I think this might work?

A new unit starts today as all classes will work on Fireworks tutorials.  Whether this is new or review I would like all to do the same work to start.  You should move straight down the "image effects" category.  Then move to the other categories.  This is sandbox time today and Friday.  Create a fireworks folder to save all of your work.  Every thing you do should be named, saved, and put in a folder.

Everyone must complete (at least):

• Image Color 
• Photo Frames
• Old Photograph
• Pencil Drawing
• Fading  

A few hints:

• Read the directions.  If you call me over I will just read the directions for you.  Take your time.
• Choose photographs from Clipart that are high quality and appropriate for the task you are trying to complete.  Some photographs do not work very well in some tutorials.
• Save and label everything you work on in a Fireworks folder.
• Help your classmates.

If you finish please start on the text tutorials.  

I'm not sure...

I'm not sure how the filter will be working today.

I have copied some of the Fireworks Tutorials to our wiki site.  I would like you to complete all five of the fireworks assignments on that page.

1. Are your blogs unblocked?
2. Does the video (last assignment) play?  If so, watch it.
3. Can you reach the tutorials from last Wednesday?  If so, use that link.

Option 2:

TED and Games

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?
• 3D Architecture: Can you build a successful house.
• 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 in a MS Word document.  Put name on and print out for teacher:
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?
3. Do games help learning?  

Great Video

I love this. How graphics, music, and video come together to tell a great story.

And Everything Nice from John Jensen on Vimeo.

Fireworks Unit

A new unit starts today as all classes will work on Fireworks tutorials. (this is blocked today?) Whether this is new or review I would like all to do the same work to start.  You should move straight down the "image effects" category.  Then move to the other categories.  This is sandbox time today and Monday.  Create a fireworks folder to save all of your work.  Every thing you do should be named, saved, and put in a folder.

If you are feeling behind--study!  I do not assign specific homework.  I expect you will be working on any issues that you have.  If you need to practice coding, then practice!


I think your blogs are working?  If so, we will start posting old work later today.

Happy vacation

If you need to catch up, today is the day.  I'm giving you 87 minutes and no new assignments.

If you are caught up have some fun (quiet fun).  If you haven't watched all the videos I have posted yet or done all the reading take the time to do that now.

I may call you up and talk about your work and ask you to fix a few things.

Last html

Today is your last major HTML assignment.  You will create a four page website about your favorites.

A few notes:

• Pay attention to the order that you do the codes.  Be neat.  Be exact.
• Be sure the links work.  Links should include just the file name.
• Keep the design of the pages in the website the same.  They should look like they are from the same website.
• Maybe include video?
• Think about using a table for your page layout.
• Spend some time in the tutorials.  Are they any codes you should add to your page?
• Be sure to name your folder and save your files correctly.

HTML: American Flag Assignment

With the HTML practice I am trying to do the following: 

• Get you accustomed to naming files, saving them, and opening the pages.
• Understanding basic structure of code.
• Switching from one teacher (me) to many teachers (you).
• Have you acknowledge what a good website, good writing, and good design looks like.  

So.....

• I will guide you, model some items, but I will try not to give you the answers.  This is a coding class, which is problem solving.  You need to learn how to solve the problems.
• I will begin to insist on your best work.  Some of you will struggle and I will say "try again".  Don't get frustrated, I do that because I know you can do better.
• At just about anytime I will allow you to work on your own projects.  Some examples of student led projects include this music video or maybe creating an advocacy campaign to change the world.  Seriously, this is your chance to really think about what you want to do.

We will make our first webSITE today. Until now we have made webPAGES. Today please do the following:

• Create a folder in your WDrive-Web Design. Label it correctly (first initial, last name, assignment) "bschneiderFlag".
• Download a clip-art or Creative Commons image of an American Flag. Save in flag folder
• Create a two-page website.
• Title Page 1: "American Flag". Add heading, background color, and flag image.
• Center image.
• Title Page 2: "American Flag History". Add heading. Add short description of Flag history with two links to further information.
• Link pages together: Make image on Page 1 the link to Page 2. On Page 2 include a "home" link back to page 1.
• Does your font choice matter?  Read this.
• Save both pages. Test links.
• Save entire folder to the UDrive-WebSchneider folder.  Find your class and the flag folder.

