October 15, 2013 - LAST CLASS 107 minutes* Online Brainteaser Session: Today our class participated in the online brainteaser session that is offered by Mr. Sherman of LivingMaths.com in Capetown, South Africa. Students from Pinehurst Primary School and Durban Girls College, both in South Africa, also participated in the session.  During the activity Mr. Sherman showed us a great trick for multiplying large numbers by 11. 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. Technology Current Event Video:  For our last current event this year we watched a TED Presentation by Gary Kovacs, the CEO of Mozilla, about how internet users are tracked.  He demonstrated how many companies were following him and his daughter when they were online during a typical day.  During the presentation he demonstrated how a free download for Firefox called Collusion can be used to find out who is tracking you online.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.5.8.J, 15.9.8.L, 15.9.8.M) 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. * Class time was different today due to the 8th Grade Battle of Bunker Hill Re-enactment October 11, 2013 104 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. Turn in Day at School Slideshows:  All students turned in their shows today.  Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to take breaks and not spend more than  30-40 minutes in front of a computer.  For our break today we also practiced simple yoga stretch for your legs.  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. October 9, 2013 94 minutes  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from Boston Scientific that shows their most recent creation.  A robot called Wildcat that runs like a cat. October 7, 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)  Technology Current Event Video:  We watched the beginning of a video from  NBC News about a law that was proposed in California that would give minors the ability to erase potentially embarrassing items from their social network profiles. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy October 3, 2013 104 minutes Internet Moment:  Today all students had a chance to visit www.sos.fbi.gov and try the online learning activities for 7th graders that are there.  This is part of a monthly competition that is run by the FBI and the intent of the online activities is to help students develop internet safety awareness.   Formal Interviewing Using Skype: Our students practiced formal interviewing techniques by Skyping with Mr. & Mrs. Bukhtoyarov, who are university teachers at the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.  Our students introduced themselves and then we talked a little about the weather and the time difference.  Our students then asked lots of questions about school in Russia.  They learned about favorite sports, school hours, how they handle lunch at school, what the popular foreign languages were and that they didn't have recess in school.  Before the interview we prepared a list of things to do and not to do in a formal video interview. We also prepared our questions in advance so we could learn more about school in Russia.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today by watching the first part of a video segment from the Today Show about the validity of what we see online and on air. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy October 1, 2013 44 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:  15.3.8.U) 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.F) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with an interview by Dave Malkoff from KTLA Channel 5 News in Los Angeles, California about the birth of the internet in 1969.  In the interview internet pioneer Leonard Kleinrock talks about how the internet was first created. September 27, 2013 91 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.   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 show by dragging & dropping the slide from another PowerPoint. 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. 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. Student Blogging Activity:  To help our students organize and prepare their own shows about Newtown Middle School, and to give them a blogging experience, we visited the blog for Mrs. Chernaya's students in Moscow, Russia.  Her students will also be making presentations about their school and they had a list of questions to answer in their presentations.  Each of our students went to their blog today and answered 3 of their questions and submitted their comments on their blog.  You can see the directions that our students were give here and view their blog comments here. Technology Current Event Video: Unfortunately we ran out of time for a video today. September 25, 2013 104 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.  We also discussed how this program will be used by students in their 7th Grade Technology Education Manufacturing Unit to develop and market a product for mass production. 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.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.8.8.K, 15.8.8.S, 15.9.8.F)  Finish Gettysburg Address Project:  All students had time to finish, print and turn in this project today.   The concept of public domain vs. copyright protected was also discussed.  Click here to enlarge project description.  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. We just started this project today before we ran out of time.  Click here to enlarge the project description.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. September 23, 2013 94 minutes Internet Moment:  We looked at zoom.it today which is a free screen zooming service that is owned by Microsoft.  Students were then shown two other online examples of the screen zooming technology:  The NMS Mosaic Project and the Deep Zoom image of Yosemite National Park.  Students had time to explore these websites. Video Conference Activity:  As a class we discussed how to use webcams for a formal video conference or interview.  We made a T-Chart and listed things "to do" and "not to do" when participating in a formal video meeting.  We also discussed cultural differences and how communication can be misinterpreted.  We then had a video conference with Mr. Shanker's students at the Audenshaw School in Manchester, England.  Mr. Shanker's students had many questions for us.  They asked our students about their favorite music, school, homework, sports, hobbies, vacations (holidays), favorite TV shows, the weather, and many other topics.  They also tried out each other's accents.   Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today by watching a current event video from MSNBC about the introduction of the new iPhone 5. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy September 19, 2013 91 minutes Mr. McNulty was out today, the class did the following activities: Internet Moment:  All students went to maps.google.com and explored it by doing each of the following activities (approximately 15 minutes total). Â
Video:  The class watched a video about the creation of computers.  While watching the video all students used the link below to answer questions about the video (approximately 50 minutes). Flyer Project:  All students used a pre-made template in Microsoft Word to create a flyer for an upcoming event at our school (approximately 20 minutes).  The directions are listed below.
Technology Current Events Video:  After completing the Flyer Project all students can watch the following TED Presentation by Lalitesh Katragadda on their own.  This video is about how online maps can be used to fight disasters and build economies. September 17, 2013 91 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.   Break: 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.  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. September 13, 2013 44 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.  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.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.4.8.A) September 11, 2013 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 in other languages so they could get perspectives on current events from different nations.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.6.8.L) 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:  25.8 WPM  Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.     Office Yoga Break:  During long classes like this one students are always reminded to take breaks and get exercise. Students shouldn't spend more than 30-40 minutes in front of a computer without taking a break. For our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch.  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today by watching a short video from the Wall Street Journal about some of the technology presentations at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. September 9, 2013 91 minutes 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: 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.  Students were also reminded to adjust the keyboard, mouse, chair and monitor to meet their ergonomic needs.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.4.5.D, 15.4.2.B, 15.4.8.F) Organizing H: Drives:  All students were instructed on how to make folders and drag & drop files to organize their H: drives.  Students made folders for all their classes and they were reminded to keep their H: drives clean and organized - just like their lockers. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with videos about an Internet Addiction Clinic in Bradford, Pennsylvania and the use of drone technology. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy September 3, 2013 - FIRST CLASS 60 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. Setting up Student Passwords: Each student had to create a new password today and they were reminded of some good password practices. Student passwords must fit the following parameters:
Log On & Explore: All students were given time to explore the start menu and the various programs available to them at school. CRSD Acceptable Use Policy: Students were shown how to access the CRSD Acceptable Use Policy and they were reminded that they are in a network environment where their actions on the computer can be easily tracked.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.3.8.T, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B) 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.  *Class time today was shorter due to the first day schedule |
