Grade+7

=Grade 7 Information Technology=

= = toc
 * Qatar Academy, 2007-8**

Unit 2: Exploring animation as a way to communicate
For this unit you will develop skills using animation tools and explore how animation can enhance communication. You will have a choice of tools to create your final product. These are: Are these also relevant? To get started with Flash watch and learn from the [|Atomic Learning Flash] online videos. Don't forget - ID: qataracad PW: doha
 * [|Aniboom.com]
 * [|Toondoo.com]
 * Macromedia Flash (on school PCs)
 * [|Sploder]
 * [|My Game]

Investigate
Explore all 3 tools as listed above. Write a blog post answering these questions:
 * 1) What are the features of each animation software? In other words, describe what each can do and what they can create.
 * 2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using each one?
 * 3) Add hyperlinks to your blog post to the websites where these tools are found and/or where there are tutorials showing how to use them.

Design
Design your own assignment! What are you going to produce? What will it look like? What will it's function be? How will it be evaluated? What will you need to create it?
 * Write a blog post** detailing all of your design ideas so that your project can be approved

Plan
Write a plan showing how you will complete your project. What will you do first? What will you need to do to complete the project? How will the product you have created be evaluated? How do we decide if it is a good product or not?
 * Write a blog post describing your plan for completing the project
 * Write a list of criteria for the evaluation of your finished product

Create
Work on your proposed project and complete all sections. Make sure you write at least 2 blog posts while you are doing this. On your blog you can talk about how you are using the software as well as any problems or successes you are having.

Evaluate
Your final 2 pieces of work for this unit are as follows:
 * 1) Writing a peer review of another student's product **(this will take place the week starting May 18)**
 * During class you are to review two other products and write a constructive review for that person. Here are the instructions for doing this:
 * Write a blog post **describing** (not reflecting) your final product. Include at the end of this descriptive passage 3 bullet points with specific requests to your reviewers eg. Was the level of difficulty for the game too high?, or was the script easy to understand?
 * Publish this blogpost and have your blog open on the desktop
 * Now, open you product and have it available for viewing
 * As we rotate around the class you will read the other persons blogpost and look at their product
 * Click on the 'Comments' at the end of their blogpost to post your review as a comment
 * Do not forget to add your name, eg My name is '.....' here is what I think:
 * Publish your comment
 * 1) Writing an evaluation of your own work on your blog. This is criterion E. For full marks (6/6) you are to:
 * discuss strengths and weaknesses of your product based on the peer review: what improvements were suggested, what did you modify and change?
 * discuss the strength and weaknesses of your performance during this unit: what did you do well in? what could you have done better?
 * discuss the impact this product may/will have on your friends and family.
 * Your final evaluation must be completed by Thursday May 29**

Simplified Rubric for final assessment of this unit

It has been evaluated (strengths and weaknesses) based on the impact on viewers and improvements have been suggested. || 6 || personal engagement (motivation, independence, general positive attitude), - attitudes towards safety, cooperation and respect for others. || 6 ||
 * || **Possible Marks** ||
 * **Investigate:** The possibility of using online and off-line resources to create animation is fully explored and explained. Information is evaluated and approaches discussed fully. Descriptions are given for the testing and evaluation of the final product. || 6 ||
 * **Design:** The own-choice product is fully described and discussed in terms of functionality and needs for production. || 6 ||
 * **Plan:** The plan, consisting of a number of logical steps, fully discusses a timeline and requirements needed for production. || 6 ||
 * **Create:** The final product demonstrates a competency with appropriate tools for creating animation and other related products. A blog process journal has been maintained throughout the creation. || 6 ||
 * **Evaluate:** Both peer and self evaluations have been completed.
 * **Attitudes to technology:**

Getting started with RSS
Every student in Grade 7 is to start an RSS reader. Her are the steps to take:
 * Watch the [|What is RSS] video from Atomic Learning's Web 2.0 series (ID: qataracad PW: doha)
 * Start an [|igoogle.com] page: You already have a Google account through blogger.com therefore use the same login ID and PW as for your blogger
 * Make a new TAB in your igoogle and call it QA SAchool
 * Go to ADD STUFF
 * Go to ADD FEED or GADGET
 * Add your blog URL eg http://12345.blogspot.com
 * Add your delicious URL eg http://del.icio.us/julielindsay
 * Choose a theme for your igoogle
 * You can now add more stuff but make sure your school tab has gadgets and information related to your learning at QA
 * Now go ahead and add more TABS for some fun stuff or games,

This unit ends on **January 31**. Here are the final tasks to be completed by then:
 * READ THIS NOW: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE 'DISASTER' UNIT**
 * Website to be finished by Thursday January 17 (3 web pages with hyperlinks). This will be viewed in class by the teacher and one other student
 * Peer review of a website: Each student is to write a review in their blog of another students website
 * Colour and design of website (headings and colour combinations)
 * Images - size, placement, quality, use of background image
 * Navigation and organisation - links and logical pages/content (check all hyperlinks)
 * Information pages - 3 x pages, relevance and use of appropriate information
 * Text - size, colour, placement, readability
 * Evaluation: Each student is to write a blog post evaluating their own website and their performance in this unit (read the rubric for more details about this)

