Period 1: Today's Assignment

This activity will require some cooperation with your 1st Quarter Project partners for the later steps, so make sure that you're sitting close to your partners.  Today you'll be completing some basic computing tasks that will get you started on your project (if you haven't started already) and prepare you for other assignments in class.  Ready?  Here we go!

1. Navigate to gmail.com in a separate browser tab or window.
2. You will need a gmail account this year for your APGov class.  If you already have a gmail account, you can skip ahead to step 5.
3. Select the button labeled "Create an Account" in the upper right hand corner of the window.
4. Complete the form to obtain an email account.  Your email account should be in the format of FIRSTNAME.LASTNAME.2014@gmail.com.  If it is not in this format you will be required to make another new email address.  CHOOSE A PASSWORD YOU WILL REMEMBER - YOU WILL BE USING THIS ACCOUNT ALL YEAR!
5. Once you've created the account, open your gmail and send an email to both of my email accounts:
1. mccarthyroom3011@gmail.com
2. jeffrey.mccarthy@apsva.us
6. Now send an email to your project partners and have them reply to it.  When you receive their email add them to your contact list by clicking the triangle next to "reply" and selecting "Add 'NAME' to contacts list".  Make sure that you've added all your partners to your contact list.
7. You've now created an email address, shared it with me, and added your partners to your contact list.  Great!  Moving on...
8. Now go to docs.google.com
9. Have one member of your group select "Create" from the left side of the window, and then "presentation".  This should open a new window with a blank slideshow presentation.
10. Now have that member select "Share" from the top right corner of the screen.  It will open a new window.  At the bottom of that new window, you can choose to "Add people" to your document.  Add your partners by typing in their gmail addresses.  Now add my mccarthyroom3011@gmail.com as well.
11. Check to make sure that everyone in your group has access to this presentation.  If not, go back to step 8 and try again.
12. The presentation that you just opened will be the presentation file that you share in class in two weeks.  Every member of your group will be able to edit it at any time.  You will not need a flash drive in order to share it with the class or with me.
13. Now you can start working on your research.  I'd suggest that you try a few internet searches through Room3011's custom-made search engine.  You can find it by scrolling down the sidebar on the right until you find the link labeled "APGov Internet Search"
14. Any questions?  You can try contacting me through twitter (@Room3011) or by leaving a comment on this blog post, but I'm at a doctor's appointment so I might not be able to reply.

Enjoy the Pep Rally and have a great weekend!