Music Production: Case studies

Some music producers have used music software to produce music that addresses some societal problems. Research for atleast four such producers stating the following;

-the name of the producer or company
-the problem addressed
-the software used and why
-the benefits and challenges of using the software
-Any reviews from the listeners of the music

Post this on the blog and ensure that every respond is very brief,.
N/B Copy and pasting will be penelized. This work is due on 8th Dec 2010

More resources for the unit

http://www.audio-tool.net/arforfree_best_freeware_of_sound_editing_main_features.html

http://www.goodkatshare.com/kat-mp3-recorder

http://www.magix.com/us/samplitude-music-studio/detail/

The Songsmith: The Problem

You will need to brainstorm on a problem in the society that a Song production may address. Identify a client or clients that you will need to produce music for him/she/them.

Remember at the end of the day you need to solve a problem.

Download any free music production software and start working on it. You may want to download the Songsmith software produced by Microsoft and try out its features.

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/download.html

UNIT TITLE: The Songsmith

AOI: Community & Service

AK Focus: Ethics

Unit question: How has the use of music software impacted the music production?

In this unit we will examine the impact of using music software in music production.

Your task today is to research for different music production software and compare them in terms of

• File Size
• Limitations
• merits of the software.
• Whether is suitable for MAC or PC
• Editting

Post all your finding in this blog.

Evaluate stage : Banking Data

The evaluate stage is due 24th Nov 2010. Always refer to the assessment rubric when responding to this task

You are expected to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification in an objective manner based on testing, and to evaluate its impact on life, society and/or the environment.

You are expected to explain how the product/solution could be improved as a result of these evaluations.

Students are expected to evaluate their own performance at each stage of the design cycle and to suggest ways in which their performance could be improved.

Please use the questions as a guide to your evaluate stage.

a) How did you perform in each stage of the design cycle? What were your strengths and what were your weakness? How did you address your weekness? How did the results of testing help you? (100 words minimum)


b) What are some of the improvements that you would make to your product following the feedback from testing?

c) what were the views of the client? and How did or will the database impact on your client? What were the strengths and weakness of using the database as stated by your client? (70 words minimum)

d)Which stage of the design cycle did you perform well and which stage did you perform poorly and what were your reasons? How did solve those weakness as a student? (70 words Minimum)

e) Reflect on one the area of interaction: How does the database created relate to the Area of interaction? What are the strengths and weakness of using database in the stated area of interaction? (60 words Minimum)

Create Stage: Banking Data 13 Oct-17 Nov 2010

Create stage will last for 5 weeks, That is from 13th October 2010 to 17 Nov 2010. For each product that you will create, you must ensure that you have the following included;

Tables
At least one table with a minimum of 50 records. Each record should store a minimum of 6 fields with a primary keyfield. The fields should be of different datatypes as listed (number, date, Yes/No, memo, integer, text, autonumber, Ole object and currency)

Querries
You must ensure that you have atleast 6 different querries generated in your database product. Each query should be realistic while addressing your clients requirements and not repeated.

Forms
Your database product should have atleast four different forms designed. One of the form should be an entry form to the table created.

The other form should be a Switchboard which must be the first to open every time database product is opened. It is from this switchboard that you can open the other object like the querries, forms, report etc.

Report
Your product should be able to generate different reports as requested by your client. Ensure that your product provisions for at least 4 types of reports generated.

Macro
Macros are important while designing the buttons in the Switchboard. Ensure that macros are used appropriately an skilfully.

Other skills discovered and used will be rewarded.

Look at the links below for tips.

http://www.databasedev.co.uk/user_interface_1.html


http://www.blueclaw-db.com/inventory_tracking_database.htm


http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html

Plan Stage (Planning Using a Gantt Chart): Banking Data

Gantt charts are a project planning tool that can be used to represent the timing of tasks required to complete a project. Because Gantt charts are simple to understand and easy to construct, they are used by most project managers for all but the most complex projects.

Read the brief notes on Gantt Chart in the links below
http://www.me.umn.edu/courses/me2011/handouts/proj_planning.pdf

http://www.ganttchart.com/


Then Download the Gantt project "Try Online" edition in the link below and generate your online Gantt for the database project. The Gantt Chart is due on wednesday end of the lesson.

http://www.ganttproject.biz/download

Look at the tutorial in the link below
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dg4kqnmf_0ccmvtcg3

Design Stage: Banking Data

Some examples of switchboards above. Look at different ones online before working on the task below.

