Blogging

This week we have another vocab list.  This is the 3rd list that deals with the Internet.  Here is the list of students responsible for this week's vocab words:

3rd hour:  ElizabethB, EthanK, EmmaL, AlexisP, ElizabethP

4th hour:  MaddieA, BenettE, CaysonF, DestinyL, GraceM, PaigeO

6th hour:  RossC, HaleeG, BrileyK, DevonM, CamarieM, ReneeT

7th hour:  ElliottM, AdamN, TravisR, CassandraT, JacobV, AlexW

8th hour:  BritnyB, NikolasF, LucasH, DwightM, PaigeS, RyanW

To start with this week we will be learning the at sign - @ (right shift + left ring/3rd finger); the left parenthesis - ( (left shift + right ring/3rd finger); the right parenthesis - ) (left shift + right little/4th finger); and the asterisk - * (left shift + right middle/2nd finger).

Next we will begin learning how to manipulate and design your blog.  Creating a blog can very much be a creative experience for the blogger.  There are several things that you need to keep in mind as you create your blog:

1. Remember your audience.  If you are trying to reach adults, then you don't want to design a blog that would look like something you find in a Kindergarten classroom.  Your audience is who you are trying to attract to the website - make it appropriate to your audience.
2. Use colors and backgrounds that make what you have on your website easy to see.  
3. Use Fonts that are easy to read.  Sometimes the coolest font is a terrible web font because it's hard to read.  You want your audience to be able to easily read what you write on your blog - not become confused because the information was read incorrectly.

Here are some of the things that we will cover in designing your blog:

New posts

HTML vs. Compose

Modifying text entries

Edit posts

Labels/tags

Publishing/Saving/Preview

Creating Pages
Changing your Settings

Designing your blog

Vocab Quiz; Creating a blog

First thing's first - take a few minutes at the beginning of the hour to review for the vocab quiz.

After completing the quiz, you can watch the video below (turn off the volume).  As you are watching it, follow along and complete the creation of your blog.  You should have no problems following along without the narration - watch and do as the narrator does.  The website that we used to create the blog was Blogger.

Once you are done with watching the video you need to complete your first post to your blog.  Title the blog post "Oct. 28th weekly summary".   In this blog post you will write a reflective summary in which you will share what you have learned this week and write any questions you may have about what was covered in Computer Applications (KEEP YOUR SPEEDSKIN ON YOUR KEYBOARD!).  Write the "A-Ha" moments you had, and write about what was frustrating.  You may need to go back and look at the other posts that I have made this week on the blog to help remind you of what we covered this week.

Once you have completed this assignment, send me an email from Google with a link to your blog so I can read your Weekly Summary post.  Remember - when you send an email you should have a subject line, an introduction ("Dear Jimmy" is just one example), a message to tell the person you're writing to why you're sending the email, and you need to include your name at the end of the email.



Here are a couple of reminders about the blog:

1. Everything posted on the blog must be school appropriate.
2. No adding games of any kind as widgets to your blog - this is not an arcade!
3. Use what we have learned about Internet Safety while being creative on your blog!  You can be safe and create a fantastic blog at the same time!

Vocab videos

Here is today's first video we will be watching.  It is on RSS feeds.  Basically an RSS feed (RSS stands for Really Simply Syndication) is a free online subscription to a website that frequently posts new articles; or in the case of blogs new blogposts.

The second video for today will discuss what a blog is.  You have been accessing my blog for most of the semester, so you should have a basic, beginning understanding of what a blog looks like and what you can do with a blog.  The video below explains blogs:

We will continue our learning of new symbols on the keyboard in an effort to try and get all of the symbols done.  Today we will cover the % (right shift + left index/1st finger), < (left shift + right middle/2nd finger), > (left shift + right ring/3rd finger), # (right shift + left middle/2nd finger), & (left shift + right middle/2nd finger).

After completing those symbols we will be working on creating your own blog using Blogger.  Creating a blog is relatively easy to do.  It also requires the use of an email address (you have a Google account so that will work perfectly).  We will use the blogs we create for several different purposes in class, but I want you to remember that since this is used for school everything must be school appropriate that is posted on your blog.  There will be no games on your blog while you are in this class - after this semester is over you can add whatever you want to your blog.

