Welcome to the 2013-2014 academic year y’all!
I am going to attempt some very different techniques with all my classes this year.
http://vimeo.com/72616414
For my Bellaire classes, I plan to use Edmodo for communication and some assessments. That means students will be expected to create and use an Edmodo account. Go to the respective class homepage for a link to Edmodo
The first place you should go to access files and get notes will be JimmyNewland.com. In fact you can get to my email or Edmodo from here.
How to be prepared for class:
Everyone: There will be many times that having a laptop computer in class will be beneficial. Safety and privacy are issues that each student and her family will have to work out. But in room 186 we will foster an environment of responsible and safe technology use. There will be access to power, ethernet, printing, and wifi (if possible). No one at Bellaire however will be held responsible for the equipment. Students use their own tech at their own risk.
AP Physics C: bring a working pencil, pen, and calculator everyday. You will be working in groups very often as well as taking copious notes. You need a spiral bound notebook or a binder. I also recommend engineering paper instead of regular notebook paper. There are also many handouts you will be responsible for managing. You will be better served to bring your textbook home than to bring it to class everyday.
AP Computer Science: bring a working pencil and pen everyday. You will be working in groups very often as well as taking copious notes. You need a spiral bound notebook or a binder with plenty of paper. You may bring your own computer at any time. Just be aware of the above caveats. There is no physical textbook for computer science. There are however many handouts you will be responsible for managing.
The main goal is to use technology to allow students to learn in a variety of ways and to have access to content at times besides during the school day. Peer-instruction, quality group work, inquiry-based learning, and a general sense of academic awesomeness are my targets.