The Skeleton

Here is how I envision this class:

• Each student will choose a topic or topics to focus on for the entire semester
• students may have the same topic but will be responsible for their own unique content
• Each student will be required to create, contribute to, and maintain a blog about their topic(s)
• Each student will be required to contribute to, and make comments about, other classmates blogs
• Students will be graded on participation, contribution, and skills growth.

Topics that a student might choose to focus on could be:

• Software specific; such as working with Excel, Dreamweaver, Paint Shop Pro, AutoCAD, Rhino, Gimp, Google Sketchup, etc. The entire semester would be devoted to learning the software thoroughly and creating material with the software that would be available to view online through the student's blog.
• Skills specific; such as digital photography, poster design, podcasting, digital weekly school newsletter, web publishing of poetry or stories, etc. These activities would involve a multitude of software and hardware but the focus wouldn't be the how, but the why. Again, created material would be viewable through the student's blog.
  
• Content specific; such as weather, music, gaming, food, genealogy, religion, politics, ecology, water rights, etc. The student's blog would become a valuable collection of links and commentary showing the student's increasing knowledge in their chosen content area.

I anticipate that students will naturally take an interest in each other's topics and a creative collaboration will occur.

Pre-requisites; YaGottaWanna. You won't pass this class if you drag in each morning and sit waiting for me to tell you what to do. There is no textbook for this...there are no worksheets or packets. Employers want motivated workers that know what they want to achieve and work at finding solutions. Entrepreneurs know that they must succeed and won't quit until they find the right solution. You won't need to know anything about any of the above mentioned topics when you start the class. I will do everything I possibly can to supply you with the software, hardware, and knowledge about how they work. You must supply the creativity, energy and motivation to take that and turn it into an enjoyable learning experience.

Mr. Peaty

Advanced Computer Applications iT

Looking for interested EHS students who:

• are looking for a warm 1st period location
• think texting, blogging, IM, forums, high-tech etc. should NOT be outlawed in class
• live on the 'net
• can post at all hours of day and night
• want to follow and comment on topics
• love to spend hours clicking on formatting options
  
• think better with mp3 support
• love digital cameras or want to learn about them and image manipulation
  
• want random access to computer applications
• are interested in web publishing their artwork, poems, stories, 3D animations, etc.
  
• would love to get credit for exploring open source software such as GIMP, Joomla, or Open Office
  
• want to learn and practice linking information
  
• liv 2 spelll rong
• want to give podcasting a try
  
• want random access help with graphics for web page and blog use
• love to share ideas and thoughts with others
• think carpal tunnel syndrome is an indication of a successful semester
  
• have creative ideas of how to combine the use of all emerging technologies
  
• want to get credit for doing nothing all semester (wrong class...just seeing if you would read this far down the list)

Let me know your interest by commenting on this post...or do it the old school way by meeting with Mr. Isbell (that's so 2008!).