2017-18 8-A.5

May 2, 2018 - LAST CLASS

104 minutes

Internet Moment: Students had a chance to explore FreeRice.com today. This website, created by John Breen who also created Poverty.com. It gives students and others a chance to practice their vocabulary skills while helping to support the United Nations World Food Program. 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 it is a legitimate website (according to snopes.com). We then looked at several bogus websites such as this one about the 1993 Velcro Crop Failure in California, DHMO Awareness, All About Explorers, the Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs, and the endangered Tree Octopus. We also watched videos about being a Google Autocompleter and West Jet Airline offering child-free flights. These websites and videos serve as a good reminder that we all need to be skeptical of what we find online and to always independently verify the facts. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.I, 15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.L)

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. Students were also reminded to check out the eSchoolPLUS app that's available from Google Play and the iTunes Store as well as a free app called Graded.us which can be used to check your grades on your phone.

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 wrist and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some.

Finish Basic HTML: Students have been learning about computer coding by creating a simple website in basic HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). Last class students typed the HTML into Notepad to create a simple webpage. Today we worked on changing the background color, the font color, the font style and inserting images. Students were also shown how to embed a YouTube video into their page and everyone had some time to experiment with adding free Java-Script from the Dynamic Drive.com. Click here to enlarge the project description.(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.S, 15.4.8.H)

Website Demonstration: Students were shown how updates are made to websites. The use of Google Sites to quickly edit a web page was demonstrated. Using a web hosting service to update a website was also demonstrated.

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 (now called Lightbeam) 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)

April 30, 2018
94 minutes

Internet Moment: Today we started class by researching people who are computer coders. We started by visiting Marcos Weskamp's Blog. He is a self described software architect. He was also part of the team that founded Flipboard which seeks to bring the design experience of magazines to web and tablet technology. Students also had a chance to search for other famous coders online and Mr. McNulty shared the story of his Great Aunt, Kathleen Antonelli, who was one of the world's first computer programmers. Students were reminded that all of the digital technology that they experience every day was created by ordinary people. We also discussed what working in careers that involve technology might be like. (CRETS: 4a, 4c, 6c, 6d, 7c) (PA BCIT Standards: 15.2.8.B, 15.2.8.C, 15.2.8.D, 15.2.8.E)

Hour of Code: Today our class participated in the Hour of Code. We started by viewing the source code for this web page. 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 web page. We then watched the tutorial video below to introduce the online coding activity. Students then went to the online Blockly Moana Tutorial to write JavaScript.

Introduction to Scratch: As a follow-up to the Blockly Maze Tutorial the class was shown Scratch which is a free online code editor that was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Students who enjoyed using Blockly, were told that Scratch would be the next step for them to try. All students had about 10 minutes to experiment with Scratch and to view some featured student projects. Students were also encouraged to check out the Scratch Tutorial Videos page on their own and consider joining Scratch. We also watched a short video by the MIT Scratch Team about some of their latest developments.

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 back and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some.

Introduction to Webinars: Today students were introduced to what a webinar or web conference is and what online education could look like for them in the future. AnyMeeting was used to project the presentation from the teacher's desktop to each student's screen. The use of webcams and desktop sharing was also demonstrated. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.5.J, 15.3.5.K, 15.6.8.M, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A)

Started Basic HTML: Students learned about computer coding by creating a website in basic HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). Students typed the HTML into Notepad to create a simple web page. We finished by changing the background color of the web pages. Next class we will work on changing the font color, the font style and inserting images. Students will also be shown how to embed a youtube video into their page and everyone will have some time to experiment with adding free Java-Script from Dynamic Drive.com. Click here to enlarge the project description.(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.S, 15.4.8.H)

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a TED presentation by Keller Rinaudo about a mobile robot based on the iPhone.

April 26, 2018
91 minutes

Internet Moment: We looked at eBay.com today and discussed buying and selling things online. Most of our students have bought things online and some of them have sold items online. Using auctions to find the true value of something was explained. Ebay was presented as a great way for people to get started in internet commerce. We also discussed the immigrant story of Pierre Omidyar and the development of internet commerce over the years. We also talked about ways students can get involved with buying and selling online.

