 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
With the school year just beginning, we plan to continue integrating our technology lessons into current classrooms studies, as in years past. The flexibility of technology allows us to mold and shape our activities and projects to make them relevant to what students learn in the classroom. Always, we will focus on obtaining technology competence as related to the National Educational Technology Standards and the Pennsylvania State standards for technology.
K-4
As we wrapped up our school year, students became very involved in several projects regarding the world around them. Kindergarten and 2nd grade used much of their technology lab time looking at images and video of the Gulf Oil Spill, and reading together about its effect on the land and animals in the region. They also used Tuxpaint to draw and write about ideas they had for helping the environment! They shared these ideas through postcards they made in Art, to sell as a fundraiser. First grade focused their efforts on their Museum Night activities, writing all about the fun things they learned about ponds, streams, and other waterways. We built quite a visual web in Kidspiration! Third grade students tackled a fascinating tour of the solar system, designed in PowerPoint. You should have seen their aliens, painted on the computer and pasted into the presentation—very creative! Fourth graders wrapped up their year learning Microsoft Excel, and graphing real-life information about a classroom recycling survey. Students “jazzed-up” their graphs with images and Word Art, which of course is their favorite part.
5-8
Middle school students continued their hard work this semester. Fifth graders took on the huge responsibility of designing our Earth Day brochures and our Museum Nigh Passports. They not only learned a new program (Microsoft Publisher) but also learned the importance of deadlines, working together, and proofreading! We were all very impressed with their final projects. The 6th and 7th grade spent almost 6 weeks studying and researching a computer technology of their choice, to teach to the whole class. They researched, studied, practiced, and became the “professional” on this one new technology or software, and then taught us all how to use it. They even created instruction manuals! From learning how to create a website to learning how to become a virtual DJ, we learned a lot from our classmates this term. Finally, the 8th grade delivered their usual high quality yearbook, and spent the whole semester fine tuning the final copy. It’s always a great challenge, one we look forward to meeting. |
| |
|
| |
|
 |
| |
|
| |
Lower School
Kindergarten students continue gaining knowledge on how specific tools within a software program work, such as the tools for drawing shapes in Tuxpaint. We also continue to work with graphic organizers and online websites that help us increase our word, reading and counting skills. First graders find the Technology Lab a place to learn more about their classroom studies, whether watching interactive videos on the moon phases or drawing their own constellations and solar systems. Second graders are taking a leap into PowerPoint by creating their first presentation on geometric shapes. Soon after, they will create a computer dictionary to share with other students! Third grade has wrapped up a lot of typing work, between a newspaper and some very creative poetry! They are moving on to a very creative alien project, which will have them offering a tour of a planet from their very own self-designed aliens. Fourth graders became the leaders in knowledge of the World Wide Web after trekking through a four-week online activity on all there is to know about the Internet. They are now diving into using Kidspiration to research about Native American housing and write a report—and Kidspiration will help them transfer their notes right to a document! Then they will spend some time learning about spreadsheets.
Upper School
Our middle school students work diligently on their multi-week projects, both individually or in groups. Fifth graders learned the basics of building an Excel graph while munching on some rainbow colored fish crackers—we had to make sure not to eat our data! They are now moving into analyzing “superstorms” through an online simulation, and then creating newspapers and flyers around in-class science topics. Sixth graders spent many weeks researching digital citizenship, and even with some computer trouble, managed to teach heir classmates about online safety, copyright laws, plagiarism and “netiquette”. They now begin an online journey through the Silk Road, where they will create digital posters and a Google Earth flying tour. Seventh grade is diving into their first database, using Microsoft Access to design their own field guide. It’s no easy task, but they can tackle the job. Eighth grade is balancing several movie making projects with great care, including one that has them filming a commercial as part of a fundraiser for the Red Cross Haiti Relief efforts. These middle-schoolers can do it all!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
