Tuesday, April 28

In the article "What Students Really Need To Hear" by teacher C. Mielke, he writes to his students about how much he truly cares about them, not just their grades and test scores. I do see this with some of my teachers at Blue Valley. It is easy to tell when a teacher truly loves their job and their students versus when they do not. I believe Mielke is trying to say that students should appreciate their teachers more for the unconditional support they try to give. He also wants his students to realize that school is more than just homework and tests. The "Main Event" he is alluding to appears to be learning how to deal with adversity. There are many things that go on within a school like stress and gossiping, but people need to learn how to pick themselves up and deal with it, in order to be successful in life. I think this is what Mielke is trying to convey to his students.

Tuesday, April 14

3 day weekend... how was it? Give me a good story or something funny that happened this weekend. Go.

This weekend was my Senior Prom. It was absolutely amazing, and Justin and I had a great time. My friends and I organized a party bus for the evening and we spent our time dancing and eating. It was a really great time. We went to the dance for a little bit, to see what it was like. We also got our Prom shirts and then got back on the bus until 12:30. I'm so glad we were able to go and have such a great experience together! 

Thursday, April 9

If images are on the internet they should be "free game".

I do not agree with this statement. Even though people publish their images publicly on the internet, I do not think that people should be able to just take those photos and use them as their own. Obviously, the people who posted the images, especially if they are photography, own those images. Therefore, if people want to use them, they should cite them and give the owner proper credit. 

Tuesday, April 7

I think I had a pretty average website. Some people had very bland websites with minimal information. However, some students had beautiful websites. I think I could go back and change my font to make it look a lot cuter, as well as add in margins to make it easier to read. I do have quite a bit of information on my website, but all of it is beneficial to getting to know me. I like the color scheme I used, but I should have done more with Photoshop to make my website look even more professional. With more time used wisely, I think my website could have been a lot better, but I do not think it was that bad.

Things to add:

• Margins with color on the sides
• A cuter font
• More customized graphics in Photoshop 

Monday, March 30

What's the coolest thing you've learned in Web Design so far? Why is it so cool and how can it help you in the future?

The coolest thing we have learned so far in Web Design is the resume website. I think knowing how to make our own websites is something we can all use in the future. We have learned how to do really neat designs and add aspects to our website that makes it look very professional. I would actually like to be able to use my resume website because it looks legitimate and we have learned how to code and add everything in on our own. 

Tuesday, March 24

Define 'User Experience'. What does it mean and how does it relate to web design? Explain yourself.

According to Google, 'User Experience' is: The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.

This relates back to web design because when making websites in this class, we want to make sure that people can easily navigate our site. That way, it will be easier and more enjoyable to the user and they will be more interested in visiting the website again.

Monday, March 23

What is a resume website? What do people put on resume websites. Spend about 5-10 minutes looking up resume websites and what they are used for. Explain what you find. Include an image of a resume website if possible.



This is an example of a resume website. It states the persons name and his job title. There are different tabs that contain information about the things he has done and the experience he has. There is also a section of contact information that allows you to communicate with him. It says he is looking for a job and to contact him, so companies can easily see all about his experience.

Monday, March 9

Over the weekend, I hung out with Claudia quite a bit. We went to Take 5 and worked on AP Psychology as well as our senior speeches. I got Chipotle for lunch on Saturday, and ate Mr. Goodcents for lunch on Sunday. Overall, the weekend was very relaxing, but I was able to get a lot of work done. I also began packing for my Spring Break trip to NYC.

Friday, March 6

If you were the Principal for a week at BVHS, what would that look like? What changes would you make? Why?

If I were Principal for a week at BVHS, I would spend the day going around and talking to the students in the halls and seeing how they were doing. I would make a couple of changes to the time school starts by making every day late start! That way, students will be more energized and ready to learn because they won't be so tired. 

Monday, March 2

On Friday night I went to the Buckets for Bacon charity basketball game at BVHS. It was a great experience and a lot of money was raised that will go to Relay for Life. On Saturday, I went to work with Freddy and left early because of the weather. The roads were very slippery and it was just too dangerous to get out and drive. Sunday, I went to Barnes and Noble with my dad to look around at books and then we ate lunch at Dean & Deluca. My sister made cookies, and for the rest of the day I just stayed inside and rested. Overall, it was a pretty good weekend.

Monday, February 23

Tell me about your weekend. Give me a story, something funny that happened, an experience you had, the way you felt, etc. Include photos!

This weekend I spent most of my time resting and trying to get over my cold. The feeling of being sick is probably my least favorite thing ever. I could live without getting a runny nose or sore throat ever again... Thankfully though, I am feeling much better now!

