May 1, 2018 - LAST CLASS 104 minutes Student Presentations: Students had about 25 minutes to prepare and practice their slide shows before presenting them to the class.  The presentations were broadcast live through the internet using a Google Hangout.  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.  We were very fortunate to have a visitor from India during the presentations.  Ashik, a high school student at St. Mary's Public School in Kottayam, Kerala, India was able to watch the presentations and give our students some feedback about their presentations.   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. Unfortunately we were only able to get the first two presentations done today.  (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)  (ISTE Standards: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 4b, 6b, 6d)      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. April 27, 2018 44 minutes Online Collaboration Project: Students finished the research project that we started last class.  Students from around the U.S. prepared presentations about about human impacts on the environment in their state. Working in small groups our students prepared slide shows about:  Pennsylvania History, Pennsylvania's Environment, Major Businesses in Pennsylvania and Environmental Issues in Pennsylvania. The finished shows will be shared using a map that was created at  Our students will also present their shows next class. We will use a Google Hangout to broadcast our presentations.   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 about online collaboration using Google Drive. April 25, 2018 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 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)   Online Collaboration Project: Using shared Google Slide Shows our students worked on a research project started by students at Severance Middle School in Colorado. Students from around the U.S. prepared presentations about about human impacts on the environment in their state. Working in small groups our students prepared slide shows about:  Pennsylvania History, Pennsylvania's Environment, Major Businesses in Pennsylvania and Environmental Issues in Pennsylvania. The finished shows will be shared using the map above. Our students will also present their shows next class. We will use a Google Hangout to broadcast our presentations.  (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) Online Collaboration Example: We finished class today with an example of an online collaboration project.  Mr. McNulty shared the 12-12-12 Project which was developed by Stefan Nielsen, a teacher at Vonsild Skole in Denmark.  This project was created by 35 educators from around the world using a shared Google Slide Show. Technology Current Event Video: Unfortunately, we ran out of time for a video today. April 23, 2016 104 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)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 about Cassie, a two legged robot that's being developed at the Oregon University College of Engineering. April 19, 2018 44 minutes  Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from the economic education team at the Philadelphia FED about the importance of learning personal finance.  April 17, 2018 58 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 shown how to add narration to their slide shows and everyone had some time to start recording their voices. Next class we will finish the narration and start adding hyperlinks and internal navigation features. 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 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) *Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule April 13, 2018 104 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. 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. A Day At School PowerPoint Presentation: Students worked on their slideshows for the 6th graders who will be transitioning to our school next September. Students were shown how to find license free and public domain images from the internet using advance searches in Bing.com. Accessing old yearbook photos on our school network was demonstrated.  We also started adding a script to each slide. Next class we will be adding narration to the slideshows. Students were also shown how to add a slide using drag and drop and how to access and use the slide master.  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) April 11, 2018 27 minutes*   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 video from the Corning Corporation about some of the potential uses for their glass products in the future. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A) *Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule April 9, 2018 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)  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.  Technology Current Event Video: We watched a CNN 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) April 5, 2018 104 minutes   Email Etiquette For Students Video:  We finished this activity with a short video about how to email a teacher.  (PA-BCIT Standards 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.O, 15.3.8.Q, 15.3.8.R, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G)  Library Database Project: Students worked in small group to create a shared Google Doc with the username and password information for 9 Library Databases that our students have access to. To do this project students had to access their CRSD Google Accounts, create and share a Google Doc and then search online for the URL's for the various databases. Students then made their own copies of the shared documents and completed their project by arranging it using a table.  Technology Current Event Video:  We watched a short demonstration video about a new rollable OLED TV from LG. April 3, 2018 59 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:   Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from DNewsChannel about teaching cursive writing and typing in schools. * Class time was shorter today due to an assembly March 26, 2018 104 minutes Internet Moment:  All students went to http://geoguessr.com/ and tried the online geography game. It drops you off in a Google Street View picture and students had to guess where they were in the world.    Some images of the classes that joined us in the interview today 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 2 minute speed art video from Tozfu, a graphic designer in the U.K., showing multiple logo designs featuring the letter "S". March 23, 2018 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.    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:  35.1 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. March 21, 2018 0 minutes* * Class was cancelled today due to a snow day March 19, 2018 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) Finished the 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 today with a short video from Endgadget about some of the coolest things they saw at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. March 15, 2018 91 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: Today's video was inspired by an original presentation created by a high school teacher in Colorado, Mr. Karl Fisch.  Here is a link to his blog: THE FISCHBOWL for more information.  The original presentation was created for a faculty meeting and has been recreated several times by people all over the world.  This version of the video was created in 2016 by Jose Esteves. He is a professor at the I.E. Business School in Madrid, Spain. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A) |
