SmartBoards

January 21, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

Dear Teachers At Large,

Quite a few teachers I have had in my high school career have had access to Interwrite Boards in their classrooms. More commonly known as SmartBoards, these tools can either greatly enhance a classroom learning experience or visibly destroy it. A couple things you should consider concentrating on before introducing a your new toy to your classroom:

  1. Inexperience- Easily the most common issue. Because of simple inexperience with the new technology, I have had nearly entire periods wasted because a powerpoint won’t work, or a youtube video won’t load, or what have you. So I ask all teachers, even if you have been trained or done a tutorial about the use of your new toy, please try teaching a practice lesson.
  2. Overuse- No. Not everything needs to be done on a smartboard. There are still perfectly good chalk boards all around. So there is really no sense in waiting to open up a document simply to show a basic equation that can be jotted down in a couple lines, especially if there is no reason you would ever need to access it later
  3. Accessability- Not really a “problem”, but if you are going to take time to create a power point or some manner of digital lesson, consider making it available to students online to save the trouble of copying notes and allow them to concentrate on the actual learning.
  4. Visibility- Just because the screen is now quite large, it doesn’t mean that everyone can read your standard size 12 Times New Roman font. Before teaching a lesson, turn on the board and go sit in the back of the classroom. If you can’t read it, make it better
  5. Laziness- The real reason I wrote this. Having a smartboard does not, I repeat, does not give you the right to copy the book, a previous teacher, or some website’s notes or powerpoint, put it up on the screen and pass it off as teaching. Understand your subject. Learn the inner-working of the problems. Do not just blindly copy examples. And for crying out loud, if you let all else slide, at least read over the power point you are supposed to be presenting.

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The lights are off…

January 20, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

..And I’m too lazy to get up and turn them on.

The phrase “I’m too lazy” is one that I utter far too often, generally to the annoyance of those around me. 

“Hey Jack! Can you grab me some water please?”

“Get it yourself”

“I’m too lazy”

Then he, being my brother, will usually make some sort of weird face, I’ll make one back, and depending on how badly I am in need of said water I will either give in and get it myself or wait for someone else to walk by the fridge again.

Even when I do not voice this exact phrase, one  would find similar sentiments in my conversations quite readily. During Advanced Topics Comp Sci, 4th bell, this happens almost daily.

“Hilary, can you help on our CS project?”

“Uhh… Lemme think about it…. Nope. I’m too busy checking my e-mail and reading webcomics”

“You’re so lazy!”

And although my project partners displeasure is almost always countered instantly by a clever “your mom” joke, their point still stands.

I am lazy.

Is this such a bad thing? Things that are truly important to me, such as my physics assignments or UT Chem Homeworks,  are always done in a timely manner in pristine quality. I am a member of plenty of activities, from French Club to Pep Band to InterAlliance. I attend play rehearsal, practice French Horn and piano, and play Ultimate Frisbee. These are the things that are worth my time and effort; if I want to short-change other motions because the cost of doing them outweighs the reward, should I be judged?

I’ll be the first to admit that many do not consider the cost of getting up and moving a couple feet to turn on the lights that high, especially when the benefit is to be able to see the rest of the kitchen clearly, but in refusing to do so, I came up with 321 words of blogging material so far.

I am lazy.

Sometimes.

And I’m okay with that.

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Since everyone is pining for an update…

January 19, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

75 Questions you’ve probably never answered.

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
My face

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Depends on how I’m feeling, but usually it’s green

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
yes

4. Do you plan outfits?
when I have time

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
kind of frustrated

6. Whats the closest thing to you thats red?
A multi-vitamin

7. Do you say aim or a-i-m?
depends on who I’m talking to, but they both sound wrong

8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I don’t really want to. But there was band in it. And a musical. And some people I know.

