Thursday 3/19 - Back to Normal!

Good Morning and Welcome to a Normal Day of School!  Perhaps the only one of the week since tomorrow is a Wednesday Block!!

I hope CAHSEE testing went smoothly for you!  I know testing is never fun so to say but it is a reality in our current educational system and it is an important skill to have!  Like it or not, you have a lot more tests coming your way!  Not only in your academic classes, but you will likely take the PSAT, the SAT, possibly the ACT all in an effort to get into a 4 year university!  In fact, even to go to the community college you have to take a placement test to determine what math and english levels you qualify for - the higher you place, the less of that subject you need to take before you can qualify for your degree!!

Heck, you will even have to take tests in college and may even have to take an exam for the career you plan to pursue!  I have told you that to actually become a lawyer you have to pass the Bar Exam - actually, just to get into Law School you have to take the LSAT, business the GMAT and so on and so on!!

That said, what do you think the keys are for being successful on a test?  What did you do the last two days to ensure you did the very best you could!  What are the tips and techniques you would offer!?!?  Feel free to also discuss as part of your blog how you could prepare well for the test.  Did you do anything in particular? Feel free to also address how you think you did!  Did you do well?  Was it easy? Was it hard?  Do you have no idea?

After completing today's blog, here is the agenda for today:

• Complete the blog
• Complete lesson 5.2 in edutyping (UNIT 2)
• Register for CodeAcademy (we are only registering today - see a friend if you miss the tutorial)
• Complete your PowerPoint and Submit it in Schoology
• At the beginning of the class I am going to do a refresher on how to add a table of contents.  If you were late and/or not here today, you must do this.  You can seek help from a friend!
• Check School Loop.  Aside from your blogs, if you are missing ANY assignment you need to email it to me by the end of today's class period otherwise it will be a thing of the past!!  If you need to make up edutyping, once complete, take a screen shot of your completed lessons and submit to me via email.

If you have any questions you need to come see me and ask!! Otherwise I will assume you are doing fine and content with the grade posted in SchoolLoop!

Thank you!

Mr. Rubin

Monday, March 16th - The Beginning of the Last Week of Q3!

Good Morning and Happy Monday!!

Today I am off campus with my seniors helping them with college registration.  That means you are on your own today.  You have three tasks, all of which should be DONE by the time you leave here.  These tasks include:

Blog: Tomorrow and Wednesday you will be taking the CAHSEE exam.  Obviously this is an important test in regard to your graduation from High School.  With that said, what are some important things you can do between now and the test that might help you?  What are some suggestions your Math and English teachers have given you for doing well on the test?  Why is getting a good night sleep and/or eating a good breakfast important?  Is there anything you can still do to practice for the exam?

Edutyping: Please complete Unit 2, Lesson 5.1 in Edutyping.

Career PowerPoint:  You should be nearing completion on your PowerPoint.  Work on it!  Do anything you can to make it AMAZING!!  While it does not need to be submitted today, you should be done with it today.  You must turn it in this week on the block day (Thursday) for credit.  You will be submitting the project in Schoology so if you feel like you are done today, GREAT!  You can submit it any time!!

Thanks!  Please be great for our substitute teacher today and I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow and Thursday during CAHSEE testing!!

Mr. Rubin

It's Friday!!

Good Morning and Happy Friday!! I don't love this whole quote but I like my own abbreviated version which is "The only way to get people to like working hard is ... [for them] to understand why they're working hard.  Every individual ... is motivated by something different." When I saw this quote I though it might be a perfect way to kick off our Friday.

• What are you motivated by? 
• Are you motivated?
• How hard would you say you work?
• Could you work harder?
• If you did work harder do you think it would benefit you?  What else would you do with your time and/or energy?

After you have completed your blog, please complete Unit 2, Lesson 4.2 in Edutyping.  

Thanks!

Mr. Rubin

Block Day 3/12

Good Morning!  Happy Block Day!!

