Final Project

First Christian Academy

Computers & Technology Class, Spring 2015.

Final Project

We’re going to work on a final project for the next three weeks. The project will have multiple components that need your time and planning:

• A video you will create and host on Youtube
• A spreadsheet for the business
• A website with five pages

You’re going to pretend to open up a tutoring company that serves middle and high school students.

The video will contain pictures that you take along with a narration you’ll write and record. Write the script within a week, you can record your narration in class next week if you like (I’ll bring in the equipment for you to use). Take at least 10 pictures of various textbooks, desks, and other images that support your message. (You may not use pictures from the web, you must take your own pictures and use them in the video, no personal pictures, lose 15 points). You might need to resize the pictures if they are very high resolution. Try here or here. 800 pixels is a good size to use. The video needs to be 30 - 60 seconds long. This will be 75 to 150 words of text for your narration.

Plan the finances. You’ll setup a spreadsheet that will show how the business will function financially. You must use google drive spreadsheets for the project. How many students can you work with each afternoon? Operating hours are probably 3pm to 8pm. Most students will stay 2-3 hours. Tutors can work with 2-4 students at once. If you hire 3 tutors, how many students can you serve each day? Assume 80% capacity most days. Tutors will earn $15 per hour. Parents will pay $45 per hour for tutoring. Set up your spreadsheet to show income from tutoring. Then show expenses to operate the business. You should include at least 10 expense items, here are some to get you started: Tutors, electricity, rent, phones, internet, water. (You come up with at least 4 more). Setup the spreadsheet with monthly and yearly columns. You must use formulas to calculate the answers; if formulas are not used, you will miss out on 30 percent of the possible points. Your spreadsheet can look similar to this one:

Setup the website. Register a name at wordpress.com and setup the site. It needs to have at least 5 pages: home page, about us page that includes the video, ‘investor page’ that has the spreadsheet embedded or linked from google drive, a contact page that includes an embedded map from google maps and a contact form. The contact form needs to ask for the parent’s name, student's name, use a multiple choice button for students grade (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), their address (including city, state zip), their phone. The results of the contact form should email to you so you can show me it works correctly. Finally, a meet the tutor page that will include pictures of the three tutors (you can pick random pictures from google images for these people). Include a paragraph you’ll make up about who the tutors are, their qualifications, and what subjects they specialize in.

Since this is a large project, you’ll need to pace yourself to complete it on time.

Next week, May 6, you need to have your pictures ready at the beginning of class. No pictures, no points.

May 13 you need to have the spreadsheet completed and website partially setup at the beginning of class.

May 20 you need to have the project completed and ready to show at the start of class.

Read over the project a few times and contact me in class or via email if you have any questions or issues. I look forward to seeing your business begin!

In Class Assignment: Write a paper on future jobs

Read this article:
http://insights.globalspec.com/article/788/robots-for-humans-addressing-the-engineering-challenges

Then write a minimum 300 word opinion paper using google drive (check your words by selecting tools / word count). In your paper, summarize the article (in one or two paragraphs). After your summary, write your opinion on what this technology means for your future job choices. Include your thoughts on three jobs that will be replaced by automation within the next 10 years. What are three jobs that are unlikely to be replaced by robots? Then, give some thoughts on what choices in education (college) you can make that will help you get into a career that will still be needed. What skills will be most helpful for you to enjoy employment through your life? Finally, give your thoughts on if this change toward more automation/robots is good, bad, or indifferent for society.

300 words is almost a full page single spaced. I'd like your paper to be double spaced; it will be 1.5 to 2 pages long. Use proper punctuation, indent each paragraph (by pressing tab or setting up your margins to do it automatically). Include your name and title of your paper right justified in a header.

The paper is due at the end of class today, April 8, 2014.

Group Project, April 2015

First Christian Academy, Middle School technology and computers

Group Project, March-April, 2015.

Assignment value:  140 points (10 points for each week progress, plus 100 for the final project).

Get into groups of 4 people (3 or 5 with approval from me).

For this project, you’ll work in a group to accomplish a task using computers and technology.  You’ll be graded on the quality of the group’s work, and the depth of the piece.  Does it look like your group spent time on it?  Whatever you choose to do, do it well!  If the rest of your group says that you didn’t do much of the work on the project, don’t expect many points.

Ideas:

Create a video 3-5 minutes in length that promotes an idea or sells a product (real or fake).

Make a website that promotes an idea or sells a product (real or fake).  Suggestion to use wordpress.com as the engine for the site.

Create a presentation (at least 10 pages) that promotes an idea or sells a product

Write a collaborative story (5-8 pages)

Create a skit that lasts 3-5 minutes and record it on the computer or phone.  All group members play a part

Make a cook book with at least 10 recipes.  Insert pictures and make it look great.

Create a game show, where the rest of the class tries to answer questions as the audience.  Use the computer to show the questions or other creative parts.

