December 6, 2019 - LAST CLASS 104 minutes
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.Â
December 4, 201944 minutes
Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from BlueHost about how websites work.
December 2, 20190 minutes*
*Class was cancelled today due to a weather related school closing
November 21, 201994 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 as well as Mr. McNulty's 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)
Finish Full Page Ad Project: All students had time to finish the advertising project that we started last class. Finished projects were turned in using a shared Google Slideshow. Students also printed out a final draft in class.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G, 15.9.8.A)
Break:Â Â 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.
Hour of Code:  Today our class participated in the Hour of Code. We started by viewing the source code for this webpage.  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.  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. Â
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. A ll 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. After the activity everyone had a chance to get up, move around and check out each other's Scratch creations.
November 19, 2019
0 minutes*
*No class today due to an assembly program
November 15, 2019
104 minutes
Online Collaboration Example:  We had a brief video chat with Mr. Marx, who is a Science teacher at the Stadtische Realschule Sundern in Sundern, Westfalia, Germany. He told us about the Flash Mob competition that was held at a high school in Shymkent, Kazakhstan earlier today. It is organized by an English teacher there, Begaim Adilkhanova, and judged by students and teachers all around the world. The Flash Mob Competition is in honor of the International Day of Tolerance and student dance teams combine local, ethnic and popular music into unique dance routines. Video of the event goes out live via YouTube and teachers and students from around the world participate as judges using a shared Google Sheet. We watched some video of the dancers and some pictures from the event are posted below.
 Scores from the judges were tallied as a bar graph.Â
Video:Â We finished this activity with a short video about the importance of "Soft Skills".
Break:Â Â 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.
Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a Channel 4 News interview of Hans Rosling in the U.K. He is the creator of GapMinder.org and in the interview he discusses how the world is actually much better off than you think.
November 13, 201944 minutes
Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from Pond5 about how public domain works. In the video the three ways content enters the public domain is explained (through government, through dedication and time).
November 11, 201991 minutes
Break:Â Â 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.
Veterans Day Slideshow Example: In homeroom today students watched a video that featured pictures of veterans who are on our staff of who are related to our students and teachers. As a class we reviewed how the video was made as a PowerPoint, saved as JPG images and then finished in a video editing program. Â
Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a TED presentation by Margaret Stewart about how copyright issues are handled by YouTube. Â
November 7, 2019104 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 attempted to sign-up and set-up accounts at Khan Academy using our school google accounts.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K) (ISTE Standards: 1d, 3b, 3c)Â
Break:Â Â 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.
November 4, 201944 minutes
Basic Computer Knowledge Presentation: Google Gadget - "Include gadget (iframe)"
January 2, 201991 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 60,000 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)
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: Students made a Font Guide in MS Publisher. When finished the student version should look just like the original. We also discussed the concept of WYSIWYG in graphic design. This project gave students another opportunity to get familiar with the program's features.  They also had to demonstrate the ability to make something very specific. 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)
Break:Â Â 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.
Video Conference Practice: Our students practiced formal conferencing techniques today by using Skype to chat with Ms. Anna Dyagileva's English language students in Labytnangi, Russia. Her students were celebrating Halloween by dressing up in costumes and some of our students had also dressed up for the holiday. We were surprised to hear how cold it was there (-10° Celsius) and that it was 7:30 pm there. They told us that they live near the arctic circle and usually have snow for at least 9 months of the year. Some of our students spoke Russian with them and they sang the Russian national anthem for us. They also told us that Korean Pop was their favorite kind of music and everyone also talked about their favorite sports.  Before the interview we prepared our questions in advance as a class. After the interview we reviewed what went well and what we could improve next time. (PA-BCIT: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B)  (ISTE Standards: 2b, 2c)
Font Conference Video:Â Â As a follow-up to the Font Presentation we watched a short video from College Humor about a fictitious "Font Conference".
October 29, 2019104 minutesInternet Moment: Today we looked at two online resources for fonts. DaFont.com offers over 43,000 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)Finish Formal Emails: Students had time to finish the formal email project that we had started last class. As a class we reviewed all the completed emails and talked about way to improve them.  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) Online Game: Our class played an online logo quiz game today. 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 use 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.  In our game Cailey came in third place, Ryan came in second and first place went to Maggie.Â
Break:Â Â 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.
Logo Design Video:    We finished this activity with a short video from Vox about the basics of logo design. Kahoot Game: We played a Kahoot game with Mr. Karnoscak who is a 5th grade class at Wescott Elementary School in Northbrook, Illinois. The topic for today's game was something his students were currently studying, the Jamestown Colony. Though our students took an early lead the 5th graders eventually scored higher than all of our students. Mr. Karnoscak's students took the top three places: Jesse came in third, Scott came in second and Jacob came in first place. Below are some pictures from the game today.
Technology Current Event Video:Â We finished class today by watching the very first part of a video from ColdFusion TV about various robots that are being worked on for D.A.R.P.A.
October 24, 201991 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.
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:  36.5 WPM.  We also reviewed the typing speed graph below and discussed what a bell curve is.
 Online Typing Activities: As a follow up to the typing test students were given some time to find at least 3 online typing activities (tutorials or games) that they enjoyed. They were shown how to add these typing activities to their favorites or bookmarks list so they can go back and practice their typing skills in class when they finished their projects.  We also talked about how to find and use the home row on the keyboard.(CRETS: 1a, 1c, 1d, 2e)
Break:Â Â 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.
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. Students were also shown a collection of generic profile pictures that they could use. We discussed the difference between your professional and personal persona and what online " personal branding" was all about. Students were reminded of the importance of learning of manage what they looked like online. Students then shared their images using network drives. Basic Email Etiquette:  All students logged into their Google accounts and accessed their school 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)
Technology Current Event Video:We finished class today with a short video about email etiquette tips for college students from Dr. Tracy Brown at California State University in San Marcos. (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, 15.3.8.M, 15.4.8.F)
October 23, 201994 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) 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 workstations. 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)Exploring Office 365: All students logged into their Microsoft Office 365 accounts and had some time to explore it. We discussed the use of One Drive to store files online and the similarities and differences between Office 365 and Google Drive. Students were also shown how to download the Microsoft Office programs on a device at home for free.  This activity also gave us an opportunity to find out who was having problems with their Office 365 accounts.
Technology Current Event Video:Â We finished class today with a short video about some of the newest drones at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
October 21, 2019
104 minutes
Introduction to Basic Computer Skills Class:Â 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.
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. 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
- Use numbers, letters and symbolsÂ
Google Gadget - "Include gadget (iframe)"
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.
Google Drive: Students were shown how to access their Google Drive today. We created folders for all their classes and students were reminded that they will have access to their google drive until they graduate from high school. Students were also reminded that they can access their Google Drive from anywhere in the world where they have internet access.  Everyone had time to make some folders and organize their Google Drive.Â
Technology Current Event Video:Â 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:Â THE FISCHBOWLÂ for more information. Â This remix of the original presentation was done by Katy Scott in July 2018. Â (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.A)
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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 Slideshow. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.3.8.J, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D)
