2013-14 7-C.2

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 Multiplicatio
n 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)








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






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)"






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)

Start History of Computers Slide Show - Students started their final PowerPoint project which is a 6-8 slide show that they will present to the class.  Students work in groups of 4-5 and used the internet for research.   In this project students were introduced to online collaboration using Google Drive.  Students were shown how to create and share a Google Presentation and how to collaborate and use the chat feature in Google Presentation to communicate and they were challenged to think about how they could use online presentation software like this to collaborate on future projects at home.  We will work more of this project 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 short tutorial video from GCFLearnFree.org in North Carolina about getting started with Google Drive and Docs.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G)









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)



Formal Interviewing Using Skype:  Our students practiced formal interviewing techniques by Skyping with an English language student at Winners Education near Athens, Greece.  We learned about the weather there, her school day, and her favorite subjects.  Our students also asked questions about her favorite foods.  Before the interview we talked about the differences between web chatting with friends and participating in a formal video conference.  As a group we also prepared our questions in advance so we could learn more about school in Greece.  After the interview we reviewed what went well and what we could improve next time.  (PA-BCIT: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J)

Finish Day at School PowerPoint: 
 Students finished up their shows today.  They were given time to  add voice narration to at least three of their slides.  Unfortunately there were lots of technical difficulties with the sound recording process. Everyone had time to make any final adjustments to their shows.  We did a final evaluation activity at the end of class today and everyone will submit their finished shows next class.  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 about how to participate in an online job interview using skype.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.M, 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.M)








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








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)

http://www.todayincomputerclass.com/7th/DayAtSchoolPPT1.JPG
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)








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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ASiGpRS3M
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)


http://www.todayincomputerclass.com/7th/DayAtSchoolPPT1.JPG
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)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMzfuf30fYo

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 for your shoulders and back.  After the break everyone had a chance to get up and walk around.

Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a promotional video from the Corning Corporation about some possible uses for their products in the future.  (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A, 15.5.8.J)







November 4, 2013
44 minutes

Mr. McNulty was out today, the class did the following activities:

Internet Moment:  All students went to maps.google.com and explore it by doing each of the following activities (approximately 15 minutes total).  
  1. Find our school by searching for 116 Richboro Road, Newtown PA  18940
  2. Switch to the Satellite view and explore the area around our school
  3. Click on the pin on the map for our school and "get directions" to your house
  4. Go to Singapore and check out the street view by dragging the little yellow guy from the slider on the left onto the map
  5. Visit Interlocken, Switzerland and switch to the "Earth" view and explore the Swiss Alps in 3 dimensions.
  6. With any time that's remaining explore Google Maps on your own, visit places you have been and places you would like to go to.
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.
  1. Go to our School Website and pick an upcoming event to advertise (such as the Magazine Drive, Halloween Dance, Book Fair, any Athletic Event . . .  
  2. Open a blank Word document
  3. Go to "File" and select "New" then find "Flyers"
  4. Select a flyer design that you like and complete it by adding all the necessary information about the event that you have decided to advertise.  You can use any clip art that came with Word to complete your flyer.
  5. Print your completed flyer using Printer #1, put your name on the back and turn it in using the basket on Mr. McNulty's desk.
Technology Current Event Video:  At the end of class today all students watched this TED presentation by Keller Rinaudo about mini robots powered by smart phones.






October 31, 2013
91 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.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.6.5.M, 15.6.8.M, 15.9.8.L)

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.

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.  (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.5.D,)

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:  At the end of class today we watched a video from OnGuardOnline.gov.  Sharing Information:  A Day in Your Life details how much information about us and our use of technology can be collected and sold in just one average day.  
(PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.6.5.M, 15.6.8.M, 15.9.8.L)








October 29, 2013
104 minutes

Video Conferencing Practice:  Today, our students participated in a video conference with students from the Winners Education School near Athens, Greece. Students at this English language school recently completed a project where they prepared a plan to make a movie about Antarctica.  Today they presented (pitched) their movie ideas to our students and we used an online form to give them feedback and select the best idea.  Here is a link to The Project Description - Antarctica:  The Movie.  Here are links to the Online Survey Form & The Online Survey Results.  Unfortunately the sound quality was very poor today.  
(PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.5.F, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.5.J, 15.3.8.J, 15.3.8.X, 15.5.8.F, 15.5.8.H, 15.7.5.I, 15.7.8.J)


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.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.5.8.K, 15.7.8.K, 15.9.8.M, 15.8.8.C)

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)








October 25, 2013
94 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.  

Business Letter #2
:  Students practiced professional communication and typing skills by making a second block format business letter.  To make this letter students have to copy text from Business Letter #1.  They have to set-up a table, merge cells and copy/paste text.  They also used the header and printed the finished letter using one of the network printers in the room.  Click here to view the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B)

Office Yoga 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.  We also practiced a simple yoga stretch for your neck today.

Word Logo Project:  To get more familiar with the drawing and graphics tools in Word students were asked to create a unique logo as if they were starting their own business.  A slideshow of corporate, athletic and national logos was presented to help students understand what a logo was and what visual  communication and graphic arts is all about.  Students shared their completed logos with the class in a gallery walk activity.  Click here to view the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.4.5.G, 15.9.2.I)

Technology Current Event Video:  Today we watched parts of a TED video featuring Vijay Kumar from the University of Pennsylvania in which he demonstrated robots that fly and cooperate.

Google Gadget - "Embed gadget"








October 23, 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.

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:  32.5 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 7th & 8th grades in Excel.  Students were also shown the graph below so they could see how student typing speeds have been increasing over the years.   Students then were 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 finish projects.


Formal Interviewing Using Skype:  Our students practiced formal interviewing techniques by Skyping with Mrs. del Carmen Colussa's adult English language student in Santa Fe, Argentina.  Her student is planning a trip to Orlando, Florida soon and wanted to practice their language skills with native speakers.  Our students (4 volunteers) were tasked with conducting a formal interviewing to learn more about Argentina.  We learned about their weather, favorite soccer team and about where they were traveling to in the U.S.  We were surprised to learn that they were one hour ahead of us.   Unfortunately there were lots of technical problems during the chat.  Before the interview we talked about the differences between web chatting with friends and participating in a formal video conference.  As a group we prepared a list of things to do and not to do in a formal interview.  We also prepared our questions in advance so we could learn more about Argentina.  After the interview we reviewed what went well and what we could improve next time.    (PA-BCIT: 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J)


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:  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.









October 21, 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.  Accessing Google News from different countries was also demonstrated.  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. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.G, 15.6.5.L)

Introduction to Computer Class Presentation:  This presentation was a follow up to the survey and covered basic computer concepts everyone should be familiar with.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B, 15.4.8.E, 15.3.8.T, 15.3.5.V) 
Google Gadget - "Include gadget (iframe)"

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)

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.  (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A)

Did You Know 3.0 (2012 Update)








October 17, 2013 - FIRST CLASS 
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. (PA-BCIT Standard 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.C, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.5.M, 15.8.5.C)

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

Setting up Student Passwords:
  All students were given some suggestions to help them develop good passwords.  Some suggested good password practices were:  Come up with a collection of passwords to rotate through instead of just one, make a pass phrase instead of a password, mix number, letters and symbols together.   Student passwords must fit the following parameters:
 

  1. Be at least 8 characters long
  2. Include uppercase and lowercase letters
  3. Include numbers
  4. Include punctuation and/or symbols
    * Note that only two of options 2, 3 & 4 are required.

(PA-BCIT Standard:  15.4.8.F)

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. (PA BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.F)


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 will use the survey as the outline for a presentation next class.Â