JUNE



First Grade

The students were introduced to the KidWorks Deluxe Program.  This program is used in second grade computer class.  It is a great program for building creative writing and reading skills. The students will be writing a journal of their Second Grade Memories. Each month will consist of three good sentences about what took place at school during that particular month. They will be creating their own sentences. The program has kid-friendly design tools, which students will be able to illustrate their stories with free-hand drawings and more. Students can hear their stories read aloud by the computer. The journal will be printed when completed. The students will be typing all year. Please encourage them to practice their keyboarding skills over the summer. http://www.kidztype.com/

Second Grade

The students have been working for several months on their Second Grade Memories Journal in the Kid Works Program. They have just finished rereading them and they

will be printed and sent home. The journal consists of three typed sentences and a drawing to go along with the sentences. The sentences are created by the students. They have to type about three events that occurred each month at school and a drawing to go along with the sentences using both drawing and sticker book tools.

The students are concluding the school year with the Stickybear Typing program and a short introduction to Microsoft Word. The Stickybear Typing program allows users to sharpen typing skills and achieve keyboard mastery. They are encouraged to practice their typing over the summer. There are many free online typing programs available and I have a few on my blog. 

Third Grade

The students will be working in the Google Suite in fourth grade and they need to be practicing their typing over the summer. They have established a password and have learned to log into the Google Suite. They can practice logging into Google and go into Goggle Docs or Slides to further their knowledge of the apps.  They will be working with both Goggle and Microsoft Word in fourth grade. They will also be introduced to a new typing program called UltraKey.

Fifth Grade

The students have finished researching their state and they have completed their state brochure. They will use the last two weeks of school challenging themselves in the UltraKey typing program. This ends their computer class lessons. As sixth graders, they will continue working in the Goggle Suite on their Chromebooks. It is very important for them to keep up their typing skills over the summer. There are many free typing programs online and I have a few on my blog.

SUMMER TYPING

The students have just completed many of the Stickybear and UltraKey typing lessons in Computer class. They are encouraged to spend some time at home practicing their typing skills over the summer. I have placed a link on my blog to the typing club which is a free on-line program and there are many others to choose from.

Common Sense Media
A great website - 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.

HAPPY SUMMER!