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October 22, 2012 Issue 3, Volume 12
THISISSUE AP teachers begin to use current events in lessons FEATURES
Senior Ashley Powers displays her modern/vintage style. Page 3
OPINION Senior Simon Richardson still believes in the magic of Halloween.
By MEGAN BLUMM
megan.blumm@eyeofthetigernews.com
AP Language and Composition classes are starting to focus on current events. Students have to pick a news story or opinion piece and write about it. The articles can be taken from the local paper or online and it can
focus on issues in the United States or world wide issues. AP leveled essay topics is the main reason for the necessity of current events. Essay topics often ask students to draw from political and worldly knowledge to argue or discuss a topic.
Students will now be able to draw from more occurrences in the world than just personal aspects. “Last year we discovered that our kids really don’t know as much as they should about what’s going on in the world,” said AP Language and Composition teacher Denise Weis. According to AP Language and
Composition teacher Paige Powell, the current events are making a difference so far this year and it is evident in essays. “I am seeing students bring up local and global issues as evidence in their arguments,” said Powell. Junior Austin Torgerson finds current events easy and helpful.
Geometry in Construction house at last moved from RHS building site
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“They don’t take a lot of time and they are easy points,” said Torgerson. “It also gives you valuable insight about the world.” Some students, however, see a downside to the current events assignment. “They are very time consuming,” said junior Morgan Simpson.
Multiple QR codes placed around campus give insight to school’s history
ENTERTAINMENT
By robbie short
Juniors Matt Tawlks and Dean Sideris discuss the latest thriller Sinister
The walls of Roseville High School have recently displayed Quick Response Code (QR code) signs. The signs, which total more than 20, are spread throughout the RHS campus and contain links to six different videos with information about buildings, their history and plans for them going forward. According to assistant principal Matt Pipitone, the current signs were put up for the centennial celebrations, but new, permanent ones will hopefully be installed before the Thanksgiving break. “Basically, the idea behind the signs was that we have a lot of students here who have no idea what some of the buildings are in terms of who they’re named for and what the history of those spots are and so what we thought we would do is create these little short videos that would explain who the people were,” said Pipitone. “The idea behind this was, a student could come up with their phone, click on these codes, and get that information.” The signs were incorporated into tours of the school for the centennial and were included in the Centennial Yearbook as a way for people to learn about the history of RHS. “We wanted to perpetuate culture of the school with current students and past graduates,” said editor of the Centennial Yearbook Scott O’Connor. “There have been so many changes to the school [and] we wanted to communicate and share that information.” Some students applaud the signs for their potential educational value. “I guess it’s pretty cool that we get to learn about the past and I think [the signs] are a good thing because some of these buildings have a lot of historical properties, and it’s just a shame that people don’t know [about them],” said sophomore Marcus Ellis. However, other students don’t think that the signs will get much use. “I think their intentions are good, but no one’s going to be using them, and it’s going to be a waste of time just to keep them up,” said junior Monica Linsangan. “I’m sure [the alumni] will think it’s cool, but current students are not going to care about [the signs].” According to Pipitone, the signs might be a novel concept at first, but they will be able to help teach about the school’s history for years to come. “[The signs] are something that anybody visiting the campus will be able to use, [whether] incoming students [or] new students, throughout the years,” said Pipitone.
robbie.short@eyeofthetigernews.com
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SPORTS
Varsity soccer beats granite bay in first league win of the season. Page 8
Backboards in Moeller gym get renovated for the first time in years by DEAN SIDERIS & JESSICA WANG
dean.sideris@eyeofthetigernews.com jessica.wang@eyeofthetigernews.com
The basketball hoops in the Moeller Gym have undergone reconstruction for the first time in over a decade. Reconstruction began last Thursday and was scheduled to end over the weekend, allowing P.E. classes to take place in the gym again today. The backboards are being replaced with glass and brand new rims are being installed as well. “It is great giving the gym a new face lift,” said varsity basketball coach Greg Granucci. “All hoops will have new rims and I think it will improve practices more because we won’t be practicing on the bent rims.” The new hoops will cost Roseville High School $8,700. RHS’s basketball team is looking forward to the new hoops because they have not yet experienced the feeling of having brand new rims on the court. “I’m pretty excited for the rims [and] it’s nice to finally have something new in the gym,” said senior Cole Jacobs. “It’s definitely going to help us win more games.”
