9TA Thursday 12th June

Objectives:
Do your level tests on yacapaca.
Write a snappy blog post
learn to give good Feedback using comments
Learn what a tag is

Tasks: For after the tests
IMPORTANT: For privacy and safety do NOT use your full names on the blogs. Just to be on the safe side.

Log into blogger (click log in above)

1. Write a short blog post on exams and tests. Is there a point in exams, do you secretly love them, what's your opinion? (if it doesn't fit in with your blog you can start a new one up really quickly). Add relevant tags to your post.

2. What is the point of tagging your posts or other items you put on the web? Write your answer on your blog. You may want to add a tag cloud to the sidebar on your blog like I have on this blog. On bloggger tags are called labels. Go to your template and add a labels box.

3. Write a comment on my blog to say you have completed the first two tasks - (put a link to your website in the comment)

4. Visit some blogs from your classmates and leave them constructive comments. Do you agree with what they wrote? Do you have any ideas to improve their blogs?

Extension Work: Sign up for google analytics - try and add it to your blog.

Homework: Find 5 websites that you may be interested in following when they update.
2 must be blogs
1 should be a news website (you can choose a specific type of news like fashion or entertainment news)
1 should be a category of photos on flickr (eg all photos tagged "school")
Have them all written down somewhere (your planner, your blog or on paper) for next lesson WE WILL be using them!

Tuesday 10th June - Work for 9TA

Aims:
To learn what RSS is
To learn what RSS is for
To use RSS feeds in one or two different online tools.

Starter:
Find out what RSS stands for and what the symbol/picture for it is. Write this up on your blog (just 3 or 4 lines) and leave a comment here to say you have finished.

Main activity:
1. Set up igoogle - create a new tab showing different blogs from the class. You could also do a comments feed. Next customise your homepage - find other useful RSS feeds on the internet - you might want to look for news on one of your interests, a feed of pictures of your favourite band from Flickr or something else.
2. Write a short blog post to check that your RSS feed works

Extension task: Try out google reader - this is kind of like an e-mail reader except it monitors all kinds of information such as news feeds for you and allows you to get all your information in one place.

Plenary:
Write a blog post evaluating Igoogle and/or Google Reader. What was good about them, what would you like them to do?

Homework: Computer Simulations: What is a computer simulation, why are computer simulations useful, find an example of one that has been in the news. Write your answers on paper or on your blogs.

Hi 9TA Thursday morning group

It's a bit quiet today with all the rock challenge people missing!
Well done do 9TA this morning for creating some superb blogs. I hope my other year 9TA group will get some inspiration from you!

Please vote in Laurelle's poll on her hyper-empathy blog.

Also look at Izzy's amazing layout on her blog!

But don't look at Ismat's brilliantly written Man U page as I don't like Man U!

Intro

Welcome 9TA
Please find all links here.