At Home Learning Information
Week of May 18th
It's free choice time! Traditionally, during the last Technology class of the school year, students are able to choose from the various websites, apps, and activities that we have used throughout that school year. Continuing with that tradition, I encourage the students to choose an activity, app, or website this week either that we have used in school or that I have suggested during this time away from school.
I also wanted to let you know that the End of Year (EOY) Video has been posted to the Xavier website. You can find it by clicking "Videos" under the Students tab. Here is a direct link as well: https://www.xavier.pvt.k12.ia.us/eoy-video. The video runs just over 40 minutes and includes photos of students across all grade levels, PK-6. There is a special "At Home Learning" section as well, which contains photos submitted by parents over the last two months. The video wraps up with the traditional farewell to the 6th graders and features their individual photos. Enjoy!!
Week of May 11th
Unfortunately, many of the places that families would like to visit in real life, are currently closed. Luckily, some of these places allow you the chance to explore them virtually. Some places have webcams set up or have posted virtual learning opportunities that allow you to learn more about these places without having to leave your home. For example, you can watch the river otters via a webcam at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque from this link: https://www.rivermuseum.com/webcams. Even though the Museum and Aquarium is closed, the river otters still remain active and playful.
In Technology class, the 3rd-6th graders have used the app, Google Earth. There is a new web-based version of Google Earth available as well, that you can find at: https://www.google.com/earth/ Take some time to search for and explore some areas around our country or across the globe that your family wishes they could visit.
Here are some additional website links that I found, that contain virtual field trip locations which are available for students and families to explore.
*We Are Teachers: 25+ Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips - Spring 2020
*Adventures in Familyhood: 20 Virtual Field Trips to Take With Your Kids
*Freedom Homeschooling: Virtual Field Trips
*We Are the Mighty: 28 Free Virtual Field Trips and Activities for Families in Quarantine
*Today: Virtual Field Trips You Can Take From Home
*Totally the Bomb: 33 National Park Tours You Can Take Virtually From the Comfort of Your Home
While not quite like the real thing, I hope that you enjoy your virtual vacations!
Week of May 4th
This week, I encourage your child to play some reading and language arts learning games online. Some good websites to start with are abcya.com, funbrain.com, roomrecess.com, and starfall.com. Starfall is geared more towards the K-3 students, but the other websites all have games and activities that can be adjusted for your child's grade level and/or ability level.
There are also many websites out there featuring read alouds for children. While I encourage everyone to keep up with reading on their own, sometimes it is nice to sit back and listen to a story as well!
*Storyline Online: storylineonline.net/ is a website that features read-alouds of many popular picture books. The books featured at this website seem geared best for students in grades K-3.
*KidLit TV: kidlit.tv/ is a website that features many read-alouds, illustrator demonstrations, and videos about story creation. Under the "KLTV Shows" tab on this website, you can access Read Out Louds, which are videos featuring a variety of authors reading their books or excerpts from their books; Story Makers, which are videos featuring authors explaining how their books were created and how their ideas came to be; and Ready Set Draw!, which are videos from illustrators explaining how they draw their characters and encouraging students to draw along. The videos at this website are geared for all students in grades, K-6.
Week of April 27th
Our school now has access to Brain Pop (https://www.brainpop.com/) and Brain Pop Jr. (https://jr.brainpop.com/) for free through June 15. To access these websites, please use the username and password listed below as a login for both sites.
Username: sfxavier
Password: xavierstrong2020
BrainPop Jr. is suited best for Kindergarten-3rd grade students. Each lesson includes a video, quiz, and additional activities related to the lesson's topic. Under the Technology section, I would suggest the "Internet Safety" and "Parts of a Computer" lessons.
BrainPop is suited best for students in grades 4 and older. There are many units found at this site, which each contain a multitude of lessons. Each lesson includes a video, quiz, games, and a variety of other activities related to the lesson's topic. Under the Engineering and Tech section, I would suggest the "Digital Citizenship" and "Computer Science" units.
Week of April 20th
This week if possible, I encourage your child to play some math learning games online. Some good websites to start with are funbrain.com, roomrecess.com, abcya.com, and hoodmath.com. These websites have games and activities that are aimed at all ability levels and grade levels, so your child can choose to review their math knowledge or challenge themselves.
Students in grades 4-6 can also login to sumdog.com with the login information that they received in Technology class. This should be in their assignment notebook, but if they are unsure, just let me know. All of the games at sumdog.com are currently free during this time of school closure, so I encourage the students to try out some of the games that we normally don't have access to without a paid subscription.
