By the end of class on Thursday (11/1/07) you will receive a progress report with your current grade.
EVERYONE needs to take this home and have it signed and return it by Friday (11/2/07).
You will receive a pass fail daily grade, and this is required to pass the six weeks (as are ALL assignments).
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Presentations Due (Revised and Final)
Beginning tomorrow, November 1st, I will take volunteers to present to the class. If there are not five volunteers, I will choose students, so BE READY.
Friday, all day will be spent presenting, so do not expect to work during the first 40 minutes of class (the last ten minutes will be reserved for blogging and jobs).
If you are not ready to present, you will lose 20% from your grade after subtractions for problems with your presentation.
The rubric for this presentation will be the Presentation Checklist:
Friday, all day will be spent presenting, so do not expect to work during the first 40 minutes of class (the last ten minutes will be reserved for blogging and jobs).
If you are not ready to present, you will lose 20% from your grade after subtractions for problems with your presentation.
The rubric for this presentation will be the Presentation Checklist:
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Bridge Builder Competition (optional assignment)
Over the next three weeks, we will hold a bridge building competition.
Using West Point Designer, you can enter a bridge in any of the categories below.
If you win, you get a 100 on your six weeks exam.
Each category can have one entry per person, per version (3.01, 4, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). You must also specify if you are competing for Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints. Just added: Most Spectacular Failure, Best Truck Trap (truck must drive onto bridge before failure)
1. One Entry per person per category. If you enter more than one bridge in a category, you will be disqualified. This rule applies to everyone, no matter what, so be sure that you submit your bridge in the correct category and don't accidentally do it twice.
2. NO TEMPLATES ARE ALLOWED. BRIDGES WHICH HAVE TEMPLATES EMBEDDED WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
3. YOUR FULL NAME MUST ALSO BE EMBEDDED IN THE "DESIGNED BY" TAG which must be set from the initial options dialogue.
4. Bridges must be submitted by email and have the exact subject line of the category (copy and paste the category from below).
5. You must continue to turn in regular class work. If you do not turn in regular class work ON TIME, you will be disqualified.
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Single Span Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Single Span Truss (44 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Two-Span Truss (56 Meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Arch Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Arch Truss (40 meters)
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span Truss (44 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Two-Span Truss (48 Meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Arch Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Arch Truss (36 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span with Anchorages (48 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Two-Span with Anchorages (56 meters)
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2003
Standard Abutments, One Pier
Standard Abutments, No Pier
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 4 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 8 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 16 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 20 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 24 Meters
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2004-2006
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, Two Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, Two Cable Anchorages
Arch Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorages
Any deck elevation, arch height and pier height is acceptable, and all will compete within the category.
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2007
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, Two Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, Two Cable Anchorages
Arch Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorages
Any deck elevation, arch height, pier height, concrete strength and loading is acceptable, and all will compete within the category.
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
There are 31 categories, and 4 competitions within each category.
No local contest number is required.
Using West Point Designer, you can enter a bridge in any of the categories below.
If you win, you get a 100 on your six weeks exam.
Each category can have one entry per person, per version (3.01, 4, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). You must also specify if you are competing for Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints. Just added: Most Spectacular Failure, Best Truck Trap (truck must drive onto bridge before failure)
1. One Entry per person per category. If you enter more than one bridge in a category, you will be disqualified. This rule applies to everyone, no matter what, so be sure that you submit your bridge in the correct category and don't accidentally do it twice.
2. NO TEMPLATES ARE ALLOWED. BRIDGES WHICH HAVE TEMPLATES EMBEDDED WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
3. YOUR FULL NAME MUST ALSO BE EMBEDDED IN THE "DESIGNED BY" TAG which must be set from the initial options dialogue.
4. Bridges must be submitted by email and have the exact subject line of the category (copy and paste the category from below).
5. You must continue to turn in regular class work. If you do not turn in regular class work ON TIME, you will be disqualified.
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Single Span Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Single Span Truss (44 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Two-Span Truss (56 Meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Arch Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 3.01 Arch Truss (40 meters)
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span Truss (44 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Two-Span Truss (48 Meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Arch Truss (24 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Arch Truss (36 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Single Span with Anchorages (48 meters)
West Point Bridge Designer 4.11 Two-Span with Anchorages (56 meters)
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2003
Standard Abutments, One Pier
Standard Abutments, No Pier
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 4 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 8 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 16 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 20 Meters
Arch Abutments, No Pier, Arch Height 24 Meters
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2004-2006
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, Two Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, Two Cable Anchorages
Arch Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorages
Any deck elevation, arch height and pier height is acceptable, and all will compete within the category.
