Kids and teenagers of this and future generations have something that previous generations never had: the ability to use technology to benefit their learning and influence their futures. Students can use the Internet to find more information on a subject than they could by going to the library and spending hours searching books. We use everything, including phones, computers, and the internet to help us with our education and as our social life.
The rate of information being put out into the world is increasing. For a lot of us this means that potential careers can be created or challenged instantly. Even what we learn in school may not be the same in a number of hours from the time we learn it. Digital literacy is very important because it allows us to find out what we need to know when we need to know it. Before textbooks for classes would only be put out every couple of years. Now, if a valuable piece of information comes up, we can just find it ourselves. Digital literacy will play a large part in my education in the future because what I will learn will have something to do with technology. My career will most likely end up being something in computers.
I think I have mastered digital literacy because I use it every single day. I use my cell phone, the internet to do my classes and just to waste time, I create images on my computer, and I rarely ever use a pencil anymore. I believe that most teenagers have since they all have either a MySpace or a Facebook and definitely a cell phone. Unfortunately, a lot of them don't use correct spelling and only use abbreviations, which carries over into their school work. However, I prefer to use capitals and actually spell things correctly, even when I'm not doing school work.
With technology advancing every hour, people will pretty much have no choice but use something digital. Being digital literate is something that everyone has to be in order to be able to get a job or go to school.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Art Critique
The piece I chose is actually the entire Frederic C. Hamilton building. The building was designed by Daniel Liebskind, a world renowned architect. Construction for the building started in 2003 and the building finally opened in 2006. There are still some parts of the building that need fixing. I chose the entire building because I noticed that it made people feel differently and it's unlike any other building I've ever been in.
When you first approach the building, you instantly notice how there are a lot of points and that the building has an obscure shape. None of the walls, except for fire safety and elevator shafts, have 90 degree angles. The walls are white and the steel beams go from the ground floor, up through other floors and to the ceiling. There are 2,750 steel beams used and roughly 50,000 bolts. The amount of steel used in the building is three times the amount of steel used for buildings that are the same size. Any wall that was not designed by Liebskind is a light yellow color. There are several places in the building where the walls are slanted, making you want to lean with the wall. In a few areas, there are gaps between the wall and the floor and because of the walls slanting, they had to fill them in. It was very interesting to be able to go to the section of the building that actually stretches and points out over the street. I both liked and hated this building. The building made me and a few other people feel like our center of gravity was changed. For me, this didn't really happen until I looked down the atrium and after that my stomach was upset and I had vertigo. I liked this building because it's a very creative and interesting design. It kind of reminded me of something that would belong to some alien race.
The Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Daniel Liebskind, was the most interesting thing on the trip for me. I'd seen the construction of the building when I was younger and only got the chance to go see it this time. Although it made me feel strange, I would definitely love to go inside the building again to see all the parts of it I didn't see before.
When you first approach the building, you instantly notice how there are a lot of points and that the building has an obscure shape. None of the walls, except for fire safety and elevator shafts, have 90 degree angles. The walls are white and the steel beams go from the ground floor, up through other floors and to the ceiling. There are 2,750 steel beams used and roughly 50,000 bolts. The amount of steel used in the building is three times the amount of steel used for buildings that are the same size. Any wall that was not designed by Liebskind is a light yellow color. There are several places in the building where the walls are slanted, making you want to lean with the wall. In a few areas, there are gaps between the wall and the floor and because of the walls slanting, they had to fill them in. It was very interesting to be able to go to the section of the building that actually stretches and points out over the street. I both liked and hated this building. The building made me and a few other people feel like our center of gravity was changed. For me, this didn't really happen until I looked down the atrium and after that my stomach was upset and I had vertigo. I liked this building because it's a very creative and interesting design. It kind of reminded me of something that would belong to some alien race.
The Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Daniel Liebskind, was the most interesting thing on the trip for me. I'd seen the construction of the building when I was younger and only got the chance to go see it this time. Although it made me feel strange, I would definitely love to go inside the building again to see all the parts of it I didn't see before.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Reaper's Image" story
After a very successful business trip, the Rug Merchant was finally home. As much as he enjoyed traveling, he always loved the feeling of returning home. Of course, that was probably because after every trip, the Rug Merchant would buy something, usually an antique or some extravagant art. This time it was the DeIver mirror. The Rug Merchant heard stories about it, strange ones, the most memorable being the one about the English Duchess. He wasn't quite sure of the particulars, but she received it as a gift from her fiancée. Long story short, they never had their wedding, nor was she ever seen again.
The Rug Merchant shook his head at such a ridiculous story. He wasn't interested in creepy stories, no, he was interested in the art of the mirror. He set the mirror down with a clunk and decided he'd get someone else to hang it up. He actually could've gotten someone else to bring it in for him, but his staff couldn't be trusted with such a magnificent piece as the DeIver mirror. Standing back from the mirror, he noticed that it probably wouldn't match well with the room, but he wanted to relax after his trip and he wanted to do so with his prize. The Rug Merchant admired it for a few minutes before leaving the room.
