Week of Apr 18th–Apr 22nd

Highlights for the week: 

• TEKS for this week –

Monday 18th:

- Part 1) Review

- Part 2) New

1. Watch cats video clip

- Part 3) Do 

- Part 4) Through?

Tuesday 19th:

- Part 1) Review

- Part 2) New

- Part 3) Do 

- Part 4) Through?

Wednesday 20th:

- Part 1) Review

- Part 2) New

- Part 3) Do 

- Part 4) Through?

Thursday 21st:

- Part 1) Review

1. Pivot 10 competition entries are due today!

- Part 2) New

- Part 3) Do 

- Part 4) Through?

Friday 22nd: HOLIDAY

- Part 1) Review

- Part 2) New

- Part 3) Do 

- Part 4) Through?

1. Check out the Media Shows from this Week!
   •  

Additional Help and Information:

1. YouTube How-to Videos for this class
   • Take screencaptures in OneNote
   • Drawing toolbar in OneNote
   • What is a Browser?
   • How to use Photovisi
2. G-Apps How2 Videos
   • Create and share a folder in BISD G-Docs
   • Upload a file in BISD G-Docs
3. Prezis
   • This Semester at a Glance Prezi
4. TED talks (browse TED talks list)
   • 6th Sense Device
   • What adults can learn from kids

Week of Nov 1st - Nov 5th

Highlights for the week: 

• This is the last week of the 2nd 6 weeks!  We are 1/3 of the way through the year and 2/3 of the way through this class.
• Please check your grades frequently this week to make sure you are caught up in all of your classes!

Monday 1st:

- Review

1. Please test this link to your Glogster Account Information
2. Try again to create a new Prezi Student Account using your Gmail address
3. 7th grade students, please review these vocabulary words for today’s vocabulary quiz on Spanish Exploration.
4. 8th grade students, please review these vocabulary words for today’s vocabulary quiz on Weather.

- New

1. View this Presentation of Space Glogs and this Presentation of Halloween Glogs

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with QuickTime for best results!)

1. *Watch Overview screencast
2. *7th Grade Comp Lit classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Spanish Exploration
3. *8th Grade Web Design classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Weather
4. Watch the Docs overview video clip which is called Docs in the folder for today’s screencasts (pay close attention… there’s a lot to see in this very short clip!)
5. *View the Group Chat Demo G-Doc to get some ideas for your group assignment
6. *Use your Group chat document to work together to choose your 3 favorite Glogs and capture and paste them into your group doc.  (You will need to resize the images to make them fit).  This assignment is worth 7 points (or 2 regular daily assignments): 1 point for each picture (for a total of 3), 1 point for each working link (for a total of 3), and 1 point for formatting your name and area.

- Through

1. Watch this Amazing Amazon Slide Show
2. Check out this Fun Prezi and click on Videos (with the arrows) to watch the Ship under bridge clip

Tuesday 2nd:

- Review

1. Check Gmail and documents for updates (logon link, top right, link 2).  Anything from Prezi?  (…if there is, please forward that email to me so I can see what it looks like!  Thanks!)

- New

1. Please take this very brief Extra Curricular Activities Survey on things you are involved in outside of the school!
2. Try this Online Stopwatch (with lots of other functions).  There’s also a link in the Tools section to the right.

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with QuickTime for best results!)

1. *Overview
2. *View the demo to see what step 6 from yesterday should have looked like.  If yours doesn’t look like that, please correct it!
3. *Finding my stuff in docs
4. *Finding and using templates
5. *Go to our campus website public calendar and try to copy an event (like the early release day on Nov 17th) to your G-Apps calendar
6. Try the Checkers Drawing template (share with a friend to play)

- Through?

1. If you need to retake your vocab quiz from yesterday, here are the links to do so:
   • *7th Grade Comp Lit classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Spanish Exploration
   • *8th Grade Web Design classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Weather
2. Browse templates to find some you might be able to use
3. Explore the Online Stopwatch functions
4. Continue exploring the Fun Prezi and click on Videos (with the arrows) to watch the Ship under bridge clip and base jumping from the world’s tallest tower.

Wednesday 3rd:

- Review

1. Use the star function in your G-Docs to mark and find your important documents
2. Use the search window to find your G-Docs
3. See who your G-Doc is shared with

- New

1. View this Prezi on the first few days of the gulf oil spill to show how Prezi can be used to replay images and video from an important event

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with QuickTime for best results!)

