Dr Explainer — The Web and Us

The internet continues to develop and connect us.  Where have we come from and where are we going?  Dr Wesch from Kansas State University is an anthropologist examining the culture of the web and YouTube.  He has created some videos that help us to understand the changes we are facing in the world.  Check them out.

http://mediatedcultures.net/mediatedculture.htm

Break Time

It is time for the mid-term break. Reports can be picked up at school on Friday, 16 October. Parents are warmly welcome to come in and chat with Mr Richard. Just drop in any time during parent-teacher interviews on Friday.

Students, have a good break. Come back refreshed and ready to learn.

Thanks to CSS Zen Garden

Thanks to the CSS Zen Garden challenge for the assignment idea for grade 11 and 12 computers.

CSS Zen Garden

Be sure to check out the assignment on the grade 11 and 12 page.

Grade 11 and 12 Computers

Fifteen Classes Already

The school year is flying by.  We have completed 15 periods for each class.  Grade 7 have finished a unit on spreadsheets, and are well into their programming project.  Grade 12 is in chapter 12 of a 15 chapter book on XHTML and CSS.  Grades 8 – 10 have completed a model of our computer lab and are in the midst of modeling NIS in 3D.  Well done students.  I would like us to continue to work hard and concentrate on tasks at hand.

The computer lab is available for student use before school from 7:30 am to 8:00 am, lunchtime, and after school from 2:45 to at least 3:30 pm everyday.  Be sure to use the resources at NIS for your assignments.

Finally … working internet … sort of

Image via Wikipedia

We have a temporary fix in the computer lab.  Hurray!  Internet access is available.  We have some catching up to do.  Watch for updates on the class websites.

New Building, New Lab, New Problems …

Anywhere in the world, when a new lab is set up there are some problems to iron out.  From classroom routine to hardware issues.  The router for the internet is burned out.  It may take a week to get replacement parts.  This is not too big of a problem since much of the course content is not reliant on using the internet.  However, I am teaching a unit on web design to senior students.  I am sure you can see the difficulty in learning about web design without internet access.

Another problem with the lack of connectivity, is that I cannot update the webpages.  At home, Our family uses our computer for homework and other matters.  Back in the days of the telephone, teenage girls would tie up the line for hours.  That is the same with the internet now.  I am stealing an opportunity to write this note.

If you are a student trying to keep up with assignments and work, I am truly sorry.  We will sort this out eventually.  If you are a parent or educator following the classroom tasks, again my apologies.  Without the resources, I cannot keep the webpages up-to-date.  I will as soon as the situation improves.

Mr Richard

Computer Lab Models … Simply Brilliant, Modeling NIS is next!

Students have produced brilliant models of the computer lab.  The detail is excellent, proportions correct and some have creative materials and colors.  Well done students.  Take a look at our lab through the open door.

The major project of modeling NIS is your task now.  Classes have been assigned the project.  The hope is that we will collect some good models and be able to create the NIS campus.  After we are all set, we will create a walkout animation of the campus.  This is a major project, and we may not complete it.  We have much to do in our courses.

Programming Concepts and Skills Supported in Scratch

Problem-Solving and Project-Design Skills

• logical reasoning
• breaking complex problems into simpler parts
• debugging problems
• developing ideas from initial conception to completed project
• sustained focus and perseverance

Specific Programming Concepts

Peak Inside the Lab

Are you wondering what our new computer lab looks like?  Here are a couple of shots I took  this morning:

Click on the thumbnails for a larger image.

Wolfram and Mathematica

Mathematica is a powerful math and scientific calculator.  I remember when this program came out in 1988.  It has always been a powerful computational engine.  At first, it was difficult to use, but as it developed, it has become easier to use.  Wolfram, the developers of Mathematica, have launched WolframAlpha, a computational search engine.  Mathematica is at the heart of WolframAlpha.  Now, anyone can enter any problem in a form they are used to, to process in Mathematica.  Users can download a free Mathematica player to view and change variables.  It is truly amazing.  What is also amazing, is that the full blown Mathematica is available to schools for only $50.

Our Math Club will explore what can be done with Mathematica through the use of video tutorials and downloaded examples.  Currently there are over 5,000 projects available for download.

Now anyone can be a math genius.