Week of April 13th
While away from school, it is a good idea for the students to try and stay familiar with the keyboard and some keyboarding basics that we've been working on in Technology class.
All K-6 students could spend some time exploring some of the keyboarding games that I have linked on the Xavier Technology website. These can be found at: https://mrsrubel.weebly.com/keyboarding-games.html
The 3rd-6th grade students also have Typing.com accounts. https://www.typing.com/ At this website, students can take timed typing tests, work on their keyboarding lessons, and play typing games. All 3rd-6th grade students have accounts already set up and should have stickers for this in their assignment notebooks. If your child needs his or her username or password, please contact me at mrubel@xavier.pvt.k12.ia.us.
Week of April 6th
Students in grades K-6 at Xavier usually spend some time throughout the school year learning about computer science and the basics of computer coding. We use the website Code.org for these activities, and all K-6 students have accounts already set up. Kindergarteners traditionally begin this during the 2nd semester, so some of the kindergarten students may not yet be familiar with this website. To access their accounts, students should choose the Code.org link found under the Website Links tab above. Students then select their grade level, their name, and then their picture password. If your child does not remember his or her picture password, please contact their teacher or me for assistance.
Although students may not be able to progress through the grade level Coding Courses at this time without further teacher instruction, they can find many Hour of Code activities to try out while logged in to their account, by clicking the "Course Catalog" link found at the top of the webpage. During this time of "at home learning", Code.org has created an At Home support page for parents, which can be found at https://code.org/athome. This page also lists activities that can be done on smartphones/tablets and activities that can be done without using devices or the internet. Computer coding does not need to be scary! Through Code.org, students use the blockly type of coding, which uses a drag and drop approach. These activities teach critical thinking skills, allow for creativity, and encourage students to become problem solvers. Feel free to give the website a try!
Week of March 30th
Below are some websites to try out this week, for fun. Enjoy!
BreakoutEdu Fun at Home: https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome BreakoutEdu is an online, digital version of an escape room. Students must use critical thinking skills in order to uncover clues, move throughout the game, and solve the problem presented to them. This resource currently has free options for students of all grade levels that cover a variety of topics.
Google Music Lab: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments Google Music Lab mixes technology, music, science and a variety of other subjects in a fun way that encourages creativity. This is a great "brain break" resource that can be enjoyed on all devices and by all ages. This website encourages kids to get up and dance along to the beat. In Songmaker, you can save your composition as a link and share this with a friend or family member as a way to brighten their day.
Week of March 23rd
There are many good online resources available to students, but one great place to look for online, digital resources can be found on Keystone AEA's website. https://www.keystoneaea.org/digital-resources
At this website, you can find resources for students of all ages, many of which we have used and explored within Technology classes at Xavier. With libraries closing, some students may not have as much access to books as they normally might. There are a bunch of resources within the AEA website that contain eBooks for students, such as BookFlix, TrueFlix, FreedomFlix, ScienceFlix, FollettShelf, MackinVIA, and TumbleBooks. Other resources contain access to educational videos, such as Learn360, NBC Learn, and AEA Digital Library.
Since Xavier is a school within Keystone AEA, all students and their families have free access to these resources. When using this website, simply use Xavier's username: kaea118 and Xavier's password: kaea01 to gain access to these sites.
(FollettShelf is a resource only available to students in grades 3+. Students in Grades 3-6 received login stickers for this website earlier in the school year, as each student has an individualized username for this site. These stickers should be in the students' assignment notebooks, but if your child needs this information, I can look it up and pass it along to you.)
Week of March 16th
Below are some of the websites that we have been using in Technology class this school year with each grade level, K-6. Feel free to use them at home with your child as you wish.
Kindergarten:
*ABCya.com
*Starfall.com
*TeachYourMonsterToRead.com (You will need to use the login cards that I sent home several weeks ago. If you need your child's login information, please contact me.)
1st Grade:
*ABCya.com
*Starfall.com
*TeachYourMonsterToRead.com (You will need to use the login cards that I sent home several months ago. If you need your child's login information, please contact me.)
*ABCMouse.com (We just started this last week. I have requested free, at home access, and it has been granted for our school. Please visit www.ABCmouse.com/redeem and redeem our school's access code, which is SCHOOL2764.)
2nd Grade:
*ABCya.com
*ABCMouse.com (We have been using this for several months. I have requested free, at home access, and it has been granted for our school. Please visit www.ABCmouse.com/redeem and redeem our school's access code, which is SCHOOL2764.)