1. *Overview of today
2. *Use the Google News Timeline to find information on the oil spill by month.  Choose one article that interests you and copy the URL.  (If the site doesn’t work for some reason, just use a normal Google Search).
3. *Open your Google Doc with your name as the title.  Paste the URL from step 2 into your Doc along with a little of the text so we can read what it’s about
4. *Try another search on Google News Timeline to find information on any appropriate topic which interests you.  Again paste a link and some text in your Doc (with your name)
5. *Use Google Squared to search for information on roller coasters.  (If the site doesn’t work for some reason, just use a normal Google Search).
6. *Find some images on a roller coaster that interests you and and copy and paste the URL into your Google Doc.  Add a few images of coasters to your doc (this site might help with images)
7. *Open this G-Doc spreadsheet called Roller Coaster Image Links, choose and open block and paste the link to your favorite coaster image in the block

- Through?

1. If you need to retake your vocab quiz from yesterday, here are the links to do so:
   • *7th Grade Comp Lit classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Spanish Exploration
   • *8th Grade Web Design classes take this Vocabulary Quiz on Weather
2. Checkout these photos from the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition
3. Check your grades for missing assignments or low grades and complete or update them.

Thursday 4th:

- Review

1. How to copy and paste links and text into Google Docs and Spreadsheets

- New

1. Watch this ‘What’s my sentence’ project clip as a class
2. Think about what your sentence might be and enter it in this form
3. Check out the 3 new folders in your Google Documents called ‘Nice Work!’ (with examples of work well done from yesterday’s assignments), ‘Today’s Assignments’ with an example of what we will be doing today, and ‘How-to (for students)’ with helpful information.
4. Some of you added the date in the title which was very helpful to me.  Thanks for doing that!  If you’re not sure what your documents should look like, look in this folder!

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with QuickTime for best results!)

1. *Overview
2. Complete steps 3-5 from yesterday and please add the date (Nov4) in the title after your name.
3. *Complete step 7 and add links to cool or unusual coasters so we can all see them!
4. *Create a new spreadsheet with your name and the date in the title, and share it with me to receive credit for this assignment (example: Mark Twain Nov4). 
5. *Create 2 multiplication tables (one with the numbers 1-10, and one with the numbers 60-70).  Format the colors of your tables like the example.

- Through?

1. Watch this Animal Tracks Slideshow
2. Check your grades for missing assignments or low grades in all classes and complete or update them.

Friday 5th:

- Review

1. Calculator formula and tips for making your tables work correctly!

- New

1. Test this calendar link.  Try to copy events to your calendar.
2. Updated assignments list with links to the week in which they were assigned.  The key assignment step is highlighted for each assignment.

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with QuickTime for best results!)

1. *Overview screencast
2. *Watch the Spreadsheets intro clip to show you some of the spreadsheet features
3. *View the examples of student work
4. *More help with the calculator spreadsheet
5. Complete your G-Apps Spreadsheet assignment from yesterday

- Through?

1. Check the Graded Assignments List to make sure you have completed all assignments for this grading period
2. If you have completed an assignment but the gradebook still shows a zero for a grade, please send me an email letting me know you have completed it (with the name of the assignment in the email!)

Additional Information:

• Prezis

Week of Oct 25th – Oct 29th

Highlights for the week: 

• Begin working with Google Apps (Docs, Drawings, Spreadsheets, and Forms)
• Wednesday is an early release day 
• This week is Red Ribbon week!  Here is the schedule for the week.

Monday 25th:

- Review

1. Test your logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer)

- New

1. View the new Bulletin Board Document to see if you have correctly completed your Wolfram Alpha assignment (this is a Google Doc which you can only view when logged onto your Google Apps account!).
2. Check to see if your Prezi account email has arrived!  If so try experimenting with Prezi.  It’s fun :)

- Do

1. Complete your Wolfram Alpha Assignment (from Tues Oct 19th on this blog last week)
2. 7th grade students review this Study Stack with Spanish Exploration terms and definitions
3. 8th Grade Students, review this Study Stack of weather terms and definitions
4. Robotics Students view these NXT programming tutorials
5. Continue working on your Halloween Glog (you may create more than one if you like)

- Through?

1. Checkout these photos from the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition
2. Complete assignments from last week (including your Wolfram Alpha assignment)!
3. Please check your grades to make sure you have completed everything in ALL of your classes!

Tuesday 26th:

- Review

1. Checkout the updated Student Submitted Links  section and the new Webpage View
2. This week is Red Ribbon week!  Here is the schedule for the week.

- New

1. Check your Gmail for an account confirmation from Prezi.  If you have received it, please forward it to me!
2. Introduce Google Drawing
3. New and returning students: Please pickup the Google Apps permission form and get it signed and returned to me as soon as possible!

