Posted by admin on May 17, 2012 in
Class Work,
Messages from Ms. G |
∞ Can You Tell the Difference?
Click on the links below and examine the websites. Notice anything unusual?
ModExperts
Debt Menders
Flab Killer
Envelope Elf
Deals R Us
At Home Biller
Want some answers- click here
More on Blogging
We discussed on Monday how blogging helped give rise to the social media craze. People often have used technology to connect with one another (example, phones) and there is a need for social validation (looking at others to see what to do). The rise of blogging demonstrated that there is an audience for non-traditional media and that people like getting news and entertainment from others rather than an old-fashioned, top-down way where major TV networks and newspapers tell them what’s worthy of their attention.
We care about what our friends, friends of friends, family, and others “like us” are doing and what they think about the world around us- TV, movies, games, music, news, food, businesses, restaurants, etc., etc.
This realization helped pave the way for all of the social networks we now use.
A look at some examples of social media:
This is obviously a humorous way to describe the differences among several popular social networks.
What social media do you use/like? Why?
It’s now become very common to see buttons like this on different websites, especially news sites, to facilitate sharing information on all different social networks. This is a way for websites to grow their audience and to expand their reach.
Social Media and Schools
How do you feel about most social media being blocked in school? Do you agree?
Burlington High School doesn’t block anything. All students have iPads and are connected to the internet all day long. The school has a Facebook page and the principal has a blog and is on Twitter:
http://www.patrickmlarkin.com/
The school actually has several blogs- School Superintendent, technology, guidance, etc (scroll down and see list on left of Mr. Larkin’s blog).
Is this useful? Can you imagine your principal or teachers doing this? Is this a good way to spread information?
We have a couple of school blogs:
Guidance
K-8 Art
These are very new and still very much works in progress! What do you think?
Your Assignment Today
Find a blog on a topic you’re interested in. I will give you some time to do this. Then we will all share what we found and why we like it.
Posted by admin on May 14, 2012 in
Class Work,
Messages from Ms. G |
∞ This week we will talk about weblogs, a.k.a. blogs.
What is a blog?
How is a blog different from a “traditional” website?
Do you follow or read any blogs regularly?
Blogs are types of websites. They are defined by specific subjects or topics and by interactive features such as people registering to post comments and to connect with others, including the blog author.
You will notice now that main “traditional” websites have adopted “bloggy” features such as blog posts, comment forums, and links to social media for people to share information.
When the internet became more and more mainstream, blogs became a way for people to self-publish and to communicate with a large audience. Prior to that it was really only possible to do that through TV, radio, newspapers, and ads. Blogs empower their authors by enabling them to reach and connect with people.
By taking the media into their own hands, blog authors and their followers helped give rise to the social media world we now live in. Going online isn’t a passive experience where information is spoon-fed to an audience. It’s an interactive experience where people choose the information/media they want to consume, produce, and share.
We will talk more about social media and why it’s important in web development on Thursday.
How to Start a Blog
If you decide to start a blog you could literally do it in about five minutes. Popular FREE blogging platforms include Google sites, Blogger, WordPress, and Tumblr.
Local Blog Examples
MedfordYoungatArt.com
MedfordFarmersMarket.org
InsideMedford.com
BPDNews.com
Assignment
Please visit the Boston Blogs Directory and choose one blog you like to share with the rest of the class. I will give you a few minutes to find a blog and jot down some notes on why you like it.
Posted by admin on May 7, 2012 in
Messages from Ms. G |
∞ This week we meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
We will finish up our stop motion animations this week. We only really have Monday and Thursday to work on them since on Tuesday the seniors will go to a pre-prom assembly and on Friday we have our class breakfast.
Friday, May 11- don’t miss out on our pancake breakfast!
Next week we will begin working on our class blog and learning about WordPress.
Since the seniors’ days are numbered, today we will also review a sample job description for a graphic designer/web developer and how can you add what you’ve learned in class this year to your resume.
It’s important to add what you’ve learned to your resume. Put a “Skills” section on your resume and list the following:
- HTML, CSS, Adobe Web Premium CS4, Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 and 7.0
Next week we will talk more about what you could do after taking this class- how you would set up your own website, how to select a web host, what web analytics mean, what you should charge if someone wants to hire you to work on a website, and more.