First Aid Posters: Students finished this project in class today. Students used information and pictures from the internet and correctly cited them using the correct MLA Works Cited Format. This is a cross-curricular project and students can submit their finished first aid posters to their Health Teachers for extra credit. 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)

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 calves.

Mystery Skype Activity: Our class played a game of Mystery Skype with an English Language student from the Secondary School No. 1 in the Mogilev Region of Belarus. We won the game by guessing that he was located in Belarus. After the game our students asked each other questions. We were surprised to learn that they have two shifts at their school and that the second shift lasts from 1:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Two of our students who speak Russian also practiced their foreign language skills during the conversation. After the activity we talked about things to do and not to do in a formal video interview. (PA-BCIT: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B)

Finish Asynchronous Online Collaboration Project: Everyone reviewed and then printed the Venn diagram of favorite foods that we had been working on asynchronously with our partners at Richboro Middle School & Holland Middle School. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.T, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.F)

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video from Code.org about why schools should teach computer coding.

April 24, 2018

91 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 (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M)

First Aid Posters: This is the final 8th grade project in MS Publisher. Students will use all the skills they have learned in Publisher to create a series of three first aid posters that share a unique graphical theme that they created. Students can use information and pictures from the internet but all resources need to be correctly cited on each poster using the correct MLA Works Cited Format. Students were reminded to use Noodle Tools (available to CRSD students) or a free online citation tool like CiteFast.com to make the works cited. This is a cross-curricular project and students can submit their finished first aid posters to their Health Teachers for extra credit. 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)

FIRST AID PROJECT DIRECTIONS:

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 forearm.

Live Video Interview: Our class had an opportunity to participate in a live online interview with Dr. Komal Kumar, a transplant surgeon from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore who is currently living and working in Capetown, South Africa. We were only able to participate in the last 20 minutes of the interview which was conducted by Mr. Steve Sherman of Living Maths in Cape Town, South Africa. During the interview Dr. Kumar talked about the importance of organ donors and how science is making new advancements possible such as the transplanting of HIV infected organs. Our students also had an opportunity to ask her some questions about being a doctor and what the toughest part of her job was. The complete interview can be viewed below. Our class arrived at about halfway through the one hour interview and stayed until the end. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.2.8.D, 15.2.8.Q, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M, 15.5.8.A, 15.5.8.D )

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video from CBS News about using 3D printers to create organs for transplant and to eliminate the need for animal testing.

*Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule

April 20, 2018

44 minutes

Internet Moment: Today we explored the online version of Google Earth and discussed how a three 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 whole class followed a specific list of locations. Next week all students will take a quiz to see how much of the Google Earth tour they can recall. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.A, 15.6.8.M)

Finish Brochure Project: All students had time to finish typing this project today. Students were reminded to use Google Images and Bing Images to find free images that were in the public domain. Everyone had a chance to finish this project in class today. 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)

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from PBS OffBook about careers in graphic design.

April 18, 2017
58 minutes*

Internet Moment: Today students had an opportunity to play a financial education game from Visa called: Financial Football. Students had 5 minutes to play the game which involved answering multiple choice questions that tested their financial literacy. We then discussed any terms that confused them. Students were also reminded that they can go back to Practical MoneySkills.com on their own. Students were also reminded to check out the Personal Finance & Investing class at our high school. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.B, 15.6.8.G, 15.6.8.H, 15.6.8.I, 15.6.8.K) (ISTE Standards: 1c, 5c, 5a)

Asynchronous Online Collaboration Project: Each student used a Google Drawing to make a Venn Diagram that listed their favorite foods. Their partners for this project are 8th grade students from the computer classes at Richboro Middle School & Holland Middle School. This project was an example of asynchronous online collaboration. All students finished their part of the Venn Diagrams and then emailed their partners to ask them to finish their part of the project. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.T, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.F)

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)

*Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule

April 16, 2018
104 minutes

Internet Moment: Everyone had a chance to explore Khan Academy and look for video lessons that relate to what they are currently learning in 8th grade. Students were reminded that this resource can help them with their homework here at the middle school and at the high school next year. We also had everyone attempt to sign in using their CRSD Google Accounts and Google Classroom. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K) (ISTE Standards: 1d, 3b, 3c)

Copyright Brochure Project: Students take an existing brochure and recreate it in Publisher 2016 using a template as a starting point. The original brochure they were given was about copyright laws. Students were shown how to use Bing Images to find public domain images that they could even use for commercial purposes. Students also practiced their typing today by re-typing the text of the original brochure. Everyone will have time to finish and print this project next class. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.9.5.L, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.5.K, 15.4.8.B, 15.3.8.U)

Stretch 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 stretch for your fingers. 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. (ISTE Standards: 5a, 5b, 5c)

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).