PHOTO BY MARIAN ABDELMALEK
Shown above, backboards in Moeller gym are renovated with new glass and rims.
PHOTO BY DANIEL WETTER
The house, built entirely by the geometry and construction students last school year, was completed in May 2011. It sold this October for $80,000. On Tuesday afternoon, the house began it’s move from the RHS campus, to the site where it will become a permanent residence.
iPads to be used in AP European History classes in an effort to engage students using technology By robbie short
robbie.short@eyeofthetigernews.com
Roseville High School has recently purchased a class set of iPads for use in its AP European History classes. According to AP Euro teacher Marie Criste, the main goal of the iPads is to get students to be more interested in learning the material through the use of technology. “I think [technology is] what motivates kids,” said Criste. “Any way I can hook them or get them excited about learning, and using technology is such an easy way to do that.” However, this is not the first time that the AP Euro curriculum has had a technological component, as 20 iPod Touches were incorporated into the class last year as a learning aid. “[We found that] kids responded better with the bigger platform, and so when we made the decision to either add more iPods or get iPads, we felt that the iPads were a better investment,” said Criste. “They’ll both be used, because they can be, but the iPad has a little more functionality and just the size of it makes it easier for kids to work with.” In total, 40 second generation iPads were purchased, at a cost of around $12,000, which includes a docking cart and protective covers for the tablets. The money for the purchase came partially from the RHS site technology funds and also partially from technology funding for the district. Unfortunately, because of several holdups to get the iPads set up in the technology department, they have not yet been used in the classroom, but the hope is to get them working during the next month. Once they are working, Criste will train the other AP Euro teacher, Carol Crabtree, and the students in how to use them.
Teacher Marie Criste demonstrates how to use the new Ipads for interactive learning. The tablets will be used in a variety of ways. They can be used as discussion boards and assessment tools through the use of educational applications such as the mobile Blackboard application. “I really like [the iPad] for an assessment tool,” said Criste. “An easy way to use it every day is when kids come in, they do the reading, they have an activity and they would take some kind of assessment on the iPad. There are great texting tools and discussion boards where [the students] can also respond. What I have found with using technology in the classroom [is that] it’s much easier to hear from 40 kids through a discussion board than it would be to call on every student.” According to Criste, she also thinks that the social forum aspect of the iPads is going to improve the quality of students’ work, as it holds them to the standards of their peers. Having their work digitized will also make the students think
more about what they are writing. “[The students] know that everybody is going to be reading [their work], so I find that they take it more seriously when they respond,” said Criste. “Kind of like a Facebook post: you know that your 500 and some odd friends are going to see what you write, where as if they were just writing on a piece of paper to me, I’ve found that the quality [is worse].” Most students in AP Euro have responded enthusiastically to the announcement that the iPads will soon be used in the class, and like that it is a step forward as far as technology. “I like [the idea],” said sophomore Jacob Beazizo. “It kind of incorporates [the technology] that the kids already like, and they already know how to use the iPads. Instead of using what people used to have, [now] they’re using what people have now.” However, some former Euro
students who used the iPod Touches doubt the benefit that the iPods and iPads bring to the classroom. “I think, frankly, [the iPods] were pointless,” said junior Justin Choi. “We used them about two or three times, mostly for silly little projects like recording our voices over a certain article or shooting a small video portraying what we were learning in class. I don’t think the iPods really helped at all. It was fun using them, yes, but they didn’t really help us learn anything.” According to Criste, however, she maintains that the iPads are a good step forward in helping kids transition to the more technologybased education of the future. “I’m thankful that I’m at a site that respects and values technology,” said Criste. “I just hope that adding this piece of technology [can help] kids, [so] that they feel excited to come here when they’re able to have that flexibility to show they know [the material] through technology.”
PHOTO BY DANIEL WETTER
Shown above is an example of how to use the new QR codes on a smart phone.