- Do   (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with Quicktime for best results!)

1. *Watch the overview screencast
2. *Watch the Google Drawing tutorial in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder (drag it to your desktop and open it with Windows Media Player)
3. *Create a new Google Drawing and name it Red Ribbon Week exactly!
4. *Add 4 shapes, an arrow, a curve, a polygon, a text box, and upload a small image of a pumpkin to your drawing.
5. *Share the drawing with me and download it as a PDF.  Move your new PDF drawing file into your S-drive.
6. *Copy your drawing to your clipboard and add it to your Google Document with your name on it (if you don’t have one, please make one and share it with me!)
7. Make another drawing called ‘Practice Drawing’ and share it with another person in the class and your teacher.  Practice editing it together.

- Through?

1. Complete assignments from last week (including your Wolfram Alpha assignment)!
2. Please check your grades to make sure you have completed everything in ALL of your classes!
3. Work on Halloween or Red Ribbon Week Glog
4. Try Funbrain activities

Wednesday 27th: Today is an early release day (bell schedule)

- Review

1. This week is Red Ribbon week!  Here is the schedule for the week.
2. You’ll get your Progress Reports on Friday, but you can see what will be on them by checking your grades online anytime.  If you need to bring up your grade, complete any assignments which are zeros and let me know when you’ve completed them (in person or by email) so I can grade them.
3. Check missing Google Apps Permissions list… if you’re on the list, please return your form as soon as possible!

- New

1. Interested in UIL Calculator Competition?  If so, we will meet here in this room on Tuesdays and Thursdays during den time for practice.  Let me know in person or by email and if any of your friends are interested, ask them to stop by before or after school.  I need 5 students for a team and I will post more information later.
2. Check your Gmail for an account confirmation from Prezi.  If you have received it, please forward it to me!
3. Introduce Google Drawing
4. New and returning students: Please turn in the Google Apps permission form as soon as possible!  Here’s a link to list of students who need to turn in forms.

- Do   (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with Quicktime for best results!)

Google Drawing didn’t work yesterday, but I’ve installed a component on all of the laptops and it should work today.  Because of that, the steps below are repeated and the screencasts are the same (so the dates are wrong) except for step 1, the overview.

Logon here to get to your Google Apps Account

1. *Watch the overview screencast
2. *Watch the Google Drawing tutorial in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder (drag it to your desktop and open it with Windows Media Player)
3. *Create a new Google Drawing and name it Red Ribbon Week exactly!
4. *Add 4 shapes, an arrow, a curve, a polygon, a text box, and upload a small image of a pumpkin to your drawing.
5. *Share the drawing with me and download it as a PDF.  Move your new PDF drawing file into your S-drive.
6. *Copy your drawing to your clipboard and add it to your Google Document with your name on it (if you don’t have one, please make one and share it with me!)
7. Make another drawing called ‘Practice Drawing’ and share it with another person in the class and your teacher.  Practice editing it together.

- Through?

1. Please check your grades to make sure you have completed everything in ALL of your classes!
2. Work on Halloween or Red Ribbon Week Glog.  Check New Glogster account information here! 
3. Try Funbrain activities and other games (Physics and Math) in the new Games section on the right.  If you find good sites to add to the list, please use the Share Websites Form to let me know about them.  Thanks!

Thursday 28th:

- Review

1. This week is Red Ribbon week!  Here is the schedule for the week.
2. Check missing Google Apps Permissions list… if you’re on the list, please return your form as soon as possible!
3. Tomorrow we will be on a Pep Rally bell schedule (there’s a link at the top right of in the Bell Schedules section)
4. How to get screencasts each day: Open J-drive TODAY folder (which is the only folder in all CAPS), and in there look for the folder for today.  Do not open that folder… just drag it to your desktop and then open and play the screencasts.  Watch and then do each step!

- New

1. Create and share a practice drawing with another student and your teacher
2. Learn how to add a drawing to a Google Doc

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with Quicktime for best results!)

1. *Watch overview screencast
2. *Logon to your G-Apps account and complete your Red Ribbon Week drawing from last class (Wed 27th steps 3 & 4)
3. *Add your Red Ribbon Week drawing to the Google Doc you made with your name on it (Step 4 on Wed 20th)
4. *make a new Google Document with your name and one core subject in the title and share it with that teacher and Mr. Mercer.  The title might look like this: ‘Mark Twain – History’ and it might be shared with Ms. Cheshire and Mr. Mercer for example.  Add a greeting to your document or copy and paste this example and fill in the blanks with your information: Hello _________, my name is ________ and this is my first shared document with you!  Please add something so I know you have received this and thanks very much for helping me with this test document!  When you share the document with your core teacher, leave the email checkbox checked so they will get an automatic email telling them about your new document.
5. 7th grade students, please study these vocabulary words for a vocabulary quiz on Spanish Exploration tomorrow!
6. 8th grade students, please study these vocabulary words for a vocabulary quiz on Weather tomorrow!

