Directions for Intro to Computers

The blog assignments are listed in reverse chronological order.  After reading these directions, click on "2014" to the right of this post in the "Blog Archive."  There you will find the first assignment ("Google #1").  That is the first assignment.  Upon completion, you will move on to the next assignment

MV completion check

You must have all 8 Google Drive Assignments complete with a grade of 7 or higher.
You must have all Blog Assignments complete.
You must have the khanacademy Coding assignments complete.

With all 3 of those sections completed you will earn 5 credits in applied skills and the technology proficiency requirement satisfied for graduation.

Extra Credit-Blog Wednesday- Music Collection

5 points for any answer

15 points for the correct answer

Extra Credit-Blog Tuesday- Cul de Sac

5 points for any answer
15 points for the correct answer

Extra Credit-Blog Monday- 3 Story Building

Hint-Use a piece of scratch paper to map out the building.
Then, you can add in the tenants based on the clues given.

5 points for an answer
15 points for the correct answer

Extra Credit-Friday Blog- Home Improvements

Title "Home Improvements"
5 points for any answer
15 points for the correct answer with a brief explanation

Extra Credit-Today's Blog Assignment

The remaining new assignments in this class are designed so that you can raise your grade.  Each assignment (this one included) will be worth 5 points in schoolloop.  If you publish a blog post with any answer you will get the 5 points, but if you get the answer correct you will earn 15 points (10 points extra credit.

To get the 5 points you must correctly title the assignment and give an answer.
Title- "Who Stole the Cake?"

Finish all the Coding Assignments

At this point in the class, you should have all the coding complete.

The remaining assignments are all extra credit.  You are not required to do them unless you want to raise your grade.  Each assignment is worth 5 points of extra credit if you get the correct answer.

Coding #12

Coding #11 Object Oriented Design

Coding #10 Objects

Coding #9 Arrays

Coding #8 Looping

Monday Free Choice Blog Assignment

This is a blog assignment.

Today's assignment is another blog post.  The topic is up to you as long as it is school appropriate.  Title the assignment “Free Choice."

This assignment must be at least 150 words in at least 3 paragraphs.  Include at least 2 pictures and at least 1 link to a website related to your topic.

Coding #7

How many handshakes?

This is a blog assignment.

1)  You walk into your first college class and the professor tells you to shake hands and introduce yourself to every other student in the classroom.  Every student shakes hands with every other student exactly once.  How many handshakes were there (there are a total of 10 students in class)?

2)  After everyone finishes shaking hands an eleventh student enters the classroom.  How many handshakes will there be (total) after he is done shaking hands?

3)  What would be the total if there were 20 students in the class?

The following illustration is your hint as to how to figure out these three answers.  Post your three answers on your blog.  Title the post "How Many Handshakes?"

Additional hint-  There is a pattern (formula) to this problem.  Once you figure it out, you can quickly calculate the answer no matter how many people there are.

You may collaborate with your fellow classmates, but you must be able to explain your answers.

Make up work Monday

Check your Google Drive class folder to make sure that you have all 8 Google assignments (#6 we are not doing).  Then log in to Schoolloop and make sure that you have a grade of 7 or higher on those 8 assignments.  Complete any unfinished assignments.

If the Google Drive assignments are done and graded, then get caught up with the Coding assignments.

If the Google Drive assignments and the Coding assignments are complete, then finish any missing Blog assignments.

If everything is complete and you have a grade in Schoolloop for everything, then let me know.

Coding #6 Functions

Coding #5 Text and Strings

Coding #4

Today, you are to complete the "Resizing with Variables" section.

Coding #3

Today's coding section is "Animation Basics."

Coding #2

These coding assignments are sequential, so if you did not finish with yesterday's sections, you must finish those first.  The next 2 sections are assigned for today and tomorrow.  The first one is shorter than the second.  For sure you should finish Coloring and begin working on Variables today.

If you are not getting the coding work done in class, you will need to work on these sections outside of class so  that you don't fall behind.  If by end of class tomorrow you are not finished with variables, then you will need to finish it over the weekend.

Coding #1

Today, you are going to sign in to khanacademy.org with your google account.  We are going to start doing some coding for the next weeks of this class.

Coding is a very lucrative career.

For today's assignment you are to do the first two sections.

You will be provided with headphones to use during the video tutorials.  These headphones are only for the video tutorials.

Today you will be completing the Intro to Programming and Drawing Basics sections.