Friday, February 20

My perfect curriculum would consist of learning more about Special Education and Psychology. I love learning about the human mind and why we do the things we do. I would spend my class time learning about these topics, which would prepare me for my future career. The classes wouldn't be much different from the ones I am in now, just without math and science. 

Thursday, February 19th

Blog Post of the Day:

Copy and past these over to your blog and tell me a little about yourself. If you have a picture or two that might represent one of your answers make sure to include it.

My favorite food: Mac & Cheese
Foods I'd like to avoid: Veggies
My favorite things to learn: Psychology
My favorite color: Purple
My best friends are: Hayden, Claudia, and my boyfriend Justin
My favorite games to play: Word Searches
My favorite books: Les Mis
My favorite movies or TV shows: American Horror Story
My favorite holiday: Christmas
Things I do well: Talking to others, listening to others
Things I need to practice more: Not waiting until the last minute to do things
My favorite place to go: Paris, France
My favorite family activities: Walking my dogs
My favorite thing to do outside: Take my dogs for a walk
My favorite chore: Folding laundry
My least favorite chore: Hanging laundry

What I want to be when I grow up: An ABA Therapist
A place I want to visit: The Mediterranean Sea
My favorite part of the year: Spring/Winter Break
My favorite part of each day: Getting to leave school and going home

Tuesday, February 17

Color can convey a lot of emotion when it comes to designing anything from a product to a website to an advertisement to a logo and so much more. What do you think the importance of colors on a website are? What is a color scheme and why is it important to have when designing? Explain any thoughts you might have around color in design.

I think that color on a website is very important. People will not be visually drawn to a website that is colorless and boring. Websites that are colorful and have a colorful design will be much more visually appealing. A color scheme is an arrangement or combination of colors. I think that it is very important; however, I personally have no sense of what colors look well together.

Tuesday, February 10

Doing less with more focus could potentially be something that works to someone's advantage because even though they aren't doing as much as they could, they are focused on what they are doing more. For example, look at someone who is taking 4 AP classes vs. someone who is taking 7 elective courses. Even though the one student is only taking 4 classes, they are more focused because they are taking harder classes. However, it would be nice to be able to say that you are doing more with less focus... because then you are able to do a ton of work without really trying.

Monday, February 9

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me all about your weekend! I sure hope you have photos to share.

On Friday, I went and saw the musical "42nd Street" with my family. It was incredible and I am so proud of the cast and the crew who put all their time and effort into the show. The dancing and singing could not have been any better! On Saturday, I hung out with Justin and Kellan and we had a pretty good time together. The weather all weekend was absolutely beautiful! On Sunday, I took my dogs for a long walk and worked on AP Lit homework. I also went and got my nails done :)

Monday, February 2

Blog Post of the Day:
Tell me all about your Sweetheart weekend (even if you sat at home on the couch!). Include photos!

I did not go to the dance with Justin. But I did go to Red Robin with the Special Education class and ate dinner with them and just hang out. It was a really nice time. Below are some pictures with Todd and Collin- my two dates for the evening! On Sunday, I of course watched the Super Bowl and was HIGHLY disappointed with the outcome of the game... Oh well..

Thursday, January 29

Blog Post of the Day:
What is a website wireframe? Explain. If you don't know what it is, look it up. Find an image online to place on your blog that represents a website wireframe and how they work.

A website wireframe is a template or screen blueprint that functions as a visual guide for a website. It acts like the "skeleton" for your website. The following picture is an example of a website wireframe.

Tuesday, January 27

Finish this sentence "10 years from now I will be...."

10 years from now I will be out of college and working on starting my career as an ABA Therapist. I hope to open my own small practice and work on helping young children with Autism and their families set up behavior plans. I also hope to have found someone to marry and enjoy my time with them, before settling down and having children. 

Monday, January 26

Tell me about your weekend. Go.

On Saturday, as usual, I worked with Freddy, a nine year old Autistic boy, from 10-1. We went to the Great Mall and played at Monkey Bizness- a place where kids can jump around and play in bouncy houses. He seemed to really enjoy it. We also walked around the mall and went into different stores. Later that day, Justin came over and we hung out. We went and got some lunch at Chick-fil-A and then came back to my house and got in my hot tub. On Sunday, I mainly spent the day doing loads of laundry and finishing up all of my homework. That's about it. 

Friday, January 23

So kids these days are constantly focused on technology. There is no face to face interaction anymore, it is all just communication through their iPhones and iPads. They are all out there dressing nasty and smoking pot and drinking. They have no concept of what life really is. They are lazy, and just not motivated to get anything done. They don't even vote.

