December 4, 2017 - LAST CLASS 104 minutes Student Presentations: Students were given about 10 minutes to organize themselves before we started the presentations.  The presentations were then broadcast live through the internet using a Google Hangout so other teachers elsewhere in the world and our building could watch. We were fortunate to get feedback from Mrs. Troxel and Mr. Hunter who were able to watch us from their classrooms.  During the presentations our students in the classroom audience completed an 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 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) 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 today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your shoulder and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around some.   Make-up Time & Checking Grades: Since this is our last full 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. All students were asked to log into the HAC and check their grades for this class. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class with a short video from Fox 5 News in Washington DC about a school district in Maryland that's monitoring everything their students do online.  Unfortunately we ran out of time to watch the whole video. November 30, 2017 44 minutes  History of Computers Slide Show: Students worked on their final PowerPoint project which is a 6-8 slide show that they will present to the class. Students worked in groups of 5-6 and used the internet for research.  In this project students were introduced to online collaboration using a shared Google Slide Show. They were challenged to think about how they could use online collaboration tools like this to work with other students from all over the world in the future. Students were also shown a presentation about time  management, group projects and the business concept of "Man Hours".  Students were reminded that we would be doing the presentations first thing 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)  (ISTE Standards: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 4b, 6b, 6d) Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from Boston Dynamics about walking robots. November 28, 2017 85 minutes*  Internet Moment: Today we explored 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)Finish Day at School PowerPoint Shows: Students had time today to finish the quiz at the end of their slide shows.  We then did a peer evaluation activity. Everyone had some time to make any final changes before turning the shows in using a network drive.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d)  Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from CNET about flexible and roll-able video display screens. *Class time was shorter today due to a district kindness assembly November 27, 2017 94 minutes   Day at School Power Point Shows: We continued to add additional features to make this the "greatest PowerPoint" our students have ever made. Students had time to finish recording their narrations. We also added a video to the shows and started adding a quiz to the end of it. Next class we will be doing a peer evaluation activity and adding a quiz to the end of the shows.  Click here to enlarge the project description.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d) 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. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for the calve muscles. Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a TED presentation by Tanvee Patankar, a student at Stevenson High School in Illinois.  In the video she described the importance of teaching financial literacy at the high school level.  (PA BCIT Standards:  15.2.8.E, 15.2.8.J, November 21, 2017 44 minutes*  Internet Moment: Students had an opportunity to explore the free online tutorials provided by the Goodwill Community Foundation in Raleigh, NC. At their website, GCFLearnFree.org our students could explore tutorials that range from mathematics to using an ATM to everyday life. Students were reminded of the importance of leveraging the power of the internet to augment their learning. They were also reminded that we were creating an online learning experience for the 6th graders using PowerPoint.Day at School Power Point Shows: Everyone had time to finish their slide shows today. Everyone had time to finish the audio recording in their slide shows today. Students were also reminded to finish adding internal navigation features and we used the edit points feature to create a unique start button on the first slide.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d) Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from RBB Public Relations that features 3 tips for successfully participating in a Skype interview. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.M, 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.M) * Class time was shorter today due to the half day schedule November 17, 2017 94 minutes   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 systems (circuit switching) and the internet system (packet switches) that has replaced it. The development of an emergency communication system within the United States (ARPANET) into today's worldwide internet was also described. We also discussed how webpages like this one are sent through the internet. We also discussed how webcams work the same way by sending 30 pictures per second through the internet.Day at School Power Point Shows: We continued to add additional features to make this the "greatest PowerPoint" our students have ever made. Students were reminded to check the internal navigation features in their shows. After a demonstration all students had time to add narration to their slide show. Next class we will be doing a peer evaluation activity and adding a video and quiz to the shows. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d)  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video about an advanced robot dog from Boston Dynamics. November 15, 2017 91 minutes  Day at School Power Point Shows: We continued to add additional features to make this the "greatest PowerPoint" our students have ever made. We had time to start adding hyperlinks to the internet and some internal navigation features by adding action buttons and a table of contents. Students also used edit points to create a unique start button for their shows. We also began adding notes to each slide in preparation for adding voice narration. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d) 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. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for your thigh. Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from Audio-Technica about doing voice recordings. Students were reminded that getting professional level voice recordings does involve considerable technical knowledge, skill and practice. (ISTE Standards: 6a, 6c) November 13, 2017 104 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 Technology. 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 watched the very end of a physics lecture about work, energy, and gravitation. You can view the segment of the lecture that we watched 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. Students were also reminded that as they create their slide shows for the 6th graders they are going to be using the internet to instruct the 6th graders, just like the professors at M.I.T. do.  (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) (ISTE Standards: 1d, 3a, 3b, 3c) During class we also practiced accessing and using the Slide Master feature and adding notes to each slide in preparation of adding voice narration using the record audio option in PowerPoint. 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. