9th Grade Seminar

What do you want to know about your new computer?

Do you have any questions or ideas?

Let us know your thoughts:

Email Ms. Reardon Offerman!

Class Intro

• Class Expectations:  P/F every day for class behavior & participation.

• Ask students how things are going with laptops and if there is anything they want to know.

• Exercise: First, have students list all the things they have done or would like to do with their computer.  NEXT, have students list all the things that the teachers want them to do with their computer.  Compare the two lists.  Ideally they will not be the same and in fact might be mutually exclusive.
  
  
• Based on the exercise, tell students that there are several adults (teachers, admin, parents) who do not want them to have the computer.  Explain the implications of this.

• Physical Care of Laptop...How to carry, etc.

• Tech Center & Tech Center Hours, repair & warranty issues
  

• BE HONEST!

• Ask students how things are going with laptops and if there is anything they want to know.  Answer the questions they have AND have them look at their dock & desktop preferences--go through dock, desktop
  

• DockHave them check PowerSchool again to make sure that they know password.

• Have them check webmail.

Printing

• Ask students how it is going and if they have any questions.
• Mention that if they are having trouble with email on their home network, that they should log onto the web and use the webmail option.
  

• Go through the Home Directory and general organization.  Show them how to access the files on the Home Directory and explain the significance of saving to the Home Directory.

• Printing issues & Printer Management
• Send students a practice email to download, save and print.
  
• Show how to figure out which printer & choosing a printer
  
• Show how to add a printer
  
• Creating PDF's & discuss the different extensions...especially .docx
  

• Talk about organization--use sorting blocks to focus attention on the fact that there are different ways to do it.
  

1. Organize Class Folders on computers
2. Desktop vs. document folder

At the start of class....
Ask students how it is going and if they have any questions.

Have everyone log into Powerschool to see if they remember their passwords.

Mention that if they are having trouble with email on their home network, they should log onto the web and use the webmail option.

iCal
a.   Subscribing to a teacher's calendar
b.   Creating and maintaining your own calendar
c.   Shared calendars and where to find them
d.   The iCal part of Powerschool
e.   Alarms

Blogs
Where to find info....

Check with students to see if they have any questions.

Teacher Info....

• MPA calendars....where do I find them?
• Shared calendars
• What about those blogs?

Email
a.    Check everyday
b.    Handling attachments

-    opening
-    saving
-    attaching
-    sending email from an application, like Word

c.    Managing folders/deleting
d.    Priority/Flagging
e.    Respectful/ethical use
f.    Internet email portal

OS
System Shortcuts...

• Command Shift 4
  
• Apple Tab

Dashboard

We will learn to use Garageband to create an original song.  We will use the second day to listen to everyone's creation.

We will use garageband to learn how to record music and voices.  Ms. Wantock with show how to record with her flute over a separate music track she made with a MIDI instrument. 

Students will create a podcast "intro" for a topic of their choice.

We updated 9th grade computers  with new mail settings. 

We will explore using Word to record notes as we type.  In addition, we will learn the mechanics of Genius & ProVoc. 

1. Go to the website: Digital Citizenship
2. Click on the Nine Elements link.
3. Read through each example and choose ONE on which to do additional research.
4. Find 3-5 sites that are examples of the element OR are links to more information.
5. You are going to create a WORDLE that illustrates the element that you are describing.  First, using the information you found, find short passages that best describe your element and paste them into the wordle.  Click on go and the program will create the diagram for you.
   
6. You can edit your wordle for font and color....experiment until you find something you like. 
   
7. Click on open in window in the lower left corner.
8. When done, click on print and then save as a pdf.
9. Give it a name and send it to me as an email attachment.
   

1.  Read through the descriptions below of plagiarism and academic integrity.

Plagiarism includes:

• Copying a computer file or any other document that contains another student's assignment and submitting it as your own work.

• Working together on an assignment, sharing documents, computer files or programs involved, and then submitting individual copies of the assignment as your own individual work.

• Knowingly allowing another student to copy or use one of your documents or computer files and to submit that file, or a modification thereof, as his or her individual work.

Academic dishonesty includes:

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is intentionally or knowingly presenting words, ideas or work of others as one's own work. Plagiarism includes copying homework, copying lab reports, copying computer programs, using a work or portion of a work written or created by another but not crediting the source, using one's own work completed in a previous class for credit in another class without permission, paraphrasing another's work without giving credit, and borrowing or using ideas without giving credit.

