3D writing

Writing for the web is a profoundly different skill than writing for other disciplines. Composing an article in MS Word or with pencil and paper is a two-dimensional process. What you write on the paper is all there is.

Writing on the web is in three dimensions. You not only see what is on the screen but there are infinite layers behind it that you link to.

Click here: two dimensions.

Click here: three dimensions.

None of you go home and read MS Word documents. All of you go home and read documents on the web with text, images, links, animations, etc... Writing and reading in three dimensions is an essential skill now for any field you plan to pursue. That is what you must practice on your blog. Many of you have rich, multi-faceted entries with links to important information. This is writing in three dimensions. Some of you have paragraphs with no links, images, or anything that is beyond two dimension writing.

Is there a place for 2 dimensional writing? Of course. If you are writing for yourself (journal, diary, etc..) there is little need for writing in 2D. But if you are writing on the web it is inherently a conversation not a lecture/speech. You should make this as rich a conversation as possible.

Go back and look at your last few entries. Resubmit anything you feel can be improved and become more three dimensional. Don't get left behind as the world switches to 3D writing. Work on this skill!! Your blog is your website. People from around the world read it. Make it the BEST example you can of your writing, coding, and web design skills.

2D: I am Brandt Schneider. I have a daughter named Claudia and I teach Web Design at Seymour High School.

3D: I am Brandt Schneider. I have a daughter named Claudia and I teach Web Design at Seymour High School.

Blogging

Your recent blogs about Ayiti were picked up by the makers of the game. Click here to see the post.

A reminder that you are part of a global community. People read what you are writing and this information gets connected through the web. Write well, write something of value, and write often and you will build readers. I believe you all have something to share.

We will work on tagging your posts so these entries can be found. Tagging is how the web software searches for information.

After checking technorati.com 75 blogs link to the Ayiti entry about our students. You have a voice! Use it!!

I can also help you put a clustrmap on your blog so you can see where people are reading your blogs. Ask for help if you need it.

On Monday please go through the practice test a number of times. Remember, you will not be able to use notes during the quiz. Please let me know if there are any questions that you have trouble with. Sometimes the questions are kind of awkward.

Technorati Tags: Ayiti blogging K12

Day2

Today we will take a tour of several items. For students who took my Web1 class much of this will look familiar, but I ask that you look at everything with new eyes.

Blogs:
This is a blog. A blog is read/write web device that allows a writer to communicate directly with his/her audience. The blog can incorporate pictures, video, sound and many "widgets" that are Web 2.0 based. Myspace is a blog. In addition to your classmates blogs on blogmeister please look at the following blogs:

Senator Blog
TV News Blog
MTV Blog

Wikis:
A wiki is a program that allows collaboration on the web. Members are allowed to create, edit, and improve information in real time. The classic example is wikipedia which is updated constantly. How wikis are better? For example, your science textbook still says there are 9 planets, even though Pluto was declared to NOT be a planet in August. One minute after that announcement the entry on wikipedia was changed. In a world that moves at incredible speed, can we afford to still be textbook based?

Wikis incorporate video, images, and sound as well. But the most important aspect is that they are collaborative.

These examples were created by Web1 students:

Ballet Wiki
Cheerleading Wiki
Obesity Wiki

Web 2.0 Stuff:
Take a moment to look through these sites. Put the ones you like in your favorites. We will explore throughout the class. Each website has something "new" to offer.

Newsmap
Daylife
Tall Buildings
Typing Test

You will now create an HTML website using notepad. You can use the HTML book or any of your old files. This is a pre-assessment for this class. I want to see what you can do.

Your website should:
--Summarize the Web 2.0 applications you looked at. Include links to at least 4 websites. Include all aspects of the web site design (title, heading, frames, links, etc...) that you feel are needed to summarize the information. You are basically recreating this blog entry in notepad using HTML.
--Include at least one clipart image (use link from this page).
--Show evidence that you understand todays discussion of accessability, usability and bias.
--Save your file as web.htm in your "other" folder in the WDrive.

This should take you maybe 15-20 minutes. I'm just looking to check that you have basic computer/HTML skills. I will grade complete as long as you give a strong effort.