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE BOARD FOR MISSING ASSIGNMENTS??!!! If your name is on the board then you need to get the assignments that are missing completed and handed in.  Before school, Homeroom, lunch recess, REAL time, and after school are all available for you to use to complete work.

Logo Practice 4

To begin with we will be doing our blank keyboard assignment.  I'll give you just a little bit of time to review the keyboard.  Remember, you need to know all of the letters, the numbers, the tab key, the Caps Lock key, the shift keys, the return key, the space bar, the semicolon, the comma, and the period.

After the assignment you will have the rest of the hour to work with your partner in completing the Practice 4 page that requires you to write a procedure, then create the design on the page.  We will go over these at the end of the hour today.  Here are some hints:  #1 - use a procedure called a rectangle; #2 & #3 - use a procedure called a triangle; #4 - draw the crooked line then trace back over the line; #5 - use a procedure called a hexagon; #6 - use a procedure called an octagon.

Once again I need to remind people to get their vocab definitions done for this week.  You will need to get that done during class today if you haven't done this yet.

Also, as another reminder, get your Edmodo discussions done before midnight tomorrow.  If you need to come in during lunch recess, before school, after school, or some other free time then please do so.  Just check with me before you come in.

Logo Procedures

I have several reminders to give you as we start today:

1. After we watch the video below, if you have not yet defined your words on Wikispaces you need to get that done ASAP.  
2. You have a discussion in Edmodo that you need to have completed by Thursday, Oct. 27th at midnight.  The prompt is as follows:  What was the importance of learning about the Rainforest?  In addition, discuss what animal you did your research on, and what you learned about "your" animal.
3. If you did not complete the REPEAT assignment that was due last Friday, get that turned in as soon as possible.  I have started grading those, and it will take some time as I have to write each one in Logo to check to see if it works, so it may be later this week before I get everyone's graded.
4. Tomorrow we will have a "blank keyboard" assignment. This assignment will require you to fill in all of the numbers, letters, return key, tab key, shift keys, Caps lock key, space bar, period, and comma on a blank keyboard.  At this point you should know where each of these keys are and be able to label them.

To begin today we are going to watch a video on what phishing is (phishing is one of the vocab words for this week).





Logo - we will learn how to create a PROCEDURE in Logo today.  Basically a PROCEDURE is like a small program that you are going to create in Logo.  There are some rules that must be followed when creating a PROCEDURE, and they are as follows:

1. Every PROCEDURE starts with the word TO, and then you give the procedure a name
1. The name cannot have any spaces
2. Numbers and letters are acceptable
2. After giving the PROCEDURE a name, hit return and write a statement of instructions
3. Every PROCEDURE must be completed with "end"

A PROCEDURE allows a programmer to save time while writing instructions for the program.  Obviously, when writing extremely large programs, this can save lots of time.  The drawback is that a programmer may have a hundred or more different PROCEDURES they are using for a program, so they must keep track of how they name PROCEDURES and what those PROCEDURES do.

Connections Day!

Today is a Connections day, so our class periods will be a little shorter than normal.  Here is my Connection:

We will have another vocab quiz this week.  This week's list (we are on list #6) is related to the Internet (just like last week).  Those who are responsible for the vocab list this week are as follows:

3rd hour:  JacobG, TristanJ, AaronL, AlexaM, IsaacR, RyannT
4th hour:  SavannaA, AllyssaF, LillyH, AndrewL, PayneO, CharlieW
6th hour:  DaltonC, SethC, MackenzieK, KatelynM, AndrewP, DylanV
7th hour:  EmmaA, ChristosA, KayseyB, KaylaJ, BrittanyL, AutumnS
8th hour:  DylanD, DavyenM, KeeganM, AvaM, ReneeR, McKenzieW


If your name is on the above list you should get with your group immediately and decide who is going to define what words (there are 12 words this week).  The first person on the list needs to get on the wikispaces page immediately and define their words - when that person finishes they need to tell the next person on the list, and so on.  This should get done by the end of class tomorrow.

Today we will begin learning the symbols that are on the keyboard.  We will cover the diagonal or forward slash (right little/4th finger), the dollar sign (left index/1st finger), and the exclamation point (left little/4th finger).

