March 24, 2014 - LAST CLASS 104 minutes
 Office Yoga Break: Students are always reminded to take breaks from the computer and their gaming systems and to get exercise. Today we practiced a simple yoga stretch, a seated twist, and students got up and moved around some afterwards. 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 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.  Students were also reminded that this was their only required computer class here at Council Rock and that should they wish to learn more about computer technology they should look carefully at the High School Program Planning Guide for the many elective classes that incorporate computer skills.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.6.8.M, 15.2.8.E) 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) March 20, 2014 82 minutes* Internet Moment:  Students were shown GeoGuessr.com today and allowed to spend 5 minutes playing the game at the beginning class.  The highest score in our class today was 11,056. Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers.  Breaks should be taken at least every 30-40 minutes.  For our break today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your ankles and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some.  Students were also encouraged to share their work and ideas with each other during this gallery walk activity. Technology Current Event Video:  As a followup to the online collaboration project we did today we watched a 2010 TED Presentation by Jane McGonigal.  In this video she shared her ideas about online computer gaming and the importance of online collaboration skills.  We only watched the first 10 minutes of the video in class. * Class time was adjusted today due to the PSSA testing schedule. March 18, 2014 63 minutes* 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 last class. 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  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M) Internet Moment:  As students finished the Google Earth Quiz they were asked to visit the website OnGuardOnline.gov and 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. Work on First Aid Posters:  All students had time today to work on this project.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.H, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.B)  Video Chat with Student-Teachers in England:  At the end of class today our students practiced some formal online interviewing skills by interviewing some Student-Teachers at the Audenshaw School in Manchester, England.  The interviews were arranged by Mr. Shanker, an ICT teacher at the Audenshaw School.  Our students were surprised to learn that one of the Student-Teachers didn't have a driver's license.  They also told us that they would like to visit California and that they would prefer to teach older students.  Before the interview we made a T-Chart and listed things "to do" and "not to do" when participating in an online meeting.  We also discussed cultural differences and how communication can be misinterpreted.  To prepare for the interview our class also created a list of questions to ask the Student-Teachers.   (PA BCIT Standards:  15.3.5.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.5.J) * Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule March 14, 2014 44 minutes* Internet Moment:  Today we explored Google Earth and discussed how a 3 dimensional virtual environment can be used to augment human memory.  We started by discussing what spatial memory is and how it is used to make modern video games so engaging.  Students were then introduced to the memory palace or method of loci as an effective way to use 3 dimensional visual imagery to help a person remember large amounts of information.  We then went to Google Earth and began a tour of the earth, the sky, Mars and the moon. The whole class followed a specific list of locations.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M) Google Earth Tour Quiz: Next class, as a follow-up to our Google Earth activity, all students will take a quiz to see how much of the virtual tour they remember. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from "Stuff to Blow Your Mind" about Constructing a Memory Palace. * Class time was shorter today due to the half day schedule March 12, 2014 34 minutes*  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from Boston Dynamics that shows their most recent creation.  As part of a government funded DARPA project they created a robot called Wildcat that runs like a cat.  (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A, 15.5.8.J) * Class time was shorter today due to an assembly at the end of the day March 10, 2014 44 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, Canada and the United States.  Students then had time to explore the website on their own. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M, 15.7.8.A, 15.7.8.F, 15.7.8.H, 15.7.8.L)  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 arms. Computer Vocabulary Quiz:  After our break today students had an opportunity to study Computer Vocabulary Lists 2 before taking the online quiz.  This quiz gives many of our students credit for the computer knowledge that they already know. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from the BBC in which Hans Rosling describes how Gapminder.org can be used to identify trends in the development of nations over the last 200 years. March 6, 2014 104 minutes  Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers.  Breaks should be taken at least every 30-40 minutes.  For our break today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your neck and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some. Technology Current Event Video:  After finishing the full page ad project we watched an 11 minute whiteboard video about the universal principles of persuasion.   (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.9.8.A, 15.9.8.E) March 4, 2014 44 minutes  Hour of Code:  Today our class participated in the Hour of Code. We started by going to the Favorite Links webpage that we had previously made in Word and viewing the source code.  Students were told that this code, a mixture of HTML and JavaScript, was the list of specific instructions that tell your web browser how to display the webpage. When students saved their Word document as a "single file webpage" Microsoft Word wrote this code for them.  We then watched the tutorial video below to introduce the online coding activity.  Students then went to the online Blockly Maze Tutorial to write JavaScript.  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from code.org about what most schools don't teach - computer coding.  This video featured many famous and not so famous people talking about how they learned to code. February 28, 2014 91 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.  Finish Brochure Project:  All students had time today to finish the copyright brochure project in MS Publisher.   Students were also 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.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.5.D, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.U, 15.6.8.L) Office Yoga & Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend more that 30-40 minutes at a computer without taking a break.  During today's long class class we took a break and everyone had an opportunity to get up and move around.  This also gave everyone an opportunity to view each others projects and share ideas.  As part of our break today we also practiced a simple yoga stretch for your thigh. Introduction to Web Conferencing:  Students were introduced to what a webinar or web conference is and what online education could look like for them in the future.  AnyMeeting.com was used to project presentations from the teacher's desktop to the student's screen and the use of webcams in a webinar was also demonstrated. During the presentation Mrs. Barnstable, an educator from Illinois who works with the Global Virtual Classroom, was able to view the presentation and also took a few moments to talk to the kids about the importance of learning some basic HTML.   Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from How Stuff Works about Tim Berners-Lee and the invention of the World Wide Web. February 26, 2014 104 minutes Internet Moment:  Today we explored NewsMap.jp which is a graphical interpretation of the top news stories on Google News that was created by Marcos Weskamp, a self described software architect.  