Monday, 9/10 - Friday, 9/14

I will be switching to Edmodo for student assignments so this week will only be info on objectives and some general info.

Pre-AP Biology:  Objectives for this week's lessons:

1. Distinguish between ionic and covalent bonds
2. Discuss the properties of water
3. Define pH and identify pH as acid, base, or neutral
4. Research the importance and characteristics of trace elements and food additives

• Mon., 9/10: Test. Login edmodo and review assignments. HW: projects; study notes
• Tues., 9/11: Covalent bonds. Login to new textbook. HW: projects; study notes
• Wed., 9/12: Water lab. HW: projects; study notes
• Thurs., 9/13: Test review; pH activity: WS bonding HW: projects; study notes.
• Fri., 9/14: Food additives collaboration. Share info into one spreadsheet and discuss. HW: Complete project. Study notes.

Multimedia. 

• • Mon., 9/10: Remix
  • Tues., 9/11: Remix
  • Wed., 9/12:Video download and add audio
  • Thurs., 9/13: Video download and add audio
  • Fri., 9/14: 

Tech Essentials

• • Mon., 9/10: Flashcards
  • Tues., 9/11: Complete unfinished assignments
  • Wed., 9/12: TEST: vocabulary; last day to complete unfinished assignments
  • Thurs., 9/13: 
  • Fri., 9/14:

Tuesday, September 4 - Friday, September 7

Two weeks down! We are proceeding to "full content mode" in all classes.  My biology classes in particular should have all procedures (textbook logins, class procedures, Edmodo sign-up) completed by the end of the week.  This will allow us to focus our time entirely on class content and objectives.

Pre-AP Biology:  Objectives for this week's lessons:

1. Graph and analyze data
2. Convert metric measurements
3. Explain why the metric system is used in science
4. Assess knowledge of chapter objectives

• Mon., 9/3: Labor Day holiday.  No school!
• Tues., 9/4: Review classwork; Sign up for student account on Edmodo (see links below for help/info); CW: metric system notes; HW: Metric system review; study notes; complete Successnet assignments.  Test on THURSDAY - Chapter 1
• Edmodo website.  You will need your class code and be ready to create a unique username and password.  username = first.last; password= your choice (but remember, I cannot reset this.  It needs to be something you can remember.)
• Student sign-in instructions
• Student sign-in video with more instructions
• Wed., 9/5: Test objectives review.  CW: metric; variables; scientific method review.  HW: study for test on FRIDAY.
• Thurs., 9/6: Review chapter objectives.  Review "BeriBeri" worksheet answers. Complete online assessment assignment. HW: test tomorow
• Fri., 9/7: Because so many of you reported having multiple tests assigned, the test has been postponed until Monday. We will begin chapter 2, Chemistry.  CW: Notes sec 2.1 review key concepts and vocabulary
• Write each key concept and answer it as a question
• For the 3 sub-atomic particles, name AND define each
• Isotope concept: Define isotope, element and answer the question
• how compounds differ - define compound + answer
• Main types of bonds
• define each
• draw/label examples of each
• covalent/ionic bond animation/explanation

Multimedia. 

• Mon., 9/3: Labor Day holiday.  No school!
• Tues., 9/4: Work on/Complete James Bond trailer.  New project:  Use "magic garageband" to create a song.  View this tutorial. 
• Wed., 9/5: Complete magic garageband. View tutorials on re-mixing a song.  
• Thurs., 9/6: Downloading audio and adding to garageband. Notes: audio formats; itunes/garageband integration.  Download audio into itunes.
• Fri., 9/7: Adding itunes music into garageband.  Begin remix.
• Find itunes audio/video
• Rip audio from video and convert to mp3 (online converter)
• Should save to itunes but if not, put into itunes
• Open garageband - media browser (itunes) - select song
• Cut any unwanted music
• Add loops

Tech Essentials:  Objectives

• Learn basic statistics about the current digital landscape
• Explore the role that media plays in their lives
• Reflect on the positive and negative impact digital media have on themselves and on society
• Define digital citizenship and identify their online responsibilities
• Explore online ethics by analyzing a mock social networking page

• Mon., 9/3: Labor Day holiday.  No school!
• Tues., 9/4: Intro Internet Safety; Intro Video ; Digital Smarts Info/Test; 
• Wed., 9/5: Define the following terms in google docs and share with me: 
  • adware, cookie, cyberbulling, firewall, flaming, griefers, identity theift, malware, mouse-trapping, netiquette, peer-to-peer network, pharming, phishing, social networking, spim, spam, spyware, trojan horse, trolling, worm, virus.  TEST on these terms on FRIDAY  as well as digital smarts discussion/questions.
• Thurs., 9/6:  
• Go to glogster and sign up for an EDUCATIONAL account.  Review "how to" tutorials. Create a "practice" one if needed. 
  • Create two posters in glogster - one on each of your assigned topics. Copy/paste url and email to me: jljones@ncths.net  DUE Mon, 9/10. Make sure you include:
  • Appropriate images relating to the topic
  • Minimum of one video on the topic (examples)
  • Information on the topic
  • Links to pages on the topic.
• Fri., 9/7: Test: vocabulary; digital smarts. CW: Work on poster. 