We will also continue our work with Logo by reviewing the REPEAT command.  We will have a handout on using the REPEAT command to create regular polygons and circles.  This should not be a difficult handout to complete as we've already completed an assignment on this.  Instead this should act as a review sheet.

Vocab Quiz #5 - Internet #1

Take the first couple of minutes today to review for the vocab quiz.  When we are ready to take the quiz, we will go to www.classmarker.com.  If you haven't bookmarked this website yet, please do so now.

After we take the quiz you can get back with your partner and complete the Logo work with your REPEAT statement assignment.  This is due today!  Please make sure to have everyone's name who is in the group on the sheet of paper when you hand it in!

If you are done with the Logo assignment, you have three choices:

1. If you haven't handed in the crossword puzzle yet get that done and handed in now.  It is late so you'll lose 10% (or .5 points) - but losing 10% beats getting a zero on the assignment.
2. Complete the discussion board assignment on www.edmodo.com (again, bookmark this website if you haven't already done so).  Answer this prompt:  What was the importance of learning about the Rainforest?  In addition, discuss what animal you did your research on, and what you learned about "your" animal.
   
   
   This discussion post will be due on Thursday, Oct. 27th at midnight.
   
   
   Remember that you must post your original response and then you must also reply to 2 of your classmates.  Your responses should create more discussion and should not be something like - "I agree", "Great post", "I like the way you think", etc.  
3. Practice websites - these are located on the blog by going to the Website resources page on the blog, then choosing the practice website of your choice.  

Thursday, Oct. 20

Get back with your partner and spend the day working on completing the Logo practice 2 page.  Remember, each design needs to be completed using a REPEAT command in your statement.  When you are done make sure that everyone's name who is in your group has put their name at the top of the paper and then hand in the tray.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE IS DUE TODAY!

More Logo

• NEW SEATING CHART!!  We will be moving at the beginning of class to a new seat.  After you get logged in at your new location, you will want to bookmark the following websites:

www.google.com
www.classmarker.com
www.edmodo.com
http://gmsamazon*.wikispaces.com/  (change the * to your class hour)

• You will be required to type in your usernames and passwords on your new computer the first time you visit these sites.  They will not be "remembered" as they were on the other computer you sat at. 

• If you have not yet completed your vocab definitions on your wikispaces website you need to get that done immediately.

• Don't forget, the crossword puzzle is due tomorrow.  If you are done now you can hand it in early.

• We will be covering your REPEAT assignment from yesterday - get it out.  This was not for a grade, but we will go over the answers today in class.  At the same time I will answer any questions you might have concerning any of the problems that you worked on.

• The next assignment you will have is Practice #2, in which you will be creating designs using a REPEAT statement to draw designs.  My guess is that you will want to use Logo so that you can "experiment" as you are trying to create the designs.  You will also be working with a partner, so at the end of the hour today you will hand your paper in (so it doesn't get lost).  This Practice #2 will be due tomorrow (Thursday).

REPEAT command in Logo

Today we will cover a new command in Logo called REPEAT.  This command allows the user to simplify drawing shapes by telling Logo to REPEAT a direction a stated number of times.  For example, if you are drawing a square, you are really just drawing the same thing four times in Logo (fd 100 rt 90 fd 100 rt 90 fd 100 rt 90 fd 100 rt 90).  Instead of typing in the same thing 4 different times we can tell Logo to REPEAT the directions we give it - in the case of a square we would want it repeated 4 times.

When using the REPEAT command there are several things to keep in mind.  First, there is no abbreviation for the REPEAT command, so you'll have to just type in REPEAT.  Second, when using the REPEAT command you need to first tell Logo how many times you are going to repeat something; then you'll need to enter the instructions you want Logo to repeat in brackets (they look like this  [  ], and are found above the Return key on your keyboard ).

REPEAT statements in Logo can be written in several ways - statements can be only REPEAT commands, they can contain REPEAT commands, they can have multiple REPEAT commands, or REPEAT commands can be inside other REPEAT commands (this is called nesting, and is an advanced concept in programming).  In other words, I can create a square using only a REPEAT command.  Do the following:  REPEAT 4 [fd 50 rt 90].  This will create a square.  Now, try this in Logo (clear your screen first):  fd 50 REPEAT 4 [fd 50 rt 90] .  You should get something that looks like the letter P.

