September+Computer+Lab+Updates

It's been a very busy start to the school year in the Computer Lab! Jr. high is coming to computer class two days per week this year. We started off the year discussing class rules, the Internet Acceptable Use Policy and our safety drills, with all classes. We are very fortunate to have 30 iPads this year and all students have been trained on the care and use.

Kindergarten - We discussed the parts of the computer, the proper way to hold the mouse and opening and closing Safari. The students learned how to navigate the computer lab section of the MHR website and explored the ABC section of the Starfall.org website to strengthen mouse control and letter recognition. We are currently learning to use the tools in our drawing program, Kid Pix. Kid Pix is always a favorite!

1st Grade - We reviewed and practiced Kid Pix skills and explored various websites to practice mouse control. I like to start off the year with a Internet safety lesson. We discussed what it means to be a good digital citizen and password safety. We viewed the "My Online Neighborhood" video and Disney's Safe Surfing. The students explored assorted rhyming websites to correspond to their Language Arts lesson.

2nd Grade - We started off the year with a discussion of digital rights and responsibilities and viewed the "Faux Paw the Techno Ca"t video. We discussed the importance of passwords and watched the Password Rap video and practiced creating strong passwords using the Password Bird website. The students used their Kid Pix skills to draw and print a picture of the apple orchard from their field trip. We viewed a Brain Pop Jr. video on Mexico for Hispanic Heritage Month.

3rd Grade - We started off the year with a review of Word skills - font, font size, color, bold, italics and underline. We viewed a Brain Pop Jr. video on cause and effect to correspond to their Language Arts lesson and practiced place value websites to correspond to their Math lesson. The students viewed a Brain Pop video on Picasso for Hispanic Heritage Month and practiced Picasso style drawing with the Mr. Picasso Head website. They are very creative!!

4th Grade - We started off the year with a review of Word skills - font, font size, color, bold, italics and underline. The students viewed a Brain Pop video on types of sentences to correspond to their Language Arts lesson and practiced multiplications facts with the Fun for Brains website. We discussed input, output, storage and processing and explored various websites that focus on parts of the computer. We viewed a Brain Pop video on Latin Music for Hispanic Heritage Month.

5th Grade - We began the year with a Word review. The students followed directions to complete a "My Favorites" activity which stressed font, font size and font color. We then created posters using Word skills - Word Art, text boxes, inserting clip art and inserting boarders. The students explored interactive map websites and a Jamestown website to correspond to their Social Studies lesson. We viewed a Brain Pop video on Pele for Hispanic Heritage Month.

6th, 7th and 8th Grade started off the year by creating a poster using Word skills - Word Art, text boxes, inserting and manipulating clip art and inserting boarders. Since the jr. high is coming twice a week, we have some extra class time to focus on improving our keyboarding skills with Mavis Beacon Typing. It also left time to work in conjunction with their Language Arts and Social Studies classes to research and type their 911 reports, saint papers and Bill of Rights project.

6th Grade - We discussed and had a quiz on the September Buzz Words. There will be a monthly quiz on computer vocabulary. We discussed digital security and viewed assorted videos on digital reputation, posting online, digital privacy and taking precautions online. The students practiced interactive websites on ratios, percentages and decimals to correspond to their Math lesson. We viewed a Brain Pop video on Frida Kahlo for Hispanic Heritage Month and did some coding practice using the Blockly: Maze website.

7th Grade - We reviewed how to create an iPhoto slide show and the students began research for a solar system iPhoto project to correspond to their Science lesson.

8th Grade - We viewed a Brain Pop video on the Branches of Government and explored assorted activities on Branches of Power to correspond to their Social Studies lesson. We will view "The Week in Rap" each week to help keep up on current events. The 8th graders created Vokis (talking avatars) on Internet safety and learned about text to speech.