- Through

1. Study for Vocabulary Quiz tomorrow! (steps 5 & 6 above)
2. Try this online version of tic-tac-toe
3. Checkout this slideshow ‘Halloween pups on parade’
4. Work on Halloween or Red Ribbon Week Glog.  Check New Glogster account information here! 
5. Try Funbrain activities and other games (Physics and Math) in the new Games section on the right.  If you find good sites to add to the list, please use the Share Websites Form to let me know about them.  Thanks!

Friday 29th:

- Review

1. Today we will be on a Pep Rally bell schedule although it is for an event at the end of the day which is not a pep rally (there’s a link at the top right of in the Bell Schedules section)
2. Continue working with Google Drawings using templates
3. Review for Vocabulary Quizzes which have been postponed until Monday

- New

1. Copy, rename, edit, and share several drawing templates

- Do  (Steps marked with a * have a screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder.  Open screencasts with Quicktime for best results!)

1. *Watch the overview screencast
2. *Logon to your Google Apps Account and open the Pumpkin Color Template Drawing.  Make a copy and change the name to Pumpkin Color and your first and last name (example: Pumpkin Color Mark Twain).  Share your copy with me and then try to make a cool design of your own using your copy.  I’ll collect them all for a class collage and you can see how your class collage compares to the others.
3. *Open the Tic-Tac-Toe template, save a copy and rename it Tic-Tac-Toe and your first and last name (example: Tic-Tac-Toe Mark Twain).  Share your copy with me and then use your new copy to make a complete game.
4. *Make another copy of the template and rename it Tic-Tac-Toe Share.  Share this copy with another student and me and then play a couple of shared games.  Add your names as text boxes when you’re through playing.
5. *Make a new folder in Google Documents and name it Practice Drawings.  Add all of your drawings to that folder.
6. Work on Halloween or Red Ribbon Week Glog.  Check New Glogster account information here!  New students have Glogster accounts added on this list.
7. 7th grade students, please study these vocabulary words for a vocabulary quiz on Spanish Exploration Monday!
8. 8th grade students, please study these vocabulary words for a vocabulary quiz on Weather Monday!

- Through

1. Check out this Halloween Safety Guide (especially if you have younger brothers and sisters to look out for!)
2. Check your Gmail and G-Docs for responses from your teachers.  Try adding something else for them to see (like a drawing for example).
3. Try Funbrain activities and other games (Physics and Math) in the new Games section on the right.  If you find good sites to add to the list, please use the Share Websites Form to let me know about them.  Thanks!

Additional Information:

• Prezis

Week of Oct 18th – Oct 22nd

Highlights for the week: 

• This is the last week before 2nd Progress Reports go out.  Please check your grades frequently in all of your classes to make sure you have everything turned in!
• Begin working with G-Docs  

Monday 18th:

- Review

1. Turn in forms for Google Apps
2. How to logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer)

- New

1. This video clip explains sonic booms (which happen when you break the speed of sound)
2. Please use your Gmail account to email me when you have completed a missing assignment or improved a grade!

- Do

1. Try to logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer).  If you can’t get to your account, please let me know using this form, and then go to step 6.
2. Go to your Gmail section and add your teachers to your contacts
3. Please send me a test email to let me know how your weekend went (bmercer@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu)
4. Go to your documents and try to open the Class Edit Document.  Then try the Group chat document (2nd Period only)… try to find out the names of the people in your group.
5. Learn how to create a new document (and share it with your teachers)
6. Use the project template which I gave you for your Space Glogs.  Please copy your 6 pictures and quotes over to the template! (Sorry for the inconvenience!)

- Through?

1. Check your grades for missing assignments or low grades and complete or update them. 
2. Please use either your email account or your Glog messages to let me know when you’ve completed or updated your assignments so that I will know to grade them again!

Tuesday 19th:

- Review

1. Try to logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer).  If you can’t get to your Gmail or Documents, please let me know using this form, so I can get your account repaired!

