LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com Test Results

Test 1: Are You Protecting Your Identity?

• My results revealed that I am low at risk of identity theft.  I keep up with my bank statements and shred unwanted documents that contain personal information.

Test 2: Are You an Unwitting Accomplice in Crime?

• In the second quiz, my results revealed that I am not an unwitting accomplice in crime.  I do not send money to people I have met online nor do I go into chat rooms.

Test 3: Are You the Lucky Winner in a Sweepstakes or Lottery?

• In the last quiz, my results revealed that I am an at low risk of being a part of any online sweepstakes or lottery scams.

Malware Analysis: Drive-By Download

Let's admit it.  We all may have been fooled by those intriguing ads along the sides of our favorite or most visited websites.  But do we ever actually click on them?  In most cases, those ads may be implanted with malicious codes to malware our computers.  These sneaky viruses are called drive-by downloads.  Drive-by downloads are unauthorized programs that automatically download and install onto your computer without your say so.  It is one of the fastest growing threats in the internet.  All you need to do is to destroy your computer is to click once on that program.  According to the video that talks about drive-by downloads, drive-by downloads happen almost noticeably.  Our eyes are fooled when we see the malicious html download normally; however, there are some obvious ways to detect that our computers have been a part of a drive-by such as: unusual apps in your program bar, your web browser's homepage changed, unfamiliar toolbar appears in your Web browser, your browser has a new Bookmarks that you didn't make, pop-up windows display ads, and unusual files in different directories on your computer.

First and foremost, I think it is pretty funny how this malware is called drive-by downloads.  I found the video about drive-by downloads very informative.  It is a great video to allow people to become aware of these malicious acts and it is helpful by giving tips on how to prevent and detect a drive-by download.  It goes to show that everyone needs to invest in an antivirus and anti-spyware software.  No matter how "safe" you are on your computer, drive-by downloads can still happen to anyone at any time.

'Safe Practices for Life Online'

1. What are three online social networking sites that are used to form connections and develop relationships online?

• Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace

2. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/02/fed-up-north-carolina-father-shoots-daughters-laptop/

3. Definitions (Source: techterms.com)

• Sexting - sending erotic materials via text message
• Cramming - to learn a large amount of information in a short period of time
• Cookies - saved information about user from visited websites
• Trojan Horse - a hacking program disgusted as a safe program
• Phishing - the act of stealing one's information 
• Spyware - a program that "spies" on your activities on the computer
• Rootkit - a  software that permits user unauthorized access
• Zombie - a computer that has been compromised

4. Why are these screen names poor choices? Actual student screen names: Trashmouth, IHaveOnePairPants, BoogerDude, Pig.

• When you create a screen name, you want it to be a positive and professional representation of yourself. 

5. Why might someone harass those with these screen names: InYoFace, Badboy2U, Lookin4Luv, IMAHottie, FatMama, suPaFlirt.  Choosing the wrong screen name can encourage others to treat students poorly.  

• The screen names listed above are set up to where the user will be harassed.  Lookin4Luv may project to other users as a desperate single person.  InYoFace and Badboy2U sound like a threat.  IMAHottie and suPaFlirt sounds very egotistical. 

6. Too much info can be given through screen names.  What info is being revealed through the following screen names?

• Tom_Evans34: Tom has revealed his full name and possible age.
• Missy-13: The 13 may represent her age or the year of her graduation which will allow another user to find out her age.  This screen name also reveals her name.
• AndyKarateKid: Andy is a kid who likes/does karate.
• ViolinGurl: This female plays the violin.
• restlinmatch: This person either likes wrestling or does wrestling, or both!

7. Good and bad choices for screen names.  Write whether you think these are good choices or poor choices and why.  

• Depending on the setting of the screen names, I feel that the good screen names are: i8sushi2, Soccerstar, Puppygirl1234, Bookworm, 2BorNot2b, Choco-holic, AmrcanIdol2, and SimpyMe.  Those screen names does not provide too much personal information.  On the other hand, the bad screen names are: KeKe1995, CapitlOfens, BellaIsabella, DarkAngel666, Karla-Love-1996, gUn4hiRe, babyfaceLA, and Watup?  These screen names either reveal too much personal information or negative representation of the user.  

8. Create three different screen names that you will meet all of the following guidelines: Unlikely to attract negative attention, free of bad language, don't reveal too much personal information, don't reveal real name, age, or gender.

• YellowDaisies, BubblegumPop, AutumnSkies  

9. How likely is it that a password can be cracked?  A poor score is a warning to create a new password immediately.  

• My score for the password quiz is +6, which means it is less likely that my password will be cracked.  

