Student Policies

I think the policy rules are fair. When you first get in trouble you get off the hook a little bit which is understandable, but if you continue to break the rules you are going to get a worse punishment each time you do it. Each kid is aware of the punishments, and when they do something wrong they should expect the punishment they receive. Also, bhs is very laid back about the cellphone, and technology rules. A lot of other schools have it way worse where they are not allowed to bring their phone or ipod out at any point during the school day. I think the rules are fair, and kids just need to learn that they have to obey by them if they do not want to get in trouble

9 Hour School Days

I think a 9 hour day could go both ways for drops outs. A lot of kids would prefer a nine hour day and a have a day off during the week. The week drags on with 5 days, but with a 9 hour day school will be much longer. In some sense that may help students get their work done in school with more time. But also, most kids have their mind sets and sometimes school just isnt for everyone. If a kid was gonig to drop out during a normal day, i think that they would still drop out even in a nine hour day. I think the nine hour days would benefit some kids but it would be the same way as the regular school schedule now.

Death Of Osama Bin Laden

On 9/11/2001 i was in third grade when finding out about 9/11. Me being in third grade, i did not know much about what happened or fully understood any of it. As i got older i would learn more and 9/11 will never be forgotten. I can honestly i am glad that he is dead. He ruined a part of our country, and made many innocent Americans suffer and die. This day has finally come for the Americans.

Facebooks Distractions

Facebook is a major distraction to kids in school, and i feel like will be a bigger issue next year with the Ipads. Not every class now are you accessed to a computer, and even though smart phones have the internet not every teacher allows phone usage, but it is still a big problem. With the ipads facebook will be accessed at all points of the day. Facebook is already a big distraction to kids getting their work done out of school. Before every test, paper, or homework, you'll always log on facebook seeing someone has a status being posted about it, or people from your class will be on facebooking chatting one another about it. Facebook chat is a part of the distraction. When you go on facebook, one of the first things you notice is who is on chat, and if people you talk to are on, you will most likely chat with them. I think that facebook will always be a distraction to students regardless what they have infront of them.

Facebook app

Facebook is an app on the iPads that could come in good use next years for teachers. Many students first reaction when getting the iPad will be to check facebook. Teachers can make groups on facebook for work or assignments and instructions with it. When joining a group and posting in it everyone in it will receive a notification so students will not have an excuse to not get it. It's also a way for everyone to post and comment so everyone in the group will be able to see.

My Daily BHS*

Main Statue*

Where you walk in everyday, meet at the end of the day, and where students meet eachother to talk

Cafeteria*

Lunch is most kids favorite part of the day because it's where you get to see all your friends if you don't see them at any other point of the day

Gym*

Where i played volleyball and basketball during high school

Library*

Where everyone goes during their study, most people get yelled at for being too loud

Parking lot*

All the craziness with parking the closests, blocking everyone in, and snowball fights in the winter...

Senior Rocks*

Every year, the senior class tags their name and paints it on a rock and keeps it up for the whole year

Friends*

Get to see my friends at school everyday :)

Parking Privelages

For the past two years i've seen a big change in the student parking lot. When i was a freshman and sophomore the parking lot was packed, but since my junior and senior year i've seen a lot of clumped and messes in the parking lot. To start off i feel like the seniors and juniors should get the right away to drive. The parking lot is little as it is for the kids that we have, and when sophomores are driving they are taking up more space. There has been plenty of times (espicially this year) where my car has been blocked in and when i needed to leave id have to wait because of all the cluster of all the cars. It's one thing if people are parking illegally when their is plenty of space, but this year there has been cars all the way to the entrance/exit and cars are still being blocked in because of how many their is with less space. Also, i feel that some seniors should be able to park at the gym. The cafe parking lot is packed with the majority of the teachers, and the gym has some too, but kids who's homerooms are close to the gym like Mr Jackling, Ms Doughty, Ms Santos, Ms Mac and other ones in those areas, should have the right to park at the gym. The parking lot just isn't big enough for all the kids who are getting cars these days, and espicially since when you are a sophomore and most of juniors have the six month rule, so they cant drive neighbors or friends, so every individual is taking their own car to school which is taking up more and more space. I feel as if some kids should get to use the gym for parking, if it gets out of control then administrators should find something that works for everyone, maybe switching off turns or doing the first 20 kids gonig down the list so new kids can park their every year, but for right now the parking lot is way to jammed and there are to many people being blocked in or parking badly because there is not enough room.