- New

1. Watch this short video explanation of Wolfram Alpha which explains how it is different from other search engines like Google or Bing.
2. There’s a copy of the video in my J-drive/bmercer/Today folder which must be opened with the Windows Media Player shortcut… copy both to your desktop (it’s called Wolfram Alpha in a Nutshell)

- Do  (There are 3 videos in my J-drive today folder which explain the steps below.  Each of the video files start with Oct19.  Copy them to your desktop along with the Quicktime shortcut (blue Q) and open them with Quicktime to make sure you can view them)

1. Open your OneNote Practice file (in your S-drive) and create a new page called ‘Wolfram Alpha’
2. Use Wolfram Alpha to answer the questions (type or copy/paste what you see in the search window).  Capture at least 2 blocks of your answers for each question on your new OneNote Wolfram Alpha page.  Watch the screencast for step 2 for an example of how to do this… it’s in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder

• Size of Earth, Size of Mars (capture at least 2 blocks of information)
• temperature of Earth, temperature of Venus, temperature of Mars, temperature of Mercury (capture at least 2 blocks of information)
• mix blue green (capture the color and complementary colors for that combination)
• mix 2 other colors of your choice (capture the color and complementary colors for that combination)
• enter the date of your next birthday in this form October 19 2010 (capture the number of days until then and the anniversaries for that date)
• enter your first name (capture any 2 blocks of information)
• Houston TX Austin TX New York City NY Los Angeles CA (capture the Populations info)
• United States England Australia China (capture the map and life expectancy information)
• Choose one other topic from this list (capture at least 2 blocks of information)
• Publish your Wolfram Alpha page as a PDF file to your S-drive

- Through?

1. Check your grades for missing assignments or low grades and complete or update them. 
2. Complete your Space Glog (using the project template which I gave you!)

Wednesday 20th:

- Review

1. If you are on this list, you have not turned in your permission form.  Please turn this form in as soon as possible!  I have extra forms if you need them.  After school today I’ll be turning the list over to Administrators for action.

- New

1. Watch this clip on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. There’s a copy in my J-drive today folder if you would like to watch it again (or show others in another class).

- Do   (If you have not turned in your permission form or you are having problems with your account, you may not be able to the steps in this section, but these are graded assignments and must be made up!  Skip down to the ‘Through’ section and complete the items there.)

1. Logon to your Google Apps account, go to Gmail and add your teachers email addresses to your contacts. The format for email addresses is first initial last name @bastrop.isd.tenet.edu, so my email address is bmercer@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu.
2. Create a Group called My Teachers and add your teachers email addresses to your new group
3. Compose a new email to your My Teachers group and paste this phrase in the email (with your first and last name added where the blank is): Hi!  My name is _____ and I’m testing my new gmail account by sending you this email.  Please reply to let me know you have received this.  Thank you!
4. Create a new document and replace the  ‘Untitled Document’ words at the top with your First and Last Name.
5. Click on the share button and add my email address bmercer@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu
6. Copy the information from your logon file (in your S-drive) to this new document.  If you don’t have a logon file, add your Glogster Logon information.
7. Open your Group Chat document and find the names of the students in your group.  Practice using this document to communicate.  Remember, everything you type in any of your Google Applications is recorded, so do not type anything you wouldn’t want school officials to see!

- Through?

1. Complete the Wolfram Alpha assignment from yesterday.  The videos which explain how to do this are in this folder:  Jdrive/Today/Screencasts (Daily)/Oct19 Tues
2. Check your grades for missing assignments or low grades and complete or update them.
3. Complete your Space Glog (using the project template which I gave you!)

Thursday 21st:  

- Review

1. Turn in forms for Google Apps (check this list for missing forms) 
2. How to logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer)

- New

1. Check your gmail!
2. View photos from the Paris Auto Show and notice how many electric and hybrid vehicles there are.

- Do   (First, please complete steps 1-5 from yesterday if you haven’t already done so!)

1. Open your Calendar and add an event ‘Check grades for missing assignments’ to Fri 22nd.
2. Copy ‘End of 2PR’ to your calendar from the Calendars page on the BMS Website 
3. Open your Group Chat document and find the names of the students in your group.  Practice using this document to communicate.  Remember, everything you type in any of your Google Applications is recorded, so do not type anything you wouldn’t want school officials to see!
4. Open your Practice OneNote file in your S-drive, go to your Wolfram Alpha Page, and publish it as a PDF file to your S-drive

- Through?

1. View this Marvels in Engineering Slideshow
2. Copy the ‘Drift with the Supercars’ video clip from the Jdrive/bmercer/Today folder to your desktop and watch it
3. Tomorrow is the last day of the 2nd Progress Reporting period, which means we are 1/4 of the way through the school year!  Please check your grades in all classes to make sure you have completed everything in ALL of your classes!

