Special Technology Edition 3D trend makes way to television page 2
blue &
Wii Fit offers fun work out
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Teenagers face online attacks
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Volume 87, Issue 6 Friday, March 26, 2010 Findlay High School, 1200 Broad Ave., Findlay, Ohio, 45840
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Sexting can create legal problems page 4
New schools will include up-to-date technology n
By Emily Rivest
Ground breaking for the three new buildings may occur in 2011, with Millstream being completed in August 2012 and Donnell and Glenwood ready in December the same year. All three buildings will have the latest technology for teachers to use with the students. Each new middle school will have two computer labs and a media center, which will be larger, allowing for more computers. “It will give students greater access to the computers,” Michael Stoner, computer technician at Glenwood Middle School, said. “One of the problems now is that they don’t have enough computers available, so more computers will certainly be a benefit.” Classrooms could have more computers as well because of the “latest cabling infrastructure,” allowing for more hookups. “There will be more computer flexibility,” Technology Coordinator Martin White said. “If you want to have more computers in a classroom, it will be easier. You’ll have additional jacks in the rooms so you won’t have to rewire.” All new schools, including Millstream, will have interactive white boards, like the SMART Boards in the high school. “That opens up a lot more for the teachers to present info in multiple ways,” Stoner said. “Some people learn better by hearing and some by seeing. Students who learn in different ways will have the opportunity to learn more effectively.” Audio and video will be used in new ways.
“We’re looking at putting video on demand in the schools,” White said. “It’s all going to work on the computer and the teacher can either display it on the computer or on the projector. You don’t have to have TVs, VCRs or DVDs. All they would have to do is select the video to show it. “There will also be audio reinforcement speakers in the ceiling. The teacher can be miked so you can hear easily at the front of the class or the back of the class, wherever you are in the room.” All of this technology will help prepare students for the future. “Even though people make assumptions that the younger generation knows how to use technology and computers,” Donnell Middle School principal Don Williams said, “through surveys we know that not as many kids have computers as some think. This provides more opportunity for kids to prepare for getting jobs or going to college.” A different type of technology will be used to heat and cool the buildings. To save money, they will use geothermal technology and possibly solar power. Wells about 300 ft. deep will be drilled under each school where water can be kept at a constant temperature. “It’s a different way of providing heating and cooling,” Facilities Director Dennis McPheron said. “It’s a lot more cost effective. Instead of heating your 40 degree tap water to 70 degrees for the boilers, you might only have to heat 58 degrees to 70 degrees. “You don’t have to use as much energy.”
PROGRESS
Board member Barbara Dysinger and superintendent Dean Wittwer discuss plans for the new middle schools and Millstream building at the board work session. The new schools will be equipped with the latest technology, including more computers and interactive white boards. photo by Katie Trinko
proposed site elevation for Donnell Middle School
Connected
Teachers use Turnitin.com to improve writing n
By Emily Rivest
To help students with the writing revision process, 10 English teachers are currently using Turnitin.com with their classes. Students submit their papers to the site and receive an originality report, which tells how much of their paper comes from other sources from the Internet, academic journals, books or other student papers in the database. The site has over 120 million student papers alone to check against. “FHS (Findlay High School) isn’t using it as a ‘gotcha’ but instead using it as a teaching tool to show how to incorporate sources accurately,” English Department chair Becky Pfaltzgraf said. “It avoids accidental plagiarism.” Many don’t realize they plagiarized in their papers until they receive an originality report. “For example, commonly used words or orders of words that could show up in other papers could be accidental plagiarism,” English teacher Barb Tardibuono said. “It also could include when they’re trying to paraphrase or summarize and not realizing they need to cite it.”
Turnitin.com determines what percentage of a student’s work came from another source. Pfaltzgraf requires that her students only have 20 percent or less from these resources. This percentage can include any phrases found in other works in the Turnitin.com database, including quotes. “The students have really loved it,” Pfaltzgraf said. “That was really exciting to hear students come back and say, ‘Wow, 80 percent of that was my ideas in there.’” Students also agree the program is helpful, although they do see some drawbacks. “There can be technical glitches like a teacher may not receive it or it may not submit right,” sophomore Katie Klein said. “It’s not as foolproof as handing an actual copy in.” Even though she sees the problems, Klein still believes the program is worth it because of the comments her teacher can leave. “The comments are all there online so I can go through and give them overall comments,” Tardibuono said. “They can do a rough draft and a final so they can see if they are missing the same thing over and over.”
