Technology--Abby,+Paulina,+Neha

the Do they enjoy listening to music at home or on the go? Apple store has just released their latest IPod nano with video recording. This little gadget comes in nine brilliant colors with a built in video camera. Its slim, polished, aluminum finish makes the nano easy to carry and store. And the best part? The new IPod nano comes with the Genius mix which atuomatically surfs your music library and then creates a playlist of song that would go really well together. Control the Genius or let it do the work, but either way it is true to its name. Old IPod nano's did not look as well, work as fast, or sound as clear, but with the new nano video, sound, image and efficiency has risen to a new level. With prices rangings from $149 (8GB) to $179 (16GB) these can really dent your wallet, but if you really want a good IPod, then the money spent is defiantly worth it! I would probably buy one too, especially with the discount you could get at any electronic store. Just trade your old IPod in for some extra cash that could go toward the new IPod. But hurry fast because this a limited time offer happening only during the Christmas season! ​ Sources ~ [] Hello, again! It's Paulina, Abby, and Neha with some cool Christmas gift ideas! You know that we are getting closer to Christmas season, now it’s the right time to shop for this holiday. We know that the great place to buy cell phones is Verizon. Verizon is the most reliable network with great coverage in the U.S. You can find great deals compared to T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. You can find great deals in all the wireless service providers but you won’t get a better coverage than Verizon. One of the best and new cell phones of Verizon is the new Motorola Droid®. It comes with everything that you’ve wished for. On Motorola Droid® you can find all kinds of features like a 3.7” Touch Screen, slide out QWERTY keyboard, a 5.0 megapixel camera and more. How cool is that?! I know that if you keep looking for great deals you will find awesome presents for you and your family. Okay so what if a phone is just not them? Well, I hope that this has helped you to make up your mind and find what you’re looking for. Visit the websites below to get visual image of the different cellphones and Nano's you might find to your liking. Merry Christmas everyone!

Sources ~ []

Hey it's Abby, Neha, and Paulina. Have you guys heard about the new iPad from apple. Well maybe not because rumor has it that it going to be announced in January and launched in May or June of 2010. The iPad or the Apple tablet is mostly like a jumbo iphone. there might be a slim chance that it will make it to market. The iPad cost at least $700- $900, it has a 10 inch screen, it is a touchscreen,and has an LCD color. you can web browse, look up recipes, put books on it, look at news, go on youtube, buy music on itunes, use it as a laptop, and alot more. The kindle might be killed by the apple tablet. on the apple tablets you can do so much but on a kindle you can only read many books. i know that the apple tablet is only a rumor but everyone who knows about the tablet is expecting the tablet to launch. i think that tablets would be better than the kindle, you can do so much more. Also we could use these in school.

sources:http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20091207/tc_pcworld/appletabletandcrunchpaddoconsumerswantthesethings

Great post ladies- you have some spelling errors- they are underlined in red...also, I would love to read more about the different phones and what they have to offer if you can add that to your post; maybe split it into two posts; one about the iPod and the other about the phones. I've heard different reports on the Droid and would love to know what you find on the topic. Mrs. Allen

​ ​ Hey Mrs. Allen! Thanks for the feedback! We fixed our spelling errors and in answer to your suggestion of different blogs, we have decided to still keep it as one blog that is themed Christmas Gift Ideas! Thank you all the same, though. We appreciate it! ~Neha, Abby, Paulina

1-4-2010 1. Analyze the contents of the wordle made from all of the posts in your category. Remember that this includes all the posts on your topic...not just your own. What are the common ideas that are being discussed and debated? What trends do you see?

Tecnology blogs are mostly dicussing new advancements in tecnology according to the wordle. New websites, computor programs and gadgets are all popular themes to blog about. Many of the blogs seem to bend toward the future of our tecnoloical advancements or even trivial things such as the new version of the IPod or a new gaming system.

2. Go to Wordle and make a word cloud of just YOUR posts. To do this, open a new wordle space and then copy and paste all of the text from your posts into the space. Create the word cloud.



3. Compare the two. What is similar? What is different? The difference between our cloud and the technology cloud is that ours is on new little gadgets and the technology cloud is more spread out on different kinds of technology. The way they are similar is that they both have new as the biggest word.

4. Right before break, your assignment was to search the internet for blogs about your topic. Include the links to the blogs you found as the response to this question. Be sure to give the title of the blogs as well.


