Ignition

Ignition is a program where it leads you through problems you might face when, for example, buying a computer. There are seven modules that you go through. Each one teaches you important things that you need to know for the future.

This module was about choosing a computer and different factors that goes into buying one. Some features that should be considered before buying one are monitor size, long term storage (hard drive), RAM (the amount of memory that is temporary that is not in the hard drive), the amount of hard drive, portability, and processing speed. It is important to compare the different features of each computer so that they have the right features for your project. Cloud computing is where your essays, pictures, social media, etc. is saved on server farms. If you are not at your own computer, you can still access the information from the farm. The information is not physically on the computer, but it is stored on the farm on a server. Over time, computers get more portable, their storage is bigger, and they load faster. Before computers were big and bulky, but now they are compact and efficient. In twenty years from now, I think that computers will be very light and thin and there will be many more upgrades. Maybe you won't have to type anymore or maybe everything will load in an instant. All I know is that whatever it will be, our newest ones now will seem like ancient, old, slow machines.

This module was about being responsible with your phone and making sure your phone plan is right for you. First, it is important to pick out a plan that covers what you need (data, storage, limited texting, etc.). Some people don't text very much so they don't need to buy unlimited texting. The module also had a lesson on texting and driving. It is very wrong to text and drive at the same time. Also, the module covered that you should never text bad or inappropriate pictures. Owning a cell phone is a big responsibility. You should always be careful with what you do on it. You should always make sure you know what apps charge fees and what is free. Always make sure to know what is on your plan and what it means. Phones can also do harmful things. On your phone, if you have social media, you could post or send bad pictures. Also, there some people who text and drive which is extremely dangerous because to drive you need full attention. People can be more responsible with their phones by maybe not going on them so much, thinking before you send things, or making sure that what you are doing on your phone is covered in your plan. While driving, if you have your phone out and you are using it, you could get distracted and have an accident. Driving is a very difficult task and if you are not paying attention cars in front or behind could hit you. If you are not watching the road, a light could change and you wouldn't even see. Not only does it endanger you, but also others around you. If you are passenger to a texting driver, speak up! Tell the person nicely that what they are doing is dangerous. Maybe even text for them. Whatever you do, be safe and careful!

This module was about technology use, viruses, social media and your personal information, how much time you spend on devices, and secure, safe sites. Though technology has many good qualities, there are many risks too. One big risk online is viruses. Some viruses can even wipe your hard drive! Also with technology, your private information could be shared if you are not careful. There are many people who would like to steal your identity to buy things in your name, or just to prank you. Also, if you spend too much time using your technology, you could loose friends or depend too much on it. A great way to reduce the risks of technology is to always think of what you are doing before you do it. When online or using social media, never share your personal information and maybe change your privacy settings online. Also, if you are someone who spends too much time using technology, limit your time on it. If you don't know if you are overusing technology, there are many signs. For example, if you say mean things online, spend all of your time on computers, phones, etc, or if you can't imagine your life without them, then you might be overusing it. Technology is a great thing, but we shouldn't base our lives around it. If you want to reduce your technology usage, maybe you could set a certain amount of time aside for it, and maybe go outside or exercise. You could also find new hobbies that do not require technology and spend your free time on that, instead of going on social media or browsing online.

This module was about finding reliable sites and making sure you don't plagiarize the information. Plagiarizing is copying someone else's work and calling it your own. For example, if someone went online, copied and pasted an article into their essay, and then turned it in saying that they wrote the whole thing, that would be plagiarizing. There are many ways to avoid plagiarizing. One of them would be to paraphrase. That means to re-write the information and then cite what you wrote. Another way to avoid plagiarism would be to put the copied information in quotes and say where you got it from. Plagiarism is very a very bad thing to do. Plagiarism is basically stealing, so do not do it. If you do, you might get penalized, suspended, or even expelled. Technology can be very useful in school. You can use it in the computer lab, or if your teacher allows it in class. It can help you research something or look up important documents, for example. A bad thing to do with technology is use it to cheat on work. You should never use your phone, tablet, etc. in class when not allowed. It could distract other students and cause them to make a mistake. Also the teacher doesn't know if you might be cheating or not.

