Tag Archives: technology

How Technology Has Taken Over

Imagine there was a giant power outage and you could not use any technology until it was fixed, could you get through your daily lives. When thinking about a person’s dependency on technology someone can take one of two sides. Either they think people are too dependent on technology, or people are not dependent on technology. New technology is getting created every year, like phones and computers. This new technology’s goal is to be better than the last. Every time this new and improved technology come out, it can increases one dependency on technology. Technology is a great tool that helps people in their everyday lives, but the question is do people overuse it.

I personally think we are too dependent on technology. I’m not saying that everyone needs to stop using technology. One thing that has that has changed with technology is communication. This is a big area that I think has changed because of texting. Texting is an easy way to tell someone something, but how much texting is too much. That is a standard that should be set. A person’s dependency on technology, more specifically texting could make people less social. Since people have been texting and not really communicating face to face as much anymore, it could cause them to forget how to communicate with people. Communication is a really important thing in life whether it is for a job interview or a school presentation. I think this is a skill more people need. Communication is an important aspect of life that can’t be taken over by technology.

~Jimmy

CDs: The Disc is Disappearing, but the Music Isn’t

Let me ask you a question: Do you know what a Walkman is? How about a typewriter? Telegraph? I’m guessing a a good amount of you said no to at least one of these things. Now this is simply because that piece of technology is really, really old. So old to the point where our generation doesn’t even know it existed.


However this is also happening to a piece of technology that pretty much all of us have known our entire lives: the CD. Pretty soon it will disappear. Gone. Poof. Donezo. The CD has now become almost completely obsolete! Very few people still buy them compared to how many people bought when they were in their prime, because everyone just downloads all of their music now. Eventually we’ll be saying the classic “Back in my day” story about how we used to have to put a CD in a CD player to listen to music.

Now obviously this isn’t entirely a bad thing. I personally think it’s great. We’re trading away CDs for downloadable music, the latter of which is easier to get, takes up much less space, and in some cases is much less expensive. The only thing we have to worry about is remembering to charge our phones or Ipods or whatever, and not dropping them or getting them wet. Although those last two things could also be said for CDs. You may ask yourself, “Are we going to miss out on better quality music if the CD goes away?” The answer is no. CDs aren’t even that high quality. One of the reasons that the record is making a small comeback is because it has very high quality sound. This is not at all the case for the CD.The reasons that they were popular were because they were the smallest way to listen to music, and they were cheap to buy and make. Downloads have greatly surpassed them. Will we be seeing a comeback? Probably not. You don’t see the telegraph or the typewriter making a comeback do you? Those would only be kept as antiques. The same won’t be said for CDs though, because they are so cheap. People will just end up throwing them in the garbage.


I really don’t even see any point in even buying CDs anymore. There is literally no reason to have one. Pretty much everyone I know listens to music on their phone or Ipod, and frankly that’s a much better option. Sure their are still people that buy CDs, but they’ll all eventually have to make the switch to downloads.

~Ethan

iPhone 6 Mania

As most people know, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus have recently come out and it’s being sold out in stores all around the United States. This is Apple’s ninth and tenth iPhone since 2007 and it’s larger and slimmer than ever before,with a new retina HD display and an improved camera. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch display and is 6.9 mm while the iPhone 6 plus has a 5.5 inch display and is 7.1 mm. Also accompanying the new phone is the release of IOS 8.  All these new features have people lining up in and around stores just for the hope that they will be able to bring it home. One person is Jason Hawkins who arrived at his verizon store at 4 a.m and was the second person in line. Most people had to wait overnight such as Michael Sharf, who was awaiting a 6 plus. This just shows that people care a lot about technology.

I have the iPhone 5s which was released in September of 2013, and I am completely happy with it. Considering this is my first iPhone and i’ve only had it for about four weeks, I felt no need to wait for an even larger phone. The iPhone 5s has some, but not many similarities to the 6 and 6 plus, one of which includes touch ID. Touch ID is where you can use your fingerprint to unlock your phone and buy apps and music. Other than that, almost everything is improved from the 5s. The truth is, Apple will keep updating their phones and their computers, one after the other, and people are always going to want “the best” and “the newest”, and some people might get them. But if you have an iPhone now, and you’re just dying to have the new phone now you don’t have to. Next year there might be an iPhone 6c or 6s, maybe even an iPhone 7. So don’t worry, one day you might have something even better.

