G9 Tech Class #20

Today we will continue working on developing our spreadsheet skills solving other Spreadsheet chalenges :-)

Open the workbook spreadsheet that we were working on last class. It should have your previous challenges on Pages 'Students' List' and 'Balance'.


1. Sorting: Add a new Sheet to your spreadsheet. Name it 'Sorting'. We will sort columns and rows. - Create a table listing ten of favorite bands or musicians, the artist's latest album, and the number of copies sold. You can copy and paste information from your 'Balance' sheet based on your purchases if you want to.
- Select the whole list and copy & paste it twice leaving 2 blank rows between the sets of data.

For the first set the title row should be Orange. For the second set the title row should be Red and for the third set the title row should be light grey.

For the first set: Sort the list alphabetically by artist (descending)
For the second set: Sort the list by album (descending) , and 
For the third set: Sort it in numerical order by sales (descending)


- Copy every set again to the right of the set of data and sort the 3 lists in an ascending order.  
Leave a blank column in between. In all: you need to have 6 sets of data sorted in different ways.


- Add a Row above each set of Data (Careful: this will leave 3 rows between each set of data!)
Select the three consecutive cells and merge them into one big cell.
Add a Title above each set of data explaining what they are about and how they were sorted.
Eg: List sorted alphabetically (ascending) by Artist

Please format all the titles with different fonts, colors and shading.

G9 Tech Class #19

Today we will continue working on spreadsheets.

Last class we worked on Activity 1 (Part 1&2) as well as on Activity 8 posted in our last class' blog post: Tech Class #18.

To continue making progress with Project 2, let's cover some Spreadsheets basics as the vocabulary:

• sheet
• cells
• columns
• rows
• row heading
• cell reference
• name box
• formula bar

We can watch this short video to get started:

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Basics -- powered by ehow

Getting acquainted tasks:


1. The Basics: make a list of your class in a spreadsheet including the following information: your classmates' names, last name and age. Each piece of information should be  in different columns labeled Name, Last Name and Age. Add a column to number each row/student. Header row should be purple and the numbers column should be light yellow. Name the Sheet 'Students List'.


2. Calculating: Add a new Sheet to your spreadsheet where we will make a balance spreadsheet. Name it 'Balance'. Include columns for date, item description, debit, credit, and balance. Format the cells to show $ for the content when applicable. Title row should be boldfaced and green. Apply calculations to the balance column so that any debits and credits are applied to the balance automatically. Pick one website--iTunes' Top 100 songs, for example-- and you have a $25 budget, and you need to use the balance sheet to figure out what combination of purchases would best maximize your budget. Add the debit and credit columns (at the bottom).

G9 Tech Class # 18

Today we will continue working on our Project 2:


1. Finish Activity 1 (Parts 1& 2). (Look for details posted in last class' blog entry)

2. Start thinking about your guiding questions (what will you like to learn) about the Stock Market and tracking shares and write them down in you new G-Shared Doc, that later be included in your Investigation stage.

3. Explore Using formulas in a spreadsheet to generate number patterns. Let's try this:

• If we would to generate a simple pattern of numbers which is contained in a single column, looks like this: 1,1,0,2,2,0,3,3,0,4,4,0,...
• How do you think we can generate the same pattern using a formula instead of typing all the numbers in a column?
• There are several different ways you can use to achieve the desired pattern. How many ways can you find of doing it?

4. Try other number patterns that you would lie to generate. Eg: Fibonacci Numbers

5. Work on Activity 8: from The NYSE Up Close and Personal Activity Booklet.

Can we be internationally minded here? Is NYSE the only stock exchange in the world? Do you know any other Stock Markets?

- Your task is to invest  the money in shares (justify your choice of shares: min 3 companies, max 5 companies, with at least one international company)

- You must also design a spreadsheet that keeps track of the value of the shares on a daily basis in a way that is easy to understand (she is not an excel specialist but she likes everything to be explained to her).

- She wants to know how much the value has changed from the initial investment and from day to day.

- Let's look into these:

• How many companies can I invest in?
• How much does it cost to make a trade?
• How long will the investment be?
• Where and how will you follow the prices?
• How will you test the product?
• How sophisticated will your spreadsheet/formulas need to be? Will you need multiple pages? How do you make cell references between different pages?

6. Start your Process Journal for Project 2 today! Make your daily record of what you  learnt/progressed today.

G9 Tech Class #17

Today I would like you to use the first part of the class to check on the comments on your assignments and resubmit updates if needed. Also please follow up on missing assignments to avoid "0s" or "Ms" in your grades. Please visit the G9 Tech Class Blog for details and expectations for each stage.

Therefore If you need some time to finish the last details of your products from Project 1 to turn them in today, please work on the first thing today (20 min aprox).


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Today we will also begin with Project 2: Shares Tracking using Spreadsheets

The Project is going to be about keeping track of our investments using spreadsheets.

We will be investigating how shares in companies work and we will be improving our spreadsheet skills.

The dynamic of  Project 2 would be the following:

• Regroup for this project with someone who you haven't work with in Project 1.
• get starte with Part 1 and Part 2 of Activity 1 on the NYSE (listed below)
• make notes and complete the activity on a new shared document with your new group.
• Please name this assignment: Project 2- Activity 1

1. Let's get started with "The Stock Market and you"

Please complete Part 1 and Part 2 of Activity1 from The NYSE Up Close and Personal ACtivity Booklet.

2. In your new group's shared doc, write down your answers and ideas to complete ACtivity 1 (parts 1 &2).

3. If you have time, please add some guiding questions about the Stock Market and tracking shares that can be included in your Investigation stage.