This module was about making sure that you know where to get pictures, games, etc, and not infringing someone's copyright. It was also about making presentations and using all of the resources properly. Technology is a great way to express yourself creatively. There are so many options to choose from like slideshows, videos, or an interactive game. If you have a project, you can use technology to make it more interesting and make people want to learn about the subject. You could add different fonts and bold colors to make words pop. You could also add charts and graphs so people can look at a picture instead of a bunch of words. You could have music in the background to make people feel a certain mood. A way I once used technology to express myself was I once made a business slideshow presentation about a fake product with my brother. I was very little and my brother and I spent all day on it to impress my mom. We added classical music that we recorded and tried to make it look very fancy and professional. You also need to be careful of what you post online. If you accidentally post something that isn't yours, it could spread very fast, and it is not right to take something that is not yours and not crediting the person. Also, if you posted a clip from a TV show, movie, or video and you didn't have the rights to do that, that is called pirating. If you pirate something and then post it, everyone will see it. Once you post something, it is hard to take it back. One danger about using technology to make sure you do not infringe on someone else's copyright. A copyright is something that protects someone's work, picture, idea, music, videos, or something that is only theirs. If you use something that you found online and it isn't really yours, you could be stealing it. Every time a band makes a song, it is instantly copyrighted. every song by any band is copyrighted. If you do use a friend's work, you should ask for their permission. Copyright infringement is when someone ignores the copyright and takes someone else's work and either claim it's theirs or making money off it. Ignoring a copyright is also a very mean thing to do. Someone worked very hard to do what they did, so never take someone else's work.

This module was about being kind online and avoiding cyberbullying. It was also about how to respond to a cyberbully and how to realize if you are being a cyberbully, but you don't realize it. Cyberbullying is when someone is bullying or being mean to someone online. Many people say things online that they normally wouldn't say to a person face-to-face. They feel safe behind their screen and say whatever they feel. Cyberbullying can show in different forms. Sometimes it could be a mean picture, a threat, blackmail, or just straightforward mean comments. It is hard to escape being cyberbullied. Even if you block the person on your contacts, they could still say mean things to other people through posts. Any type of bullying is wrong, whether it is in person or through a screen. If you are being cyberbullied, the best thing to do is talk to a responsible adult. Trying to respond on your own can just cause more tension and have more bullying occur. The adult will figure out a responsible, wise decision to put a stop the bullying. If your friend is sad most of the time, unenthusiastic, quick tempered, or not participating in events that they would normally be excited for, then they might be being cyberbullied. A good thing to do is to sit them down and talk to them. Tell them that they can trust you and that you can help them. It is not good for someone to bottle up their feelings, so letting it all out will be best. A good way to stop cyberbullying would be to spread the awareness of the dangers of being bullied. Most teenagers want to put an end to it, so if you want to stop it, you are not alone.

This module was about the future of technology. Technology is constantly evolving, and there are many jobs that involve the use of technology. From web designers to game programmers to even teachers who use technology to post grades online or to create interactive games for their students, they all use technology and technology is a part of their lives. Also, many technology jobs use STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Any job that uses one of these are involved in STEM. As technology advances more and more job opportunities are available. For example, a web designer would not be a thing if there was no internet or a game programmer wouldn't be able to make games without a computer to work on. Even teachers are influenced by the development of technology. Teachers post assignments and grades online and they can use games for the students. Doctors use technology for x-rays and scans. There are many jobs that rely on STEM. STEM careers are helpful in many ways. Without STEM, there would be not cars, doctors wouldn't have as many cures as they have today, communication would be harder, and so on. It is never too early to start thinking about your career. If you want a career in STEM, you can start by taking STEM-based classes. You can make sure to take all the right classes in middle school, high school, and then college. It's never too early to start!

Now, all seven modules are completed! My favorite module was the module about cyberbullying because I think that everyone can learn from it. I also liked how the module showed the different effects of being cyberbullied. I feel that it is one of the most important modules because it is important to be kind to everyone. I also thought that the module about making sure you don't spend too much time using technology is very important, too. Both of them make sure that you use technology the right way. Ignition taught me more about technology and I now know what factors to consider when buying a computer, phone, tablet, etc. Ignition reminded me to be kind when online and to be responsible when using technology. Ignition also taught me how to be safer when on websites so I don't get a virus. I now always look for the signs that say whether a site is safe or not. Ignition has taught me so much and I am glad that I learned from it.