~Michelle

Feeling Technology?

As we all know, there are many new inventions allowing people to experience many new things. We have many new examples of touch screen technology such as face and fingerprint recognition. But, a new experimental touchscreen from Disney allows one to actually feel the object. These touchscreens are placed in displays and will be used for viewers to actually feel the object while learning about the specific topic. These new screens will be able to add to the displays anywhere. Many experts believe that these new touch screens should be used in schools, museums and so much more.

I believe that these new products should be used all over. I think this because as of right now, the only ways that people can view an object using their five senses is to see and hear. Now, people will be able to touch the object as well. This can improve peoples learning by knowing the texture and feel of the object, not just what it feels like. Also, one will be able to know the length and width of the object, not just its two dimensional form, as shown in just about all textbooks. Therefore, this new piece of technology will be extremely helpful in ones learning and I believe that it should be used in classrooms, labs and museums.

~Abby

New Apple Releases

Last week Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced the release of the new iPhone 5S and 5C.  The 5S features a fingerprint security system, faster processor, IOS 7, and a higher quality camera, while the 5C is available in several different colors. The 5C is a new lower priced phone that was created to target customers in China and India who do not have a lot of money but still want the iPhone. This is the first time Apple has released two model phones at a time. This week they hit record sales, selling 9 million phones in the first week.

Some critics say Apple is losing it’s touch and is not releasing good products. I personally think that they are doing good because they  have already sold 9 million.  That’s a huge number. Also, customers have lined up days before the release and have stood in line to be the first handful of people to own the new phone.  I think Apple is doing  the best they’ve done in a while because they released two products at once and a have broke their own sales record.

~Sophie

Should cell phones be allowed in school?

Do you think students should bring their cell phones to school? Many will either say yes or no. You would probably infer that teachers will say yes, but you never know. Now with the improved technology, and upgrade in cell phones, many people are bringing cell phones with them everywhere. Even in a school environment. Many students bring cell phones to distract themselves in class, call parents, or just to have them. Its been said that a student with a cell phone in class, is a student that is uninterested, has a short attention span, and doesn’t like to listen in class. This could lead to students failing in classes because of the distraction of the cell phone. Its not just cell phones, it can be tablets, laptops, or any other type of electronic that they bring to class.

I think that cell phones should not be banned in school. But, when bringing a cell phone, you should always turn it off during classes or have a teachers permission to use it for any class project or class work. Would you really need to text someone or make a call to someone during school hours? I don’t think so. But, bringing a cell phone to school/class can tempt a person to not go by the rules and go on an app that is not related to class. One purpose of bringing a cell phone to school would be to call parents of any emergency or transportation changes. People can argue against this and say that students could just go to the office and call their parents. But, why go to the office when you have your cell phone in reach? Now in this generation, cell phones are basically status symbols. This means that, when going on social media sites and stating that you’re currently in school and online, can make you look “cool” or rebellious. In conclusion, if teachers give students the rules and regulations of bringing cell phones to school, then it wouldn’t be a problem to bring them. For example, you can turn off your phone during class, put it on silent/vibrate, and/or you can just not bring it at all.

~Paula

“Netbooks, iPads, cell phones, iPods, e-readers and even PDAs are increasingly becoming the tools of choice for today’s educators, and it is easy to see why”(Wylie). Today, many students are using electronic devices in the classroom for multiple purposes. Some schools now have the new bring your own device policy or BYOD. Students use their devices to work on projects during class, write essays, look up research using the Internet, and many more ways. These devices allow the classroom to work more efficiently and to work much faster than doing only book work. Thanks to IPads, IPods, IPhones, Nooks, Kindles and lots of other devices homework is a lot faster for today’s 21 century students. Although the use of these devices greatly benefits students, there can be some negative effects as well. One complaint of the BYOD system is that students take advantage over the wonderful opportunity given to them. For example some students text instead of working, others take photos of students during class, and some students work on other class homework during a separate class. No matter the temptations and distractions these devices bring upon students, electronic devices couldn’t be more helpful in the classrooms.

