Blog for 4/29

Good Morning and Happy Block Day!!

Today we are going to:

1. Complete a quiz on Chapter 19, Sections 1 & 2.  This is an open book quiz but needs to be completed individually.  You can access the quiz at: http://goo.gl/Fb56nd
2. Begin research of your "Home Buying Project."  Remember to read and follow the directions carefully and refer to the notes you (hopefully) took yesterday as I guided you through each step.  A reminder this project is due no later than May 28th at 1:00PM.  The sooner you submit it, the better.

After completing the quiz, please take a moment to post a blog for today discussing the 3 most interesting things you learned about the characteristics of a developing nation and the process of economic development. Your post should be approximately 6-8 sentences.  In addition to the 2 most interesting things you learned, explain an experience you have had either here in the United States or abroad that offers an example or personal experience of yours with the new knowledge you have gained.

Finally, for the "Home Buying Project" ... many of you asked whether now is a good time to buy a house ... I found the following article which you might find interesting.

Check out: http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/28/the-facebook-effect-on-real-estate-prices/#.akhn2c:ZFx8 for the full article

Buying a House!

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!  As discussed and promised yesterday I am going to present the 2nd of two projects you have to complete before the end of the school year.  The project we are going to begin working on today is all about your future and the possibility of buying a home!!  After all - the American dream supposedly is land, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ... well, here's your chance to see what goes into getting yourself some land!!

For today's blog, please discuss the following:

1. Why would you want to own a home at some point in your life?  What are the benefits that you can think of that would come with owning your own home?  What are some of the challenges you can think of that would come with owning your own home?
2. What are some of the features you can think of that you would want in your home?  While answering this question think about location, exterior qualities, interior qualities, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the desire to have (or not have) a yard, etc.  Which features are most important to you and why?
3. Where do you want to live when you get out of High School, College or potentially when you "grow up."  Are you hopeful to live in the bay area?  Close by?  In California?  Wherever the wind blows you?  What are some of the things that interest you about this location versus the many, many other options you have for your future!
4. Lastly, what are you hopeful to learn as part of this project.  What are you most interested in when it comes to your future and the possibility of ownership?  Is there 1 thing in particular you are motivated to own and/or learn how to attain?

Thanks for your thorough, thoughtful response!!

p.s. if you're interested, the house above is listed at the fair price of 23.8 ... million dollars

SPRING BREAK!!! Is over :(

Good Morning, Happy Monday and welcome (believe it or not) to the last week of April and the final stretch of the 2014-15 school year and your high school career.  Next year you will be back to freshman year but no longer as a required high school students but as a college student, choosing to further your academic journey and better your employment outlook for the future!  All said and done, I bet it seems pretty crazy how quickly your high school years went all of a sudden!!

Today we are going to kick off the morning with a quick reflection of the following:

1. How was your Spring Break?  What was the most fun thing you did and what is one reason you are excited to be back at school?
2. How are your grades?  I know it's never something you want to kick off your first morning back at school thinking about BUT you have to get back to reality at some point!  Are they good, bad, ugly?  Which classes are you doing well in?  Which classes do you need to get focused in and really work to improve?
3. Believe it or not, we are a mere 6 weeks until everything is said and done - 5 for you really because Final week for everyone else means Senior week for you.  After graduation, the school year will be over and you will be headed off to summer vacation with hopefully nothing to worry about!  What are your goals between now and then?  Be specific!  What grades do you need to get?  Are you still working on getting stuff lined up for this summer?  Have you registered for your classes for next year and do you know what they are?

That should be enough for today's post BUT keep in mind it should be just a starting point for you to start thinking about success and how you are going to ensure you get there!!  Thanks for your thorough, thoughtful response ;)

Work, Work, Work!

Per our discussion yesterday:

• By Next Friday you must:
• Complete Both Car Assignments 
• The Adventure of Buying a Car: 12 Questions from Cars.com
• Buying Your First Car: A 4 page synopsis of a car you would like to buy and the cost of ownership on both an annual and monthly basis
• Complete your Stock Market Portfolio
• Remember to manage your time well and complete quality work.  Follow all of the directions listed on the handouts carefully.  Double check your work before submitting it. Don't be shy to ask for help.

This will be our agenda, nothing more - nothing less, between now and Spring Break.  In addition, I will refrain from assigning any blogs these next two weeks.

Happy Monday, Welcome Back and An Outlook for the Next 2 Weeks

Good Morning, Happy Monday!

I apologize for my absence over the past two weeks, mainly the fact that there was not consistency with the sub in my place.  That is unacceptable to me and I have expressed my disappointment. While I do apologize for this, the work that was assigned during my absence should have been clear and easy to understand given the handouts provided.  For the things not clearly communicated I apologize and will make a few concessions.