Unit 1**:Disaster!!**
This unit follows the IBO MYP Technology curriculum guide
 * How can we use the Internet to communicate when disaster strikes a community?**
 * **Area of Interaction:** Community and Service
 * **Guiding Questions:** How can I make use of established and emerging WWW tools to support online publication? What are the best tools to use for effective communication online? How can the Internet be used to help a community prepare for and survive a disaster?
 * **Learning Objectives:**
 * To foster essential research skills and use social bookmarking
 * To analyse and compare different methods of online communication (static, dynamic, interactive modes including multimedia and Web 2.0)
 * To create and maintain a personal blog (required for process journal material)
 * To become aware of good web page design and user interface on the WWW
 * To develop basic web page authoring skills including HTML essentials and generic software familiarisation (Dreamweaver)
 * To work through and understand the design cycle

Download

 * Disaster!!** unit plan [[file:Gr7_MYPTech_Disaster_0708.doc]]
 * Disaster!!** Rubric and Assessment Criteria [[file:MYP_Technology_Assessment_Gr7_Disaster_0708.doc]]

Getting Started
[Extension task: Find other resources to read about social bookmarking [|here].]
 * Social Bookmarking**: Set up your own account with [|delicious] and bookmark all of the good resources you find. Watch this [|YouTube video] to learn how to do this. Don't forget to use tags logically.

When you are blogging in class about your project and its development you might like to read and use the Blogging for Success wiki.
 * Setting up your Blog**: As part of your work in IT you will establish a blog and write to it every week. Go to [|Blogger.com] and sign in to start your blog. If you are not sure how to do it, watch this [|Blogger video tutorial] on how to setup your new blog.

Week 1-4: Investigate
Use these questions as a starting point to research:
 * Why is communication so important during an emergency?
 * What forms of communication have been used during recent disasters e.g Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami
 * What essential information needs to be communicated during a disaster or emergency?
 * What information can be created before the emergency? What information needs to be communicated during the emergency?
 * What hardware and software is required to be able to communicate online?

Task 1
Explore the different forms of online communication including blogging, podcasting, IMing, email, and others. Prepare a short blog post considering the following:
 * Communication and the Internet**
 * Which communication forms are synchronous?
 * Which ones are asynchronous?
 * What type of information would be conveyed by each form?
 * What is needed in hardware and software for each?

Task 2

 * Introduction to web page creation**
 * Web pages are created using HTML (HyperText Markup Language). It is fun to learn basic HTML to use along with other programs such as FrontPage and Dreamweaver. This [|HTML tutorial] is a fun way to start BUT read all instructions carefully. Have fun!
 * Now have a look at the basic use of **Dreamweaver** in class. This is an off-the-shelf program that helps you create websites using WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). You can also see and use the HTML coding while creating weg pages.
 * Prepare a short blog post describing your experience using HTML and basic Dreamweaver. Which one would you prefer to use to create a website? Why?

Week 5-6: Design
Explore different website designs within the Dreamweaver program. Explore 'good' and 'bad' website designs.
 * Website Design**: An effective website that is well designed helps to communicate a message to its audience.

Task 3
Use templates, explore colour schemes and other essential design elements to design your website. Include the following elements in your design: You may consider using the software called **Inspiration** to show your design as a diagram. This can then be exported as a JPG file and uploaded to your blog for Task 4.
 * Design a 3-page website for 'Disasters'**
 * There must be 3 web pages that link together in some way (home page and two links?)
 * There must be a table of contents accessible from every page
 * There must be a graphic used as a logo on every page

Task 4
Write a paragraph to your blog discussing possibilities and alternatives for design and content for your Disaster website (green thinking hat). Then write to your blog describing your chosen design (white thinking hat). Justify your choice by listing reasons for why your design will work.
 * Write a blog post about your design**

Task 5
Find examples of 'good' and 'bad' website design. Write a blog post and hyperlink to one 'good' web page and one 'bad' web page. Describe and explain why you have chosen these. Discuss how you could use some of the features you found on these websites in your Disaster website. Remember you must consider the following parameters: Navigation, Colour scheme, Alignment of objects and text, Spelling and Grammar...what else is important? Here are some examples to get started: [|Red Blood Club] [|HRODC] [|Fast Cars UK] [|Henkel]

Week 7-9: Plan
Use tutorials on [|Atomic Learning] for tutorials about using Dreamweaver. Link here to introduction videos on [|how to get started with Dreamweaver.] Remember to use these details to log in: User ID: qataracad PW: doha

Write a blog post listing and discussing what you have to do to complete this project. Your list should include the following:
 * Task 6**
 * Choosing ONE type of disaster e.g. Tsunami
 * Finding 4-6 resources about your disaster
 * Designing and creating the home page in Dreamweaver
 * Designing amd creating page 2 and 3 using dreamweaver
 * Adding content to all 3 pages
 * Evaluating your work, including peer review
 * Writing a final reflection

Week 10-14: Create
You will spend 2-3 weeks creating your website. Don't forget to keep your blog journal active. This is the time you should be writing about the problems and successes you have and documenting the development of your website.

Use Dreamweaver on Atomic Learning [|how to get started with Dreamweaver.] Create a homepage with a short introduction to your topic and with places to link to the other pages. Create page 2 and page 3 with content about your topic. Follow your design and hyperlink pages together.

Write a blog post 'Five things I now know how to do using Dreamweaver"
 * Task 7**

Write a blog post "Five things I need to do to finish my website"
 * Task 8**