Tips for Your Projects

Memes are very fun to create.  We see them everywhere.  Have you ever created one?  There are so many sites and apps out there.  I have created one related to your spring projects.  I'm sure you've seen this little guy before.  Take a look at it below the tips I've included.

Tip #1:  Completing Your Storyboard:
When creating a presentation you should always take the time to create a storyboard first.  I have included copies of blank storyboards in all of your folders.  If you need more, please ask.  You don't want to waste time being a perfectionist with your drawings and text.  You are making basic notes, rough drafting, in each slide box on the template.  Draw stick figures or simply write what you will use as your "key words" in your "query."
**Be sure to include a title slide (which should have the group members first names) and a Resource or Bibliography slide (this is where you will copy and paste from your EasyBib project library and add any image citations.)
Don't worry about backgrounds, fonts, colors, and transitions.  You will sit as a group on the due date to finalize these items.

Tip #2:
Text before images!!!  Your words are the most important part of this presentation.  You need to convey your solution or answer to your audience.

Tip #3:
Limit your text on each slide.  Text should be large enough for your audience to read from a distance (like the tables in our cafeteria.)  You can use bullets to emphasize points.  Slides do not need to be written in complete sentences, but audience must understand your points.

Tip #4:
Work together and communicate with one another (yelling and bossing around are not effective ways to communicate.)

image link

Finding Out What You Know

This week students in my classes will be taking their first assessment.  This is an opportunity to show me what you have learned so far this year.  We have spent time preparing for this assessment, and I think you will all be surprised at how well you will do.  You are really a very bright bunch of young men and women!!  Assessment #1 was created using a Google form.  It will only be available, accepting responses, during school hours.  Students will not be able to view or take this assessment from home.

I will not be in the lab for my students two days this week as I will be in "school" myself.  Mr. Frazier will be in the lab in my absence.  Please do a great job for him.  I have gone over my expectations with some of you, and know those of you whom I did not speak with will do an awesome job and make me proud.  

Please start off class by taking the assessment.  There is a link to the survey part of the assessment in the first paragraph of this post.  You will also be given a printed copy of an email to correct.  There are five errors on this email.  Please circle, and then correct each of these mistakes. The directions are written on top of the email.  Please be sure to read them carefully.

Once you have completed your assessment, you will begin working on a presentation.  You will create a presentation using either Glogster EDU or Google Presentation.  If you choose to use GlogsterEDU you can find some video tutorials at the bottom of the home page.  Please remember there is NO punctuation (no underscore) in your Glogster username (nickname).  Your password is the same as all of your other passwords.  If you are using Google Presentation don't forget to name or title your presentation before you begin.  There is a "help" tab for you to use to try to answer questions you may have.  In the help tab you will find this "Overview of Google Slides."  

What exactly is the presentation to be about?  You were given a copy of the Barnstable Public Schools Blogging and Commenting Guidelines last week.  We reviewed and discussed the Blogging Guidelines. You will create your presentation about these Blogging Guidelines.  Please do NOT simply retype the guidelines on to slides or in text boxes.  You will need to add extra information to explain each of these guidelines.  This extra information should be written in your own words.  This presentation will show me your level of understanding in regard to our Blogging Guidelines.  This will help me design my lessons over the next couple of weeks.  If you use any images from the Internet be sure to copy the URL of that image and paste it on the slide or in a text box with the image.  There is more information about using and saving images in the resource below.

I have created a more detailed resource for this project.  Please check it out!

Resources for Blogging Guideline Presentation

Please try to make your presentation fun and interesting!!  I want to be able to create a space where these presentations will "live" so students can use them as resources this year and in future years. 

Have fun!  I cannot wait to check out your work!

Time to Share

This week students will be sharing the presentations they have created. It has been a bit of a bumpy road for those students using "Prezi." For some reason, which we have not yet been able to troubleshoot, Prezi is not "playing nice" with Firefox. Students are having their Prezi's crash before they can be saved. We are also getting a message that "Adobe shockplayer plug in has crashed." Everything seems up to date in regard to add-on's and plug-in's. We have asked Mrs. Knittle to put it out to her strong on line community to see if others have been having similar problems. With all that taken in to account, many students will be prepared to share their presentations during our second class of the week. I can't wait to see this updated assignment.
On another note, about a month ago I shared a video created by our own B2B TV station. This broadcast featured BIS students and our superintendent. Students have asked how to see this video at home as many are featured and would like to share it with their families. You will need to check out the video at Vimeo where it is stored. This is the link: Superintendent Visits BIS.