*HoodaMath.com
3rd Grade:
*Google Earth
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*ABCya.com
4th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*Google Earth
*ABCya.com
5th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*BitsBox.com
*ABCya.com
6th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*ABCya.com
It's free choice time! Traditionally, during the last Technology class of the school year, students are able to choose from the various websites, apps, and activities that we have used throughout that school year. Continuing with that tradition, I encourage the students to choose an activity, app, or website this week either that we have used in school or that I have suggested during this time away from school.
I also wanted to let you know that the End of Year (EOY) Video has been posted to the Xavier website. You can find it by clicking "Videos" under the Students tab. Here is a direct link as well: https://www.xavier.pvt.k12.ia.us/eoy-video. The video runs just over 40 minutes and includes photos of students across all grade levels, PK-6. There is a special "At Home Learning" section as well, which contains photos submitted by parents over the last two months. The video wraps up with the traditional farewell to the 6th graders and features their individual photos. Enjoy!!
Week of May 11th
Unfortunately, many of the places that families would like to visit in real life, are currently closed. Luckily, some of these places allow you the chance to explore them virtually. Some places have webcams set up or have posted virtual learning opportunities that allow you to learn more about these places without having to leave your home. For example, you can watch the river otters via a webcam at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque from this link: https://www.rivermuseum.com/webcams. Even though the Museum and Aquarium is closed, the river otters still remain active and playful.
In Technology class, the 3rd-6th graders have used the app, Google Earth. There is a new web-based version of Google Earth available as well, that you can find at: https://www.google.com/earth/ Take some time to search for and explore some areas around our country or across the globe that your family wishes they could visit.
Here are some additional website links that I found, that contain virtual field trip locations which are available for students and families to explore.
*We Are Teachers: 25+ Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips - Spring 2020
*Adventures in Familyhood: 20 Virtual Field Trips to Take With Your Kids
*Freedom Homeschooling: Virtual Field Trips
*We Are the Mighty: 28 Free Virtual Field Trips and Activities for Families in Quarantine
*Today: Virtual Field Trips You Can Take From Home
*Totally the Bomb: 33 National Park Tours You Can Take Virtually From the Comfort of Your Home
While not quite like the real thing, I hope that you enjoy your virtual vacations!
Week of May 4th
This week, I encourage your child to play some reading and language arts learning games online. Some good websites to start with are abcya.com, funbrain.com, roomrecess.com, and starfall.com. Starfall is geared more towards the K-3 students, but the other websites all have games and activities that can be adjusted for your child's grade level and/or ability level.
There are also many websites out there featuring read alouds for children. While I encourage everyone to keep up with reading on their own, sometimes it is nice to sit back and listen to a story as well!
*Storyline Online: storylineonline.net/ is a website that features read-alouds of many popular picture books. The books featured at this website seem geared best for students in grades K-3.
*KidLit TV: kidlit.tv/ is a website that features many read-alouds, illustrator demonstrations, and videos about story creation. Under the "KLTV Shows" tab on this website, you can access Read Out Louds, which are videos featuring a variety of authors reading their books or excerpts from their books; Story Makers, which are videos featuring authors explaining how their books were created and how their ideas came to be; and Ready Set Draw!, which are videos from illustrators explaining how they draw their characters and encouraging students to draw along. The videos at this website are geared for all students in grades, K-6.
Week of April 27th
Our school now has access to Brain Pop (https://www.brainpop.com/) and Brain Pop Jr. (https://jr.brainpop.com/) for free through June 15. To access these websites, please use the username and password listed below as a login for both sites.
Username: sfxavier
Password: xavierstrong2020
BrainPop Jr. is suited best for Kindergarten-3rd grade students. Each lesson includes a video, quiz, and additional activities related to the lesson's topic. Under the Technology section, I would suggest the "Internet Safety" and "Parts of a Computer" lessons.
BrainPop is suited best for students in grades 4 and older. There are many units found at this site, which each contain a multitude of lessons. Each lesson includes a video, quiz, games, and a variety of other activities related to the lesson's topic. Under the Engineering and Tech section, I would suggest the "Digital Citizenship" and "Computer Science" units.
Week of April 20th
This week if possible, I encourage your child to play some math learning games online. Some good websites to start with are funbrain.com, roomrecess.com, abcya.com, and hoodmath.com. These websites have games and activities that are aimed at all ability levels and grade levels, so your child can choose to review their math knowledge or challenge themselves.