Blog Assignment Favorite Film Friday

Title this blog assignment "Favorite Film" or "Favorite Film Friday"

Write at least 3 paragraphs of at least 150 (total) words about your favorite movie.  I don't want to read a summary of your favorite movie.  DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE.

Write about all the reasons why you like the movie.  You will include some details about the movie that you liked (do not include any spoilers), but DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE.

Include at least two pictures from the movie (movie poster, etc.).  Finally, 

DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE!!

Blog Assignment- Bucket List

A bucket list is a list of things that you want to do/accomplish before you die ("kick the bucket").  There is a 2007 movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman called The Bucket List about 2 terminally ill men attempting to complete all the items on their bucket lists.

For today's assignment, you are to come up with 5 things that you want to accomplish during your time here on earth.  Do not include things that you have already done.  Graduating college and having children are not on my bucket list, because I have already done those things.  List the things from 1-5 including at least 1 sentence describing why you want to do/accomplish each thing.

Minimum requirements

this is a blog assignment

numbered list of 5 things/goals/etc. that you haven't done yet.

at least 1 sentence describing why each thing was chosen

1. run a half marathon faster than 1 hour and 55 minutes-  I will never be an elite level distance runner, but I consider running 13.1 miles in less than 2 hours an accomplishment. My original goal was under 2 hours but 2 years ago I ran a 159:47.

2.  run a marathon (preferably in under 4 hours)-  I have yet to attempt this goal.  I will hopefully run my first marathon next year.

3.  complete a triathlon-  I know I can swim, bike and run.  The question is "can I find enough time to properly train for a triathlon?".  One day I will.

4.  travel overseas-  I have a passport, but have never used it (except for Mexico).  One day I would like to travel to many countries.

5.  Donate platelets as many times as possible-  I used to donate blood, but I was told for my blood type (A+) it was better to donate platelets.  Platelets can be donated every 2 weeks.  The problem for me is that the process takes about 3 hours and with 2 little ones at home I can't get away on the weekends for that amount of time.  Right now, I donate during the summer and vacation times since 2010.

Google Assignments

Use today's short class to make sure that all 9 Google assignments are complete.

If you have all 9 complete check your grade on schoolloop.  Let me know if any of your completed assignments are not graded, and I will grade them.

Once all 9 Google assignments are complete, then make sure all of the blog assignments are completed.

Google #9 Drawing

Today's assignment is the last of the "technology proficiency" assignments.  Log in to your Google account and go to Drive.

You are going to explore the drawing program in Google Drive.  You will spend time creating a masterpiece.

You final drawing must contain 

lines, 

shapes, 

different colors, 

and letters (your name at the very least).

Your final art must be school appropriate. 

You must spend at least 45 minutes creating this assignment.

Blog Assignment- Being Charitable

This is a blog assignment.

Name your post "Being Charitable."

Here is the hypothetical situation.  Mark Cuban mega-rich business man and owner of the Dallas Mavericks shows up at Back Bay High School with two million dollars to spend.  He offers you a job.  The pay for this job is one million dollars. The job is to choose a charity that you care about.   Mr. Cuban wants to donate the other one million dollars to that one charity.

Let's be charitable.

Your job is to research different charities to find one that means something to you.  After you find the charity that you want to support, you will write a blog entry that 1) **briefly describes the charity in one paragraph, 2) details (at least 2 paragraphs) why this charity is important to you (what about this charity is personally meaningful to you) 3) includes a link to the charity's website and 4) includes at least 2 pictures related to the charity.

There are a total of 3 paragraphs in this assignment.

**The link to the charity's website will include all the information about the charity.  This is why you will only briefly describe (a few sentences) the charity in your post.

Finish this week's 4 assignments

There will be no new assignment today.  Today's class time will be used to finish the 4 assignments from this week.

Make sure that you have all 4 of this week's assignments done.  Start by finishing Google #8 if it isn't complete, and then finish the 3 blog assignments.

If/when you complete the 4 assignments from this week, then finish any other unfinished work.

Google #8 Letter of Recommendation

This is a Google drive assignment.

Today's assignment is writing another business letter.

Specifically, you will be writing a letter of recommendation.  When applying for certain jobs (usually the higher paying ones) or scholarships you will be asked to provide letters of recommendation (usually 3).  These letters are written by teachers, principals, former bosses, etc.

For this assignment you will be writing a letter of recommendation about yourself.  You will be writing this letter as President Barack Obama.  It needs to be typed in the proper format in Google Drive.  Find the assignment in the google drive folder for this class.  Make a copy of that assignment and rename it correctly.  Move the assignment to your folder that is already shared with me.

