Digital Potluck Planning

This Wednesday at MHS turns out to be one of those school marathon days—off and running at 7:45 with nine normal periods, plus one activity period, an extra hour meeting beginning pronto at 3:20, then the annual open house for parents beginning at 6:30 p.m. Well when life (or school) hands you a lemon . . . make lemonade.

Principal Bryan suggested a covered-dish dinner to be squeezed into the 4:20 to 6:20 time slot. Great idea, especially for those who make an hour round-trip commute to school. But, let’s make this even better. The potluck dinner will be held off premises, just a hop, skip, and a jump away at the Spear’s. And even if you live close, plan on joining this “lemonade” gathering. It will definitely be the most fun and relaxing part of your day.

To RSVP just click on the comments link below, key in your response, choose Name/URL, enter your last name only (no need for URL), then click publish your comment. Then everyone is digitally in the loop for planning purposes. Hotdogs, hamburgers, and buns will be provided. We’ll need food of all types, paper products, plastic wear, condiments, ice, and beverages. The pool and spa will be open if you are so inclined. We do have two hours after all.

So what are you waiting for . . . click comments below, fill in and publish your comment, then check back often to see the list grow!

uShirts First Quarter Success!

January 2008 marked the revival of the Future Business Leaders of America organization at Milton High School. Twelve dynamic business students accepted the challenge to join, brainstorm, and innovate. The initial result . . . uShirts.

What’s uShirts, you ask? A uShirt is a t-shirt designed by you. Your idea, your design, your shirt. Simply submit either electronically or on paper your creative design, and FBLA members, i.e., uShirt employees, craft your shirt for you.

The uShirts business opened on March 16, 2008, with a blowout advertising campaign, and sales soared from Day 1. In the first three months of business, uShirts crafted 91 t-shirts! Here’s an order form if you want a uShirt.

Watch for the launch of FBLA’s next business venture . . . an online school store coming Fall of 2008.

Speed Type Challenge Take Two

With technology, sometimes things don't turn out as you expect. Even with the best, most careful planning, stuff happens. As it did when we first attempted to do the Speed Type activity last week in Keyboarding and Computer Concepts. So here we go again . . . attempt two . . . cross your fingers . . .

If you haven't tried this site yet, do it now! But be warned . . . this speed type game is not for the faint of heart. It will get your adrenaline pumping and your fingers flying. See what level you can reach. The words are not typical, so you really have to concentrate, focus, and use correct keyboarding technique to be successful.And here's your blogging assignment for this week:

• Play the speed type game (several times)
• Get to the highest level you can reach
• Take note of the word that trips you up and makes you lose
• Look up the definition of your "losing" word
• In a comment to this blog post, provide your "losing" word, a definition, and compose a sentence using your word. Be creative!
• Use your creature identity and period # at the end of your comment
• Also, include the level you reached in the game
• Your comment post is worth 10 points

Speed Type Challenge

If you haven't tried this site yet, do it now! But be warned . . . this speed type game is not for the faint of heart. It will get your adrenaline pumping and your fingers flying. See what level you can reach. The words are not typical, so you really have to concentrate, focus, and use correct keyboarding technique to be successful.

And here's your blogging assignment for this week:

• Play the speed type game (several times)


• Get to the highest level you can reach


• Take note of the word that trips you up and makes you lose


• Look up the definition of your "losing" word


• In a comment to this blog post, provide your "losing" word, a definition, and compose a sentence using your word. Be creative!


• Use your creature identity and period # at the end of your comment


• Also, include the level you reached in the game


• Your comment post is worth 10 points

Creatively Crafting Catchy Comments

As we work our way through class this week and increase our knowledge of computer concepts, document formats, and Word features, pay close attention. By the end of the week, your blogging task will be to provide an alliteration comment about something you learned, something that inspired you, something cool, something new.

What is alliteration? It's the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words. Click on the comments below to see another example (you did notice the alliterative title, right). Then begin to craft your own alliteration to post at the end of this week. Your alliteration must contain four words with the same beginning consonant and is worth 10 points.

Remember, use the anonymous identity but provide your creature name and period # in your comment.

Blog, Write, Read, and Play Part 2

Now that we've all transformed ourselves into the likeness of some animal, bird, insect, or otherwise for this blogging project, let's pop over to Word 07 and explore the Shapes feature on the Insert ribbon.

Spend a little time playing with all the possibilities and create your creature using shapes, color, layers, rotation, and anything else you can dig into.

This is my "Bella the Queen Bee" creation.

And just to brighten up the place a bit, we will print our "shape" masterpieces and hang them around the classroom. Your creation is worth 10 points.

Birds Can Blog, Wrens Can Write, Rats Can Read

A Blog Project for Mrs. Spear’s
Keyboarding and Computer Concepts Students

Let's start with some FAQ's:

What is a blog?

• Short for web log, a blog is usually written by one person, updated pretty regularly, and can be about any subject. Readers of the blog can comment and it creates an opportunity to connect online with others.

Why are we blogging in this class?

• Blogging is a very popular use of the Internet. You can learn a lot from reading and particpating in blogs. And who knows, you might be inspired to author your own blog.

How do I safely blog?

• Never offer any personal information including your last name, contact information, home address, phone numbers, school's name, e-mail address, last names of friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or birth date.


• Never post provocative pictures of yourself or anyone else, and be sure any images you provide do not reveal any of the previously mentioned information. Always remember to look at the background of a picture too.


• Assume what you publish on the Web is permanent. Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or save it to a computer.


• Keep blogs and comments positive and don't use them for slander or to attack others.

What's the first assignment?

• Assume the persona of a real or imagined classroom pet. Click on the comments link below and write a short description of your pet. Include the following: pet's name, male or female, description (color, size, personality, features). Use the anonymous option for your comment. But, at the end of your description include your first and last initials and period #. (example DS Period 4)

This first blog comment is worth 10 points. Please write complete, correct sentences to earn the full 10 points!

Keep following this blog each day to find out what's next in our blogging project!!