and online games have become extremely popular with this generation. Some people spend most of their day playing Playstation 3 or X-box 360. The question is, do games teach us things? Personally, I think they do. Not all games are appropriate or even have a good message to send to people but I believe they do have something to offer as far as teaching some sort of skill. Whether its a new online game that just came out or classic card or board game, your brain is still being trained to do something.

Evaluating Sources

maiarosales — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:16:18 +0000

When you pull up a search engine and type a few keywords in, hundreds of different websites that contain information on your topic will pop up. But what sources are ligitimate? And how do we know if the information is reliable? One of the sources that I feel is reliable is dictionary.com because everything that is on that website is also published in a book so it must be ligitimate.

Another source that I feel is ligitimate is Nytimes.com because it is a news website and their information is reliable. Its the main website that I use to find out about what is going on in the world.

I think that search engines such as Google, are extremely important as far a finding these sources because it pretty much finds the information for you. Without these type of websites it would be impossible to find the information we are looking for.