He is was also part of the team that founded Flipboard which seeks to bring the design experience of magazines to web and tablet technology.  Students had a chance to explore Mr. Weskamp's website and learn a Work on Brochure Project: All students had time to work on the copyright brochure project in MS Publisher today. Everyone will turn in this project in next class.   Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.5.D, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.U, 15.6.8.L)   Screenshots of the students playing the game.  Can you guess the word?   Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Wales in Australia about the importance of students learning to collaborate online. February 24, 2014 33 minutes* Internet Moment:  Today we looked at two online resources for fonts. DaFont.com offers over 20,000 fonts that are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or in the 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.  Students were also shown how they could make their own font using a website like YourFonts.com.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.E, 15.6.5.M, 15.4.5.A) Start Brochure Project:  All students had time today to finish the copyright brochure project in MS Publisher.   Next class we will review how to find images online that were not copyright protected and the importance of respecting copyrights.  We will finish this project next class.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.5.D, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.U, 15.6.8.L) * Class time was shorter today due to a fire drill. February 20, 2014 91 minutes Internet Moment:  To start class today we all visited NBCOlympics.com to explore the website and watch some live video from the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Font Presentation:  In this presentation the development of the two basic font families (serif & sans serif) as well as the best uses for each of them was covered. Students were also shown how they read primarily through identifying sight words and why it's so hard to spell and grammar check your own work.  (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. All students had time to finish and print this project in class today.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.2.K, 15.3.8.X) 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 watched part of a TED Presentation by John Maeda, the President of the Rhode Island School of Design.  In the video he talked about how he became a graphic designer and how he used technology.  He also did a presentation about content & form that demonstrated the use different of different fonts to convey meaning. Students were encouraged to watched the rest of the video on their own.  (PA BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K, 15.9.8.A) February 18, 2014 92 minutes*  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)  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 Newtown Middle School 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.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.6.2.L) Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers.  Breaks should be taken every 30-40 minutes.  For our break  Publisher Logo Project: We started with an introduction to MS Publisher 2010 today. Publisher was described as a graphic design program which is used to express your ideas visually.  The field of graphic design was also explained. Students were reminded that learning basic graphic design skills will help them to communicate their ideas effectively.  Students then became familiar with Publisher 2010 by making a simple logo. We saved this project and shared them with the class. Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.S, 15.4.5.G, 15.6.5.M, 15.3.8.X, 15.9.8.A, 15.9.5.L) Technology Current Event Video:  To finish class today we watched a short video from CNET about the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop Keyboard.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.4.8.C) * Class time was shorter today due to the 2 Hour Delay schedule February 12, 2014 0 minutes* * During our class time today all students participated in a rotation around all the Arts   Classes to learn about course offerings at our high school. February 10, 2014 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 now mobile phone based apps like Instagram.  This website is the blog or web log 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. Finish the Basic Computer Knowledge Presentation:  Today we finished the presentation based on the student computer knowledge survey that they had taken last class.  This presentation covered basic computer and technology information that all students should be familiar with including internet safety and protecting yourself from identity theft.  Students were also reminded that last year 30% of college admission officers reported finding content online that caused them to reject a student's application.  Students were reminded that employers are using many of the same techniques to select candidates for job openings.  All students then had some time to check their current online presence by searching for themselves, their friends and their family members.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.V, 15.3.8.T, 15.4.5.B, 15.6.8.M, 15.5.8.J, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.5.B, 15.3.5.T)  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:  44.7 WPM  Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.  We will discuss this graph and some ways to improve your typing speed next class:  Technology Current Event Video: Students watched this video from 8nownews.com in Las Vegas, Nevada about the use of social media searches by colleges and universities.  (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.2.5.M, 15.2.8.K, 15.8.8.M, 15.5.8.J, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.5.B) We didn't watch the whole video so students were asked to watch the rest at home.  February 6, 2014 - SNOW DAY - NO SCHOOL 0 minutes February 4, 2014 30 minutes* Internet Moment:  Students were asked to compare three popular news aggregator websites:  Google News, Bing News and Yahoo.  We looked at their home pages, their features and their overall appearance.  Though the results were split, a plurality of our students said they preferred Google News when looking for current events online.  (PA BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.E, 15.6.5.L) Computer Aided Weather Prediction:  Students were reminded that the development of the first electronic computers was largely motivated by the human need to predict the weather.  We visited the National Weather Service website (weather.gov) and students were shown how to view the predictions for our area.  To finish class today we then watched a TV commercial from 1956 in which the use of the UNIVAC computer as an "electronic brain" that could predict weather was explained. * Class time was shorter today due to the 2 hour delay schedule January 31, 2014 91 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:  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 be at least 8 characters long fit the following parameters:Â
CRSD Acceptable Use Policy: Students were shown how to access the CRSD Acceptable Use Policy online through a simple internet search.  They were also reminded that they are in a network environment where their actions on the computer can be easily tracked.  We also reviewed the policies concerning devices (such as cell phones and tablets) that student might bring into school. Pixlr.com Project: Students were shown how to use the online photo editor 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.  We also discussed professional digital photo editing with Adobe PhotoShop. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.F, 15.4.5.G)   Basic Computer Knowledge Presentation:  Today students were shown a presentation based on the student computer knowledge survey that they had taken.  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 finish the presentation next class. (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.V, 15.3.8.T, 15.6.8.M) Technology Current Event Video:  At then end of most computer classes we watch a current event video about emerging trends in technology.  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. |