The design section of the Design Cycle is where you sketch two different possibilities to solve the problem. Always refer to the assessment rubric provided

Your task is to draw either electronicaly or manually on plain A3 papers provided; The design should related to your problem and what you stated in the design specification.

Design two alternative designs for the product/solution (database switchboard) showing

-what will be included in your designs
-how the page will look like
-where different tools/features will be positioned in the blog
-what colours and fonts will be used
-what additional blogging features will be included.


* The two designs must be evaluated against the Specifications within the same document.

- What do you like and what don't you like in design 1?
- What do you like and what don't you like in design 2?

* From the two designs which is your final choice to be created in the create stage?

* Why is it your final choice and how does the design campare to what you stated in the design specification in the investigate stage? (measure against the design specification)

This work should be submitted during the Friday lesson.

Investigate Stage: BANKING DATA

Please respond to the following activities in word. These work should be submitted by Friday 1st Oct 2010. Keeping a process journal will be compulsory. Always make entries to process journal and carry it with you for checking in all the CT lessons.

Problem Identification
In your immediate environment, there are many individuals who can benefit from using database programs. At the end of this unit you will be expected to create database product for an identified client.

Problem Description:
a) Identify and describe your problem in 300 words.
- Who have you identified as you client?
- What does your client do currently in terms of data organization and storage?
- How is what the client is doing now a problem?
- What are challenges faced by your client? Give examples where possible.

Design Brief: (200 words)
• What will you create to address the problem identified above?
• What do you foresee the product will do? How will it work?
• What are the benefits/advantages of creating the stated product?

Research:(350 words)
Each of your researched sources should have an author. All sources must be written in the standard APA format of citation. I will expect to see the following sources for your research.
- 6 Internet sources.
- 3 Books sources.
- 2 Newspaper sources
- 2 Magazine sources.
Refer to the link below for citation examples;
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_apa_format_examples.shtml
a)Find any articles with issues related to those of your client. Discuss each issue briefly?
b)Describe briefly the different database careers.
c)Describe two database frauds. What are some examples of the crimes that have been committed using database or people hacking into databases.
d)Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using databases.
e)Describe some examples of databases formats and structures.

Interview/ Questionnaire: Part of data collection involves primary data collection. You be expected to carry out an interview. (Your interview document should have the following headings: Name of the interviewed, his/ her position, place of interview and date) 200 words.
- Identify a person within school or outside who uses a database e.g a doctor
- Develop 10 open ended questions that you will need to ask the person identified.
- Set an appointment and interview that person or use the questionnaire
- Write down all the responses from the interview process.

Design Specification
Design specification describes the details of what the final product should have based on the client problem. For examples it may have two tables instead of one; a receipt report; querries to filter something records etc.( looking at different database formats over the internet will guide you in reponding to this)

-Outline some of the design specification that we want to see in our final database product.

Test Strategy
Any product must tested before being handed over to the client or users.

- Describe the different strategies that you will use to test the product once it is finished.

UNIT TITLE: BANKING DATA

AOI: Human Ingenuity

Unit question: What are the impacts of using organized digital data?

AKA Strand: Global economics: What role do databases play in the process of decision making?

Assignment (Respond by posting your own comments in the comments box)

Describe a situation where a database or databases have been used to help in decision making or to streamline operations.

The Cars database Exercise

Download the database below depending on the version of access and answer the questions in the worksheet provided

Access 2003
http://www.teach-ict.com/ecdl/module_5/resources/cars/cars.mdb


Access 2007
http://www.teach-ict.com/ecdl/module_5/resources/cars/cars%20data.accdb


Submit your task and the end of the lesson.

Database Activity

Copy the link below and load the file and attempt the tasks posted

http://www.oneil.com.au/pc/access/UsingMicrosoftAccess1-GettingStarted.pdf

Click on the link below and attempt the activities provided

http://sorana.academicdirect.ro/pages/doc/Eng/LP_04.pdf

Year 9 MYP

Welcome to the Year 9 MYP CT class.

Our unit this term will focus on databases. Since i will be away till 10th of Sept, I expect that each of you familirize yourself with databases.

Use the following links below and others of your choice to make short notes and attempt the activities posted.

http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/miniweb/index.htm


http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/tasks/worksheet1.doc


http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/tasks/worksheet2.doc


http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/tasks/worksheet3.doc


http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/tasks/worksheet4.doc



http://teach-ict.com/gcse/software/db/tasks/worksheet6i.doc


All the tasks should be emailed to serem@yahoo.com

I hope the tasks above have worked on. Please attempt the following activities in Ms access, in CT lessons this week.