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
West Point Bridge Designer 2007
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, No Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, One Pier, Two Cable Anchorage
Standard Abutments, No Pier, Two Cable Anchorages
Arch Abutments, No Pier, No Cable Anchorages
Any deck elevation, arch height, pier height, concrete strength and loading is acceptable, and all will compete within the category.
Select One: Aesthetic, Asymmetrical, Least Expensive or Least Number of Joints
There are 31 categories, and 4 competitions within each category.
No local contest number is required.
What if... (optional assignment)
If you can show me:
a. a perfect MLA paper
b. a perfect Presentation and
c. 30 blog entries complete with reflection (what you learned) and at least one TEK on each
AND you have finished all other work for this six weeks...
You can work on two independent projects for the next nine weeks and will only be required to make a daily blog entry in addition to your project work. Your project will be focused on Illustrator, Photoshop and Flash.
It's up to you.
This is due by Monday, November 5th at the beginning of class.
a. a perfect MLA paper
b. a perfect Presentation and
c. 30 blog entries complete with reflection (what you learned) and at least one TEK on each
AND you have finished all other work for this six weeks...
You can work on two independent projects for the next nine weeks and will only be required to make a daily blog entry in addition to your project work. Your project will be focused on Illustrator, Photoshop and Flash.
It's up to you.
This is due by Monday, November 5th at the beginning of class.
A Professional Presentation
A professional level presentation is clear, concise, free of mistakes, well structured and engaging.
Your goal is to create a professional, polished presentation.
This means that a standard design, or template is used on every single slide.
The colors chosen for letters, background and design have high contrast, make sense with your them or template and enable all users to easily read every slide.
Because a professional presentation uses slides for listening cues (not content), no more than 25 words are on any slide (including the title).
Sans-Serif (non-Roman) fonts are used on every slide. Decorative fonts (fonts that are stylized or pictures rather than letters) are only used when clear and for titles and decoration, never for the text of the slide itself.
No full sentences are used, because the listening cues, or visual cues to your information should be focused on key words, not on the narrative or sentences that the presenter is speaking.
Legibility is the most important element of your presentation. If the audience cannot easily read the slides, they will be distracted from your message. The key elements of legibility are contrast, margins, font, size, placement.
The highest degree of contrast is black letters on a white background or white letters on a black background. Does this have to be boring? No! Pictures, details and other design elements are easily added to black and white slides without distracting the audience from the key words and phrases on the slides.
Margins, or sufficient space around each side of the slide ensure that your audience can read all of the text and can see all of the design elements ON ANY SCREEN.
Fonts are important because some fonts are difficult to read. Sans-Serif fonts, or non-Roman fonts, are letters which do not have the small flags or lines at the end of each stroke of the letter. In a Roman letter "M" you can see the serifs on the top of the two peaks and at the bottom end of each vertical stroke.
The size of your letters is probably the most obvious, but most often overlooked aspect of legibility. Why is this? Because most people are creating their presentation on the computer screen which is only a few inches from their eyes. It's plenty big when you're sitting right in front of it! The problem comes when when it is on a big screen, dimmer because of a projector that is not as bright as your screen, with audience members sitting several yards from that screen with obstacles (like the back of people's heads) obscuring parts of the slide. Font size on the order of 30 points or better are the SMALLEST any font should be, and even then, this may be too small. Try instead making all letters 40 points. If you can't fit all of the information on any one slide at 40 points, you probably have too many words on the screen.Continuity is an aspect of your presentation which supports professional appearance. Continuity is the overall effect of threads that tie every slide to YOUR presentation. Just like choosing matching colors when you get dressed, colors and design support continuity. Strong continuity shows that you planned your presentation, and that you intent was to present a coherent, organized, easily understood presentation. The important elements of continuity are layout, colors
As with legibility, colors are important for professional appearance. When you dress for an important presentation, in most cases, you don't wear crazy outfits that make you look unprofessional any more than you would wear a clown suit to a job interview. Bright colors can keep your audience awake and interested, but can, just as easily make your presentation look more clown-ish than professional. Ask yourself if it is possible to look professional while still conveying your aesthetic and creativity.