April 12, 2018
30 minutes*

Internet Moment: Today our students were introduced to the "joy of statistics" by viewing Gap Minder.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 Japan over the last 200 years. We also looked at how 8th grade math scores had changed in Japan, Canada and the United States. Student were also shown that countries where students have poor dental hygiene also tend to have higher math test scores as an example of a spurious correlation. Everyone then had time to explore the website on their own. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.A, 15.7.8.A, 15.7.8.F, 15.7.8.H, 15.7.8.L, 15.8.8.A, 15.9.8.J)

Log on and Check Grades: All students were asked to log into the Home Access Center and check their grades. Starting in 7th grade students can accessed their grades using their regular district log in and password. All students should be able to log in and check their grades routinely. Students were also reminded to check out the eSchoolPLUS app that's available from Google Play and the iTunes Store as well as a free app called Graded.us which can be used to check your grades on your phone.

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class with a video of Hans Rosling talking about how the world is doing better than you think.

*Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule

April 10, 2018

58 minutes*

Internet Moment: Today we looked at three online resources for free ebooks and audio books. We started with the Gutenberg Project (Gutenberg.org) which offers free access to 54,000 ebooks and over 100,000 additional free ebooks from other resources. We then looked at Lit2Go which is a free online collection of audio books in MP3 format that is available from the University of South Florida. Finally we visited Google Books (books.google.com) and discussed how to access and search the text of the free ebooks available there. We also discussed copyright laws and how these books came to be available online or in the public domain. Students were also reminded to search for free ebook reader apps for their phone and tablet devices. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.1.5.B, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.B)

Finish Font Guide Project: All students had time to finish the MS Publisher project that we started last class. Everyone printed and turned in their finished font guide.
Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.2.K, 15.3.8.X)

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a TED presentation by Margaret Stewart about how copyright issues are handled by YouTube.

*Class time was shorter today due to the PSSA testing schedule

April 6, 2018

104 minutes

Internet Moment: Today we looked at two online resources for fonts. DaFont.com offers over 34,000 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)

Publisher Logo Project: We started with an introduction to MS Publisher 2016. 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 2016 by making a simple logo. Next class we will share the finished logos in a gallery walk activity. 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)

Office Yoga Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers. 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.

Font Presentation:  In this presentation the development of the two basic font families (serif & sans serif) as well as the best uses for each was discussed. Students were also shown how they read primarily through identifying sight words and why it's so hard to spell check and grammar check your own work.

Publisher Font Guide Project:  After a presentation about the origins of fonts, the two main categories for fonts (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. Everyone will have time to finish this project next class. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.2.K, 15.3.8.X)

Font Conference Video:  As a follow-up to the Font Presentation we watched a short video from College Humor about a fictitious "Font Conference".

April 4, 2018

44 minutes

Internet Moment: To help our students understand cultural diversity on the internet we investigated what our own accents sound like by taking the NY Times Dialect Quiz. Students then had an opportunity to compare the dialect heat maps from all the students in our class using a shared Google Slide Show. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.3.8.J, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D)

Language Differences Video: As a follow-up to the dialect activity we watched a short video from The Atlantic about the various dialects in the United States.

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: 37.4 WPM. Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School. We also reviewed the graph below:

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: Unfortunately we ran out of time for a video.

April 2, 2018
91 minutes

Internet Moment: To start our class today Mr. McNulty demonstrated how Google and other companies use GPS data from cell phones to track the locations of individuals. In the demonstration Mr. McNulty showed the class a detailed map prepared by Google of exactly where he and his family were in August of 2014. Using location history (now known as timeline) students could see that he was riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant at precisely 1:08 on August 10, 2014. Everyone then had a chance to open their own Google Accounts and check their location history. Students were also shown how to access location history on an iPhone.

