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Class Content
Overall Goal
In teaching the computer content listed below, I make connections to the core classroom content of 4th grade from the areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. I sprinkle bits and pieces of the core classroom content into my computer lessons in the lab.
In teaching the computer content listed below, I make connections to the core classroom content of 4th grade from the areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. I sprinkle bits and pieces of the core classroom content into my computer lessons in the lab.
Keyboarding
Software: Typing.com website
Overview:
Research says that a student needs to keyboard using the Home Position method for typically 20 minutes a day 3 or more times a week over the course of about 12 weeks to develop a comfort level and fluency at the keyboard. If the student invests this amount of time, they should be able to keyboard without looking at the keyboard.
We don't have that volume of time during the 25 to 30 class periods each classroom comes to the lab during the school year to develop that level of fluency at the keyboard while also teaching other computer literacies such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel along with using the Internet as a tool for education.
We focus on keeping the left hand on the left side of the keyboard and the right hand on the right side along with using a few fingers on each hand. In 6th grade the students have a computer class for one report card marking period that is devoted to learning Home Position keyboarding. They also receive a second keyboarding class when they reach high school.
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Desktop Publishing
Software: Microsoft Word 2013 (Did not do this project last year.)
Overview:
The theme of this project is "My State Brochure!".
In this project the kids create a tri-fold brochure of a state in the United States they'd like to research to learn more about their state. The students copy notes from the Internet into MS Word which they paraphrase as needed. The children will locate graphics, paste into, and format the images that correspond to the information they research about their state. Any information they copy word for word from the Web will be cited.
The skill set includes: composing complete sentences, creating text boxes, formatting text box/placeholder fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, crop and group images, format image line color/pattern of images, copy & paste, order images in layers, and utilize color to set the mood for the theme of the project.
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Research
Software: Microsoft Word 365/ Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Internet Explorer 11
Overview:
The Theme of this project is "Pennsylvania Note-Taking". The kids learn how to take notes electronically without any writing. They find information about Pennsylvania on the Internet. They copy that information from the Internet and paste it into a Word file to answer specific questions. They also must secure graphics including the state flag, bird, flower, etc.
The skill set includes: researching, comparing/contrasting, analytic review, creating textboxes, formatting textbox fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, format image line color/pattern, copy & paste, and designing a layout that is visually pleasing.
The goal is to speed up the process of research and note taking. We stress that the copied information from the Internet is for note taking purposes only. They kids must transform those notes into their own words. This project is not graded.
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Multimedia Slideshow
Software: Microsoft PowerPoint 365
Overview:
The Theme of this project is "Similes About Me". The kids start this project by interviewing two peers of the same gender and two peers of the opposite gender. During that interview, they ask for 3 different adjectives that describe the interviewer. The child interviewer records their peer's answers on a form. After they finish the interview process, each child now has 12 different adjectives that describe themselves. Next they select the four adjectives that the like the most.
The kids transform those four adjectives into 4 similes in complete sentence format that describe an aspect of their-self. Each simile goes in its own text-box. The slideshow includes an opening slide with a text-box for a title and another textbox for the student's name. The kids locate graphics from the Internet to illustrate each simile. They arrange all the graphics to be visually appealing and fit one page by formatting the fill color, line color, and selecting picture effects to make images stand out. They also format the font color and type for each textbox.
The students add animations and slide transitions to enhance their slideshow. Since this slideshow is completed in PowerPoint 365, the students can access their file from any Internet connected device anywhere!
The skill set for this project includes: interviewing, composing complete sentences, creating text-boxes, formatting text-box fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, format image line color/pattern, copy & paste, order text-boxes and graphics via overlapping in layers, and attractively laying out the text-boxes and graphics .
The goal is to creatively share one's strengths and positive attributes in an attractive and informative manner. This project is graded with a rubric. There are also written tests on the parts of Microsoft PowerPoint 365.
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Spreadsheets
Software: Microsoft Excel 365
Overview:
The theme of this project is the "Unleashing the Power of Excel". The kids are introduced to Microsoft Excel. They will learn how to use Excel to help them in math, science, and spelling classes. Core classroom content is utilized throughout the Excel unit.
The skill set includes: entering/editing data, formatting data, sorting data, identifying the parts of Excel, resizing columns and rows, formatting cell color and borders, designing and formatting a data table using color to draw attention to the data.