 * Kotaku - http://kotaku.com
 * Gizmodo **-** http://gizmodo.com
 * Engadget - http://www.engadget.com
 * Techdirt - http://www.techdirt.com
 * Forever Geek - http://forevergeek.com

5. Compare your ideas to the those in the blogs that you found. What is similar? What is different?

Our blog mainly focuses on the new advancements in tecnology devices that interest kids our age such as cell phones and IPods. The blog sites we visited about tecnology are more broader in subject, ranging from computer games to new millitary tecnology. Though both blogs share a common goal. We love to share with others our new findings about tecnology and all the new gadgets out! Even though the blog sites listed in the previous question are a little more advanced than our own, we both share a common liking for tecnology.

6. Begin to brainstorm about the topic of your next post. What research do you need to do? Where will you find the info that you need?

Our group has decided to switch topics from tecnology to school related subjects of interest. We thought of blogging about school and homework tips (tests, midterms etc.) to better prepare other kids when the big tests come. Stress relieving tips and how to cut down on homework time are key things we need to research. Most of the information will be found in various books at the library or the popular blogs that many college students put up.

1-6-10

Hey guys! Its Abby, Paulina, and Neha and we're here to make school just a bit more bearable. Have you been struggling with completing homework assignment? Or are you not doing well on tests? Do you know how to study effectivly and effciently? Here are some tips on how to do better in school when it comes to tests and homework assignment!

Do you stress out a lot before a test? Is that quesy feeling in your stomach usually present before the thunk of the paper lands in front of your desk? 50% of the time do you feel like just bolting home so you can study some more? These symtoms are all due to a condition called stress. Now stress is perfectly normal occurance, especially before something big, like a test. But it can be very harmful to your preformance level. Studies show that those less stressed before a test do up to 65% better than those who are. Here are some tips to help you relax before a big test.

1.) __Get plenty of sleep ~__ A well rested mind can consentrate better than a sleep deprived one. Make sure the night before the test you go to bed early and get at least 8 hours of sleep. So in the morning your mind can remeber better and you'll do better on the test.

2.) __Eat a Healthy Breakfast ~__ A good breakfast can sometimes be the difference between a pass and fail grade. Blood sugar is at the lowest in the morning and in order for you to problem solve effciently you must raise it to normal level. Stay away from sugary goods like donuts. Things such as cerel or eggs which are high in wheat, protein, and grains are perfect choices!

3.) __Think Positivly! ~__ A positive attitude boosts your confindence level. Confindence in a test leads to remembering concepts better and eliminates hesitance and doubt.

4.) __Don't Cram! ~__ Studying at the last minute or right before a test is counterproductive and can lead to even more stress. It doesn't help and makes you forgets things more easily. Study at least 2 nights before a test then review the day before the test. This will improve your memory and help you better understand the concept.

5.) __RELAX! ~__ Don't panic before a test. If you ever find yourself in the position where before or even during the test you start panicing, stop. Take a deep breathe and relax yourself. Take a mini time out for maybe 30 seconds and focus on making your breathing regular and deep. Stretch your fingers and toes to help the blood flow more smoothly. Once your panic subdues, start your test again. ***Note*** If it is a timed test make sure you take no longer than 30 seconds for the above.

And changing the topic, it's time to talk about homework tips. This tips will help you on how to improve your homework grades, you’ll see that when you apply this to your school life, so here you go: 1) Attend classes regularly. Attendance is important so you don’t miss anything. The three most important things to do well on your homework are: Listen, take notes, and ask your teacher whenever you have a question. 2)  Understand every question asked on your assignment. If you follow the steps listed above, you should have the information you need to do your school homework. 3) When working on your homework assignment reread the pages or notes that the teacher referred to before assigning the task. This will make it so much easier for you to understand the homework and know what you are doing. 4)  Begin a “work session”, a work session should be about an hour and it helps you to stay focused on homework with no distractions. Don’t do anything else, but school homework on that time. Later, when you finish, you can take a break and eat a snack. If you still need another work session, you can start it after you took your break and you ate your snack. The reason is that if you budget an hour of work, but spend 15 minutes making your snack, you didn’t really spend a realistic amount of time working. 5) Put your completed work on the bag. You don’t want to get to school the next day and realize that you left it at home. Get in the habit of packing the night before, so that the next morning the only thing you have to do is grab your bag, and know you have everything you need in there. Well, that’s all for homework tips, we hope you'll use them in the future! ttyl on the next post!

And if you have a big test coming up here's some ways to study.

**•Quiet place away from distraction.** Loud music can get you singing and dancing instead of studying. Television can just make you forget about studying. Stay in a quiet place where your there to studying and get it done so your prepared for the test. The reason you created a study group is to study. Make sure that when you get a study group you actually study and not just there to hang out. When you write down notes you want to read them later. So write them so they’re easy to read. If a friend wants to borrow your notes you want them to be neat so they can read and study them. In the class room there can be many distractions. Keep focus on the teacher to listen for any notes that might be on the next test. I know you probably hear all the time to use note cards but say it takes a lot off time. But if you just spend 30 to an hour making them you might get a better chance of getting a better grade on the test.
 * • Create a study **
 * • When taking notes make sure they’re easy to read so when you go back to look over them you can actually read them. **
 * •Stay focus. **
 * • If it helps, write out note cards. **

We hope these tips help you, especially since Midterms are coming up! With any luck these tips can help raise your grade. You should see the results in a matter of weeks. We hope we have made school just a bit more easier to deal with. Check the sites below to find out more about academic sucession tips! Thanks for reading our post. Good Luck!!!!

