Reading RSS feeds

Since we will be using the blog often this year, it would be very convenient for you to be notified when there is a new post rather than having to go to the blog daily to check. To make this easier, I've set up an RSS Feed with the blog. All you need is an RSS reader or a browser that takes care of it for you, and the knowledge of how to use it. I'd recommend the new version of Safari,  firefox, or Internet Explorer 7. All of these will handle RSS very well, but I prefer Safari- its a faster browser than the others but you might have occasional compatibility issues with some multimedia on the websites. 

http://www.whatisrss.com/

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10088_7-5143460-1.html

Please comments on the blog to this post if you have good suggestions/recommendations.

there are lots of RSS readers out there to organize RSS feeds, podcasts, etc.  IE 7 has been updated to handle them- i don't use it, but I'm sure it would work fine.  It is probably way more secure than IE 6 too.  I already posted a link on the blog to simple instructions to track RSS feeds in Firefox.  all you have to do is go to feed page and drag the little orange icon to your menu bar- It might give better notification on a pc, but on a mac you would have to actually click on the folder on your bar to see if there were any new posts- and there isn't an indication of which are new. however, you can see all the post titles when you click the folder.  

There are MANY RSS readers available now- try some out!  You can add limitless feeds of interest (as if anything is cooler than our AP Bio blog) You may download any of a number of other RSS readers; Here are links to a few...

RSS Bandit 1.3.4- got good ratings

http://www.download.com/RSS-Bandit/3000-9227_4-10516191.html?tag=lst-0-5

KlipFolio 3- looks versatile

http://www.download.com/KlipFolio/3000-9227_4-10536438.html

IE 7 

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx#ie7rss

Firefox 

Here's what you need to do now:

1. Go by school and pick up your Access Code from the front office.

2. Enroll in our CourseCompass course online:

Go to www.coursecompass.com and click the Register button in the Students area.
Enter your new student access code.
Click Yes, look me up and enter your login name and password.
Enter your new course ID (This is briggs78213).
Verify your contact information to complete enrollment.
Write down all this information, including your Access Code and do not lose it. You might need it again later this year.

You should be able to find our chemistry class on there once you're logged in; find your summer work assignment.

You should already be a member of the blog, though I have noticed some of you are moving slowly. Please don't get behind- We keep moving!

Thanks,
B

AP Chemistry Summer Assignment Preview

Well, I decided to give you your assignment earlier than anticipated, even though you don't have the entire means by which to complete it.  You will complete these questions at the OneKey website for our class once you get access; when your passkeys arrive at the school in the next week, I'll notify you and you'll need to come by to pick it up. If this is a problem, let me know and I can have it mailed to you. These passkeys will allow you to access the OneKey online component to our course where I will be assigning the majority of your homework this year.  You will be completing homework questions from the first three chapters of the textbook online once you have access to the assignments.  They must be completed through the website that you will have access to, and I'll give you detailed instructions as soon as the passkeys arrive. However, I know some of you are anxious, or simply want the most time possible to complete the assignment, so I'm going to provide you right now with the questions for which you will be responsible. If you wish to begin solving them now so you will just have to input them later, so be it!  I hope this reduces the load on you by giving you a couple of extra weeks to manage the work.  If you have questions, please post them on the blog.  Thanks, and I hope your summer is going well.  

Briggs

All questions are from your textbook.

Chp.1

Exercises (pp. 30-35): 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.10, 1.12, 1.14, 1.20, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28, 1.34, 1.38, 1.42, 1.46, 1.68, 1.71, 1.78

Chp.2

 Exercises (pp. 70-76):  2.2, 2.4, 2.8, 2.10, 2.18, 2.22, 2.30, 2.38, 2.42, 2.48, 2.50, 2.54, 2.60, 2.62, 2.64, 2.66, 2.81, other. 

Chp.3

Exercises (pp. 111-115): 3.5, 3.12, 3.18, 3.24, 3.32, 3.38, 3.46, 3.52, 3.54, 3.60, 3.64, 3.72, 3.74, 3.82, 3.84, 3.93, 3.100, 3.106 

Update Fri 13

Great to see ya'll on here- thanks for signing up so promptly. I am working on a few of the final loose ends of your curriculum for AP Chem, and will be passing along some instructions for you soon. There is one more component on the way from the publisher that you'll need to get from school, and i'll inform you of its arrival; should take about a week or two. We will be making an effort to really incorporate some web technology into your class as you might experience from a tech-savvy university chem class, and i've ordered you some passcodes to use a site we'll be relying on this year. I'll also give you instructions soon about what you'll need to do by the beginning of school.
b