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