January 29, 2013 91 minutes Internet Moment:  Today we looked at PlaneFinder.net which is an online map of the world where you can see the location of every commercial airplane and it's flight path.  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.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  Technology Current Event Video:  We watched a short video about some new 3D transparent flat panel TVs that were displayed at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. January 25, 2013 94 minutes how to access the online surveys so they could give feedback to the presenters.  Students were also advised that their presentations would be broadcast over the internet using Ustream.tv so a select group of educators in other countries could watch them present and give them some feedback.  Several educators from around the world watched the shows and gave our students specific feedback using an online form.  Special thanks to Mr. Karnoscak & Mrs. Barstable in Illinois, Mrs. Zablatnik in Austria, Mr. Reinhard in Germany and Mrs. Chernaya in Russia for taking time to participate in this activity with us. Using Google Drive to Collaborate:  To make this slide show our students used an online Google Presentation that was set-up by their teacher in advance and then downloaded to PowerPoint for final adjustments.  Students were shown how they can easily make their own online Google Presentations (if they have a Gmail account and access to Google Drive).  Sharing presentations with others was also demonstrated.  Any student with a gmail account should be able to use these features.  Technology Current Event Video:  We watched a video from the Wall Street Journal about new kinds of keyboards on smart phones. January 23, 2013 44 minutes 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 ebooks from Google Books to various devices such as ebook readers, tablets, computers and smart phones was also discussed.  Continue the History of Computer Slide Shows:  Students continued to work in groups of 4 to create a 7 slide show about the origins of computers.  Next class we will move the completed shows to PowerPoint and begin the presentations. Technology Current Event Video:  To finish class today we watched a short video about a Lego robot competition that recently occurred right here in Pennsylvania. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy January 18, 2013 87 minutes* Internet Moment: In continuing with the theme of protecting yourself online students were shown the website OnGuardOnline.gov and given an opportunity to try some of the games in the Video & Media section. Some of the games were:  Phishing Scams,Invasion of the Wireless Hackers, Cyber Criminal & Invest Quest. Evaluate and Turn in Day at School Slideshows:  Students did a final peer evaluation activity and then turned in their slideshows using the school network today. Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time in front of computers and to take breaks every 30-40 minutes. Today we practiced a simple shoulder stretch.  After the stretch all students had an opportunity to take a short break and move around. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from OnguardOnline.gov about what exactly malware is and how to avoid it. * Class time was shorter today due to a special assembly schedule January 16, 2013 104 minutes 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 compounding calculator to learn about interest rates and did an activity to see how much money they could save up for their graduation. We also attempted to experiment with the Loan Calculator but it wasn't working.  Finally we used the Cost of Living Calculator to experiment with the  effects of inflation over time by comparing the current cost of today's school lunch to what their parents and grandparents might have paid for lunch.  Students were then given some time to explore other calculators on their own.  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class with a CNETTV about wearable technology that was displayed at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. January 14, 2013 91 minutes Internet Moment: Today we explored Bing Maps and Google Maps. We started by finding our school on the map and experimenting with getting directions. Next we headed to Las Vegas, NV to check the street views and 3D views of the city. We then used the 3D directions to see what a trip to Zion National Park in Utah would look like.  Finally, students had some time to explore the world on their own. Continue Day at School PowerPoint:  Today students added some additional features to their shows for the 6th graders.  We inserted a video into their shows and used edit points to create a unique start button on the title slide.  Students also accessed and use the slide master to made design changes to their entire show. Technology Current Event Video:  Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to watch this video about highlights from the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. January 10, 2013 91 minutes Office Yoga Stretch:  As part of our break today we practiced a simple neck stretch and then students had a chance to get up and move around. Technology Current Event Video:  At the end of class we watched a short video about job interview techniques using webcams. January 8, 2013 104 minutes Internet Moment: Our students 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. Continue Day at School PowerPoint Presentations: Students had time to finish the 6-9 slide presentations that they started last class. Office Yoga Break: Students are always reminded to not spend too much time in front of computers and to take breaks every 30-40 minutes. Today we practiced a simple yoga stretch that helps prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.  Before the stretch the causes and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were explained to the class.  After the stretch all students had an opportunity to take a short break and move around. Adding Features to the Day at School PowerPoint:  After students had finished their basic 6-9 slide PowerPoint for the 6th graders we began adding additional features to make it the "greatest slideshow they have ever made."  Students were shown how to search for and insert animated gifs from the internet.  Students also added text and image hyperlinks to the internet so 6th graders could find additional information on their own.  