Today we are going to work towards finishing our final powerpoint of the 3rd quarter.  Don't worry, we're not going to finish it, finish it today but we're going to get mighty close!  That means we will have a short blog post, a quick lesson of edutyping and will dedicate the remainder of the class period to working on your presentation.

For today's blog post, check out the slideshow highlighting the 7 Occupations With the Highest Hiring Demand - http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/7-occupations-with-the-highest-hiring-demand - and respond to the following questions:

• Which of the 7 careers listed on the presentation are most interesting to you? Explain why.
• What career did you choose to focus on for your presentation and why?
• If the career you are interested in pursuing is listed in the slideshow, how does that make you feel?  Does the expected job growth motivate you to pursue the career even more?  What do you think about the salary?
• If the career you are interested in pursuing is not listed in the slideshow, how does that make
  you feel? Does this concern you about the career you are interested in? Why or what not?
  List 2 other details that you found interesting about this slideshow and/or the information it contained!

After you have completed the blog please quickly complete Unit 2, Lesson 4.1 in Edutyping and then login to Schoology and keep moving forward on your presentation. A reminder that we have completed:

• Your Title Slide, Career Interest Profiler Slide, My Matching Occupations Slide, the Exploring One Career Slide, and are currently in the process of completing the "Linking Your Career to School Slide."
• Today's task is going to require you to look back at the college you chose in your college powerpoint and determine if they offer the major you are interested in for your career ... if it does not, you might have to reconsider the school you are interested in attending ... use Naviance to locate this information and complete the "Exploring Majors and Colleges" slide.
• You are also expected to complete the "Wrap Up" slide today as well.

This will give you a complete PowerPoint. We can touch it up tomorrow and submit it!! Woohoo!

Zuckerberg's Take on Employment!!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!  Given the theme of college and career this quarter, I couldn't resist sharing the following article with you. The article was published in Time, PC Magazine, in the Washington Post and here:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243660.  There are two main points that Zuckerberg addresses in the article.  The first is about his hiring practice.  The second is about how he delegates tasks in his company.

Please read the article (it is short) and discuss the following:

• How does Mark Zuckerberg make hiring decisions?  How does this keep his company successful?  How does this contrast from other companies hiring practices (opinion)?  What do you think you would need in order to qualify for a job at Facebook?  What are some of the attributes you think Zuckerberg (or any employer really) would be looking for in an employee based on your reading this article?
• How does Mark Zuckerberg delegate tasks? What does delegate mean? Do you think this is an important skill to have? As a CEO do you think it is important for him "to do as much work as possible himself." Is this a good or bad trait?
• Lastly, there is discussion about mentorship within his company. He notes that "the most influential figures in his life are the colleagues he sees on a day-to-day basis." Do you think this can apply to you and your classmates in a school setting? Why or why not?

Thanks for a thoughtful response.  Please read and respond quickly but thoroughly in a minimum of 10 sentences!  Once you have finished this, please complete Unit 2, Lesson 3.2 in Edutyping before continuing on in your Career PowerPoint

Thank you!

Mr. Rubin

Monday - March 9th!?!?

Good Morning, Happy Monday!!!  I hope you had a great weekend and that you enjoyed our final mentor meeting of the school year on Friday.  Today we are going to kick off the morning with a quick reflection of your weekend and that event!!

• You know, back in October, before our very first mentor meeting I asked you what a mentor was.  Based on your experience this year, what is a mentor?
• What was your favorite part of the mentor meetings (besides the food!!)
• What was one thing you wish was different about the program?
• If you could work with anyone on anything who would that be and what would you be focusing on?  Do you think it matters who you are working with?  Why or why not?
• Do you think you would want to work with a mentor again in the future?  Would you want to work with the same mentor?  Why or why not?  Remember - this is a public post so be conscious of that as you write it up.

