Watch this video & read the following article. In the article it states, "It’s projected that in the next decade there will be about 1 million more U.S. jobs in the tech sector than computer science graduates to fill them. And it’s estimated that only about 10 percent of K-12 schools teach computer science." That said ONE MILLION more jobs in the tech sector than graduates to fill them! A job with such a high demand for graduates results in EXCELLENT salaries, EXCELLENT benefits and EXCELLENT work environments. Mrs. Leiker was offered a job of $100 an hour almost fifteen years ago just to work for a computer science company that was in high demand of Visual Basic programmers at the time and the friend who was trying to do the convincing automatically received a $10,000 bonus JUST FOR GETTING a programmer to come to that company!
Did you know that Norway High School IS a school that teaches what the video claims 'Most Schools Don't Teach"? The course is called Visual Basic (Computer Programming) and although the name is changing for next year, the content of computer programming is exactly what the video and the article are promoting. NHS also offers the following technology courses: DT-21, Multimedia, Tech Integration & Applications and Photoshop. I recently had a discussion with somebody who wanted to take a computer course locally and discovered that even at the community college, one computer course costs nearly $800, and after doing some research, I discovered that a computer course at a Big Ten school such as the University of Michigan costs around $2000! One of the reasons technology courses are so important is because technology is now being used in EVERY occupation as well as for phone service, communication, banking, purchasing and basically every life necessity. There is going to be a time in the not too distance future that without technology knowledge, it will be very hard to get by in society at all. You probably have already seen how different the lives of grandparents who can't use technology are become from the rest of society and how many fear it and get anxiety from their lack of knowledge. While you are here at NHS, you have the opportunity to take technology courses for absolutely no cost to you! It's the future, it's here and you have the ability to train yourself on important skills needed in any profession you choose. As you are scheduling courses in the upcoming weeks, try to remember the importance technology will play in your future. If you have any questions at all, don't be afraid to email me and I can explain what the courses are about and how they can be great for your future. Get those courses while you can so you will be prepared for what lies ahead. For this week's journal entry, please write for five minutes minimum on this topic. What are your thoughts on taking technology courses? Do you feel they are important? Why or why not? What courses have you taken already? Which do you plan to take? If you dislike technology, do you think it is important for your future to try to take courses that might change that opinion? Do you know somebody who needs a technology course? Do you think they would want to take the courses that are available to you here at NHS? READ THE ARTICLE AT THE ABOVE BUTTON LINK.
Did you know that Twitter, facebook and YouTube are blocked in China? And now Pinterest. The government doesn't allow their citizens to use those networks. This kind of control and denial of rights is getting harder and harder to pull off in a world of transparency, collaboration and sharing. Do a google search on this blocking of social media. Why would a country block social media? Use Google if you can't figure that out on your own. What do you think of this blocking? Do you agree with it? Do you disagree with it? Write on this topic for five minutes minimum in your journal. According to many experts, the ability to think like a computer is an important skill for our future. The processes used to narrow and organize information can be applied to life in many other ways.
Please read the ENTIRE article below at the link on the button. Write for five minutes minimum on your thoughts about the argument made by this article. Run Google Maps using the Google Apps Symbol (9 boxes) in the upper right hand corner when you are logged into your Google Account or GMail (Under the More...at the bottom). Look up the address of somewhere you will be staying or visiting on spring break (even if it is local or in the UP or is even just your home...if going on vacation, find your hotel, etc.). Try using the search nearby tool (restaurants, etc.). Check out every tool in Google Maps that can be used to familiarize yourself with the area. Go to Google Satellite view to see the images taken via photography. How can this help you prepare for an area you are visiting? Search for more attractions you may be interested in nearby (shopping, golf, beaches, etc.). Be sure you play with all the Google Maps tools enough to understand the program. Use this to familiarize yourself with the area. When done playing with the program, write for five minutes minimum on the value of a tool such as Google Maps. How can you better plan and prepare when going on vacation or other events like a conference or trip? Do you leave it up to somebody else to make all the planning when visiting somewhere new? Do you know which direction to walk when you walk out of the hotel? Do you think it would be a good idea to prepare yourself? Why or why not?
Watch the video called the CHANGE MAKERS which is an old commercial from Apple to challenge people to 'think different'. The people in this video all inspired people to think different. They challenged people to think about change and were inspirational. For this journal entry, think about people in your life who are the 'change makers'. The rebels who challenge the rules and get you to think different. Are you one of them? Why or why not? What does it mean when Apple states, "Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." Write about this topic for five minutes minimum in your journal. Read the article at the link above.
In your journal, write your thoughts about the potential of flying cars. What will they do to save the government money in road repairs and upkeep? How can the traffic problems be alleviated? Will they actually make other issues a concern? Write in your journal for five minutes minimum on this topic. Read the post copied in this post below (POWERFUL ADVICE FROM A DYING 24 YEAR OLD)
One thing that really struck me in this article is this: Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do. Since you are young, you still have choices to make regarding what you want to do with your life. What career choice you would like to make and IF YOU WILL GIVE YOURSELF CHOICES being forced into a profession. What can you do today to give yourself more choices? Why is it important to find work that you enjoy and can be passionate about? How does this correlate with happiness? Write about this topic in your journal for five minutes minimum. Powerful Advice From A Dying 24 Year Old Most of us go through our days on autopilot, not really living, but merely existing. We have so much outwardly, but feel so empty and lost on the inside. We allow our minds to keep us up late at night, mulling over things that don’t really matter in the end, such as bills, money, what others think of us, etc. Why do we do this to ourselves? Of course, none of us truly knows the answers and what happens to us after this life, and we’ve all been thrown into the same boat. How we navigate this life, however, and the choices we make along the way, define our character and existence. Our experiences and choices shape us, but many of us spend our lives locked into commitments chasing money and power and stability instead of digging deep within us. We count down the hours on the clock until we can go home for the day, rest, and do it all again the next day. We run around all chasing something, and wake up one day wondering why we even chased it. It may not matter to you now what you do with each day of your life, but maybe this advice from a dying 24-year-old will give you a wake up call. He posted his story on a Reddit thread, and ever since, it’s gone viral. We hope you will take some wisdom away from this young man, and realize that we only have a short time on this planet. We may as well make the most of it, and love and live as authentically as we possibly can before our time is up. Read on for the letter, and share it far and wide if you feel inclined to do so. POWERFUL ADVICE FROM A DYING 24 YEAR OLD “I am only 24 years old, yet I have actually already chosen my last tie. It’s the one that I will wear on my funeral a few months from now. It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion. The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions . The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful. Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized: – Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do. – It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend. – Take control of your life Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t. – Appreciate the people around you. Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted. It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is. I’m not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon. We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box – a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it. You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. I hope you will make the right choice. Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are leaving is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion. Make it interesting. Make it count! Thank you!” Read more at http://www.wisethinks.com/2016/12/powerful-advice-from-dying-24-year-old.html#OBJvZDR5lX2DA6Dw.99
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Mrs. LeikerA technology teacher at Norway High School excited to revolutionize learning through digital methods. Archives
May 2017
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The Weekly Journal Blog
A blog encouraging students in Mrs. Leiker's courses at Norway High School to develop techniques for writing journals and blogs digitally and sharing their thoughts and insights with the world!