When done:

• A Google A Day
• Put in your headphones and play with Bobby or Incredibox
• Watch this these awesome grandparents send their grand son a birthday video.  Yes, that is tap water catching on fire at the end.  
• I get amused when people tell me they play guitar.  Really?  Check this out. Or this.  Stop talking, start practicing.
• Read some stories.  Try this one about plastic bath toys.

Nobody finishes early.  There is always something to work on.

Web Design: Introductory Quiz

Today's quiz #1 is a letter.

In this letter you must:

1. Include links and examples where necessary.
2. Provide evidence.
3. Be persuasive, yet friendly and helpful.
4. Your letter should be between 100-150 words.

Please evaluate the design bias, usability, and accessibility of the Seymour High School website. This letter should show evidence that you paid attention for the past few lessons.

You might want to look at some examples of other schools:

1. Science Leadership Academy
2. Naugatuck High School
3. Lewis Elementary

Compare and contrast the sites.  Why do you go to a school website?  Who is the audience (teachers, parents, students, community, etc...).  Can you find what you are looking for?

Start your letter with "Dear Mrs. Goodrich".  


Save to your W Drive Web folder (on blog if blogs work..).  Print out for teacher.


Quiz #2 is HTML

The quiz for web 1 will be due by the end of the period on Monday. Some of you will finish early, some of you will have to work fast...

You will create a one page website about your current class schedule. This website should include:

• A title in the header code.
• A clear heading on the page.
• A list of classes.
• A brief paragraph describing yourself (junior at Seymour High School, etc...)
• Background color other than white.  Keep the color light (no bright red, black, etc...if you disagree go back and look at the bad websites)

If you do the above correctly the maximum you can score is 3/4.  You must do at least one of the extras to be able to score 4/4.

Extras:

1. Can you include an image that you created?  Remember that the image must be in the same folder as the webpage.

2. Can you place the schedule in a table?

3. Can you create a link to Seymour High School?

Usability

Today we will finish our introductory unit (test to come shortly).

Usability involves design and it involves hardware. First I must have enough bandwidth to get my information to the user. Bandwidth is the "size of the pipe" that carries information. The larger the pipe, the more information I can send. Second I need to think about the hardware at the end of the line. Is my user viewing the information on a phone or through a dial-up connection? Is my user using high speed DSL?

Here is what bad design looks like according to Vincent Flanders: Check out the worst website ever and his checklist for how to ruin your website.

Top ways to ruin a website:
1. We've designed our site to meet our organization's needs (more sales/ contributions) rather than meeting the needs of our visitors.
2. It takes longer than four seconds for a man from Mars to understand what your site is about. Example.
3. Our site looks like we've never seen another web site. Example.
4. We use design elements that get in the way of our visitors.
5. Our site doesn't make us look like credible professionals.

1. Read the following article. Save it in your favorites. Web Usability Guidelines.  The chart at the bottom is awesome.

2. Skim this basic article about usability from Great Britian.

3. What's wrong with Google?  Wouldn't you like to learn how to do that?

Please answer the following questions on your blog:

1. Define the following. Provide definitions that make sense to your readers.

• bandwidth
• web usability

2. Which of the following websites has a higher usability for teenagers. Why??

Newsmap 
Connecticut Post

3. Find a website that you think has a high usability rating. Provide a link to this website and explain why you think its usability rating is high. Possible examples: Bobby (use headphones),  Baby Names (blocked??) Tall Buildings.

All three assignments (bias, accessibility, usability), the evernote biography recording, plus the two HTML webpages are due Tuesday.  Work hard today and produce your best work.

Accessibility

We will start the HTML Tutorials today.  I will start with a bit of a group lesson and then I will see what you can do.  Most of the class time will be reading time today.

There are four main categories we are covering in this unit; bias, accessibility, usability, and ethics. Today we will focus on accessibility.

Read this article. Introduction to Web Accessibility. The website contains lots of useful information. Take your time reading it.