Now, that we've got that out of the way, here's what we are moving onto today.  First, please complete one lesson in Edutyping.  You should be on Unit 2, Lesson 3.1.  In addition, we are going to continue with our career PowerPoint.  You can find all of the details and directions in Schoology.  Today you will be taking the 3 matching occupations you found after completing your career interest profile and you will narrow that down to 1 occupation.  For that one occupation I am requesting that you:

• Click on that career & explore all the information in the new window for that career.
• Explore the career under all the tabs: 
• Read the Job Description, and Watch the video (under Overview) 
• Go to the Tasks & Activities Tab and read all that you’ll do 

I recognize this is time consuming and requires focus (you have to read) but this is something that is valuable for you as you start planning your pathway to your future. On your PowerPoint slide you will need to summarize what this job, or career, does based on your readings including adding data about the amount of money people in this career earn in California ... an important factor to make sure it will support your lifestyle.

A Busy Tuesday!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!!  Here we go!!  Today, while our focus is still on our Career PowerPoint, which I will more formally introduce today, we also have a few other agenda items to touch on first!!

1. Today we are going to begin getting prepared for our final mentor meeting of the 2014-2015 school year which is, yes, this Friday!! That means it is the last chance you will be meeting with your mentor and is the last opportunity you have to leave a lasting impression - and you want that lasting impression (or their memory of you) to be a positive one. Discuss a few things that you can/should do in preparation for this last mentor meeting that you feel will help leave a good impression on your mentor. Why do you think it is important to finish the year with your mentor on a positive note and how could it benefit you down the road?  Put in a little critical thinking as you complete this blog post. Come up with some good reasons, perhaps work towards having the best in the class :)  In addition, please write a sample "Thank You" letter to your mentor.  This letter should at minimum include the following and be incredibly NEAT AND CLEAN!!:
1. Dear "NAME",
2. Thank you so much for taking your time to work with me this year
3. 3 ways they really helped you this year OR things you enjoyed working with them on OR why you enjoyed meeting with them!! BRAINSTORM!  This shouldn't be too difficult!
4. Again, I really appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you again in the future.
5. Sincerely
6. YOUR NAME!
2. The presentation schedule has formally been released for the Spring.  You can access the presentation schedule at http://tinyurl.com/portfoliopresentations.  Be sure to write this presentation schedule time down in your planner, send an email to yourself, anything - whatever it takes.  If someone asks you from this date forward - parent, mentor, teacher, administrator - you need to be able to respond to them with your presentation date and time!!  I also have an invitation for your mentor which will go inside the Thank You Card!
3. Please complete lesson 2.2 (unit 2) in Edutyping and then refer to Schoology for instructions on the Career PowerPoint - our last presentation for 3rd quarter!!

It's March!!

Good Morning, Happy Monday, Happy March!!

March is a great month! The beginning of Daylight Savings Time, The First Day of Spring (Spring Equinox) 2015, My Birthday ... the list just keeps on going!! :)  Today we are going to kick off the day with a couple of things before jumping into our last PowerPoint for our Computer Applications course.  

• First, how was your weekend?  Did you do anything fun?  Anything exciting coming up this week?
• What are you looking forward to about this Friday's mentor event?  What are you hoping to get out of it?
• What type of career did you say you were most interested in learning about on your resume?

After completing the blog, please complete lesson 2.1 (unit 2) in Edutyping.  You will also need to make sure you have completed and printed your resume and submitted it in the back of the classroom - don't forget to sign your name on the roster!

Next, in preparation of our final PowerPoint which focuses on Careers (and you can see the example on Schoology) we are going to complete an online Career Interest Profiler on Naviance.  

• Login to Naviance, click on the careers tab at the top and then select "career interest profiler" under "what are my interests."

Today there is nothing you have to complete on your PowerPoint but you will need to complete the career interest profiler on Naviance.  Being done with that today will help you make sure you stay on track and are able to complete the PowerPoint on time.