introducing Animoto.com

We all want to be famous - we want to be seen and adored on youtube viral video; we want to be in a music video with Ke$ha or Rebecca Black (especially riding in a car with Rebecca Black while one of her 13 year old friends is driving); we also want to make our own movie or video game trailer for everyone to see.

Animoto.com is a web 2.0 technology that lets you create your own 30 second movie trailer with your own pictures, video, music, and text. You can add these items to the huge list of themes (they call them "styles"). Once you combine everything, it creates a video for you. The best part is that it's all saved online for you and is private.

This is your chance to play around with the technology that is used by movie and tv producers, and it's totally free. Many of your teachers will be using this as a culminating activity, so getting used to the technology now is hugely important.

YOUR TASK:

1. Read up on animoto.com by right-clicking and opening in a new tab the following link:
http://animoto.com/features#overview
2. Read through the list of Features on the left first (so you know what they offer).
3. Watch the 60 second video on how animoto works.
4. Click on "Sign Up" at the top and set up a free "Lite" account. Use only your initials when it asks for your name and make yourself at least 13 years old... and your done.
4.Create your own movie trailer about (choose one):

• a musician (even Rebecca Black!)


• a sport or an athlete (here's your chance to say why Bosh sucks!)


• a favourite author or book series (make a movie trailer for Hunger Games)


• a favourite TV show (please, no Jersey Shore)

5. BE SURE TO PLAN OUT WHAT YOU DO FIRST. Collect the images you'll use, and decide what music or videos you might want to incorporate. This "Challenge" will take at least 3 periods and we will have participants share their videos during an upcoming Library period.

Introducing Google 'My Maps'

Wouldn't it be great to create your own personalized Tourist Map, showing people pictures and videos of famous or notable places, or just favourite places that you like to hang out?

Knowing how to do this will be useful for your Geography projects, History assignments, for planning committees or groups at school, and for planning trips.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

During the next couple of periods, you'll be making your own City Tour, meant to persuade 12-13 year old tourists from overseas to visit your neighbourhood and the Greater Toronto Area.

1. You will collaborate in groups of 2-3 people.
2. The tour should start at our school and can end at any tourist destination in our city OR neighbourhood (Rogers Centre, CN Tower, etc.).
3. Your map should include "placemarks" to shopping, parks, historical/cultural monuments, schools, restaurants or anything else that would be of interest to someone your age. Make a list in Google Docs beforehand to help you plan out your route.
4. Make your City Tour unique and creative. What places would you like to visit if you were a tourist? Pick places that are not common.
5. For each place you choose, embed a picture or video, if possible.
6. Watch this tutorial first (right-click and open in new tab): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw&feature=relmfu This video tutorial will show you how easy it is to create your own map. Have it ready in another tab.
7. For help doing anything, visit this Help Page (right-click and open in new tab): http://maps.google.com/support/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guide.cs&guide=21670&topic=21676&from=21676&rd=2
8. REMEMBER: most of you are trying this technology for the first time. Your map doesn't have to be perfect. You're just experimenting so take your time. Making mistakes and being confused is part of learning something new.

prezi.com

I hope your break was great and you got some rest.

Today you will set up a prezi account. It's a new, more creative way for you to make presentations than using PowerPoint.

Prezi lets you create your own themes, has much more exciting fonts and effects, and allows you to import pictures (from your hard drive) and youtube videos (directly from youtube). You can zoom in on key ideas, create drawings, and so on. Your presentation ends up looking fluid, movie-like.

Your task:

1. Right click and open in new tab: www.prezi.com

2. Click Explore tab at the top and check out some other people's prezis (Check out "Death of PowerPoint" and "30 Things About Me")

3. Click on Learn. Then click on Lesson 1 for a brief tutorial. (Highly recommended.)

4. Click on sign up (top right hand corner). Select Public Free account.

5. Use your initials only where it asks for your name. Use the email you used to set up your google account.

6. Play around with the technology. If you're not sure what to do, go to step 3.

7. Create a Prezi entitled, "10 Reasons Why I'm so Great"

This is yet another way for you to harness amazing Web 2.0 technology to be even more creative with how you show what you know. Like anything, it might be awkward to use at first but you'll quickly get the hang of it.

MARCH BREAK BREAKOUT - EXCLUSIVE TO J B TYRRELL!

Are you ready for it?

