Recent Happenings in Technology Lab Grades 4-6

The K-3 post was getting a little wordy, so I thought I would split the upper grades into a new post.

• 4th Grade:  As you know, we have been exploring the world of blogging for the last few months.  I can honestly say, I never expected it to take off like it did, although I was hoping that the students would enjoy it.  In fact, I had to turn off viewing rights for posts and comments temporarily, until I have a chance to catch up with reading and approving posts!  I am thrilled that students are practicing their typing skills in a context that is meaningful.  These students are also realizing the importance of writing for an audience. 
  
  So, the blogs will be utilized throughout the year.  However, we are going to move on starting Thursday to a few new technology concepts.
  
  The students are studying about European Explorers in Social Studies.  Therefore, we are going to implement technology into these lessons to approximate the distance between where the explorers set sail and where they made landfall, utilizing Google Maps.
  
  The week after the Thanksgiving break, we are going to place these numbers into Excel and create a graph.  I know this will be the first time many students utilize Excel, so I will make this as painless as possible with a ready-made document on each computer.  We will then create a graph that shows the differences between the distances covered by each explorer.  FINGERS CROSSED:  This is a lot to take on as fourth graders, but they are very smart and I know they can rise to the task.
  
• FIFTH GRADE:  I am in the process of getting 5th graders signed up for Edmodo, an online learning platform completely secure for elementary, middle, and high schools.  Once this process is complete, there will be no wondering what we are covering each day, as students will log on to Edmodo and a lesson will be there, or a directive of what to do next. 
  We have explored blogging as well in 5th grade, and last week we experienced a web tool called Wordle.  I am attempting to get Prezi accounts for all students, so that we can explore this presentation software.  In the meantime, we will implement Social Studies standards into a Google Maps/Excel assignment as in 4th grade. 
  
• SIXTH GRADE:  My small but powerful group of 6th graders that are in my class daily have been blazing trails with Edmodo, navigating online learning terrifically.  Yesterday they began planning their "All About Me" Power Point presentations utilizing Google Docs and Google Images.

What have we been up to in technology?? K-3

Hello, friends!  Sorry that my posts have been far and few between.
Here is an update on what the students have been learning in technology lab.

• KINDERGARTEN:  Every week I locate a few new educational activities/games for our youngest KCSMA knights to explore.  Almost all of the students have learned how to double-click to open the Kindergarten folder on the desktop, and then double-click the game that they want to play.  Through this, not only are they learning technology skills but also reading, to read the titles of the games in the folder, which are always simplified to be easy to read and remember. If a student chooses to want to paint or type instead, that is always a choice.  My objective is to keep them engaged for the full 45 minutes, and they are always happy when that is happening!  **Starting Thursday, we will explore Microsoft Paint in preparation for this 9 weeks' technology standard:  Use drawing tools to create an original illustration or picture story.
  
• FIRST GRADE:  My objectives for First Grade at this time are very similar to those of Kindergarten, as we have to work less on classroom procedures with first graders.  Also, the games are more difficult and challenging and incorporate more math and reading skills.  First graders are more prone to being able to assist their peers with troubleshooting.  We have also been able to practice shutting down the computer correctly at the end of each technology session.  **Starting Thursday, we will be exploring Microsoft Paint's features, in order to create a picture that tells a story.  We will extend this later in the year to create a concept map on Paint.
  
• SECOND GRADE:  Second graders have really been enjoying the various games that I have located for them to practice math, reading, and technology skills.  I have to say the most popular has been Fun Brain Math.  What I really like about this site is not only all of the math games but the reading as well.  So many students choose to sit and ready chapters of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" during some of their technology time.  They have also enjoyed the Mad Libs section of this site.   ***Starting Thursday, we will be creating a brainstorming map about Fall on bubbl.us.  Students will be encouraged to attempt to create a brainstorming map on their own.  (This is the 2nd grade technology standard for this 9 weeks)
  
• THIRD GRADE:  A few weeks ago, we started a bit of Internet research, just to get our feet wet.  We will continue with this in different subjects at intervals throughout the year.  I have also realized that breaking a technology lesson into chunks is the way to go.  The key is to keep it fun and rewarding, to keep them interested for lifelong learning.  **Starting Thursday, Third grade will be learning/practicing how to search for an image and then saving it to a folder on the hard drive.  We will then insert this image into a document and write about it.  (2nd 9 weeks' technology standard in Third grade:  "Uses appropriate keywords and search strategies to locate information (text and pictures) online")
  

Handprint Calendars

handprint calendars

Do you fellow teachers need an idea to create for gifts?  These handprint calendars are awesome!!!