Cheating - Exam cheating includes unauthorized "crib sheets", copying from another, looking at another student's exam, opening books when not authorized, obtaining advance copies of exams, and having an exam re-graded after making changes. Exam cheating includes exams given during classes, final exams and standardized tests.

Use of Unauthorized Study Aids -This includes utilization of other's computer programs or solutions, copying a copyrighted computer program without permission, using old lab reports, having others perform one's share of lab work, and using any material prohibited by the instructor.

Falsifying School Documents -This includes falsifying signatures on forms, such as Add-Drop and Withdrawal forms, forging another student's signature and falsifying pre-requisite requirements.

2.  Click here for the plagiarism page: Plagiarism Links.

3.  In groups of TWO, take the plagiarism test...click on the test link, download it, print it out and complete it.
 
4.  On the back of the test, explain the diagram.

5.  Hand in your work...make sure BOTH names are on it.
 
5.  Now, try this experiment: Copy a paragraph from one of your documents and enter the text into one of the plagiarism sites.  How well did you do?

You are going to create a GarageBand project that uses the autotune feature.  Click GarageBand instructions.doc if you need general directions.

1.  Explanations of autotune:

Nightline

U School Me: How to Autotune

Time Magazine article on autotune...pop music & autotune.pdf

2. Listen to the samples of autotune:

Cher Effect: Believe (1998)
01 Believe.mp3

Examples-can you hear the autotune??
http://www.hometracked.com/2008/02/05/auto-tune-abuse-in-pop-music-10-examples/

Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around - Noticeable on "parents" and "but I."
T-Pain - I'm Sprung - Especially obvious on "homies" and "lady."
Avril Lavigne - Complicated - Listen to "way," "when," "driving," "you're."
Uncle Kracker - Follow Me
-The whole vocal sounds strained, but especially the word "goodbye."
Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved - Listen for "rain" and "smile."
Natasha Bedingfield - Love Like This - "Apart" and "life."
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls - "OoooOver" doesn't sound human.
JoJo - Too Little Too Late - Appropriately, "problem" stands out.
Rascal Flatts - Life is a Highway-
Every vocal, foreground and background, is treated, but "drive" in particular.
New Found Glory - Hit or Miss - "Thriller", and every time Jordan sings "I."

3. Project ideas:

Karoke Yourself

•Click here or here for directions.  Read through all directions prior to recording.  Make sure that GarageBand is set to record.  Make a test recording.

•Choose a song to sing.  Use one computer to play song and second computer to record.

Karoke Bar                    Ronan's Karoke                   Karoke Play (click on songs)

•Record TWO tracks...a karoke song between 15 and 30 seconds and an audio track.  Then use the autotune feature on GarageBand to "edit" the audio track of the song.  Be prepared to share your results.  

Autotune a nursery rhyme, Dr. Seuss book, etc.  Collect clips of different people saying different parts of your selection.  Put the clips together and autotune parts of it for different effects. 

Free resources:

Sound Click  

Open Minds

Free Loops 2

Instrumentals

You are going to write a new law about copyright.  In a group of 2-3 students....

1.  Choose ONE of the following videos to watch:

Watch the TED video (15 minutes) of Johanna Blakely: Lessons from fashion about copyright.

Watch the TED video (18 minutes) of Larry Lessig on how copyright laws might infringe on creativity.

2.  Read the Fair Use guidelines checklist for copyright & schools.  fairusechecklist.pdf

3.  Read through the glossary of terms.  Glossary.pdf

4.  Click here and read some info about the RIAA.  Pay particular attention to the info about the lawsuits...about half-way down the page.

5.  Read one story about a teen who was caught and fined over $27,000 for downloading music.

6.  Join with another group and discuss the questions:  If you could change the laws, what would you do?  What is important?  What would you tell the RIAA? 

7.  Assignment: Create a statement that would form the basis for a NEW copyright law that takes into account NEW technology.  Remember, this law might be on the books for the next 100 years.

We are going to begin to learn how to use photoshop.  Your first assignment will be to past yourself into a background.

Link for handout: Photoshop Tools in the Tool Bar.doc

Backgrounds: