2012-13 8-C.5

May 3, 2013 - LAST CLASS
91 minutes

Student Technology Use Survey:  All students in this class participated in the annual NMS Student Technology Use Survey.  We started class today by reviewing the results from previous years.  All results going back to 2006 can be viewed here.

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.  We then looked at a website about the 1993 Velcro Crop Failure in California.  This bogus website and others like it serve as a good reminder to students 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 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 for full credit.

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. 



May 1, 2013
104 minutes

Internet Moment:  Today we explored Google Earth and discussed how a 3 dimensional virtual environment can be used to augment human memory.  We talked about how the most popular video games that students play are so engaging because of the 3 dimensional visual imagery that is used in them.  Students were introduced to the memory palace or method of loci as an effective way to use 3 dimensional visual imagery to help you remember large amounts of information.  Students then opened Google Earth and we began a tour of the earth, the sky, Mars and the moon.  The whole class followed a specific list of locations.  

Finish First Aid Posters:  All students had time today to finish this project and print a rough draft in black and white.  Each student had a chance to review their rough draft with the teacher before printing their final draft in full color. Easybib.com was also demonstrated. Click here to enlarge the project description.

Google Earth Tour Quiz:  As a follow-up to our previous tour on Google Earth students were challenged to list everywhere they had gone and what they had seen on their tour of the 3 dimensional visual imagery in Google Earth.  This activity helped to demonstrate the effectiveness of using 3D spatial references, such as the virtual environment of Google Earth, to augment memory.    QUIZ:  Where I went on Google Earth Today

Office Yoga Stretch:  For our break today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your neck.  Students are always encouraged to limit their time in front of computers and screens to 30-40 minutes.  After the stretch everyone had an opportunity to get up and more around.

Technology Current Event Video:  At the end of class we watched a short video from the Today Show about Google Glass.

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Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy





April 29, 2013
104 minutes

Internet Moment:  Today we discussed what a wiki is and visited the largest wiki in the internet: Wikipedia.  Students were shown how easily a wikipedia article can be edited and we discussed some of the reason it can't be used in academic work.  However, students were shown what parts of a wikipedia article they could use to help them when they are doing research for school projects.  We also looked at an edited version of Wikipedia that is intended to be used by students.  The Wikipedia Selection for Schools which was created by the SOS Children's Villages which is a not for profit group in the United Kingdom.

Start First Aid Posters:  This is the final 8th grade project in MS Publisher.  Students are to use all the skills they have learned in Publisher to create a series of three first aid posters that share a graphical theme that they created.  Information and pictures can be used from the internet but all resources must be correctly cited on each poster using the correct MLA Works Cited Format.  Next class there will be a demonstration on how to use easybib.com.  This is a cross-curricular project so students may submit their finished first aid posters to their Health Teachers for extra credit.  Click here to enlarge the project description.

Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from the NBC Nightly News about a new video game that detects eye problems in children.

Google Gadget - "Embed gadget"

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy




April 25, 2013
91 minutes

Internet Moment:  Today students had an opportunity to play a financial education game from Visa called:  Financial Football.  Students had 5 minutes to play the game which involved answering multiple choice questions that tested their financial literacy.  They were also reminded to check out PracticalMoneySkills.com on their own.

Finish Full Page Ad Project:  All students had time today to finish the full page ad project in MS Publisher.  Students were instructed to use different network printers today by printing a rough draft on Printer #2 and the final draft in full color using Printer #3.  Each student also had an opportunity to review a rough draft of their project with the teacher.

Office Yoga Stretch:  As part of our break today we practiced a simple shoulder stretch.  After the stretch everyone had a chance to get up and move around.  Students are always reminded to limit their screen time and take breaks and get some exercise every 30-40 minutes.

Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with the second part of a video from the Corning Corporation about the possible future uses of their grass products.





April 23, 2013
93 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.

Finish Brochure Project:  All students had time today to finish the copyright brochure project in MS Publisher.   Students were shown how to print on both sides of a sheet of paper and how to trifold a brochure.  Each student also had an opportunity to review a rough draft of their project with the teacher.  Click here to enlarge the project description. 