TERRIFIC TEACHER TUESDAY Thank You's!

A great big THANK YOU goes out to two students who were given my name for Terrific Teacher Tuesdays!
Mason & Family from Miss Ward's Kindergarten class presented me with a bag of dark chocolate Raisinets and a gift card to Target.  Dark chocolate Raisinets are one of my favorite types of candy!  And well, who doesn't love Target?!?

Michal from 5th grade gave me a bag of dark chocolate Raisinets (YEA!  More!!)  and a Runner's World magazine.  Awesomeness!

You guys make me smile big big... thanks for making my day special!

2nd 9 weeks upon us

And so begins the 2nd 9 weeks of school.. already?!?  Wow, that flew by!
This round of specials will extend all the way until October 30th, due to early release for conferences next Mon., Tues., Wed. 

Let's flip it and start with 6th grade:

6th:  My 1st 9 weeks connections class moved on to different and new things.  Congrats to 3 of my students for making over a 100% on their 9 weeks final grade in technology!  They have received a voucher good for one chicken biscuit and drink next Friday for Chick Fil A biscuit day.
I have been given a great group of students with which to trudge through the ever expanding world of technology this 9 weeks.  We have started with blogging on Kidblog.  We are also hoping to explore Edmodo this 9 weeks.  Permission forms went home yesterday.

5th:  We are continuing with blog posts, changing avatars, posting pictures in our blog, etc.  This will continue through until Oct. 29th, when we will move on photo editing with Picasa.  6th graders will also learn to use Picasa at this time.

4th:  We are continuing, again, with blogs, with changing our avatars, adding photos to post, and the importance of Netiquette.  We will also move on to explain the important of utilizing correct spelling and grammar in blog posts.

3rd:  Third grade is doing a tiny bit of Internet Research this round and next round of specials, just to get our feet wet in going to a search engine and finding a reliable web site.  The topic is U.S. Government and reflects what they have been learning in class.  We work for half of the period, and then explore educational activities for the second half.

2nd:  Second grade has been practicing their math skills in the wonderful world of FunBrain Math.  So much more fun than flashcards and worksheets!  I wish this had been around when I was their age!

1st:  First grade gets to explore their science specials time and concept mapping, and then move on to Michael Michael Go Recycle.  It is amazing how this game has spanned the grade levels!

K:  Kindergarten starts out with a game testing their number sequence knowledge as well as mouse abilities on one of my favorite websites:  funschool.kaboose.com.  This game is called "Stacker" and is one of a handful of awesome games for the younger students.


ON ANOTHER NOTE:
We are in the process of receiving awesome, brand new headphones for the lab, courtesy of donors through donorschoose.org!!!  I am so so excited that the headphones will be reliable and I hope much better than these that I purchased at the beginning of the year as a temporary measure.  The headphones I have that are still in good condition will go to various teachers throughout the school who need headphones for their classrooms.

That's all I have for now!  Thanks for reading and as always, for supporting Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy!!!

Volunteers! Important! Morning Car Pool!

Please read the note below from Principal Frey concerning morning car pool:

Could you please put the word out that we need another volunteer at the first left turn entrance.  Our volunteer was not out there this morning (it’s the first time he’s missed). Parents were pulling into both lanes, holding up traffic, then  merging into cars who’ve been following carpool procedures.

Things have been running very smoothly until this morning.  So I guess it really will take a person standing there to ensure that people do the right thing.

What a shame.

Will you put the word out on “volunteer opportunities” for an adult or two to help with this each morning, to make sure parents who insist on parking in the this area to walk their child in, know they are there to stay until carpool is over.  No one exits that area until carpool ends.  It is dangerous it’s not fair to other parents, and I cannot believe we are still struggling with this rule.

Thank you

Mrs. Frey

Tux Paint Spotlight

This was created by Pearson in Kindergarten.  He used Tux Paint to create this picture.  He was using the mirror image effect under Magic.  He showed me how he created his skeleton, and then he used inventive spelling to type skeleton and then typed his name at the top.
Very impressive and I had to share!