Computer Science 4 Teenagers

Your test today on SAT test taking strategies

2007-03-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

You can go to this link to log in and take your SAT test taking strategies test. When you are complete, submit the test and print it. Come get the SAT short answer questions from me. You should print your webtrack data and attach it to the test. (I suggest moving your webtrack data to the U drive!)

Webtrack Items that should be done

QC3A, QC3b, QC3C
IS3A, IS3B
Both labs for chapter 3

These were completed several weeks a go. I am having trouble with the webtrack software and need to you to turn it in.

Your test:

http://www.evtestcenter.com/student/direct.php?parm_1=125139&parm_2=322115

You are featured on nanotech now.

2007-02-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

You are written about on nanotech now! This is exciting! -
http://www.nanotech-now.com/columns/?article=031

Interview with Nanotech expert, Earl Boysen

2007-02-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

Following is the audio file of our class interview with Earl Boysen, author of Nanotechnology for Dummies and www.understandingnano.com - he is also a columnist for Nanotechnology It was a great conversation where students were allowed to ask questions and be asked questions.

You can listen to the interview over your computer speakers.

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This is an example of the connections that Westwood teachers are establishing through the use of cutting edge communication tools like blogs.

The students created a wiki to prepare for the interview and spent thirty minutes talking with Mr. Boysen who is in California over the skype computer telephone service. It was an internet telephone call with full video and audio and used the free Skype communications service.

"Technology is changing faster than the textbooks, and we work hard to bring students to the cusp of technology so that they will be prepared for the accelerating pace of college and technological change. Students have to be lifelong learners who can go out and find answers and be unafraid of new things. I am proud of how well they did in the conversation today," says Mrs. Davis.

Chapter 2 Test

2007-02-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

Follow the following link to take your Chapter 2 test.

http://www.evtestcenter.com/student/direct.php?parm_1=125139&parm_2=314970.

Your username is your last name, and first name. Your password is: help

I will give you your student ID.

Review for Feb 1 Test

2007-01-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

This is a recording of the review for the test, also remember to look at the review wiki.

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Flat Classroom Judges Tell ALL!

2007-01-29T13:51:00.000-05:00

Here is the discussion of the flat classroom project as discussed by our incredible judges: Jeff Utecht (China), Jo McCleay (Australia), Darren Kuropatwa (Canada), and Terry Freedman (United Kingdom.)

We talk frankly about the project, what we liked about it and how we can improve in the future.

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Audio explaining CD and DVD - Optical Storage Technology

2007-01-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

Collin, Tyler, Ty, and Casey have been working to explain optical storage on the wiki and have recorded the following audio file.

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1/9/2007 - Assignments for Today

2007-01-09T10:40:00.000-05:00

This is a recording of the assignments that we had today in class and the research for our blogging assignment for Friday.

January 8 - Microprocessor Review and Advanced Topics

2007-01-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

We complete section 2B as we discussed microprocessors and more advanced topics like RAM and L2Cache. At the beginning of this class we reviewed last week's discussion.

January 5 - Microprocessors Day 2

2007-01-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

We continue to discuss microprocessors from Section 2B of the Computer Science Textbook.

January 4 - Microprocessors

2007-01-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

You may click on the title above to listen to our January 4th discussion of Microprocessors from Section 2B of the book. We discuss the methods of processing including: serial, parallel, pipelining, hyperthreading, and the importance of dual core processing. We also briefly discuss instruction sets. This is day 1 of a two day discussion of microprocessors.

January 3, 2007 - Class Audio File

2007-01-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

This is the first of the audio files that I am posting for you. This is our class discussion on January 3, 2007 where we discuss our plans for the semester and the selection of industries that we will focus on for the purpose of projects for the next three months. This is called a "major." These are due by Friday.

The Final Countdown

2006-12-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

You are all doing a great job! I am so proud of you. Here are your items to remember.