Every slide should have a focal point. The focal point, or the first place you look at a slide, should be in a consistent place on every slide. Without a focal point, the eye of your audience will wander through the text and their perception of that slide will not be focused and coherent. Every artistic composition should have a focal point, and a professional presentation should have a focal point to maintain this thread of continuity and present a well-designed appearance to every slide. While you don't want your audience to be distracted by garish slides, you do want to keep your audience engaged.
Balance is a concept which actually affects the level of comfort that your audience has with your slides. If all of the information is off to one side, you have wasted space you could have used for larger text or pictures that support your information. Use all of the space on a slide for a specific purpose, even if it is empty/blank space that adds to the balance of your slide.
Professional appearance can depend on some details that many presenters don't realize are important. One critical mistake is the inclination of presenters to design slide that entertain the audience. The slides are not the show, YOU ARE! Your slides should enhance your presentation skills and information like a nice tie, scarf or necklace enhances your outfit. The core of your presentation is what you say and how you say it, NOT the slides. Because this is your goal, for a professional presentation, you want to think about what elements add to the meaning, and what elements distract from that meaning.
No animation! Animation is entertainment. Your professional slideshow is not designed to entertain, but to inform. Animation is rarely used to illustrate details from a presentation, but is more often used to joke or entertain. The movement, and usual low quality of animation.
Slide transitions – one style maximum. Like animation, slide transitions can be very distracting. Remember the rule that your mother taught you: you can't wear everything in your closet at once. You don't want to wear your best jewelry, belts, pants, skirts, sweaters, jackets and hats at once. One well placed, well-thought element can add just enough to make you look really sharp. If you are using cues for your text (only some comes in at a time when you click the mouse), never use slide tranistions. If you use slide transitions, make them quick. There is nothing more distracting than a five second sparkle transition from one slide to the next through the entire presentation. Tranisitions can add to your continuity if they are well thought out and consistent. Pick one and stick with it if you insist on using transitions.
No Fill Effects (gradient, word art, fills). Fill effects are design elements that rarely lend to continuity and legibility. Fill effects create gradient fills (colors that transition from light to dark) which make part or all of the text difficult to read because of low contrast. Using one letter or word which is Word Art or a fill effect can add to the design, but be careful and conservative in your use of fill effects and Word Art.
No more than one or two “features.” There are many features in presentation applications like PowerPoint. Sound effects, movies, charts and animation are only a few of the features that you could incorporate into your presentation. Just remember that, unless you are auditioning for lead presenter job, you don't need to prove to your audience that you can use every feature in your presentation software. You goal is to look professional. Judicious use of features is very important.
Structure. Structure. Structure. Introduction, hook, details, conclusion and insight are required elements in an organized body of information. You need to tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Repeat each detail, in some fashion, that you want your audience to remember THREE TIMES. If it is important, your audience needs to hear it more than once, no matter how well you emphasize a point, and three times is a magic number that allows most people to retain the information. The first time they think about it, the second time they recall it and understand that it is important, and then third time, the understand that it is very important and that they should remember it. Three is the magic number.
Once you introduce your topic and any vocabulary or terms you audience needs to understand, you can begin explaining your details. But wait! Is your audience interested at all in what you are saying? Do they have any interest in listening to you? Do they have any idea that the information you are about to share is important or relevant to them? If you want them to listen, you need to tell them why they should care. Even if you are convinced that they should care, you need to tell them. This is the hook. Make it interesting, make it unexpected, make it humorous if you wish, but make it interesting and make it important. If you are about take up ten or more minutes of time, which people value, you need to convince them why they should listen to you. If you can't do this, be quiet and sit down!
Details. Give enough details to illustrate your message, but not so many that your message gets muddled. Focus. Be concise. If you don't know what the word "concise" means, you need to study it for a while.
After your details, you need to repeat your message and emphasize what is important. Tell your audience why you took up their time, and why the information was important. And then, hit it home with...
Insight. Did you learn something from the process involved in developing your presentation? Did you learn anything valuable about your topic? If you didn't, you didn't do your homework. You just shoveled information from one place to another. If, on the other hand, you discovered something about your topic that you didn't know, you can share this sense of discovery, this insight, this new understanding with your audience. They will remember you for giving them something they did not have, and they will hear your voice, your individuality and hopefully, your professionalism.