Students in grades 4-6 can also login to sumdog.com with the login information that they received in Technology class. This should be in their assignment notebook, but if they are unsure, just let me know. All of the games at sumdog.com are currently free during this time of school closure, so I encourage the students to try out some of the games that we normally don't have access to without a paid subscription.
Week of April 13th
While away from school, it is a good idea for the students to try and stay familiar with the keyboard and some keyboarding basics that we've been working on in Technology class.
All K-6 students could spend some time exploring some of the keyboarding games that I have linked on the Xavier Technology website. These can be found at: https://mrsrubel.weebly.com/keyboarding-games.html
The 3rd-6th grade students also have Typing.com accounts. https://www.typing.com/ At this website, students can take timed typing tests, work on their keyboarding lessons, and play typing games. All 3rd-6th grade students have accounts already set up and should have stickers for this in their assignment notebooks. If your child needs his or her username or password, please contact me at mrubel@xavier.pvt.k12.ia.us.
Week of April 6th
Students in grades K-6 at Xavier usually spend some time throughout the school year learning about computer science and the basics of computer coding. We use the website Code.org for these activities, and all K-6 students have accounts already set up. Kindergarteners traditionally begin this during the 2nd semester, so some of the kindergarten students may not yet be familiar with this website. To access their accounts, students should choose the Code.org link found under the Website Links tab above. Students then select their grade level, their name, and then their picture password. If your child does not remember his or her picture password, please contact their teacher or me for assistance.
Although students may not be able to progress through the grade level Coding Courses at this time without further teacher instruction, they can find many Hour of Code activities to try out while logged in to their account, by clicking the "Course Catalog" link found at the top of the webpage. During this time of "at home learning", Code.org has created an At Home support page for parents, which can be found at https://code.org/athome. This page also lists activities that can be done on smartphones/tablets and activities that can be done without using devices or the internet. Computer coding does not need to be scary! Through Code.org, students use the blockly type of coding, which uses a drag and drop approach. These activities teach critical thinking skills, allow for creativity, and encourage students to become problem solvers. Feel free to give the website a try!
Week of March 30th
Below are some websites to try out this week, for fun. Enjoy!
BreakoutEdu Fun at Home: https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome BreakoutEdu is an online, digital version of an escape room. Students must use critical thinking skills in order to uncover clues, move throughout the game, and solve the problem presented to them. This resource currently has free options for students of all grade levels that cover a variety of topics.
Google Music Lab: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments Google Music Lab mixes technology, music, science and a variety of other subjects in a fun way that encourages creativity. This is a great "brain break" resource that can be enjoyed on all devices and by all ages. This website encourages kids to get up and dance along to the beat. In Songmaker, you can save your composition as a link and share this with a friend or family member as a way to brighten their day.
Week of March 23rd
There are many good online resources available to students, but one great place to look for online, digital resources can be found on Keystone AEA's website. https://www.keystoneaea.org/digital-resources
At this website, you can find resources for students of all ages, many of which we have used and explored within Technology classes at Xavier. With libraries closing, some students may not have as much access to books as they normally might. There are a bunch of resources within the AEA website that contain eBooks for students, such as BookFlix, TrueFlix, FreedomFlix, ScienceFlix, FollettShelf, MackinVIA, and TumbleBooks. Other resources contain access to educational videos, such as Learn360, NBC Learn, and AEA Digital Library.
Since Xavier is a school within Keystone AEA, all students and their families have free access to these resources. When using this website, simply use Xavier's username: kaea118 and Xavier's password: kaea01 to gain access to these sites.
(FollettShelf is a resource only available to students in grades 3+. Students in Grades 3-6 received login stickers for this website earlier in the school year, as each student has an individualized username for this site. These stickers should be in the students' assignment notebooks, but if your child needs this information, I can look it up and pass it along to you.)
Week of March 16th
Below are some of the websites that we have been using in Technology class this school year with each grade level, K-6. Feel free to use them at home with your child as you wish.
Kindergarten:
*ABCya.com
*Starfall.com
*TeachYourMonsterToRead.com (You will need to use the login cards that I sent home several weeks ago. If you need your child's login information, please contact me.)
1st Grade:
*ABCya.com
*Starfall.com
*TeachYourMonsterToRead.com (You will need to use the login cards that I sent home several months ago. If you need your child's login information, please contact me.)