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for the shoulder blades. Children's Day Greetings: As part of our celebration of World Kindness Day our class sent a video greeting to St. Mary's Public School in Kottayam, Kerala, India. In about 9 hours, when they wake up and go to school, they will be celebrating Children's Day in India. This gave us an opportunity to talk about time differences and international communication. Our students prepared a script of what they wanted to say in advance and practiced it before we made the final recording. 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, 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 becoming an online instructor, just like Sal Khan.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K) November 6, 2017 91  minutes Internet Moment: Today we explored some of the features in Google Maps. Students were shown how to find our school and view satellite and aerial photos of their neighborhoods. Students found directions by car, bike and walking from school to their house. We also used the street views and how the Google Maps cars work was explained. We then went to Munich, Germany and used the street view feature to explore the city.  It was explained to students that in Germany people can ask to have their residences removed from Google Maps. We also traveled to Tokyo, Japan and students were shown how to check live traffic data.  We also discussed how Google Maps collects traffic data using personal cell phones.  Students then had some time to explore the world on their own.  (PA-BCIT: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A)  (ISTE Standards:  1a, 1c, 1d, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b)  Finish Final Word Project: All students had time to finish the Gettysburg Address project that we started last class. Everyone had time to print and turn in a final draft of their project. Click here to enlarge project description.   (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.8.8.C, 15.9.5.M) 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.  As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga shoulder rolls.  After the break everyone had a chance to get up and walk around.  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. We also discussed the origins of PowerPoint and the importance if using good images and graphics in your slide shows. 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 2013 and how to find additional backgrounds on the internet.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S)(ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d)Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video about ways Microsoft HaloLens could be used in the future. November 2, 2017 104 minutes   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.  As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for your shoulder.  After the break everyone had a chance to get up and walk around.  Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from Pond5.com about how public domain works. In the video the three ways content enters the public domain is explained (through government, through dedication and time). October 31, 2017 44 minutes Internet Moment:  We started class today by visiting some online logo quizzes and students had some time to test their knowledge.  Students were reminded that we live in a very graphical world and that they are routinely exposed to thousands of corporate logos every day.  Online Game: Our class played an online logo quiz game from Kahoot. We also used a Google Hangout to broadcast the game to the computer labs at Holland Middle School and Richboro Middle School. Our class played the game against the 7A computer classes at the other two middle schools. After 18 questions third place went to Payton at RMS, second place went to Tristin at HMS and in first place was Carson from RMS.  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 is all about. Students had a chance to share their completed logos with their classmates. Click here to view the project description.  Click here to view the logos we created.  (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.5.G, 15.3.8.U, 15.4.8.D) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video about logo design by Vox featuring Joe Posner and Michael Bierut. October 27, 2017 91 minutes   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. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for your sides.  Technology Current Event Video:  Unfortunately we ran out of time for a video today. October 25, 2017 104 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. We also discussed how federal government publications, such as the NWS website, can not be copyrighted and are therefore in the public domain. Students were reminded that the NWS is the original source for most of the weather information they receive on the internet, TV, and their phones. This website was also used as an example of "unbiased" information on the internet. Students were also told how predicting the weather motivated early computer pioneers. Finally, students were shown an old video about how early computers were used to predict the weather. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.5.V, 15.4.8.A, 15.6.5.L)We also discussed some of the advances that have taken place in the last 65 years:  Finish Introduction to Computer Class Presentation: We finished the presentation that we had started last class. This presentation was a follow up to the survey and covered basic computer concepts everyone should be familiar with such as:
  Assigned Seats: All students have an assigned seat/computer in the lab. 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. Everyone should use the same computer every time they come to the lab. Students were also reminded to adjust the keyboard, mouse, chair and monitor to meet their ergonomic needs when they come to class. (CRETS: 2b) (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.5.D, 15.4.2.B, 15.4.8.F) (ISTE Standards: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 6c) 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:  33.8 WPM Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.  (CRETS:  2e)   Online Typing Activities: As a follow up to the typing test students were given some time to find some 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. Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video about a new typing technology called the tap strap. October 23, 2017 44 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 asked to search Google News for themselves and people they know.  (CRETS:  1a, 2a, 3a, 3b, 3d, 7d) (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.G, 15.6.5.L) (ISTE Standards: 3b, 3c, 4c, 5c, 5b, 6a) 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.  Introduction to Computer Class Presentation: This presentation was a follow up to the survey and covered basic computer concepts everyone should be familiar with such as:
Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class with a video from the Corning about some potential future uses for their glass products.  October 19, 2017 75 minutes* Introduction to the 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. They were reminded that they also need to get used to helping each other with technology. (PA-BCIT Standard 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.C, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.5.M, 15.8.5.C)  Break: Students are always reminded to not spend too much time working on computers and to take breaks every 30-40 minutes. For our break today we conducted a probability experiment about matching birthdays that you can read about here. Everyone was asked to get up and find the other person in the room who shares their birthday to see if there was a match.   Technology Current Event Video: Unfortunately we ran out of time for a video today |