1) Topic page lockdown tonight at 12 midnight GMT.
2) Your Additional Resources page will be left open for you to upload the full length videos. Make sure that you make an additional resources page to work on.
3) Remember your credits at the end and to include a screen that states this (You may use your own license, but I suggest this one):

(c) 2006 your Name and Westwood Schools
Creative Commons Share Alike Non Commercial Derivative Attribution 2.5

Good luck! Make sure that you get rid of an plagiarism and restate the words. You can do it!

The Home Stretch: The Last Two Days of Flat Classroom

2006-12-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

1) Make sure that you go on your topic page and click on discussion. Read Mrs. Lindsey's Week 2 evaluation and mine. Ask questions if necessary.

2) Use your RSS reader to see the changes and questions posted by your partner. (It is easier to use RSS than to rely on your own memory!)

3) Use your time wisely! This is your semester assessment - 20% of your grade. I'll be here until 5 today and 5 tomorrow as long as I have students in my room.

I echo Mrs. Lindsey's statement on her blog! Read them.

Particularly this aspect:

Officially we only have TWO (2) days to go before the Flat Classroom Project is finished. You must understand that this is a 'real life' project and that there is a 'real' deadline. No, you cannot bring a note from home with an excuse, this will not cut it here. Take note, it will not cut it out there in the real world when you finally emerge from high school as a butterfly taking flight. Your boss will not accept a note from your mother.

As I always say: "It is not about your excuse, but about what you produce."

Here are the key elements of focus as agreed upon by Mrs. Lindsey and I:

Summarize, hyperlink, and get rid of anything copied -- that is plagiarism. I don't care if it was your partner that did it, you are responsible for your wiki also!
"Try to 'make a difference' to the world. What are you actually saying on your wiki? In what way will someone who does not know you want to read it and take notice? in what way will they learn from it?" (Quoted from Mrs. Lindsey)

On this note, Tyler has already pointed out that his flat wiki project is now the #2 item on Google search for his topic. That is the power of information! That is what we are teaching you. You can become the expert on a topic and share it with the world!
"Remember: I am not the only one reading your work. Like it or not there are many others now very interested in you and this project. This is great! You have an authentic audience. Play up to this, take pride in your work and you will be rewarded with a sense of achievement." (Quoted from Mrs. Lindsey)
Finish and upload your video on Monday! We are very nervous about "glitches" causing problems with your video. Either your video is on the wiki or not. That is 50 points of your final grade!
"Keep collaborating with your partner. Some of you are losing vital marks by the lack of collaboration. If your partner is a little shy at least you can keep posting comments and suggestions and entice him/her to respond. This is a new experience for all of you. It is one of the most difficult challenges, especially if you are usually an independent student who like to do their own work in isolation." (quoted from Mrs. Lindsey)

I have learned a lot from this experience and am emerging more convinced than ever that education is evolving towards more experiences like this. I honestly feel that many of you have learned a wealth of knowledge in a very short amount of time. I look forward to working with my newfound experts on the flattening world in January.

I love you. That is why I push you to be more. That is why I push you outside your comfort zone to grow. Be excellent! Do not resort to excuses. Finish the race for you are very close.

I am proud of you!

Mrs. Vicki

Seymore High School Makes Video about your project

2006-12-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

This video has been made by Mr. Schneider's Web Design Class about YOUR project!

I have talked to you often about the "global stage." Now you are experiencing it first hand. Make wise use of this opportunity!

All of you should have skyped your partners by now and should be putting the final touches on your video. I look forward to the work day today. I'll be posting a video in a moment about using Google Video and uploading there. You may upload to Youtube if you prefer.

Grading Rubric & IMPORTANT reminders

2006-12-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

To get to where you want to go, you must know where you are going. In a project of this magnitude, it is easy to get lost in the small details like the tweaking of a bit of text, etc. This is also common in college.

To be successful in college, I found that if I focused on getting the bulk of the project done, I could then have time to add the fancy things at the end. And if I didn't have time to add the fancy, then I still had the project completed. We all know "idea people" who don't get anything done.

Remember, if you can understand something about this world, let it be this:

It's not about your excuse, its about what you produce.

