June 18, 2013 - LAST CLASS 91 minutes Internet Moment: Students had a chance to explore FreeRice.com today. This website, created by John Breen who also created Poverty.com, gives students and others a chance to practice their vocabulary skills while helping to support the United Nations World Food Programme.  After having time to use the site students were asked to prove whether or not this website was bogus or real. After doing some research we learned that though it is a legitimate website (according to snopes.com) another website called the Daily Cow claimed that FreeRice.com does not donate exactly 10 grains of rice for every correct answer.  Students were reminded that they have to be very skeptical of what they find online and to always independently verify the facts themselves. Make-up Time: Since this is our last class all students had 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 for full credit. Closure to Computer Class: Students were reminded that computers are constantly changing and that they have 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. June 14, 2013 104 minutes Internet Moment: Students had an opportunity to experiment with VirtualPiano.net today. Online instruments like this give anyone an opportunity to learn to play some music.   Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to take breaks and not spend more than  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. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.8.E, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D)  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a promotional video from the Corning Corporation about some of the uses for their products that they anticipate in the future. June 12, 2013 94 minutes Student Presentations: After some time to prepare and practice each group presented their slide shows to the class.  We also broadcast the presentations to several other teachers elsewhere in the world using ustream.tv.  During the presentations all students in the audience completed an online survey to give the presenters immediate feedback about their performance.  Feedback appeared as bar charts at the bottom of this webpage.  In the images below you can see a screen shot of the groups as they presented online.   Notice the difference that high contrast and a large font makes for an online audience.   (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K)      How Online Behavioral Tracking Works:  Students were reminded that when they are online many private companies from all over the world are carefully tracking everywhere they go and what they do.  These companies then develop a "digital profile" of who they are that they can use for marketing purposes.  As a demonstration of how this works Mr. McNulty went online and shopped for Uggs boots for a few minutes.  Shortly after that he went to a news website in the U.K. and noticed that that site was showing Uggs ads based on what he were just shopping for.  Students were reminded that many marketing companies as well as the government is tracking where they go online and watching what they do.  We finished with a TED Presentation by Gary Kovacs about free software that Firefox is offering called Collusion that enables you to see who is tracking you while you are on the internet.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.9.8.L, 15.9.8.M) June 10, 2013 91 minutes  Evaluate and Turn in Day at School Slideshows:  All students participated in a peer evaluation activity today.  After the peer evaluation they had one last attempt to adjust their show before turning it in.  Students submitted the shows to be reviewed by the teacher by dragging and dropping them to the Hand-in-Folder on the school network.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U)  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short tutorial video from the Good Will Community Foundation in North Carolina about getting started with Google Drive and Docs.   June 6, 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.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B, 15.5.8.J) Description of How the Internet Works: The example of phone conversations using VOIP was used to describe the differences between the old dedicated line communication system (circuit switching) and the internet system (packet switches) that has replaced it.  The development of an emergency communication system within the United States (ARPANET) to today's worldwide internet network was also described.  We also discussed how webcams work by sending 30 pictures per second through the internet.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.F)  Formal Video Conference Practice:  Today four of our students had an opportunity to practice their formal video conferencing skills by interviewing Govinda Panthy, the director of the SAV School near Kathmandu, Nepal.  Our students learned about his school, how old his students were and what they learned.  They also asked him about how he came to be an educator and where he went to school.  Mr. Panthy also told us about life in Nepal and our students were surprised to learn that electricity was only available for part of the day there.  We also met his daughter who is also in 7th grade.  She told us that they go to school from 10 AM to 3:30 PM all year long with the exception of 3 two week vacations.  We also talked to her about favorite hobbies and pets.  Before the activity we discussed how video conferencing is being used in business and education and we prepared a list of things to do and not to do in a formal video conference. After the video we discussed how our interviewers did. (PA-BCIT: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B)  Video of the SAV School:  After interviewing Mr. Panthy we went to the SAV School's website, found Kathmandu on Google Maps and watched a video about their school that was prepared by the Open World Cause which is a non-profit organization that was started by two students at Buhler High School in Kansas as a graduation project.  You can read more about their project here.  They are currently raising $15,000 to assist in the construction of a new school building for the SAV School: Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today by watching part of a TED presentation by Juan Enriquez about some of the recent mind-boggling developments in biology and robotics and how they may be combined in the future.  We did not finish the video today. June 4, 2013 44 minutes Internet Moment: Today students were introduced to the idea of online education by exploring the Open Course Ware that is available from the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology. Students were shown a presentation about college that included vocabulary terms such as major, syllabus, and different higher education degrees (associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate). We then went to ocw.mit.edu and students selected a program to explore from the courses by department. As an example of a college level lecture we visited Physics I: Classical Mechanics by Professor Walter Lewin. We tried a sample exam and watched part of Lecture 11: Work, Energy, and Gravitation. You can view the last segment of the lecture that we watched in the video above. Each student  Day at School PowerPoint Shows:   We continued to add some features to our shows to make them "the greatest slides shows" our student have ever made.  