3 Great Apps for Students (and Teachers)

For my second blog post, I decided to focus a little more on apps that could be useful for both students and teachers. The three apps I reviewed were Mathway by Mathway LLC, an app for checking math problems and practicing your skills, Google Drive by Google Inc., a cloud storage service that stores documents, photos, and presentations, and Comic Life 3 by plasq LLC, an app that allows you to make your own comic books and share them on social media. I use all three of these apps, and I can personally attest to how useful/awesome they are! Check out the reviews by clicking on the link below.

Link: http://jamiejeli.weebly.com/ or type jamiejeli.weebly.com into the address bar

~Jamie

C++ Blog the 2nd

NIM is a computer game where the players remove a number objects, and the one forced to remove the last objects loses. This was the second program project Ranger and I worked on. This one uses loops and random numbers. We changed the output to say “who had won.”

Random numbers are hard for computers to work with. When I hit “3” almost every time, I would always win. This was because the computer would always generate the same sequence of random numbers. So we had to start the game in a new place.

Loops would always continue on and on until we got out of it. We use loops in games to make turns continue until somebody wins.

We also made our game player versus player and it was kind of hard to do. We had to make the code for Player 2 to do the same thing that Player 1 does. This program was harder to write than the first one.

~Craig

3 Must-Have Apps for Teachers

For my first blog post I decided to review three apps that I thought would be useful for teachers. I focused mainly on apps that would help with classroom organization and accessibility between students and teachers. The three apps I reviewed were Classroom Checkout by FikesFarm, a library-esque app that allows teachers to check out books from their own class collection of books, Weebly by Weebly Inc., an app for creating online blogs and websites, and Remind by remind101, an app used to send updates on assignments and projects to students’ phones. I decided to post the actual reviews on my own personal ELI blog (that I made with Weebly) which can be found through the link below.

Link: http://jamiejeli.weebly.com/ or type jamiejeli.weebly.com into the address bar

~Jamie

C++ Blog

This semester I have been working on coding through a book called C++. Some of the beginner keys to learning this system are input and output or “cin” and “cout”, “if” conditional (if (condition) is true then do this), mathematical and logical operators

(  +  -  >=  == ), variables, and I have also used int for integers.

These keys can be used to create programs like Fortune Teller. This game/program generates a player’s lucky number. I have also taken the framework of the Fortune Teller game to make a relationship predictor game. For another variation I have also used the framework of the Fortune Teller game to make a simple calculator.

To make a grading program, you enter the symbol (%) and it gives you a letter grade and/or a message.

I have made a vending machine program which presents you with choices of drinks. You input the number you want, and it outputs what you bought.

My favorite game is one that repeatedly tells you not to enter 5 until you enter 5. Then it says “you weren’t supposed to enter 5!” :)

Last, I have made a program where you enter how many things each person ate, and it tells you who ate the most. If this was real life, I would eat the most.

The best part about coding with C++ is that I am learning how make my own programs and I hope to invent my own video game some day. Another goal of mine is to develop an APP that makes me a lot of money.

As I learn to code, I have learned to fix my own errors or create new outcomes through the input of programs, but the most is to not make mistakes.

~Craig

Building an Online Community: The Basics

So, you want to create and manage an online community? There are five main things to consider before and during your project. Firstly, you need to have a well thought-out and well articulated vision for what you want your community to be. Second, you must decide what it is that you can do differently than everyone else (individuality). What can you bring to the table that another person can not? Next, you must decide how you are going to organize your website or forum. What kinds of content do you want to host? After this, you need to get your hands dirty, so to speak. You’ve done the planning - now it’s time to build. Design your community’s home, test, and then launch.

Your vision is paramount to the success of your community. Without an articulated vision for what you want to accomplish, you will produce an aimless, albeit functional community that may survive, but never thrive. You should be able to summarize your vision within a short paragraph. It must include your purpose and your plan as to how you will achieve this purpose. An example of a present-tense vision statement is below.

The Ant Network is an organization that promotes the study and keeping of ants, community values, and professionalism. We serve ant keepers and ant researchers worldwide by providing a network of services including a functional community website and forum, an updated YouTube media channel, research and citizen science resources, and a myrmecology news outlet, along with many other services. We also provide the first professional subforum for the keeping and study of termites and other social insects. We represent a new community of hobbyists, citizen scientists, and researchers who are dedicated to Myrmecology.

After you have developed your vision, you must decide how you are going to accomplish what that vision expects. One of the elements necessary to do so is to establish what makes your ideal community stand out from the pack. Maybe you have special expertise in your topic. Or, maybe you excel at making web graphics and coding, and your website is the most attractive and functional of the group. There are a number of different scenarios that may overtly set your website apart. While these are indispensable, there are a number of smaller factors that may be at play. Respect (rules is coupled here), responsibility, and reputation - the three “R’s,” as I call them, play a big role in how popular your community becomes. Your community must have all three, or you might as well lack them all. Respect is a fundamental concept when applied to online communication. The world of anonymity and aliases opens unprecedented opportunities for harassment and outright viciousness. Respect is also reciprocal; you must respect your community’s users, and they must respect you and each other. Responsibility is also essential. You are responsible for your community - you don’t point fingers or rush to judgement. You serve as a leader and as an owner. Lastly, your reputation is important. It is near impossible to start a community in an atmosphere that is hostile to you. Your name should evoke credibility and respect. You are your community’s most effective ambassador, and that should be reflected in every communication you make and every content piece you write.

