Monday

Please work on your coding today.

1. Work in code avengers.

2. Check out Code.org.

3. Watch the Code.org video

Computer Lab Redesign Test

Imagine you cleared this room out.  No chairs, no computers, no nothing.

Imagine I gave you $40,000 to outfit a new computer lab.  What would you design?  I want you to prepare a proposal.

Your lab might look like a Starbucks with a juice machine, couches and a few tables.  It might have a bunch of round tables for people to collaborate.  Your lab might have PCs, iMacs, Laptops, or iPads.  Will it have a TV or a Smartboard?  Should there be a rug?  Posters?  Ergonomic furniture?

What are some of my parameters for the computer lab?

• There should be seating for 25.  This does not necessarily mean 25 computers.
• You must budget for everything.  This includes chairs, wifi hubs, printers, etc... You must budget for software.
• This is a "general purpose" lab for a high school.

What must you prepare?

• A spreadsheet outlining how you will spend the money.  Including formulas and charts.
• One page memo.  Memo must start with the words "I recommend that...."  Follow the format for the memo!!
• A slideshow presentation to the class.  
• Drawings or video of proposed lab.
• You must turn in a paper copy of your proposal as well as post all work on your blog and Google+.

What will I look for?

• That you contribute to discussions and documents.
• Thoughtful design and research.  Will the lab be effective? You should show evidence of research ("I emailed Microsoft", "I surveyed the English department")
• Accuracy and proper use of tools (google docs, spreadsheet formulas, etc...).  
• Presentation is consistently designed.  For example, your fonts on the spreadsheet match the fonts on your memo.

This will be due at end of class on Friday.

I will nitpick this project like crazy.  Be ready.  This is the first assignment I will really check for accuracy.

One Page memo directions: link blocked

September 05, 2006

The P&G 1-page memo

When I started my marketing career at Procter & Gamble almost 20 years ago, the 1-page memo discipline was in full force. Every communication had to fit on one page, and follow a fixed format. It was - and remains - a very powerful discipline. I have used it ever since then.

Here it is, with some of my own embellishments. Each 1-page memo contains five parts.
1. The Idea. What are you proposing? This is typically one sentence.
2. Background. What conditions have arisen that led you to this recommendation? Only include information that everyone agrees upon in the Background - this is the basis for discussion, so it needs to be non-debatable.
3. How it Works. The details. In addition to How, also What, Who, When, Where.
4. Key Benefits. This is the "Why?" There are usually three benefits: the recommended action is on strategy, already proven (e.g. in test market or in another business unit), and will be profitable. You can think of these three in terms of the old Total Quality mantra of "doing right things right." The first (on strategy) means you're doing the right thing. The second and third mean you're doing things the right way, because you're being effective (proven to work) and efficient (profitable).
5. Next Steps. Who has to do what and by when for this to happen?

The Procter and Gamble salesforce used to use something called the Persuasive Selling Format (PSF) in their sales pitches. PSF also had five steps. At some point it occurred to me that the two mapped to each other, which is why the P&G 1-page memo format is so effective for making recommendations: it is a document structure that is designed to sell. (Originally published Jan 25, 2005)

Challenges

If you have not completed your test in blogger please do that first.  Please post to Google+.

If you have not posted your spreadsheet and schedule to Google+ do that next.

Challenge #1:
Complete a Google a Day.  Make sure you enter data correctly to your spreadsheet.  Have you figured out how to compute average time?

Challenge #2:
How responsible do adults and teens need to be about technology use with children?  Watch this video.  Is technology use helpful or harmful?  What rules should be set up in a household?  Please write a blog entry that:

• Includes links to relevant research, videos, or images.
• Is clearly written, has a main point, topic sentences, etc...
• Encourages conversation and comments.
• Is shared in the Google+ community.

Challenge #3: 

Analyze the red dots on your clustrmap on your blog.  Please write a short blog entry about your audience.  You can also go to blogger and look at your stats to see which blog posts got read, and by whom.  

