research and technology advancing technology one student at a time

R/T Assignment for may 16, 2012 

May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 229 days remaining until the end of the year. One this day in history in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy takes office as President of France. Yesterday, was his last day as François Hollande took the office.    

You may check your FirstClass e-mail, then you may check your Student Portal while I take attendance. If you are having a difficult time logging onto either of these two, please ask for help. We do have an assignment today.

Scope and Sequence of the Day

We are going to make Wordle word art using you name and attributes about yourself using the first letter of your full name (first, middle and last, (oh, and if you have a middle name that for whatever reason you don't want to share, you know, like it embarrases you or something, don't worry, you don't have to use it)).

1. The instructor is going to demonstrate exactly what the steps are that follows.

2. Go to Microsoft Word.

3. Using the copy and paste feature of Word, begin to write out your first name. Remember, the more your name is repeated, the larger the word will be in Wordle, so put your first name in at least a dozen times.

4. So, now you have to come up with attributes that describes yourself using each letter of your names as the begining of that attribute. For example, if your name is John... come up with words that describes your personality or some other trait that you exhibit using the letters J, O, H, and N. "J" could be Joyous, "O" could be Optimistic, "H" could be Happy , and  "N" could be Nefarious. Copying and pasting these words into Word less than a dozen times will make the words smaller than your names. Play around with the amount of words that you paste into Word to change the sizes of the font in Wordle.

5. I encourage you to play around with some of the setting in Wordle.

6. Once you get something you like, use the Print Screen button and paste it into Pixlr.

7. You're going to have to make a custom size canvas so when you go to "New Image," you're going to have to set the width and height manually. I would go for something like at least 2000 x 1000 pixels.

8. Crop the image so only the Wordle art appears and if you have time, send it to me in an email to sjnoel@cps.edu

9. If you have time after, make another one!

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April 18 is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 257 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day in 1981, the longest professional baseball game began in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game was suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23. The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League, played the longest game in professional baseball history. It lasted for 33 innings over eight hours and 25 minutes.

Today's Objective: To create a personal logo and place it into a business card. If time allows, you will then use your logo and create writing stationary using the header function in Microsoft's "Word"

1. Go to www.logogarden.com

2. I will then demonstrate the first steps in selecting an image from their image bank,  how to change the color, the size, and placement.

3. Students will then complete those steps.

4. After step 2 is completed by students, I will then demonstrate the next part of the process in making the card.

5. Students will then complete that step.

6. I will then demonstrate how to take the card and format it in Pixlr.  http://pixlr.com/editor/

7. Upon completion of these steps, we will assess whether we can continue making the stationary. If not, we will table it until our next scheduled class.

Week 26

March 14 is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 292 days remaining until the end of the year.

In 1939, The Republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved, soon to be occupied by the Nazis.

Today we're going to take the My School, My Voice survey.

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).

2. On the home page of the Ogden website, locate the Tab at the bottom of the navigation menu on the left hand side and click on My Voice, My School.

3. Supply the page with your 8 digit CPS student ID number and your birthday and begin.

4. When you are done, please sit quietly, do some homework or read. Please stay off the game sites.

Week 25

March 7 is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 299 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for an invention he calls the telephone.

Today we're going to take the My School, My Voice survey.

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).

2. On the home page of the Ogden website, locate the Tab at the bottom of the navigation menu on the left hand side and click on My Voice, My School.

3. Supply the page with your 8 digit CPS student ID number and your birthday and begin.

4. When you are done, please sit quietly, do some homework or read. Please stay off the game sites.

Week 24

Today we will make our own headlines in any major newspaper you would like. Choose something real, or fictious to write. You could win the Nobel Peace Prize, or maybe discover a missing planet. You could write about real issues that are affecting our school, your neighborhood, or your family. You can basicaly write anything that you would like (as long as it's appropriate, of course)! We will then capture the front page using the Print Screen command and paste it into Paint for you to save and email to yourself if you like.