Read and make short notes in the link below and answer the questions following

http://www.teach-ict.com/ecdl/module_5/resources/introduction/miniweb/index.htm


Open the database in the link below

http://www.teach-ict.com/ecdl/module_5/resources/dvds/dvds.mdb


and answer the following questions in the link following

http://www.teach-ict.com/ecdl/module_5/resources/dvds/Queries.pdf

Evaluation Stage

You are expected to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification in an objective manner based on testing, and to evaluate its impact on life, society and/or the environment.

You are expected to explain how the product/solution could be improved as a result of these evaluations.

Students are expected to evaluate their own performance at each stage of the design cycle and to suggest ways in which their performance could be improved.

Please Respond to the questions below for your evaluate stage.

a) How did you perform in each stage of the design cycle? What were your strengths and what were your weakness? How did you address your weekness? How did the results of testing help you? (100 words minimum)

b) How did the blog impact on them that used it? What were the strengths and weakness of using blogs for addressing your problem? (70 words minimum)

c)Which stage of the design cycle did you perform well and which stage did you perform poorly and what were your reasons? How did address those weakness as a student? (100 words Minimum)

d) Reflect on one the area of interaction: How does the blog created relate to the Area of interaction? What are the strengths and weakness of using blogs in the stated area of interaction? (100 words Minimum)

Create Stage

0
• Has not reached standard of any descriptors below.

1-2
• The Blogging contains some features and reflections.
• Some techniques and skills in blogging have been used.
• Comments to the topic of discussion are brief and a few people have commented.
• The process journal provides minimal evidence that the plan has not been considered fully.

3-4
• The Blogging is of a good quality, covers most required content and contains appropriate features.
• The student demonstrates some ability in the use of blogging software tools.
• Comments to the topic of discussion are detailed and more people have commented.
• The process journal provides some evidence that the plan has been regularly followed and mentions any changes made to the plan and/or design if applicable.

5-6
• The Blogging competently includes material from all required areas and uses high quality features.
• The student demonstrates competent use of blogging techniques and tools
• Comments to the topic of discussion are thorough and related to the topic and different stakeholders have commented
• The process journal provides clear evidence that the plan has been consistently followed and gives reasons for any changes to the plan and/or design if applicable

Design Stage (Blogging)

The design section of the Design Cycle is where you sketch several different possibilities to solve the problem.

Your task is to draw in the plain papers provided;

* two alternative designs for the product/solution (blog) showing

-what will be included in your designs
-how the page will look like
-where different tools/features will be positioned in the blog
-what colours and fonts will be used
-what additional blogging features will be included.


* The two designs must be evaluated against the Specifications.

- What do you like and what don't you like in design 1?
- What do you like and what don't you like in design 2?

* From the two designs which is your final choice to be created in the create stage?

* Why is it your final choice and how does the design campare to what you stated in the design specification in the investigate stage? (measure against the design specification)

This work should be submitted at the end of the lesson 1 next week.

Blogging Project (Investigate Stage)

VIEWS AND OPINIONS: PROJECT TASK.

You will be expected to create a new blog which you will invite as many friends as possible to comment on. A Section from the proposed constitution of Kenya will be used as a source of your problem. Download the proposed constitution of Kenya and pick a section to develop a problem. Example; Dual citizenship, Land ownership, Right to life/abortion, Government system e. t. c

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7RyejHzqeWwJ:www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/downfile.php%3FdownId%3D37+coe+constitution+kenya&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ke



Problem Description:

a) Identify and explain your problem in 300 words.
• What is the issue?
• How is it a problem?
• Can you give examples of challenges faced?

Which 2 areas of interaction do you think are best addressed by this unit? Explain how.

Design Brief: (200 words)

• What will you create to address the problem identified above?
• How will it work, or will it be used?
• Why do you think creating a blog will be the best way to address your problem?

Research:

a) Internet source

• Compare 2 countries’ constitution with that of Kenya on the selected issue and cite the source of your information.

b) Radio or You tube
• What has been discussed over the radio/you tube on the matter
• When was that (date)?
• Which radio station?

c) Newspapers
• What is the standard and nation newspaper saying on the selected issue?
• Write the title of the article read, date and the paper

d) Interview two people on the issue?
• Who will you interview?
• Why did you choose the two people above?
• Write down the 10 questions you will ask them.

