Merry Christmas
&
Happy New Year!

              

 

May the Holidays provide much joy, laughter,

and love to you and your families.

 

His Presence is the BEST present!

First Grade Students

The students continue to work in the Microsoft Paint Program. They have learned how to select and draw some of the different shapes in the Paint Program. The students know how to change line thicknesses, find a new piece of paper, save their work, edit colors and use the text tool. They will be creating their first project in Paint in the coming weeks. They will be creating their own nativity scene using some of the tools and shapes they have been working within Paint. The students will continue with the Paint Program through January. They are encouraged to go home and practice what they learned in their computer class.

 

Second Grade

The students have been introduced to the Kid Works Program. They have been working in the writing portion of the program and they know how to access the Edit Menu and use the Copy and Paste buttons. They were also introduced to the Home, End and Arrow Keys on the keyboard. The students will finish with the drawing and sticker portion of the program and be ready to start their Grade School Memories Journal after Christmas vacation.

Third Grade

Third Grade has completed their entire i-Safe lessons. They are eager to learn some of the tools in Microsoft Word 2010. I will discuss the overall view and how menus have been replaced with ribbons. I will show the students where to find the Spelling and Grammar tool which is now under the Review tab on the ribbon. Those who have 2007, I will explain that it is under “Tools” on the Menu Bar or the icon on the Standard Tool Bar. Students will learn how to retrieve a document that I have placed in one drive and be able to do a file save as, name it, and save it to another drive. As a class, we will read an entire document and note all errors. The students will know where to find Spelling and Grammar or Spell Check and how to use it when editing a document. The students will learn that spell check is not 100% accurate and that they have to reread documents to see what spell checked missed.

Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade has completed their entire i-Safe lessons. They are now ready to review the keyboard. They will be working in Ultra Key Typing. They will watch a video on Introduction to Ultra Key, Correct Posture, and Introduction to Fingers. The students will take the typing challenge. This score will indicate their words per minute and accuracy. They will be able to set goals for themselves. All scores will be recorded for grades.

 

Which Game is on Santa's List and is it Safe?

The Christmas lists have started and I know video games are on that list. Before you make your video game purchase please check out the following links on my website on how games are rated and the opinions shared by other concerned parents. Is the game age appropriate? Has it been rated? I hope this helps in the decision making process.

 

i-Safe Bulletin Board outside Computer Lab

Please take a minute and read what is going on in Cyberspace. There are so many things changing on a daily basis. Please talk to your children about Facebook. There are 500 million registered users. There are approximately 7.5 million kids under 13 on Facebook. Facebook isn't supposed to be used by children under 13.

Common Sense Media

A great website to become familiar with is commonsensemedia.org

“Their mission is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.” Please take a minute to look at their site.

Why Do We Need A Technology Lab?

 

1. A technology teacher provides a structured curriculum with complete and specific instructions in computer skills that are taught in a lab environment. This enables the students to become more confident in their technology skills and it improves technology use in the classroom. It validates the importance of the subject being taught.

2. In a lab, students have the opportunity for hands on experience to learn about new applications and review past lessons. This is a great advantage to students so they can become more confident in their technology skills.

3. Technology labs free classroom teachers so they can focus on their goals and not loose valuable instruction time teaching computer skills.

4. Structure, consistency, and repetition build skills each year whether it is a new application, documents, presentations, or understanding and increasing their time and accuracy in mastering keyboarding.

5. The importance of the technology lab offers student support, skills, and the knowledge they need to use these skills beyond the classroom.

Have a great week!