Everything you produce is on the wiki. The judges do not know how much time you've spent. They do not know how much you've done. They do not know if you attempted a grandiose video and it didn't render at the last moment -- all they know is that you didn't post it to your wiki.

The business world is a tough place. Some say it is heartless, but it is just reality based. In a flat world, it is more important than ever to be able to produce meaningful content on a timely basis.

So, here's a copy of the grading rubric as shown on the class wiki -- keep an eye on the goal.

Grading Rubric

Grading Rubric for Westwood Students

This project will be part of the final assessment project for Mrs. Vicki Davis' Class. It will be 20% of your grade for this grading period and is the culmination of the work covered in class thus far. You should use the information you have learned this semester, information from your book, acquired wiki skills, learned video editing skills, video recording skills, and information you have learned during class discussions and blogging assignments to complete this project. It is important that you keep in contact with your project partner everyday during the event in order to exchange ideas and collaborate on content and your approach to your given topic.
I am expecting a high standard of work and communication and collaboration skills to be shown.

Part A - Wiki Portion of Project - 100 points

An effective wiki shows the following:

A collaborative effort (as seen in the history and discussion areas) --
Wikis are collaborative. Each person brings their strengths and contributes things that they are good at to the project.
You are expected to work with your international partner and contribute meaningful work to the wiki. Revisions either improve the editing or add additional content. You do not delete content of the other person unless that content is found to be in error. If such error is found, you are to communicate via discussion your reason for deleting the information. Each topic to be discussed will be created under a different "thread" or topic under discussions.

10 points - Did you contribute meaningful information to the wiki? Did you communicate effectively with your international partner? Did you discuss differences and resolve them effectively? Did you use the discussion area and post fact on the wiki page?
Visual appeal
Graphics are used as needed and add to the message. Graphics are not distracting and used where needed to further explain a topic. If does not look cluttered. If a significant amount of content is added, a new page is added. (To make a new page - your page name should be the name of your project as shown in the header a dash "-" and the subtopic to be explored.)

20 points - Effective visual appeal. You must include a minimum of two graphics for your topic.
Organization
A table of contents is used, headings and underlines are used appropriately (don't use underlines except for hyperlinks.) Additional pages are added as needed (see item 2.)

10 points - Effective Organization - Did you use headings?
Hyperlinks to sources
An effective wiki hyperlinks sources and gives readers additional information about the topic. Because most people tend to not trust wikis (they don't know the authors), you must include a variety of hyperlinks to be considered an effective source of information. As people follow your hyperlinks, they will begin to look at the information you've linked to. They will learn that you are an authority and that you've "done your homework." Make sure that you have checked your hyperlinks and that they work.

_ 20 points - Did you hyperlink to sources? Do they work? You must have at least 10 hyperlinks on the wiki including 3 hyperlinks within this wiki project to pages of other groups as appropriate.
Original, intelligent wording
The effective wiki summarizes information but never copies it! (Cite your sources.) The wording is intelligent and meaningful and jargon is not used. Wikis may be read by a global audience and authors must keep that in mind.

_ 10 points - Sources of information are linked to. You explain or hyperlink to items that need clarification. You do not plaigarize.
Multi-sensory tools are used
The use of sound and/or video involves the wiki reader more through the increased engagement of hearing and sight. When it is used effectively, it can boost you into the hall of fame because you have more thoroughly taught your reader about your subject.

_ 10 points - Your video. The Westwood students will be assimilating and compiling a video on the topic.
_ 10 points - Your content for the podcast. Westwood students will be providing an mp3 file recorded in audacity and e-mailed to Mrs. Vicki on their topic. This information will be sent to your international partner for their inclusion in the podcast that they are creating. Due Date: December 1
RSS Feeds and Cutting edge tools are used

_ 10 points An appropriate RSS feed is used. (I suggest a Google news feed on the topic.)

