nmscomputerlab+kahoot+5

Playing kahoot with more 100 players







 || **Online Game:** Our class played Kahoot.it with 7th grade computer class students at Holland & Richboro Middle School and 8th grade English language students at [|Boglári Altalanos Iskola], a Primary School in [|Balatonboglár, Hungary]. It was a 25 question "Countries of the World" quiz. Brandon from our class came in first place. We use a Google Hangout to share the Kahoot questions with the three other schools. We also shared video from each of our classes:

View of the game from [|Boglári Altalanos Iskola] in Hungary

** Copyright Brochure Project:** Students also had a chance to work on their brochure project today. Once they had finished they could review a rough draft with the teacher. Several students finished and printed this project in class today. Everyone will have time to finish the project next class. [|Click here to enlarge the project description]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.1.5.B, 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.B, 15.3.5.D, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.U][|, 15.6.8.L)]


 * Office Yoga Break:** During long classes like this one students are always reminded to take breaks and get exercise. Students shouldn't spend more than 30-40 minutes in front of a computer without taking a break. As part of our break today we practiced [|a][|simple office yoga stretch for your thigh].


 * Technology Current Event Video:** We finished class with a video of Hans Rosling talking about the changes in statistics over the last 200 years.

February 14, 2018 104 minutes

**Local News Video:** We started class today by watching a [|Fox 29 News video about the Autism Cares Lock In Event] that our 8th graders participated in last Friday. After the video we talked about ways to control and improve your online brand by participating in good news stories like this one.  ** Internet Moment: ** Today we looked at three online resources for free ebooks and audio books. We started with the [|Gutenberg Project] ( [|Gutenberg.org] ) which offers free access to 54,000 ebooks and over 100,000 additional free ebooks from [|other resources]. We then looked at [|Lit2Go] which is a free online collection of audio books in MP3 format that is available from the [|University of South Florida]. Finally we visited [|Google Books] ( [|books.google.com] ) and discussed how to access and search the text of the free ebooks available there. We also discussed copyright laws and [|how these books came to be available online or in the public domain]. Students were also reminded to search for [|free ebook reader apps] for their phone and tablet devices. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.1.5.B, 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.B)]

**Finish Font Guide Project:** All students had time to finish the MS Publisher project that we started last class. Everyone printed and turned in their finished font guide. ** [|Click here to enlarge the project description.] [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.2.K, 15.3.8.X)] **

 **Stretch Break:** During long classes like this one students are always reminded to take breaks and get exercise. Students shouldn't spend more than 30-40 minutes in front of a computer without taking a break. As part of our break today we practiced [|a simple stretch for your fingers]. Before the stretch the [|causes and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome] were explained to the class. After the stretch all students had an opportunity to take a short break and move around. [|(ISTE Standards: 5a, 5b, 5c)]

 **Copyright Brochure Project:** Students take an existing brochure and [|recreate it in Publisher 2016 using a template] as a starting point. The original [|brochure they were given was about copyright laws]. Students were shown [|how to use Bing Images to find public domain images that they could even use for commercial purposes]. Students also practiced their typing today by re-typing the text of the original brochure. Everyone will have time to finish and print this project next class. [|Click here to enlarge the project description]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.9.5.L, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.5.K, 15.4.8.B, 15.3.8.U)]

**Technology Current Event Video:** We finished class today with a TED presentation by [|Margaret Stewart] about how copyright issues are handled by YouTube.

February 12, 2018 104 minutes


 * Upcoming Holidays**: We started class today by listening to the band at [|Poi Lam High School] in [|Perak, Malaysia] practicing for their upcoming performance at the [|Chinese New Year] festivities on February 14th. This gave us an opportunity to talk about all the holidays that are happening this week around the world including [|Valentines Day], [|Mardi Gras] and [|carnivals for Fat Tuesday] . There are also the [|Winter Olympic Games] in [|Pyeong Chang, South Korea] all this week. We will also be celebrating [|Presidents Day] this weekend with two days off from school.



