Thursday, April 28, 2016

Thing #10- Digital Images

Q1- The Search is ON!

Some images you like and want to use are protected by copyright laws.  It is important for you to respect the work of others, so it is important to choose the right image. (from the 21Things website)

To avoid plagiarism when getting photos:

Avoid photos with this symbol: (it stands for copyright!)
Copyright 2 
You could also receive a notification that "Images May be Subject to Copyright" if you do a search for images on the internet. This often happens when you use Google to search for an image. In that case, you must assume it is copyright protected unless you are able to visit the website the image came from to see if the owner is granting permission for use. If you do use Google, try going to Google Advanced Image Search and select the correct "usage rights" below the drop down arrow for the kind of image you want to use. The image below shows the permission level you would need to use. 

 (from the 21Things website)


You may even see a Creative Commons license like this one: 
Creative Commons
Here is an image that I found on google that is free to use:

(Yes, I love chickens)

stop sign What should you do if you find an inappropriate picture on the internet?


You should...


  1. Turn off your monitor and don't make it a big scene and show your neighbor
  2. Then find a teacher so that they can report the image

Here is the properties of the picture of chickens above:

As you can see this is a format called: JPEG 

JPEG is a commonly used format for pictures that can be put almost anywhere.

Here is a citation from bibme for this picture:

Unknown. Chickens. 2010. Desktop, Coloma.

During this quest it asked me to create a Creative Commons license for this image as seen below:

Q2- Image Magic


Using fotoflexer.com I was able to edit my previous photo:

Before:
After:
It looks like a whole new photo doesn't it!


Here is the citation and Creative Commons License for the after image:

Chickens from Mars, FotoFlex. Personal photograph by author. 2016.

Creative Commons License
Chickens After Blue by CaleighMarie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at N/A.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at N/A.

Q3- The Science Mythbusters


For this quest I will be choosing a myth (an idea that is held to be true but is false) and do research to prove or disprove the myth. 

I am disproving the myth that air and oxygen are the same thing.

Air is actually a combination of the following gases:


nitrogen (N2)78.084
oxygen (O2)20.946
argon (Ar)0.934
neon (Ne)0.0018
helium (He)0.000524
methane (CH4)0.0002
krypton (Kr)0.000114
hydrogen (H2)0.00005
nitrous oxide (N2O)0.00005
xenon (Xe)
So oxygen is about only 21% of earth's air. Keep in mind that this is clean air, not including pollution.

A kite takes flight on a windy day.


Sources:

"Air." Britannica School. Michigan ELibrary, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
A Kite Takes Flight on a Windy Day. N.d. MeL, Http://school.eb.com/levels/high/search/images?query=air&includeLevelThree=1&page=1.

Now using Google Slides I was able to create a slideshow of my facts disproving this particular myth.

You can see my presentation by clicking here.



Thing #9- Search Strategies

Q1- Michigan eLibrary

First of all, lets start with Boolean Operators: (This will help you SO much!)

When researching its often hard to find the info you want so using and/or/not it helps a lot!

Example: 
   
   Trying to research: the cherry and apple industry in washington

   Type: cherry OR apple AND washington NOT george

This will look for articles with cherry or apple in them with washington but it will leave everything out about George Washington cutting down the apple tree. 

The video referenced can be found at this link:
 http://www.schooltube.com/video/8e4dca5cec51fa226408/Boolean%20Operators

By using Boolean Operators, the Michigan eLibrary, and Kids InfoBits I was able to answer these three questions:


    a. What three branches were created by the Constitution?

the legislative, executive and judicial

    b. Which branch of government makes the country's laws?

the house of representatives

    c.  In which branch would legal disputes be settled?

the senate

Using dictionary.com I was able to find the definition of the following terms very quickly:

ratify- to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction
amendment- an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.
assemble- to bring together or gather into one place, company, body, or whole.

Warning: Be careful when you find the definition of words, make sure they are pertinent to your topic. Just like there are two different meaning to the word 'assemble'. Here are two picture depicting what assemble in its literary form means. 
Assembling parts to make one 

Assembling in a meeting

Q2- Safe Searching

For Quest #2 I will be using KidzSearch.

With this search engine I was able to answer the following questions:



a. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams didn't sign it [the Constitution].