If the Merchant had stayed, he'd have noticed something odd in the mirror. It could only be described as the feeling it brought with its appearance: unsettling. In a short while, he came back in, cigar in one hand and a drink in the other. Setting his drink on the table to his side, he nestled into the velvet chair across the mirror. The Rug Merchant lit his cigar and began to study the mirror. It was a beautiful piece, created by one of the greats. The Rug Merchant sat eying his reward, inhaling the contents of his pipe ever so often. He did this until his drink and cigar were gone. He'd sitting with his head back and eyes closed when he opened them.
As if his eyes were forced down, he suddenly looked at the mirror as it appeared to be shattered with a dark figure in it. Immediately, the Rug Merchant sat up and jutted his head out at the mirror. He stared at it for a few minutes before slowly getting up and cautiously walking over to the piece. Transfixed, the Rug Merchant wasn't aware of one of his maids entering the room. He stood in front of it, looking at the dark figure. His maid looked at him and the mirror. The Merchant was known around the house for his strange moments, and this wasn't any different. She walked up to him.
“Sir?” she asked hesitantly. Startled, he turned toward her. He shook his head and managed a smile.
“Yes?”
“Would you like me to get you another drink sir? Maybe some more whiskey or brandy?”
“N-no, I'll get it myself.” If the maid hadn't been working for the man for a few years, she would've thought that his voice was strong and that nothing was wrong. However, she could hear how shaky he was.
“Okay, sir.” She smiled at him and on her way patted him on his arm. He jumped. Once she was out of the room, he looked at the mirror. It was perfect. Maybe that drink was stronger than I thought. Sighing, he walked over to the table where his glass sat. He approached the door to the room where he kept the alcohol. Pausing, he turned back, looking at the mirror, reflecting beautifully. The Merchant chucked and walked through the door.
An hour later, his maid came back in. Her eyes looked at his chair, and then scoured the room upon seeing he wasn't there. “Sir?” she called out. No answer. “Sir?!” A little bit louder this time. Shrugging, the maid turned off the lights went back to her quarters for the night. He must've gone to bed. A few days later, there was a page mentioning the disappearance of the Rug Merchant.
The Rug Merchant shook his head at such a ridiculous story. He wasn't interested in creepy stories, no, he was interested in the art of the mirror. He set the mirror down with a clunk and decided he'd get someone else to hang it up. He actually could've gotten someone else to bring it in for him, but his staff couldn't be trusted with such a magnificent piece as the DeIver mirror. Standing back from the mirror, he noticed that it probably wouldn't match well with the room, but he wanted to relax after his trip and he wanted to do so with his prize. The Rug Merchant admired it for a few minutes before leaving the room.
If the Merchant had stayed, he'd have noticed something odd in the mirror. It could only be described as the feeling it brought with its appearance: unsettling. In a short while, he came back in, cigar in one hand and a drink in the other. Setting his drink on the table to his side, he nestled into the velvet chair across the mirror. The Rug Merchant lit his cigar and began to study the mirror. It was a beautiful piece, created by one of the greats. The Rug Merchant sat eying his reward, inhaling the contents of his pipe ever so often. He did this until his drink and cigar were gone. He'd sitting with his head back and eyes closed when he opened them.
As if his eyes were forced down, he suddenly looked at the mirror as it appeared to be shattered with a dark figure in it. Immediately, the Rug Merchant sat up and jutted his head out at the mirror. He stared at it for a few minutes before slowly getting up and cautiously walking over to the piece. Transfixed, the Rug Merchant wasn't aware of one of his maids entering the room. He stood in front of it, looking at the dark figure. His maid looked at him and the mirror. The Merchant was known around the house for his strange moments, and this wasn't any different. She walked up to him.
“Sir?” she asked hesitantly. Startled, he turned toward her. He shook his head and managed a smile.
“Yes?”
“Would you like me to get you another drink sir? Maybe some more whiskey or brandy?”
“N-no, I'll get it myself.” If the maid hadn't been working for the man for a few years, she would've thought that his voice was strong and that nothing was wrong. However, she could hear how shaky he was.
“Okay, sir.” She smiled at him and on her way patted him on his arm. He jumped. Once she was out of the room, he looked at the mirror. It was perfect. Maybe that drink was stronger than I thought. Sighing, he walked over to the table where his glass sat. He approached the door to the room where he kept the alcohol. Pausing, he turned back, looking at the mirror, reflecting beautifully. The Merchant chucked and walked through the door.
An hour later, his maid came back in. Her eyes looked at his chair, and then scoured the room upon seeing he wasn't there. “Sir?” she called out. No answer. “Sir?!” A little bit louder this time. Shrugging, the maid turned off the lights went back to her quarters for the night. He must've gone to bed. A few days later, there was a page mentioning the disappearance of the Rug Merchant.
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