Logo reads the information in a REPEAT statement by knowing that when it sees REPEAT, its going to repeat the instructions inside the brackets the number of times that are listed after the word REPEAT.  For our square example above, Logo will repeat the instructions in the brackets - [fd 50 rt 90] - 4 times.

As a reminder, the crossword puzzle is due on Thursday - don't forget to get that completed and handed in.  You are welcome to turn that in early if you want.

Vocab quiz #5 (Internet #1) is on Friday, Oct. 21.  If it's your week to define words get that done first in class today instead of the work we are doing!

Make up day

Today will be a make-up day for those who have missing assignments (please see the board on the wall to see if you have missing assignments!).  If you do have a missing assignment you will have the entire hour to work on whatever assignment you need to complete.

If you have all of your assignments completed, here is what you need to do next:

Open Microsoft Word, type all lines in 14B, p. 31 twice.

Type all lines in 14D (lines 1-8) twice.  Here you will learn the 3 (left middle/2nd finger), the 6 (right index, 1st finger), and the 2 (left 3rd/ring finger).

After learning the last 3 numbers, open Logo and create the following shapes:  equilateral triangle, square, rectangle, and pentagon (remember a pentagon has 5 equal angles, and a total turtle trip is equal to 360 degrees - using that information you should be able to figure out what the angle of your turns needs to be).  Write down (you can use a Word document so you can save it) the instructions - we'll go over these tomorrow.

The crossword puzzle is due Thursday of this week.


The vocab list for this week is all about the Internet - the quiz will be Friday, Oct. 21.  This will be the first of 3 vocab lists that are related to the Internet.  People who are responsible for defining words are as follows:


3rd hour:  KatherineB, LoganC, EthanK, EmmaL, AndrewR, DakodaV
4th hour:  AnthonyB, DestinyL, MorganM, TateN, HannahS, ShelbyW
6th hour:  LindyC, HaleeG, BrileyK, KimberM, MarshallR, KendraS
7th hour:  ScottF, FrejaH, AJM, ElliottM, LoganW
8th hour:  BritnyB, SydneyH, JacobH, LukeJ, CalebP, RyanW


Remember, only one person can be posting to the wiki page at a time, so this is the procedure we are going to adopt to get this part of class completed:  1.  As a group, decide who is defining which words; 2.  the first person listed will enter their words that they have chosen to define on the wiki; 3.  once the first person has their words defined, they will immediately contact the second person on the list and let them know, then the second person defines their words and posts them on the wiki page, and after completing their part they tell the third person, and so on;  4.  anyone posting a link to a website, an image, or a video that helps to explain their selected vocab word (or words) will receive 1 extra credit point for that week (remember, if you need help remembering how this works let me know it's really easy and only takes a minute).  Note - the additional information for extra credit must be useful in helping to describe the vocab word.  In other words, if you include an image that has nothing to do with the vocab word you will not get extra credit.

If you get everything done you may go to the practice websites and practice your keying skill.  Try practicing some numbers to see how you do!

Rainforest Rally!

Brookfield Zoo

Learning numbers

Before you get comfortable, check the board to see if your name is listed with an assignment (or assignmentS) that is missing.  If so, you have until Friday to get it completed and handed in before it becomes a zero!  

Next, everyone needs to check their gmail.  I have sent several of you messages regarding formatting assignments that will need to be emailed to me again.  For most of you that have received an email from me saying you need to resubmit your assignment, the problem is that you are NOT saving your document with an extension.  Remember, all files must have an extension in order for the computer to be able to open the document in the correct program (for Word that extension is .doc).  See image below:

Also, you should save all of your documents into the Computer Applications folder that we created earlier in the semester (not the "FORMATTING ACTIVITIES" folder you see here).

Today we will learn the 4 (left index/1st finger), 0 (right little/4th finger), 5 (left index/1st finger) , and 7 (right index/1st finger).  After learning these four numbers today we will have some time to work on missing assignments, but not a lot of time.