Friday 22nd:   (2nd Progress Reporting Period ends today!)

- Review

1. Test your logon to your G-Apps account (use the same logon info you use when you start your computer)
2. If it works, please make sure you complete the assignments from the last 2 days using Gmail and Google Docs!
3. Check for a calendar reminder (Gmail) that today is the last day of the 2nd PR grading period.

- New

1. Watch this TED talk on Origami

- Do  (There are no ‘step’ videos today)

1. Create a Prezi Education Account here using your new Gmail address for use later on
2. View Prezi Just for Fun Demo… we will be starting Prezi next week if everything goes well with your Prezi accounts
3. Add the dates for the end of the 2nd 6 weeks, end of 3rd Progress Reports and End of 3rd 6 weeks to your calendar.  Use the dates from the Calendars page on the BMS Website
4. Create a fun Halloween Glog for next week’s Red Ribbon Week (use appropriate photos only… if you have any doubts or have to ask, it isn’t appropriate!).  Best Glogs will be published on the web for the entire campus to see.  Top 10 will be printed and posted on the wall outside of the classroom.
5. There’s a short video clip in J-drive/bmercer/today on a 950lb pumpkin.  If you would like to watch it, copy it to your desktop and open it with Windows Media Player.

- Through?

1. Check out this pumpkin carving slideshow.  View a tutorial on how to make your own here!
2. Today is the last day of the 2nd Progress Reporting period.  Please check your grades to make sure you have completed everything in ALL of your classes!

Additional Information:

• Prezis

Week of Oct 11th – Oct 15th

Highlights for the week: 

• Begin introducing Gmail and Google Docs.  It is critical that you turn in your Google Applications permission form in order to participate! 

Monday 11th:

- Review

1. Look in your S-drive folder and make sure there’s a folder in there named this exactly: screencasts
2. Make sure you turn in your Google Applications permission form!  There was another copy attached to your 1st 6 weeks grades.  That form must be turned in for you to get a school email account and to be able to use many of the new features offered by Google for Education!

- New

1. Checkout the new Student Submitted Links sections on the right-side panel near the top.  Those links will help you to search for colleges for your Glogs.
2. As a class, watch this iPad light painting YouTube clip
3. Today we will introduce 2 quote search tools and 1 new wordmapping tool called Visuwords.

- Do

1. Use one of the 2 new Quotes Tools (new in the tools section) to find 3 positive quotes that you like.  (Try searching terms like change, growth, education, family, happiness, attitude)
2. Send me your 3 quotes using the Questions or Comments Form.  You can enter all 3 in one form.
3. Use Visuwords (also in the key sites/Words section) to create a visual wordmap of the term ‘Browse’.  Click ‘Fill Browser with scalable Visuwords’ to see a larger version which you can zoom into.   There’s a How-to video clip on Visuwords in my J-drive/Screencasts folder to show you how to use this tool if you need it.
4. Open your OneNote Practice file (in your S-drive) and capture your Visuwords wordmap of the term ‘browse’ on a new page called ‘Visuwords’.
5. Create 2 other Visuwords wordmaps (you choose the words) and add them to your 1N (OneNote) page.

- Through?

1. Make sure you have added the new folder in your s-drive called screencasts and drag all of your screencasts (sc1, sc2, sc3, sc4) into that folder.
2. Complete the screencast of your College Glog and save it in your S-drive screencasts folder as sc5.  In your screencast must say and show these 3 things: 1) the name of your college or university, 2) the city and state where it is located and 3) at least one detail of what your Glog looks like.
3. Logon to your Google Apps account and see if you can get to your Gmail or Google Docs pages.
4. Check out these free educational game sites and send me your recommendations using the Share Websites Form.

Tuesday 12th:

- Review

1. Questions on Quotes or Visuwords assignments?

- New

1. View this clip on The Internet of Things by IBM, which shows how devices are being connected together to provide information and improve efficiency.
2. Open and use Google Sky
3. View IW demo file

- Do

1. Make a new folder in your S-drive called Interwrite.
2. Copy the Sky IW file from my J-drive/Today folder into your new Interwrite folder.
3. Open Google Earth and switch to Sky by clicking on the planet at the top.
4. Open the Sky IW file and follow the directions.  Make sure you have the advanced toolbar (with the camera) loaded.
5. Be sure to save your Sky IW file when you’ve finished!

- Through?

1. Browse Google Moon and Mars (try Fly Along Mars Tour)
2. View the Google Sky Website
3. Watch this Marine Life slideshow (an MSNBC slideshow. Details: The Census of Marine Life has issued its final report on the 10-year effort to document the diversity of the world's oceans. More than 2,700 scientists cataloged 28 million observations of new species as well as old favorites.
4. Check out these free educational game sites and send me your recommendations using the Share Websites Form.