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These are great tips! I think that if you put these on the blog, many people will like it! Study, test, and homework tips are very helpful for everyone in school. I tend to study by myself for just regular tests and quizzes but for big tests such as Midterms and unit tests I usually find someone at lunch to study with. Also I just wanted to mention that you guys have a few spelling and grammar mistakes. A bit of proofreading and you'll be good to go. Great job! ~Linda =)

1-15-10

Hey it’s Abby, Paulina, and Neha again and we’re here to help you from every kid’s nightmare… Midterms. Okay admit it you guys are all stressed out about these upcoming tests and are probably going to cram the night before. If you read our last post we gave you some tips on how to improve on homework, how to prepare for tests and even how not to stress out about them. Well today we here to help you with the bigger test; the Midterms. Here are some tips that will help you study and relax before the big tests in another 2 weeks.

__ Stress, Major Stress! __
 * __Plan, Plan, Plan! ~__ Plan out how you’re going tackle the mountain of paper called a study guide. Maybe you could do one topic a day, then review the last two days before the exams. STICK TO THE SCHEDULE! Don’t back out, stick to the study plan you made to get the best scores possible. Cramming study time in before the test day increases stress and decrease the amount you understand and remember.
 * __Coffee Break! ~__ Don’t study non-stop for the next five days before the exam. Trust me, you’ll go insane. Plan breaks in between study times for maybe half an hour to 45 minutes. This will give your mind a rest so you don’t burn out even before the exams. But remember get back to studying after the break so you retain most of the information gathered.
 * __Study Buddy! ~__ Research has shown that study groups are effective when it comes to doing well and retaining the subject taught. Get a group of friends or peers together and crack open the textbooks. You’ll get more done and still have fun. ***Note*** don’t go there to goof off. Make sure you study. Some people don’t study well with other so it’s okay to study alone. Stay on track, because you can still have fun with your friends and get good results if you work smart.
 * **__ Prioritize ~ __**** Knowing what to study and how much time to spend on each subject is a tricky thing to mange. Make sure you prioritize your time. If you want to study more on a subject you’re not good at then spend more time there. If you’re good at a subject and want to get a perfect A in that then study more there. It’s up to you. Don’t waste your time deciding, list what is important to you and study that. **

If you write down what might be on the exam you‘ll know what to study. It’s a lot easier to just take you binder home than to take everything home. Study for an exam the night before won’t help you the next day when you’re taking the exam. Since it is two weeks before the exam you should start studying now so when you do take the test your well prepare. The night before just look over everything to make sure you know everything. Get your back pack ready and check if you have two pencils and a highlighter, just in case. Some of you don’t eat breakfast but on this day you might want to. The food from your breakfast can help you concentrate and give you energy to stay awake. If you get less than 6 hours of sleep you won’t be wide awake and ready for the exam the next day. You are most likely to remember what you studied.
 * • Make a one-page summary**
 * • Don’t cram the night before the exam**
 * •** **What to do the night before.**
 * • Eat Breakfast.**
 * • Make sure you at least get 6 hours of sleep.**

Midterms can be tough in your mind and body, especially when you have two exams scheduled for the same day, that’s why we’ve listed these tips for you to use between exams.

-FIND A QUIET PLACE: try to find a quiet place where you can relax, be alone and clear your head for awhile. Try to stay away from students talking about the exams, this will help you relief the stress of the exams. -IF YOU GET HUNGRY DURING THE EXAM: if you get hungry during the exams just stick with ice water for a drink. It’s important that you don’t eat or drink any sugar or soda that can affect your mood or your stress level. -REFRESH YOURSELF: if you are not allowed to go outside to refresh yourself, it is a great idea to go to the bathroom and splash some cold water down your face, this will help you relax and it will wake you up. -CHEW AND DRINK: chew a refreshing mint gum, and drink cold water when you finish your test. This will also help you to relax and feel alive again. But remember, when you take the 2nd exam, make sure to spit the gum out, this way there are no distractions. -MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR MATERIALS COMPLETED: Remember to check your bag, before you go and take your next exam. Make sure that you have everything you need to complete the exam. If it’s necessary bring twice what you need.

We hope this tips have helped you and you will use them later to get better grades.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

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