He was in Paris serving as minister to France. John Adams was also abroad, serving as minister to Great Britain.

b. Why some of the others refused to sign. 

Fourteen men, having already left Philadelphia, were not present for the signing, and only Delaware delegate John Dickinson had a proxy sign for him. Three delegates—Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts and Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia—were dissatisfied with the final document and refused to ink their signatures.

Also using KidzSearch I answered the following questions:

a.  Using KidzSearch to answer the questions below. 

1. What year was the first coin operated pinball machine invented?

1931

2. What was the name of this first coin operated pinball invention?

"Bally Hoo"

3. When was the first electronic pinball machine released?  

1933

4. What was the first electronic pinball machine named?

Theatre of Magic

5. What was the name of the first video arcade game machine?

Baffle Ball

Here is an example of what bad searching looks like:

Search Strategies tried outSearch #1:   spongeSearch #2:   sponge animalSearch #3:   sponge +oceanSearch #4:   sponge +animalSearch #5:   sponge +"ocean animal" 


Which of the search strategies above do you think had:     a. the largest number of results- Search #2

     b. the smallest number of results- Seach #3
     c. the best results for writing the report- Seach #5


So just be careful how you search topics.

Q3- Website Evaluation

For this quest I will choosing a topic of my choice to conduct research on so that I can evaluate different sources. I will choose two sources from Google and two sources from mel.org. 

My Topic: Silkie Chickens

Google Sources:

Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie

Backyard Chickens
http://www.backyardchickens.com/products/silkie


Michigan eLibrary Sources:

Academic OneFile
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&id=GALE|A350338611&p=AONE&sw=w&password=kepdorp

Academic OneFile
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&id=GALE|A276808740&p=AONE&sw=w&password=kepdorp


Using the CARRDASS system I found that all of my Michigan eLibrary sources were liable and none of my Google sources were helpful.

After reading up on CARRDASS I was able to answer the following questions:
carrds imagebasic carrds 

6. Respond and take notes on the following: 

a. What does CARRDSS stand for? 

Credibility, Accuracy, Reliability, Relevance, Date, Source, Scope

b. What are the similarities and differences between the CARRDSS
     and BASIC forms?

They both evaluate websites very well but the CARRDSS system is more in depth. 
c.  How do you know if your information is reliable or not?

By looking at who wrote it and what the date upon which it was written. For instance, I would rather trust Dr. James' report from last year than Trex479 from 5 years ago. 

d. How do you know if you should move on to another website to find your
     information?

If the website doesn't give you the information you need or it has a bad source, or it's not accurate information then you should move on. 
e. How would you explain this to your classmates so they know if the
      website is credible?

I would explain to them that if they were to use the CARRDSS system or even the BASIC system they would be fine.

Q4- Citing Your Source

Using mel.org I was able to answer these questions and site my source:

Citation Maker Practice      Benjamin Franklin Biography 
1. When and where was Benjamin Franklin born? 
January 17, 1706 in Boston, MA
Source: 
https://www.google.com/search?q=When+and+where+was+Benjamin+Franklin+born%3F&rlz=1C1GGGE___US627US627&oq=When+and+where+was+Benjamin+Franklin+born%3F&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
2. Name two of Benjamin Franklin’s inventions. 
Bifocals and a Lightning Rod
Source:
 https://www.google.com/?safe=active&safe=active&gws_rd=ssl#safe=active&q=when+and+where+was+ben+franklin+born
 3. List two of Benjamin Franklin’s famous quotes. 
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Source:
https://www.google.com/?safe=active&safe=active&gws_rd=ssl#safe=active&q=ben+franklin+famous+quotes
 4. Name one of Benjamin Franklin’s publications. 
M.T. Cicero's Cato Major and Printer to the Reader
Source:
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/franklin-printer.html
 5. How much formal education did Benjamin Franklin have?
He was schooled till the age of 10 at two different schools and then had an apprenticeship.
 Source:
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/articles/benjamin-franklin-school.html

Now with all of these URLs I will use bibme.com to put them into MLA format as seen below:
  1. Google. "When and Where Was Benjamin Franklin Born? - Google Search." When and Where Was Benjamin Franklin Born? - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
  2. "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
  3. "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
  4. "Printer and Writer: Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words... (AmericanTreasures of the Library of Congress)." Printer and Writer: Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words... (AmericanTreasures of the Library of Congress). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
  5. "Where Did Benjamin Franklin Go To School?" YourDictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
So as you can see, using Google for papers isn't the smartest decision while my last two sources would look very nice at the end of a school paper.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Troubleshooting Tips

Welcome to Troubleshooting Tips!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Computer slow?
Unwanted pop-ups?
Camera light turn on?
Spam emails?

