MAY

First Grade

The students will be 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 complete.

They will also be taking their last Star Reading Test and Math for the year.

Second Grade

The students have been working for several months on their Second Grade Memories Journal in the Kid Works Program. They will go through their journals and check for any mistakes and when completed they will be printed. The sentences are created by the students. They have to type about three events that happened each month at school and a drawing to go along with the sentences using both drawing and sticker book tools. They will also be taking their last Star Reading Test and Math for the year. 

Microsoft Word

The students will conclude the school year with an introduction to Microsoft Word.  They will be able to type a sentence and change font, size, bold, align left and center. They will be introduced to clipart and will be able to insert a picture, resize and work with the text wrap tool. They will also end the year by going back and practicing their typing skills in StickyBear Typing. I have a free typing program on my blog that they have access to and can practice their typing over the summer.

Third Grade

The students will continue to work on their first power point project. When the project is complete they will present it to their classmates.  “All About Me” is the subject.  They have learned to set up slides, animations, and transitions.

The students will also learn how to logon to Google using a new user name and password that will prepare them for use in the Google Suite in fourth grade. They will be setting up a Google account and be able to log into Google Drive. They will learn how to download their power point file from Microsoft to their Google slides. They will discover that not everything will be carried over in the same format and they will be able to fix any problems that occur when opening it up in slides.  

They will spend the last several weeks of class practicing their typing skills in the Sticky Bear Typing Program. It would be advantageous if students could practice their typing skills over the summer. There are many free programs available online. I have one posted on my blog.  They will be using the Ultra Key Typing Program in fourth grade. 

They will be taking their last Star Reading and Math Test for the year.

Fourth Grade

The students are still working on developing their keyboarding skills with continued practice in Ultra Key Typing. Ultra Key builds good typing skills, speed and accuracy through structured lessons. I also have a free typing program listed on my blog that students can use at home for extra practice. 

The students will be working in Microsoft Word reviewing the ribbons, inserting images, and spell checking documents.  They will take those documents and download them into Google Docs and apply some of the same processing skills using the Google Docs toolbar.  They were introduced to Google sheets. They are creating a spreadsheet for a candy store. They will set up the spreadsheet with data provided and calculate what is being sold and the profits made.  They will take that data and create several charts to analyze it.

Fifth Grade

The students are researching their state and with that information they will create a state brochure. They have learned how to set up columns, column breaks, page breaks, and text boxes. The students have worked with the ruler, tabs, bullets, and symbols. All these tools will be incorporated into their brochure.

They will end the year with the introduction to Google sheets and draw. They will learn why the program is helpful in so many ways from organizing information, calculating math problems to creating charts and graphs. They will be introduced to a spreadsheet and new vocabulary.  The students will learn how to enter data into a spreadsheet, format data, and use basic functions to calculate basic math problems, identify cell references correctly and write basic math formulas. By learning how to use the various tools in sheets, these skills will enable the students to be able to use the computer more efficiently in doing their assignments and various projects throughout their classroom curriculum.

SUMMER TYPING

The students have just completed many of the UltraKey lessons in this typing program and will continue working with this program to improve their typing skills until the end of the school year. They are encouraged to spend some time at home practicing their typing skills so in preparation of their daily use next year with the Chromebooks. I have placed a link on my blog to the typing club which is a free on-line program.

Catholic GEM (Going the Extra Mile)

May’s Christian quality: Determination

 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

This month's Christian quality is DETERMINATION, which means never giving up, no matter what!  DETERMINATION is like climbing a mountain. You first decide what you want to achieve, then you keep moving forward one foot at a time until you reach the top. Mountain climbing takes a lot of effort, and it can be a temptation to quit. But if you have DETERMINATION you keep working and moving forward until you reach your goal – always doing your best!

Please talk with your children about what it means have determination.

You can show determination by

      Overcoming obstacles in order to reach your goals

      Do not quit a game, a sport, an activity, etc. when it gets hard! Stick with it.

      Puzzles can be frustrating…help a sibling do a difficult puzzle, or work on a puzzle you find challenging

      Remember that FAIL only is an acronym for First Attempt In Learning!

      Refrain from complaining, and look at the positive side while trying for find solutions to your problems

      Remember to PRAY for strength and keep going!

Scripture Study

The Beatitudes are a perfect study topic for the Christian quality of DETERMINATION!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

~ Matthew 5:3-10

 Common Sense Media Bulletin Board outside the 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. This also applies to students under 13 who are not of age to make u-Tube videos.
 

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.