Reading

One of the most important skills we need to demonstrate is the ability to read and summarize complex information. The ability to communicate new ideas effectively to an audience can make you a valuable member of any organization. But it takes practice.

Like all of our work you need to think of the two questions: Who is my audience, and what do I need to say? For all of our summaries I ask that you write 50-100 words. Why? Because that is how we communicate now--in short messages. If you go to the front page of the New York Times or ESPN you will notice how these short blurbs are used to entice and attract readers. The ability to summarize is an essential component of web design.

Today's assignment is to choose ONE of the following articles and summarize it in your blog for your readers:

• Genius at Play: A listing of some Google tools from David Pogue.
• Athletic Scholarships: Expectations lose to Reality.
• Is Yellow the Next Green: Sewage is a serious problem.  Interesting solution?

Be sure in your article to:

• Include a link to the original article. Find the correct link by clicking "Share" and copying the permalink.
• Keep your word count between 50-100 words.
• Title your entry effectively.
• Include your audience in your dicussion. Start a conversation so you get comments!

On a related note about "Bad things happen to ignorant people" you should all read this article before you decide what you post on your facebook account (or on someone else's!). Don't post, comment on, or upload anything unless you want it part of your public record forever. Also note that a professional image on these sites actually encouraged some people to get hired. You can use these sites to your advantage.

If you finish the blog posting and grading then move on to:

You will then learn how to put a clustrmap on your blog. Communication and Collaboration
is our 2nd standard. We use the clustrmap to collect data about how well our message gets out.

• Go to the Get One page.
• Complete the form. Be sure to use the correct address for your blog. If you do not have an email to submit this will not work.
• The password will come to your email.
• Submit password on clustrmap page. They will then give you a long code that you copy.
• Go to your blog, log-in and open the control panel. Paste the long code in the About Me section.
• Submit new code. Wait for me to approve it.

You can also check out meez if you want to add an avatar to your site (which seems to be blocked at school right now...). You could also try voki.com. What image do you want to portray to the world?

Grading Day

Today I hope to get your blogs up and running, but that might be different for each class.  We will also grade our progress on that current project.

Web 2:

• Choose ONE of your projects.
• Create a folder in WDrive first initial-last name-project (bschneiderhobbies).
• Copy your project into this folder in WDrive.
• Copy folder to Udrive-WebSchneider-Web2-Hobbies/Sports.
• Answer the following questions: What is your site about?  What went well in designing your site?  Does your site demonstrate gender bias?  Why or why not?

Web 3:

• You will do the ball tossing quiz in class.
• Save file and export movie as normal (bschneiderballtoss).
• Save it to Udrive-Webschneider-Web 4-Ball tossing when done.  

Web 4:

• Be sure you have completed the first blog post and answered any comment questions.
• Blog post #2: List two major research sites about the movie subject.  Where and how are you gathering information?
• Begin formulating a slogan, logo ideas, and storyboard.  Some of you are using toondoo.  How is it working?
• I am setting a 100 second limit on the movie.

Tuesday

We will continue our assignments today:

Web 2:

When you complete both sites please call me over to check them.  Then continue the projects on page 2.93-2.94.  You should work on the same two projects.  

Web 3:

Continue to refine the walking man.  Show me when done.  If you complete it ahead of schedule work on a new walking man.  Have him walking up stairs.

Web 4:

Please make your first blog post about the project:  What productivity software did you choose?  Why? Did you look at Zoho? What are the benefits or drawbacks of Zoho?  Have you started to look at storyboarding software (toondoo? pixton? others??)

Monday Assignments

Web 2:
Dreamweaver Book: Cases and Places #1, 2, 3 (choose 2 of the 3).

Web 3:

Please start the following:

• Walking animation.

Web 4:

Group project

Flash Test

You will create a music video and it is due Friday.  I expect you to create something that demonstrates your knowledge of Flash, is creative, and gets done on time.  This should be fun.

