RSS Assignment 12-8-14

1.  Why did you select the sites you subscribed to?
      I selected these sites to subscribe to because they met the requirements and I also found them interesting.  Most, if not all, of the RSS feeds I picked were on a topic that I personally found intriguing.

2.  Was it easy to find feeds and to subscribe to them?
      It was extremely easy to find the feeds and subscribe to them.  It only took me about 15-20 minutes to find the feeds for 15 websites.

3.  Which sites were your favorites?
      The sites that are my favorite are the ones in the hobbies folder.  I also like some of the ones in my news folder as well.

4.  What else can you use RSS feeds for?
      You could use RSS feeds for many things.  You could use the constant stream of articles to help you on an essay or research paper.  You can also keep track of topics that are important to you.

5. How likely are you to continue to use RSS feeds in the future?
    I will most likely continue to use RSS feeds.  They help me kept track of information about a certain topic or event going on.

Gecko Inspired Adhesive 12-5-14

Gecko Inspired Adhesive

• Researchers at Stanford have invented a gecko-inspired climbing system.
• The device consists of two hand-sized sticky-pads and foot platforms that are attached by cables.
• Thousands of microscopic wedges made of silicone are placed onto panels roughly the size of postage stamps that are then positioned on hand-sized plates and connected to springs, ensuring even weight distribution.
• The hand plates are attached by cables to platforms for a person’s feet, which in turn shift most of the weight to the legs.
• Most of the weight is put on the legs so that it is easier for the climber to actually climb.  
• The hand-pads themselves aren’t sticky to the touch. 
• The researchers also believe the new “controllable adhesive” may serve another purpose: ­ridding the galaxy of space-junk.

Learn more about this amazing adhesive here. 

Web 2.0: Do now Writing Prompt 12-2-14

     If I were a teacher I would create a psychology class.  There would be a regular psychology class and an AP psychology class.  In the class students would learn about human behavior and different mental disorders.  The AP class would be similar to the regular except for the fact that there are more projects and an AP exam.  This class would be an elective and would take place during the school day.  The psychology class would take place in a regular classroom, not in a lab.
    In the class students would have multiple projects along with a few experiments.  The students projects would be researching and analyzing different mental disorders.  Students would be allowed to choice whichever disorder they found the most interesting.  Our experiments would have to do with human behavior.  We would be analyzing and discussing how different people react and respond to different situations.  The students final exam would be to conduct some sort of experiment on human behavior and than writing an essay on their conclusions and findings.          

Germ Killing Robot Could Help Fight Diseases 11/21/14

Germ Killing Robot Could Help Fight Diseases

• A new robot has been created that can fight off deadly viruses, like Ebola, in hospitals and health care facilities.
• The robot is a little over five feet tall and is nicknamed "Saul". 
• Saul uses pulses of high-intensity, high-energy ultraviolet rays to split open bacterial cell walls and kill dangerous pathogens.
• Surgical teams in U.S. Air Force Hospitals were recently trained on how to use the robot. 
• Hospitals that have used this have been able to bring infection rates down by 60 percent. 
• The robot is 99.9 percent effective and can completely kill a virus within five minutes.

Check out the article.

Web 2.0: Wiki Research

1. How can a wiki be used in a current class on your schedule (not this course)? Pick a class and be specific how the class could create and use a Wiki on a regular basis (tip: Use the Internet, here is a good source).

           A wiki can be used for many different classes.  One class that I would be able to use it for is English.  In English we are constantly reading books, reviewing books, and discussing opinions on the books.  We could create a wiki and this would allow every student in class to give their opinion and write what they want to.  This would enable the more timid students in the class to comment and actually become part of the conversation. We could assign a different person every day to create the wiki.

  

      2.  What are the benefits of using a wiki in class?

           There are many benefits to using a wiki in class.  Students that do not normally participate in class will have a chance to state their opinion.  It also allows the students to go back and look at the different opinions and facts on and about the book.  

       3.  How can we create a wiki in this class, what would be contribute to it and how would be utilize it                on an on-going basis?

            In this class we could create a wiki about wikis (wikiception).  We could continuously add our thoughts and opinions on wikis while also discussing how to better use wikis.  One student could make the wiki and every day the students could get on and discuss. 

       4.  What experience do you have using or creating wikis?

             I have created wikis in history before for different projects that we have done.  I have also looked at wikis when I'm having trouble understanding topics or just need to know certain information.  

Virtual Reality Can Help Treat Sex Offenders 11/14/14

Virtual Reality Can Help Treat Sex Offenders

(Virtual Reality is the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way.)

• Virtual reality systems are now being used to help treat and understand the impulses of sex offenders. 
• The researchers record the sex offenders responses to what they are seeing and hearing in the virtual reality world. 
• The headsets track eye movements and record how long the sex offender was looking at the image. 
• They also measured participants sexual arousal through penile plethysmography (PPG), which measures the flow of blood to the penis.
• Participants are shown different images in different environments, with different levels of nudity. 
• This treatment helps us learn more about the behavior of sex offenders and helps use create more ways to treat them. 
• Virtual reality is also used to treat many other illnesses (anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse). 
• Virtual reality can cause cybersickness that include the symptoms eye strain, headache, nausea, sweating, disorientation, and vertigo.

(Virtual reality is not the only type of technology being used to help treat and stop sex offenders.)

Check out the article.

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My Weekend

My Weekend

      Over the long weekend I spent time with friends, babysat , and spent my free time reading.  I hung out with a few of my friends over the long weekend and we had a great time just talking and bonding.  On the Friday we had off I babysat a family friend's kids. They were a little (and by a little I mean very) hyper, but by the end of the day I could handle them.  During our extended weekend I also spent a lot of time reading.  I love to read and was able to finish two books along with reading some digital stories.  I had a great time relaxing over the extended weekend.

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