What I Learned from my students - Part 2

Today I had a student, Henry, who wanted to take a picture he had gotten off the internet, make some changes, and use it on his web site. He was using Paint.net. He wanted the space around the picture, you know, the white stuff, to be "clear" so the background of the web page would bleed through. You can see what I mean on the Girl Scout Cookie picture in the Yummm posting below this posting.

He asked me how to do it, and I didn't know off the top of my head. Then he said, "Let's try saving it as a .gif, instead of a .jpg" And it worked!!

Such a simple thing, but it really made his page look much better. I'll definitely remember this trick.

What I Learned from my Students - Part 1

My students have fantastic ideas! Today I gave an assignment to my Web Design class. It was an open-ended assignment, one where they could show case all the things we've been learning on a topic that was of interest to them.

I gave them a couple of ideas for their topic, but made it clear they could use their creativity. Some of the ideas they came up with were clever and touching. I love learning how creative they are! Here are two:

1. Take on a "cause". Jessica did her web site on Autism. She has a personal interest in the topic (someone close to her) and she made her web site about educating people on what it is. How mature!

2. Schools of the "future". Greg chose to do a futurist school. What would their web site look like? Think of the possibilities!

Yummmm

Girl Scouts are using Facebook to sell cookies!!

Maybe someone will write an app to "feed" you cookies like super poke.

Internet Addiction Boot Camp

Young people in China are sent to serious boot camp for being addicted to the internet. Addiction is defined in China as 6+ hours per day for 3+ months. Hmm, does that sound like your Summer Vacation?

Other symptoms many of these kids have is "afraid of people" and "gets upset easily." For that, they face months of boot camp (yes, complete with push ups) where there's no internet, no cellphones, no video games, and no ramen noodles (which seems to be a trend for fast meals while playing online games. Our version of pizza delivery).

The Curious Case of Computer Animation

So that's how they did it! If you've seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, you've wanted to know how they made Brad Pitt look and act so old. Here's a guy that explains it.

Basically, they made Brad make all the faces he could think of and animated them together to fit the script. Then they pasted that on top of other actors bodies. So it is Brad, but it really isn't! Can you get a Best Actor nomination for that?

You thought you were good with computers...

A 4th grader wrote an application for the iPhone that allows his little sisters to draw things with their fingers. It's called Doodle Kids, and it's free. This nine year old has been using computers since he was 2 years old and writing programs since he was seven! And you thought you were good with computers.

Bill Gates releases mosquitoes at Conference

You don't usually think of Bill Gates having a flair for the dramatic. But it seems he is very passionate about fighting malaria in third world countries. Now that he is retired, he can try to do something about it.

So he released lots of mosquitoes at a conference. It worked. He got his story in the news!

If you're interested, you can view it here. It's at about the 5 min mark.

Hackers Hack Highway Signs

You know those signs you see on the highway? Well some hackers changed the messages to:

Daily Lane Closures due to Zombies
Raptors ahead - Caution
Zombies in Area - Run

I laughed when I first heard it. You gotta have a sense of humor. But, now it's been done, so it's probably not a good thing to keep doing. Besides, those signs are there for a reason.

Pope gets YouTube Channel

The Vatican announced its intention to launch a YouTube channel with videos featuring Pope Benedict. I can't decide if this is brilliant or just bizarre.

On one hand, he's trying. He's trying to reach out and be accessible to as many of his followers as possible. He's trying to reach the younger set, which are falling away from his faith. He's trying to understand the real world.

On the other hand, what would a Pope video look like? Would anyone watch? Would you?

Obama gets to keep is Blackberry

Obama won his most important victory this week. His security detail wanted him to give up his Blackberyy. Obama said, "They'll have to take it out of my hands"

Some of the technical issues that had to be worked out include a hack that can turn on a Blackberry remotely and listen through the microphone. I can see where that would be a concern. They are routing his services through a Whitehouse server to keep this from happening.

A second compromise is that he will only use it to stay connected to his senior staff and a small number a personal friends.