Monday, August 27 - Friday, August 31

Monday, September 3 is Labor Day - no school!

Our first week in our new building with new laptops and new digital textbooks is history!  I want to congratulate our parents for getting their students ready for this new year.  I had no more than 2 or 3 in each class without their laptops the first day of school.  By the end of the week, everyone had a laptop.  This is a testimony to all who made sure their students had the equipment they needed to be successful.  For many, it was a real sacrifice in both time and money.

Thanks also to my students who were very patient as we worked through login procedures and other minor problems relating to both laptops and digital textbooks.  

Week two is here and we will be picking up the pace and focusing less on procedures and more on content.  

Pre-AP Biology:  Objectives for this week's lessons:

1. Describe the steps in scientific methodology
2. Explain the difference in a scientific theory and society's use of the word "theory"
3. Contrast dependent and independent variables and give another term for each
4. Identify variables and controls in selected experiments
5. Write-up an experiment using scientific methodology

• Mon., 8/27: Set up notebook.  Add key questions (my objectives) for 1.1.  Notes: scientific methodology; Begin experiment. HW: study vocabulary; complete What is Science: Lesson Overview/Notes/Art in Motion..
• Tues., 8/28: Vocabulary check (QUIZ); Notes: variables vs control in an experiment; Grp work: determine variables and control in an experiment.  Art Review and Interactive Art online assignments.  HW: Think of an experiment you could perform at home.  Write the question you would like to investigate. Study notes.  Review online text 1.1.
• Wed., 8/29: HW check - what is your experiment? Return quiz and discuss.  Work in pairs to discuss how to best perform your experiment.  ID variables (dep/indep) and control HW: worksheet; write up experiment procedure. TEST Friday 
• Thurs., 8/30: Check HW. Discuss what is meant by a theory in science vs society's use.  CW: Self Test (online textbook); Biology and Society. p. 16 - complete;  HW: study notes; assignments.  Complete/re-do experiment procedures as discussed in class
• Fri., 8/31: CW: Review experiment hypothesis/problem; graph and analyze data.  Turn in notebook.

Multimedia. 

• Mon., 8/27: Intro Mac platform (trackpad - 1, 2, 3, 4, pinch, 2 fingers down (rt click) finger navigtion; dashboard; applications, other basics to get started); Intro garageband.  Complete teacher-directed project. Skills/Objectives to be covered:
• Add tracks
• Insert loops
• Fade in/Fade out
• Copy/paste
• Reset
• Record voice
• Mute tracks
• Tues., 8/28: Project 1:  Audio for new James Bond trailer.
• Wed., 8/29: Finish skills; Begin project 1
• Thurs., 8/30: .Continue project 1  
• Fri., 8/31: Practice with keyboard; continue project 1

Tech Essentials

• Mon., 8/27: Google spreadsheets- intro, compare to Excel, adding info.  Students will:
• Title spreadsheet
• Change cell size (width/height)
• Add info and change: formatting; text color; font
• BDs:  add months, # bds, graph.  (Highlight column headers!)
• Graph should be a column.  Include:
• Add Title
• Change background color
• Change column color
• Customize other as you like
• Save - move to a new sheet
• Share with me (jljones@ncths.net)
• Tues., 8/28: Review and complete missing assignments and share with me (jljones@ncths.net).  Assignments: google document; presentation; drawing; spreadsheet.  New CW:  Using Excel formulas:  average; add; subtract; multiply; divide. 
• add a column of numbers (at least 3 numbers)
• subtract one number from another
• multiply two numbers
• divide 338 by 14
• average 5 three digit numbers
• fill down: by 3s; days of the week; months of the year
• email as an attachment: jljones@ncths.net 
• Wed., 8/29: Google sites - students will make a google site that they can use as a reference site for textbook urls.
• Thurs., 8/30: Continue google sites:
• Add themes
• Add new page for: Textbooks.  Add links to all of your textbooks. Add link to Pearson successnet helpdesk.
• Fri., 8/31: Finish google site.  This is a website that will contain resource information for your use.  You should add to it as you learn new information.  On your HOME page - add your Other info to include could be:
• your google calendar
• School Links:  Edmodo; HCS; New Century home page; other?
• Select other pages that will help you remember items/info (locker info; schedule; fees due; a "to do" list

Monday, August 20 - Friday, August 24

Welcome back to school.  We are starting this school year in a new building, with a new digital curriculum and a one-to-one laptop initiative for the majority of students in our system.  

As your schedule indicates, all students will be enrolled in 8 classes and will have these each day.  Class periods are 46 minutes long with 4 minutes between classes.  