*ABCMouse.com (We just started this last week. I have requested free, at home access, and it has been granted for our school. Please visit www.ABCmouse.com/redeem and redeem our school's access code, which is SCHOOL2764.)
2nd Grade:
*ABCya.com
*ABCMouse.com (We have been using this for several months. I have requested free, at home access, and it has been granted for our school. Please visit www.ABCmouse.com/redeem and redeem our school's access code, which is SCHOOL2764.)
*HoodaMath.com
3rd Grade:
*Google Earth
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*ABCya.com
4th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*Google Earth
*ABCya.com
5th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, Drive, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*BitsBox.com
*ABCya.com
6th Grade:
*Sumdog.com
*Google Accounts (Docs, etc.) (Use for story writing, typing practice, etc.-Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*Typing.com (Login information is in the students' assignment notebooks.)
*HoodaMath.com
*ABCya.com
Technology Classes for grades K-6:
*Please check back throughout the school year to find out what we are learning in class.
Kindergarten
In Technology class we have been covering computer basics. The kindergarteners learned about the parts of the computer and about icons on the desktop and dock. They learned how to turn on the computer, login using a username and password, and logout using the menu bar. Students have also practiced using the bookmark bar and have been working on building mouse skills. The kindergarten students have spent some time on the website ABCya.com where they have been playing grade-level appropriate games to work on keyboarding skills, mouse skills, etc. The kindergarteners use the iPads in their classrooms. In Technology class we learned about keyboarding basics such as the letters on the keyboard, the spacebar, the shift key, the delete key, etc. They have also been introduced to Teach Your Monster to Read, which is a web-based program that works on letter sounds, blends, and building words. They have been reviewing patterns and have begun a pattern project using the program, Kidspiration.
1st Grade
The 1st graders have been learning about Internet safety. We have discussed the rules for staying safe while online. They have reviewed computer basics and login procedures. They have also reviewed keyboarding basics. They are once again using Teach Your Monster to Read, which is a web-based program that works on letter sounds, blends, and building words. The students use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They have completed a Nativity scene project using the program, Pixie. They have also completed an All About Me webbing project using the program, Kidspiration. The 1st graders have been introduced to the website, ABCMouse.
2nd Grade
The 2nd graders have been reviewing computer basics and Internet safety. We reviewed the computer login procedures as well. They have been introduced to the Keystone AEA online resources. Students have been given time to explore these resources and have learned how to login using their username and password stickers. They use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. We spent time learning and reviewing keyboarding basics, practicing locating the letters on the keyboard, and have been introduced to word processing programs. The 2nd graders typed the Act of Contrition using the program, Pages. They have spent time exploring the website, ABCMouse. They have been introduced to researching and notetaking techniques and have been working to complete digital animal books as a class using the program, Pixie.
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders have reviewed computer basics and Internet safety. They have learned about the online resources from Keystone AEA, such as iClipart and FollettShelf. They have learned the basics of downloading, saving, inserting, and manipulating clipart for use in digital classroom projects. They have been instructed on how to access and save files to the file server. The 3rd graders have been introduced to the online keyboarding program, TypingWeb.com and have begun to work on their keyboarding skills. The 3rd graders use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They have been introduced to Google Earth and use it to virtually explore the world around them. Students recently received their Google accounts and use these to colaborate and communicate with teachers and classmates.
4th Grade
The 4th graders reviewed Internet safety and they have learned the importance of creating strong passwords for their Google accounts. They have learned the importance of keeping their passwords safe and private. They have explored the online resources from Keystone AEA more in depth. They will continue practicing their keyboarding skills using the online program, TypingWeb.com. They will work hard to learn the correct finger positions to use when typing and the importance of using two hands to type. The students use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They worked with partners to select a prayer and have used the program, Keynote, to create a slideshow presentation focusing on this prayer.
5th Grade
The 5th graders reviewed Internet safety, and they have reviewed and exploreed more in depth the online resources from Keystone AEA. The 5th grade students have reviewed the use of their online Google accounts for word processing, presentations, etc. The 5th graders have reviewed their keyboarding skills using the online program, TypingWeb.com. The 5th graders use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms for various projects. They have been introduced to Bitsbox, an online javascript coding website. The 5th graders have been introduced to the app, Bloxels EDU, and have been working with partners to create video games using this app.
