Codecademy

Please finish the Flash Replication project first.

Today will start working on learning Java Script using the website Codecademy.  Java Script is a modern code that runs a lot of technology including websites, computers, and apps.  This is how you will learn how to program your robot.  It is important to learn.

I'll be doing it along with you!  I've forgotten Java Script and I think its time to relearn using this new site. We can help each other.

I would like you to create an account on the site.  This way we can keep track of your progress.

Some of you will really get into this.  After we get the basics down we will have a project option to develop computer programs and apps.

5 rules for social media

5 rules for social media:

License Some rights reserved by Mister Norris

Flash Replication Project

Create/name a folder. Call it first initial last name flash (bschneiderFlash)

• Set up a basic HTML page.  Name it "home".  Title it "Awesome Flash Animations".
• Be sure all your items are in the same folder.
• 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.

Copy your folder to the UDrive.

Who is he?

Recently 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 (583 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.

Growing You Blog Audience

Step One

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.

Perhaps start here -- Leave a comment on a 1st graders blog,or here.  Be sure to log in first if on blogmeister and leave SUPER nice and SUPER polite short entries for the kids.

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.

Step Two

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

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?

Additional Flash Work

I will pass out grade sheets today for the third marking period.  If there are errors or omissions please let me know.  Some of you lost 7-10 points off your grade because you didn't do some blog entries.  I don't get that.


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 try to 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

And.....how to stop your movie!  

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

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).

TED Talks and Writing Effectively

I am on a field trip to WCSU today to rehearse iAlchemy.  I am eager to see what you write about these subjects.  There is plenty to write about! This is your first grade of the fourth marking period.  Write well!

Today's objective is to write three blog posts about these TED talks.  I would like to see that you can:

• Title the blog post effectively.
• Format a link correctly.  Like this.  Not like http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_links.asp this.
• Write a post that interests your readers.  Each post should be between 50-100 words.

You must write about THREE of the videos.  This should take you just about exactly 85 minutes.

1. Keith Barry.  This will blow your mind.  How is brain magic different than regular magic?

2. David Blaine.  Is he crazy, or determined?




3. Robert Lang and his origami.  Why has origami changed?



4. Bryan Stevenson and injustice.  Reflect on the connection between this talk and the Trayvon Martin case.



And a few extras if you have time:

Rives 1, Rives 2  This guy is a great storyteller.

If anything does not work or is blocked please use google to search for the video.  Make it happen.

Catch-Up

I will be catching up on grades today as I close grades for 1st marking period.  I will pass out grade sheets.

If you notice errors, let me know.  If you notice anything missing please submit to "MISSING WORK" folder in the UDrive-WebSchneider.

Many of you have lots of missing work.

Good job

I was about to give Caitlin a zero for manipulating her Fireworks image. I thought "she just took a picture and didn't change it". Then I read her blog. Cool.

Check out some of our images (I'll add more).

HTML and Fireworks Exam

Here is your marking period exam.  This is worth 20% of your grade and is due by the end of class.

Please prepare an HTML website using notepad about the October Snowfall.  I am looking to see that you can use your new Fireworks talents to enhance your website.  The site should include:

1. Create a website using HTML that demonstrates the following:

• That you can use proper HTML codes.  

• You can create links that work, are effective, and efficient.

• You demonstrate attention to those with vision issues by including alt text for all images.

• A modern, usable design.

2. You must include a table or other device that shows how this snowfall ranks all-time. Cite where you obtain your data.
3. You must include an image or animation that has been manipulated using Fireworks. This image must be obtained using Creative Commons (Flickr,wikicommons, etc...). You may create the image yourself if you choose.  Save the link, you'll need it later.
4. A summary paragraph.  You must include at least one link to valuable information about the storm.
5. Your audience is 5th graders in Seymour.
6. Your website must be free of bias and be highly usable.


How to save your project:
1. Rename your folder in the WDrive. Name it first initial-last name-test (bschneidertest).
2. Copy folder.
3. Find class folder in UDrive. (Udrive-WebSchneider-Class-TEST)
4. Paste folder into UDrive.
5. HAVE NEIGHBOUR TEST WORK TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKS!! Format the links correctly! Remember, just use the file name (don't add w;drive in code....).
6. Saving correctly is one of our standards.  I will not grade your test if I can't find it!



Blog Post:
1. Where did you get the image?  Include link.  If you created it yourself then please state that.
2. What aspects of coding or image manipulation have you gotten better at?
3. How did you manipulate your image in Fireworks?
4. What do you need to improve on?

