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7-C.6 |
Friday - June 8, 2012 - LAST CLASS Internet Moment: Students tried using FreeRice.com which is an online vocabulary game that claims to donate 10 grains of rice to needy people for every correct answer. After having time to use the site students were asked if the site is bogus or real. We then did an activity to demonstrate how to research the validity of websites by independently verifying the facts. Students also had a chance to explore snopes.com as an example of a website where they verify internet rumors. Make-up Time: Since this is our last class all students have time to make up any work they may have missed. All projects were handed back and students could submit anything they missed or re-submit a project that they hadn't finished. Computer Class Rubric: We completed a rubric that gave students an opportunity to reflect on their own computer skills and their performance in this class. Closure to Computer Class: Students were reminded that computers are constantly changing and that they had to learn to adjust to new programs, new hardware and new ways of using technology all the time. We are all constantly learning to adapt to new technology. Thursday - June 7, 2012 Internet Moment: The class watched a presentation about how VOIP and webcams are combined to make video chatting possible. Streaming video from the internet was demonstrated and we watched live video from Cocoa Beach in Florida. The increased use of security cameras was discussed and we also discussed privacy rights and exactly where people should not be video recorded. We also visited EarthCam.com to view some online webcams from all around the world.
Talking to Students in South Africa: Our students video
chatted with
students at the
After School
Programme at JL Zwane Centre in
Guguletu, Cape Town, South Africa. They asked
each other about their favorite foods, sports and subjects in
school. Our students were surprised to learn what
tripe was and how popular it was with the students in South Africa.
Formal Interviewing Using Skype: Our students practiced formal interviewing techniques by Skyping with Mr. McCutcheon, a teacher at Archie Stouffer Elementary School in Minden, Ontario, Canada. We learned about his school, his students and discussed some of the differences between our schools. Before the interview we talked about the differences between web chatting with friends and participating in a formal web conference. We also prepared our questions in advance so we could learn more about Mr. McCutcheon and his school.
Technology Current Event Video: Unfortunately we ran out of time to watch this video about Skype Interview Techniques in class:
Wednesday - June 6, 2012 Internet Moment: Today we visited the Google Art Project. This is an example of an emerging technology that is being used to create virtual versions of interior spaces. We also discussed why different web browsers don't always support services from their rivals. For example, the Google Art Project doesn't display in Microsoft's Internet Explorer. History of
Computers Slide Show Presentations - After
having time to practice all 5 groups presented
their shows to the class using the SMARTBoard.
There was a demonstration about different
methods for navigating through a presentation
(keyboard, clicker, using the board). Each
group then did their presentation. While
each group was presenting their peers in the
audience were using an online survey to give
them feedback about
History of Computers Wrap-up - Following the student presentations there was a presentation by the teacher about the progression of computer technology that included a demonstration of a mechanical calculator. Students were shown how to do multiplication and addition on an old Comptometer. Technology Current Event Video: We watched a video about the "House of the Future" display in Vilvoorde near Brussels, Belgium. In the video they demonstrated many of the devices that they expect will be integrated into our lives in the near future.
Living Tomorrow -House of the Future
Thursday - May 31, 2012 Finished History of Computers Slide Shows - Students finished their slide shows today and had some time to practice their presentations. Technology Current Event Video - We watched a short TED presentation by Gary Kovacs, the CEO of the the Mozilla Corporation about how we are tracked when we are on the internet and a free plug-in for Firefox called Collusion that allows you to graphically see the tracking in real-time. Gary Kovacs: Tracking the Trackers
Wednesday - May 30, 2012 Internet Moment:
Students explored
Google Books as
a resource for
free ebooks and they were shown how to search the text of a book.
The legal controversy surrounding the
Google Books Project and copyright laws as well as the
settlement to date was also discussed. Downloading
Start History of Computers Slide Show - Students started their final PowerPoint project which is a 6-8 slide show that they will present to the class. Students work in groups of 4-5 and use the following resources to create their shows: the internet for research, easybib.com for their works cited, the school network (X: drive) for sharing information, and online resources such as email, etherpad sites and skype to collaborate. Using easybib.com to do an MLA formatted work cited was demonstrated today. Technology Current Event Video: Students watched a video from TED presented by Nicholas Negroponte (the founder of the MIT Media Lab) about the One Laptop Per Child program and it's progress in Columbia. We also explored the OLPC website to see how far along they have progressed.