Live Online Presentation Using Google Hangout:  As a class we watched part of a Google Hangout of a special Earth Day panel discussion featuring Elon Musk, Alexandra Cousteau, Sunita Williams, Will 
Smith, Jaden Smith and futurist Ray Kurzweil.  The panel was asked questions by an 8th grade class.  We only watched about 10 minutes of the discussion but it was an opportunity for our class to watch a like video conference and discuss how this technology is being used.

Full page Ad Project:  Today students started a classic graphic design project to help them continue to develop their own sense of design and their skills in MS Publisher.  Each student
 selected a full page, full color magazine advertisement to recreate in MS Publisher.  The student version of the ad must advertise something different than the original but it should look very similar to the original.  Students were also shown how to copy and paste images into either MS Word or PowerPoint and use that program to remove the background in a picture.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  We will finish his project next class.

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video from Google about Google Hangouts.


*Class time was shorter today due to PSSA testing.



April 19, 2013
44 minutes

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.

Work on Brochure Project:  All students had time to work on their copyright brochure in MS Publisher today.  Some students finished and printed their projects.  The rest will have time to finish next class.  Click here to enlarge the project description.

Technology Current Event Video:  Unfortunately we ran out of time for a video today.


April 16, 2013
0 minutes*

* Class was cancelled today due to PSSA Testing


April 15, 2013
104 minutes

Internet Moment:  Today our students were introduced to the "joy of statistics" by viewing GapMinder.org which is a free online resource where statistics from all around the  world are presented in an easy to understand visual format.  We looked at the "Wealth & Health of Nations" chart.  As a demonstration of how the website works we tracked the life expectancy and income changes in the USA and China over the last 200 years.   We also looked at how 8th grade math scores and changing in Japan and the United States.  Students then had time to explore the website on their own.

Student Technology Use Survey:  This class was selected to participate in the 2013 Student Technology Use Survey.  This survey has been used to collect data from Newtown Middle School students since 2006 and after the survey we reviewed the Top 10 Trends in Student Technology Use.

Start Publisher Brochure Project:  Students take an existing brochure about copyright laws and recreate it in Publisher 2010 using a template as a starting point. The original brochure they were given was about copyright laws and what students should know about them.  As part of this project students were shown how to use Google Images to find free images that they could even use for commercial purposes.   Students also practiced their typing by re-typing the text of the original brochure.  We also took a short break today which gave all students a chance to get up, move around, and share their work with each other.  We also discussed the importance of using only a few easy to read fonts and using them consistently throughout the brochure.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  We will finish this project next class.

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:  As a follow-up to the internet moment we watched a segment of video from the BBC about GapMinder.org.  In the video Hans Rosling, the creator of Gap Minder demonstrated how you can use the resource to learn about important trends in 200 years of history in just 4 minutes.





April 11, 2013
64 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.

Finish Font Guide Project:  All students had time to finish and print the Font Guide Project today.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  

Fonts and Design Video:  At the end of class today we watched part of a TED Presentation by John Maeda, the President of the Rhode Island School of Design.  In the video he talked about his experience with computers technology and how different font choices can be used to convey meaning.


*Class time was shorter today due to PSSA testing this morning.


April 9, 2013
76 minutes*

Internet Moment:  Today we looked at two online resources for fonts.  DaFont.com offers almost 19,000 fonts that are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain.  These fonts can be downloaded and installed but students were also shown how they can use the Snipping Tool to get images of the fonts they might like.  

Start Publisher Font Guide Project:  After a presentation about the origins of fonts, the two main categories for fonts (serif & san serif) and the best uses for each category students proceeded to make a Font Guide in MS Publisher.  The final student project should look just like the original.  We also discussed the concept of WYSIWYG in graphic design on computers.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  We will finish and print this project next class.

Make Your Own Font:  Students were shown how they could use a website like YourFonts.com to make their own font.

Font Conference Video:  As a follow-up to our last activity (the Font Guide Project) we watched a short video from College Humor about a fictitious "Font Conference":


*Class time was shorter today due to a fire drill.


April 5, 2013
101 minutes*

Mr. McNulty is out today:  In his absence the class will be doing the following activities.

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.

Video - The Google Boys - The development of the computer technology we have today has involved countless innovators.  Students will follow the journey of this unique American company from it's inception to it's meteoric growth to today.  While watching the video all students will complete these questions online.

