Computer Applications ~ Fall 2008
Mrs. Davis

Course Descripton
This course asks the questions, "What can the Web do for us? What can we do for the Web?" Designed to introduce students to emerging 21st century digital technologies, students will learn to navigate and use the Read/Write Web to its fullest potential as both consumers and producers of information. Students will explore, analyze and reflect upon applications for Online bookmarking, blogging, podcasting, vodcasting, collaborating, organizing, and sharing. In addition we will consider the birth of the computer and the Internet, programs such as One Laptop Per Child, the open source movement, issues of digital citizenship and information fluency and their effect on the new knowledge economy.

Course Expectations


Grading for Q1:

Syllabus for Q1
Week One (Sept 3 - 5)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments for week 1 (due Monday, Sept 8):
  • Students will be able to explain and reflect on the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0
  • Students will be able to compare and use different browsers.
  • Students will be able to evaluate at least 2 different blogging platforms.
  • Introductions
  • Go over course expectations, objectives and assignments
  • Learn about the distinction between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0
  • Learn about blogger and word press. Explore the differences between the two and choose a platform to use.
  • Explore and evaluate a variety of browsers, Flock, IE, Firefox, Safari
  • The Machine is Us/ing Us
  • Choose a blogging platform and set up a blog.
  • Read the Summary of Findings, pages i-vii, of the article: Writing Technology and Teens from The National Commission on Writing, April 24th, 2008.
  • Be prepared to discuss the reading on Monday.
Week Two (Sept 8 - 12)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments (due Monday, Sept 15)
  • Students will reflect on the state of writing among teens.
  • Students will be able to collect statistical information on their blog traffic.
  • Students will evaluate and explain how to use their blogging tool.
  • Students will be able to find blogs of interest.
  • Students will be able to define what makes a good blog post and provide examples of well written and poorly written posts.
  • Discussion of article
  • Add technorati and statcounter to the blog
  • Learn how to find blogs on different subjects.
  • Create a blog rubric to evaluate blog posts.
  • Blogs in Plain English
  • Read The Next Generation of Bloggers. Read Write Web. June 13th, 2008.
  • Write a blog post, introduce yourself, reflect on the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0
  • Find and evaluate 4 blogs - write a blog post evaluating the blogs.
  • Use the rubric created in class and "grade" each post and grade your own posts thus far based on the rubric.
  • Write a blog post evaluating your chosen blogging platform.
  • Comment on at least one of your classmate's blog posts.
Week Three  (Sept 15 - 19)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments (due Monday, Sept 22)
  • Students will be able to set up an aggregator for RSS feeds
  • Students will be able to find and add feeds to their aggregator
  • Students will be able to create, share, collaborate and publish a document created using an Online document application.
  • Students will be able to assess Web 2.0 tools using a rubric.
  • Learn about RSS, what it is and how to use it.
  • Learn about Google Reader and Bloglines
  • Learn about Google Documents and Zoho writer
  • Learn how to create a document, collaborate on it and share it.
  • Collaborate using an Online document to create a rubric to evaluate the tools learned in this class.
  • Google Docs in Plain English
  • RSS in Plain English
  • Add a blog roll to your blog
  • Add at least 5 feeds to your aggregator
  • Create a Web 2.0 tool rubric.
  • Write a blog post explaining and reflecting on different aggregators.
  • Write a blog post explaining and reflecting on different collaborative writing tools.
  • Use the Web 2.0 tool rubric to evaluate each tool learned this week.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on one of the feeds in your reader.
  • Comment on at least one of your classmate's blog posts.
Week Four (Sept 22 - 26)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments (due Monday, Sept 28)
  • Students will be able to use an Online bookmarking tool to collect an share important websites.
  • Students will be able to subscribe to at least one tag.
  • Students will be able to use a productivity/organizing tool.
  • Students will explore, evaluate and reflect on a Web 2.0 tool of their choice (not already included in this course).
  • Learn about Delicious and Diigo
  • Create accounts on Delicious and Diigo, explore and start tagging bookmarks.
  • Learn about Jott, Remember the Milk and Google Notebook and Evernote, explore and try jotting yourself and others
  • Learn where to find out about new Web 2.0 tools.
  • Social Bookmarking in Plain English
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the different Online bookmarking tools.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the different productivity tools.
  • Write a blog post explaining and reflecting on the new 2.0 tool learned this week.
  • Use the Web 2.0 tool rubric to evaluate each tool learned this week.
  • Comment on at least one of your classmate's blog posts.
Week Five (Sept 29 - October 3)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments (due Monday, October 6)
  • Students will be able to collaborate and create a presentation using an Online presentation tool.
  • Students will understand the difference between creative commons and copyright.
  • Students will be able to find copyright friendly images Online.
  • Students will be able to find presentations and share Online presentations.
  • Students will be able to collaborate, design, and present an effective slideshow, using an Online presentation tool.
  • Learn about Google presentations and Zoho Show.
  • Learn about how to create an effective presentation.
  • Learn about Flickr, creative commons and how to find copyright friendly images.
  • Learn how to find and share presentations Online
  • Collaborate and create a presentation summarizing the pros and cons of the tools that they have learned so far.
  • Online Photo Sharing in Plain English
  • Collaborate in class and remotely to create an Online presentation summarizing the pros and cons of the tools learned so far.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the different Online presentation tools and on what makes an effective presentation.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the issue of copyright and copyleft/creative commons.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the results of your survey and the Google Forms.
  • Comment on at least one of your classmate's blog posts.
  • Use the Web 2.0 tool rubric to evaluate each tool learned this week.
Week Six (October 6 - 10)