Seniors Last Days

It's getting closer and closer to the end of high school everyday. Seniors only have 31 days left of school, then it's graduation time. After 4 years here, i never thought that it would go by as fast as it did. Highschool taught me a lot, education wise, and life lesson wise. Wherever i go, i will make sure to take what i learned here and incorporate it with everything I do in college. I've had many good memories in this school, and knowing that is coming to an end is mixed emotions for me. I'm happy to be able to proceed on with my life and enter the real world / college life. Now that senior year is almost over, it is time for a new style, but i will be missing high school and the memories to go along with it.

What Not to Post On Facebook

I agree with all of the 13 listed things to not post on facebook. Facebook is a very risky website, but at the same time it is fun and a good way to keep in touch as long as your being safe and protecting yourself from the rest of the world. What you put on the internet will stay forever, so you really do need to be careful about it. I think the most important ones on this list are your home address, phone number, innapropriate pictures, and risky behaviors. You do not want to be telling the world or your 800-13000 friends on facebook the activites that your doing espicially if they are innapropriate or something you shouldnt be doing. Anyone can hack into your facebook and find out information that you provide. Home address and phone numbers I think are the most important. You do not want to give any private information out, you never know what people these days will interepret and take with them. You also shouldn't update any place where you are at or going to. Facebook can be dangerous, so you need to be careful, but if you are being safe and protecting your page and information, then it is a good website.

Schedule Change

Having the same schedule everyday for 181 days gets old and tiring after a while. I feel as we shouldnt have every class every day. Not having every class every day would be much easier and time consuming for each period. It would be better for students to have to come in at 9 and base longer classes off of that. Coming in at 9 with a new schedule change would help students adjust to more college like situations. Since we have 7 classes a day, classes are only 45 minutes, and what we dont get to is usually homework. A lot of teachers are hard on the homework which results to some kids having almost 5 subjects worth 45 more minutes of homework. If we didnt have every class every day, students would be able to have more time to do homework, and out of class work and can take their time without being stressed out of having to pass it in the next day. Also, teachers would get more things accomplished during class and it will help for students to only have 3 or 4 classes a day even if they are extended.

Cellphone minerals

I think this video is disguisting. I dont think people should be allowed to threaten or put someone elses life in danger for minerals for cellphones. It is awful that people can do that and no one is putting a stop to it. Cellphones are obviously needed but not to an extent of that. I didnt enjoy this video because of the information i found out what people are put through.

Tsunami / Earthquake in Japan

On March 11, 2011 a terrible 8.9 earthquake destroyed the islands of Japan. Along with the earthquake, was a tsunami killing hundreds of people.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YPOK_3r8Dc&feature=player_embedded


above is some footage covering the tsunami and earthquake

35 Best Tools -> Edmodo

Out of the list of 35 different web 2.0 tools, i think edmodo is the most effective and best one. Edmodo is an easy way for everyone to make an account, get the work, and turn it in. You can post a lot of different information and link it to the site. Also, because we are all connected, we are able to send in our work to the teacher. It is an easy way for kids who are out to be able to catch up with the work with the links and videos that are posted on it.There are many other sites that have similarities with connecting to one another, but i personally think edmodo is the best one to be used in this class.