We will watch this CBS News Video together in class.

Read some of how Apple focusses on accessibility.

Answer the following questions:

• Of the four major categories of disabilities (visual, motor, cognitive, hearing) which one do you think would pose the greatest challenges for a computer user. Why? Include specifics.
• Dealing with a disability can be frustrating. What are three ways a web designer can design a less frustrating website for those who have a disability?
• Try getting to the CNN website without using your mouse. How did that change the experience? Did you get frustrated?
• What is our obligation to serve those with disabilities?

Post to your blog.  Please include any needed links.

When done here is your first HTML assignment.

Bias, Usability, Accessibility, and Ethics

There are four main criteria that we use to assess the validity of a website; bias, usability, accessibility, and ethics. Today we will focus on bias.

This is also an exercise in communication skills and page design. Can you get your point across effectively? Do you know your audience?

1. Class Discussion about bias

• Barbie Doll website
• GI Joe website (collector site, real site blocked...)
• GIJoe Movie
• Legally Blonde: The Musical

2. Read the following articles:
Gender Bias
Journalism Bias this is a longer article. Skim the whole thing (except the studies and theories of media bias section). Click on links that interest you.

3. Create a one page flyer in MSPaint that contains bias.

Girls: Boys are silly. Why can't they act right so I can get my work done? They should treat us with respect and not be so clueless.
Boys: Girls are silly. Why can't they act right so I can get my work done? They should treat us with respect and not be so clueless.

Think about your audience. Who are you writing it for? I am looking for two things. First, do you have good ideas and understand bias? Second, can you format the page well so you communicate these ideas? This is your first task in design.

This flyer must include the following:

• A clip art or free-non-copyrighted image. Using copyrighted images is illegal. You could make your own image if you want using Paint or Fireworks. Check the links on the right for clip-art images or go here or toFlickr and use creative commons search.
• At least three quotes (from real or imaginary people)
• Have fun with this, stay respectful and appropriate.

4. Save in WDrive (Web Design folder). Check the Rubric for the assessment.

5. If you finish early you should start on the HTML Tutorials (link on right side of page).

Using Evernote to Tell A Story

7:01am: We are again having some issues with the wifi today.  Be patient as we do this assignment.  We will adapt!

Today students will tell a story.  For many this will be exceedingly difficult.  Not because they can't write, or record, but because they have to interview their peers.

This entire class is about telling a story.  Telling a story through words, images, animation, links.  A bad web page story will be immediately discarded!  Nobody stays on a bad webpage or keeps listening to a poor recording.

Each student will write and record a 60 second biography for radio broadcast.  This biography will be of a classmate.  Students will record using Evernote.

Please be sure to name your file in Evernote as your first initial and last name (bschneider).  Save in the Web Biography notebook.

We will post the biographies here.  

Here are some posts that were created last semester:

• Danielle
• Tyler

Please write a blog post summarizing the process of creating the broadcast and include a link to your story.

Blogs

We were having issues with the wifi this morning so we decided to get our blogs set-up instead.  I hope to have wifi settled for Friday.

Today we will set-up our blogs:
1. We will discuss digital footprints and blogging code of ethics.
2. We will log-in to our blogs and make our first post.
3. Next, we will leave a comment on a classmates blog, using the proper procedure.
4. Control panel will be discovered and we will add a simple sentence to it.
5. We will choose a template.
6. We will explore voki.com and then place our voki in the control panel.
7. Clustrmaps will be added to the control panel.
8. We will evaluate each blog and choose the best voki, leaving comments on that blog.

A New Class!

So...

A new semester.  I am very excited to teach this "new" class.  I taught this for four years, took a two year break, and now I am back teaching two sections this year.  So much has changed!

This class should be fun and exciting.  You will write and read A LOT in here.  You will code, create, tape, video, and publish.  This will be an odd class for some of you as YOU take charge of your learning. You will have lots of choices as the year progresses.  This often makes students nervous as I rarely stand in front of you and say "now we will turn to.."

Today you can do the solo activity for the iPad.

