G9 Tech Class # 34

Continuing in our Project 3, we will specify a couple details regarding the project.

The challenge: Make a public announcement that integrates the IB Learner Profile Traits for a young children audience using Alice.

To complete your Investigation stage, please include:

• state the problem - > 'Challenge'
• design brief
• relate to yourselves, community and AOIs
• answer guiding questions listed in G9 Tech Class #32
• add your own questions (at least 4)
• interview/ask our PYP teachers what information/announcement they suggest you can portray to their students
• investigate what are public service announcements and how they work
• include examples of public announcements
• Some Design specs are the following, but you need to add your own:
• announcement (animation/game) should be aprox 2 minutes long
• use at least 5 of: Do Together, Loop, If/Else, Do in Order, While, For all in order, For all together
• include at least: 5 objects, 10 methods and 3 events
• you can use the G9 Shared doc on Investigation Draft to complete your Investigation stage
• follow the Due Dates for Project 3 to stay on task
• include the Assignment Standards
• check the  Design Folder Checklist to cover all the content expected for Investigation

G9 Tech Class #32

Today we will experience how to create programs on a TI 93 Graphing Calculator. Please follow the links to view the exercises:

• TI program herons
• Making a Program that calculates the length of the hypotenuse given the lengths of the 2 legs

If you are able to use the specific programming instructions and you get to the expected results, take a picture of the calculator (& yourself if you want to) to add to your Process Journal as evidence! :-)


Continuing with what we began last class G9 Tech Class #31, we will move forward developing Investigate stage.

Remember to visit the official Alice Site and the Alice Blog to get started. You can download Alice from Download Alice 2.2 if you will be using your own laptop. Once it is installed, launch it and visit the Tutorial :-)

At this point, focus on the following parts of Investigation:

Continue looking into the following:

• What is a programming language?
• What is Alice?
• Who created Alice?
• What is Alice for?
• When was Alice first released?
• What is Alice's interface like?
• What other Programming languages does Alice relate to?
• How many versions have been released?
• add your own questions... (at least 3 or 4)

For Investigation stage, please: 

• Get in new groups with people who you have not worked with before
• Use the listed questions (in red) as an introduction to Project 3: Investigation
• When working on your Investigation stage  document, please remember to:
• include the Assignment Standards
• check the  Design Folder Checklist to cover the following Investigation stage content: 
1. What do you think you will learn during this project?
2. Relate it to yourself, the society, AOIs
3. Answer the questions to begin your research
4. Add more questions
5. Cite your sources
6. Include your reflections on the two activities we did last class: Taboo & Giving the 'robot' instructions.
• You can use the G9 Shared doc on Investigation Draft as a starting point
• Following the Due Dates for Project 2 to stay on task.
• This part of Investigation stage is due today!

Don't forget to make your Process Journal journal entry of the day. 

G9 Tech Class #31

Today we will start our Project 3:  3D programming

Today we will start investigating the basic concepts of this specific programming language: Alice. But let's start at the beginning and think about: how do we give (step by step) instructions? 

Let's see this example: Making Smores 

We will Play Taboo and Give the teacher- Robot instructions to get started.


What are your thoughts on these two activities?

Next ideas to explore: 

• what is programming? 
• what is a programming language?

Some context info regarding Alice:  Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a teaching tool for introductory computing. It uses 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate a more engaging, less frustrating first programming experience. 

"What Is Alice?" Alice.org. Carnegie Mellon University, 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2012. <http://www.alice.org/index.php?page=what_is_alice/what_is_alice>

You can visit the official Alice Site and the Alice Blog to get started. You can download Alice from Download Alice 2.2 if you will be using your own laptop.


Look for the following information:

• What is a programming language?
• What is Alice?
• Who created Alice?
• What is Alice for?
• When was Alice first released?
• What is Alice's interface like?
• What other Programming languages does Alice relate to?
• How many versions have been released?

Today we will start working with Investigation

• Get in new groups with people who you have not worked with before
• Get started focusing on the listed questions (in red) as an introduction to Project 3: Investigation stage
• When starting your Investigation stage  document, please remember to:

• include the Assignment Standards
• check the  Design Folder Checklist to make sure your Investigation stage will be complete.
• You can use the G9 Shared doc on Investigation Draft as a starting point

Don't forget to start your Process Journal adding journal entry of the day.

G9 Tech Class #28

Today we will finish working on making the last touch ups to your Shares Tracker Product including:
It has to evidence the following specifications:

• use header rows
• sequence numbering
• sorting ascending and descending
• insert columns and rows
• column and row merge
• format title (font, color, size, shading, etc)
• at least three different formulas
• one fixed cell reference
• copy/cut and paste information
• insert a graph (pie, bar, etc)
• format the graph: change the Title: font & color, the colors of the bars/pie pieces, etc)

Record all your progress in your Process Journal before you turn in Create stage today (if you haven't turned it in last class).

Please make sure you are including the Assignment Standards and turn in your work by following the steps to submit and assignments.

G8 Tech Class #27

Today we do not have class due to the STAAR testing.
If you have not submitted Create stage, please do so before our next class on March 29.
Keep an eye on the Due Dates for Project 2 to stay on task.

Thanks.

G9 Tech Class #24

Welcome back! Hope you all had a great Spring Break!

Continuing with Project 2, today we will work on Plan stage.

If you have not submitted Design stage and/or the Mix and Match (spreadsheet challenge) on March 8, you can turn them in today for 50% of the grade. For details on Design stage please visit:

G9 Tech Class #23

Remember that you can use the details for Mix and Match challenge listed on

G9 Tech Class #22 as your design specifications (what the final product needs to include to be successful! ;-)

In Plan stage you will be defining what will be done, when and with what resources. 

Focus on the process of creation of the final product to track your shares and "make" some money!

Remember to include:

• a step by step list of instructions to put together your spreadsheet to track your shares  (like giving very detailed instructions for someone else to build it for you!) 
• a detailed timeline (for the process of building/creation)
• the resources you will use
• Look at Due Dates for Project 2 and plan accordingly.
• For more info on Plan stage and tools to complete it, please revisit: G9 Tech Class #10

Today you will also need to start tracking your shares and follow their "behaviour".

Complete your Process Journal! Make your daily record of what you  learnt/progressed today.

G9 Tech Class #21

Today it's our first class in March!
Let's continue working on our spreadsheets!


2. Sorting 2: Go back to your sheet labelled 'Student List' and copy the set of data twice below leaving 2 black rows between each set. IN all, you will have 3 sets. Sort the groups by:
- alphabetically by Name
- alphabetically by last Name
- ascending by Age


Insert two rows at the top of each set of data. 
Merge the three columns and two rows into once cell. 

Type a title for each set of data explaining what the data is about. Eg: 
Student List sorted alphabetically (descending).
Change the font, formatting, etc any way you want (fonts, colors, shading, borders, etc...)

3. Sorting/Graphing/Percentages: In a new sheet labelled 'Teacher' create a set of data that shows the names of 15 actors/singers (as your students), the name of the assignment/test, and the grade they received (max=100). Add a column to number your students to the left. 
- Add a column/cell: Max Grade and type 100 under the title.
- Header row can be eg: Student # | Name | Assignment/Test |  Grade | Percentage | Max Grade

- Add a formula under the Percentage Title that shows what percentage of 100 each student received.


We will continue working on this exercise next class.

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).


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
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 #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 :-)