Project Wrap-up and TED talks

I am in meetings today.  I have left comments on most of your blogs and most of your .pdf books.  Please make sure you check and edit anything today.  Wednesday I will work on grading everything with you.

Please answer the following questions on your blog:
1. List the projects that you completed and the story subject for each. (I wrote an ebook about German Cuisine).
2. Which is your best project?  Which tells the best story?  Why?
3. Whose classwork has impressed you?  Why? Be sure when you list their name you make it a link to their blog.
4. Each of these assignments has been published on the web.  Does that change the quality of your work?  Why or why not?
5. Which is your favorite way to tell a story? Animation, voicethread, eBooks, images, or showme?  Which is your favorite way to "read/watch" a story?

Please include links to your work or your classmates work.

Then...

I would like you to watch at least three videos today from start to finish. Everyone must watch the Bobby McFerrin video. I give you some prompts to start a discussion on your blog. Some of these videos are about 10-20 minutes long. They say teenagers can't pay attention to anything. Prove them wrong.

Hans Rosling: How data is cool. Think of your little Excel charts. Will you be ready to use data like this. This guy is fun to listen to.

Jeff Han: How displays will change. This would profoundly change how we use computers.  This is from four years ago.  How fast technology evolves (Hello iPod!).
John Maeda: A smart, funny guy talks about simplicity. Think about how simplicity is the driving force in design (hint: iPods).
Rives: This guy can talk.  Power of the spoken word.  I laughed out loud (also notice his use of powerpoint).  Check this poem about the internet by Rives.  Fascinating (and why you should work on your poetry).

Bobby McFerrin: How does that work without rehearsal?  Is music hard-wired to our brains?  Bobby's genius is awe inspiring.

John Bohannon: Why you should dance and not use powerpoint.  This is super-awesome. Can dance make you understand science?  Do that google search he speaks about. Any dancers here?  That would be an AWESOME project.

David Blaine: Not for the faint of heart.  Is he crazy, or focussed?

William Kamkwamba: Inspiring.  Many of you are 14.  What is on your resume?  Think about all that you have to work with here.

What did you learn? Share what you learned. What did you watch? Start a conversation. Can you add something to a discussion?

You should give me multiple paragraphs.  There is a lot of content here.

Be sure to have links to the talk on your blog.