Wednesday 13th:

- Review

1. How to delete unwanted slides and add new pages in Interwrite (J-drive/bmercer/today/Screencasts)
2. View list of students who have turned in Google Apps permission forms.  If you are not on the list, please turn in a form!  If you think you’ve turned on in already, but you’re not on the list, let me know and I’ll check on it for you).

- New

1. Watch this Project Natal (Microsoft Kinect) demo of interactive technologies
2. Watch Google Mars tour (there’s a copy in my J-drive today folder if you would like to see it again later)
3. View the Google Sky Website and the Chandra Observatory catalogue of exploding stars (for those who like space imagery especially)

- Do  (I’ve added screencast demos for each of these steps in my J-drive/today folder… if you need to hear the instructions again for any of the steps, use those clips to help you!)

1. Copy the SkyTour kmz file from my J-drive/Today folder to your desktop and open it.  When Google Earth opens, be sure to put it in ‘Sky’ mode.
2. Open the Sky file in your S-drive/Interwrite folder and add a new ‘last page’
3. Change the new page background color to the color of your choice (anything but white)
4. There are 8 stops in the SkyTour.  Capture an image from each of the 8 stops and put them on the new Interwrite last page (step 2 above)
5. Copy the Mars in Google Earth video clip (2 minute clip) from my J-drive/Today folder to your desktop and then open it.
6. Explore some of the features of Google Mars which you saw in the clip.
7. Use the comment form to tell me what you liked best and what you liked least about our visits to Google Sky or Google Mars

- Through?

1. Try Google Moon (and at home you can watch this YouTube explanation of Google Moon)
2. View the Google Sky Website and the Chandra Observatory catalogue of exploding stars
3. Watch this Marine Life slideshow (an MSNBC slideshow. Details: The Census of Marine Life has issued its final report on the 10-year effort to document the diversity of the world's oceans. More than 2,700 scientists cataloged 28 million observations of new species as well as old favorites.
4. Check out these free educational game sites and send me your recommendations using the Share Websites Form.

Thursday 14th:  

- Review

1. View list of students who have turned in Google Apps permission forms.  If you are not on the list, please turn in a form!  If you think you’ve turned on in already, but you’re not on the list, let me know and I’ll check on it for you).
2. Yesterday Step 7 results

- New

1. Watch Thrust SSC clip
2. Watch 1000MPH car development clip

- Do

1. View list of students who have turned in Google Apps permission forms.  If you are not on the list, please turn in a form!  If you think you’ve turned on in already, but you’re not on the list, let me know and I’ll check on it for you).
2. Complete Step 7 from yesterday (those with 2 or 3 checkmarks may skip this!)
3. Take this Quiz on Interwrite
4. Begin working on a Space Glog with your favorite images from Google Sky, your Sky Interwrite file (in your S-drive), or using images from the Google Sky Website or the Chandra Observatory catalogue of exploding stars.

- Through?

1. Watch this Marine Life slideshow (an MSNBC slideshow. Details: The Census of Marine Life has issued its final report on the 10-year effort to document the diversity of the world's oceans. More than 2,700 scientists cataloged 28 million observations of new species as well as old favorites.
2. Check out these free educational game sites and send me your recommendations using the Share Websites Form.

Friday 15th:  

- Review

1. View list of students who have not turned in Google Apps permission forms.  If you are on the list, please turn in a form! 

- New

1. Learning from Sherman the Shark
2. Chrome Speed Test
3. The making of Chrome Speed Test
4. Explore Google Moon

- Do

1. Watch the clips in the New section as a class
2. Complete Space Glogs

- Through?

1. Explore Google Moon
2. Check out these free educational game sites and send me your recommendations using the Share Websites Form.

Additional Information:

• Prezis

Week of Oct 4th – Oct 8th

Highlights for the week: 

• Hopefully this week we will begin working with our Google Apps accounts which involves our new student email and collaborative documents capabilities.  We will also begin our 2nd 6 weeks grading period.
• Wednesday will be an early release day.  You can find the early release bell schedule in the right side panel of this blog in the Bell Schedules section.

Monday 4th:

- Review

• Open and follow a kmz file in Google Earth
• Use IW to capture images on the current page
• Use IW with GE even thought there are some software conflicts
• Creating a Glog: remember to use your student ID (lunch code) as your user name and the password from your logon file in your s-drive (which you open with Word)

- New

1. Create a Glog of your favorite College, University, Trade School, Distance Learning Campus, or other learning institution or practice.  Check out these example Glogs from USC, UT, and Penn State University. Click on the ‘College Glogs’ text in our showcase Prezi to view the new Glogs (click on the images to go to the Glogs).

