Robocode by Ngee Ann Polytechnic ( IT Exposed Programme brought to you by IDA)

The IT Exposed Programme is an initiative by IDA to equip Infocomm Club students with basic computing concepts and skills in a fun way.

To register, please fill up the Google Registration form by 26 May (Thursday).

Thank you for your interest.
Registration is already closed.

Term 2 Week 10 (Sec 1) ProjectFUN Video Game Programmming Introductory Workshop by DigiPen

This introductory workshop is a 4-hours session that introduces students to the world of game development. Students will discover the roles of mathematics, physics, arts and the importance of the integration of these academic topics in the field of software engineering.

Dates	Time	Classes Attending	Venue
26 May 2011 (Thursday)	0730 – 1230 Hrs	S1-03, S1-04, S1-06, S1-07, S1-09	DigiPen Institute of Technology, Singapore PIXEL Building, 10 Central Exchange Green, #01-01, Singapore 138649
27 May 2011 (Friday)	1330 – 1800 Hrs	S1-01, S1-02, S1-05, S108

Campus Location

DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore is located in the PIXEL Building at 10 Central Exchange Green, a newly constructed road just off Portsdown Road in the Buona Vista area. The building is visible from Portsdown Road and is just a block or two from the new Fusionopolis building complex.

Directions (extracted from DigiPen Website)

By public transport, take the MRT to Buona Vista. From there (North Buona Vista Road bus stop directly outside the station), you can take bus 191 to Portsdown Road and get off at stop B10 (Opposite Fusionopolis). The bus ride only takes a few minutes and stops quite close to the school. 
Information about the Bus 191

By car or taxi, turn left (if you are coming from the east) off of North Buona Vista Road onto Portsdown Road (you'll see a sign for "Temasek Club" as well). You will pass Fusionopolis on your right, while you should follow the road as it curves to the left a bit and then again to the right. You will see the school ahead (Pixel, as indicated on the map). Turn left onto Central Exchange Green and immediately left again to enter the carpark for the school.

You may also enter via North Buona Vista Road. Make a turn into One North Gateway and follow the road down. The school will be on your left where you can make a left turn at the junction of Portsdown Road and Central Exchange Green.

Important things to note:

• Have a heavy breakfast. The food court is not situated at convenient locations.
• Bring along with you bottles of water.
• Bring writing materials with you.

Meet up with the teachers at the lift lobby.
You attendance will be taken before going to the lab.

Teachers:

• Thursday (26 May): Mrs Serene Lew and Mdm Azizah; Ms Loh
• Friday (27 May): Mr Edwin Lim and Mr Terence Fong; Mr Aurelius Yeo

Should you need help, you may call or sms Mr Yeo or Ms Loh. [See GoogleSite for info]
Remember to identify yourself (name and class).

Mega Microsoft Student Techfest on 2 June 2011

• For those who are in Singapore, you shall receive the CONSENT FORM on Monday (23 May), to be signed and returned to the school on Tuesday (24 May).
• *For those who are participating in the GCP, you will receive the consent form via email (Sent to your email account, and cc to your parents). You shall print a copy of the consent form and bring along with you when you turn up on the day of the event.

Other Information:

• Time: 1330h to 1800h
• Attire: School Uniform
• Report to Nanyang Polytechnic on your own and meet up with the teachers at the entrance to the auditorium at 1.30 pm
• Do NOT bring your learning device.

 Directions to Nanyang Polytechnic(NYP) Auditorium

• Go to NYP by MRT/ Bus: http://www.nyp.edu.sg/aboutNYP/get_to_nyp/pr_by_mrt.html
• Go to NYP by Car: http://www.nyp.edu.sg/aboutNYP/get_to_nyp/pr_by_car.html

Mega Microsoft Student Techfest - 2 June 2011 (Organised by IDA)

Mega Microsoft Student Techfest on 2 June 2011 - Register now! [organised by IDA]

The 4th edition of the Student Techfest will take place on 2 June 2011, at Nanyang Polytechnic.

Theme: Unleash your Potential, Be What’s Next!
Our Gen Zs are busy studying, working and socializing all the time. They have their school lives and their social lives, and they are the true digital natives, yet do they really know how to integrate everything seamlessly to be efficient, productive and stay sane and fun effectively? Microsoft, being a keen industry partner would like to remind the Net Generation of the possibilities of technology when you join everything together to form that connected experience, of learn, work and play! Through this, we aim to spark an interest in technology and the industry amongst our young ones. We want them to aspire to Be What’s Next!

Be wowed with a great line up of activities which include the latest Microsoft technologies showcase and hearing from professionals first hand on how it is like working in Microsoft! That's not all, get your hands on the latest gadgets and have a fun filled event with free food and beverages. Come join us for this unforgettable event!