What did you learn?
Finally, check, check and re-check. Then have someone else look over your presentation for the obvious mistakes. Then check it yourself again. There is no easier way to look unprofessional, than to have mistakes in your presentation. The only thing more critical that thoroughly proofreading your work is the skill and finesse a professional needs to accept and acknowledge the mistake that someone in your audience will find in your information. How you deal with this mistake determines how the entire audience views your professional conduct. It's the lynch-pin. Think about it.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Model Bloggers
Here are some blogs for you to look at, to see what your daily blog entries should look like.
The first is Alicia Porfirio's blog.
She states what she learned each day and lists the TEKs which apply.
Here is an excellent photo-blog entry from Charlotte Dennis' visit to Maker Faire.
This is a blog that has variety and all of the required components from Juliet Campbell.
Technology to the Rescue
Google Maps and Twitter were critical tools in getting emergency information out to those effected by the firestorms in Southern California this past week. KPBS, a public TV and radio station in San Diego, used a mash-up of fire information with Google Maps to tell residents which neighborhoods were to be evacuated, which roads were closed, and the location of the nearest evacuation center, Information Week reports . The station also had nearly 600 people signed up to receive Twitter updates on their cell phones. Regular Joes were running to the microblogging service Twitter to post their own news as well. Wired cited two such residents, Nate Ritter and Dan Tentler. Ritter, whose reports can be found here , posted every bit of news he heard from TV and radio, along with instant message and SMS text messages from friends, on the site. Tentler hit the streets, reporting what he saw on Twitter and on his Flickr page .
via Towletech
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Presentations
Use the presentation checklist to evaluate your work before you and I conference about your presentation.
If you have one or less major mistake, but also have all of your content in the presentation and all of the major elements (title slide, bibliography, contact info, and all of the items on the presentation checklist) and are ready when I visit with you, you will receive a least a 90 when you deliver your presentation.
If you are unprepared, have more than one major mistake or more than two things from the list incomplete, the highest that you can receive on your presentation is an 80. When you deliver your presentation, any points taken off during your presentation will be subtracted from 80.
If you complete your presentation, and receive a 100, you will only be required to complete one more presentation this semester. More on this later.
If you have one or less major mistake, but also have all of your content in the presentation and all of the major elements (title slide, bibliography, contact info, and all of the items on the presentation checklist) and are ready when I visit with you, you will receive a least a 90 when you deliver your presentation.
If you are unprepared, have more than one major mistake or more than two things from the list incomplete, the highest that you can receive on your presentation is an 80. When you deliver your presentation, any points taken off during your presentation will be subtracted from 80.
If you complete your presentation, and receive a 100, you will only be required to complete one more presentation this semester. More on this later.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Recycling
Please suspend your work on the presentation today, and work on this project.
Visit the site of photographer Chris Jordan (link) and visit the exhibit "Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption.
Also view this link from The Dallas Morning News (link). View the gallery. Pay special attention to:
jet flights (link)
soda cans (link)
plastic bags (link)
cell phones (link)
Spend about 15 minutes answering these questions:
What do these pictures represent?
What do these images convey to us?
How are these images supposed to make us feel?
Why do you think that the artist chose to create these photographs?
How hard do you think that it was to create the photos?
Spend about 15 minutes writing about one picture, and describe the problem that you think that it represents.
With a partner, discuss possible solutions for this problem. After about ten minutes, describe some possible solutions.
Please use assigned duties to be sure that computers are inspected during your class period, and that your work area is clean and neat when you leave. Thank you for your help.
Visit the site of photographer Chris Jordan (link) and visit the exhibit "Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption.
Also view this link from The Dallas Morning News (link). View the gallery. Pay special attention to:
jet flights (link)
soda cans (link)
plastic bags (link)
cell phones (link)
Spend about 15 minutes answering these questions:
What do these pictures represent?
What do these images convey to us?
How are these images supposed to make us feel?
Why do you think that the artist chose to create these photographs?
How hard do you think that it was to create the photos?
Spend about 15 minutes writing about one picture, and describe the problem that you think that it represents.