MLA Format: All 8th grade students must demonstrate the ability to use the MLA format in MS Word and Google Docs (which is the format used at Council Rock and most colleges). Click here to enlarge the project description. Students were shown how to set-up their Word Documents in the MLA Format. This project involves several skills including: double spacing, changing fonts and sizes, changing indentation settings and accessing the header. As part of this project we practiced uploading a Word doc from our network drive to Google Drive. We also practiced downloading a Google Doc as a Word Doc. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-B.C.I.T. Standards: 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.A)

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. We then visited the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) website and searched for their recommendations concerning computer use. We also discussed employment laws in the workplace. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.2.8.I, 15.4.5.D, 15.4.2.B, 15.4.8.F)

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video about a new typing technology called the tap strap.

March 27, 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. Ria had the highest score in the class with over 12,800 points.

Online Game: Our class played an online logo quiz game and a geography game in class today. We competed with 7th grade students at Holland Middle School's computer class using a Google Hangout to broadcast the game. HMS students dominated the logo quiz and NMS students did very well with the geography game. We were also joined by Mr. Sherman of LivingMaths.com in Cape Town, South Africa for the geography game. After the game he told us a little about South Africa. He also invited us to join in some online interviews that he would be conducting next month. Many teachers at the middle school and high school use online games such as Kahoot, Quizlet and Quizizz for review activities and all of our students should be familiar with how to play them. Students were reminded that these games can also be played on smart phones and they can even be assigned as homework. The concept of gamification in education was also discussed.

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 neck and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around some.

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a TEDx Talk by Paul Andersen, a high school teacher in Montana, about the use of gamification in education.

March 20, 2018

69 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. Students were also asked to explore their own digital footprint by searching for themselves on various news sites. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.6.5.L)

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.

Office 365 Accounts: All students were reminded that they have Office 365 accounts. As part of this process students had to set their time zone. We discussed GMT, UTC and Zulu time as part of this activity. They were also shown how they can access them online from anywhere. They were also shown how to access their One Drive. Students were also reminded that if they logged onto their Office 365 accounts at home they could download several Microsoft Office programs onto their personal computers for free. Students also had some time to explore Office 365.

Basic Email Etiquette: All students logged into their Office 365 accounts and accessed their Outlook email. We discussed the importance of being able to use email for formal communication. Students were also reminded that the emails they send using their school account are not private in any way. We also discussed what CC: means (carbon copy), what should go in the Subject line of an email and how to start writing a formal email. Each student then practiced good email etiquette by sending a formal thank you email to a Council Rock faculty member of their choice. The directions for this project can be viewed here. (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)

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)

* Class time was shorter today due to a scheduled assembly

March 16, 2018
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 were reminded that it's important to also get used to helping each other.

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

Photo Editing Project:Students were shown how to use the online photo editor pixlr.com to edit a photograph. We also discussed professional digital photo editing with Adobe PhotoShop. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.F, 15.4.5.G) Students 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. Click here to enlarge the project description.

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.

Gmail Accounts: Students were shown how to access their CRSD Google Gmail today. Students were reminded that they will have access to their google accounts and school gmail until they graduate from high school. Students were also reminded that they can access their Google email from anywhere in the world where they have internet access. Everyone had time to experiment with sending and receiving emails.

Students were also reminded to not use their school email for anything inappropriate.

Profile Pictures: Students opened up their school Google Accounts and we talked about how their profile picture works and that it is public. They were then shown Cartoonify.de and students had time to make a custom profile picture. We discussed the difference between your professional and personal image and what online "personal branding" was all about. Students were reminded of the importance of learning to manage what they looked like online. Students then shared their images using network drives. Sharing files by using drag & drop and the district Swap Drive was demonstrated. The best use of the H: & X: drives was also explained. Everyone then had an opportunity to set their school profile picture.

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from Europe Language Jobs about the importance of personal branding.

2011-2012

Computer Class

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2017-18 8-A.5