Follow the example (pictured below).  Write this letter "Dear Mr. Walske:"  instead of "To whom it may concern:"

Your letter needs to have at least three paragraphs.  For example the paragraphs could be 

1) background information about you  2) skills/talents that you have 3) accomplishments you have made.

This letter is by President Barack Obama, about you, and addressed to me.

Barack Obama

President

United States of America

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Mr. Walske

Teacher

Back Bay High School

390 Monte Vista Ave

Costa Mesa, California 92627

You will not be writing in first person "I this and I that."  You are writing about yourself (as the President), but you are not writing as yourself.  This letter will be written as Barack Obama in first person.

Example: this would be how I would write about myself as Barack Obama.

          I would like to recommend Mister Walske for the Governor of California.  He is a very intelligent and motivated person.  Mister Walske has great problem solving skills and works well under pressure. Blah, blah, blah, etc.

Blog Assignment "My Top Three"

This is a blog post.  Title it "My Top Three Yourcategory"

You get to choose the category (sports you like, sports you play, video games, candy, sodas, movies, television shows, foods, hobbies, bands, etc.)

List your choices from 1 to 3.  Write at least 3 sentences about why you made each choice.

Include at least 1 picture for each choice.

My Top Three Sports (That I Play)

1.  Beach Volleyball

I have been playing beach volleyball for about 25 years.  I love it for many reasons.  It is great exercise, and I love competing.  I have played in many tournaments over the years including one this past Saturday.  When I was younger, I would play for 8 hours a day on the weekends.

2.  Running

I have been into running since the ninth grade when I began competing on the track team.  After high school I ran sporadically.  I picked it back up and have been running consistently for the past 8 years.  I love the exercise aspect of running as well as the personal competitive part of it.  I currently compete in half marathons.  Last year, I ran the Surf City Half Marathon and well as the OC Half Marathon.  This year, I will be running the Long Beach Half Marathon (3 weeks from Sunday), the Surf City Half, and the OC Half.  I also love mud/obstacle course runs.  

3.  Curling

The newest sport that I participate in is Curling (the Olympic sport played on ice).  I have been curling for about 6 months.  I am currently in the last 2 weeks of my third league.  In my first league, my team won the championship!  In my second league, my team got dead last!  In the current league, we are playing in the semifinals on Saturday night.  If we win on Saturday, we will be playing for the championship on the following Saturday.

Blog Assignment- Perseverance

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.  Thomas A. Edison

Have you ever heard of the noun perseverance or the verb persevere (to persevere)?

Life is not easy for any of us.  But what of that?  We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.  We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.

Marie Curie

If you were offered $50 right now or $100 in one year, which would you choose? And Why?

Successful people persevere when attempting to accomplish something.  Graduating college, running a marathon, earning money to buy a car, losing weight, these are examples of accomplishments that require perseverance.  These things take work and dedication to accomplish.  Once you decide on a long term goal there are endless instant gratification activities that can derail your plans.  Should I study for the test or play Xbox?  Should I go to the gym and workout or lounge on the couch and watch television?  Should I save my money or spend it on random junk?

Most if not all significant accomplishments in life involve some form of delayed gratification.  Built in to the process of succeeding is hard work and failure.  Everyone fails from time to time, sometimes repeatedly.  Someone is considered a failure if they quit and stop trying before succeeding.  The question is "Are you OK with failure?  Or are you going to keep trying (persevere) until you succeed?"  As a sophomore in high school Michael Jordan was left off of the varsity basketball team (he played on the junior varsity team) before he became the greatest basketball player on the planet.  That let down fueled his drive and desire to succeed.

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Vince Lombardi

Not everyone is going to be a professional athlete (actor, singer, model, etc.), but whatever your chosen goal you must persevere to accomplish it.  Once you realize that meaningful things often times require hard work and dedication, you will begin to prioritize your life around your goals.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."  Benjamin Franklin

Some of you might already know what you want to do with your life.  Others of you might still be trying to figure it out.  The first steps to success are choosing a goal and creating a plan.  Do you have any long term goals for your life?  What are your goals and have you created plans to achieve these goals.  Write about your goal(s) in life and detail the steps you need to do to achieve those goals.

Whether you're shuffling a deck of cards or holding your breath, magic is pretty simple: It comes down to training, practice, and experimentation, followed up by ridiculous pursuit and relentless perseverance.
David Blaine 

This is a blog assignment.  Title it "Perseverance."

The post must be at least 3 paragraphs of at least 150 

words.

David Blaine
Angela Lee Duckworth
Rodney Mullen