 **Internet Moment:** Today we looked at two online resources for fonts. [|DaFont.com] offers over 34,000 fonts that are either [|freeware], [|shareware] , demo versions or in the [|public domain]. These fonts can be downloaded and installed but students were also shown how they can use the [|Snipping Tool] to get images of the fonts they might like. Students were also shown how they could make their own font using a website like [|YourFonts.com]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.6.5.M, 15.4.5.A)]


 * [[image:https://sites.google.com/site/todayincomputerclass/_/rsrc/1518454553120/8-c/FriendsInterpreting02.jpg width="1" caption="https://friendsinterpretingservices.com/" link="https://friendsinterpretingservices.com/"]] Finish Logo Project:** Everyone had a chance to finish the logo project that we had started last class. Students were also shown the [|Friends Interpreting Services] logo as a sample of a small business logo. We saved this project and shared them with the class during a gallery walk activity. [|Click here to enlarge the project description] . [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.S,][|15.4.5.G, 15.6.5.M, 15.3.8.X, 15.9.8.A, 15.9.5.L)]


 * Online Game:** Our class played an online logo quiz game to start class today. Many teachers at the middle school and high school use online games such as [|Kahoot], [|Quizlet] , [|Quia] and [|Quizizz] for review activities and all of our students should be familiar with how to play them. Students were reminded that these games can also be played on smart phones and they can even be assigned as homework. The concept of [|gamification in education] was also discussed. In our game Ayden came in third place, Noah came in second and first place went to Michael.

Office Yoga Break: ** Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers. For our break today we practiced [|a simple yoga stretch for your ankles] and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some. **

Font Presentation: **In this presentation the development of the two basic font families (** **[|serif & sans serif] ) as well as the best uses for each was discussed. Students were also shown how they read primarily through identifying sight words and why it's so hard to spell check and grammar check your own work.  **  Publisher Font Guide Project **: Students made a Font Guide in MS Publisher. When finished the student version should look just like the original. We also discussed the concept of [|WYSIWYG]  in graphic design. This project gave students another opportunity to get familiar with the program's features. They also had to demonstrate the ability to make something very specific. [|Click here to enlarge the project description.] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 16.6667px;"> Everyone will have time to finish this project next class. <span style="color: #551a8b; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 16.6667px; text-decoration-line: none;">[|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.2.K, 15.3.8.X)] **

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.1515px;">** Font Conference Video: ** As a follow-up to the Font Presentation we watched a short video from College Humor about a fictitious " [|Font Conference] ".

February 8, 2018 91 minutes

**Internet Moment:** To help our students understand cultural diversity on the internet we investigated what our own accents sound like by taking the [|NY Times Dialect Quiz]. Students then had an opportunity to compare the dialect heat maps from all the students in our class usinga shared Google Slideshow. ( [|PA-BCIT Standard: 15.3.8.J, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.] D)


 * Language Differences Video:** As a follow-up to the dialect activity we watched a short video from [|The Atlantic] about the various dialects in the United States.

** <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: none; color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Student Blogging Activity: ** Our students prepared a one paragraph blog comment for students at the [|Darbari Lal DAV Model School] in [|New Delhi, India]. Our students were asked to choose one of the following blog entries to comment on: * [|Rock Sports Adventure Camp] Our students were asked to demonstrate appropriate internet communication skills and paragraph writing skills. Students were reminded to use the spelling and grammar checking features in Google Docs to help them. Our students also demonstrated using the [|MLA format in Google Docs] as part of this project. Everyone was also reminded that whenever they post anything online they should make an effort to make sure it will reflect positively on them. Everyone had a opportunity to [|share their Google Doc with another student and have it proofread] before we posted the comments online. This activity gave us an opportunity to talk about the differences and similarities between cultures and schools around the world. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.M, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.8.B)]
 * [|Praestantia 2017 Kahoot]
 * [|Skype-A-Thon 2017]

**Office Yoga Break:** Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers. For our break today we practiced [|a simple yoga stretch for your sides] and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room some.

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: none; color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> ** Publisher Logo Project: ** We started with an introduction to [|MS Publisher 2016]. Publisher was described as a graphic design program which is used to express your ideas visually. The field of [|graphic design] was also explained. Students were reminded that learning basic graphic design skills will help them to communicate their ideas effectively. Students then became familiar with [|Publisher 2016] by making a simple logo. We saved this project and shared them with the class during a gallery walk activity. [|Click here to enlarge the project description]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.S,][|15.4.5.G, 15.6.5.M, 15.3.8.X, 15.9.8.A, 15.9.5.L)]

** Logo Design Video: ** ** We finished class today with a short video from [|Vox] about the basics of logo design. **

February 6, 2018 104 minutes ** Internet Moment: ** To start our class today Mr. McNulty demonstrated how [|Google and other companies use GPS data from cell phones to track the locations of individuals]. In the demonstration Mr. McNulty showed the class a detailed map prepared by Google of exactly where he and his family were in August of 2014. Using location history (now known as [|timeline] ) students could see that he was riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant at precisely 1:08 on August 10, 2014. Everyone then had a chance to open their own Google Accounts and check their location history. Students were also shown [|how to access location history on an iPhone].