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).
2. Open up Google Chrome browser. If you do not have Google Chrome on your computer, please download it.
3. Find an online newspaper of your choice. If you need help finding one, please access one through this site. http://www.ipl.org/div/news.
4. This assignment is direct instruction. You have to listen to the instructions and watch the demonstrations that will be provided to you.
5. The instructor will demonstrate how to select and edit a headline.
6. Students will complete this task.
7. The instructor will demonstrate how to select and edit the available text of said article.
8. Students will complete the task.
9. The students will then repeat the process a few times using different headlines from their life, real or imagined
10. The instructor will then demonstrate how to Print Screen the image, paste into Paint, save it, then email it.
11. Dismissal.

Week 23

Today I will introduce the I.S.A.T. practice test page. Students will be taking these tests in anticipation of the upcoming testing period at the beginning of March.

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).
2. Please go to this website http://metacat2.com/iltestlinks.html
3. Find the reading, math and if you are a seventh grader, take the science test as well. Take your time. I will be monitoring the testing through my magic mirror on the wall.  

Week 21

Today, we will begin to learn about digital portfolios, what portfolios are, when to use them and how to begin the process of creating them.

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).
2. Please go to this website http://metacat2.com/iltestlinks.html
3. Find the reading, math and if you are a seventh grader, take the science test as well. Take your time. I will be monitoring the testing through my magic mirror on the wall.  

Week 20

Today, we will be exploring our solar system and the universe at large. I will introduce to you the "split screen" function, the Field of View, and the image capturing features of Celestia. We will go over a few new keyboard commands as well.

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance (While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo).
2. Demonstration of "split view" in Celestia to show size comparison of
3. Demonstration of Field of View in Celestia
4. Demonstration of some new keyboard commands. (Here's a link to the commands we've already gone over with the new ones introduced today).
5. Students will then "explore" the solar system and take a few pictures along the way. 
6. Dismissal

Week 19

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance
2. Introduction of Open Source software.
3. Quick discussion of virtual simulations. 
    Celestia
    Stellarium
    Google Earth
    Farming
    Submarine
4. Demonstration of Celestia.
5. Students will explore Celestia.
6. Students will "take a picture" of a small corner of the universe. (Pretty cool, eh)?
7. Dismissal

Week 18

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance
2. Introduction of National Geographic Games and Quizes
3. Get real good at a couple of these quizes. Take them over again if needed!
4. Research/Homework/Reading
5. Dismissal

While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo.

Week 17

Welcome Back!!!

Sequence of today's events:

1. Attendance
2. Revisiting Wilson Web - A demostration
3. National Geographic Geography Bee
4. Research/Homework/Reading
5. Dismissal

While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo.

Today, we are going to revisit Wilson Web (username: 5150, password: 5150). Over the past few days, it has come to my attention that many of you have absolutely NO idea of what Wilson Web is. Sooooooooo.... I'm going to show you again!

Then, for those individuals who would like to participate in the 2012 National Geographic Geography Bee, we will start the preliminary round.

For those individuals who choose not to participate, you may work on homework, history fair research, or read. Bottom line... keep busy and keep the noise level low.

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Week 14

While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo.

Today I'm going to show you an example of a Ken Burns film. In 2007, he directed a sweeping 7 part movie entitled, The War. Today being December 7th, I am going to show you a clip from the movie of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While you view the movie, note the following conventions:

Use of photos
Use of movie clips
Use of narration
Use of interviews
Use of sound effects

I'm then going to show you a website called Freesound. This is a warehouse of "found sound." Here you will find sounds that other people record... just sounds. Like dumptrucks, walking across a wooden floor... or the sound of broken glass.

Then, I will show you Audicity, a free sound editor and demonstrate how you can use these sounds.

Week 12

Welcome back. I hope you all had a nice break.

While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo.

Today I'm going to show you some movies. This is an excercise that can show you how you can take raw film footage, photos, sound and narration and make it into a powerful media documentary.

I will then show you a couple of sites that you can visit to obtain raw film footage and photos.

http://www.archive.org/

Week 11

It's almost Thanksgiving break and man, oh man, do we need a break! But, not in here! :-)

While I take attendance, you can check out your FirstClass email, your grades in Student Portal, or log into Edmodo. In fact, with my magic wand... that's ALL you can do! (Enter evil laugh here).

We are first going to take a survey. Click here.We are going to explore the wonderful world of Pixlr... and I'm going to show you from the comfort of your own screen. All you have to do is watch and then participate. Cool, eh?

