Kahikatea Tree at Papakura South School

Kahikatea Tree at Papakura South School
Martha-Lee and Madeline

Thursday, July 23, 2009

STS-127 Answers Room 8's question from Space

Mrs Raman is so proud of you'll Joseph, Shar, Te Kawehau and Taylah for taking our name into SPACE.

What an achievement for Room 8, Kelvin Road School,Mrs Raman and New Zealand.

It is wonderful to see that all our hard work has paid off.

I hope that  you all will grow from strength to strength in your 'endeavours' - just like the name of the sts-127 space-shuttle.

Well done my Coolkids!

Proud teacher,

Mrs Kree Raman

 

 

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Total Solar Eclipse of 2009 July 22

TSE2009globe1b

On Wednesday, 2009 July 22, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path crosses Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 min 39 s. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Global Gateway Connection

Coolkids showing off the student profiles which arrived all the way from Navrachana School, Gujarat, India.

We are looking forward to emailing our friends in India and working on projects together.

Thank you Navrachana School and Mrs Krishnammal for the beautiful letters we received in the post today.

DSC00067

First Moon Landing 1969

I was 3 years old back then but only seeing this 40 years later. I believe 100% in this miraculous achievement - the negative theories do not bother me.

This is undoubtedly a GIANT LEAP for mankind! NASA, may you'll grow from strength to strength in your space exploration ENDEAVOURS.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Teach Adobe Roadshow 16 July 2009


Skycity Convention Centre

Epsom Room 2


My goodness, what an exciting Teach Adobe Roadshow this was. I was totally blown away. In fact, my feet are in the clouds from this digital media explosion and my head is still buzzing. Up until now I was a firm-believer in open-source applications but Adobe is undoubtedly the industry standard. Creative Suite 4 simply rocks my world. My goal for the near future is to master digital media by building skills in rich media, visual and web communications. My current dream as a teacher of the 21st century is to:
* qualify as an Adobe Certified Associate
* learn Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, and other Adobe applications
* integrate Adobe's digital media in my classroom
* mentor and train others in my school community
* engage and motivate my students
* lead the way in teaching digital media skills

If I can dream it, I'm sure that I can achieve it!


Note-taking by Kree Raman
Using: HTC Titan PDA Windows Mobile

Session 1: 9am – Jean-Paul


Knowledge infrastructure

Quote by Obama

"To give our children an opportunity to live out their dreams in a competitive 21st century..."

*Transcend socio-economic barriers

*Korea in 1st place with educational development

Economic advancement - knowledge

*Competition & globalization age - done through the web

Information going from scarce to abundant

*Communication age - 150 million sites to anyone who has internet

1.9 trillion sms

Engaging today’s digital natives - technology is not a tool, it's a way of life

*Kevin Rudd announced that there is going to be a digital revolution - creative, communication & collaboration

Singapore/Malaysia does not use office anymore, they use open source/Adobe

ACA - CERTIPORT - get adobe certified

12,000 testing centres

Become an adobe certified assistant, structure your learning, adobe 94% owns the world,

Become an authorised testing centre, establish a test centre at your school, purchase the exams, 10 tests at $80 each, 10 FREE tests if registered before 31st July.

www.iccentral.com

CS4, CS5

Since CS4, Adobe taken over macromedia

www.acrobat.com

Insight into the future of Adobe

www.abs@adobe.com

Buzz-word

Adobe revolutionalises how the world reacts with others!

Session 2: 9:30 Tools 2 Teach

*Creative Content*

Adobe CS4, Cross media publishing across platforms & devices, make magazines available on website, take web experience onto desktop, like adobe AIR, a free runtime environment, irrespective of their platforms (mac, pc, linux), runs with or without internet, desktop applications, mobile applications, digital experiences, so many technologies & applications, just-in-time learning.

I may not know all the answers but I'm happy to explore together with my learners.

www.adobe.com/education/index.html

Adobe Creative Suite 4 for Education

Project based assignments: goals, design, content creation, develop, validation.

