Period 5's Class Blog (Marking Period 3)

The Grade Eight Computer Elective focuses on graphics design and publishing. Our emphasis is on creating and transforming graphics, text and other components that appear on web pages and printed material. Students will create original graphic images with several different programs including computer-imaging software. Digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet are also used in the students’ projects.

Your first task with our class blog is to write a comment to say hello.

• Click the Comments link below this posting.
• Type a hello message in the comment box.
• Select Name/URL in the Choose an identity area.
• Type only your first name
• Click the Publish button.
  

Please use your first name only in your comments on this blog.

Blogs VS Wikis

These are two new Web 2.0 publishing tools. It is easy to post text, pictures and videos. Even businesses are exploring the use of blogs and wikis for a variety of purposes; from customer service and advertising to employee work spaces.
Now that you have experienced both blogs and wikis, describe some of their features. What websites do you use that are a type of blog or a wiki? If it were possible, how would you use a blog or wiki that you created in school? What subject area would you find it most useful? Why?

Movie Maker or Photostory?

We have created movies using two different programs now. We used Microsoft Movie Maker 2 in computer class and each student has created movies using Photostory 3 in Social Studies class. At this point students should be proficient users of both. Please comment on your experience using each. Pay particular attention to their similarities and differences.
Compare and contrast the two and describe which program you think would be better to use in certain situations. Some of you have used Audacity too, so you may include information on its use also.

Let's try Photoshop Express and Picnik

We have used Photoshop Elements to manipulate pictures. The pictures are been transformed using various tools to paint, colorize, distort and even clone images.
Most of us do not have this program at home. However, there are many new websites that allows us to interact with them. We will look at two of them: Photoshop Express and Picnik.

Photoshop Express. is free and somewhat easy to use. It requires you to set up an account, with an email address, to use the full functions of the website, but it is possible to use the “test drive” option. The main difference between the two is that you will not be able to save your pictures back to you computer after you modify them.
Let’s take a test drive at: https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html
They have a very good tutorial at: http://www.photoshoponline.com/
If you have an email, you may register otherwise take the test drive.

Picnik is free and you do not need to register to use it. However, they do charge for an upgraded version, which allows you to save pictures that you have manipulated with some of the advanced functions. Let’s try it now: http://www.picnik.com/

Write a comment describing how easy or difficult it was to use these websites. Also include some of the features that you used and how your pictures changed with them.

Period 4's Class Blog! (Marking Period 2)

The Grade Eight Computer Elective focuses on graphics design and publishing. Our emphasis is on creating and transforming graphics, text and other components that appear on web pages and printed material. Students will create original graphic images with several different programs including computer-imaging software. Digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet are also used in the students’ projects.

Your first task with our class blog is to make a comment to say hello.

1. Click the Comments link below.
2. Type a hello message in the comment box.
3. Select Anonymous in the Choose an identity area.
4. Click the Publish button.

Please use your first name only in your comment.

BLOGS vs WIKIS

These are two new Web 2.0 publishing tools. It is easy to post text, pictures and videos. Even businesses are exploring the use of blogs and wikis for a variety of purposes; from customer service and advertising to employee work spaces. Now that you have experienced both blogs and wikis, describe some of their features. What websites do you use that are a type of blog or a wiki?
If it were possible, how would you use a blog or wiki that you created in school? What subject area would you find it most useful? Why?

Movie Maker Project

We have created movies using two different programs now. We used Microsoft Movie Maker 2 in computer class and each student has created movies using Photostory 3 in Social Studies class. At this point students should be proficient users of both. Please comment on your experience using each. Pay particular attention to their similarities and differences. Compare and contrast the two and describe which program you think would be better to use in certain situations. Some of you have used Audacity too, so you may include information on its use also.