Week 10

Can you believe it's week 10! We are one-quarter of the way through this school year. Today, we are going to put the "research" into the Research and Technology class that we are in now. Science Fair is coming up and it is time to do research on your topic. Trust me... it isn't as simple as doing a Google search and you're done. No. Oh, and by the way, I don't have any books on paper towels or diapers. (Go ahead and laugh, but if I had a dollar for each time I've heard that question over the last 12 years I could get myself AND a friend a real nice lunch). So, what are we left with? Many sources. Google should be the LAST place you look. Here's a better list:

Wilson Web username and password is 5150

Do NOT print the articles from Wilson Web. Email the link to yourself and it will always be available to you digitally.

Chicago Public School's SOAR (Seeking Online Access to Resources) username and password is 5150

You do NOT have to print MOST of the articles contained in this resource. Many of the services offer an "email article" feature that you can utilize.

Ogden International School of Chicago's Online Library Card Catalog

Do NOT print any of these book's bibliographies. If you find a book that is in our library and you want to reserve it or tuck it away in a private digital "holding pen," please let me know and I will show you how to do so.

NO GAMES! There is plenty to do.

Week 9

Hello,

When you come in, you may first check your CPS FirstClass email, Student Portal, or your Edmodo account while I take attendance.

Take a look at this airplane landing in Warsaw, Poland yesterday. Notice there are no wheels!

Today's objective: To introduce students to the online photo editor called Editor by pixlr.com and an interesting photo effects tool.

Sequence:

1. Go online and find a photo.

2. Save the photo onto the desktop.

3. Go to http://pixlr.com/editor/

4. Once you are there, click on the second tab that says Open Image from Computer.

5. When the search window comes up, find the image that you just saved and open it up.

6. Once everyone has their picture in the editor, I will begin doing some direct instruction is not written.

7. During the second part of the class, students will be introduced to this online application: http://pixlr.com/o-matic/

8. Click on the button on the opening page of this website that says computer.

9. Find an image that you have been working with and select it.

10. Explore.

Week 8

Hello,

When you come in, you may first check your CPS FirstClass email, Student Portal, or your Edmodo account while I take attendance. If you do not remember your student ID number please let me know. Each and every one of you must know their ID number today, either remembered, or written down in your planner. You can NOT leave the room at dismissal if you do not know your ID number.

Today's objective: To create a travel fact sheet for a foreign country using Microsoft Word.

Timeline:

1. Working in groups of two, students choose a country to research

2. Students will then begin to investigate the chosen place, collect images, details of the area as population, landscape, language, cultures and things to do once you're there. Try to "sell" it, that is, make it appealing to tourists.

3. Create a fact sheet using Microsoft Word combining the information that you collected.

4. Save the fact sheet and then attach it to an email in using FirstClass and mail it to sjnoel@cps,edu. You do not have to print the document, just send it to my email account.

5. When you are done and if there is still time left in the period you may go here and complete any of the quizzes available.

Week 7

Hello there! You may check your FirstClass e-mail, then you may check your Student Portal while I take attendance. If you are having a difficult time logging onto either of these two, please ask for help. We do have an assignment today.

Popular versus Scholarly Articles

The Internet is full of articles, some from the popular press and some from the scholarly press. Popular articles are those types that appear in newspapers, magazines, blogs and the like. Scholarly articles are those that are reviewed by people from their area of expertise and are often published in journals.What I would like you to do is to find two articles of a topic of your choice; one each of the two types of writing; popular and scholarly.  Remember this website Wilson Web with the username and password 5150. You may use Google or the search engine of your choice to look up articles from the popular press.

One you have collected these two articles think about this: "when would you use a popular article over a scholarly article? When would you use a scholarly article over a popular article?" When you find these two articles, I would like you to cite them according to A.P.A. standards, then tell me when you would use one over the other... then email me your results to sjnoel@cps.edu.

 _______________________________________________________

Week 6

Back again? You may at first check your FirstClass e-mail, then you may check your Student Portal. If you are having a difficult time logging onto either of these two, please ask for help. We do have an assignment today.