Thursday, January 22

Blog Post of the Day:
What do you find the most confusing and frustrating part of web design and HTML code so far? What would make it easier? What don't you understand? What do you understand? Explain yourself.

The most confusing part of web design and HTML code is trying to figure out what is wrong when something with your code has been entered incorrectly. The smallest mistakes can mess everything up and that can become frustrating. It would be easier if when doing your coding, it told you what was wrong with it and gave you a hint to help you fix it. I sometimes don't remember the specific code that I need to use so I have to look it up. But once I do figure it out, I am really good at quickly going through and completing it. 

Tuesday, January 20

Tell me all about your 3 day weekend! Share photos.

I was sick for most of the weekend so my break was spent mainly trying to rest and get over my cold. I watched the Seahawks beat the Packers on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited!! Despite still being a little sick, that night I went out to dinner with one of my friends Hayden. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen and just spend the rest of the night at my house hanging out. On Sunday, I did laundry and cleaned my room. Last night, I went to Cinetopia with Justin for the first time and saw "The Interview" with James Franko and Seth Rogan. It was a really good movie and I really enjoyed it. 

Friday, January 16

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your life here at BVHS. What activities or clubs are you involved in? What year are you in school? What is your favorite class and/or teacher so far this year? What are you looking forward to this school year? Include some original photos from your phone if you can.

Well my name is Emily Stevens and I am a senior this year at BVHS. I am involved in NHS, Chorale, and the Peer Tutoring program. My favorite class this year is AP Psychology with Mrs. Buffington. I am really interested in psychology and learning about why people do the things they do. I am looking forward to finishing this school year strong and spending time with my friends and my boyfriend before everyone goes off to college. Below are some pictures of me and my best friend Claudia and my boyfriend Justin.

Thursday, January 15

Always do what you enjoy.

Be happy.

Constantly ask questions.

Don't give up on your goals.

Enjoy everything.

Figure out how to constantly grow.

Give everything your best effort.

Have good friends.

Invite others to do things.

Join clubs and groups.

Keep on keepin' on.

Love EVERYONE.

Money is good.

Not always though.

Open your eyes to the world.

People are not always out to get you.

Question everything.

Respect is always good.

Self-Worth is valuable.

Teach others the things that you know.

Unexpected events can sometimes be the best ones.

Value others opinions-even if they go against your own.

Wait, be patient.

Xylophone is the only word that starts with an X that anyone can ever come up with.

Youth is something to cherish.

Zoom around.

Tuesday, January 13

What are your thoughts on this class so far? Easy? Hard? Informative? Frustrating? What have you learned so far? What do you want to learn? Explain yourself.

So far, I think that this class is pretty informative. Some of the things that we do, like blog posts and building our blog are easy for me. However, some lessons on Codecademy can be difficult. I have learned a lot about how to enter images and links in HTML code onto my blog as well as how to make it more aesthetically pleasing and complex with different links and gadgets. I am looking forward to getting further on Codecademy and learning more about how to design webpages using HTML code. 

Monday, January 12

Over the weekend I mainly spent my time eating, finishing a book for AP Lit, and watching Netflix. On Friday night, my boyfriend came over and we hung out for about 6 hours- listing to music, eating pizza, and watching TV. On Sunday, some family friends came over and we watched the NFL playoff games. Both of my teams won, Go Packers and Go Colts! Other than that, I just hung around my house and rested for this upcoming week.

Friday, January 9

My imaginary subjects would look something like this:

1st Hour: Going to Starbucks and ordering a grande Chai Tea Latte or White Hot Chocolate

2nd Hour: Taking a Nap

3rd Hour: Watching American Horror Story on Netflix

4th Hour: Eating LOTS of Chipotle

5th Hour: NOT anything related to math

6th Hour: Working at Helpers Inc.

7th Hour: Researching Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy

And of course, I would be able to master all of these topics with flying colors. All A's.

Thursday, January 8

Read this small newspaper clipping and then write a blog post about it. What are your thoughts? How does it make you feel? Do you agree? Disagree? Explain yourself.




Being a teenager currently, I have mixed views about this post. I do not agree with the harshness of the tone that is used or the fact that Tapene states that "The world does not owe you a living", and that "Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun." I think that that statement is just wrong. It should be societies job to nurture their youth and prepare them for the world that we live in. Without any kind of guidance, adolescents will not thrive as they should. Teenagers need mentors and places they can go to learn and feel safe. Parents also do owe their children "fun". As a parent, your primary job is to support and encourage your children. The only thing that I do agree with in this post is that "Someday is now and that somebody is you". I do think that teenagers need to take the initiative to start becoming someone and applying themselves in society, but with the help of those around them.