Last lesson before the Whitsuntide half term

The group are working well.
Most boys ( excluding only DH and AMcF ) are on computers doing research and analysis for their project.

Using the computers to put research page together

Analysing mobile phones .... and working on folio !!!

Classwork feedback 22.5.08 Thursday

Class worked well -RC,

Helped NP all lesson as others worked on computers.

AG silly at computers disturbing AC in particular - needed to be reminded about behaviour and that he should not be drinking water at a computer station ( or indeed spilling water at a computer station. ).

Unfortunately NP was over exuberant at the end of the lesson and tried to steal / remove the jacket belonging to AJwt - also he interfered with Sam's computer. Will follow up . Ref KS. Done - see record folder, NP agreed and will try to be better.

We made a basic stadium model during the lesson with NP which served to help motivate him and to give him model making practise. Needs, as all students do, to understand scale especially when modelling - for the shops and car stands 1:30 is about right and for the stadium 1:1000 or 1:1250. games consoles and mobile phones obviously 1:1.

Photoshop a quickly done example using layers

Just messing about - background is a close up of a Yamaha with reduced opacity with added layers of text and another cropped reduced opacity group image. The point here is to imagine you could create a similar exercise for, say, an interior wall of a cafe / shop / tv studio / exhibition stand and even of course for a box decoration if you are creating a new mp3 / phone /games box.
Concerning the Advanced Photoshop mag - looks like I will buy these for you and bring them to school. Actually I may evaluate the other popular Photoshop mag " Creative Photoshop".

Have fun.

Mr. Geekie

Magazine for Photoshop

I recommend Advanced Photoshop magazine - this always comes with a CD which has various items to copy - for example fonts. brushes, wallpapers etc. It also has files to help with tutorials in the magazine.
I will endeavour to order this through school ( Mrs Hambleton in the library will action this ).
There is also another mag. Creative Photoshop - similar to the above.
I think we need to investigate a Photoshop Club which would need to run after school in my room T2.
Remember we now have access to a A£ laser printer.

I popped to WH Smith in Beverley this afternoon and bought a copy of Advanced Photoshop and see it as a really useful magazine - not just for us in technology but also for our Art course students.

Sir Geekie

GCSE progress 18th May 2008

Okay - just before lesson started I was told that we can go ahead and order Photoshop Elements which I will pay for via a school fund. This is great. Next - I will get try and organise the library to subscribe to a Photoshop magazine. All this will really help our students with their coursework.
Thanks to Mrs Lambert our school manager for her support.

The lesson today.
NP AJ AC RC JL JT and AW working at desks - not on computers.
AJ and AW working well .
RC finding it difficult to produce any drawings/outcomes for folio.
AJ joined group on computers half way through lesson. Interesting talk with OH about progressing his gamesbox / projector - how to make the model and how we could incorporate graphics elements.

CYT worked well most of lesson but then misused his machine by going on a silly site which morphs images.
Computer group working well, inevitably others talking and being less productive particularly RC and NP.

Photoshop - some more info

Hello everyone,
regarding using photoshop - you may like to know that there are some very good monthly magazines dedicated to developing understanding of Photoshop, most have CD/DVD tutorials - check out local WH Smith or even better, if in York, opposite Betty's Tearoom there is a Borders shop. They go the extra mile as far as selling Photoshop / Art mags.
I will see the librarian at school to arrange to have a relevant subscription started asap.
If any parent uses Photoshop and has old mags that they no longer need then we will gladly take them off your hands.

Sir Geekie

GCSE computer software needs for students

Hello - especially parents,

I have been asked about software which is helpful to support the exam course.
Basically Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel and of course, MS Paint.

Further to this is a CAD program - I have something called PTC ProDesktop , help file here, ( which I have obtained free for the school and which students may have their own copy). It is my personal preferred program though it needs some practise to use it well - something the students can do easily. I like it because it easily generates 3D and orthographic views from the original drawing.

Another CAD program is SOLIDWORKS which is also free but needs annual renewal - Mr Rowntree can help here by providing students with a disc if they ask nicely and if they can provide a blank disc ( I will also help ) - but the renewal can be a nuisance, especially as it is web based and not freestanding, thus can be locked out if not up to date. ( Unlike PTC ProDesktop ).

I have wanted Adobe Photoshop for the 11 machines in my room for the last few years yet funds have not been available, I have now decided to progress this at my own expense and just today have started the process.. I will arrange to have the slightly less powerful Photoshop Elements ( 95% as good as the full version )installed on the machines. Help tutorials widely available here for example

I think it is vital that we have access to this package which is used commercially and which is thus relevant to use for several reasons. Students will access higher marks and, of course, should they enter the world of Graphics / Creative studies they will have an advantage over other students. It is being actively used in high achieving schools from as far afield a Jersey to Scotland. It will also help the students who are following GCSE Art - as the Art dept have - in fact - the full Photoshop program. As a matter of interest I have seen it advertised as low as £65 approx on Amazon so it may be something for students to consider ( birthday, christmas etc )
Also dedicated Photoshop magazines are available at local newsagents ( W H Smith ).

Hope this helps

Mr. Geekie.
Type of computer?
I use a Mac and use Elements and also a PC with Photoshop ( Full ). I can do as much with either program as the other - especially for school use.

Friday 16th May 2008

All boys working well - reminded them of the research target deadline being week ending 6th June. This gives one more week at school before whit holiday week, and another week after that. So 3 weeks to go incl holiday week. Basically students need to research their major elements and add analysis comments. Most students are acting responsibly and are using the computers to search google for images which are relevant. These are then pasted to their template page. The beauty of this is that we are creating good quality pages which can be printed off using our recently aquired A3 laser printer ( approx 5p a page ). May need a contribution for excessive pages - I will sponsor 20 pages. Folio will end up at about 30 pages - not all done on the laser. Okay now a bit of negative info.,
SamH has produced a lovely logo / letterhead.
CV is working particularly well. Some good pages - maybe could be a little more condensed / busier.
MB caught on a games site when he should have been researching for project. However continued to produce some very good work on researching car exhibition stand.
ML working on laser cutter.
AS caught on a games site when he should have been researching for project.
TE shut down computer before being caught on an innappropriate site.

Year 10 Parents evening 15th June 2008

Hello everyone. It was good to meet so many parents and talk about the progress of the students. I will endeavour to keep everyone informed about the course and the progress of all our students.
Regards

Mr. Geekie