Electronic devices are extremely beneficial thanks to educational apps in the classroom. I believe that many apps make classroom work a breeze for students and it helps the teachers as well. Teachers can put up an assignment during class and students can start the assignment right away on their devices. Also, the use of electronic devices greatly benefits the community as well. This is because as a country we can and are saving ALOT more paper thanks to sharing documents and posting assignments on websites for the students to check at any time. Yes, students are often tempted to do other work and get off task when given time to work on their devices, but I believe students can be trusted. Students today may be more lazy compared to years in the past, but there still is motivation in the classroom especially if teachers promote it even more. I still wonder if there are more ways to make the classroom even easier and faster and even more efficient. For example, I wonder if years from now we will be using other devices in the classroom than the phones, e-readers, iPods and others that we use today. Thanks to these devices the country can stay efficient in the classroom and we can dream and have hope about the future with even more electronical advancements that are yet to come.

~Camryn Formica

BYOD

Here at Dodd Middle School, the Board of Education has recently allowed students to bring their own devices to school. Students are allowed to bring in iPad’s, laptops, and other devices so they can research and even work on projects on their own device. The purpose of this policy is to improve the way students learn. Electronics are being used everywhere, they make things easier and more convenient so it only makes sense for them to also be used in school. I personally think that this was a good idea because I will be able to use my own electronics that I know how to use rather than something I don’t. I think that many people would agree with me due to the fact that everyone is already reading on their iPads,e Readers, kindles, nooks, etc. and they all have internet access.


Schools should definitely remember the opportunities that electronic devices allow because they can definitely help student receive the best education possible. I know that there are some classes that will never need to use the new BYOD (bring your own device) policy, like math, because you only need a pencil and a calculator. But in other classes we will definitely have the opportunity to use our own devices in class to enhance our education. The new BYOD policy will also help out teachers because with teachers bringing their own devices it will allow them to record their lesson in a podcast and have the students listen to them as homework. Therefore, I think that the new BYOD policy is an amazing exclusive to Dodd Middle School’s education for their students.

-Brooke Denne

BYOD

BYOD stands for bring your own device. It is a policy that will allow kids to bring electronics like laptops, e-readers, IPads, and cell phones into classrooms to improve their learning. Why is this important you ask? Well its important because BYOD is coming here to Dodd. Which means that students will be able to bring their electronics to class with them. The purpose of this policy is to improve the way students learn. Electronics are being used everywhere, they make things easier and more convenient to do so it only makes sense for them to also be used in school. With these devices students will be able to easily browse the internet to research facts for their school project in class. It should also make the lessons more interesting for the students if they could bring their cell phone or IPad to class. However, there are some teachers that dislike the policy because they think the students will take advantage of the policy by instead playing games on their devices.

I think that implementing this policy would be beneficial to the school and the students. It would improve the way students learning by making work easier and more convenient. Calculators are an electronic device that makes work easier and more convenient for students, and they’re allowed in schools. Schools should take advantage of the advancements in technology, and use them to help their students receive the best education possible.

~Dennis Yatsula

Why The Roads are Safer.

After 60 years of constant technological advancements in car safety precautions and reduction of possible hazards, results are finally showing. After a recent report made by the US department of transportation (also referred to as DOT) fatalities due to car accidents  dropped to 32,367 in the year 2011. That is a drop of 1.9% since 2010, which is also the smallest amount of accidents amount since 1949. One of the main reasons for this drop is new technological advancements in various aspects of cars, including airbags and seatbelts. Other advancements in safety include:  a lane departure warning: a system that alerts drivers when they drift out of their lanes, electronic stability control:  a system that brakes certain wheels if a car is off course, collision warning: a system which alerts the driver if traffic ahead slows down or stops, and brakes for the driver if necessary. Other advancements include: blind zone warning: alerts the driver if another vehicle has entered their “blind zone”, and adaptive headlights: headlights that turn in the direction that the front wheels turn, helping light up curves and turns where visibility is reduced.  The national highway traffic safety administration advises that drivers should not be less cautious when driving, because although fatality numbers are dropping, they are still high in other categories like biker accidents caused by cars.

If technological advancements continue to be developed at an astoundingly fast rate, then I think we will see a continuously large decrease in the numbers. As new cars continue to be developed, they are built with the common safety systems but more are being developed. In my opinion it really depends on the driver to drive safely, but that is not to say that these systems won’t help. Already, thousands of accidents have been prevented using this technology helping drivers unaware they are in danger be more alert. I also believe the reason the numbers are still so high is that many cars on the road are not so new and don’t have these advancements yet.  As time passes by and newer safer cars are on the road, the numbers should be minimal. This is a long term issue, but overtime it can be reduced to the lowest possible amount.

~Richard Sarria