Thoughts about the Live Chat with Jamie

In order to prepare for the chat, in class we did a number of things to get us ready.  First, we did a website investigation. We explored the website reading all of the information that was provided for us and examined the pictures that were offered to us. The second thing we did to prepare ourselves is watch a video which was created by Jamie. Within the video, he talked about the different machines and what they did and how they worked. After watching his video we then had to define some of the words he used in the video. We had to define the words using our google keyword search skills. Some of the words we had to define were slubbing, power loom, sliver, and drawing frame. Finally, we drafted questions to ask Jamie the day of the chat.

I learned a lot of interesting things from the video chat with Jamie. One thing that I learned that I did not know before was that the workers got paid depending on how much they made. So if the cotton you made got ruined then you would not get paid. I also learned that the job of most children was to brush the fiber into a straight line and then give it to the mother of the household to be turned into thread. At the time, the loom was the most valuable thing a family owned and it was passed down from father to son. The chance of injury was so high in the factories because of how dangerous the machines were.  People and children were pulled into machines and their bodies were mangled. People lost limbs daily. They had the children clean because they could reach all the small places. Orphans would be bought and brought to the mills to do this hard job. Throughout the chat I learned many things from Jamie.

Overall I learned a lot from the discussion with Jamie. I thought it was really cool how we got to video chat with someone in England. I liked how we got to ask him questions and interact with him. I would definitely like to do another video chat with experts on other topics throughout the school year. 

Museum Curator

To create our exhibit we went through a curating process. First, we researched on our topic. We found out background information on it and we took notes on it. We then analyzed the sources we were given. Next, we decided as a group what information we thought visitors to our exhibits should learn from it. After that, we figured out the order of which the information was going to be viewed on the exhibit. We made sure we included all of the dates, authors, and titles of the source information within the exhibit. Lastly, we created place cards that would guide the viewer with essential information.  We then mounted it all on a poster board that would be easy to see and read.

After visiting all of the other exhibits I learned multiple things. The first exhibit that I visited was called Living in Filth. I learned that as the number of factories increased so did the smoke which polluted the air and waterways making cities extremely dirty. Poverty became a widespread problem and housing areas where in poor conditions and over populated.

I then visited Broken Children. Since kids were the ideal size to work in mines they did. They were small and it made it easy for them to get around in the mines. They had leather belts around them to pull loads. The mills were also a spot of child labor. The conditions of the mills were extremely bad and dangerous for young girls.

Next, I visited Thomas Takes Great Britain and learned about transportation. I learned that canals were created and used to bring goods to communities enabling people to obtain goods from other communities. Also, I learned about the invention and purpose of the steam engine.

Lastly, I visited From Spinning Wheels to Power Looms. At this exhibit I learned that the population of London grew rapidly after the industrial revolution. Also, I learned and found extremely interesting that every family owned a loom and kept it in their house. 

Industrialization Ingredients

           The Industrial Revolution improved living in many ways. In class this week, we had to answer one specific question. The question was what was ‘revolutionary’ about industrialization. The Industrial Revolution was an increase in production brought about by the use of machines and characterized by the use of new energy sources. The Industrial Revolution was revolutionary in four major areas- people, technology, resources, and transportation. In class, we had to define terms that related to these four aspects.

Transportation contributed to the Industrial Revolution. The Steam Locomotive was invented. It was a steam powered train that pulled carriages along tracks moving goods across lands. Factory owners could then send goods to places water travel could not get to. Also, more railroads were created throughout Europe and North America. The steam boat was another big invention at the time. It was a steam powered boat that traveled at an above average pace which enabled faster shipping. It could carry 10 to 20 times the amount carried by wooden ship. These to creations resulted in faster shipping, allowed more people to have access to other goods, and provided more jobs for people.

People also played a large role in the Industrial Revolution. People improved farming. The Dutch built earthen walls also known as dikes to reclaim land from sea. Also, ways to make farming less labor intense were developed. Death rates decreased big time because agricultural revolution reduced the risk of famine, there was better hygiene, and better medical care. Because of the increase in health the women were healthier and could produce stronger babies.                                                     
In class we watched one of John Green's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhL5DCizj5c&feature=youtu.be

Using Technology to Teach Us about Technology

We started off the year learning more about the technology that we use almost every day. Recently in class we did a couple activities that were meant to teach us how to search and use online resources responsibly.

The first activity we did was a Google a Day. A Google a Day is a website that asks you some questions and you use the website to search to find the answers. The one thing that I really liked about this websites is the tips and tricks tab in the top right hand corner. When you click on it, it brings you to a list of advice that will help you find what you need faster and more efficient. It was a little bit frustrating because our iPad was working a little slow so we unable to finish during the class period. I am not sure if that was a website problem or a poor Wi-Fi connection. From this site, I learned to not type in a long sentence to search for something but rather to use keywords.                      Link to a Google a Day :http://www.agoogleaday.com/

The second activity we did to educate ourselves more was define a couple of terms. Then, we used the terms to evaluate a website. The terms we had to define were accuracy, authenticity, and reliability. Accuracy is having correct information. Authenticity is the quality of being real and genuine and reliability is a trustworthy source. Once we figured out the definitions we had to then use them to check to see if the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was a good source to use for school. The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, we later found out, is a fake website about an endangered octopus. There were pictures and videos on the site that looked really fake. In the end we figured out that this would not be a valid site to use for school.                                                                                                Link to Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

What Makes a Teacher Good or Bad?

My name is Emma Collins and as a sophomore in high school I have had a variety of different teachers. Some of the teachers I have had over the course of the years have been really good while others have not been. The main thing that really distinguishes a good teacher from a bad one is their ability to listen to the students. What I mean by this is that the teachers that asks for student’s opinions and does activities that engage the students, in my opinion, are considered the good teachers. When I think back to teachers I have had in the past only the ones who I enjoyed learning from are the ones I remember most. Those are the teachers that listen to student feedback, thoroughly explain things, and are overall someone who makes learning fun. Like last year’s history class, I think I will do very well in Honors History because I really enjoy how technology is incorporated into all of our projects.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2014/03/response_teachers_must_connect_learning_to_students_lives.html 

I completely agree with John Green that it is our duty to use our education to do great things. I feel like I’m obligated to do something with all of the information I have absorbed over the years. My academic goals this year is to maintain good grades and to stay organized. I need to stay more on top of thing and actually put forth my best effort. Also, I am taking two Honors classes this year and I really hope I can keep up with the work. Sports-wise, I achieved my goal of making the JV soccer team. I am playing hockey this fall and I may or may not try out for the high school team. To achieve all of my goals both academic and athletic I must push myself to try my absolute hardest and to show up to every class or practice with a positive attitude! 

John Green Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x78PnPd-V-A&feature=youtu.be