All right, so you know what you want to do. Now what? Figure out how to make it happen. If you are working with a team, you will want to have a way to store content files and calendar information so that everyone has access. If not, you may devise your own strategy. Get yourself organized, and then begin to piece out the layout and functionality of your website.

Software, hosting services, and preferences vary greatly with projects of this type. Decide what fits your abilities and budget, and go from there. You should decide on your forum’s basic layout, color scheme, logo, and content expectations before you begin to assemble the website. Once the website is to your liking, it’s time to introduce some beta testers. These are trusted friends or individuals who will use your service before you release it to the general public. They are looking for bugs or problems in your website that you might otherwise not notice. Once beta testing is complete, you move on to your final step.

To launch an organization, a large swath of factors must be considered. The scope of your project will play a large role in the type of announcement you make and how dramatic the “grand opening” is. By this time in your project, you will intimately know the subject at hand, how many people are involved in the topic, and what the existing culture is. You must consider these aspects when designing your launch plan (and no, we aren’t sending a shuttle to space. Just a website and an idea into cyberspace. Somewhat similar, no?).

Once you have launched, it is up to you to ensure that your community grows and stays active.

~M.M.

My Programming Blog

Programming is not a very easy thing to do, it is very hard. However, there was a website that explains the basics of programming.

I have made two video games through programming. The bricks game I created was tough, but the boxes game I made was even tougher.

To make these games, first I added the objects, then I put in the instructions, and finally I played the game. For example, when I added the character, I had to say that it was controlled by the mouse, and that it could only be in certain places. For the ball, I had to tell the program that it was a bouncing ball. When the ball hits something, it bounces. When the brick is hit by the ball, it breaks. These are the instructions for the bricks game that I made with this program. Those instructions are for programming. After playing it, I added a few things to the game.

When professional programmers make games or programs, they do something a lot like this. However, the programming they do is a lot harder. For instance, they use programming languages like Java or Javascript. These languages are object oriented. This means they are like what I did, they focus on each object and what it does.

~Craig

The art of of making anything out of nothing: an ELI on SolidWorks 2013

Hello readers, this is Sam Stevens. I am a senior at MHS in Ms. Wissner’s 5th period ELI. I am doing an ELI on SolidWorks. For those of you who don’t know what this computer program is, It is a modeling software used to create 3D images of almost anything you want. It is mostly used by graphic designers, engineers, and computer animators. It is a very useful way to visualize ideas.

Why care about My ELI?

SolidWorks and similar 3D CAD programs help reduce mishaps in consumer products. SolidWorks was designed mostly to keep engineers all on the same page and informed. Most languages are not sufficient for conceptualizing objects.  Their purpose is to convey ideas rather than elaborate structural detail.  Imagine trying to describe an airplane to someone who has never seen one before; it’s pretty darn hard. The main result is miscommunication, which in the context of an airplane means that the plane will fall apart and people will die. Another example is smart phones; they would not have evolved this far if the engineers had not been on the same page, resulting in lots of miscommunication, and we might still have flip phones. Another application for SolidWorks is animation. The software can be used to model motion, which allows animators to create moving animations. The bottom line is that SolidWorks and other 3D CAD programs are making this world a better place to live in, and they create quite cool images.  

What have I been doing thus far and how am I using SolidWorks?

I am member of the Moscow High School Robotics and Electronics Club. We are competing against the rest of Idaho in a competition where we have to build a robot that works with other robots to accomplish a hard task. This year’s task is to put wiffle balls into really tall beakers to earn points. This might not seem that difficult, but for a robot, this a challenging task. I was on the team last year. We didn’t devote enough time to making our robot, and as result we did not compete last year. I found out last year that another team had used SolidWorks to record the evolution of their robot, which I thought was a great idea.  In an effort to not repeat last year, this year I decided to do an ELI on SolidWorks and create the team’s engineering notebook to keep everyone on the same page and reduce confusion.

This year I have been learning the basic syntax involved in using solidworks.

This an example of one assembly I have modeled using my new skills.  

This is an example of a part which is quite hard to draw and explain, but thanks to SolidWorks, we could 3D print this part.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this piece.

~Sam

My Robotic Blog

After reading the literature on robotics, I have learned some facts about how robots help mankind. For instance, robotics are a part of science and technology, which can lead us to the future. We have factory robots that can build cars, and robots that perform tasks and carry information. In addition, engineers built robots that can adapt to their environment. More importantly, robots can explore places that are too dangerous or difficult for people to explore.

A true working robot must be controlled by a programmable computer.  It must be able to acquire information about the outside world.  And finally, based on its computer program, it must make decisions and take actions based on that information.

There are several reasons for studying robotics. Robots and their related technologies promise to have a huge impact on our economy and society. It will be easier for us to make important future decisions if we have some knowledge of these technologies and can assess their influence on our lives.

A consensus is growing among robot and computer experts that we are on the brink of a new era in which robots and intelligent computers will play an enormous part in our lives. Robots in the factories will soon become more sophisticated and spawn robots in the office, on the farm, in the classroom, and in the home. New generations of young people will have to master new skills and attitudes in order to manage, repair, maintain, and improve these robots.

Most robots are designed to work on their own, without human help. Once a human has shown a factory what to do (for example, moving its arm in a certain way), it can usually carry on without us-but only for a time. All robots have particular needs and rely on supplies from us.

There are several ways to give a working robot instructions. One way is to use a computer to program its movements.

Robots, like other machines and devices, are the result of years of work. From first designs, they are tested, redesigned, and tested again, gradually improving all the time. Developing a new robot might take as long as five years.

~Craig