We will add some additional features next class. Technology Current Event Video:  We watched a short video from the Wall Street Journal about telecommuters using a robot to communicate and interact with their co-workers remotely. January 4, 2013 75 minutes* Internet Moment:  Students looked at a website from Microsoft today called PhotoSynth.net. They were able to view 360 degree, high resolution images, from all around the world. Fire Drill:  Our school had a practice fire drill today. PowerPoint Introduction: Almost all students identified that they had suffered through some bad PowerPoint presentations in the past. As a catharsis activity we made a list of all the bad & ugly things our students have seen in PowerPoint. We then prepared a short list of good things to do in PowerPoint. View a sample T-chart here. A Day At School PowerPoint Presentation: Students started a 6-9 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. After making the first 6 slides students were shown how to make adjustments to their entire show using the slide master.  Click here to enlarge the project description. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class with a promotional video from the Corning Corporation which highlights some new glass technology and how it might be used in the future. *Class time was shorter today due to a scheduled monthly fire drill January 2, 2013 Internet Moment: Today our students had an opportunity to view zoom.it which demonstrates how Microsoft is using some new internet technology to create very large images that you can easily pan and zoom through. As an example of a zoom.it project students checked out the NMS Mosaic Project and the Yosemite Extreme Panoramic Image Project.  Technology Current Event Video:  To celebrate the New Year we watched the last 10 minutes of  Juan Enrique's 2009 presentation about the possibilities of combining biological and robotic technology in the future. *Class time was shorter today due to an afternoon assembly December 20, 2012 104 minutes Internet Moment:  Students were shown Weather.gov (the National Weather Service) as an example of a huge online database that's full of real-time and archived information. We checked our local weather and spent a few minutes checking the satellite images and Doppler radar for the whole United States. Students were also shown how to access the hourly weather graphs for our area to get precipitation predictions.  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 an etherpad website. Students were shown how to use primarypad.com as an example of an etherpad. 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:   Today we finished class with a video from a TED Conference. The concept of TED (Technology Entertainment Design) was introduced to the class and the background of the presenter, Pattie Maes (an instructor at the MIT Media Lab), was also discussed. December 18, 2012 44 minutes As Seen on Facebook:  We started class by reviewing the "As Seen on Facebook" slideshow in the cafeteria.  Students were reminded to check their privacy settings and to "Think before they Post".  Many of our students also use Instagram and they were reminded that Facebook, the new owner of Instagram, changed their privacy policy so they could start selling users' photos without their permission. Internet Moment:  Students were shown TodayInComputerClass.com and told that they can check here anytime to review what we did in class.  We also discussed what a web log or blog was and how this website is a blog for our class.  Students were also told that their parents will be sent an email with a link to this website so they can also review what we are doing in computer class each day.  Technology Current Event Video:  As a follow-up to our initial class discussion about posting pictures online we watched an old public service announcement called Think Before you Post. December 14, 2012 91 minutes 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 or might be required for another subject area.  Students were also shown how to search the Google News Archives and we looked at this story from 1964 about students being snowed in at Council Rock High School. Middle School Technology Use Video: Information about the Council Rock School District Acceptable Use Policy, and a quick review of the Facebook Privacy Policy. Assigned Seats: All students have an assigned seat/computer in computer class. Students have a responsibility to report any problems with the machine they have been assigned. In this way we all participate in maintaining our school computers. 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:  36.9 WPM  Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.  Technology Current Event Video:  Today we finished class with a short news video from NBCNews.com about a new contact lens that is being developed in Ghent, Belgium that incorporates a tiny LCD screen. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy December 12, 2012 104 minutes  Introduction to Basic Computer Skills Class: Basic rules and classroom procedures were explained. Students were specifically reminded that because technology is constantly changing they should get into the habit of helping each other out and demonstrating the ability to learn new computer skills through experimentation. All students reported that they had helped an adult with computer skills but they also need to get used to helping each other.  An overview of the 7th grade computer class curriculum was also explained.Log On & Explore: All students were given time to explore the start menu and the various programs available to them at school. MS Paint Project: Students were shown how to open and use MS paint to make a simple drawing. Students then shared their drawings using various district network resources and basic skills such as saving to a network drive and using drag & drop. The best use of the H: & X: drives was also explained and students were reminded to never leave the only copy of an important file in the X: drive as it may be deleted by anyone at anytime. 12-12-12-12:12 Photograph:  To memorialize the occasion of this unique time and date this class participated in an online collection of pictures from 12-12-12 from schools all over the world.  The project was organized by Stefan Nielsen, a teacher at Vonsild Skole, Denmark. 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. We then used the survey as the outline for the following presentation. Introduction to Computer Class Presentation: Technology Current Event:  Most classes end with a current event video. Today's video was inspired by an original presentation created by a high school teacher in Colorado, Karl Fisch. Here is a link to his blog:  THE FISCHBOWL for more information. |