Design Specs:
Identify 5 design specs
Explain detailed methods of testing your product.

IMPORTANT
You have 2 lessons and your free time to complete this for Criterion A. Submit your electronic/printed report on Wednesday 12th, May. Your report must have 3 headers your name, Criterion A, and Date.

Blogs and Politics

Use the internet to search for blogs created by politicians in the following places.

• A Blog created by an MP in the USA
• A Blog created by an MP in India
• A Blog created by an MP in South Korea
• A Blog created by an MP in Africa
• A blog created by an MP in Europe
  
  Each of the blog write down the following in your exercise book

1. What is discussed by the each MP in thier blog?

2. What are some of the similarities and differences in the blogs seen so far?

3. What do you like about some of the blogs created.

4. What don't you like about some of the blogs?

5. If you were to create your own blog what would you have included and why?

Creating A blog

1. Go to the following link and create a blog of your own
www.blogger.com

2. Choose a topic of your choice and teach us in your blog a difficult technical concept, piece by piece, with examples, or drawings, animations and pictures.

example of a technical concepts could be;

"how video conferencing work"

"what causes earthquakes"

"How computer games are created"

"How the internet works"

"How supercomputers are used for space exploration"
etc
3. Show a list of your reference sources.

4. At the end, give your personal reflection of the entire process.

Social Networking

Use the link below to write brief notes on social networking.

http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/

After the notes
Search for 1 religious, 1 political, and 1 educational social network and for each write repond to the following

a) What is discussed in each social networks?

b) what are some advantages the social network?

c) What are some of the problems of using the social network?

Open the link below read the article shown.

http://mashable.com/2007/07/09/beautiful-social-networks/

Write the following

• In the article, which are the best social networks and why?

Web 2.0 Research

Go to the link below and write brief notes on the following.

http://jcal.info/web2/


What is Web 2.0?
Introduction
New Internet Tools
New Website Design
New Social Networking
New Literacies
Web 2.0 and Education
Learners Participate!
e.g. Weblogs
e.g. Wikis
e.g. Social Networks
e.g. Tagging
http://www.plymouth.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=775

Webdesign Software

A part from using frontpage, you can use the following resources for your webdesign.

www.weebly.com you can host a free site for more than 2 months

www.wix.xom you can only host the site for 15 days.

Look at an example created using weebly by a Year 9 student

http://cultureingermany.weebly.com/index.html


Look at the example created using wix.

www.wix/year8akam/main

Weekend Assignment ( To be submitted Nxt Week)

Kindly confirm with your subject teacher the website project you will undertake. Some students have already been given ago ahead after sharing who their client will be.

( To answer the question below, refer to the Investigate Stage Assessment rubric)

a) Describe the problem of your client in detail showing it's relavance. This will be possible only if you interview your client.

( write at least 150 words for this)

b) Design brief: This will elaborate what you are going to create and why. All that you will need will also be described in the design brief. (all of us are creating a website)

(Write at least 80 words for this)

c) Research; Several resources will be required for this project to be done. They include internet websites, internet articles, textbooks, magazines, and webdesign experts or persons.

For each of the sources above

i) Write down at least 5 records of information obtain from the source.

ii) Write down either the URL address of the website,or the title of the article, or the name of magazine, or the name of the person.

iii) The dates of each source sould be shown. If you interview somebody, write the day the interview was done.

(at least 300 words)

d) Design Specification
i) Based on your specific problem and the research we did on features of a good website, write down the 10 features would you like to be in your website? Each each feature give a reason


ii) Testing your website

- Which three people will test you website and why?

- Write down the different questions you will ask the three named persons above during the testing stage?

All the above should done in your note book, stick any additional information in your note book neatly.

HTML Activity

Click on the link below and attempt the HTML activities provided.


http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp

Web Design Activities Wk2

Task 1 10 Minutes

1. Many website have been designed to solve or address societal problems.

a) Search and write down in your notebook three such types of websites stating who benefits from them.

b) Which 3 websites in Kenya would you rank the best any why?

c) Which 3 websites in Kenya would you rank the worst and why?

Task 2 20 Minutes

2. Different types of web design langauges are used to design websites. Search and describe briefly in your notebooks 5 types of web design languages, stating their similarities and differences.


Task 3. 20 Minutes.
Be ready to present this in class.
3. Which group of people or business would you design for them a web site and why?