On Friday March 11 from 1:07-2:45pm, the crew from 7H will be bringing to you the first ever

MARCH BREAK BREAKOUT!!!

It will be the biggest dance this school year with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity and World Vision Canada.

Students can make a minimum donation of $2, regardless of what activity you choose.

If you donate more than $2, you will be entered into a prize draw to win:

• $25 itunes giftcard
• $50 itunes giftcard
• $25 Loblaws gift card
• $25 SportChek Card
• $25 HMV giftcard
• plus many others!!!

The choices are:

• BREAKOUT DANCE (in the gym)
• HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER ("The Blind Side" in the Caf)
• COMPUTER BREAKOUT (in the library)
• if you don't pay $2 before the dance, you will be in SILENT STUDY HALL. You can get out of Silent Study Hall by donating $2 on the day of the dance and picking one activity to join.

Once you pick an event, YOU MUST STAY AT THE EVENT. NO "IN AND OUT" PRIVILEGES. NO TRADING SPACES.

There will be pop, chips and baked goods at the dance, plus a donation jar. Help make this world a more just, more equal place. It starts with you!

Check out our MARCH BREAK BREAKOUT page on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=115193875222037

WE WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!

Bruno's Valu Mart - 83 Underhill Dr. (Manager: Bruno Perciballi)

Nick's No Frills - 3850 Sheppard Ave. E. (Manager: Nick Fantridakis)

Dickie's No Frills - 1880 Eglinton Ave. E. (Manager: Ron & Denise Dickie)

Dave's No Frills - 3401 Lawrence Ave. E. (Manager: Dave Ali)

back to google docs for a sec...

We spent a lot of time collaborating with group members on our Google Docs Ad a while back. This week we're coming back to Docs to make it more useful to us. One of Google Docs's best features is the ability to save all (or at least almost all) of your assignments "in the cloud" and be able to access them from any computer with an internet access.

Why is this beneficial to you? It means that you can access your work from anywhere, saving you time and hassle. You can share your work (if you want) with anyone, anytime. If you use a word processing program that we don't use in our library, chances are that Google Docs can convert it.

Today, you'll be uploading your saved assignments from your TDSB "desktop" into Google Docs. You'll have it saved for as long as you keep your Google account. All for free. Yes, free. You can thank me later.

Follow this link and read the visual instructions on how to upload your assignments (right-click and open in a new tab):

http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=50092

YOUR TASK:

1. Upload as many current assignments (ones that are done or ones you are working on) into your Google Docs account. You need to find where you have them saved, of course.

2. Create folders for each of your assignments.

3. If you're sharing computers with a partner, split your time up evenly. The first person needs only log out of their Google account and the second person will log in with theirs.

4. If you're finished early, go to http://www.freepoverty.com/ . It's a game that actually donates glasses of water to developing countries based on the answers you get right. The more answers you get, the more glasses of water they'll donate to people who need it the most.

Getting Delicious

Social Networking sites have allowed us to connect with people around the world based on our likes and dislikes, our pictures, vids, music, and so on. The cool thing is that the above things can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world. We find out about people and things we could never have found out about on our own.

When we're surfing the web, we bookmark pages of interest to us, which are stored on our web browser. But when we change computers, we don't have access to those bookmarks. This is the lame way of doing things. Cloud computing and Web 2.0 has given us a website where we can save all our bookmarks and access them from any computer.

Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking site where you save your bookmarks online. When you're doing your research, you can tag the site in your delicious account and access it from any computer, anywhere in the world.

Even better: you can find bookmarks tagged by other people who have similar interests, as part of your social bookmarking network. It's like having millions of users and sites that match your interests, literally a few clicks away.

Your task this week is to:

1. Set up a delicious account. You can access it using your Google, Yahoo, or Facebook account (use your Google account preferably).

2. Create a profile and start connecting with people you socialize with in your class - you should connect with at least 5 other people you hang out with.

3. You must link with my delicious account here: http://www.delicious.com/mrdafos

4. Start adding bookmarks to your delicious account! Make sure to tag the bookmarks as you go along. Bookmark sites that are relevant to your subjects and assignments!

Watch this video that summarizes my lesson very quickly and then get bookmarking!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeBmvDpVbWc&feature=related

using "powerpoint" to make your ad

Hey everyone

So many of you have started to explore what Google Docs can do and maybe you've started to scratch the surface of producing your advertisement. If you want, you can make your ad using a Google "Presentation" (what they call a PowerPoint) to make your ad. At first I didn't want you to use this tool because I thought it would be better to build up to it. I change my mind.

