Fall Session Week 4

B1-2 Technology:
Our keyboarding this week was a little different-we tried Spider Typer, a challenging game, and then spent a few minutes creating some spider webs with Cobweb Creator. We brainstormed some ideas about why the internet is called "the web" and the places we go are called "websites." Using yarn, we connected with each other and made a web. We discussed how the internet is a community and you need to follow some safety rules just like in the "real" world. Students had fun learning about the webville outlaws in Clicky's World and playing Webville Roundup to put those bad guys in jail!

3-4 Technology:
After Dancemat typing, we talked about blogs in more detail. We watched a Brainpop jr. video to learn about the parts of a blog and how blogs can be used. Students were excited to learn that next week they would be getting their own blogs on kidblog.org   We looked at some examples of other kidblogs and commented on some posts as a class. When reading other blogs we are going to observe, respect, and contribute-the motto of the Webonaut Academy! Students enjoyed completing the webonaut missions while  practicing internet skills and safety.

Fall Session Week 3

B1-2 Technology:
After our keyboarding practice, we had fun carving virtual pumpkins!

Next, we opened our folders and found the powerpoint 5 Little Pumpkins. Students learned how to play a powerpoint, and then how to add slide transitions and clip art motion clips. They were so excited watching their finished "shows"-make sure you check them out on portfolio night.

3-4 Technology:
Students are now moving through the levels of Dance Mat typing at their own pace. After keyboarding, we discussed some rules to stay safe on Halloween and then played the Halloween Safety Game. The real fun came when students used Kerpoof to make a Halloween picture with at least three safety tips.

These pictures will be saved in student folders so parents can view them on Portfolio night. Also check out some safety tip vokis that some students made for my computer challenge.

The Class Pet Vote

The votes are in! Meet Google B. Squeakers-the B is for Brownie.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44148352@N00/318893627

Computer Challenge #2-Halloween Safety

Get a Voki now!

Fall Session Week 2

B1-2 Technology:
Our younger students are really doing great with Keyboard Climber, and the olders have started using "home row fingers" with Dance Mat Typing. After keyboarding, we looked at our city of Maryville and our school on Google Maps and each student got to look at their own house and neighborhood with street view-Very exciting! Also a good way to find out who knows their address!

We worked in groups of 4 students. After everyone got to see their house, students enjoyed playing the Trick-or -Treat game (practicing sequencing) and I Spy City (observation skills.)

3-4 Technology:

Students are now working at their own pace to move through the levels of Dance Mat typing. After keyboarding, we worked on a powerpoint of the poem 5 Little Pumpkins, by Cynthia Rylant. We first reviewed how to add slide transitions to each slide. Next, students learned a new skill-custom animation! It was fun making those pumpkins roll out of sight! Some students had enough time to format backgrounds and add extra clip art as well. They did an awesome job-be sure to check them out on portfolio night.

B1-2 Fall Break Slideshows

As promised, here are our Fall Break pictures we made with Paint and assembled into a Smilebox design. Enjoy!

Free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

A free digital slideshow by Smilebox

Picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

This digital slideshow made with Smilebox

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Fall Session Week 1

Hagemann, Judy. falltrees.jpg. November 2007. Pics4Learning. 16 Oct 2010

B1-2 Technology:
Back at school after 3 weeks of Fall Break! For this new session, youngers get to do Keyboard Climber. They had been begging the last few weeks of Summer session to do what the olders had been doing, and now they found it wasn't so easy-that monkey falls if you don't type the letters quickly enough. We talked about frustration and perseverance and the fact that we are just practicing, not trying to be perfect. My olders met in the "clubhouse" for a discussion of Home Row Fingers. They will be starting Dance Mat Typing next week. After keyboarding, everyone went to the computers and used Paint to draw a picture of something that happened over Fall Break. We also used a new tool-the text tool-to write about our break in our pictures. I put the pictures together into a Smilebox presentation which I will post here next week.

3-4 Technology:
Class started with Dance Mat typing and our new computer challenge-comment on the class pet post and suggest a name. Students have a week to comment before we vote. After that, we read a poem by Jack Prelutsky about a mythical creature called a Wumpaloon. Students had to use the details in the poem and add their own to draw a Wumpaloon. Besides practicing moving between documents, mouse control, editing colors, and following written directions in order, this was a great activity to learn some new color words like crimson, teal, lilac, and indigo. After saving their picture, students inserted it into the poem and formatted the words. Here is my Wumpaloon.

The Wumpaloons by Jack Prelutsky

The Wumpaloons, which never were,

had silver scales and purple fur,

their wings were alabaster white,

their manes as black as anthracite,

their legs were pink and indigo,

with toes of bright pistachio,

their noses were a bottle green,

their antlers tan and tangerine.

The Wumpaloons had crimson lips,

their tails were teal, with flaxen tips,

their lilac eyes were flecked with dots,

as gold as summer apricots,

their necks were lemon, striped with blue

their ears were of a ruby hue.

How nice to think they might occur,

the Wumpaloons, which never were.