• You will use "Every Single Day".  A copy is in the UDrive-WebSchneider-FlashMusic
• If your Flash is set to 12fps then each ten frames will equal one beat.
• You must include a Stop and Play button.
• Save both the .fla file and .swf file when done (bschneidermusic).  Save both to Udrive when done.
• Everything else is up to you.

Flash continued...

Additional Flash assignments:

• Slideshow
  
• Drop Shadow
• Flash Game

By the end of this week you must be able to:

• Create motion tween, shape tween and layers.
• Create simple buttons and simple action scripts.

Assignments

Web 2 and Web 3:

Save your Flash documents in the WDrive.  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.

Please complete the following tutorials at a minimum by Monday:

• Mask
• Ball Bouncing

Students who have those completed should work on:

• Rotating Globe
• Fog Effect
• Zoom in

Web 4:

Complete your second project today.  I then ask you to analyze one of your projects in your blog.  This is a serious analysis.  Don't be afraid to include examples, links, and other tools.  I expect you to take a full day for this writing.  Really reflect on your work.  Due Monday.

• Who is your intended audience?  Why did you choose this audience?
• How does this project specifically target this audience?
• List three improvements you made from an earlier version and why you choose those improvements.
• Who has the funniest Flash in the Udrive?  The coolest?  

White House

As you know, the website for the White House was redone when Obama took office.

Read this cool analysis of the changes from the Boston Globe.  This sounds a lot like the assignment we are doing right now.  Can you make similar changes??

And here is a great example of story-telling from Christoph Niemann at the NY Times.  Some of these lessons should certainly be applied to our websites and Flash documents.  It tells so much about New York, but in a very unique way.  When you tell a story you don't have to TELL A STORY to get your message across.

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
• GIJoe Movie
• Legally Blonde Movie

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.
More on gender bias. Skim the comments--this is how a blog is different, there is a conversation/debate happening.

3. Create a one page flyer in Dreamweaver 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 men 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. I can google it to check, so be careful. 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 to Flickr and use creative commons search.
• At least three quotes (from real or imaginary people)
• At least one link in the page. Choose the BEST link for your page and be able to support WHY you choose it.
• Have fun with this, stay respectful and appropriate.

4. Save in WDrive (Classwork). Check the Rubric for the assessment.

Technorati Tags: genderbias webdesign k12 education

Day Two

Web 2 and 3:

Open your HTML book to project 1: Chiarevelle Pizza. This was a very simple code. As a HTML review I would like you to take this project and update it. Incorporate codes from later chapters such as tables, frames, image maps, etc... Possibly include a video as well. Do only as much as you can complete in two class periods.

Save to W Drive -- Class projects when done (bschneiderday1)

Web 4:

Choose ONE of your first projects (ball tossing, man walking, etc...) and update it using codes you learned last semester. Save both the old and new versions so we can compare.

New Semester

I wanted to say hello and to give a brief overview of some things we will be learning this semester. It is odd for me to write this today. I have looked at my class and know only a handful of you. I do not know what type of work you have created in the past. However, I am certain that I will push you to create, analyze, and innovate. I will ask you to do your best every day.

What will we cover?

Web 2 (Dreamweaver): This is the 2nd level class. In this class you will learn more advanced techniques using the Dreamweaver program. We hope to incorporate work in animation and image manipulation as well. There will be a significant emphasis and collaborating with classmates and with people around the world.

Web 3 (Flash+): This the 3rd leavel class for students who completed Web 1 and Web 2. Your focus will largely be on creation and design. What makes an effective, usable website? 

Web 4 (Project Based): We will enter the ThinkQuest competition as our 2nd semester project. This class is entirely project/studio based.

We will begin today with some general work getting our folders and computer set-up.  We will also discuss some general ideas about the class and how we operate. Appropriate use will start all of this off. We will review the rules for Internet use in the school.

Today I also hope to get all students set-up with an iGoogle page. This will be your homepage and will contain your calendars, notebook, bookmarks, and assorted other widgets. I think it will increase your productivity to have all your information in one screen, accessible from any computer, and you can share this information.