Part B - Content Grade - 50 points

_ 20 points Background - Do you sufficiently explain the topic? Is it understandable to a person who does not know anything about the topic and is not necessarily an expert in technology?
_ 10 points Current News - Do you explain a sampling of current discussions and headlines about this topic. (This is a good place to include RSS feeds.)
_ 10 points Impact on Education - Do you effectively explain the impact of this trend on education? How should education change? What improvements should be made? What should students be studying? How should teachers instruct differently?
_ 10 points Impact on Employment - Do you effetively explain the potential impact of this trend on employment? How will it impact different parts of the world? What different types of jobs will be created in your part of the world? In other parts of the world?

Part C - Video Grade - 50 points

Students in USA will be creating a video, including content from students in Bangladesh (either video and/or podcast). This video may be uploaded to Google and must be hyperlinked to the wiki. Students in Bangladesh will be forwarding a short video clip or podcast or two to Mrs. Davis via Mrs. Lindsay that must be integrated into your video. It must be at least 2 minutes long. You will use Windows movie maker to produce this video. You will work with your partner to determine whether your video will be on the educational impact or the industry impact of your trend.

10 points - Background Information - You effectively explain the trend in the video.
10 points - Content - Your content is meaningful, clear, and effective.
10 points - Cite sources - All sources of information are cited.
20 points - Video quality and editing.

Part D - Integration of Prior Learning - 50 points

This semester we have been learning about computer safety and privacy, the history of computing, the IT Industry & ethics, binary numbers and memory conversion, computer hardware, collaborative wiki projects, and Web 2.0. Your work should reflect your knowledge of these areas that you have attained this semester.

10 points Computer Safety and Privacy
10 points The History of Computing
10 points the IT Industry & ethics
10 points Computer Hardware (knowledge of memory conversion, hardware, input, output, etc.)
10 points Web 2.0 knowledge

Restructuring of a Group

2006-12-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Because of some absences, we are restructuring groups 4 and 8 slightly to merge them together so that the project can be completed in a timely and effective basis. Here is what we did.

Group 4 Topic: 'The Changing Shape of Information'

Provide an historical account of the availability of information. Refer to developments in both Bangladesh and the USA and make global comparisons
Discuss the impact of the Internet and how uploading has changed the way we find, use and transfer information
Provide specific current examples related to business and education of consumers also being producers of content that is "uploaded."

Group 8 Topic: 'Personal Learning Environments and Social Networking'

Provide an historical account of the development of social networking and PLE's
Discuss the approaches taken in Bangladesh and the USA and others to the use of social networking tools for education
Provide current examples of how business and education use Web 2.0 tools to connect and deliver/find information

Combined – The Changing Shape of Information: Personal Learning Environments & Social Networking.

Provide a historical account of the changing shape of information particularly highlighting social networking and PLE’s as well as the overall availablility of information.
Discuss the impact of social networking, personal learning environments, and the fact that people can now upload information into these environments. How does it change the way we find, use, and transfer information.
Provide specific examples of how business and education use personal learning networks and social networking and how they use it with information that is uploaded.

Tuesday in the Flat Classroom: Last Day for Video

2006-12-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

According to our calendar, today is our last day to dropload our video to the other class. I will ask Mrs. Lindsey to provide me with a list of all video that came through (see yesterday's blog post.)

The wikis are due on December 11th. All multimedia (your videos) should be posted by the 12th.

The Video

The video must be at least 2 minutes long and can be no longer than four minutes. (Remember that full length interviews should be posted to Google Video and should be embedded on the resources page for your project.)

Here is a suggested outline for your video.

45 seconds - You should narrate or record an introduction to your topic that explains it to a person who does not know what it is. (Use your voice, pictures, etc.)

**Middle Portion - Use excerpts of your interviews with excerpts as well as your voice over and other video to discuss the Bangladese and then the US perspective on your topic.

Last 15-30 seconds - A video of you with your summary of learning on your topic.

This is a suggestion. You may format it in any way you wish as long as you achieve the objective: to explain your topic and to present two world views of the topic and then a summary of your learning.