Challenge #4:

Please get to 400 pts in Code Avenger.

Challenges

All students must get a check from me that their SchneiderCorp spreadsheet is done.  

Please ensure that a CORRECT version of the spreadsheet and presentation is on Google+.

Challenge #5:
Can you attach a chart to the Challenge SchneiderCorp spreadsheet that shows me how much farm equipment stuff we sold? Please attach chart to separate sheet.

Challenge #6:
Clean up your google a day spreadsheet.  What is the average time it took you to solve the puzzle?  Yes there is a formula for time.  Thats todays puzzle, I suppose.  Can you find and apply this formula to get an average?  I don't have an answer yet, but I'm sure its really simple.

Challenge #7 (extra-when done):
Design a task with the Makey-Makey or review an App on the iPad.  Blog about the activity and post to Google+.

Challenges

Challenge #1: 

Complete Google a Day.  Put results in spreadsheet.


Challenge #2: 

Some of you have experience with spreadsheets, some of you don't.  This next challenge will be a good way to get us started.  Create a new spreadsheet in your google Web Apps folder and name it "Challenge 2: Spreadsheet".

Design a spreadsheet that includes the following information:

• Monthly sales figures need to be collected.
• Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith, Mr. Williams, and Miss Stanley are the sales people who work for "Schneider Corp".
• Schneider Corp sells farm equipment.  Tractors cost $10000, Mowers cost $5000, and Plows cost $15,000.
• Mr. Jones sold 3 tractors, 2 mowers, and zero plows this month.
• Ms. Smith sold 1 tractor, 1 mower, 1 plow.
• Mr. Williams sold 5 plows.
• Miss Stanley sold 2 tractors, 2 mowers, 1 plow.

The spreadsheet should show me total $$ each sales person sold, total # of each item sold, total $ of each item sold.  Finally what was our total $$ sales for the month?

I will walk around and help you.  Also use google and the help menu to figure out your formulas.  It may help some of you to draw it out on paper first.

Challenge #3:

Create a Google Presentation of your class schedule.  A few rules:

1. You can only have 10 slides.  Not 9, not 11, but 10.
2. You must spend some time reading about Presentation Zen.  Really check out some of the tips.  I will not accept poorly designed slides.  If you took my freshman seminar class you are very familiar with these rules.
3. You can only use YOUR photos or drawings OR photos you find using a CC search.  Plagiarism applies to photos as well as text.  If you search within Google Docs (click insert image) those images will be CC images.

Name the presentation "Schedule" and save in your folder.

Challenge #4:

If blogger is back up, please ensure you have completed your tests and posted to Google+

Donate some rice to support world hunger.

Hopefully...

Hopefully both wikipedia and Google are rolling and I can do some grading.

Please watch this video.  Some cool new things for Google Docs:

)

Today:

1. Do the google a day.  Put your results in your spreadsheet.

2. Check out this cool hack from MusicHackDay.  Put in your headphones.  Read more about music hack day here.  I kinda wish school was like this.

3. Read and Write Blog post:  read this article about testing.  What do you think?  Include link to original article.

4. Complete Wikipedia tutorial from last class.  Be familiar with the pillars of wikipedia and how to make basic edits.

5. Get to at least 300pts total in code avenger.

 A few things we need to improve as a class in our writing:

• Paragraphs.  Organize your thoughts.
• Include relevant links.  
• Have a solid closing thought.  The closing thought should encourage comments on your blog.  Don't END a conversation, START one.

Wikipedia--Round #2

OK, the issue with wikipedia accounts seems to be working now.  You all should have made an account.

Step 1: Log in.

Step 2: Complete the Training for Students.

Step 3: Edit the Seymour High School Page.  Notice an edit made yesterday by a student in our class was rejected.  Learn the procedure.

Step 4: Edit pages that you find interesting.   Or search for the many pages where Wikipedia editors ask for help in editing.

Why learn wikipedia:

• You should understand how this encyclopedia is edited.
• It is a good application of a code.
• It is a way for me to assess if you can read directions and apply concepts in a real world example.