You probably have some malware or spyware.

First things first. DON'T FREAK OUT! This is easily fixable and nothings to stress over.

Download some anti-spyware software. Use it. Type Alt+F4 instead of clicking on pop-ups. Update your computer software. Tell someone. If the problem persists contact your service provider.


Also, here is a video from the 21Things 4Students website to help you understand troubleshooting a little better...






Also, here is some other tools that can help you in your troubleshooting journey!


You should also take  a closer look into Thing #8!



Thing #8- Troubleshooting

Q1- Murphy's Law

During this quest I was able to create a flow chart on Basic Troubleshooting, Avoiding malware, and Antivirus Software. Here is what it looks like:

Q2- Now What?

Problem 1 - Murphy pushes the power button on her computer and nothing happens. List all of the possibilities in flow chart form on how she would troubleshoot the problem.



Problem 2 - Murphy launches her Internet browser and sees a message that tells her, "The Page Cannot Be Found". In addition, you notice that you can't get to any of your network hard drives. List all of the possibilities in flow chart form and how she would troubleshoot the problem.

Problem 3 - Over the past few days Murphy has noticed that her computer is starting to run very slowly, web pages are either not loading or she is being taken to a website that she did not intend to go to. In addition, she has been seeing pop-up boxes telling you that her computer may be infected. List the possibilities of what is wrong in flowchart form, and describe the steps you would take to eliminate the problem.


Q3- Safe?


Here is a list of simple ways to defend against hackers and exploiters in the age of technology:

Subtopic: Shopping

1: Ask how they will protect your information
2: Only buy from people and places you trust
3: Avoid online shopping if you can help it

Subtopic: Identity

1: Don't post your personal info online
2: Set up high standard privacy settings
3: Change your passwords regularly

Subtopic: Basics

1: Don't give out your personal info
2: Delete unused accounts
3: Update your computer and it's software
4: Download a anti-virus and malware software

Q4- Trouble

Here are 10 issues that you may come across:


  1. Won't turn on
  2. Shows error message
  3. Frequent pop-ups
  4. Spam emails
  5. Battery drains quickly
  6. Generally slow
  7. Won't connect to the internet
  8. Camera light turns on without opening camera
  9. Unwanted websites pop-up
  10. Setting configured for you
View the next blog post for troubleshooting tips!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Thing #7- Be Legal and Fair

Q1- Copyright Laws

http://bit.ly/p3pila

This 'disney' video is an amazingly fun way to learn about Copyright Laws and Fair Use! I encourage you to watch it all the way through.

Here is a QR code (see Thing #2 if you are confused of what a QR code is!) about the things that I have personally learned about Copyright Laws and Fair Use.


Q2- The Source

When I was doing this quest I was told to pick out a stanza out of one of my favorite poems. So I chose the last stanza in Robert Frost's The Road not Taken:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Using bibme.org I was able to create a very fast bibliography for the picture to the left:
Blair, A. (2011, December 23). Split Road [Photograph]. Flickr, Internet.
And one for the poem above:
Frost, R. (n.d.). The Road Not Taken. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/road-not-taken


Q3- Plagiarism
There are websites such as paperrater.com that can see if any part of the document was plagarized. To test this out I copied and pasted the synopsis from biography.com about Martain Luther King Jr.. Here is what I found:
Ouch! There is 0% originality in this!
Now lets check one of the documents that I have made as a school paper.
You see, websites such as these can not only help you make sure that you are righting everything in our own words, but also help people like me, to protect their published work from being stolen. 
Q4- Stop the Pirates
Here is a popplet that I created to show that piracy is NOT cool and why it is that way. 
Be considerate: don't plagiarize. 
During this quest I had an amazing opportunity to license one of my many works using Creative Common. And now, my blog is copyrighted!

This is an awesome way to legally copyright your work and do it without paying a penny as well!