9. Did you meet anybody new today?
Nope

10. What are you craving right now?
A sandwich

11. Do you floss?
very rarely

12. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Mrs. Figg’s House

13. When was the last time you talked on aim?
yesterday night/this morning

14. Are you emotional?
I used to not be but I find myself becoming more and more so

15. Would you dance to the taco song?
the taco song?

16. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
yes

17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
lick

18. Do you like your hair?
It has been rather nice lately, although I still want to either cut it or dye it

19. Do you like yourself?
Yeah pretty much

20. Have you ever met a celebrity?
No

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
I’m not sure

22. What are you listening to right now?
My mom and brother come home

23. How many countries have you visited?
I remember visiting 2, but I’ve been to so many more

24. Are your parents strict?
Yeah, but it could be worse

25. Would you go sky diving?
Yeah. Except I’d probably start freaking out at the last minute

26. Would you go out to eat with George W.
Bush?
It might be interesting to talk to him

27. Would you throw potatoes at him?
Potatoes are too yummy to waste

28. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in?
My brother’s brand new braces

29. Have you ever been in a castle?
Yes

30. Do you rent movies often?
Not especially

31. Who sits behind you in your math class?
Jordan and Andrew

32. Have you made a prank phone call?
Yeah

33. Do you own a gun?
Only a nerf gun

34. Can you count backwards from 76?
I’d like to think so, but I’d probably trip up

35. Who are you going to be with tonight?
Just my family most likely

36. Brown or white eggs?
White. I am an egg racist.

37. Do you own something from Hot Topic?
Nope

38. Ever been on a train?
Yes

39. Ever been in love?
Yes

40. Do you have a cell-phone?
Mhm. Not that I ever use/answer it

41. Are you too forgiving?
I’ve been debating that one lately

42. Do you use chap stick?
I have some next to me right now

43. What is your best friend doing tomorrow?
Going to school? 

44. Can you use chop sticks?
Ish. But according to people that actually can I am a chopstick noob

45. Ever have cream puffs?
Delicious 

46. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Nope

47. What was the last question you asked?
Is that your phone?- directed at my brother in reference to the phone that is making noises in the distance

48. What was the last CD you bought?
Um I haven’t bought a physical music CD in ages, but I bought some games and a movie yesterday which are on CDs

49. Boys or girls?
Boys

50. What is your bus number for school?
Don’t take it

51. Is your hair curly?
Yes

52. Last time you cried?
Yesterday

53. Ever walked into a wall?
So many times…

54. Do looks matter?
Kinda

56. Have you ever slapped someone?
Yes

57. Favorite time of the year?
Fall

58. Favorite color?
Green

59. Are you sarcastic?
Fairly

60. Do you have any tattoos?
No

61. The last person you held hands with?
Terence

62. Do you sleep with the TV on?
I don’t have a TV anywhere near my room 

63. Where was your default picture taken at?
[facebook] Disney world!

64. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
Dislike? of course

65. Do you like your life right now?
It could be better, but it definitely could be worse.

66. How often do you talk on the phone?
Almost never

67. What is your favorite animal?
Penguin

68. What was the most recent thing you bought?
Yesterday my brother and I went down to circuit city and bought a bunch of stuff. Since they’re going out of business they have awesome deals. I bought Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice ($14), Phantom of the opera (the movie, $10), and the Sims 2 Deluxe (Includes The Sims 2, Nightlife, and Celebration, $5!). My brother and I think that the last might have been a misprice because thats 80% off regular price, nothing else was down that much, and just the sims celebration was selling for $8.

69. Do you have good vision?
Not really

70. Can you hula hoop?
Amazingly

71. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
I don’t know. Probably not.

72. Do you have a job?
Nope

73. Can you handle the truth?
I think so.

74. What are you wearing?
Spongebo pajama pants and a clarinet hoodie with a chipmunk on it.

75. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Mhmmmm

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mm

January 17, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged

So I broke my 14 day update stream and went from an all time hit count per day (8 hits!) to a nice low of zero. But I’m having a miserable long weekend so you can just deal.

And I promise to make a better update later, and possibly delete this one.

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Licorice

January 14, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

I have a dog named Licorice.

 

I cut her crazy doggy cousins out of the picture

I cut her crazy doggy cousins out of the picture

 

Isn’t she adorable?  I’m kind of getting worried about her getting old. She isn’t quite as hyper as when she was younger, not to say that she won’t proceed to jump all over any new visitor, the ordeal will just be shorter, and afterwards she will take a nap. On the upside she will stay and sit with me longer and now makes an excellent toe-warmer in the winter.

It would be really hard for me to grow up and not have a dog. They are a lot of work and I can’t imagine the difficulties for dog owners in the city, but there is something about the unconditional love that just gets me.

