Your portfolio is 20% of your grade. You must write at least 10 posts before the end of the quarter. I will give you time during class to write to your portfolio, use that time wisely. You can do it for homework if necessary. If you need help with your blog, come and schedule some extra help time with me. Your portfolio for this class must be about technology, that includes what happens in our class or something that interests you about the human-made world.

 

Take a look at some examples:

Portfolio Examples

Julia

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/jkristol26/

Rory

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/rwinston26/

Julia

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/jartes26/

Lilly

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/lpillette26/

Gianna

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/gmarks25/

Mason

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/mlevy25/

Kelly

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/kdeng25/

Noah

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/nweintrob25/

Julia 

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/jsobel25/

Faris

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/famin25/

Molly

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/mbrooks25/

Jacob

http://blogs.scarsdaleschools.org/jdallal26/

Something I learned in class. Example:

“Did you know that Thomas Edison tried thousands of times before he invented a light-bulb that worked well? Yesterday we learned that persistence pays off. I think this will be a valuable lesson for our next project. Mr. Calvert told us that he expects us to make mistakes during the project, just like Edison did making the light-bulb. I’m sure that I will be writing about those mistakes here! Each failure is a closer step to success!”

 

A technology that you are curious or interested about. Example

“Playing video games is an important part of my down time. Like many kids my age, I use video games to help me unwind. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t use them as a release. That’s why this article about a new adaptive Xbox controller was so interesting to me. What is an adaptive controller? Its a controller that helps people with disabilities play on the Xbox. Imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have hands. This new controller uses large pads so that you can use your elbows or feet to control the game console. I love that the inventor empathized with disabled people and figured out how to help them. ”

The progress of a Project. Example:

I soldered my circuit today, and things were going really well, until I got to the switch. I didn’t having any trouble bending the wires around the leads of the battery holder and LED light.  Connecting them with solder went smooth, too. However, I didn’t count on the switch body being made of plastic.

I think I took too long to heat up the switch leads. To my surprise, the switch body started to melt before my eyes!

Back to the drawing-board, I will have to de-solder the switch and get another one. Mr. Calvert told me that there is a special tool to suck up the old solder. I’ll let you know how it goes!