Using "Presentation" to make your ad might even be easier than using "Document."

Just go to: "Open New"

Then go to: "Presentation"

Now use it like you would Power Point!

This will allow you to put text in front of a picture, which Document doesn't let you do...

Last thing: use any programs that we have on our Library computers to give your advertisement an edge.

PLEASE NOTE: the deadline for your assignment is the last week of January, except if your Library period is on Day 3, in which case yours is due the first week of February.

Creating a Google Doc

Welcome back!

Today you are going to partner up with one other person that sits at your table (if there are odd numbers, then you can make a group of 3, or the "odd one out" can partner with another "odd one out"), and you will create a Google doc. You will get a chance to collaborate with your partner on a specific task.

First you need to know how to do the basics. The following link shows you (better and faster than I can) how to setup a Google doc.

Right click this link and open in a new tab:

http://docs.google.com/support/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guide.cs&guide=21008

In order to complete this activity, you must do the following:

1. Right click this link and open in a new tab: www.docs.google.com

1.One person MUST CREATE a Google Doc, and then...

2. You MUST share it with your partner(s)

Here is the scenario that your partner and you will be working with:

Your a small team of advertisers and you have been assigned a huge task: you must create an advertisement for ONE of the following:

a) a major tour for a singer or group (a real group or singer is perfectly fine - Justin Beiber has to be a last option!) ;)

b) selling tickets for a major sports team or sports event (a real sports team or event are fine; for example, the Superbowl or the Toronto Marlies, etc.)

c) a book tour for a popular author (for example, Stephenie Myer doing a book promo at Indigo Books or at Fairview Mall)

d) a celebrity appearance on a major television show (for example, Nick Cannon or Drake making a special appearance on Much Music)

The requirements are simple:

1. The ad must be only one page long.
2. The ad must have an image.
3. The ad must have a catchy title that draws in the audience. Something catchy is great.
4. The ad must be appropriate for all viewing audiences.
5. The ad must have text that explains the "who, what, when, where, why" of the event.
6. The ad must be easy to read and understand and must give clear directions what is going on.

The point of this activity is for you and your partner(s) to get familiar with doing the stuff you do on Microsoft Word (or any other document software) on Google Docs.

You are encouraged to work on this at home, and at the same time, so you can see what it's like to collaborate on something in real time (you can even chat with each other in Google Docs as you work!).

You can view more on the Google Docs Youtube channel, here:

http://www.youtube.com/docs

Setting up a Google account for Cloud Computing

Welcome JBT

In order for you to be successful in the Web 2.0 world, you will need to work virtually with other people to accomplish a common goal. Learning this skill - this career and life skill - needs to be learned now. If it's learned in high school or after, it might be too late.

What you will get is a new way to be creative, to get stuff done faster, easier, and have some fun while you're at it.

This blog post will show you how to quickly set up a google account (if you don't have one already). It will take you no more than 5 minutes. With a google account, we will be able to set up websites, blogs, and create class groups. Best of all, you'll be able to collaborate on powerpoint presentations and documents with others, in real time. Imagine beng able to work on the same document, without having to be in the same room with your group members. Plus, no more forgetting your assignment on the kitchen counter: Google Docs will be able to store your files for you. This is called Cloud Computing:


Here's how to do it:


1. Follow this link: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount?continue=http://www.google.ca/&hl=en


2. Once there, fill in the information as shown below. Uncheck any default boxes (there's no need for google to save your web history, etc.). Your password should be 8-10 characters and MUST NOT BE SHARED WITH ANY SINGLE BODY!

3. If you have a google account, click on "Sign in here." Otherwise, fill in the required information. If you don't, then use your current email address. Type out the security word (it might take a few tries) and agree to the terms of service (don't worry they're okay).

(My wife already told me my printing is ugly. You don't have to do the same. Thanks.) ;)

5. The last page will state that a confirmation email has been sent to the email you provided. Log into your email and click on the link. Now you will be able to start cloud computing.

IF you are having trouble setting it up this way (for example, it's not sending you a confirmation email and instead is telling you that it's going to send you a text message), then set up a gmail account instead.

Welcome to the 21st century. Now someone show me how to print neatly with a mouse, please.