Thanks to technology at Knapp Forest, our students learn skills that allow them to more efficiently use computers in our world.
This month Kindergarten students began by using our Big Thinkers Kindergarten program to practice additional skills in identifying patterns, working in 3 levels depending on skill. Students worked on additional math skills using stamps in our Kid Pix program. They stamped a number, drew a dice with the correct number of dots, then added the correct number of picture stamps. This month students also drew a turkey in our Kid Pix program.
1st grade students have begun using a program, Big Thinkers First Grade to do a type of puzzle using a grid to help them place shapes to form a picture. This provides additional work with spacial relationships which can be quite challenging. Students also drew a turkey as an illustration for a poem using our Kid Pix program. Students began to work on addition in our Math Workshop program in the "bowling alley" gaining a bowling pin for each correctly answered addition problem. When 10 pins are earned, the gorilla bowls. Students love this fun way of doing math.
2nd grade classes have been busy doing Internet research about Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims. They have been preparing to begin working on a power point slide in December. Classes study the Wampanoag Indians this month in their classrooms. In tech class, students visited a wonderful Scholastic website. Students can go through phases of life comparing the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims daily life. There's great pictures as well as audio on the website that reads the text to the students. The website address is http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/daily_life/
Another website with good information is from Plimoth Plantation. The website address for this is http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html. There's audio on this website as well as learning activities.
3rd and 4th grades are continuing to work on keyboarding using our UltraKey program. They are learning the fundamentals. 3rd grade students will concentrate on building accuracy this year. They must achieve 95% accuracy to pass a "skill check" in the program. The speed is only 5 words per minute. Speed comes with accuracy. 4th grade students must achieve 95% accuracy with 10 words per minute in order to pass a level. They can't move on until they pass each level. We will be concentrating on keyboarding now until Holiday Break in Dec.
Mrs. Kaminski's class has not begun working on keyboarding yet. They have been doing Internet research during tech class. The class has just begun working on a spreadsheet, which will continue during December.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
October - Technology can be scary at first...
This month Kindergarten students have been working with color, shapes, and patterns in their classroom. We extend this work in computer technology class. We use a software program, Big Thinkers Kindergarten, which has a component that addresses all three of these. Kindergarten students also began to practice typing their first names. I have the keyboards set to type in all caps, since they are working with capital letters in the classroom. They continue to type their first name in Kid Pix several times. It is an important step for them to find all the letters of their name on the computer keyboard. They type their name on each lesson in computer technology class before printing. This month Kindergarten classes also drew a pumpkin and practiced with Halloween "stickers" in Kid Pix - resizing and moving them.
First Grade students did the following: They typed the number words from one to ten and draw tally marks next to each word. They had been learning how to spell number words in the classroom as well as learning how to illustrate numbers by drawing tally marks. They also drew a clock as they work on telling time. The clock is an extension of learning in the classroom. As we approach Halloween, students illustrated the 5 Little Pumpkins poem. That means that they will drew a picture to go with the poem. All of these lessons were done using Kid Pix, and were printed to bring home. Most classes began to work on spacial relationship puzzles in our Math Workshop program. Students move and flip the pieces to fit on the shape. They learn, while having fun. When completed properly, the puzzle animates for them!
Second Grade students continued to work on spacial relationship puzzles in our Math Workshop program. They have been studying about plants in their classrooms. In technology class, they did a 4 section page in Kid Pix, in which an apple tree was depicted in each of the 4 seasons. As we approached Halloween, students drew a picture to illustrate their choice of 2 Jack Prelutsky poems.
Third Grade classes finished doing media center searches by title, author, subject, and keyword, using the Knapp Forest Library webpage. They answered specific questions that required them to perform each type of search. I checked these, then gave the sheets to Mrs. Doctor so that she could see how they are doing. Then, they were released to use the computers in the media center to do book searches. After searches,they began UltraKey, our keyboarding program. They will work on keyboarding until December break. Keyboarding is an important skill, as it speeds up their work time in nearly everything, making them more productive. It is a life skill.
Fourth Grade classes practiced doing media center searches by title, author, subject, and keyword, using the Knapp Forest Media Center webpage. They answerd some questions that required them to do each type of search for themselves. I checked these, then gave the sheets to Mrs. Doctor so that she could see how they are doing. Mrs. Duffy's class and Miss Burn's class began using UltraKey, our keyboarding program. Mrs. Kaminsky's class, Mrs. Boersma's class, and Mrs. Johnson's class have been working on research for their assigned habitat field guide. These habitat field guides have been researched in their classrooms as well.
First Grade students did the following: They typed the number words from one to ten and draw tally marks next to each word. They had been learning how to spell number words in the classroom as well as learning how to illustrate numbers by drawing tally marks. They also drew a clock as they work on telling time. The clock is an extension of learning in the classroom. As we approach Halloween, students illustrated the 5 Little Pumpkins poem. That means that they will drew a picture to go with the poem. All of these lessons were done using Kid Pix, and were printed to bring home. Most classes began to work on spacial relationship puzzles in our Math Workshop program. Students move and flip the pieces to fit on the shape. They learn, while having fun. When completed properly, the puzzle animates for them!
Second Grade students continued to work on spacial relationship puzzles in our Math Workshop program. They have been studying about plants in their classrooms. In technology class, they did a 4 section page in Kid Pix, in which an apple tree was depicted in each of the 4 seasons. As we approached Halloween, students drew a picture to illustrate their choice of 2 Jack Prelutsky poems.
Third Grade classes finished doing media center searches by title, author, subject, and keyword, using the Knapp Forest Library webpage. They answered specific questions that required them to perform each type of search. I checked these, then gave the sheets to Mrs. Doctor so that she could see how they are doing. Then, they were released to use the computers in the media center to do book searches. After searches,they began UltraKey, our keyboarding program. They will work on keyboarding until December break. Keyboarding is an important skill, as it speeds up their work time in nearly everything, making them more productive. It is a life skill.
Fourth Grade classes practiced doing media center searches by title, author, subject, and keyword, using the Knapp Forest Media Center webpage. They answerd some questions that required them to do each type of search for themselves. I checked these, then gave the sheets to Mrs. Doctor so that she could see how they are doing. Mrs. Duffy's class and Miss Burn's class began using UltraKey, our keyboarding program. Mrs. Kaminsky's class, Mrs. Boersma's class, and Mrs. Johnson's class have been working on research for their assigned habitat field guide. These habitat field guides have been researched in their classrooms as well.
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