Oh and because they’re fuzzy.

 

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Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

January 13, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
2/5 Stars
Although this book was well written, witty, and intelligent, I simply did not understand enough of the cultural references to make it a worthwhile read.The inside cover reads “…Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs- the first book in history to examine breakfast cereal, reality television, tribute bands, Internet porn, serial killers, and the Dixie Chicks”; unfortunately, a reader must utilize a much greater cultural lexicon in order to understand how the writer deconstructs the topics. In one essay Klosterman analyzes The Empire Strikes Back, and as an avid Star Wars fan I believed that I would be reasonably able to follow his conclusions. In fact this was one of the comparably easy discussions to follow, yet I completely missed one of the major premises as soon as a paragraph began “Luke’s quandary in The Empire Strikes Back is exactly like the situation facing Winona Ryder in 1994’s Reality Bites..”, having no previous knowledge of this program and points made thereafter are less relevant to me, and I find myself less and less compelled to finish the piece. All in all, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is an elegant slice of a not very elegant culture meaningful for only those who are well versed in the culture to begin with.

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Floor Plans

January 12, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

Just a doodle turned paint project- it’s supposed to be the floorplan of the apartment I’ll get when I’m nice and rich in some big city. The double lined rectangle in the middle is supposed to be a double sided fireplace and the swirly thing is a small spiral staircase. Most of the big odd rectangles are either tables or sofas and just the big furniture is shown, none of the little accessories or anything. It’s really not to scale, because I’m lazy and it’s just the general idea. The second story is kind of a loft type thing. Most of the overlooking part is just a balcony with just a railing between the second floor and the first with the exception of the walled in bedroom.

First Floor

First Floor

Second Floor

Second Floor

So what do you think?

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Priorities

January 11, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged ,

Things To Do This Weekend

  1. Study for AP Chem midterm
  2. Study for AP Physics midterm
  3. Study for BC Calculus midterm
  4. Study for AP English midterm
  5. Study for Band midterm
  6. Study for AP Government midterm
  7. Clean room
  8. Send scholarship info
  9. Do chem postlab questions
  10. Read english articles
  11. Organize school stuff
  12. Watch The Office
  13. Beat Fable II
  14. Spend an inordinate amount of time  online doing absolutely nothing
  15. Go to Ultimate Practice
  16. Copy CDs into iTunes

Good thing I get stuff done, right?

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Hm..

January 11, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged

This might be a song eventually. I’m not sure. (Note: The underscored part is supposed to be kind of overlapping so that every two lines are said at the same time)

She lays there and listens/
and pays no attention/
to the melancholy movie in the background/
unmoving, unfeeling/
she longs for escape
she’s peering out the window/
waiting for that sign the signal
that will let her be free

C:
Free/free from life’s inadequacies/
Free/free from pointless contradictions/
Free/free from what is holding us down/
leaping off the windowsill/
free-falling in a myriad of fleeting sensations/
tumbling in a uncompilation that is

He sits and he stares/
his ephemeral existence colors flashing/
but hes seen these shades before/
hues on this movie reel/
flickering, repeating/
stuck on his infinite loop/
making progress toward nowhere/
someday he would be free

C

They sit and they wait/
something soon will change/
the walls around them will come down/
but until that day the ball and chain remain/
and the prison bars keeping them in/
they know one day their savior will come
a messiah, they’ll escape their hell
one day they will be free

C

Bars/
chains and locks/
keeping us down/
locked safely away/
one day we will be set free/
And someday someone will step up/
lead us through our darkness
but why is someday not this day/
why must we wait to be set

 

Free/free from life’s inadequacies/
__We can be free right now/
Free/free from pointless contradictions/
__open your eyes to see the walls
Free/free from what is holding us down/
__and discover the door
leaping off the windowsill/
__see the lock see the key
free-falling in a myriad of fleeting sensations/
__open the door and walk through on your
tumbling in a uncompilation that is
__own because we will be

…alive

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Today was Tough…

January 10, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized

Today was tough, this evening was worse, and honestly I don’t feel much like writing. I’d much rather go to sleep. In the meantime: read part of this article. I was planning on writing about it and my opinion, but now I’ll probably delay that until tomorrow, or rather I guess it’s tday now.

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