With a partner, discuss possible solutions for this problem. After about ten minutes, describe some possible solutions.
Please use assigned duties to be sure that computers are inspected during your class period, and that your work area is clean and neat when you leave. Thank you for your help.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Out Friday
I will not be in on Friday, 10/19.
Three grades will be recorded for your work today:
1. You should post in your blog a short description of the similarities and differences between Microsoft PowerPoint, Open Office Impress, and IBM Symphony Presentations. You may have to work with a partner to compare the three applications, because computers #1-12 are the only ones that have all three office suites.
2. You should work with a different partner to discuss your recent MLA paper and how it meets or does not meet MLA standards. You should blog about this discussion.
3. If you had to create ten requirements for a presentation (using PowerPoint or other presentation software) what would they be? Blog your answers.
You should use about 15 minutes for each activity and the timekeeper should tell you when to switch.
Don't forget to inspect your computer and work area at the beginning and end of the period, and report any problems.
Three grades will be recorded for your work today:
1. You should post in your blog a short description of the similarities and differences between Microsoft PowerPoint, Open Office Impress, and IBM Symphony Presentations. You may have to work with a partner to compare the three applications, because computers #1-12 are the only ones that have all three office suites.
2. You should work with a different partner to discuss your recent MLA paper and how it meets or does not meet MLA standards. You should blog about this discussion.
3. If you had to create ten requirements for a presentation (using PowerPoint or other presentation software) what would they be? Blog your answers.
You should use about 15 minutes for each activity and the timekeeper should tell you when to switch.
Don't forget to inspect your computer and work area at the beginning and end of the period, and report any problems.
Maker Faire - This Weekend
If you attend Maker Faire this weekend and take notes on some interesting demo, you can earn a full quiz grade for writing about it.
If you take pictures and post them to your blog (and write about what you saw), you will pass the second six weeks exam with a 100.
If you take pictures and post them to your blog (and write about what you saw), you will pass the second six weeks exam with a 100.
First Presentation
Your first presentation is due at the end of class tomorrow.
Use the same information you used for your MLA paper.
Use the same information you used for your MLA paper.
Extended - Extension
OK, OK, with PSAT etc. these was not enough time for some to finish.
You can send your MLA paper by the end of class today.
Waypoint Managers will also check to be sure you are done today.
Email the paper as a Word attachment to my email, misterbjerke@gmail.com
You can send your MLA paper by the end of class today.
Waypoint Managers will also check to be sure you are done today.
Email the paper as a Word attachment to my email, misterbjerke@gmail.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Wake Up Little Suzy
Do you save documents to your "H" drive (studenthome)?
Or do you save to "My Documents?"
If you save to "My Documents," you might lose documents when the computers are cleaned.
You need to learn to save to your "H" drive or online (Google Docs).
Or do you save to "My Documents?"
If you save to "My Documents," you might lose documents when the computers are cleaned.
You need to learn to save to your "H" drive or online (Google Docs).
Paper Due Date EXTENSION!
Your paper, which was due at the end of class today, is now due at the end of class tomorrow.
Quiz Time!
Answer these questions in your blog for a quiz grade.
I will be checking them myself and you will receive a pass or fail grade so think about your answers, and answer carefully. Since one incorrect response will get you a zero, be careful with each one.
All answers must be in full sentences, and can be from one to three sentences - no more, no less.
1. What are three things that you are doing for this class right now?
2. What is your paper about?
3. Why do you think that we are writing these papers? (your opinion is not relevant to the response, you need to explain the cause or reason)
4. Name five requirements in MLA standards.
5. Why do you think that we are using MLA standards?
6. What two parts did I add to your paper assignment yesterday?
7. What have you learned in the last week in this class?
8. What is one thing (be specific) that you want to learn in the next week.
9. What one thing do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind when you begin creating a presentation to give to the class?
10. What is one thing that you did not understand in the last two weeks (be specific)?
This counts as your daily blog.
I will be checking them myself and you will receive a pass or fail grade so think about your answers, and answer carefully. Since one incorrect response will get you a zero, be careful with each one.
All answers must be in full sentences, and can be from one to three sentences - no more, no less.