 * Finish Emails:** All students had some time to finish and send the emails that we started last class. [|The directions for this project can be viewed here] . [|(PA-BCIT Standards 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.O, 15.3.8.Q, 15.3.8.R, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G)]

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: none; color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small; line-height: 16.25px; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> **MLA Format:** All 8th grade students must demonstrate the ability to use the [|MLA format] in [|MS Word] and [|Google Docs] (which is the format [|used at Council Rock] and most colleges). [|Click here] to enlarge the project description. Students were shown how to [|set-up their Word Documents in the MLA Format]. This project involves several skills including: [|double spacing], [|changing fonts] and sizes, [|changing indentation settings] and accessing the header. As part of this project we practiced [|uploading a Word doc from our network drive to Google Drive]. We also practiced [|downloading a Google Doc as a Word Doc]. [|Click here to enlarge the project description.] [|(PA-B.C.I.T. Standards: 15.3.5.A, 15.3.8.A)]
 * Online Collaboration Project**: Today we experimented with an online collaboration project with [|Mrs. Kyrikakis's] English language students at the [|Winners Education] English Language School in [|Athens, Greece] . Her students prepared essays about acts of kindness in English. They each wrote their essays on a shared Google Docs in advance. Our students were then asked to edit them for grammar, style, readability and spelling. While our students were working here in Newtown, the students in Greece were able to watch the editing in real time in their classroom on their cell phones. We also had a Google Hangout connection between our classrooms so the students could interact with one another directly. This was a great opportunity to introduce our students to online collaboration using free resources such as Google Drive and Hangouts. It also gave us an opportunity to discuss cultural and language differences. Below you can see a sample of what the editing process looked like. [|Click here to view the edited document] . [|(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B, 15.4.8.D, 15.3.12.W)]



**Typing Test:** All students took a typing test using [|TypingTest.com]. Each student had 10 minutes to take the 1 minute test multiple times. Their best adjusted speed was recorded and graphed in an Excel spreadsheet. The average typing speed for this class was: **39.0 WPM**. [|Click here] for more information about [|typing speeds at Newtown Middle School]. We also reviewed the graph below:



Online Typing Activities: As a follow up to the typing test students were given some time to find some <span style="color: #551a8b; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.1515px; text-decoration-line: none;">[|online typing activities] (tutorials or games) that they enjoyed. They were to then add these typing activities to their <span style="color: #551a8b; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.1515px; text-decoration-line: none;">[|favorites] or <span style="color: #551a8b; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.1515px; text-decoration-line: none;">[|bookmarks] list so they could go back and practice their typing skills in class when they finish projects.

Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a video about a new typing technology called the [|tap strap].

February 2, 2018

44 minutes

**Internet Moment:** Students were asked to compare three popular news aggregator websites: [|Google News], [|Bing News] and [|Yahoo]. We looked at their home pages, their features and their overall appearance. Though the results were split, a plurality of our students said they preferred Google News when looking for current events online. Students were also asked to explore their own digital footprint by searching for themselves on various news sites. [|(PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.6.5.L)]

** Assigned Seats: ** All students have an assigned seat/computer in the lab. Students have a responsibility to report any problems with the machine they have been assigned. In this way we all participate in maintaining our school computers. Everyone should use the same computer every time they come to the lab. Students were also reminded to adjust the keyboard, mouse, chair and monitor [| to meet their ergonomic needs] when they come to class. We then visited the [|Occupational Safety & Health Administration] ( [|OSHA] ) website and searched for their recommendations [|concerning computer use]. We also discussed employment laws in the workplace. [|(PA-BCIT Standard: 15.2.8.I, 15.4.5.D, 15.4.2.B, 15.4.8.F)]

** Class Blog ** : Students were shown [|TodayInComputerClass.com] and told that they can check here anytime to review what work was done in class. We also discussed what a [|web log or blog] was, how blogs developed into [|microblogs] like [|Twitter] and now mobile phone based apps like [|Instagram]. This website is the blog or web log for our class. Students were also told that their parents will be sent an email with a link to this website so they can also review what we are doing in computer class each day.