Visual design, digital design, digital video - project based assignments

www.adobe.com/designcenter

http://www.adobe.com/events/main.jsp

A live event 2pm - 3pm NZ time

Education Stream/Beginner stream - watch demo & ask questions

www.creativesweettv.com/

Create a ferrari

Tools outside Creative Suite:

*Adobe Captivate 4* (OMG!)

gr8 teaching tool to teach someone how to use a certain software, a screen capturing software, e.g. How to set an internet proxy? Record & upload as video podcast, record what's happening on the screen, screen will capture the mouse movements, can capture full-motion video, output is in flash format, can export as avi

Captivate is a versatile application with sound, create animation with sound e.g. Global warming, with graphs, multiple choice, quiz questions, interactive.

Download captivate & try it out at home.

SIGN UP with www.acrobat.com (FREE!) use acrobat.com as storage 5 gigs & use anywhere with internet access

Premium surfaces (PAID options)

www.buzzword.acrobat.cim/#o

Create docs & publish online, student project, work collaboratively as co-author or reviewer, do typical formatting as in word doc

FREE e-seminar room - a connectnow meeting room, chat window, sharing window, whiteboard, buzz sharing port, invite 3 parties into your room

Session 3: 10:45 by Aaron Richards, Adobe ambassador, Digital careers teaching resources:

*Visual Design* (stuff we hold & print) - pdf course overview - step-by-step courses - 9 projects, photoshop, illustrator (logos), resolution & dpi, difference between raster (limited blow-up size) & vector file (has no limitations, blow-up any size),

*Photoshop*

Reset Workspace, e.g. Essentials for specific palettes, customize palettes

Colour-correct images:

>Image>adjustments>levels>grayscale tool (middle tool)

To stretch picture to canvas:

>Edit>content-aware-scaling>apply

Straighten the horizon:

>ruler tool>image>?

Re-touching:

Instead of Clone tool use *Spot-healing tool* - looks at areas left & right, remove spots, moles, etc.

*Red-eye tool* - finds the red-eye, click smallest amount on darken tool to avoid black eyes!

To make selections: pen tool, square-selection, elliptical, magic wand, now use *Magnetic lesser tool* - quickly & accurately outlines areas e.g. Body outlines>refine edge tool>white background

*quick-mask tool* to work in reverse, green background to easily see mess-ups, fix up missed areas

*feather* to blend image on white background or super-impose image on top of another background, e.g. man hanging from building.

Joining pictures together - 360 degree view:

>file>automate>photo merge>select pics>blend>flatten image>levels>adjustments>vibrance>brightness

*Layer-Mask*

Non-destructive editing (does not discard original pic)

Turn layer on/off, change tie to red, colour face, colour tie, black & white image!


*Illustrator*

Tools & workspace similar to photoshop

Vector based programme which uses a math-equation, blows up image to any proportion

>objects

Key to illustrator is the *pen tool* - go around with pen-tool on a giant 'S'

When using pen tool, follow the arc, minimize points, i.e. make as less points as possible.

Illustrator is powerful with text, e.g. Aaron, convert to outlines, turns the Font into an Object, do something fancy to the first letter of the word.

Type around a circle, or fill text within the circle, first draw the object, then fill with text.

Also create text on path, by drawing irregular line.

*Live Trace* traces photoshop file and converts it to vector art-work -

Colouring-in objects (picture),

>colour-group>add colour-group>live paint tool>fill colour> quick and easily fill with different colours using arrow-keys.

*Live Colour* - changing colours on a logo

>colour-guide>edit>colour harmony rule,

*Live trace*

*grading tool* - produces tints & tones of colours.

*InDesign* Multiple art-boards - for more than one piece of artwork on the same workspace. Photo is a Raster application which uses pixels. Illustrator uses vector.

Desktop publishing programmes e.g. Paint, Publisher, word, ppt, etc.

Move texts/pics using math equations

Text on highest layer, image layer, apply bleeding, i.e. take picture outside borders to allow for printing.

Insert box, then insert image to get desired size.

Managing pages on InDesign - pages need to be divided by 4

*Master Pages*

Make new master if needed, can have multiple master pages. You can control the layers on

InDesign, u can turn on/off layers then preview. Apply drop-shadow

>objects>effects>d op-shadow

Apply filters to text.

Ready to publish on Acrobat Reader (free) - present multiple docs in pdf file. Create post-script file then pdf file.