Monday in the flat classroom: Dropload your video to Bangladesh

2006-12-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

As you know, blogger was down yesterday here in class. Here is a recap of our assigned work:

1) You should dropload your video to Mrs. Lindsey for her project group immediately -- in the subject, state who the video is from, who it is to, and your group number and subject. Also explain the name and title of the person that you are interviewing. (See the resources section of the wiki for more detail on how to do this.)

2) Finalize your background - You have feedback from Mrs. Lindsey and I -- finalize the background information on the wiki. Some of you need to work on cutting out text. Others need to add more substance.

Remember, we never copy from a website and if we do we are: a) brief, and b) we cite and hyperlink to the source. This is about putting it in your words. You are the experts. You will become the experts. Trust and cultivate your ability to summarize things in layman's terms. We'll let you know if you get off base.

You are rapidly becoming experts. I am so proud of how hard you all worked this weekend. You are putting in effort and I know you have many other difficult classes. I knew I could count on you to be the best because you are and have always been your best for me. I am proud to be your teacher -- you make me look good! Keep on going, class!

Congratulations, Atif, for your TV appearance

2006-12-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

Atif has been featured on BBC news - take a look at Mrs. Lindsey's blog to learn more! He is Collin's partner for our flatclassroom project!

This is the new world! This is the opportunity for you!

Flat Classroom: Day 3 - Interview Plans, Work on Background

2006-11-29T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today, we made plans for the video/ audio files that we need to shoot. We discussed the people that we would like to bring into class.

Tomorrow you must turn in:

The names of AT LEAST two people that you will interview concerning your flattener from the USA perspective.
At least four questions that you will ask each person. (You should also mark which one's concern education and which one's concern industry so that you can ensure that you will have sufficient footage to send your partner.)

I would suggest asking each person several industry and several education questions. For example, "What does this mean for the education system. What should they be teaching students?"

By Friday, you should have completed your background section. Your partners will finish on Sunday. You will have to prepare and dropload footage on Monday -- you may look on the resources page of the wiki for instructions.

Flat Classroom: Day 2

2006-11-28T08:25:00.000-05:00

Today, you are to do the following:

1) Check the discussion tab on your project page. You must post discussion with your partner daily about your thoughts about the project and your response.
2) Read your excerpt from the book and discuss it with Mrs. Davis today so we can talk about emerging trends in that area.
3) The background section should be started.

Upcoming Due Dates
(from the calendar section of the wiki)

Tu November 28 - Record an introduction to your international partner. (DONE!)

November 29 - Determine who will do which topic (ed vs. industry).

December 3 - Background information on your topic drafted on the wiki.

December 5 - Content provided to your partner.

December 11 - Final Wiki Created

December 12 - All multimedia posted to the wiki

Keep an eye on these dates!

Flat Classroom: Day 1

2006-11-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Great start to the flat classroom project. I am excited about your work thus far. Today, your assignment was to:

Complete your introduction and paste it to the wiki (Remember that you are not to include full names, some of you need to re-record and repost!)
Read about your flattener in your book, the World is Flat.
Add your assigned partner to your skype contacts.
Contact your assigned partner over e-mail.

I will be posting daily to this blog so that Mrs. Lindsey in Bangladesh will know what to expect from us. This links to our Westwood Wiki and I'll also link to our home page of the project as well.

Good luck! You'll make us proud. Also thought you'd like to see a copy of an e-mail sent to us by Thomas Friedman. He sent it to Julie Lindsey, my counterpart in Bangladesh, when she blogged about our project. He says:

Dear Julie,

I read your blog about the flat world classroom. I was delighted to see it! Tell me how it goes. Yes, this is really Tom Friedman. Allbest, Tom

Wow! I am convinced if each of you give your best, you will make a lifelong difference in yourself with this project as you learn about another culture and about the societal trends that are changing our world!

These dynamics have the potential to bring some of the greatest economic development impact that rural communities around the world have ever seen. It is vital that you understand them as you plan your future educational career and business career. As always, I'm here to be your guide!