**  Office 365 Accounts: ** All students were reminded that they have Office 365 accounts. As part of this process students had to set their [|time zone]. We discussed [|GMT, UTC and Zulu time] as part of this activity. They were also shown how they can access them online from anywhere. They were also shown how to access their One Drive. Students were also reminded that if they logged onto their Office 365 accounts at home they could download several Microsoft Office programs onto their personal computers for free. Students also had some time to explore Office 365.

<span style="color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 15.1515px; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> **Basic Email Etiquette:** All students logged into their [|Office 365] accounts and accessed their Outlook email. We discussed the importance of being able to use email for formal communication. Students were also reminded that the emails they send using their school account are not private in any way. We also discussed what CC: means ( [|carbon copy] ), what should go in the Subject line of an email and how to start writing a formal email. Each student then practiced good email etiquette by sending a formal thank you email to a Council Rock faculty member of their choice. [|The directions for this project can be viewed here]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.O, 15.3.8.Q, 15.3.8.R, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G)]

** Email Etiquette For Students Video: ** We finished class today with a short video about [|how to email a teacher]. [|(PA-BCIT Standards 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.O, 15.3.8.Q, 15.3.8.R, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G)]

January 31, 2018 91 minutes

**Introduction to Basic Computer Skills Class:** Basic rules and classroom procedures were explained. Students were specifically reminded that because technology is constantly changing they should get into the habit of helping each other out and demonstrating the ability to learn new computer skills through experimentation. All students reported that they had helped an adult with computer skills but they were reminded that it's important to also get used to helping each other. <span style="color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.6364px; line-height: 15.1515px; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> **Log On & Explore:** All students were given time to explore the start menu, [|Cortana] and the various programs available to them at school.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.6364px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16.6667px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Break: **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> Students are always reminded to not spend too much time working on computers and to take breaks every 30-40 minutes. For our break today we conducted a probability experiment about matching birthdays that you can read about <span style="color: #551a8b; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">[|here] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">. Everyone was asked to get up and find the other person in the room who shares their birthday to see if there was a match. **Setting up Student Passwords:** All students were given some suggestions to help them develop good passwords. Some suggested good password practices were: Student passwords must fit the following parameters: Upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and symbols. [|(PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.8.F)]
 * Pixlr.com Project:** Students were shown how to use the online photo editor [|pixlr.com] to edit a photograph. We also discussed professional digital photo editing with [|Adobe PhotoShop] . [|(PA BCIT Standards: 15.4.8.F, 15.4.5.G)] Students shared their modified photos using various district network resources and demonstrated basic skills such as [|drag & drop] . The best use of the H:, S: & X: drives was also explained. [|Click here to enlarge the project description] . [[image:https://sites.google.com/site/todayincomputerclass/_/rsrc/1517409908059/8-a/01-31-188A4picts01.jpg]]
 * Come up with a collection of passwords to rotate through instead of just one
 * Make a [|pass phrase] instead of a password
 * Use numbers, letters and symbols

<span style="display: block; display: inline !important;"> <span style="display: block; line-height: 1.25; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">**<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: none; color: #551a8b; display: inline; float: right; margin: 5px 10px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Gmail Accounts:** Students were shown how to access their CRSD Google Gmail today. Students were reminded that they will have access to their google accounts and school gmail until they graduate from high school. Students were also reminded that they can access their Google email from anywhere in the world where they have internet access. Everyone had time to experiment with sending and receiving emails. Students were also reminded to not use their school email for anything inappropriate.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 16.6667px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Profile Pictures: **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> Students opened up their school Google Accounts and we talked about how their profile picture works and that it is public. They were then shown <span style="color: #551a8b; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">[|Cartoonify.de] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> and students had time to make a custom profile picture. We discussed the difference between your professional and personal image and what online " [|personal branding] " was all about. Students were reminded of the importance of learning to manage what they looked like online. Students then shared their images using network drives. Sharing files by using <span style="color: #551a8b; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">[|drag & drop] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> and the district Swap Drive was demonstrated. The best use of the H: & X: drives was also explained. Everyone then had an opportunity to set their school profile picture.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 16.6667px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">


 * Technology Current Event Video:** We finished class today with a short video from [|Europe Language Jobs] about the importance of personal branding.



 <span style="display: block; float: left; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",arial,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; position: relative; z-index: 2;"> **Megjegyzések**