Other things need to happen today:

1. You need to be sure you returned your Internet Use form (I imagine you have).  I can't do anything without that.

2. Fill out this Info Sheet.

3. Please solve a Google A Day.  The site times you.  So move fast.  We will be learning how to search effectively throughout the year. 

4. Then Draw a Stickman.  Wouldn't you like to learn how to do that?  Guess what?  You will.

5. Write yourself an email that will be delivered on June 1, 2012.  Use Futureme.org.  Keep the post private.  Write yourself and completing the following questions "By June I hope to have learned..." "I think the most important aspect of web design is...."

6. Swearing is bad.  Please don't do it.

7. Put in your headphones and play with Bobby or Incredibox


8. Read this longer, but fascinating, story in the NY Times about a student with autism.


9. Watch this movie trailer.  Yes, that is tap water catching on fire at the end.  

If we finish all this and you work hard we will have a hockey tournament.

Web Design Final Exam

You have reached your destination.  Your final exam should demonstrate a full semester of learning.  The exam should demonstrate a keen sense of story telling, recognition of audience, and technical knowledge.  Good luck.

Exam:
Create a website about the history of the internet.  The website should include how the internet has changed family and school life.  I would like you to focus on the years 1980, 1995, and 2010.

You have many tools at your disposal including HTML, Flash, Fireworks, Creative commons searches, etc.... Be sure to create a website that is easy to read, highly usable, and accessible.

You may notice that I have not included specific guidelines about pages, images, and the like.  By now you should know how to tell a good story by using a website.  You should know how to effectively include links.  You should know not to include copyrighted images.  You should know how to embed video, animation, and images.

When done you must copy your exam folder to the Udrive: Web Schneider.  You MUST finish during the allotted time for the exam.  I will begin grading once your folder is placed in the UDrive.
 

FInal Exam Prep

Today is a prep day for the final exam.  You need to know how to do the following.

1. Make a basic webpage using a table for layout that is highly usable.
2. Use fireworks to manipulate an image.
3. Create animations using Flash.
4. Tell a story.
5. Search and evaluate internet sources.
6. Develop an audience.

It will be very hard to complete the exam during the allotted time so I am giving you some assignments now.  I urge you to work hard today.

Your exam will be a website that demonstrates the "web" in 1980, 1995, and 2010. I will give all the details next week.

• Create a folder in your WDrive.  Name it correctly (BSchneiderFinalExam).
• All work will be stored in this folder.
• Research the following questions.  Keep the notes in your folder.
• Who is credited with inventing the internet?  
• How did the internet develop?  Who used it first?
• How many internet enabled devices existed in 1980? 1995? 2010? (you will have to estimate, but you can find this information).
• How many people regularly accessed the internet in 1980? 1995? 2010?
• Think, research, review the following questions.
• How is your family/social life different than a high school student in 1980 or 1995?  Focus on how the internet has changed daily life (for better or worse).
• How is your school/academic life different than a high school student in 1980 or 1995?
• Prepare a very simple Flash animation to display on "the internet" page (see above).  For example, a computer zooming into focus, or a smartphone "buzzing".
• Prepare simple Fireworks images of "The Internet", 1980, 1995, 2010 to display as headings at the top of each page.

Impress Me

This is your final grade for the semester before the exam.

Impress me.

You have one hour to produce something.  Anything.  It could be a blog post, a flash animation, a website, or anything else that is Web1 related.  This should be you best work.  People should look at it and go "cool".

I will put a folder in WebSchneider for you to turn stuff in if you aren't submitting on the web (blogpost, voicethread, etc...).

Who is he?

Yesterday I got a comment via twitter and started an interesting exchange.

Cool.  New followers.

So I spent a little time trying to find out who was this guy?  Twitter is interesting because I have so many colleagues on twitter that I never met (567 followers currently).  We exchange ideas, debate lessons, and support each other.  I have never talked to Jay, yet we exchange information.  He reads this blog (and your blogs?) and now I will read his.

And he has an interesting blog! Here is his school blog (leave him a comment? Get a red dot back?)