1. What are three things that you are doing for this class right now?
2. What is your paper about?
3. Why do you think that we are writing these papers? (your opinion is not relevant to the response, you need to explain the cause or reason)
4. Name five requirements in MLA standards.
5. Why do you think that we are using MLA standards?
6. What two parts did I add to your paper assignment yesterday?
7. What have you learned in the last week in this class?
8. What is one thing (be specific) that you want to learn in the next week.
9. What one thing do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind when you begin creating a presentation to give to the class?
10. What is one thing that you did not understand in the last two weeks (be specific)?
This counts as your daily blog.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Addition
Include a bibliography (MLA standard) with your paper.
After the bibliography, add a section titled TEKS and list the TEKS which apply to your paper (minimum 3, maximum 5 - use the text from the individual cells from your TEKS interpretation, but DO NOT copy the cells into your paper, rather use "paste special" and paste in plain text).
After the bibliography, add a section titled TEKS and list the TEKS which apply to your paper (minimum 3, maximum 5 - use the text from the individual cells from your TEKS interpretation, but DO NOT copy the cells into your paper, rather use "paste special" and paste in plain text).
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Limits of Zoho
So far, we have not found a way to set the margins exactly to one inch or add the proper header or footer to a document.
To finish the MLA paper, you will need to complete it in MS Word so that you can set the margins and create the correct header.
To finish the MLA paper, you will need to complete it in MS Word so that you can set the margins and create the correct header.
Optional Presentation
Here are some topics for presentation that you can make to the class to earn CS Credits.
Document Portability
File Formats and File Extensions
Media File Formats
Cell Phones with Internet Service
Cell Phone Cameras
Texting - what is it and how does it work
Streaming Audio
Streaming Video
Only one person from each class can present each topic.
Document Portability
File Formats and File Extensions
Media File Formats
Cell Phones with Internet Service
Cell Phone Cameras
Texting - what is it and how does it work
Streaming Audio
Streaming Video
Only one person from each class can present each topic.
Paper due Tuesday, October 16
Your first paper, a general discussion of your topic, is due Tuesday, by the end of class.
Your paper must exactly match the formatting of MLA standards. No exceptions will be accepted. This means if you do not format your paper the correct way, the assignment will not be accepted and you will have to make corrections. The assignment is due regardless of corrections, so if you need to make corrections, and submit those corrections after the end of class on Tuesday, your assignment will be late. Do it right the first time. Make yourself a checklist if you need to, and check each item one by one.
Remember, to pass this class, you must complete all of the assignments. You cannot pass if you do not complete every assignment.
Your paper must exactly match the formatting of MLA standards. No exceptions will be accepted. This means if you do not format your paper the correct way, the assignment will not be accepted and you will have to make corrections. The assignment is due regardless of corrections, so if you need to make corrections, and submit those corrections after the end of class on Tuesday, your assignment will be late. Do it right the first time. Make yourself a checklist if you need to, and check each item one by one.
Remember, to pass this class, you must complete all of the assignments. You cannot pass if you do not complete every assignment.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Waypoint Managers
Please look for updated instructions daily (or more often) in this blog:
http://waypointmanagers.blogspot.com/
http://waypointmanagers.blogspot.com/
Document Managers Only
Please start monitoring the Document Manager's blog:
http://documentmanagers.blogspot.com/
http://documentmanagers.blogspot.com/
Email address - required assignments
This week's required assignment (can't pass without it) is to send an email to me with exactly this subject line (except you put your class period for the X):
X period - Email list
Your email should also include a signature. If you don't know what a signature is, look in the help files for your email provider (Yahoo! or Gmail) for "automatic signature."
Your signature should include: your name (first and last), your class period, your email address and your blog address.
This signature must be on every email you send or reply to for this class.
X period - Email list
Your email should also include a signature. If you don't know what a signature is, look in the help files for your email provider (Yahoo! or Gmail) for "automatic signature."
Your signature should include: your name (first and last), your class period, your email address and your blog address.
This signature must be on every email you send or reply to for this class.
Reader List
A new reader list is posted on the shared drive.
If you don't know what this is, ask your neighbor.
If you don't know where the shared drive is, ask your neighbor.
If you don't see your blog in the folder for your class period you need to speak to me right away.
If you neighbor can't help you, talk to me.
If you don't know what this is, ask your neighbor.
If you don't know where the shared drive is, ask your neighbor.
If you don't see your blog in the folder for your class period you need to speak to me right away.