How to export as pdf, smallest file type or high quality print, insert crop marks & bleed marks if needed, click export.

Use acrobat:

To create a form,

>form>start with pdf doc>use current doc>

If it missed something, then click add/edit form.

>*distribute form* to acrobat (must set up acrobat.com account)

Up-coming Adobe eseminar - go to On Demand site to find out about creating forms.

Shared reviews: *Comment & Mark-up* on acrobat rather than printing & using a pen.

*Text Edits* - delete words, insert words, capitalize, check commenting list.

*Rubber stamp* tools, e.g. APPROVED

*Highlight* Tool, Underline, Insert arrows & write comment/instructions.

Pencil tools, audio tool to add recording, add paperclip to attach a comment-file.

3rd session - 1:30pm Brian Chau

*Digital Design*

*Dreamweaver*

*Flash*

You can run these apps on desktop & even on mobile.

School samples:

www.mlc.vic.edu.au/flashzone/index.htm

*Flash* - animations, using Flash to express themselves in Writing & illustrating, create interactive multimedia

Flash is an *swf movie* file

How to create a flash animation:

Draw a basic quarter-moon shape, store it in Library to use multiple times.

Use *symmetry brush* to create fantastic shapes by repeating your basic shape, store in library, move object in path to animate it, u can animate the object along a 3D path! Easy to use & powerful as well.

*Motion editor* with special effects. Also heaps of pre-built animation in Library to select from. U can create Flash File ActionScript 3.0 (better language) or ActionScript 2.0

Turn the photoshop image into flash animation. Reconstruct psd file into swf file.

Custom animations.

The brake to slow down your animation is called *ease*. Apply *effects* such as blur 51 pixels, then on blur when it stops. Create a command to Stop animation e.g. *stop ();

The brackets denotes that 'stop' means a verb while the; means a full-stop.

>Modify>Convert to symbol to animate button -select *Behaviors* pattern to decide what happens when someone clicks on each button. Publish as Flash (.swf) and HTML (.html)


*Adobe Air*

Sam's Interactive Reader - interactive storybooks, games, audio, text.

Adobe Air runs inside a browser -that means u can browse, drag & drop files & videos from your hard-drive rather than being restricted to only viewing stuff from the web. For mobile publish as *Adobe Mobile Package*

CAB file is for windows mobile.

Next insert into Dreamweaver to create a webpage. gr8 way to learn html because you can view the html code

CSS = cascading style sheet, e.g. to make a sheet look good, just for dressing up and decoration.

HTML = Google will rate as important if text highlighted as heading

How to build a webpage

Header, footer, navigation, expandable (minimise/maximize),

Try different styles, modify, make width to 100% to stretch across webpage. Roll-over navigation. You can use the pre-built navigation on dreamweaver. Turn CSS styles off. Spider = search engine.

Session 4: 3pm

*Video Design*

Check this out:

Apollo 11: http://www.wechoosethemoon.org/

www.cinema.philips.com

Air Applications: always online - last 7 days will be available even when you're offline!

*Earth Browser*

*The New York Times* - http://www.nytimes.com/

Try the crossword available.

Some parts of newspaper free, but subscriptions offered.

Project: capture video using camera i.e. Edsoft’s HD pocket-camera, do video editing, save in hard-drive.

*Adobe Premiere Pro* - edit, special effects, audio, import as dvd or blu-ray.

Import 3 videos, edit, put in sequence, Remove the green screen - stretch it, bring in a psd file for a new background, drop it underneath on timeline, move to suit, insert audio;

*Adobe Soundbooth* - shows wav file & frequency file, so u can *remove a sound* &

*auto heal* from the frequency file, not the wav file. Save as flash video or output as dvd or blu-ray: *Send to Encore* -it will launch Encore as a programme - save as blu-ray.

>After effects>insert text (e.g. to be continued) - u can custom animate text, change effects. Go back to Encore. Add chapter markers. Add sequence headers. Use help manuals in Resource Central - they are psd files that u can further edit. Link from object to particular chapter by dragging and dropping on *Link* to the *timeline*.

Look at *Flowchart* to double-check your Links.