For those who have no missing assignments, you'll want to go to the Website Resources page and choose a practice website to practice on once we get done with learning the new number keys.

Short week

With a short week this week, we will be trying to get as much done as possible in terms of learning the keyboard.  Trying to accomplish any of the formatting activities or getting into depth with Logo will not be in our best interest.  Also, there is no vocab list for this week!

For today, we will start with reviewing the new keys we learned last week.  We will be typing on p. 18, 8D, lines 1-9 once.  When we get done with that we will begin learning the numbers across the top of the keyboard, starting with the 8 (right middle finger) and the 1 (left little finger).

We also will complete a timed writing for a grade.  This is a speed test, and this time the number of mistakes you make will affect how you do!

This is the last week of the first quarter.  If you have missing assignments at the end of school on Friday they will turn into a zero.  My suggestion is that you come in and get any missing work completed as soon as possible!

Vocab Quiz; FA4

I will give you a few minutes at the beginning of the hour today to review for the vocab quiz.

After taking the vocab quiz, you need to complete FA4 on tabs.  It is due today!


After completing FA4, please complete any missing work you have.  The end of the quarter is next Friday, and with Rainforest activities next week we will be hard pressed to take considerable amounts of time during class to work on missing assignments.  Use today if needed!  (FYI - new missing assignments are posted - check the wall in the room)

If you are done with everything you can choose which of the following websites you want to go to and practice.  If you want to move from one website to another that is fine, but you must stay on one of these websites:

Power Typing
Free online typing games
Free Typing Games
Typing Web
Good typing

Exercise 2 - Logo; Formatting Activities 3 & 4

LOGO EXERCISE 2~
Shape #3:
FD 100 RT 120
FD 100 RT 120
FD 100 RT 120


Shape #5:
RT 10 
FD 100 RT 80 
FD 60 RT 80
FD 100 RT 100
FD 100 RT 90

Shape #6:
FD 50 RT 100
FD 100 RT 125
FD 30 RT 45
FD 70 RT 90

Shape #8:
FD 70 RT 72
FD 70 RT 72
FD 70 RT 72
FD 70 RT 72
FD 70 RT 72

Shape #10:
RT 30
FD 60 RT 60
FD 60 RT 60
FD 60 RT 60
FD 60 RT 60
FD 60 RT 60
FD 60 RT 60


FORMATTING ACTIVITIES~
Formatting Activity 4 is going to introduce you to setting tabs.  Setting new tabs in Microsoft Word requires you to be able to follow a series of steps every time you set a new tab.  We'll cover that today in class, and then you'll be asked to complete Formatting Activity 4, which will be due Friday Oct. 7.


Before starting FA4 complete FA3, which we worked on in class yesterday.  FA3 should be emailed to me ASAP.


If you have not posted definitions to the wikispaces page, get that done before you do anything else!


When is the last time you have checked the board in the room for missing assignments?  Next Friday (Oct. 14th) is the end of 1st quarter!  Any assignment that is missing will turn into a 0 (zero) for grading purposes on your end of quarter grade.  Therefore, it is in your best interest to come in and work to get these missing assignments completed before then.  Times to come in to work on missing assignments include before school, Homeroom, during REAL, lunch recess, or after school.  If your assignments are late, you will not get full credit.  But, earning at least partial credit on a late assignment is much better than getting a zero!



FA4

Formatting Activity #3

Today you will be working on Formatting Activity #3 in class.  This really should be an easy formatting activity because we have already incorporated using the header and footer in the other formatting activities that we have completed.  In this formatting activity you are going to include the date, the time, and page numbering in your document to help you better understand how a header and footer can be used.

In addition, inserting filename and path will also be included (we always include filename and path so that I know it is your document).  You really should get this Formatting Activity 3 done today!

When you get this done in class today, your next goal will be to learn the apostrophe, the hyphen, and the quotation marks in the book by typing 8D, lines 1-9 twice on page 18.


Formatting Act. 3

More Logo work

Today we will begin with checking the Logo handout that I gave you yesterday.  This will not be for a grade, but it is important that you check to make sure that you did these correctly.