Negroponte takes OLPC to Columbia
Tuesday - May 29, 2012 Finish Day at School Slide Shows: Today students were shown how to add narration to a PowerPoint slideshow. They were also give some advice about how to avoid popping p's or "plosives" . All students added narration to at least 3 slides and some students added narration to all of their slides. We also did one final peer evaluation activity and students had one more opportunity to fine tune their slide show before turning it in for the teacher's review. Internet Moment: Today we explored Google Sketchup which is a great example of a free CAD program. CAD, or computer aided design/drafting, has become very common across many fields and students should have some knowledge of what 3D designing looks and feels like on a computer. Though it is available at school, Google Sketchup is a free download that students can download at home so they can continue to learn more about this important skill on their own. Internet Moment: As an example of how to use the the internet to learn independently we went to DrCalculator.com to learn about some basic money concepts and vocabulary. Students experimented with the Simple savings calculator to learn about interest rates and did an activity to see how much money they could save up for their graduation. We also experimented with the Simple loan calculator and talked about how car loans work and what a credit score is. Finally we used the Cost of Living Calculator to experiment with the effects of inflation over time by comparing the current cost of a school lunch today to what their parents and grandparents might have paid. Students were then given some time to explore other calculators on their own. Day at School PowerPoint Shows: Students added to their slideshows today by adding hyperlinks, finishing the table of contents, inserting a video, adding a quiz, removing the background from a picture and setting the show to run in kiosk mode. Technology Current Event Video: We watched a short video about a dog that could ride a bike (for fun) and a more serious video about the sudden drop in value of the new Facebook stock.
Zuckerberg Loses $2B on 2nd Day Internet Moment:
Students were shown various features in Google Maps.
We
toured the area around Newtown using satellite
photos, got directions and viewed
street level photos in Tokyo, Japan.
Finally we went to
Pekalongan, Indonesia to view the city we would
later be talking to as part of an international
radio program. Lets talk
Program on Radio Kota Batik - Today we had an
opportunity to participate in a live English
language radio broadcast in
Pekalongan, Indonesia. This program has
been organized by an English language graduate
student in Indonesia and today was the first of 10
broadcasts. Using
Continue Day at
School PowerPoint Shows: Today we added
more features to our shows. Students continued
to
add hyperlinks and we started setting up the
show so it would run in kiosk mode. A table of
contents, navigation buttons and a start button was
added. Click
here to enlarge the project description. Friday -
May 18, 2012 Internet Moment: Today
we explored online college level courses at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology by going to
OCW.MIT.org. Students were shown
a presentation about some basic college vocabulary including the
names of different degrees that could be earned. We also
explored a Physics class by looking at the
syllabus, a
sample exam and part of a lecture on
Potential and Kinetic Energy (starting around 45:40). This
website gives students an opportunity to see what college classes
are like, and it gives them some insight into what online courses
might look like for them in the future. Continued Day at
School PowerPoint Shows: Students
completed their 12-15 slides today. They were
also shown how to add images and animations and how
to drag and drop an entire slide from another
PowerPoint. Students also added text and image
hyperlinks to the internet throughout their show. Technology Current
Event Video: We watched a
TED Video about an
idea from the MIT Media Lab. The
presenter,
Pattie Maes, was explaining the Sixth Sense
computing idea while her student,
Pranav Mistry, demonstrated it through a series
of videos.
Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense
Monday - May 14, 2012 Internet Moment:
Today we looked at the national Weather Services website as an
example of a huge online database of weather data that is
completely in the public domain. Student were shown how to
access their local weather predications for precipitation and
temperatures and how to view streaming radar and satellite
images. Finish Final Word Project:
Students finished the Gettysburg Address Project that we had
started last class. Click here to
enlarge project description.
A Day At School PowerPoint
Presentation: Students create a 12-15 slide show about a
topic that they are all experts at, being 7th graders at Newtown
Middle School. These shows are made for 6th graders who will
be transitioning to our school next September.