ObjectivesActivitiesAssignments (due Tues, Oct. 14)
  • Students will be able to set up an Online portal using a aggregation tool.
  • Students will be able to install widgets on their page
  • Students will be able to evaluate a variety of widgets.
  • Students will be able to create a survey, collect, graph and evaluate data using Google spreadsheets.
  • Explore a variety of aggregation tools such as iGoogle PageFlakes and NetVibes
  • Compare, contrast and evaluate their features
  • Choose one and put together your page.
  • Learn how to create a survey using Google Spreadsheets.
  • Create a survey, collect data and evaluate the results.
  • Explore evaluate and reflect on a Web 2.0 tool of their choice.
  • Write a blog post reflecting on the different tools and which one you chose to use and why.
  • Write a blog post explaining and reflecting on the new 2.0 tool learned this week.
  • Comment on at lest one of your classmate's blog posts.
  • Use the Web 2.0 tool rubric to evaluate each tool learned this week.
Week Seven (October 14 - 17)

Objectives Activities Assignments (due Monday, October 20)
  • Students will be able to create, use and evaluate a wiki tool.
  • Students will be able to contribute to and/or create a page on Wikipedia.
  • Explore different wiki tools such as Wikispaces, WetPaint, PBWiki and Media Wiki
  • Find a variety of wikis in use on the web and evaluate how they are used.
  • Learn how to contribute to Wikipedia, contribute to an existing page, or create a new one.
  • Explore evaluate and reflect on a Web 2.0 tool of their choice.
  • Wikis in Plain English
  • Contribute to or create a new page on Wikipedia
  • Create a wiki to use with friends, write a blog post explaining your choice of wiki tool, what you used the wiki for and how it went.
  • Write a blog post explaining and reflecting on the new 2.0 tool learned this week.
  • Comment on at lest one of your classmate's blog posts.
  • Use the Web 2.0 tool rubric to evaluate each tool learned this week.
Week Eight (October 20 - 24)

Objectives Activities Assignments (due Monday, October 27)
  • Students will be able to write, record and post a podcast.
  • Students will be able to find, subscribe to and evaluate podcasts
  • Learn how to find and subscribe to podcasts
  • Create a rubric to evaluate a podcast
  • Write, record and post a podcast.
  • Learn how to use GarageBand and Audacity for podcasting.
  • Choose two podcasts and write a blog post reflecting on the quality of the podcast.
  • Use your rubric to evaluate two podcasts.
  • Create and post a podcast on your blog reflecting on the differences between GarageBand and Audacity.
Week Nine (October 27 - 31) End of 1st Quarter

Objectives Activities Assignments (due Friday October 31st - End Q1)
  • Students will be able to define the qualities of a good screencast.
  • Students will be able to create a screencast explaining the features of a Web 2.0 application
  • Explore the use of several screencasting tools, such as Jing, Camtstudio, and iShowU
  • Explore and evaluate several screencasts
  • Create a screencast rubric
  • Create at least two screencasts showing how to use the tools you have learned thus far.
  • Discuss what we will be doing next quarter.
  • Evaluate 2 screencasts using your screencast rubric.
  • Create at least two screencasts showing how to use the tools you have learned thus far.
  • Email me with a reflection on the course so far and your thoughts on next quarter.