This day should tie up a lot of loose ends we have floating around.  In order, I would like to accomplish the following:

1) Emerging Technology Presentations
2) Robotics
3) TEJ3MI students review of system components
4) TEJ4MI students install of operating systems on the work boxes.

Presentations will take place today.  Please make sure you have all your materials and rubrics ready to go.  I will ask for volunteers, and barring anyone stepping up, we will draw for presentation order.

I look forward to learning from you.

Very cool step forward in the quest for quantum computing.  Well worth the read.

Through Dreamspark (remember to get your account code from me in class on Tuesday), you have access to many of the software development tools used to program the robot in the video below.  We also have Lego NXT 2.0 kits, and soon, some Arduinos as well.  All that is missing from the equation is your determination and dedication.

Today being our second Ice Day of the school year (still no snow days), I am going to assume that most of you are going to use it as an excuse not to have your projects ready for tomorrow.  Eventhough yesterday was the last class work period, I will take that excuse at face value and extend the due date until next Tuesday (understanding that Monday is a holiday).  Weather or acts of nature aside, there will be no further extensions.

On Friday, we will be resuming our exploration of the internal systems that make up a computer.  Please be prepared to make notes.

BIG REMINDER:  Friday you present.  No ifs ands or buts.  For some of you, this means a lot of homework tonight.

Today, we are going to work on our machines, and cover the major sub-systems that make up a typical computer.  Please make notes as appropriate.  There will be a test at the end of next week on basic terminology. 

I am away today at the Software Selection Committee meeting at the Board
Office.  As we spoke about on Friday, my expectation is that you will use this
period to work on your Emerging Technologies assignment.  There is NO need to be inside of your computers today.

The list below indicates who has signed up for what...and you will notice that a few of you still don't have topics.  You are NOT allowed to pick a technology that somebody has already signed up for...so please look at the list, pick one, and start working on it.  This will be the last class period that I can give you to get work done.  Everything else will need to be finished for homework.

Remember: you are an expert on two topics: 1 that you are a proponent for, and 1 that you are an opponent for (and while there can only be one proponent for each technology,  there can be many opponents to a technology).

The following are the emerging topic groups:

Presenter(s)                                         Topic
Will                                                       Nanotechnology
Bryan                                                    Screen-less Displays
Mitchell K.  and Brian                             Quantum Computing
Mitchell H.                                             Swarm Technology
Mark and Brad                                       Application Based Computing
Riley and Devon                                     Powered Exoskeletons
Jeremiah                                               3D Displays
Tyler                                                     Holographic Data Storage
Ben                                                       3D Printing

As we disassemble and rebuild our computers, we will be looking at the subsystems and components that make up a system.

Today we will be cleaning our CPUs, resocketing them, and discussing what a CPU's function is in a computer system, and the impact that it has on performance.  As we go along,  we will also be labelling a diagram of a "typical" mainboard (you will want to print this out at the start of class).

For homework, TEJ 3E/MI students are asked to read the attached handout on how hard disk drives work. This is due for tomorrow's class. 

My apologies.  The cold that almost floored me yesterday, has done it's job today.  Being sick at the start of a semester is about the worst timing  possible, but we can look at it as a test of your abilities to remain  professional and focused on the task at hand.

Today, I need you to accomplish the following:

1) I would like you to find a partner (you may start this process by yourself, but if I cannot secure enough Arduinos, you may be asked to join with another classmate).  Your partner should be somebody who, when your two minds are combined, push you both forward.  You should not be working with somebody who will distract you from the task at hand.

2) I would like you to spend 20-25 minutes googling arduino projects, and looking at websites such as Arduino Playground.  I would like you to keep track of 2 or 3 projects that you are interested in pursuing.

3) Try to work your choices down to one that you think you can reasonably finish, given the time, $$, and geographical constraints of this class.

4) Fill out the attached proposal sheet, being as specific as possible.  Feel free to include diagrams, part lists, and any other materials you think will be necessary to convince me that this is a project that you should be allowed to pursue for credit.  The final decision is mine, so make your proposal outstanding.

5) With any time that is left, I would like you to go over the ImagineCup website.  Because of the timing of when this course started, we will only be able to compete in the Kinect Fun Labs challenge.  Please read everything over in detail, paying particular attention to the registration process, as we will need to have everything ready to go by February 14th.  We will be working in groups of 3-5 to complete this challenge, so if you want to organize yourself with like-minded students, then please feel free to do so.

6) There is no room for a slow start to this course (or we simply have to cut meaningful content out from somewhere else).  You need to make sure that all of the above is finished today.