Christmas Wish List- 3rd-5th Grade

The Third-Fifth Graders are using Microsoft Excel to create a wish list spreadsheet.  The students used specific tools to set up the spreadsheet, including "merge & center," "bottom boarder," and "$-accounting number format."  They reviewed Excel vocabulary including row, column and cell.  They also practiced skills such as widening columns, resizing and arranging the windows on the desktop and inputting data.

Christmas Scenes- 2nd Grade

The Second Graders began working on a project using "Paint."  They are using four shapes (triangle, square, parallelogram and rectangle) to create a gingerbread house.  I can't wait to share the pictures when the students are finished!  The kids are getting very creative with the tools available on Paint.  Later this week, as the students are finishing up their pictures, they will use Microsoft Publisher to create a Christmas card.  They will insert the picture that they created into the card.

If Wikileaks is bad, then aren't ALL wikis bad? 6th Grade

With recent focus in the news on the wiki-leaks scandal, some of the students questioned whether wiki-s are  lawful.  I felt it was necessary to cue the students in on some more detailed information so that they could understand the true problem.  First, I defined a wiki as a collaborative website where the average Joe (aka- you and I) can request to join the wiki, and with membership to the wiki, we can edit or add our own information, opinion or input.  I explained that the problem with the specific wiki, namely Wiki-Leaks, lies within the unlawful stealing of confidential information.  The students asked some really thoughtful questions, and for the remaining computer class time we immersed ourselves in discussion about proper Internet usage.  I believe today's discussion helped to clarify and resovle the students' concerns about wiki-s.

Wiki-s are the THING!

I just had an idea that I know the kids would love- we could possibly collaborate with other Iowa Lutheran schools using a wiki and possibly Skye.  I have created a new wiki under my administrator account.  Next I will contact computer teachers at other Iowa Lutheran schools to see if they would like to join our ZSJ students in various online projects!  I am so glad that I have finally decided to go ahead with the wiki introduction because it will raise our technology curriculumn up another notch!

Wikispaces- 5th & 6th Grade

The fifth and sixth Graders were introduced to a wiki that I created: zsjfalcons wiki.
I used wikispaces.com to create the website.  The zsjfalcons wiki is a website where approved members can work on the site simultaneously.  Anyone can view the site, but only approved members can edit the pages. 

As an introduction to wikis, the 5th and 6th Graders are creating their own web page within the website. They will choose a subject and write about it.  Some of the subjects already chosen include cheer leading, basketball, paintball, military and babysitting.  In the future the students will choose a specific subject that correlates with a Social Studies or Science unit that they're learning in their homeroom.  The kids are truly excited and motivated create their web pages! Please note that as of yet the wiki is a work in progress. 

Nativity Scenes- 3rd-4th Grades

The 3rd/4th Graders are finishing up their Nativity scenes on Paint.



The fifth graders chose to play Poptropica and the sixth graders chose to play Skywire VIP. 

The second, third and fourth Graders are using Paint to create navitity scenes.

Thank you to Mr. Pipho for covering for me on Monday and Tuesday while I was overcoming strep throat.  I'm happy to be back and feeling better!

WWII Presentations- 5th/6th Grade

A big thumbs up to my fifth and sixth graders for creating wonderful slideshows/movies!  Many of the presentations sparked intriguing questions and discussions.  We learned about D-Day, the Nazi members and supporters including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler and Neville Chamberlain, the Jewish Holocaust, Anne Frank, Pearl Harbor, the atomic bomb that ultimately caused Japan to finally surrender, and women's contribution to the war.

Restructure for Thursdays- 2nd-6th Grade

All of the students have been notified that their "educational freedays" will be modified in order to ensure that everyone is using approved educational games.  From now on, a site or educational game will be randomly selected from a list of approved games and sites, and the whole class will work on the chosen site.  The list of sites will include the following:

• Free Rice
• Aqua-Energizer
• Simon Says
• Word Sailing
• Fowl Words
• Word Vine
• Trivia Machine
• Ice Breaker
• Sveerz
• Stackopolis
• Snow Line

Power Point Presentations- 2nd through 6th Grades

All of the students are finishing up their Power Point slideshows. 