So we are going to find out some answers as a google review activity.  Find answers to each of these and post in an entry in your blog.  Each answer should contain a link, image, or video.  All of these answers require some thinking.  You should demonstrate that you can search effectively, process the information you find, select the best sources, and write about what you find in an interesting manner using links.

I guarantee he will be reading your answers.  Much of Moline High may read your answers as well.  Write smart.

1. Mr. Bohnsack teaches at Moline High School in Illinois.  Where is this school?  Find it in google earth.
2. If he had to fly to New York which airport would he likely fly out of?
3. Estimate the total weight of his cattle.  His cattle are Herefords.  You will have to estimate how many cows he has and how much each weighs and do some math.  Show your work.
4. If you go to Moline High School which college team are you most likely to root for?
5. If you lived in Taylor Ridge, Illinois and you wanted to take your wife out to dinner where would you be likely to go?
6. There are two Mr. Bohnsacks at Moline High School.  Are they brothers (this one is hard)?
7. If you were driving from Moline High School and drove west for six hours where would you be likely to stop?  How about south?  East?  Now choose your favorite of the three spots and why.
8. If you live in Moline what colors are your tractors most likely to be? (Hint: a big company is headquartered there).

Answers will be posted on student blogs.

January

I can't believe we made it to January.  For a variety of reasons (October snow, heating issues, etc...) we are two weeks (!!) short of classes.  I have had to let a movie unit and a coding unit go.  I hope to sneak a few items in over the next week.

Our exams will be in two weeks....

Today:
1. HTML review.  We will do this together.  This will be turned in today for a grade.
2.  Play around with MyHeritage.com  and FamilySearch.org . I give you the option to create an account and explore this software.  There is a free account option that asks for your email address.  This is an optional assignment.  I've done this with previous classes and they have loved using it.

• Rate the usability of the MyHeritage site.

3. Check your comments and red dots on your blog.  Any progress?

• What if you got 1 point for each red dot and needed to get to 100pts to pass.  How would your strategy change? 

4. Create an online resume using Vizualize.Me, Google Sites, Re.Vu or Weebly.  Which site works best for your needs? Check out some of these resumes:

• Should you have a traditional resume and an infographic website?  

5. Codecademy.com is getting a lot of press lately.  100,000 people signed up in the first 49 hours.  Create an account and get started.  Again, this is an optional assignment but I think you will like it.  I'm working on my badges too.

• Should coding be a required course?  Should it be a math credit or science credit?

Answer one of the above blog reflective questions based on what you do today.

I hope to have extra credit assignment done shortly.

Growing your Blog Audience

Each of you should have a blog post measuring the reach of your blog.  We did this on Wednesday. Some of you began your campaign to grow your audience by commenting on blogs.  We will continue this today.

Click here to go to student blogs.

We discussed the difference between spam comments and valuable comments.  We discussed the proper way to format your comment (no email, first name last initial, blog address).  We discussed the value of responding to comments.  We recognized how hard it is to build an audience.

Building an audience is one of the most important skills we will work on.  Nearly every product, service, and idea is sold via the web now.  You MUST know how to get your work out there to survive and eat.  This blog is practice for that.

I'm also hoping to raise the level of work on your google profile.  For many of you your twitter feed is your #1 result on google.  For many of you this is NOT good.  Seriously.  And remember, swearing is bad.

Today you will do three things:
1. Write blog posts to increase the quality of your blog (see topics below).  You need posts that people will link to, email their friends, post on twitter.  We want people to be saying "Read this!".
2. Comment, comment, comment.  Using blogmeister or google you will find blogs to comment on.  You will leave comments everywhere.  You will make the comments interesting and they will extend the conversation.
3. If you find an interesting blog post you will write about and link back to the original blog.  This is "polite blogging".  This is how traffic gets generated.