More than 500 students have enjoyed themselves in the last 3 techfests – check out the blog!

Click here to view more photos of past Techfests on their Facebook page!

To register, please fill up the Google Registration form by 18 May (Wednesday).

The registration is now closed. Thank you for your interest.

Sharpening your keyboard skills

Has it ever crossed your mind what is the advantage of using the correct finger positioning when typing (on a standard keyboard)?

While you wait for your class to begin or want to take a break for your work, why not consider picking up the touchtyping skill that enables you to type with your eyes closed! ^.^

Click HERE to access the website, Online Free TouchTyping Program - Sense-Lang.org
> Tutorials > Typing Tutorials > Lesson 1...Lesson 15

Alternatively, if you are pretty good at typing, challenge yourself with greater speeds in the following website: The Typing of the Ghosts

Presentation Visual Tips: Colours Tell a Story

Get some useful tips about the choice and combination of colours from the animation at
http://www.mariaclaudiacortes.com/

Refer to the left sidebar for more useful tips: Tips for Presentation Visuals

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Reference:
Cortes, C. (n.d.) Colour in Motion. Retrieved from http://www.mariaclaudiacortes.com/colors/Colors.html

Technology as A Way of Life

In SST, we adopt technology as a way of life. Ubiquitous use of technology takes place not just in classrooms, but also in co-curricular programmes. Students would be equipped with the technology skills and life skills to use ICT responsibly for learning, social interaction and recreation.

We believe our digital natives are adventurous, enthusiastic and possess lots of initiative - important characteristics of technology-savvy 21st century citizens. They explore, try and discover! They will explore the unlimited possibilities and strive for excellence. Fear not, you are not on your own. The teachers are around to get you started with this exciting journey.

Welcome to the Whole New Way of Learning!

An Overview

In SST, students would apply a range of ICT skills to learn and demonstrate their understanding (e.g. creation of artefacts). This is in line with the national strategies as well as SST's goals to prepare our learners to be 21st century-ready.

This repetoire of skills includes
(a) MOE's Baseline ICT Standards for Students (rolled out to all schools in 2007-2008):
1. Basic Operations - Operating in an interactive media environment
2. Learning with Searches - Intenet navigation and search
3. Learning with Text - Word Processing
4. Learning with Multimedia - Production and Manipulation of media content
5. Learning with Spreadsheet - Data Management and Processing
6. Learning with Communication Tools - Online Communication
7. Learning with Data Collection Tools - Data Collection and Transfer

In SST, students will go deeper into each of the above areas. They will also be using the following:

(b) Web 2.0 Applications
Generally, the suite of applications includes
1. Blogs
2. Wikis
3. Discussion Forum
4. Twitter & Plurk
5. GoogleApps such as GoogleSite, GoogleSpreadsheet, etc.
6. GoogleMap
7. GoogleSite

(c) Software applications that come with the learning device
This includes...
1. iLife - Photo Booth, iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband
2. iWork - Pages, KeyNote, Numbers
3. Preview
4. QuickTime Player

Preparation...

While "waiting" for the learning device to be ready for collection, we can start preparing ourselves by exploring the following Applications:

(1) Blogger (http://www.blogger.com/) - Blogging will be one of the common activities across various subjects. Find out how to insert images, embed video clips and other gadgets in the blog.
(2) GoogleMaps (http://maps.google.com/) - Discover how to tag images (and add notes) to different locations in Singapore or on the world map!
(3) Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) - Put down your thoughts in a short and concise manner.
Activities are designed to bring you through the 3 applications.

• Do NOT rush! Take your time to explore the features in each application.
• At the end of each activity, there are some questions for you to ponder, for further exploration.
• You may wish to stagger the activities over a week or two.

Activity 1: Blogging with Blogger

Objective of this activity
To create a blog with at least 2 posts, each with text and image(s)

To Create a Blog: For beginners, watch the following videoclip before getting started


Source: Blogger Help. (2009, December 06). How to create a blog with Blogger [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnploFsS_tY

Useful resources

• Find out what is a "blog" from wikipedia: Blog
• Blog in Plain English
• Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/
• Click HERE to access Blogger's Help Page

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Your Task 1

1. Create a blog, name it "My Journey begins... @ SST"

2. There should be two posts to this blog:
(a) In the 1st post, insert an image that is represents your feelings and reactions when you received the letter/ call that confirms your posting to SST. Share why you choose this picture to represent your feelings and reactions.

(b) In the 2nd post, describe your experience in creating this blog. Also, suggest how blogging can be part of your learning experience in SST.

Submit your blog address in the following form:



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Something to ponder...