• The 5th/6th Graders created slideshows about WWII subjects, and the students will present their work on Thursday. 
• The 3rd/4th Graders are finishing up their slideshows about the animal of their choice that is featured on kids.nationalgeographic.com. 
• The 2nd Graders are also finishing up their slideshows about a featured animal on the National Geographic for kids site.  The 2nd Graders were working in pairs, and I was providing them with step-by-step instruction throughout the entire process.

Communication is the Key

I would like to welcome parents to contact me if they have questions or concerns about computer class at ZSJ.

Should Kids Be Driving Alone?

Nuff said.

WWII Projects- 5th & 6th Grade

The 5th and 6th Graders will present their WWII projects on Thusday, December 2nd.  Their work will be graded and recorded in Social Studies.  The students will be asked to answer the following about their subject: who, what, where, when, why and how.  Here is a link to the rubric: WWII Rubric

Publisher- 3rd & 4th Grade

With our relatively new suite of Microsoft applications, we're expanding the ZSJ technology curriculmn and learning how to use the many tools that Microsoft has to offer. Publisher is one of those applications that is now available to us.  With Publisher, we can create newsletters, cards, calendars, buisness cards and resumes to name a few.  The 3rd and 4th Graders used a greeting card template in Microsoft Publisher to make a card to be sent to the Middle East to our soldiers. 

Student Blogging and Wikis

I am looking extensively into the value of blogs, wiki-s and other Web 2 features in the classroom.  Below are some links that I am checking out:

1. Blogging Basics
2. School Blogs
3. Edu Blogs
4. 21 Classes
5. Classroom Teacher blog
6. Classroomteacher.edublogs.org

And the list goes on and on and on....  There is a wealth of resources on the Web.  I hope to be integrating blogs and wiki-s into the technology curriculum at ZSJ!

Windows Meeting Place- 6th Grade

The 6th Graders made an exciting discovery today.  They found "Windows Meeting Space," which is a standard application provided by the Vista OS.  With this application, students can share documents and websites from their computers.  One person in the meeting space takes control of the screen while the others watch. 
WMS offers connection to other users within the same network.  In other words, users outside of the ZSJ network are not able to join a meeting that has been initiated by a ZSJ network user.

Picture Show- 3rd-6th Grade

The kids are using Gickr.com to create picture shows for their Power Point presentation.  Check out gickr.com!  I created a picture show of my two horses:

The steps for using gickr.com for a Power Point presentation:

1. Google images
2. Save the images to the "pictures" folder on the computer
3. Navigate to gickr.com
4. Click "browse" and select an image
5. Select the speed and size
6. Click "continue"
7. Click "download"
8. Save the file to the "downloads" folder on the computer
9. Launch Power Point
10. Click the "insert" ribbon
11. Click "picture"
12. Browse for the gickr file in the "downloads" folder and select the gickr file
13. Preview the slideshow to watch the gickr picture show

Raking Party

Oh boy did we have a blast raking today!  The kids were just working like busy bees.  Thank you to all of the parents who supplied the treats, drove the pick ups and helped to manage the kids.  Most of all, praise the Lord for the glorious weather and for everyone's safety. 

WWII Project- 5th & 6th Grade

The 5th and 6th Graders are working on their WWII projects.  Some of the students are working in pairs.  Some reliable websites that the students are using for research include:

• http://www.ddaymuseum.org/
• http://www.nationalww2museum.org/
• http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/
• http://www.ushmm.org/
• http://www.annefrank.com/
• http://www.army.mil/d-day/index.html
• http://www.chuckhawks.com/higgins_boat.htm



National Geographic for Kids/ Power Point Slideshow- 2nd-4th Grade

The 2nd-4th Graders started a new project today.  They visited the National Geographic website to choose a featured animal to research, and next week they will work on a Power Point slideshow about the animal.  The 2nd Graders are working in pairs, and the 3rd-4th Grades are working individually.  Check out the National Geographic website!

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/