The next handout will be for a grade.  In this handout, you will be given several shapes in which you must give Logo instructions on how to draw the shape.  It will be important to remember what we discussed yesterday:  a triangle's interior angles should add up to 180 degrees, while a quadrilateral's interior angles must add up to 360 degrees.

On the handout that I will give you in class, we will go through #1 and #4 as a class.  Your assignment will be to complete #3, #5, #6, #8, and #10 - but this will be homework and will be due on Thursday at the beginning of class.


In addition we will be learning new keys in class today - the Caps Lock key (left little/4th finger), and the Question mark (Left Shift key+Right little/4th finger).  You should treat a question mark like a period at the end of a sentence - space twice after it.

The last key for today is the Tab key - located to the left of the top row of letters (you will use your left little/4th finger).  The tab key moves your cursor to a preset position on the line of writing.  In Word, the default (this means Word is are already set up this way) tab stops are set every half inch. Tomorrow we will learn how to change your tab settings, and we will also have a Formatting Activity on setting your tabs.

Also, for the vocab list this week we will be eliminating the word spreadsheet; instead add Copy and Paste to the list.

Logo the turtle!

Today we are going to concentrate on manipulating and moving your turtle in Logo.  Remember back to last week and what I said about the skills that all computer programmers must have - the ability to think abstractly and the ability to think sequentially.  In addition to those skills computer programmers must also possess many other skills - thinking logically and being good at math are two that quickly come to mind. We are going to put all of these skills to work while using Logo.

Today, concerning Logo, we will discuss how to turn.  In Logo, turning occurs by using the number of degrees you want your turtle to turn (360 degrees is a complete circle - remember this, it's extremely important!).  Therefore, making one complete turn would take 360 degrees of turning; making 1/2 a turn would take 180 degrees of turning; making a quarter of a turn would take 90 degrees of turning, and so on.

What you do (in terms of turning) to the left, you can also do to the right.  If, for example, I want to make a square I would first move forward 100 turtle steps, and then I will need to turn 90 degrees to the left.  But...I could turn to the right 270 degrees and get to the same point (see how the 90 degree left turn and the 270 degree right turn add up to equal 360?  Again, this is important so remember this!).  Today's assignment (due tomorrow at the beginning of the hour) will challenge you to be able to use the opposite turn to get to the same point.

We will also learn Caps Lock key and the Question mark key.

Week of Oct. 3rd

We've made it to the month of October.  It's hard to believe that we've been through 6 1/2 weeks of school already!  Here is what we are looking to accomplish this week:

• Continue to learn about Logo.  We will learn abbreviations, how to draw shapes, how to turn your turtle, and the math upon which Logo is based (simple Geometry).  We will also have our first Logo assignment to turn in this week as well.
• New keys will include the Caps Lock key, Question mark, Tab key, apostrophe ('), hyphen (-), and quotation marks (").  I'm sure it seems like a lot - but we'll cram them in.
• Formatting activity 3, and possible 4 as well.  We'll see how much we get done, but we definitely will have Formatting Activity #3 for a grade - FA4 is up in the air in terms of getting that far this week.
• Technique grade.  At this point, the speedskins should never be off of the keyboard.  You know where all of the letters are, and if you need to use a number you can use the keypad.  Therefore, keep the speedskins on the keyboard at all times!
• Vocab quiz over terms relating to Software.  The quiz will again be on Friday; if you are on the list for defining words please make sure to get your words defined by Wednesday!  Post your definitions to the wikispaces website for your class (the "wikispaces" link to the left sends you to 3rd hour's vocab definitions - if you are in a different class change the '3' in the URL to your class hour and you'll be on your wikispaces page). 
• How to add a link, an image, and a video to wikispaces.  These will provide you with an additional avenue to help define your words for the vocab quizzes.

Here are the people who are responsible for defining vocab words for this week (please get this done by Wednesday!):

3. Elizabeth B., Austin G., Tristan J., Aaron L., Ryann T.
4. Allyssa F., Morgan H., Paige O., Payne O., Alex S., Charlie W.

6. Ross C., Ben C., Maya E., Kelsey M., Sam T., Renee T.,
7. Jordan A., Brittany L., Seth N., Adam N., Travis R.,  Jacob V.,
8. Cole C., Dwight M., Ava M., Destiny O., McKenzie W.