6th Grade
The 6th graders reviewed Internet safety and have reviewed and exploreds the online resources from Keystone AEA. The 6th grade students have reviewed the use of their online Google accounts for word processing, presentations, etc. They have started using their school email accounts to contact teachers and classmates. They frequently use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. The 6th grade students have learned about the program, iMovie. They worked with a partner to research an internet/digital safety topic, in order to produce an iMovie, which will create awareness of their chosen topic. These iMovies have been shared on KSFX, which is a newscast created by the 6th grade students. 6th grade students can elect to be a part of the KSFX crew, where they take pictures, run the video camera, become newscast anchors, write the script, direct the newscast, and edit the program using iMovie.
In Technology class we have been covering computer basics. The kindergarteners learned about the parts of the computer and about icons on the desktop and dock. They learned how to turn on the computer, login using a username and password, and logout using the menu bar. Students have also practiced using the bookmark bar and have been working on building mouse skills. The kindergarten students have spent some time on the website ABCya.com where they have been playing grade-level appropriate games to work on keyboarding skills, mouse skills, etc. The kindergarteners use the iPads in their classrooms. In Technology class we learned about keyboarding basics such as the letters on the keyboard, the spacebar, the shift key, the delete key, etc. They have also been introduced to Teach Your Monster to Read, which is a web-based program that works on letter sounds, blends, and building words. They have been reviewing patterns and have begun a pattern project using the program, Kidspiration.
1st Grade
The 1st graders have been learning about Internet safety. We have discussed the rules for staying safe while online. They have reviewed computer basics and login procedures. They have also reviewed keyboarding basics. They are once again using Teach Your Monster to Read, which is a web-based program that works on letter sounds, blends, and building words. The students use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They have completed a Nativity scene project using the program, Pixie. They have also completed an All About Me webbing project using the program, Kidspiration. The 1st graders have been introduced to the website, ABCMouse.
2nd Grade
The 2nd graders have been reviewing computer basics and Internet safety. We reviewed the computer login procedures as well. They have been introduced to the Keystone AEA online resources. Students have been given time to explore these resources and have learned how to login using their username and password stickers. They use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. We spent time learning and reviewing keyboarding basics, practicing locating the letters on the keyboard, and have been introduced to word processing programs. The 2nd graders typed the Act of Contrition using the program, Pages. They have spent time exploring the website, ABCMouse. They have been introduced to researching and notetaking techniques and have been working to complete digital animal books as a class using the program, Pixie.
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders have reviewed computer basics and Internet safety. They have learned about the online resources from Keystone AEA, such as iClipart and FollettShelf. They have learned the basics of downloading, saving, inserting, and manipulating clipart for use in digital classroom projects. They have been instructed on how to access and save files to the file server. The 3rd graders have been introduced to the online keyboarding program, TypingWeb.com and have begun to work on their keyboarding skills. The 3rd graders use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They have been introduced to Google Earth and use it to virtually explore the world around them. Students recently received their Google accounts and use these to colaborate and communicate with teachers and classmates.
4th Grade
The 4th graders reviewed Internet safety and they have learned the importance of creating strong passwords for their Google accounts. They have learned the importance of keeping their passwords safe and private. They have explored the online resources from Keystone AEA more in depth. They will continue practicing their keyboarding skills using the online program, TypingWeb.com. They will work hard to learn the correct finger positions to use when typing and the importance of using two hands to type. The students use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. They worked with partners to select a prayer and have used the program, Keynote, to create a slideshow presentation focusing on this prayer.
5th Grade
The 5th graders reviewed Internet safety, and they have reviewed and exploreed more in depth the online resources from Keystone AEA. The 5th grade students have reviewed the use of their online Google accounts for word processing, presentations, etc. The 5th graders have reviewed their keyboarding skills using the online program, TypingWeb.com. The 5th graders use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms for various projects. They have been introduced to Bitsbox, an online javascript coding website. The 5th graders have been introduced to the app, Bloxels EDU, and have been working with partners to create video games using this app.
6th Grade
The 6th graders reviewed Internet safety and have reviewed and exploreds the online resources from Keystone AEA. The 6th grade students have reviewed the use of their online Google accounts for word processing, presentations, etc. They have started using their school email accounts to contact teachers and classmates. They frequently use the iPads and laptops in their classrooms. The 6th grade students have learned about the program, iMovie. They worked with a partner to research an internet/digital safety topic, in order to produce an iMovie, which will create awareness of their chosen topic. These iMovies have been shared on KSFX, which is a newscast created by the 6th grade students. 6th grade students can elect to be a part of the KSFX crew, where they take pictures, run the video camera, become newscast anchors, write the script, direct the newscast, and edit the program using iMovie.