Publisher Flyer:  All students will use the templates in MS Publisher 2010 to create a unique flyer about any school event.  

DIRECTIONS:
  1. Open Publisher, look for "flyers" under "more templates" and select a template that you like.
  2. Use the school website for information about the school event that you would like to advertise.  Make sure you include all vital information like times and dates.
  3. Use Printer #2 for any drafts.  Print your final version in black & white using Printer #1.
Technology Current Event Video:  At the end of class you can enjoy this 5 minute TED presentation by Marco Tempest about techno-magic.

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If the video doesn't work don't worry, we'll watch it next class

*class time is shorter today due to the March for Babies Assembly


April 3, 2013
44 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.  

Publisher Logo Project:  We started with an introduction to MS Publisher 2012 and adescription of why learning basic graphic design skills is important in communicating your ideas effectively. Students then became familiar with Publisher 2010 by making a simple logo.  We saved this project and everyone had an opportunity to share their work with the rest of the class.   Click here to enlarge the project description.

Technology Current Event Video:  Today we watched a video that was a follow-up to a TED Video shown to most 7th grade classes last year about 6th Sense Technology.  In this new video the ideas of MIT Media Lab student Pranav Mistry are developed further.

Pranav Mistry's Sixth Sense and Microsoft's Productivity Future Vision




April 1, 2013
91 minutes

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.

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.

Computers/Seats Assigned:  All students are assigned a specific computer to use during class.  This is done for attendance purposes, especially if there is a substitute teacher. Students are also reminded of their responsibility to help maintain the computers in the lab by reporting any problems with the computer they have been assigned.  In this way everyone participates in caring for our hardware.

Finish MLA Paragraph:  After a demonstration by the teacher all students finished this project and printed the finished document two-sided and turned it in.  All students should be able to set-up their Word Documents in the MLA Format.

Typing Test:  All students took a typing test using 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:  32.8 WPM  Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.  

Online Typing Activities:  As a follow up to the typing test we looked at the typing speeds for the whole 8th grade in Excel and looked at graphs of past speeds for NMS students.  Students were then given some time to find at least 3 online typing activities (tutorials or games) that they enjoyed.  They were to then add these typing activities to their favorites or bookmarks list so they could go back and practice their typing skills in class when they finished their projects.





March 25-29, 2013

No Classes - School Closed for Spring Break


March 21, 2013
104 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 user's photos without their permission.

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.  We also explored the news aggregators from Bing and Yahoo.  Students were also shown how to access the Google News Archives and we did a search to find out about a major snow storm in 1964 that resulted in 250 students being snowed in at our school overnight.

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 above.  Click to enlarge.   We then used the survey as the outline for a presentation about basic computer knowledge.  We did not finish the presentation today.  

Basic Computer Knowledge Presentation:  Today we started the first part of a presentation based on the student computer knowledge survey.  This introductory lecture covers basic background information that every student should know about computers such as the development of desktop computers (Apple, IBM & Microsoft), different computer operating systems, internet connection options, developing computer devices (like smart phones and tablet computers) and protecting yourself online.  We will finished this presentation today.

Start MLA Paragraph:  All 8th grade students must demonstrate the ability to use the MLA format (which is used at Council Rock and most colleges) in MS Word 2010.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  This project involves several skills including:  double spacing, changing fonts and sizes, changing indentation settings and accessing the header.  We will finish this next class.

Technology Current Event Video:  We watched a video from the Wall Street Journal about the development of new keyboards for smart phones.

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March 19, 2013
44 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. 

Log On & Explore:  All students were given time to explore the start menu and the various programs available to them at school. 

Pixlr.com Project:  Students were shown how to use the online photo editor http://www.pixlr.com to edit a photograph.  Students then shared their modified photos using various district network resources and demonstrated basic skills such as drag & drop.  The best use of the H:, S: & X: drives was also explained.

Technology Current Event Video:  At then end of most computer classes we watch a current event video about an emerging technology or trend.  Today's video was inspired by a presentation that was created by a high school teacher in Colorado, Mr. Karl Fisch.  Here is a link to his blog:  THE FISCHBOWL for more information.