Good news

Check out the attention we got about the Ayiti game. Blogging is a powerful tool. Excellent post, Rachel.

A few notes about the project so far:

For all:

Check the rubrics! They include a lot of the details about what you should include.

HTML:

• On project 8, the java script is blocked by internet explorer. When you make the funwith phonics page it will be a white screen with a picture. It is important to understand WHY we use java scripts before you move on.
• Project 7 should work fine now.
• Some of you still insist on not reading the chapter and making this a typing class. Remember, you must be able to orally explain each project/concept and be ready for a quiz.

Movies:

• Remember, to tell a story. Beginning, middle, end.
• You can't use copyrighted images.
• PLEASE tell a story, dont just string images together.
• Make sure you talk about the essential question about the topic. What do people need to know?
• I'm working on finding open-source music. Take some time to search. You probably need creative common licensed music. You cannot use copyrighted music.
• CITE YOUR SOURCES PROPERLY OR NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN

Wiki:

• These seem to be developing. The collaboration seems to be working. I encourage all of you to check the pages out and add comments on the discussion page or make edits yourself.
• You might need to do some work from home where youtube or google video isn't blocked. You are expected to include some multimedia in your wiki.
• CITE YOUR SOURCES PROPERLY OR NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN

Online Gaming and Simulations

We worked yesterday on the typing test, the Dig Here! program, and the Ayiti Unicef game. Each showed us an aspect of online simulation learning. You were each to make a blogmeister entry based on that experience. I'm still working on the super-cool science site.

Today I will ask you to look at several more sites and then make a reflective entry in your blog. Remember, we are grading the depth of your blog entries now, not just that you have made one. The ONLY grade for this week is the quality of your blog.

So for today (some of the 3D work might not work in school)....
3D Farming: Can you succeed as a farmer?
3D Architecture: Can you build a successful house.
Tall Buildings: Super-cool site about tall buildings
Power Play: Can you build a better mousetrap?
Margaret River Senior High School: This is the school on the opposite side of the earth. Its amazing how similar they are to us.

Be sure to leave time to visit the questions on blogmeister.


Listen to this article

Technorati Tags: k12education gaming simulations 3DFarmer

Technorati

What are people blogging about? How could you use this as a tool in assignments for other classes? If a teacher asks you to "internet search for an article" do you think this might be a good tool to use? The spike for this word is obvious. Try other words.

Posts that contain Election per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

Quiz

Today we will take the quiz on frames. Good luck.

When you finish the frames I would like you to spend time cleaning up your U:drives and W:Drives. Make sure all files are correct, folders clean, etc...Please leave project five in the U:drive for me.

If you finish that please make an attempt to comment on a blog from another state/class. If you find a good blog, please link to it in your blog and leave comments so people can find it. Encourage them to read your blogs.

This would be especially cool if you found a elementary blog. They love pen pals.

Remember, don't ever include personal information (address, phone, full name, etc..) when using the internet.

The exam is almost done. You can check it out on the seymour wiki space.

Web 2.0

Check out this school webpage/blog. What an amazing way to use the technology. Who is ready to step up and do that for our school? Compare their site to our website in terms of our frames (technical, usability, accessability, etc...). Start thinking about how you would set up a new SHS blog.

Listen to this article

WIKI!!!

Those of you were working on the Wiki. It got hijacked. Read the discussion. Its interesting....

You need to read some more about the wikis and what information should be posted. Too many links were added when we only needed the one link to the regular SHS page.

There should be much more internal links to other wikis and information about SHS. Look at wikis of other high schools. Do some reading on the wikis pages. There is a lot of help there. Use the sandbox link for lots of info. Make sure you start an account, otherwise I can't track your work and give you a grade.

If you have no idea what we are talking about, finish your project.

I am testing the new blogs for the students with a few guinea pigs. I hope to have that up and running soon.

In case you haven't guessed already we are going to be moving fast and changing technologies, procedures, and tasks as we go. THIS IS JUST LIKE THE REAL WORLD!! The technology of last spring is dead!!!

However, we have some core values and beliefs that remain true:
1. Our websites will be accessible to all.
2. Our websites will be as unbiased as possible.
3. We will work hard and be honest in our work.