December 2, 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.

Online Survey for German Students:  Our class participated in an online survey about favorite foods that was being conducted my Herr Marx's 7th Grade Science Class at the Stadtische Realschule Sundern in Sundern, Westfalia, Germany.  You can participate in the survey here.

Start Excel Multiplication Table Project:  We started making a multiplication table in Excel using relative and absolute formulas.  After an introduction to columns, rows and cells we started making a multiplication table.  Students were also shown how to create addition formulas and to copy/paste formulas across a cells in a sheet.  We completed this project today and students did a gallery walk to view each other's work.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.1.8.E)

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)

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November 25, 2013
44 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.  We were fortunate that Mrs. Barnstable, an educator with the Global Virtual Classroom, was able to watch the presentations and give our students some feedback.  During the presentations our students also completed the same 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 shots 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)

After the presentations we reviewed the results and all students were reminded that this will probably not be the last time they broadcast a school presentation that they have made for an online audience.

*Class time was shorter today due to the half-day schedule

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November 21, 2013
44 minutes

Think Before You Post Slide Show:  To start class today we reviewed the "As Seen on Instagram" slideshow that was displayed in the cafeteria during lunch today.  Students were reminded that all the images in the show were publicly available online and that the comments that went with the photos were also available for the whole world to see.   The show was created using Google Image searches and some other websites that compile Instagram photos.  It was also explained to the class that each year more and more colleges and employers make online searches for inappropriate photos and comments part of their application process.  All students who are using any online social media resource were reminded to spend time over the upcoming break reviewing their privacy settings and to always THINK before you POST.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.8.H, 15.2.8.L, 15.6.8.M, 15.3.8.T, 15.3.8.T, 15.3.5.V, 15.3.8.Q, 15.5.8.J, 15.6.8.M, 15.8.8.J)

Internet Moment:  Student had a chance to explore PlaneFinder.net which offers a live glimpse at the locations of all the commercial airliners in the world.  This website is an example of what it possible when huge amounts of publicly available data is presented in an easy to understand interactive website.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  

Finish History of Computers Slideshows:  All students had time today to work on their group  project.  We continued to use the online collaboration feature in Google Drive to create the show. Everyone was reminded to add notes to each of their slides to they have a prepared script of what to say during their presentation.  Students were also shown how to download their finished shows to their H: drive as a PowerPoint and how to print out their speaking notes.  The class was also shown a presentation about the business term "man hours" and why learning to work effectively in a group is so important.  We will present these shows next class.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H,  

15.3.8.M, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.F, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W)

Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from the Wall Street Journal about how colleges and universities are using social network profiles to screen students.

Google Gadget - "Include gadget (iframe)"

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November 19, 2013
91 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:  15.6.8.M, 15.8.8.K, 15.8.8.S, 15.9.8.F)

Turn in Day at School Slideshows:  All students turned in their finished shows today. Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.M, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U)

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November 15, 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:  15.3.8.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)

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November 13, 2013
44 minutes

Internet Moment:  As a followup to our last Technology Current Event Video students had an opportunity to explore KhanAcademy.org and view some of Salamon Khan's video lectures.

Day at School PowerPoint:  We continued to add features to our PowerPoints today to make them "the greatest slideshows our students have ever made." Students were shown how to insert a video into their shows. Today students were also shown how to remove the background from a picture and we made an interactive quiz question at the end of the slideshow.  We also set everyone's show in kiosk format so it can only be navigated by using the action buttons and hyperlinks we made.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.M, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U)

Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from CBS News about Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic's plans to offer space tourism to everyone someday.

Google Gadget - "Embed gadget"

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

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November 11, 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   then had some time to explore the website on their own and they were encouraged to check it out at home also.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.B, 15.2.5.J, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.8.E, 15.2.8.F, 15.8.8.K)

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 added action buttons and a table of contents to their shows so they would be set-up in a kiosk format. Before our break today all students participated in a fictitious Computer Class Survey. How the survey works was explained and the computer term "infinite loop" was also introduced as part of this demonstration. Students also made a custom start button on the first slide using the edit points feature.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.M, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U)

Technology Current Event Video:  As a followup to today's internet moment about online education and Open Course Ware from M.I.T. we watched a 60 Minutes video about Salman Khan and his creation of Khan Academy.  Students were also reminded that while they are making their slide shows about their day at school for the 6th graders they are participating in online education as an instructor.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K)

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November 7, 2013
104 minutes

Check Grades:  Since we are at the halfway point in this class students were asked to log into the Home Access Center and check their computer class grades.  Students were also reminded that if they could not log in their parents had to go to the Newtown Middle School website and follow the directions at the bottom of the webpage to create a student account.  All students were shown how to access the directions online.

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.

Participate in an Online Video Presentation:  Our class was able to participate in the very end of a space and science presentation that was organized by LivingMaths.com in Cape Town, South Africa.  The presentation featured Jim Adams, the Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA.  We used a Google Hangout for this presentation and several other teachers and students from around the world also participated.  The entire one hour presentation can be viewed from the beginning on YouTube and below.  Our class joined the presentation around 00:59. Even though we weren't able to participate the the whole presentation this was still a great opportunity to show our students how webcam technology and the internet can be used in education. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.5.A, 15.3.5.S, 15.3.8.Q)

Work on Day PowerPoint Shows:  All students had time to work on the slide shows that we started last class.  Students were shown how to use Google Images to find free images that they could even use for commercial purposes.  Searching for animated GIF images was also demonstrated.  After making the first 4-6 slides students were shown how to add the NMS master schedule to their show by dragging & dropping the slide from another PowerPoint.  Students were also shown how to access and use the Slide Master and how to turn words and images into hyperlinks to the internet so 6th graders could find more information on their own. Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.M, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U)

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. Everyone had time to finish this project today.  Click here to enlarge project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.5.G, 15.9.8.M)

Technology Current Event Video:  As a follow-up to today's internet moment about Google Books and copyright law we watched a news video from the BBC from 2009 about the controversy and the details of the evolution of the settlement between Google and book publishers.  This video also highlighted some of the differences between how this issue was handled in Europe as apposed to North America.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.5.8.F, 15.5.8.H, 15.5.8.K, 15.8.8.C, 15.7.8.L, 15.9.8.L, 15.9.8.M)

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.  In the video the work of an MIT graduate student, Pranav Mistry, to create a wearable computer was explained.

Business Letter #1:  Students practiced their typing and formatting skills in Word by typing a block format business letter.  This project required students to  demonstrate a list of basic word processing skills that included:  changing fonts, changing the size of letters, line spacing and making a bullet list.  This project also introduced students to formal business communications as it is a Block formatted business letter and it provided everyone with some typing practice.  All students finished this project in class today.  Students were shown how to make a new folder in their H: drive, name the folder and save their Word document into that folder.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B)

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)