Why is that last part most important? Lets say you are all in AP History. If you create ONE calendar and share it then you do not have to individually enter assignments, it only has to be typed in by one person. In addition you can discuss and comment on any item ("What do you think will be on the test?...."). We will work on how to use these tools effectively.

This all relates to our Standard 2 and Standard 6 of the ISTE standards: Collaboration and Communication andTechnology Operations and Concepts. We want you to understand the basics of how to set up an account, how to manipulate it, and how to share this information. I will assess this by observing that you post the correct information and log-in effectively.

I will probably adapt many of these items as we move through the day. This is always a work in progress.

Google Notebook update

For those using Google Notebook here is an update.

Best exams so far: Abby, Emily.

Exams

To finish exam:

Internet Literacy:

• Here is the vocabulary section for the Internet Literacy Class.  Click Here.
  
• Print out (4700 printer) the memo.
• Save folder of Schneiderland website to UDrive.

Web 2/3:

• Save folder of website to UDrive.

Google

Google is stopping development of Google Notebook.  It seems that it will still be available to current users.  Should we switch to another service?  You might want to check out Evernote or Zoho Notebook.

Final Exam

Here it is:

• Web 1: Internet Literacy
  
• Web 2: Dreamweaver
• Web 3: Flash

Exams are due at the end of your designated exam period.  Exams are worth 1/5 of your semester grade.  Good luck!

Exam Prep

Tomorrow we will begin our exam. It is designed to take you about 2-3 hours of class time. Why do we have an exam?

1. Assess the students progress. Has the student mastered the skills required?
2. Assess the class/teacher progress. Has the class "missed" something? Does one class get it and the other doesn't? This is the data I analyze.
3. Compare this years class to previous years. Have the different methods and procedures I have used improved the class performance?

This is why I need everyone to take the exam and to do your best. I appreciate your effort and I am actually excited (believe it or not) to see what each of you produce.

Some reminders on what you need to be able to do (possible review points today??):

Internet Literacy:
1. Basic HTML set-up.
2. Insert images. Link pages. Create tables.
3. Create usable, accessible page.
4. Utilize basic tools (moviemaker, voki, google forms, etc...).

Web 2:
1. Create and manage a site.
2. Basic layout (without templates).
3. Insert images. Link pages. Create tables.
4. Create usable, accessible page.
5. Create citation page.
6. Create basic Flash documents.
7. Create an image map.

Web 3:
1. Create a basic Flash document.
2. Utilize buttons.
3. Insert sound.
4. Create usable, accessible page.

Blocked, Blocked, Blocked

I'm trying to figure out how to get the video to play. I thought it had been unblocked.

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.
• The Redistricting Game Can you rig your district?
• And finally we will review the game Darfur is Dying.

Scramble

I am scrambling to get things done. I am moving fast on exam information and will have that tomorrow. I have to eliminate one component because of the time we have missed. I also need to have all of your grades. Several of you have not turned in a project (all grades posted on Edline). Last chance.

The importance of being able to write a coherent memo cannot be overstated. Today we will focus on the one page memo. You must be able to synthesize ideas and summarize them in a format easily read by both bosses and colleagues. This takes practice. A lot of practice.

The topic today might seem a bit odd; its you! I want you to write this memo to yourself. The topic? What skills must you learn in order to be competitive, productive, and happy in the 21st century world?

Be sure to follow the format and really, really organize your thoughts (Someone will ask--how long is the one page memo?) Post to blog when done. This is your final assignment. If you don't finish today please submit tonight for homework as we will probably start the exam work tomorrow.

Final Stretch

This week will be about finishing some final tasks before exams.



Internet Literacy:

• HTML Review: Basics, Image Codes, Tables, Forms.

Web 2 and 3:

We will work on image maps and layers.

• Image Map Tutorial


• Show/Hide Layers

I'm about 2/3 through grading the semester projects. I ask that you check out: JKassay, JTryjada, EDieckman, KBarsevich, CWilm.

If for some unknown reason you didn't turn in your project--please don't talk about it, provide an excuse, etc...Put it in UDrive (on your own time) and accept the penalty.