New source

I found an article on extending school times. President Barack Obama wants to extend school time and remove summer vacation. He also wants Saturday to be a school day.

The link is http://news.aol.com/article/obama-supports-curtailing-students/689157

This would somewhat help me because this brings up ideas of new technologies for summer or weekends.

Update

Essential Question:
How can school technologies be advanced and supported to simplify the use of technological learning tools?

Foundation Question:
1. What technologies are in schools?
2. What advancements have happened to technology in the past 5 years?
3. What schools use technology like the kind I am looking for?
4. What technical support is given to schools already?
5. How can technical support be simplified and sped up?
6. What is a learning tool?
7. What technology is used as a learning tool?
8. What technological tools are not readily available to students?
9. What mistakes are being made by schools or administrators that restrict students from using some tools?
10. Software-wise, how can programs speed up?
11. What school technologies are missing?

I also have part of a webliography. This will be uploaded when it is completed.

Links

All my links:

http://www.mygradebook.com/
http://www.gradekeeper.com/download.htm
http://www.teacherease.com/home.aspx
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/ted-conferences/14700-incredible-photosynth-video.htm
http://www.schoolhousetech.com/Purchase/PriceList.aspx
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/te0cont.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Charter_High_School
http://www.technologygrantnews.com/grant-index-by-type/school-grants.html
http://www.edline.com/
http://www.schooltr.com/

Foundation Questions

Today I looked at some more research and looked at foundation questions. I have come up with some very open ones; ones I can use to get notes.

I can't wait!

Some more sources

I have come up with some more sources. One interesting one I found gave me some ideas on what products to merge together.

Although I don't have an action plan idea, or a definite topic idea, this is still very good for my project. I feel like I'm closer to defining my topic.

New Research!

I found something very interesting that relates to my project.

It is called PhotoSynth. I am looking into it for the speed. This can load very large images in a split-second.

I saw an example of a book. It was an entire book loaded in a split-second, as an image. It was very amazing.

A whole new oulook

I was looking through the essential question starters and realized...

...I have no essential question for my idea on forensic science!

So I have decided that I am going to use my backup topic on making a gradebook with a very interesting question...

"How can school technologies be advanced and renovated?"

I have been looking at some sub-sections of this, such as:

• Some tools for teachers
• Easy reporting features
• Advanced security methods
• Installation Simplicity
• Speed

This is the most important one so far: support. I find that many schools do not get the technological support they need. Hopefully, with my project, I can find a way to support schools technologically on a vast level.

My Topic Decided

I write this with the idea that the topic I have chosen is subject to change.

But so far, I have decided that forensic education will be my topic, specifically crime scene education.

I don't know if this will be my final topic, but now I can research this and see if it is actually something I want to do.

Any comments help!

First Assignment

a. I have heard that the City High graduation project is much more difficult to pass than other schools' graduation projects. My sister was in the class of 2008 here and did a grad project. She did a fashion show on cancer awareness and ultimately raised $2000 for cancer research.

b. I have two subjects that I enjoy. They are technology and forensic science. To narrow down a project in two very large and vast fields is very difficult. Any ideas are appreciated. See my previous blog entry for my topic ideas.

c. I want my graduation project to involve many people and keep a lasting affect on a group or society. I do not want my project to be small and over then forgotten.

d.
http://workforce/
http://tech/
http://tech2/

These sites only work within the school's network. However, they are databases used by the school, so making a gradebook for a school is within my abilities.

Topic Ideas

So I came up with two main ideas for my graduation project.

The first one is building a school network, including a grade book designed from scratch. I would go to a school and setup a school network, much like City High, and set them up with a grade book that I created. The problem with this, I was told, is that the research that I am supposed to show in the class is not very easy because most of my work on this is the process.

My other idea involves setting up a crime scene to teach youth how to properly process it. I would give out technical information and it also gives them hands on training. The idea of teaching, however, is not something I enjoy doing.

Any help?