Suggested blog posts (remember to include links, a cool title, embed video/images if needed).  Choose one or all:
1. If you are a football player: Explain when you would punt the ball and when you "go for it" so anyone can understand it.
2. If you are a cheerleader: Is cheerleading becoming more dangerous?  Describe how cheerleading has changed over time.  Where is the line between OK and too dangerous?
3. If you are a musician:  How have headphones and iPods changed music?
4. If you are an artist/photographer: How has the internet changed how we view art?  Does the internet help or hurt art?
5. If you eat: What should we eat?  Should we be allowed to eat whatever we want?  What if we know what we eat is slowly killing us?
6. If you breath: Whats in the air that you breath?  Is it safe to breath?

Split Day

Monday was a wash for H block and for some of E block so be sure you complete everything on Monday's lesson before you move onto today's lesson.  Read Monday's lesson first.

Your task is to create an audience for your blog.  How will you do this?  The best way is to comment on other people's blogs.  Creating an audience for your work is HARD.  It took me a long time to build even my meager audience.

Using the first page of blogmeister you should search for other blogs.  This is not an easy process as that search engine does not recognize new blogs.  One way to do it is to click on Featured Articles.  Or you can search by state, country, or age group.

When you leave a comment be sure it extends the conversation about the blog post.  Don't spam them ("Hey, check out my blog!" or "If you click this link you can read my new eBook!").  But be sure the information boxes are filled out correctly (first name, last initial: leave email blank; your blog address).

Now, when they return to your blog do you have interesting content?  Will you have something for them to read?

How will we measure/grade this?  Write a blog post RIGHT NOW where you list:

• How many countries have visited your blog.
• How many red dots do you have.
• How many comments from non-SHS people.

Then we measure the growth.  Good luck.

Project Wrap-up and TED talks

I am in meetings today.  I have left comments on most of your blogs and most of your .pdf books.  Please make sure you check and edit anything today.  Wednesday I will work on grading everything with you.

Please answer the following questions on your blog:
1. List the projects that you completed and the story subject for each. (I wrote an ebook about German Cuisine).
2. Which is your best project?  Which tells the best story?  Why?
3. Whose classwork has impressed you?  Why? Be sure when you list their name you make it a link to their blog.
4. Each of these assignments has been published on the web.  Does that change the quality of your work?  Why or why not?
5. Which is your favorite way to tell a story? Animation, voicethread, eBooks, images, or showme?  Which is your favorite way to "read/watch" a story?

Please include links to your work or your classmates work.

Then...

I would like you to watch at least three videos today from start to finish. Everyone must watch the Bobby McFerrin video. I give you some prompts to start a discussion on your blog. Some of these videos are about 10-20 minutes long. They say teenagers can't pay attention to anything. Prove them wrong.

Hans Rosling: How data is cool. Think of your little Excel charts. Will you be ready to use data like this. This guy is fun to listen to.

Jeff Han: How displays will change. This would profoundly change how we use computers.  This is from four years ago.  How fast technology evolves (Hello iPod!).
John Maeda: A smart, funny guy talks about simplicity. Think about how simplicity is the driving force in design (hint: iPods).
Rives: This guy can talk.  Power of the spoken word.  I laughed out loud (also notice his use of powerpoint).  Check this poem about the internet by Rives.  Fascinating (and why you should work on your poetry).

Bobby McFerrin: How does that work without rehearsal?  Is music hard-wired to our brains?  Bobby's genius is awe inspiring.

John Bohannon: Why you should dance and not use powerpoint.  This is super-awesome. Can dance make you understand science?  Do that google search he speaks about. Any dancers here?  That would be an AWESOME project.

David Blaine: Not for the faint of heart.  Is he crazy, or focussed?

William Kamkwamba: Inspiring.  Many of you are 14.  What is on your resume?  Think about all that you have to work with here.

What did you learn? Share what you learned. What did you watch? Start a conversation. Can you add something to a discussion?

You should give me multiple paragraphs.  There is a lot of content here.

Be sure to have links to the talk on your blog.

Thursday

Projects are due today.  There may be some special cases that get extensions, but they know who they are.  I've given you nine hours of class time (and three weeks of HW or after school time!) and I think that is enough.

I have read many of your .PDF books that were submitted but I haven't uploaded them or finished editing them.  I'll get to them.  Be patient.  Things are a bit crazy with the concert tonight.