Complete the project, import quicktime video, you can link from *Main menu* & *Link* or from *Flow-chart*

On the Timeline, you can add multiple sound track i.e. Chinese subtitles - use text to type in subtitles OR *import subtitles* You can also output as Flash movie.

Analyzing Obama's Inaugural Speech

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/20/us/politics/20090120_INAUGURAL_ANALYSIS.html#

Videos are the most opaque on the internet, hard to search the content since it is audio, e.g. Presidents speech. Adobe has a tool to convert the speech into searchable text.

Create an application using Web flow. Transcribe your video, pick the language u want. 30secs to transcribe. Correct errors in transcript. Export as speech transcription. Export to Dreamweaver. Saved as .xml file.

Searchable video - Download html template

*Adobe Media & Coder* that allows u to encode videos from one format to another...bring in any source e.g. flv (flash-video) - output to quicktime, mp3, mpeg4, avi, gif, blu-ray etc.

www.adobe.com

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/

http://pelfusion.com/tutorials/adobetv-tutorials-learn-after-effects-cs4/

Adobe Creative Suite 4:

*Dreamweaver

*Flash

*Photoshop

*InDesign

*PremierePro



Other

*Certified Associate

*Air - online application, automatically updates & synchronizes

*Adobe TV (free)

*Video workshop that comes with CS3

*Fireworks* - image editor

Email Brian: bchau@adobe.com

Brian’s Blog: www.brianchau.wordpress.com/






The Teach Adobe Roadshow ended at 4:30pm


The Teach Adobe Roadshow was all about Digital Content using Creative Suite 4. Santa, you know what I want this Christmas :))


Notes

by

Kree Raman

ICT Lead Teacher

Kelvin Road School

Auckland, NZ

Blog: www.mrsramanscoolkids.blogspot.com/


Youtube: kree12

Facebook: Kree Raman Vandayar

Skype: kreeraman

Email: kree4sai@gmail.com

Endeavour, STS-127 Crew Begin Complex Mission

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:00:01 PM UTC+1200

Endeavour is safely in orbit. Its 16-day mission includes 5 spacewalks and will complete the station's Japanese module.

Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts are in orbit after an on-time launch at 6:03 p.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following a smooth countdown with no technical issues and weather that steadily improved throughout the afternoon, the shuttle lifted off from Launch Pad 39A and began its orbital chase of the International Space Station.

"It was a testimony for this entire launch and flight control team," Launch Director Pete Nickolenko said of the countdown and successful liftoff, which came on the sixth launch attempt after technical issues and weather concerns prevented the first five tries. "It was an outstanding effort, and it made the complex look really easy. It really was a case of persistence."

Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, also commended the launch effort, but cautioned that the mission to come is "very challenging," with five spacewalks and robotic activities scheduled. "The teams are fully prepared -- they're ready to go do what they need to go do, and we look forward to the exciting activities as we install the Exposed Facility out on the Kibo module."

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

NASA Build more Space Stations!!!

I know that everything happens for a good reason, nevertheless, I am getting a little impatient with all the sts-127 mis-launches. I can't imagine how the sts_127 crew and their families must be feeling. God give you strength!

I have a suggestion, to avoid future launch delays, why can't NASA construct an Obama Space Centre in Central Australia or Africa?
It will be well-worth the money spent and we can have multiple launches and missions to speed up our space-explorations. I know that we have made major advances and space discoveries in the recent decades but let's start speeding things up a bit and make it easier for our children's children.

I believe that NASA needs to spread its wings and embrace our entire planet Earth first in order to make extra-ordinary breakthroughs in Space.

I do pray we have a successful launch in 22 hours 30 minutes time...all through the Grace of GOD! Room 8 is waiting anxioulsy for our space questions to be answered from space, live on NASA TV.

Good luck and God Speed sts-127
Mrs Kree Raman

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Endeavour Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:41:26 PM UTC+1200


Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 15 at 6:03 p.m. EDT.

Monday's attempt was canceled due to poor weather conditions within the launch area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Anvil clouds and storm cells containing lightning flared up toward the end of the countdown, violating stringent launch safety rules.