Fact: Obama is the first president to use email!!!

Apple without Jobs

So Steven Jobs is taking a leave of absence from Apple Computers. And the question is, "Can Apple survive without him?" He is a cancer survivor and he stated once that this brush with death made him see how you have to use the time you have to be productive. Many experts feel this is what made him take such a risk on the iPhone. And look how that helped the company!

Plus he has such a cool, hip-geek mannerism that strikes a cord with his audience.

Jobs IS Apple.

Whaz a Wovel

Web + Novel = Wovel

It's an online novel, where each week you read one chapter. You then vote on something that will effect the next chapter, and the author writes it according to the majority vote.

It seems no one reads books anymore because they are spending so much on online. Authors are trying to capitalize on that habit.

Here's more info

Touch Screen Devices

Recently many touch screen devices have been coming out and with their popularity rising what is your view on them? Are you for or against them? For whatever side you support give reasons on your opinion.

TV Transition to Digital Feb 17

What do you know about the nation wide TV transition to digital on Feb. 17. Why is this happening? Who is affected? What do people need to do? What questions do you have and where can you go for answers?

iPhone vs. Instinct

What’s your favorite PDA and why?

Internet Voice and Video Communications

New programs on computers with microphones and cameras allow people to communicate over the world wide web. These programs, such as Skype and many others, have the possibility of completely replacing landline phones as people can not only talk to one another, but actually see the person over a web camera. These programs are readily available, just as microphones and web cameras are. The availability and speed over the internet allow a much more enjoyable and completely free communication experience.

Have you ever used Skype or something similar? Or do you know someone who has? Do you think we will ever have Dick Tracey wrist-watch phones?

Online Actions have Offline Consequences

Here's a couple of stories about things that happened in online environments.

One couple was served legal documents that foreclosed on their house via Facebook. All other ways of contacting them had been exhausted.

Here's a lady who had a Second Life marriage, caught her "husband" cheating, and went to his (real) home and broke his computer.

On the one hand, you want to say "Get a Life!". But on the other, it shows you that there are consequences to your actions, no matter where you are. (I'm also thinking of road rage)

What online communities do you belong (social networks, gaming sites, etc) and have you ever experienced someone acting inappropriately?

Update your profile with a picture

Update your profile with a picture. It can be a picture you take of yourself (serious or goofy), or of something that you like to do, or even of your pets.

Then post your thoughts on internet privacy. What kind of information is ok to post? Were you weary of posting an actual picture of your face or were you very comfortable with it? When looking through your profile settings, did you add your email or your last name. Should you? Did you change your screen name?



Certainly posting your entire name, address, and social security number anywhere is STUPID! But on-line communities will become important to you. Whether it's a social network (facebook, myspace) or a professional network, these work best when there's a certain amount of sharing. What is too much sharing?

Cluster Map Scavenger Hunt

Thank you for visiting our blog! We are studying the power of the internet and blogging. Just visiting our site has registered you on our Cluster Map.




A Cluster Map is a picture of a map with red dots on it representing where people are when they view a website. It lets you see just how far your words are being heard, how "flat" the world is becoming. Please send the link to this post to anyone you wish. Ask them to send it on too. The point is to see how many states, even countries we can get! Then come back here and post a comment about where you sent out your request.

As a token of our appreciation, check out this Christmas Computer Joke.

How much Alice?

Can you believe we only have 2 more weeks of class together? Let's reflect on the use of Alice in our course. Your honest feedback is very important to me. I'm always looking for ways to improve this course.

So this week before winter break, we will learn more on keyboard and mouse events and have an assignment we do partly together and then you will customize it. (Pretty much what we've been doing so far.) The week after our break, you will be given a very open-ended, longer assignment to create a video game.

With that in mind, please take this poll. Then elaborate in a reply.

How much Alice is enough?
	We should have done this all semester
	We're doing about the right amount of it
	It's been fun, but it's not really a programming language
	I'm already tired of it
View Results

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