I will assess by going to your wikipedia page.  It shows the edits you made.

_______________________________________________________________________

In addition:

1. Complete and log a Google A Day.

2. Check your blog for comments and clustrmap red dots.

3. Check Google+

Wikipedia

We will be spending some time in wikipedia.  I want you to read, edit, and comment on articles.  Wikipedia is a very, very powerful tool for communication.

Step 1: Create an account in wikipedia.  This should work today.  If it is IP address blocking you try this procedure.

Step 2: Complete the tutorial.  Wikipedia's editing rules are serious.  

Step 3: Begin editing the Seymour High School page.  Follow the wikipedia rules to decide:

• What is relevant?
• What can you provide sources for?
• How should you format the entries and edits?

You WILL get almost immediate feedback from other editors on the site.  Be polite, be thoughtful, and above all be correct!

Step 4: Edit additional articles that may interest you.  Anything that is school appropriate.  I expect this to be an ongoing process.  Edit something you are an expert in.

How will I evaluate you?  Good question.

• Quality:
• Do your edits follow the format for wikipedia?  
• Do the edits get rejected by other editors?
• Do you add value to Wikipedia?
• Did you finish the tutorial and show evidence of that work in your editing?
• Quantity:
• You should have between 10-15 substantive edits (not fixing typos, etc...) before March 31.  This will be hard for some of you.
• I should see some edits over a period of time (not all on one day).  This is to show that you are checking your work and responding to other editors.
• Edits survive on at least two pages.
• Collaboration:
• Do you help classmates as you complete the tutorial?
• Do you utilize the chat functions to communicate with other editors?
• Do your edits respect other viewpoints?

______________________________________________________________________________

In addition:

1. Everyone does Google A Day.

2. If you are missing blog entries (Educational Games, Is it Alive, etc..) do that now.

3. Everyone must have at least four comments on blogs or Google+.  Make sure the comments add value to the conversation.

4. Code Avenger.  Try to finish courses.  This will be homework after today.

5. Do some learning with MakeyMakey.

Educational Games

TED and Games

Watch Theo Jansen: Freaky. Mind-blowing. But pay attention. What is life? Can you make something that lives out of PVC pipe? He does. Cyborg alert!  Wear your headphones.

When done check out the educational games and simulations. Can you find any other quality games?

• 3rD World Farming: Can you succeed as a farmer?
• Tall Buildings: Super-cool site about tall buildings
• Power Play: Can you build a better mousetrap?
• Check out the Ayiti game.
• Driven to Distraction don't crash!
• And finally we will review the game Darfur is Dying.

Questions please answer on your blog (two posts):
1. Are the the Jansen creatures alive?  Why or why not?  This is a really hard question to answer--what is life?
2. Review each game in a 3-4 sentence paragraph.  What is the game, what is trying to teach you, and did it work?  Do games help learning? 

Challenges

**Be sure to complete the Google a Day and put the answer in your spreadsheet that you made on Friday.

Challenge #5:
Draw a map of Seymour High School using Google Docs.  Name this "Challenge #5-Map".  I do not need EVERY detail on the map, just the highlights (cafeteria, library, etc...).  How will you deal with the 2 floors?  Please print out your map for me AND save it in your google folder.

Challenge #6:
Write me a formal email asking me to read and subscribe to your blog.  Write it to bschneider@seymourschools.org.  This email should be short, include a link, and have absolutely no typos.

Challenge #7:
Please write a blog post about your survey results.  You might include data from your survey.  Google uses some neat charts and pie graphs.  Can you find them?  What will you improve next time?  One of the most important aspects of any campaign (business, political, or social) is getting responses.  Did you get five responses?  If not, work on it before you write the post.

Challenge #8:
Work for 30 minutes in either HTML or Java in Code Avengers.

Challenge #9:
Did you comment on Mr. Florek's blog post yet?  Leave comments that continue the conversation or add value.  Your comment should show evidence that you read the blog post AND your blog post.