10. List the most common reason and least common reason that students' online accounts are broken each year.

• Most Common Reason: Students give their password to their friends, who then decide to use it or give it to others who use it
• Least Common Reason: Other students see the password as the student enters it on a keyboard

Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core

The article "Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core" discusses ways to incorporate fine arts into classrooms under the Common Core State Standards.  It is a tough transition for schools across the country to implement the Common Core into schools similarly integration into classrooms.  The article also makes note of that adding art into the unit will involve students to try different learning styles.  Art integration will also have students to be exposed to social, cultural, and intellectual needs.  

I am a big artsy person. I think that most things can be taught with art. I also feel that art is being taken for grant nowadays. Art classes are being forced to have a tight budget and with a tight budget, what can teachers provide for their students to create a work of art?  I think it is great for integrating the arts into the Common Core. Think of it this way: without art, how would we have know how to write essays or draw an interpretations of the world or label things?  

John Hunter and the World Peace Game

Who is John Hunter?  John Hunter is one of the most inspirational teacher I have ever encountered.  He is one of those teachers who children look up to and inspire those to become future educators themselves. Hunter showed so much compassion for his students and cares about what they are gaining out of class.  I'm not saying that other teachers do not care if their students are learning or not, but Hunter takes his class on a journey that many teachers feel it being too vigorous for the students.  Hunter taught 4th grade gifted students.  In 1978, he created a game to teach his students about the problems in Africa.  Instead of lecturing his students, Hunter wanted to build a model for his students to see what he was talking about.  Hunter's World Peace game consists of the different layers that comprise of the ground level, sky level, and outer space.  On the ground level, there are four countries that the students have made up.  Hunter gave his students a list of problems/crises and wanted to see how they would solve them.  To our astonishment, the students were actually discussing and collaborating with one another to solve their problems.

John Hunter shows us that we do not need the Common Core to get students to think critically and/or collaborate with each other.  Where Hunter teaches at, the state of Virginia does not implement the Common Core State Standards.  This goes to show that we do not need the Common Core to get students to think as "college-and-career-ready" students.

Common Core Standards for ELA and Literacy

1. What is the purpose of the college and career readiness standards?
- The purpose of the college and career readiness standards is to keep the students focused and supply them with the skills to be successful in college and their careers.


2. What are the benefits and challenges of the shift to reading and writing non-fiction texts?
- The benefits and challenges of the shift to reading and writing non-fictions texts are to read closely and logical inferences.  Another benefit is that reading informational texts can help students become better writers.

3. What are the benefits and challenges of having standards for science, social studies, and technical subjects?
- The benefits and challenges of having standards for science, social studies, and technical subjects are that children learn how to read complex texts and it will promote conversations and collaborations.

The Common Core's Fundamental Trouble

In the article "The Common Core's Fundamental Trouble", Valerie Strauss discusses the pros and cons of the Common Core.  The positive outlook of the Common Core is that it will provide stronger critical learning skills, require student-centered teaching with collaborative and reflective learning, and set higher expectations for all children to do better.  Continue to read the article, we soon realize that Strauss is not in favor of the Common Core.  She reminds the readers of No Child Left Behind.  It was similar to what the Common Core is trying to do; however, the Common Core is a revised version of it.  Strauss also makes note that NCLB. had no significant results for schools.  After a decade-long of implementing NCLB, it was "a dismal failure in both raising academic performance and narrowing gaps in opportunity and outcomes."  By adopting the Common Core State Standards, Strauss feels that the country is repeating the same mistakes as it has when it enforced NCLB.

Learning should be F.U.N!  School should be a place where children can go and look forward to everyday. As schools across the Nation are adopting the Common Core, the fun and excitement of school are slowly but surely being sucked out of the system.  I remember a professor told me that as teachers, we should never make our students memorize information.  Instead, we should encourage them to learn to use the information they learned in school and apply it to every day life.  The Common Core is basically teaching children to memorize what they learned and regurgitate on standardized testing days to measure how much they learned.  This is not F.U.N.  Keep in mind that kids need to be kids.  They should not already be stressing out over tests.

The Biggest Fallacy of the Common Core Standards

"How does anyone know that the Common Core standards will prepare everyone for college and careers since they are now being adopted for the very first time?"  I ask myself that every time the issue of adopting the Common Core arises.  Yet, it is so true!  Where are the statistics that shows the increase of "college-and-career ready" students?  Written by Diane Ravitch, the article displays the unnecessary change for schools to implement the Common Core.  Why spend millions of dollars on standardized tests when the money can be used towards art or music or physical education.  At a young age, children need to enter classrooms where they can express and explore their learning environment.  I don't believe that children should go to school just to learn how to test.  What sense does that make?  I would be more in favor for the Common Core if there were actual results of how well or bad it has affected schools.  Instead, states across the country are adopting these standards in hopes that their schools will do better.