Pre-AP Biology

• Mon., 8/20: Student introductions; Class rules and expectations; Unit 1 Objectives; Notes:  Observations vs Inferences; Slide 1; Slide 2; Slide 3.  
• Tues., 8/21: Login to online textbook; Complete Observation/Inferences activity;
• Online textbook login page
• username: firstname.lastnameMMDD (MM=month) (DD=day)
• example: jane.jones1214
• password: welcomeN (N=your grade level)
• example: welcome9
• Wed., 8/22: Safety contract; online textbook login
• Thurs., 8/23: Safety contract quiz; login successnet - diagnostic test
• Fri., 8/24: Complete diagnostic test/remediation.  Intro to textbook.

Multimedia

• Mon., 8/20: Student Introductions; NCTHS email; Online multimedia resources
• Tues., 8/21: Prezi presentation.  Use their online tutorials to make a presentation titled, "What is Multimedia?".  Include info/sound/video/images on Audio, Video, Graphics, Animation.
• Wed., 8/22: Prezi
• Thurs., 8/23: Add to prezi using grouping/frames
• Fri., 8/24: Prezi presentations.  Share link for your presentation.
• Intro to online music editing/creating.  
• Visit each of the sites below.  Follow online directions for creating original music.  Save/download if possible. Use google docs to take notes on what each does/what it produces (midi, mp3, etc.)/ease of use/functionality.  Be prepared to share creations.  Share notes with: jljones@ncths.net.  If you have other sites or software you would recommend, share those also.
• Incredibox
• Beatlab
• Soundation

Tech Essentials

• Mon., 8/20: Student email; Google docs
• Tues., 8/21: Student email; Sharing google document
• Wed., 8/22: Complete google document; Collaborate on presentation
• Thurs., 8/23: Complete presentation; Google calendar setup - add HCS dates
• Fri., 8/24: Share document and presentation; jljones@ncths.net ; Drawing - explain assignment and show example
• Make a chart of your family:  Title - My Family
• Shapes - use different shapes/colors
• Text box - different text colors
• Connecting lines
• Re-size/change fonts
• Insert a minimum of 2 images - re-size as needed
• Insert a link to a page someone in your family would like
• share with me (see email above)

Congratulations to students in my Multimedia class! They were selected as the state winners in the ALEX iChallenge for grades 9-12.

Friday, June 22


HCS Workshop:  Multimedia Resources

• Website 

Monday, May 14 - Friday, May 18 (B Week)


Senior exams: Tues, B1


Underclass final exams begin Friday.  Half day classes.  

• Fri: B1 & B2
• Mon: A1 & A2
• Tues: B3 & B4
• Wed: A3 & A4

A Days: (Mon., Thurs)
Honors (Pre-AP) Biology: 

• Mon., 5/14: Complete plant kingdom worksheets and share.  Lab:  Squid Dissection.  Hand back tests.  HW: Animal Kingdom worksheets due Thurs.
• Thurs., 5/17 : Review plant and animal kingdom worksheets.  Final Exam review.  HW:  Final exam Monday, 8 am, Lab:  Frog Dissection

Medical Tech Essentials:  

• Monday, 5/14: Work on commoncraft video.
• Tuesday, 5/15:  Work on commoncraft video.
• Wed., 5/16: Work on commoncraft video. How to move video from camera to iMovie.
• Thurs., 5/17:  Finish video and email .m4v or .wmv to jljones@ncths.net
• Friday, 5/4: No class.  Final Exams B1 and B2.  
• Final Exam:  Tuesday (B3), 8:00 am.  NO CLASS FOR A3 EXAM.

Principles of Engineering: 

• Mon., 5/14: Wrap-up Judobots activity.  Students will critique their performance and group work.  Begin final engineering challenge:  Egg Drop.  Directions and criteria shared via Google Docs.  Students will work individually. Follow these instructions and rubric.  CW:  Drawing of their container as well as materials THEY will bring.  
• Thurs., 5/17:  Egg-drop challenge.  Build container.  Any student exempting final exam will leave their container. 
• Final Exam:  Wednesday (A4), 10 am.  Egg Drop Challenge

B Days: (Tues., Wed., Fri.)

Multimedia: 

• Tues., 5/15:  Review Mother's Day videos; New assignment: "Commoncraft video". Topics:  Flash; Graphic Design; Audio Editing; Video Editing, other technology topic as approved by teacher (ex: file formats - graphics, flash, audio, video)
• Wed., 5/16: Create video and email to: jljones@ncths.net  Review opening .mov and saving as .m4v
• Fri., 5/18:  Final Exam, 8:00 am:  Present commoncraft or parody video.  Download .mov, save as m4v and email it as an attachment to: jljones@ncths.net. 

Medical Tech Essentials: See A Days
Honors Biology:  

• Tues., 5/15: Complete plant kingdom shared documents.  Lab:  Grasshopper, Earthworm dissection HW: Complete animal kingdom notebook check
• Wed., 5/16: Final Exam Review.  Lab:  Squid dissection.  
• Final Exam: Wed., 10 am, Lab:  Frog Dissection