If you neighbor can't help you, talk to me.
Huh?
What's due today?
An outline or description of what you plan to write for your first paper.
What should you write?
Answer these questions:
What have you found so far?
What do you think about your topic?
What might you focus on (within your topic)?
What is the most interesting to you?
Why do you think that your subject is important?
How does your subject relate to you or impact your life?
What are some of your sources or quotes about your topic?
Was it easy or difficult to find the info that relates to your topic?
What are the most important issues or parts of your topic?
What should everyone know about it?
When you finish your outline or description, have the Project and Waypoint Manager check your work. I will ask a few of those who are on the Manager's list for content.
This is due at the end of class today, Thursday, 10/11/07.
An outline or description of what you plan to write for your first paper.
What should you write?
Answer these questions:
What have you found so far?
What do you think about your topic?
What might you focus on (within your topic)?
What is the most interesting to you?
Why do you think that your subject is important?
How does your subject relate to you or impact your life?
What are some of your sources or quotes about your topic?
Was it easy or difficult to find the info that relates to your topic?
What are the most important issues or parts of your topic?
What should everyone know about it?
When you finish your outline or description, have the Project and Waypoint Manager check your work. I will ask a few of those who are on the Manager's list for content.
This is due at the end of class today, Thursday, 10/11/07.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Class Economy
Each class should choose a group (which should include the duty manager, accountant and documentation manager) and this group should establish the economy for community service credits, detailing how many credits are earned for jobs and tasks.
Blog Post Minimums
Each daily blog entry must be at least four sentences. It should address something you learned in class that day. You should also include a sentence from the TEKS that describe what you learned.
Technology Report
This is optional.
Earn 8 community service credits by making a technology report to the class on a new topic or innovation that you briefly research.
The presentation must take at least three but not more than ten minutes.
You must have visuals (slides, websites, etc.), three reliable sources, and structure (like an English paper: beginning, middle, end i.e. intro, points 1-3, conclusion, insight).
The criteria for this assignment is a simple checklist. You must give me the checklist with your name and above requirements before you begin - by email is fine, or through a wiki. If any single criteria is not met, you can only get 6 or less credits, and cannot get voted best report.
If there are at least five reports in a week, the one voted best by the class gets double points.
Earn 8 community service credits by making a technology report to the class on a new topic or innovation that you briefly research.
The presentation must take at least three but not more than ten minutes.
You must have visuals (slides, websites, etc.), three reliable sources, and structure (like an English paper: beginning, middle, end i.e. intro, points 1-3, conclusion, insight).
The criteria for this assignment is a simple checklist. You must give me the checklist with your name and above requirements before you begin - by email is fine, or through a wiki. If any single criteria is not met, you can only get 6 or less credits, and cannot get voted best report.
If there are at least five reports in a week, the one voted best by the class gets double points.
Tuesday it Begins
Today's assignment:
1. Create the log for your job (if you do not have one, speak to me).
2. Decide what you want to do your project on, and start creating an outline (due end of class tomorrow, Wed., October 10, 2007).
1. Create the log for your job (if you do not have one, speak to me).
2. Decide what you want to do your project on, and start creating an outline (due end of class tomorrow, Wed., October 10, 2007).
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Keeping Up
Beginning Monday, you need to get in the habit of reading my blog every day, and checking off assignments and posts as you finish them. One way to do this is to use your Google reader and mark the posts as "read" when you read or finish them.
You will need to document your job every day, or you will lose points. If you do not have a job, it is your responsibility to get an assignment from the duty manager for your class. You need to consistently earn service points every week to pass this class.
You also need to start posting one blog post EVERY DAY. It should be reflective about something you learned or did in class.
All blogs and comments need to be appropriate. Beginning Monday, students who post inappropriate posts or comments will lose computer access for one day for each infraction. Three infractions will result in a week suspension of access and a full letter grade decrease for the six weeks daily grade.
You will need to document your job every day, or you will lose points. If you do not have a job, it is your responsibility to get an assignment from the duty manager for your class. You need to consistently earn service points every week to pass this class.
You also need to start posting one blog post EVERY DAY. It should be reflective about something you learned or did in class.
All blogs and comments need to be appropriate. Beginning Monday, students who post inappropriate posts or comments will lose computer access for one day for each infraction. Three infractions will result in a week suspension of access and a full letter grade decrease for the six weeks daily grade.