With that said, while I was gone you were responsible for completing two handouts.  The handouts were "The Adventure of Buying a Car" which included 12 questions that required you to complete research on Cars.com and a second handout entitled "Buying a Car" which consisted of 6 steps and 4 total pages in which you discuss a car you would like to purchase and the cost of owning that specific car.   These assignments will be due next Friday, 4/17, the day before we leave for Spring Break.  Keep in mind you had 2 weeks of dedicated class time to work on these projects and have 2 more until Spring Break (plenty of time).  While there were blog posts requested of you during my absence, I do understand that this may not have been clearly communicated.  With that said, each of you who posted a blog during my absence will receive 5 extra credit points for each day you posted.  You may not go back and make these up.  They were either posted during the weeks of 3/23-27 and 3/30-4/3 or they were not.  Moving forward, as you have been aware, our stock market portfolio due date is also quickly approaching.  The portfolio must be typed, meet all the requirements and must be turned in at the start of class on the due date which we discussed was Friday, April 17^{th at the start of the Semester, January 9th to be exact.  While not a small amount of work, if you have been using your classtime well over the past two weeks this should not be overwhelming.  If you have not, you may have a bit of work cut out for you this next few weeks.  All of the above will be due on Friday, April 17th - please, no exceptions.}

Finally, for today's blog post, please respond to the following:

1. How was your weekend?
2. How have you been doing in school, academically, over the past two weeks?  This semester?
3. What struggles have you had? What areas have you been doing particularly well in?
4. What was your impression of buying a car?  Did you find there to be more to research than you had expected?
5. How well did you use your time during my absence?  Be honest!!  Were you here everyday?  Focused? Working hard?  Could you have been more on task?

Thanks for a thorough, thoughtful response.  Glad to be back!

Block Day!!! Buying Cars, Houses and More!

Good Morning and Happy Block Day!!

Today we are going to focus on the fun but challenging decisions of buying vs. renting when it comes to our homes and the costs of buying and operating a car!!Today's blog has two parts.  Please be sure to answer each part thoroughly in a 5-7 sentence paragraph (each).

Part I: The decision to buy or rent a home is a difficult one that every person hopes to have the challenge of making at some point in their lives.  Wha are all of the advantages and disadvantages you can think of for renting a home?  Wha are all of the advantages and disadvantages you can think of for buying a home?  What type of home would you like to have someday? What features would you want in that home and where would you want it to be located?  In addition, would you prefer to rent or own that home?  Be sure to discuss your reasons for all of the above thoroughly throughout this 1st part of your blog post.

Part II: Buying a car is a difficult decision but one that is going to come sooner than later for many of you - perhaps you already even have a car!!!  Create a buyers guide to automobiles which includes a check list of all the things a buyer would want to look for in a car that they are purchasing.  Think of all of the most important things you would want in a new car that you are going to drive.  Think about fuel efficiency, safety features and more.  In addition, in the search for a car, you are sure to come across the decision of buying new vs. used.  What are the costs of owning each kind of car?  Do they differ? When? Why? How?  Which do you feel would be more economical to purchase at this point in your life - new or used? Why?

Thank you for a thorough, 2 part blog post.  After completing your blog, please complete today's quiz located at http://goo.gl/ZG8Q6k

Thank you!!!  Happy Thursday!

Mr. Rubin

Important Information for 3rd Period: As a reminder, you are all encouraged/expected to check school loop and verify your current, up to date grade.  For students not satisfied with their grade, a reminder that you may turn in work via email to me by the end of the day today - there will be no exceptions.  No late work will be accepted after today.  If you have a worksheet that needs to be submitted do not hand it into the sub.  Take a clear picture of the completed assignment (both sides if applicable) and email it to me today.  You can give me the hard copy on Monday.

Work, Work, Work!

Good Morning!  It's Wednesday March 11th!!  We are midway through March, 7 school days from the end of the 3rd quarter and 2.5 months from graduation!!  Today for your blog I would like you to create a To Do List that includes the following:

• A To Do List that covers all of the things that are required of you at M-A.  Homework/Classwork you need to complete, Tests/Quizzes you need to study for, Teachers you need to speak with, Counselors you need to see, etc.
• A To Do List that covers all things non-related to M-A.  This can include your college outlook plans and what you need to take care of to make sure you have a plan in place upon graduation.  The need for you to complete a certain project, help your parents with something, apply for a job, speak to your boss, etc, etc.

As part of your blog and your to do list, please prioritize each of these items and make a top 3 list after you have completed your "to do" list in its entirety.  What is your timeline for getting these things done.  How is your stress level?  Are you calm and relaxed?  Are you worried about things that are on the horizon?  Is there stuff going on right now that you badly need to deal with so you can stay focused in school?  Please write a thorough, thoughtful response as to how you are doing and what is on your plate currently!

Once you are done with the blog, your assignment for today, based on the assigned reading of Chapter 5, Sections 1 & 2, can be found at http://goo.gl/35yK8S.  Take your time and work to get the right answers!

Deadline today ... after completing the above I need you to complete your application for college.  Remember, every community college application can be found at: http://home.cccapply.org/  As soon as you have completed the application and received the email with your student identification # you must complete this form with your brand new college enrollment identification number http://goo.gl/a5RgQG.  Be sure to respond accurately to the questions so that when I communicate this information to the college, yours is reported accurately.

Once you have completed this you are to work individually on any work you need to complete (including your worksheet for Life and Debt which we finished Tuesday).  Today is a silent work day.  For clarification - that means you are working individually on today's quiz, individually on your college application, individually on any other work that needs to be submitted.  If you have a question or concern please see me, Mr. Rubin, for help.