Colossus

2006-10-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

What is Colossus?
Colossus is the giant computer used to break the German Enigma code during World War II. Colossus was used in a top secret operation in Bletchley Park in England. The invention gave the Allies a major advantage over the Nazis.

Accomplishments of Colossus
Colossus used binary arithmetic, had 1,800 vacuum tubes, and could read input at 5,000 characters per second. Colossus deciphered the codes and gave inside enemy information to the Allies.

What is Enigma?
Enigma is a machine used by Germans to encipher and decipher codes. One way the enigma was broken is that no letter can be itself. The message is put into the machine and the enigma machine scrambles or unscrambles the message.

Comments from Montreal

2006-09-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

A classroom in Montreal Canada has evaluated your wikis on Computer Safety and Privacy. You have been given very good feedback. (Look at the comment on "Great first week in computer science.)

Here, I'd like you to comment on how you think we can improve future wikis to be more helpful. Also, what do you think about the differing opinions? Do you think it reflects the different ways people learn or something else?

Great Week in Computer Science

2006-09-02T09:08:00.000-05:00

We've had a great week in computer science. You've done wonders learning how to shoot, edit, and upload videos. We're ready to move ahead into the history of computing. I look forward to seeing what we learn and how we can educate others on the Internet with the videos, wikis, and blogs you produce.

Remember that the purpose for this blog is to blog our class notes. Each day, the "scribe" is to focus on getting good notes while the rest of us pariticpate and cooperate in the task at hand. We'll refine this process.

If you think anyone missed something on the notes, then make sure that you comment on their post and add the notes you feel are important.

Spam, Security and Pop-Ups, Oh My!

2006-08-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

People can access your computer and use your identity to make illegal transactions.
Many steps can be taken to keep this from happening.
NEVER click the “X” on a popup!
Instead, right click the menu bar and click “Close”
To create a secure internet environment, go to “Tools – Internet Options – Security.
Here, you can create security settings to one’s liking.
When buying online, always be sure that the URL contains “https” – this will almost always signify a secure internet connection.
Otherwise, a packet sniffer, a program used to find things such as a credit card number, will find and use your number.
Never publish specific information about yourself on the internet
Be careful when dealing with spam.
Some emails might look official yet they might have viruses encoded on them.
Still, spam can be used to be a harmless annoying object.
Always use spam blockers.
http://antiphishing.com/index.html - this is a very good way to identify spam
http://ftc.gov/ - this site lists all rights you have for privacy over the internet
http://www.zabasearch.com/ - this is a site most widely used by people trying to find information about other people

Webcams

2006-08-30T07:05:00.000-05:00

How to use Logitech webcams

You open the Logitech software. Then click the QuickCapture button. A window will pop up. You should see yourself through the webcam. If you don’t, make sure your lens is open. From here you can record a video, take a picture, or even add effects. To record, simply press the Record a Video button. To take a picture, press Take a Picture. To add effects, click the arrow by the settings camera. It’s at the bottom-right hand of the picture. Click Quick Assistant. This will bring up a small window. From here you can add all kinds of effects. Click the shadow-looking button with the question mark. From here you can become a wrestler, an alien, or even a robot. Fiddle around with the different controls to get used to them.

Chapter 1 Test review

2006-08-28T09:59:00.000-05:00

Orientation Chapter

Questions from Quickcheck A in orientation chapter. (pg.11)

Orientation pg. O-17

O-18 test over things posted on the wiki. Westwood.wikispaces.com

Quickcheck O-25

Vocabulary
Computer
Data
Input
Processing
Computer program
Software
Central processing unit
Memory
Storage
Output
Stored program

Computer Categories

Matching

Bonus

Suggestion of categories that are not included in the book

Chapter 1

ID items on pg. 10

Peripheral devices help the functionality of the computer

Data is what computers use 1’s and 0’s, digital format

Information is used by humans,

Data and executable files

Data used by computer

Executable file + program

File names and file extension, .exe

Types of files hand out.