Be sure to write a clear blog post today.  I encourage you to comment on a classmates blog that did good work or helped you on this project.  I will be leaving comments on your blog.  Please be sure to respond if needed.

Read this about swearing.

What do you want to appear when people google your name?  For most of you your facebook or twitter feed comes up first.  Do you want that to be your public face?  "I block my tweets" you say?  I say you are a fool if you think people can't see the posts.

In my capacity as a track and cross country coach my job is to handle recruiting for the student athletes on our team.  College coaches are amazed at the stupidity of students who post negative comments about opponents, coaches, games.  The worst offense is posts about teammates.  That is a red flag.

Do you know everyone on your friend list?  If they know you are applying for a job or applying to a college do you think they might take a screen shot and send it on?  It takes two seconds.  This happens all the time.  You know this is true because it happens every day here (people sending stuff to Mr Lucke or Mr Freund).

EVERYTHING you do online is there FOREVER.  If you delete a page its still there.  Archived.  Forever.

Including this project.  Do you have other school work thats online?  If not, this will be THE project people can look at.  Is your blog your only online academic writing that employers or colleges will see (try googling yourself and "blog" or "assignments" and see what comes up)?  Do your best.

First Book

I started a page to compile our eBooks.  Remember, you need to open the ebooks on an iDevice or Kindle app.

When you complete the report card be sure to print out two copies and turn one in to me.

If you complete a PDF book remember you must share it with me.  My email is on the board.  Be sure to talk with me that its done so I can edit and check.

If you complete a VoiceThread or ShowMe then we can upload that together OR send me the link.  Be sure I can hear your voice.

Animations should be saved to the UDrive.  Be sure to save the movie, we dont need the Flash file.  Check out Humpty Dumpty.

Have you made a blog post every day that contains a link and tells a story?  Have you commented on someone's blog?

I expect most of you will complete this project on Thursday.  I will give more time to those I feel deserve it, but 95% of you will finish on Thursday.

I'm out

I'm out today.  First drafts of projects are still due.  Save any drafts to UDrive (label correctly).

I understand the iPads are not in the room.  Adapt.  Work on something else.  I understand.

You can do voicethread or google doc book at home or on any computer.  You can do design work for the animation or report card anywhere.

Get it done.

Web Project Work

Please fill out this form before you do anything else today.

Then take 2 minutes to look through the Best Images of 2011.

Some of you were exploring making a Children's book.  I think some of you thought this was an easy way out.  Check some Children's Counting Books (amazon will allow you to look at the cover and first pages).  Children's books are no joke.  The illustrations are serious.  Second, I will not accept ANY projects with images that do not have citations and creative commons license.  We will check each one.

Watch these 4th graders use voice thread (you can google a thousand other examples) explain their math homework.

I saw many report card designs that really seemed to copy the current report card.  You really need to think bigger.  If you are having trouble google some more examples.  You really need to tell a story with your report card.  I suggest you write your story first (in one paragraph) before you tackle the design.

Here is a project by an 11th grade student. youTube and google demonstrate the amazing talent students have. He sang, played the instruments and directed and edited the movie.  You will publish this project. Do your best.

 

Web Design Project

Here is our storytelling project.

I expect this to be your best work.  I expect this to take a few weeks.  Good luck.

Read this.  Its Rosa Parks Day.  Its worth taking a minute to reflect.

Big Day

 Last night was a big night! Do you know how to use Voicethread?  We have it on the iPad now.  Great story telling tool.

Get your website tests in.  When done you will need to rename your folder (bschneiderflashtest) and copy it to the UDrive class folder.

Please don't be the person who forgets to rename it in the WDrive.

Flash Replication Project

Create a folder called "Flash HTML Project"

• Set up a basic HTML page.  Name it "home".  Title it "Awesome Flash Animations"
• Embed a shiny headline into the webpage.  When you create the movie be sure the canvas is the correct size (long and thin)
• Center it
• Use the <embed src="shiny text.swf" align=center> command to embed the movie title.  Note that you are embedding the Movie, not the Flash file.
• Create two Flash Animations
• Stick Figure I give you direction for this.
• Flowers I don't give you directions for this.  Solve the puzzle!
• Put the two animations in a 1 row table. You may need to play with the height/width of the movies.
• <Table align="center" border="1">
• <TR>
• <TD><embed src="stick.swf"></TD>
• <TD><embed src=flower.swf"></TD>
• </TR>

All of the tutorials (text, stick, flower) I encourage you to be creative.  Feel free to stick to the script, but once you "get it" I would like to see you take it to the next level.