1. How to change the order of the posts? (e.g. to move the latest post to the bottom of the page)
2. How to allow visitors to comment on one post but not the other?
3. How do we decide to let visitors to comment or not to comment at a particular post?
4. How many account(s) is/are required if a blog is required for each subject?

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If you need clarification on this task, or need help to complete the above, enter the questions under "COMMENTS". Remember to sign off with your name so that we can respond accordingly. Anonymous questions will not be entertained.

• Cite your image if you are not the owner of the photograph/image.
• Do not post your photograph in the blog.

Activity 2: Getting to know places with Google Maps

Objective of this activity
1. To use Google Maps to get useful information for planning
2. To create a personalised map

(a) Using Google Maps: For beginners, watch the following videoclip before getting started



Source: Google. (2009, December 06). Introduction to Google Maps Singapore with Traffic & Transit [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec1_G2xGxHA

Useful resources

• Find out what is a "Google Maps" from wikipedia: Google Maps
• Google Maps Singapore: http://maps.google.com.sg/
• Click HERE to access Google Maps Help Page

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Your Task 2a
1. Using Google Maps, find out the suggested route(s) from your home to SST.
2. Apart from the suggested routes, what other information does Google Maps provide that helps you plan your journey to school?
3. How useful and reliable do you think are the information that Google Maps provide?

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(b) Personalising Google maps: For beginners, watch the following videoclip before getting started



Source: Google. (2009, December 06). How to create a "My Map" in Google Maps [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw
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Your Task 2b
1. Using Google Maps, create a map on ONE of the following:

• (a) Some places that you been to, in Singapore, during this school vacation; or
  
• (b) Some places that you been to overseas

2. Your personalised map should have the following:

• At least 3 landmarks/places marked on the map.
• For each landmark/place, there should be at least one image and a brief description.

3. Generate the code of the map and embed it into a post in your blog (created in the previous activity). Provide your post with a name and briefly share what you did in the place(s) you visited.
Here's a an example of how your personalised map will look like when embedded in the post.

View Some Places in a larger map
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Something to Ponder...

1. If the map were to reflect several places to be visited in a day, how do we enhance the personalised map so that it could be used like an itinerary?
2. How could two or more of us collaborate on the same map?

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If you need to clarify anything about this task, or need help to complete the above, enter the questions under "COMMENTS". Remember to sign off with your name so that we can respond accordingly. Anonymous questions will not be entertained.

Enquiry 1: Embedding Map in Blog Post

• How to use Google Maps to map out the routes for than 2 locations?
• How different are the suggested routes for Location A to Location B, and vice versa?

Activity 3: Let's Tweet!

Objective of this activity
1. To tweet, to follow and be followed
2. To search for tweets

View the following:

• Twitter in Plain English to have an idea what is Twitter and how it works.
• Twitter Search in Plain English to learn how 'communities' can be formed in the Twitter community, which renders opportunities for collaboration.

Useful resources

• Find out what is "Twitter" from wikipedia: Twitter
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/
• About Twitter: http://twitter.com/about#about

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Your Task 3
1. From your account, follow the SSTSingapore, the official twitter account from SST.

• By doing so, you will be updated of happenings and announcements that SST makes via Twitter.

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Something to Ponder...

1. With limited number of characters allowed, how do we insert long URLs in tweets?
2. Picture speaks a thousand words. How do we include pictures in a tweet?

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If you need to For clarification or help needed to complete the above, enter the questions under "COMMENTS". Remember to sign off with your name so that we can respond accordingly. Anonymous questions will not be entertained.

Activity 4: More about your DIGITAL self through digital collage

Objective of Activity

To create a digital collage to illustrate the Web 2.0 tools that you have tried and are familiar with. Here is an example a a digital collage:
Your Task:

1. List down the various online applications that you are familiar with.
2. Insert the logos into any application that allows you to insert and organise images.
3. Save this digital collage as an image and post it in your blog.
4. In your blog, Insert the URLs where these online applications can be found. Amongst the online applications, pick ONE which is your FAVOURITE and share with us why you like it.

Activity 5: When you wish upon the "Wall"

Objective of this activity
1. To share your view on a public space
2. To embed the wall in your blog

Your Task
1. You are going to contribute an idea in the public space (Wall wisher) by posting a sticky on the wall.
Suggest one software/ application that you think is useful for SST students to know. Explain briefly, in what way this software/ application is going to be useful in your learning.


You will be able to see the updates when others contribute their ideas, too.


2. Create a post in your blog and name it "Wishes on the Wall". Embed the Wall in your blog.
In the same blog post, pen down...
(a) What is some useful features of wall wisher?
(b) What are some limitations of wall wisher?
(c) In what way you think this could be used in your learning activity or CCA? Give an example.

Something extra...
Register an account at wallwisher.com and experience how easy it is to create a wall.