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Here's my version of everything I need to know I learned in the computer lab....
1. Copying and pasting content from the Internet is never a really good idea.
2. Somehow, teachers always know when students plagiarize.
3. Cite your source!  Even when the source is in the Public Domain.
4. Everything is copyrighted. Yes Everything.
5. The Chart Wizard in MS Excel is everyone's' friend.
6. Protect your ID - never use your full name as a username in an online profile.
7. Upload = from the computer UP to a webserver.
8. Download = from the webserver DOWN to the computer.
9. Insert = from the computer to an application.
10. Import = from an external device to a computer.
11. Back up your files - a crash is inevitable.
12. Hard drive, flash drive, network drive... what's the difference?
13. A video must be finalized in production before playing in any video player.
14. A good storyboard and a rockin' script make for an improved video that others will actually watch.
15. Specific keywords will provide much better Internet Search results.
16. Boolean Operators use mathematical logic to provide better search results - add the words "and" & "or" to limit your results.
17. www.sweetsearch.com will always give the searcher expert resources.
18. PowerPoint shows should be consistent in font, backgrounds, colors, frames, etc.
19. PowerPoint text/content should be brief - that's the whole point....get it? Power Point?
20. In building a website - always know which pages you plan to include. Have a plan, have a purpose.


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It's Midterm! 04/19/2012
 
Middle school students have researched a topic on Internet Safety and have directed and produced their own Public Service Announcements.  See our Channel on School Tube for their work.

Lower School students are also spending time learning about Internet Safety. Students have watched videos, created posters, slide shows, or videos to convey their learning in a multi media format.
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Spring Things... 04/02/2012
 
Middle School students are diving into a unit on Netiquette. After researching expert websites, they will create advertisements for the digital hallway display focused on life in a digital society.

Fifth grade students are gearing up to publish PSAs on Internet Safety.  They have written a script and will next locate photos to help support their message.

Fourth Grade students are creating short video documentaries on a topic specific to the state of Georgia.

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Middle School students are finishing up a unit where MS Excel met the Iditarod.  Students have been following a musher and have used Excel to keep track of weather and musher progress.

Lower School students have been busy as well.
2nd graders are now expert graphic organizers of information. They can read from a web source, and then organize the information using Kidspiration - an organizing software for young students.

3rd Graders have learned the basics of graphic design by creating some artwork with auto shapes. Students learned the gradient fill, pattern fill, layering, ordering, and grouping of shapes to create a

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Middle School students are designing websites focused on a career that either interests them or which their aptitude test results suggested.  Students are researching information such as required education, training, typical day, job prospects, etc.

Lower School students in grades 4 and 5 have completed research projects on either a famous Georgian or a famous place in Georgia. Some of the famous Georgians are featured on the tab to the left (it was a fun way to wrap up after several weeks of research). Third graders are learning about graphic art, where they are layering, ordering, grouping, and filling shapes with a gradient in order to create a design. Second graders have been reading about Emperor Penguins in reading class while in the computer lab they created graphic organizers of many Emperor Penguin facts.
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There's a new crop of students in Computer Skills 7/8 at Middle School - January will be a month where learning will be focused on the Computer Guts, Internet Basics, and Copyright Law.

Lower School students are involved in completing the Scholastic Reading Inventory, researching for Georgia Day, and of course, producing the Raider Report.
 Every day, the Lower School lab is full of students from PreK- 5th grade either participating in projects, practicing Keyboarding, conducting research for special reports, and much more!

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Students have researched the 7 Wonders of the World using websites they have evaluated for author expertise as well as a BOOK - Yes, even 21st Century students still use books for research!

Now, students are creating their own websites to showcase the 7 Wonders of the World.  Did you know there are several Wonders of the World lists?  There are medieval, ancient, underwater, natural, modern, and industrial wonders of our world.  The 7th and 8th graders are learning about all of them.

I'm looking forward to their final projects.  Next week we are creating a video documentary on one of the wonders on each student's list.

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First Grade:
Students have used a program called Kidspiration to focus on an activity called "Who's Who at SCPS?"  Students discuss the various people who work outside of the classrooms.  Their names and roles are important to the success of our school day.

Second Grade:
Students have used Graph Club to help them enter classroom data and create professional graphs using their own data. Skills likedata comparison, data summary, title creation are used. Additionally, students learn to edit the graphics and colors to enhance the overall theme of their graphs.

Third Grade:
After creating their new animal in SwitcherooZoo, students completed a writing assignment that describes their animal's habitat, physical features, and nutritional needs.  Students published their written work in MS. Word and learned basic skills associated with publishing a paragraph.  Centering the title, using TAB to indent, changing the font size and style are a few of the skills learned.

Fourth and Fifth Grades:
Students have used Glogster.com - an online digital poster creator to design book reports for the 21st Century. No glue, no tape, no scissors necessary! 

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Grades 1-5 09/12/2011
 
Grade 5 is beginning to use an online tool called Glogster. Glogster is an online poster tool which allows students to create digital posters complete with audio, video, and animation.  Glogster helps students create lively multimedia reports perfect for a digital world.

Grade 4 is learning more about MS Excel and the ability to graph data from a spreadsheet.  Students have already created their first graph and next will design their own survey to chart some interesting student polls.

Grade 3 has recently designed a completely new animal using an online tool Switcherazoo.  Students designed their animal and then laid claim to its discovery by describing its predator/prey relationship, its habitat, its size and some interesting facts.

Grade 2 recently read Days with Frog and Toad.   Their visit to the computer lab gave them opportunity to think about the story and use PowerPoint to describe the beginning, middle, and end of the story.  Students learned about text boxes, word wrap, and different cursors available in PowerPoint.

Grade 1 has enjoyed some online games to review skills taught in class. Phonemes, math, reading, and science games have been a fun way to start the year.
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Students have begun designing an online portfolio using Weebly.  From this point on, all projects will be uploaded to the online portfolio.  Students are including pages that are filled with Tech Terms, Projects, a Learning Blog, and more. This week students are focusing on MS Excel. They will format spreadsheets and charts as well as create online forms to help populate survey results with real information that's important to today's student.
This is a sample of an online form students will learn to create...

    SCPS Lunch Survey

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