Today students shown how to remove the background from a picture and they added an interactive quiz question at the end of their slideshow.  Click here to enlarge the project description. Technology Current Event Video:  Unfortunately we ran out of time to watch a video today. May 31, 2013 91 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 a school lunch to what their parents and grandparents might have paid. Students were then given some time to explore other calculators on their own.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.6.8.B, 15.6.8.F, 15.6.8.G, 15.6.8.H,15.6.8.J, 15.6.8.K, 15.6.8.Q)   May 29, 2013 0 minutes* * Class was cancelled today due to the 7th Grade Class Trip to the Trenton Thunder baseball game. May 24, 2013 44 minutes Internet Moment: Today we explored 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.  We also visited Singapore and looked at street views there as well as the 3D building views in Google Earth.  Finally, students had some time to explore the world on their own. Day at School PowerPoint:  We continued to add additional features to make this the "greatest PowerPoint" our students have ever made.  Images and words were turned into hyperlinks to the internet so 6th graders could find more information on their own.   Students were also shown how to adjust the colors of their hyperlinks and action buttons. Students were introduced to using action settings and internal hyperlinks by taking a survey that was made in PowerPoint. The computer term "infinite loop" was also introduced as part of this demonstration.  Click here to enlarge the project description. Technology Current Event Video:  To finish class today we watched a video from the Today Show about how cell phone thieves were using self service kiosk machines at malls to turn stolen phones into cash. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy May 22, 2013 91 minutes Internet Moments:  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.  Students were also shown what a book scanner looks like. 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.  Students were shown how to access the background templates in MS PowerPoint 2010, how to find backgrounds at office.com and how to find additional backgrounds on the internet.   As part of this project students were also shown how to use Google Images to find free images that they could even use for commercial purposes.  After making the first 4 slides students were shown how to add the NMS master schedule to their showing by dragging & dropping the slide from another PowerPoint.  Click here to enlarge the project description.Office Yoga Stretch:  For our break today we practiced a Flexible Shoulder Stretch Exercise and then everyone had an opportunity to get up and move around.  Students are always reminded to take breaks and avoid spending too much time in front of a computer. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from TechnoBuffalo.com about the gadgets and technology shown by Samsung at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January.   May 20, 2013 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.  Final Word Project: The overall  goal of teaching Word in computer class is to make sure that when students have an idea for a project they are able to make it in word and print it so it looks just the way they imagined it. For the final Word project students are supplied with a specifically laid out version of the Gettysburg Address and they have to make one that looks just like it. The concept of public domain vs. copyright protected was also discussed.  All students finished this project today.  Click here to enlarge project description. Setting up Student Passwords: Each student was reminded about how to create a new password today and we discussed some good password practices. Student passwords must fit the following parameters:
Technology Current Event Video:  As a followup to the educational games we explored at OnGuardOnline.gov at the beginning of class we watched a 2010 TED Presentation by Jane McGonigal about her ideas about Online Computer Gaming and it's potential for the future.  We only watched the first 10 minutes of the video in class. May 16, 2013 44 minutes Internet Moment:  Students explored PhotoSynth.net today which is an online service from Microsoft that allows you to "knit" digital photos together to make large 360 degree images that you can pan and zoom into.   Technology Current Event Video:  To finish class today we watched a 2007 TED presentation by Blaise Aguera y Arcas who is one of the Microsoft project managers who involved in the technology that was demonstrated in our internet moment today.  In the video he demonstrated Photosynth. May 14, 2013 91 minutes Computer Class Relocated: Due to the Keystone Test for 8th grade Algebra students our class was relocated from the Computer Lab in Room 118 to the Tech Computer Lab near Room 2. Class Blog:  Students were shown TodayInComputerClass.com and told that they can check here anytime to review what work was done in class.  We also discussed what a web log or blog was, how blogs developed into microblogs like Twitter 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.  Break Outside:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time in front of computers.  Whenever we have a long class we always take a break partway through the class so students can get up and walk around some.  For our break today we stepped outside for about 5 minutes.  Technology Current Event Video:  We did not have have an opportunity to do a video today. May 10, 2013 104 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. Participating in an Online Presentation:  Our class had an opportunity to watch Mr. Karnoscak's 3rd grade students at Willowbrook Elementary School in Glenview, Illinois do their presentations live.  They broadcast their presentations using a Google Hangout and our students gave them feedback using a Google Form.  You can see our students' responses here.   Assign Seats:  All students have an assigned seat/computer in the computer lab. 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:  32.7 WPM  Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.     Technology Current Event Video: Today we finished class with a video from the Wall Street Journal about new keyboard ideas. May 8, 2013 94 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. 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. |