- Do (numbers 2 & 3 will be the 1st graded events of the 2nd 6 weeks)

1. Complete your kmz local and extreme places tours
2. Create your own kmz tour with at least 5 places
3. Complete your GE1 IW assignment (to capture 5 images on each screen green, blue and orange) from each of the 3 kmz files (one of which you make)
4. Work on your College Glog

      4th Period Robotics Class

1. We will not be building today!
2. Watch this TED talk on how the 6th sense device was developed on your laptop
3. The remainder of the class you may spend on your laptops

- Through?

• Check your grades and complete any missing assignments
• Improve your Glogs
• Explore other Google Earth tours here
• Add links to cool tours or other sites here

Tuesday 5th:

- Review

1. Last chance to complete missing work and raise your 1st 6 weeks grades!
2. View updated College Glogs here. (Click on the word Glog on each poster to go directly to the Glogs for sounds and animations)

- New

1. View this Glog on bullying (post a comment here on whether or not you feel that bullying is a problem on campus and why)
2. View this demo on our school address
3. Attempt to logon to your Google Apps account here (using your computer logon info)

- Do

1. Check your grades and complete any missing assignments
2. If you have a Google Apps account, send an email to me (at this address bmercer@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu) that says your email works
3. Complete your GE kmz tour of 5 places
4. Complete your GE1 IW assignment (to capture 5 images on each screen green, blue and orange) from each of the 3 kmz files (one of which you make)

- Through?

1. Watch this TED talk on how the 6th sense device was developed on your laptop
2. Complete or improve your college Glog

Wednesday 6th: This is an early release day.  Here’s the bell schedule.

- Review

1. How to use the comments form (for the Bullying Glog feedback)

- New

1. After the quiz, we will try a new link to get to your new Gmail accounts

- Do

1. Take this Quiz (Use your First and Last name in the top window, and your lunch code for ID)
2. View results of Bullying Glog comments here (includes a copy of the bell schedule for today in case the other links don’t work for you)
3. Try this link to access your Gmail account

- Through?

1. Continue improving your college Glogs (6th period: Kenneth use so3j9 + lunch code and 7th period: Zach use s10c3 + lunch code)
2. Watch this TED talk on how the 6th sense device was developed on your laptop

Thursday 7th:  

- Review

1. Discuss quiz questions

- New

1. Try this link to access your Gmail account
2. If the link works, compose an email to bmercer@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu

- Do

1. Retake or complete quiz
2. Add an email contact
3. Create and share a G-Doc

- Through?

1. Continue improving your college Glogs

Friday 8th:  

- Review

1. There were a couple of problems with the quiz we took yesterday, so everyone who took that quiz will receive full credit as a participation grade.  However, it is still possible to receive a zero if you do not take that quiz!
2. View this Prezi on our quiz questions and discuss any of the questions which you are uncertain about. 
3. We will be using screencast-o-matic today and taking a brief quiz on how to use it with today’s assignment.
4. View an example screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder called sc5 demo which demonstrates what you are to record today.

- New

1. Read the next section (Do) and then take this Quiz on using Screencast-o-matic and what to do with it today.  Your quiz will be scored immediately and you will see your grade as well as the correct answers to the questions right after you take it.  You may take the quiz repeatedly to receive a higher grade if you choose to.

- Do

1. Make a new folder in your s-drive called screencasts and drag all of your screencasts (sc1, sc2, sc3, sc4) into that folder.
2. Create a new screencast of your College Glog and save it in your S-drive screencasts folder as sc5.  In your screencast must say and show these 3 things: 1) the name of your college or university, 2) the city and state where it is located and 3) at least one detail of what your Glog looks like.
3. There’s a link to Screencast-o-matic in the Tools section of this Blog
4. You must set your screencast resolution to 800x600
5. Remember, there is an example screencast in the J-drive/bmercer/Today folder called sc5 which you may look at to help you!
6. Although your College Glog will not be graded (because they all look good to me!), your screencast recording of it will!

- Through?

1. View our updated College Glogs Prezi which has 15 new College Glogs added to it.
2. Complete or improve your own college Glog.
3. Take the Review Quiz on Using 308 Today if you haven’t already done so.
4. Retake today’s quiz if you didn’t pass it.
5. Watch a Tammet Video clip (as a class)

Additional Information:

• Prezis