Application Software- set of computer programs that help people

System software – helps the computer carry out task

Operating system – Mac OS, Microsoft windows

PC = Windows operating system

Mac = apple version of personal

Chapter 1

2006-08-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

What is a computer?

Device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output
Input devices: keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera
Output devices: screens and printers
A computer uses disks, CDs, and DVDs to store data
A stored promgram means that a seires of instructions for a computing task can be loaded into a computer's memory
Computers are categorized based on criteria such as usage, cost, size, and capability

Roomba/Scooba-a robotic vaccumer cleaner

RFID=Radio Frequency Identifier
RFID tags can be attatched to any object to identify it using radio waves
Two kinds of RFID: Active and Passive

August 18, 2006

2006-08-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

Today in computer science....
We worked on the first chapter of our wikibook. Chapter one is Computer and Privacy, it tells several problems and solutions to being safe on the web. To check out the wikibook go to www.westwood.wikispaces.com. Turn in your origianl book CD and burn your own. Make sure you did everything from yesterday...Quick check A and B. Be sure you send the checks to mrs. vicki. Make a wiki and try to get into the wiki hall of fame.

August 16, 2006

2006-08-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

Prevent your laptop/computer from being stolen:

Lojack- for laptops, little piece of software that runs in the back of the web browser, scenario- some one steals the computer…lojack gets the IP #/address from the computer and sends it to the internet company
Tag your name on your laptop (ie. On the battery- sauder your name or write it with a sharpie)
Change your password
2 accounts on your computer your account or guest account

Avoiding Viruses:

Malware/viruses- steals data or destroys files, can create traffic jams on your computer, you may not know it is there
Install virus fighting software, make sure it runs at all times when the computer runs, check it every week to make sure it runs good
Anti-virus software should scan files, emails, etc.
Auto protect- runs in the back of the screen
Viruses slow computer down, spam can also hurt you
Today most viruses come in e-mails or websites
Senders have found ways to use others’ email addresses to get the malware onto your computer
Pirated videos have started to get viruses, so when you download the video you will get viruses on your computer

Prevent INtrusions:

Whackers- wireless hackers
Firewall software-software designed to analyze and control incoming and outgoing packets on a network, used to enhance security by filtering out potential intrusion attempts
Hackers can get information from your computer if you stay on the internet for a long period of time
To block hackers you should have an active firewall
How to check your firewall: click the Start buttonà then click control panelà click network connectionsà click the connection you use for internet accessà under network tasks, click change settings for this connectionà click the advanced tab and look for a check mark in front of the box labeled protect my computer and network
Ping of death- virus that gave computers’ viruses, it pings Microsoft continuously, when someone pings Microsoft more than about 50 times, Microsoft will shut down their computer
“In computer terminology, a honeypot is a trap set to detect, deflect or in some manner counteract attempts at unauthorized use of information systems. Generally it consists of a computer, data or a network site that appears to be part of a network but which is actually isolated and protected, and which seems to contain information or a resource that would be of value to attackers. A honeypot that masquerades as an open proxy is known as a sugarcane.” (wikipedia)

Day 1: August 15

2006-08-16T07:29:00.000-05:00

Using the Orientation Chapter we did the following:

Review on the CD: how to navigate through pages

Insert the CD. The book on CD will pop up. Remember to create a tracking location if it is your first time. For your tracking device you should save to the memory key. Some things are on the website and others are on the CD depending on the icon to the left of the word in the book.

Tracking device: save to memory key
We took the pre-assessment test to see what we know in this chapter. The study guide was printed out for us to use for the test.
We are teaching sections on 8/16: avoiding viruses, preventing intrusions, blocking spyware and pop-up ads, protecting e-commerce or transactions, avoiding e-mail scams, and protecting your privacy tomorrow.

Welcome to Computer Science

2006-08-14T08:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Computer Science for teenagers. This is where Mrs. Vicki's tenth grade Introduction to Computer Science Class at Westwood Schools
makes their home. Each day a different scribe will post the class notes so that the class can participate in the discussions. Welcome!