Ipad 2

Apple is releasing a newer version of their recent most popular product the ipad, the ipad 2. Next year, every student in BHS will receive an ipad 2. This product has a lot of unique traits which is why Burlington has decided to try it out. It has a few differences from the original ipad though. The ipad 2 is thinner. It is 8.8mm, which is thinner than the Iphone 4. Also, it is lighter, which will be better for students. Different from the ipad, this one is also available in either white or black. Another difference is like the newest iphone, the ipad 2 has face time. Facetime is video chatting with anyone with a webcam, or another person with an ipad 2 or iphone 4. The ipad 2 was launched yesterday March 2, 2011. Many are excited for the new version to come out, and they believe and hope for it to be successful.

open campus

Open campus is very common in many different high schools for upperclassman especially seniors. It is popular mostly for seniors because it is a good way to give them the college class experience because at college you will have breaks in between your classes or maybe even have one class a day. High schools mainly debate about open campus for the bad reasons. Burlington is one school that does not have it and I think that starting it would be a good idea. Many teachers do not like the idea because they believe students take advantage of it. In some cases I can agree because some arguments are that kids will just leave and not come back. But if that is going to be a main issue then teachers should make stricter rules and regulations on having open campus. For example when students leave for having open campus that period the next period they should have to sign back in the office so the school knows they came back. There are many rules that can be made off of it. I think it will be a good idea because it helps students with getting the hang of what they are going to be doing for college. Also, seniors mainly have enough credits. They take all the required courses from freshman year. If there are students who choose to not go to class or do not have enough credits then they do not have to have open campus, open campus can begin to be a privilege for some individuas. I think open campus is a mainly good idea for high school kids and I think that Burlington should consider to put it in our schedule.

Cellphones In School

Many schools have discussed over the years that cellphones for students should be banned. A lot of schools have followed through, but in Massachusetts many schools are still able to have cellphones. I don't think banning cellphones is a good idea. Teachers are worried that many students are getting distracted by them, in which some cases are true but others not. Some teenagers in high school tend to think they can do whatever they want whether it's obeying the rules or not, and if they are banned i'm sure a lot will still continue to use them. Many teachers don't allow students to use them, but yet every day i continuously see the majority of kids on their phones. In some ways it is a distraction, but as you get older, you know what information you should be paying attention to and when not to have your phone out. Another reason why teachers are worried is because of cheating. Cheating through texting is a main problem, but i think that there are other ways to resolve that problem. For example, during test days teachers could collect phones so there won't be an issue with that. I don't think banning cellphones completely is a good idea, but a solution to this issue could be a lot stricter rules and restrictions of usage during school.

Facebook Blog

I have mutual feelings about this article. Being a teenager i know that facebook is put to use for communicating with friends and family. The majority of high school kids have facebooks and use them daily. Facebook would be a good way to keep up with assignments and assesments just as said in the article. For example, number five on the ten ways gives good ideas about snow days. If students are unaware of their work due you will be able to check the teachers page and get an assignment. That way can really help students and teachers progress with their materials throughout the semester or year. On another hand, i feel that this could also have some downfalls. Kids are kids and sometimes do not think before doing things. A lot of uneccessary things get posted on facebook but kids including pictures, statuses, comments and ect. Some don't think before posting, or think that there will be no consquences for their actions which is wrong. If people are posting things that shouldnt be posted but have no business to a teacher or anything to do outside of school, they could still be punished if a teacher happens to look at their page and see something. I feel that some, but maybe not all, might take advantage of being facebook friends and turn it into personal issues instead of keeping it school related business. In my opinion, this could be a two way argument, and could be helpful, but also some downfalls along the way. If this was to happen many things on facebook would have to change from kids perspectives.

RSA Animate

I had good thoughts about this video, and agree with it. Education needs to be changed by each year that passes. New technologies are coming out every year, which is why education should be up to date with it. Education should modernized. I agree that creativity will have an impact on learning. Learning isn't all about just reading the text book, or taking notes. Modernized education will help students learn in a different form. Also, i agree that modernizing technology to make learning different will help kids have a better attitude of gonig to school and want to learn. I am suprised about how determined people are to moderate the technology and expand learning to different creations. I think this will help many kids and help them learn in a fun and different way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=player_embedded