Click here to enlarge the project
description. Technology Current Event Video:
We ran out of time for a video today. Friday - May 11, 2012 Internet Moment: Students
explored OnGuardOnline.gov
today. This website is a good resource for
avoiding
online scams,
protecting yourself online,
understanding how the internet works, and
protecting your personal computer. Additionally we
explored the video and
media resources and students had a chance to test their
technology knowledge by
playing games like the one below. More games, activities,
tutorials and videos are available at
http://onguardonline.gov/media.
Technology Current Event Video:
We watched a presentation from TED
by Pattie Maes about the Sixth Sense Computer which was developed by
Pranav
Mistry at the M.I.T. Media
Lab.
Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense Thursday - May 10, 2012
Internet
Moment: Students were shown this website today. We
also explored the anatomy of a web address and viewed Google in
different domains. We
looked at http://www.google.co.il,
http://www.google.co.jp, and
http://www.google.co.nz.
Students were shown
how they can use the different domain names to narrow a search
geographically. For example when we used
Google in New Zealand to search for "skiing" and get very
different results than when we
search for
Internet
Treasure Hunt: Students began using Word to make a simple
webpage that is made up of hyperlinks to the internet. Working
with a partner in the class, students found the answers to 6
questions and then shared the web addresses using either the X:
drive, email or skype. This project checks for internet
searching skills, inserting and editing hyperlinks and introduces web based collaboration.
Click here to enlarge the
project description. Technology Current
Event Video: This speaker at
TED was a graduate student at the
M.I.T. Media Lab at the time
of this
presentation on Siftables.
Friday - May 4, 2012
Business Letter #2:
Students practiced professional communication and typing by making a
second
block format business letter. To make this letter students
copied text from Business Letter #1. set-up a table, merged cells
and copied and pasted text.
Click here to view the project description.
Technology Current Event:
An 8 minute excerpt from a
TED Talk by Juan Enriquez concerning
recent developments in biology, robotics, technology and their
possible combination in the future.
Juan Enriquez Shares Mind Boggling
Science Thursday - May 3, 2012 Internet Moment:
Google News - Students were shown how to use this popular
news
aggregator to find current event stories and how to search the
news for topics that interest them. We also checked the news
from other countries around the world. Finish Business Letter #1:
Students had some time to finish and save this project. Seating Assignments: All
students were assigned a computer and seat today. Typing Test: All
students took a typing test using
http://www.typingtest.com.
Each student had 10 minutes to take the 1 minute test multiple
times. Their best adjusted speed was recorded and graphed in
an Excel spreadsheet. The average typing speed for this class
was: 26.7 WPM
Click here for more information about
typing speeds at Newtown
Middle School. Adding Typing Activities to
Favorites List: After the typing test activity all
students were asked to go online and find at least three
free typing tutorials or typing games that they will use in
class to practice their typing. Students added these typing
websites to their favorites list. Technology Current Events Video: We
watched a video from the Corning Corporation about some possible
used for glass in the future. Unfortunately we ran out of time
to see the end of the video. Class today was shortened due to the Student Council Assembly Wednesday - May 2, 2012 -
FIRST CLASS
Logon & Explore: All
students were given time to explore the start menu and the various
programs available to them at school.
Click here to see a student
desktop. Computer Class Survey:
All students take a
computer class survey. The results of this
survey are used to guide the instruction for the class. You
can view the survey to the right.
Click to enlarge. Basic Computer Knowledge Lecture:
Using the computer class survey as an outline, a review of basic
knowledge about computers was give. This is also a follow up
to the video all 7th graders were shown at the beginning of the year
about "Technology
Use at the Middle School". The Computer Class Survey
PowerPoint and a brief review is available below. Introduction to Computer Class
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Excel Pie Chart Project:
Students created a data table of the different elementary schools we
all went to and the number of students that attended each school.
Then each student created a pie chart of the data and formatted it
for printing in black and white. 
their presentation skills.
Students evaluated
the presenters in the following categories:
Text readable, use of graphics, use of colors,
speaking volume, presenting more information
than was on the slides, the accuracy of the information and that they had obviously
practiced their presentation in advance.
We also experimented with broadcasting our
presentations on the internet via