There are ten questions following. You are to submit your answers to me through CPS email at sjnoel@cps.edu. Open up a new email window and write your answers there. When you are done, please e-mail them to me. Please refrain from games and other goofy wastes of time. You may explore more keyboard shortcuts or other interesting symbols for Word. In Word, go to Insert on the menu bar at the top, then go all the way over to the right until you see Symbol. Check some of these crazy symbols out!

By using the Internet and your awesome research skills, identify the following natural features and the other questions about our wonderful planet.

1. What is the world's longest river and how long is it?
2. What is the world's smallest ocean and approximately what is it's area?
3. Which ocean is the largest and what is it's area?
4. What is the world's longest mountain range and approximately how long is it?
5. What is the highest mountain in the world? How high is it and approximately how many people have stood on top of it?
6. What is the world's largest desert?
7. Which desert is the coldest?
8. What are the oldest mountains in North America? Approximately how old are they? How were they formed?
9. What is the world's largest island?
10. Which is the world's largest continent? How many countries are in it?  

Week 5

Greetings. You may at first check your FirstClass e-mail, then you may check your Student Portal. If you are having a difficult time logging onto either of these two, please ask for help. We do have an assignment today.

1. Open up Microsoft word.

2. Using 12 point Times New Roman font, place your Ogden heading on the page.

3. I want you to learn a bit about international characters. These are used in many languages, Spanish, French, Danish, German, and even Icelandic to name a few. Word provides built-in shortcuts for many of the accented and other special characters needed to type foreign words. If you are using a language other than English exclusively or primarily, there are more efficient ways to type a word that needs an accent. These shortcuts are very handy.

You are to place at least 5 of these international symbols on your Word document. Then move onto number 4 of this sequence of instructions. The list is as follows:

Note that in the above shortcuts, unlike many of the others, you get a different symbol depending on whether the combining letter is capital or lowercase.

4. Save your document using your first intial then last name.

5. Open up a new e-mail window in FirstClass and attach the document you just made to that e-mail.

5. Address the e-mail to yourself.

6. Send it and make sure that it arrives. When it arrives, open it.

7. Cool, eh?

________________________________________________________________________

Week 4

Last week we were not all in the computer lab and some of you didn't have a chance to check email or student portal. Please take a moment to do that as I take attendance.

Do you know that it is said that approximately one-third of the world eats with metal, one-third of the world eats with wood, and one-third of the world eats with their hands? Each of you will be assigned one of these three eating utensils. You will then do a bit of research to find out some countries that eat with the utensil you have been assigned, you will then find at least three different dishes that are served in that country. You will then meet in your utensil group, compare and contrast some of the countries and food then, choose a spokesperson for your group to report on your findings. (Beyond Google and the likes, remember our Databases, and Wilson Web http://hwwilsonweb.com the username and password is 5150).

Third Week

Meeting in classrooms.

Moving on! Second Week

Today we're going to make sure that each and every one of you are able to do three things:

1. Have access to, or, remember your e-mail username and password

2. Access your FirstClass e-mail account (you can also access your account online at https://fc.cps.edu
There is a web-based email or you can download the FirstClass client for CPS here for either a Mac or a PC.
iPod, iPad, or iPhone user can download a free app from the Apple Store's App Department. Download the app and place this server address in the server field of the login screen. fcclient.fc.cps.edu).

3. Access your Student Portal account.

Remember... each and every one of you has a unique username. Your password is your 8-digit CPS student ID# preceded by Cps. Capital C, lower case p and lower case s. If you can't remember your username and password combination, I have one word for you... WHY? You should have written it down in your planner in a prominent spot. I can't go through this every time you come into the room... there's too much to do.

Ok... let's get this party started!

Mr. Noel

Here We Are

Today, we'll be distributing email addresses and passwords for those who either never had one or who have forgotten it over the summer. This is for your FirstClass e-mail program and Student Portal. We'll go into those two if we have some time this week and if not today, we'll get to it next Wednesday.

In the meanwhile, you are not to be playing games. There's plenty of time for it on your own time. Please go here.

This is an internet safety scavenger hunt that is required of all CPS students. Once you get there, chose your respective grade level and have at it.

Remember, no games... if you snooze, you loose.

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