Website 80%, Blog Reflection 20%

Rubric


You have two things due.  Test and Blog post about test.  The bell is your deadline.  Do GREAT work.

Tuesday

I am in Manchester to today visiting their high school.  Please ensure your FINAL copies of your folders are saved correctly to the UDrive.

Please complete the following activities today.  Each activity has a corresponding blog question that should be answered in separate blog posts.  If you do not finish in class then you have homework.

You MUST include link to the topic in your blog entry.  It should be formatted correctly! If needed then a video should be embedded to your blog.  Create blog entries that people will want to read.  Tell a story!

I will try to approve your blogs during the day, but I'm not sure I will be able to check.

Answer 5 of the 6 questions.

1. Draw A Stickman.  Do the new story (you did the first one in January).  Why does this work?  How does it keep you on the page?

2. Read this: Facebook/Twitter Shoulder-surfing.  Are you prepared to have a college interviewer have you log in to your Twitter or Facebook page?  What you write on the internet or text is there for ever.  Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is public.

3. Watch this video about green men.  Would you do that?

4. Watch this video about an escalator.  Do you know people who are like that?  Someone who just will not walk up the escalator?

5. Should students wear pajamas and slippers to school?  Are they sloppy/lazy or are they just being comfortable?  Take a side.  Where is NOT ok to wear pajamas and slippers?

6. Do teens who text 100's of times per day have a need for attention?  Or do they have a lot to say and people are listening?  Take a side.

Blogs?

I think your blogs are active.  Finally.

Please update them today with some of your prior work including your analysis letter to Mrs. Goodrich, your accessibility and usability questions, TED and games questions and anything else that you can find.  Double check spelling, spacing, links, etc...

I expect much of the project to finish today.  Do not turn in a new folder yet, we will do that next week.  If you want to have me check something then let me know.

Funny

Cyberbullying

I wonder why people feel its OK to be mean. Take a moment and reflect how you talk about other people.

Fireworks Projects

We will be doing fireworks projects for a few weeks.  Of course you could use any image manipulation software but we happen to have fireworks on our machines.

I've taken ideas from past projects and from my colleagues to develop this.  I've tried hard to find projects that are fun and that you can be creative.

Create a new folder and name it (first initial, last name, project).  bschneiderfireworksproject

Major Options (do at least 2):

• Design the front and back of a postcard that might be sent from the location of a work of fiction. Both sides of the cards must be created as graphics.
• The front should use graphic design elements that provide a sense of place or use the classic motifs of old postcards (“Greetings from ______”)_, both pictures and text. The back of the post card should contain a stamp and postmark that fits with the theme of work, as well as an addressee and a message that fits the plot as well.
• How big is a postcard?  What would the stamp look like? Were they different sizes in the era of your fiction book?
• Be sure to author the postcard as if you are the character.  Use their style of writing.
• This is TWO canvasses (front and back) and TWO separate files (bschneiderpostcard1, bschneiderpostcard2)
• Design the cover of your autobiography. What pictures or graphics would you include? What would you title it? Make sure it really shows off who you are and what you want your audience to see in you by the cover.
• How big are book covers?  What is on a book cover?
• You can use my camera to take pictures.
• Create a minimalist poster of any work of fiction, fable, or allegory.  Example 1. Example 2.  I don't want to show you too many examples as it can ruin your ideas. 

Minor Tasks (do all):

• Take this picture of Molly.  Change her outfit so its the same color as the girl in front of her.
• Change the H to an S.
• Change STOP to GO.  Make it green.
• Use a text tool to make your name super cool.
• Put President Obama in a crowd at a Yankee Game.

Funny

Fireworks Continued

Today we will continue the Fireworks Tutorials.  This is sandbox time.  Please complete 8 tutorials today and have the completed products in your Fireworks folder.  Now, some of these might not work perfectly as the software has changed.  If somethings not working, please substitute another tutorial.  Take your time and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.

Some of these will be blocked.....

1. List of tutorials (choose one or all)

2. Another list (choose one or all)

3. More tutorials (have fun!)

You should have 13 examples of images tutorials by the end of class today.  This will be the end of sandbox time, we will start our projects on Tuesday.

In addition, I believe our blogs are opened.  I would like you to take some of your saved work (usability questions, web analysis letter to Mrs. Goodrich, etc...) and put that content on your blog.    This will involve some copy and paste.  Be sure to work on your links and include interesting titles.

Plenty to do today.  There should be no down time.

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?