"Technically, we've been really clean the last two days with our vehicle," Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses said of Endeavour's launch attempts on Sunday and Monday. "It's just been the weather scenario that got us."

The outlook is better on Wednesday, with only a 40 percent chance of weather conditions prohibiting liftoff.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

STS-127 Countdown in Final Planned Hold

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:57:40 AM UTC+1200

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the countdown clock has paused for 45 minutes at the T-9-minute mark. This is the final built-in hold for today's countdown to liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on its STS-127 mission.

The countdown is going relatively smoothly, with no technical issues in work. Although launch managers and weather officials are monitoring weather conditions around the launch area and Shuttle Landing Facility very closely, liftoff remains scheduled for 6:51 p.m. EDT.

Watch for countdown clocks to resume ticking backwards at 6:42 p.m. when the T-9-minute hold is released.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

God Speed STS_127 - our thoughts and prayers are with you on this 4th launch. Have a blast!!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Latest Space Shuttle Newshttp://www.nasa.gov/shuttle en-us

Careful Testing Under Way After Lightning Strikes
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:59:52 AM UTC+1200


The launch of space shuttle Endeavour was postponed until Sunday evening so engineers could evaluate the spacecraft's myriad systems following 11 lightning strikes in the Launch Complex 39A area.

None of the strikes hit the shuttle or its external tank and solid rocket boosters, but there were strikes to the lightning mast and water tower. The launch pad is equipped with a lightning protection system of wires that is intended to steer bolts away from the shuttle.

"We've seen nothing so far that shows anything affected any of the systems," said Mike Moses, chairman of the pre-launch Mission Management Team.

Two of the strikes were strong enough to trigger an evaluation by engineers just to make sure all of Endeavour's systems are ready for flight. Although early evaluations showed no problems, engineers wanted more time to make sure they have checked everything correctly.

"We need to be 100 percent confident that we have a good system across the board," Moses said.

The launch time for Sunday is 7:13 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Astronaut Mark Polansky will answer our question live from Space on NASA TV

Refer to Polansky Question Picks
Questions 6 & 8 from Room 8, Kelvin Road School...how cool?





STS-127 Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch 11 July 2009

Room 8 wishes the Crew of STS-127 a safe, happy and successful mission. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We hope you all have an exciting journey to Space and return safely back to Earth. God Speed.





STS-127 Mission Overview
The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.
The STS-127 crew members are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

End of Term 2 - have a gr8 break!

Kia Ora,
Hope you have all had as much fun and excitement as Room 8 has had over the past ten weeks. Here's wishing you all a restful, relaxing, safe and happy July break.


Here are some cool Teacher and Student poems:
If I Could Teach You, Teacher
If I could teach you, teacher,
I’d teach you how much more
you have accomplished
than you think you have.
I’d show you the seeds
you planted years ago
that are now coming into bloom.
I’d reveal to you the young minds
that have expanded under your care,
the hearts that are serving others
because they had you as a role model.
If I could teach you, teacher,
I’d show you the positive effect
you have had on me and my life.
Your homework is
to know your value to the world,
to acknowledge it, to believe it.
Thank you, teacher.
By Joanna Fuchs

Number One Teacher
I'm happy that you're my teacher;
I enjoy each lesson you teach.
As my role model you inspire me
To dream and to work and to reach.
With your kindness you get my attention;
Every day you are planting a seed
Of curiosity and motivation
To know and to grow and succeed.
You help me fulfill my potential;
I'm thankful for all that you've done.
I admire you each day, and I just want to say,
As a teacher, you're number one!
By Joanna Fuchs


THE OPTIMIST CREED
By Christian D. Larsen
Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
Make all your friends feel there is something in them.
Look at the sunny side of everything.
Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
Give everyone a smile.
Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.
Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.


A NEW DAY
Dr. Heartsill Wilson
This is the beginning of a new day.
I have been given this day to use as I will.
I can waste it, or use it.
I can make it a day long to be remembered for its joy, its beauty and its achievements, or it can be filled with pettiness.
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever, but I shall hold something which I have traded for it.
It may be no more than a memory, but if it is a worthy one I shall not regret the price.
I want it to be gain not loss, good not evil, success not failure.


BE THANKFUL
By Author Unknown
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.