Start Thinking Now
Start thinking about what you will choose as a project for the next six weeks. These will not be independent projects yet, unless you would like to propose one on your own.
Projects this six weeks will cover one of the following topics:
Academic and Creative Writing
Open Source Software
Recycling Electronics
Solving Community Problems with Technology
Careers in Technology (including Art aspects) - Hardware, Software and Sales
You will have six weeks to become an expert on your topic. You will need to produce an MLA standard essay, three presentations, a structured discussion, a class activity, collate statistics for one essay and create a table top display with a partner (all other activities are independent) and determine your rubrics.
Note: This project will determine what you do for the third six weeks. If you receive 90% or better you will be allowed to determine your project for the third six weeks, if you receive under a 90% your project will be determined for you. No work that would earn less than an 80% will be accepted - you will have to make the necessary changes to bring your work up to an 80% for it to be accepted.
Projects this six weeks will cover one of the following topics:
Academic and Creative Writing
Open Source Software
Recycling Electronics
Solving Community Problems with Technology
Careers in Technology (including Art aspects) - Hardware, Software and Sales
You will have six weeks to become an expert on your topic. You will need to produce an MLA standard essay, three presentations, a structured discussion, a class activity, collate statistics for one essay and create a table top display with a partner (all other activities are independent) and determine your rubrics.
Note: This project will determine what you do for the third six weeks. If you receive 90% or better you will be allowed to determine your project for the third six weeks, if you receive under a 90% your project will be determined for you. No work that would earn less than an 80% will be accepted - you will have to make the necessary changes to bring your work up to an 80% for it to be accepted.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Document Challenge
Since Google is going to make our lives difficult, we need to find a good reliable alternative. The first person to submit a reliable alternative that we can use in class gets a full step increase for this six weeks or banked for another six weeks.
Tab-ification
Due at the beginning of class Tuesday:
Your browser needs to be set up to open five tabs when you first open it.
The tabs should open to:
Gmail or Yahoo Mail
Google Reader
Google Docs
Your Blog
My Blog
Your browser needs to be set up to open five tabs when you first open it.
The tabs should open to:
Gmail or Yahoo Mail
Google Reader
Google Docs
Your Blog
My Blog
Google Blocks - TEKS Interpretation
Google's system thinks that we are someone trying to abuse their servers. Since they see us all at the same address, they decided that we are trying to use their service so much that no one else can use it.
If you can get to your document somehow, copy it and paste it into Word, then save it to your "H" drive (studenthome).
If you cannot access your document, find someone to get it from and use theirs as a source and finish it yourself.
There will be no extension on this assignment, because we have already been working on it for a week.
To receive your grade on the assignment, email the document to me as an attachment to your email. Your subject line should include "TEKS Interpretations," your name and your class period.
If you can get to your document somehow, copy it and paste it into Word, then save it to your "H" drive (studenthome).
If you cannot access your document, find someone to get it from and use theirs as a source and finish it yourself.
There will be no extension on this assignment, because we have already been working on it for a week.
To receive your grade on the assignment, email the document to me as an attachment to your email. Your subject line should include "TEKS Interpretations," your name and your class period.
Monday, October 1, 2007
First Period CA Only
You should link to the calendar for this class, so that you can see what assignments are coming up and are due.
Go to Ben Zein's Blog to find out how.
Go to Ben Zein's Blog to find out how.
Blog Challenge
If you submit a blog that is not already on the reader list, and I choose to include it, you will raise your grade by one step (e.g., from A- to A, or from C to C+).
Each student can only submit only one blog, and if the email does not have your name in it or the link does not work, you get no credit.
The best submission (judged by me) will receive a two step grade increase. If you have a 100 for the six weeks, you can bank the raise for another six weeks.
New Reader List
A new list to import into your reader is in the shared folder.
You should: 1. Import the list into you reader. 2. Check the list to see that your blog is listed. 3. If it is listed, be sure it is in the correct folder for your period. 4. If it is in the correct folder your are done. 5. If it is in the incorrect folder let me know - with the title and link to your blog. 6. If it is not listed, you need to send me a post from your blog and be sure that I can decipher your name and class.
If your blog is not listed, you will lose enough points for this six weeks that you will likely fail.
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