Remember, everything must be in the same folder.  Keep it in your W Drive for now.

This is a test grade.  It is due Wednesday before break.  I am grading:

• How you solve problems of a technical nature.
• That you complete the project.
• That your Flash and HTML code is correct.
• The creativity that you can add to the project.

1 Day Project

I'm going to give you a series of items to work on today.  Do ALL the activities and choose any TWO to write about on your blog (with links!!).

1. Check out a Google Skills List.  Try some of them.  Have you been using Google effectively?
2. Do any of those skills help you solve todays Google Puzzle?
3. Can you win Third World Farmer?  How do games help you learn?  Being a 3rd world farmer can be frustrating and hard and life just isn't fair is it?
4. Are Theo Jansen creatures alive?  Why or why not?
5. Take five minutes and look at Book Creator and Show Me on the iPad.
6. Leave a comment on a 1st graders blog, here, or here.  Be sure to log in first if on blogmeister and leave SUPER nice and SUPER polite short entries for the kids.  On the other sites if it asks for your blog be sure to copy the correct address of YOUR blog.  Find some other blogs on the front page of blogmeister.  Hint: they will come back and read your blog.  Be ready!

What am I grading:
1. Can you follow directions?
2. Can you process information from many sources and accomplish a task (leave comments, write, etc...)?
3. Can you work effectively with others?

I am hoping to grade your blogs this weekend.  Please edit any blogs that need editing.  Each blog should include links, a Title, have no spelling errors or typos, and be solid writing.  Double check all of them and make sure you have submitted all.

If you finish tackle some more Flash or Fireworks tutorials.

Additional Flash Work

You need to complete the basic tutorials form the last session first.  Be sure to understand shape tween, motion tween, layers, and masking.

Today please complete the following.  These are much more complicated.  Some of these are video tutorials.  Be sure to use your headphones to respect your neighbors.  I suggest splitting your screen when doing the tutorials (tutorial on left, Flash on right)

Zoom In Zoom Out
Shiny Text
Drag and Drop (action Script coding)
Basic Slide Show
Importing Sound to Flash

Want to do something else?  Search on google or YouTube and find a tutorial.

If you have not read the Morris Lassmore book on the iPad try to do that today if you have time.  Be sure to write about the experience (with links!) on your blog.

Flash is Dead, But.....

Flash is kind of dead.  Adobe just pretty much killed it.  But, we have the software and I think it will be an excellent way to introduce you to animation.  We will explore several tools.

Save your Flash documents in the WDrive (make a Flash folder).  Save them in two formats.  First save the Flash document as an .fla file.  Then save the Flash Movie as a .swf file.  Then you will have two files for each project.  You can edit the .fla file.  You watch the .swf file.

Flash is probably new to most of you.  GO SLOW.  Skipping a step will cause your project to crash.  Coding is about being patient, paying attention to details, and seeing the big picture.


Please complete the following tutorials at a minimum on Monday:

• Motion Tween
• Shape Tween
• Layers
• Mask
• Ball Bouncing

Students who have those completed should work on:

• Rotating Globe
• Fog Effect
• Zoom in

If you get excited please start more tutorials (see link on right).

I'm still looking through your Veterans Day assignments.  Contest winner should be published soon.

Thursday

Today:

• Finish the Veterans Day assignment.  Be sure to save/submit it properly.

When done:

• Who had the best Snow test?  Check the UDrive.  Leave a comment on that person's blog saying "I thought your test was the best because....."
• Check out the article about the Morris Lassmore book.  Check the book out on the iPad (I don't have it on all iPads yet, be patient).  It is amazing.  Write about how reading is changing.
• Can you win the Redistricting Game?