You need to confirm what part each person in the group will be working on by next Wednesday, April 1, 2015. This is a turn in piece of paper you will create and turn into me at the beginning of class next Wednesday, April 1, 2015. No paper, no points next week for your entire group.

The project is due on Wednesday, April 22, 2015.  Start working on it now.  We will check on the progress that you’re making each week and you will receive a grade for each week of progress.  You’ll show the project to the class as a group.  Then the entire class will vote for best group for extra credit.

Outlining a person from the Bible

Outlining

Outlining allows you to present information in multiple levels.  In hierarchical outlines, there are main points, and sub point arranged in a tree structure.  This assignment will help you learn to use the outline functions built into all word processors.  Utilize your word processors outline (or numbering) functions.  In google docs, it’s called a numbered list, and is started by clicking the 1, 2, 3 icon on the toolbar.  Then use tab and shift-tab to go back and forth between levels.

You MUST use the outline tool built into google docs to complete the document.  First type the person’s NAME you are outlining at the top. Center it. Then, click the 1/2/3 the is up near the top to use it, then use the tab key (and shift tab to go the other way).  You should NOT need to ever type the a. or 1. or ii., the program does it for you.  If you’re typing a. or 1. or iii., you are not doing the assignment correctly.

Assignment:  present facts about 1 person we read about in the Bible.  Suggested names include:  Adam, Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Daniel, David, Solomon, Josiah, or Paul (you may not use Nehemiah, the example below is done for you).  Please have three main points under each person and then include at least two sub points under each main point.  Include Scripture references to indicate where you came up with your points.  Please have it ready to show me for next week.  Late work will lose 10 points per day. Assignment is due March 11, 2015 at the beginning of class. If you are absent, share the document with me prior to class.

Here’s an example to get you going:

Nehemiah

1. Cup bearer for King Antaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1).
1. Appeared sad in front of the King (2:1-2)
2. Asked the King if he could go back to Jerusalem to fix the walls (2:5)
3. Asked for help with safe passage (2:8)
2. Went to Jerusalem
1. Assessed the situation first (2:11-16)
2. Announced it was time to rebuild the walls (2:17)
3. Problems during the rebuilding of the wall
1. Sanballat and Tobiah were against the rebuilding of the wall (4:1-3)
2. Nehemiah prepared against their attacks (4:13-14)
4. Rebuilt the wall in 52 days! (6:15)

Creating a contact form on Wordpress

Today we're going to add a contact form to our wordpress site.

Contact forms allow websites to collect information from willing visitors. Instead of posting your email address on a website, which may be an invitation to spammers to start sending you things, using a contact form keeps your email address hidden. It also allows you to specify what information you want people to share with you to better help them.

Log into your wordpress site, click WP ADMIN. Add page, then look for the button that says "Add Contact Form.

Then we'll build a form that asks visitors for their:
Name
email address
phone number
And has a box for comments or what they want to share with us.

You'll also need to specify the email address you want the results of the form sent to, as well as subject line and a few other things we'll cover in class. Those are all options in the contact form builder.

Then test it and see if you receive the auto generated email from filling in the contact form.

Possible points: 100. Due at the end of class today, 2/11/2015.

Wordpress site: updating to include your video & a map

2.4.2015

We're going to go back to the Wordpress.com site you created a few months ago (or create a new one) and add a page that has the youtube video you created embedded and playable on the page. If you don't have an option for sharing / embed then you may have chosen to make your video private. In that case, change your video to 'unlisted' on youtube privacy settings. Then you'll be able to find the share / embed option.

Then you'll create another page that has an interactive map (google maps suggested) embedded in the page.

You should have TWO pages ready to show at the end of class today. You'll then need to create LINKS to those pages on your homepage or blog post...you need to do that to point to the new pages you created today.

Your embedded map should look like this below:

Upload picture slide show to Youtube

Today's assignment (1/28/2014) is to take the picture slide show you created last week and upload it to Youtube. You can chose to make it public (anyone can see it) or private so only you or someone you give the link.

You'll need to be signed into your Google account in order to be able to upload it to Youtube.

Picture collage and picture video

Your assignment to work on in class and after class is:
Create a picture collage using the 25 pictures you have on your computer from last week. You can use Picasa, another program, or an online service. Here are instructions for Picasa: https://support.google.com/picasa/answer/19539?hl=en

Create a song video with your pictures. You can also use Picasa, another program, or an online service. You'll use the mp3 song file you have saved on your computer as the background. We'll work on this in class.

Assignment is due at the beginning of class, 1/28/2015.

Picture video collage

Your assignment to work on prior to next week (due at the beginning of class 1/21/2014) is to have an MP3 file of a song you will use for your picture video. Make sure you have the mp3 file on your laptop...not somewhere on the internet. You will lose points if you don't have the mp3 file downloaded and on your laptop at the beginning of class.