Latest news always available n
SUBMIT
Junior Larissa Van Der Molen signs in to her turnitin. com account. Students submit essays to the site where teachers can check for plagiarism and leave comments.
photo by Taylor McGonnell
Web site receives award, nomination n
WIN
Staff members accept the Silver Crown for blueandgoldtoday.org. The site received the award in New York City from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
photo by Katie Trinko
Saturday
Sunday
By Emily Rivest
Blue & Gold and 2aToday members received an Online Silver Crown for www. blueandgoldtoday.org from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association March 20 in New York City. The Web site was also recently nominated for a Pacemaker, the highest award given by the National Scholastic Press Association which is awarded April 17 in Portland, Ore. Judging for both awards occurred just weeks after the site launched in December. “Winning the Silver Crown is really exciting and the Pacemaker is the highest award in scholastic journalism,” editor in chief John Sisser said. “The crown is also our first award
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for the Web site so it’s incredible to get this so early in the game. Adviser Jim McGonnell attributes the Web site’s success to the variety of media available on it. “The video and sound slides proponent of the Web site has given us more of an attraction,” he said. “Students want to keep coming back to see what’s new.” Students chose to create the Web site in order to converge the paper and news broadcast. “Journalism really is moving in the digital direction, it’s not just newsprint anymore,” Sisser said. “We’re adapting to the web to be more modern and it’s giving us a better learning experience.”
things to make you look smart today 1. Nintendo will release a 3D game console that will not require glasses. 2. CantYouSeeImBusy.com offers video games that look like spread- sheets for sneaky office workers. 3. Samsung announced their new laptop with a transparent screen.
High: 56 Low: 37 Mostly Cloudy
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4. iTunes’ latest feature allows users to send apps as gifts directly to another iPhone. 5. A 64 GB diamond-covered iPad will be available for $20,000.
By Leah Cramer
Cell phones and the Internet are making it possible to keep up to date on the latest news faster and easier than before. Several newspapers now have Web sites, making breaking news available right from your computer. “The challenge for the newspaper industry at this point is how to earn enough money from the Internet and other electronic sources to support the number of reporters and editors needed to cover the news well,” The Courier editor Peter Mattiace said. “There will always be a Courier, it’s just a question of how you will read, hear or see it.” One new way to read the news is through updates right to your cell phone from stations such as CNN and ESPN. “I get a text whenever there is big news in the sports world,” senior Austin Miller said, “so I can always know what’s going on even when I don’t have access to the TV or the Internet. “You can sign up to follow your favorite teams and when they have a game, you get sent a text with the scores right away, which is more convenient because you don’t have to get online and look it up.” This technology allows news to come straight to people, without them searching for what they need to know. “News will become more immediate,” Larry Hatch, Professor of Visual Communication and Technology Education at Bowling Green State University, said. “Electronic media also allow the customer to individualize the news they want to receive. “Google desktop, for instance, allows you to get news feeds on exactly the area you are interested in.” For news on school delays and cancellations, WKXA will send text message notifications. “It’s good because usually the text comes when I’m still asleep, so when I wake up, I just turn on my phone and can find out without having to get up to check the TV,” sophomore Carmen Gerschutz said. “It makes the information really easily accessible.” Cell phones are not only useful for updates, they can also be used to access Twitter to quickly spread information without going through the medium of news reporters. “Citizens have become the reporters,” Hatch said. “Twitter has allowed stories to be told by average citizens in countries that tightly control their media. “The cell phone has put a camera in the hands of millions and the ability to capture events in nearly real time.”
Hats Off Seniors Kieffer Gray, Caleb Helms, Adam Arico and Zach Boyce built a rocket for a Millstream Skills USA project. The team placed first at the Ohio Tech Prep Showcase and will head to state in April. Helms “The project is supposed to show business skills along with technical skills, like math and engineering,” Helms said. “We’re supposed to reach the speed of sound with it.”