The grade for Excel will come from a multiple sheet test in Excel on the computer in which the kids must create a data table according to specific directions. There is also a vocabulary section on the test as well as a special page on formatting.
Software: Typing.com website
Overview:
Research says that a student needs to keyboard using the Home Position method for typically 20 minutes a day 3 or more times a week over the course of about 12 weeks to develop a comfort level and fluency at the keyboard. If the student invests this amount of time, they should be able to keyboard without looking at the keyboard.
We don't have that volume of time during the 25 to 30 class periods each classroom comes to the lab during the school year to develop that level of fluency at the keyboard while also teaching other computer literacies such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel along with using the Internet as a tool for education.
We focus on keeping the left hand on the left side of the keyboard and the right hand on the right side along with using a few fingers on each hand. In 6th grade the students have a computer class for one report card marking period that is devoted to learning Home Position keyboarding. They also receive a second keyboarding class when they reach high school.
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Desktop Publishing
Software: Microsoft Word 2013 (Did not do this project last year.)
Overview:
The theme of this project is "My State Brochure!".
In this project the kids create a tri-fold brochure of a state in the United States they'd like to research to learn more about their state. The students copy notes from the Internet into MS Word which they paraphrase as needed. The children will locate graphics, paste into, and format the images that correspond to the information they research about their state. Any information they copy word for word from the Web will be cited.
The skill set includes: composing complete sentences, creating text boxes, formatting text box/placeholder fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, crop and group images, format image line color/pattern of images, copy & paste, order images in layers, and utilize color to set the mood for the theme of the project.
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Research
Software: Microsoft Word 365/ Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Internet Explorer 11
Overview:
The Theme of this project is "Pennsylvania Note-Taking". The kids learn how to take notes electronically without any writing. They find information about Pennsylvania on the Internet. They copy that information from the Internet and paste it into a Word file to answer specific questions. They also must secure graphics including the state flag, bird, flower, etc.
The skill set includes: researching, comparing/contrasting, analytic review, creating textboxes, formatting textbox fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, format image line color/pattern, copy & paste, and designing a layout that is visually pleasing.
The goal is to speed up the process of research and note taking. We stress that the copied information from the Internet is for note taking purposes only. They kids must transform those notes into their own words. This project is not graded.
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Multimedia Slideshow
Software: Microsoft PowerPoint 365
Overview:
The Theme of this project is "Similes About Me". The kids start this project by interviewing two peers of the same gender and two peers of the opposite gender. During that interview, they ask for 3 different adjectives that describe the interviewer. The child interviewer records their peer's answers on a form. After they finish the interview process, each child now has 12 different adjectives that describe themselves. Next they select the four adjectives that the like the most.
The kids transform those four adjectives into 4 similes in complete sentence format that describe an aspect of their-self. Each simile goes in its own text-box. The slideshow includes an opening slide with a text-box for a title and another textbox for the student's name. The kids locate graphics from the Internet to illustrate each simile. They arrange all the graphics to be visually appealing and fit one page by formatting the fill color, line color, and selecting picture effects to make images stand out. They also format the font color and type for each textbox.
The students add animations and slide transitions to enhance their slideshow. Since this slideshow is completed in PowerPoint 365, the students can access their file from any Internet connected device anywhere!
The skill set for this project includes: interviewing, composing complete sentences, creating text-boxes, formatting text-box fill/line colors, format font, locate appropriate graphics/images, resize and rotate images, format image line color/pattern, copy & paste, order text-boxes and graphics via overlapping in layers, and attractively laying out the text-boxes and graphics .
The goal is to creatively share one's strengths and positive attributes in an attractive and informative manner. This project is graded with a rubric. There are also written tests on the parts of Microsoft PowerPoint 365.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spreadsheets
Software: Microsoft Excel 365
Overview:
The theme of this project is the "Unleashing the Power of Excel". The kids are introduced to Microsoft Excel. They will learn how to use Excel to help them in math, science, and spelling classes. Core classroom content is utilized throughout the Excel unit.
The skill set includes: entering/editing data, formatting data, sorting data, identifying the parts of Excel, resizing columns and rows, formatting cell color and borders, designing and formatting a data table using color to draw attention to the data.
The grade for Excel will come from a multiple sheet test in Excel on the computer in which the kids must create a data table according to specific directions. There is also a vocabulary section on the test as well as a special page on formatting.