4. Work on Activity 8: 

Can we be internationally minded here? Is NYSE the only stock exchange in the world? Do you know any other Stock Markets?

Please finish Activity 1 (parts 1 and 2) and Activity 8.

G9 Tech Class #16

Today is a half day and we will follow this schedule:

Following our G9 Due dates webpage, today will work on Evaluate stage. 

I am posting below a slideshow of the pictures I took during this project. Feel free to use them to compare your original chosen bridge design against the final bridge you built. If you have any photos that you have taken, please share them with me so I can add them to the slide show for Project1.


G9 Working Bees: 2011-2012 G9 Technology Project 1: Spaghetti Bridge



Evaluate stage is due today (11.59pm):  

• Include feedback received/experienced when the bridge was tested.
• Analyse results of questionnaires if any was used for testing your bridge.
• Include a detailed evaluation of your performance at each stage of the design cycle by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each stage. 
• Include ideas on how each stage could have been improved.
• Compare the predicted time plan with the actual and gave reasons for the changes (if any) - include original timeline and actual changes/
• Compare the chosen Design with the actual bridge and gave reasons for the changes (if any) - include original sketch and pic of final bridge
• Include a discussion on the impact of the product on yourselves, others and/or the environment.

Remember that you can an always use the Design Folder Checklist to make sure your Evaluate stage is complete.

When you finish working on your Shared Doc, please download a copy of your shared doc as pdf and resubmit it following the steps to submit your assignments posted in the MYP Technology website. Thank you.

G9 Tech Class #15

Following our G9 Due dates webpage, today is Presentation Day!!! Be prepared to show and explain your final bridge in 7 minutes:

• built, 
• operational,
• what did you do/build?
• cost?
• talk about the process of creation
• issues you had to overcome
• timeline and your time management
• group work
• strengths / weaknesses / areas of improvement
• Q&A mini session
• TEST! (I will use a supermarket bag and slowly add expo markers in it)

Thanks!

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Thought you may find this useful:

myHomework: By Rodrigo Neri

myHomework tracks your classes, homework and projects so you never forget an assignment again

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This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad

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ISA Testing Days Schedule: Wednesday & Thursday

G9 Tech Class #14

Today we will finish building the Bridge. I have updated the G9 Due dates webpage to reflect this change of dates.


Please take a look at the pictures below, maybe you can use some of these for your process journals ;-)


Bridge and process journal should be finished today. 
Remember to include the cost of the bridge!!! 
Please submit your process journal to meet Create stage due date by following the steps to submit and assignments posted in the MYP Technology website.

G9 Working Bees: 2011-2012 G9 Technology Project 1: Spaghetti Bridge



Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I thought I would share some ideas for an original Valentine's Day Card:10 Valentine's Day Cards Ideas for your Special Tech Geek :-)

G9 Tech Class #13

Based on our experience with the Create stage last class, we decided we will use this class to finish working on Create stage in order to finish buidling your bridge.

I have updated the G9 Due dates webpage to reflect this change of dates.

By the end of today you will need to fully develop:

1. Process Journal

2. Include tools and techniques you used to create your bridge

3. Time management: Did you follow your time plan? How?

4. Changes made to your chosen design? Why? How?

You can always use the Design Folder Checklist to make sure your Create stage is complete. For more details on Create stage and on resubmitting assignments for a 2nd assessment, please visit our previous class: G9 Tech class #12 blog entry.

Bridge and Process Journal should be finished by today. Thanks!

G9 Tech Class # 12

Today we continue working on Create stage. Review the G9 Due dates webpage to help 

you stay on task.

In Create stage remember to fully develop:

1. Your Process Journal

2. Explain tools and techniques you used to create 
your product

3. Talk about your time management: 
Did you follow your time plan? How?
4. Changes made to your chosen design? Why? How?

You can always use the Design Folder Checklist to make 
sure your Create stage is complete. For more details in 
Create stage visit last class' blog entry.

Your Create stage as well as your product are due by the end of today. 

I have returned grades and comments for all the assignments that were submitted. 
Please review them as a group. You can make updates to those stages and 
re-submit them for a second assessment for that stage.

As stated in the Assignments Standards, if you make changes and/or updates to 
your documents please please please use the Track Changes feature (what is this?) 
so it is evident how you further developed the stage.

If you are working on The Cloud, you can read more about this feature in the 
Google Docs Blog entry on Tools for Viewing Docs Revisions.

You can also visit Google Docs Revision History with step by step instructions on 
how to use Revision History. 

Or if you prefer, you can make your own track changes reference, but it should
be very evident what was added to the assignment for the 2nd assessment.

To resubmit again, download your shared doc as a pdf and follow the 
steps to submit and assignments posted in the MYP Technology website.

Thanks!

G9 Tech Class #11

Today we will start working on Create stage. Please visit the G9 Due dates webpage to plan your time wisely.

For this stage it is super important to look into these:

1. Your complete Process Journal with :

• dated journal entries including Visual Evidence (designs, sketches, screen shots, pictures, etc that show how the steps you took to create the product)
• notes regarding any changes made to your bridge design: e.g. added a step, changed the order of tasks, changed the tools, used another resource, didn't need a resource, didn't finish what was planned etc.
• how did the group work? Did you have any issues? How did you overcome them, if any?

2. Explain what tools and techniques you used to build your bridge

3. How was your time management: Have you followed your timeline? How? Did you need to add more tasks? Did you have to skip/delete tasks? Did you need a different resource? etc...

4. Have you made any changes to your bridge design? Why? How?

You can always use the Design Folder Checklist to make sure your Create stage is complete.