Dudley Elementary SchoolOur TopDogs have been working hard this month to learn all about Google’s GSuite and Internet Safety! This year at Dudley Elementary, all students have been set up with their very own Google accounts. They have access to Google Drive, Classroom, Docs, Slides, and many more Google Apps (but not email). Students can log in to their accounts from anywhere! Our fourth graders have been working on using Google Docs to type up their personal narratives and opinion writing that they’ve been working on in their classrooms. They’ve also used Google Drawings to create posters about our school expectations - aren’t you impressed with what great work they’re already doing? Third grade has practiced using Google Docs by typing up interesting facts about themselves and they’ve made their very own posters for their own space using Google Drawings. They’ve had a lot of fun using their creativity to create something for their own use! All students have been using Typing Club to practice their typing skills. We are working on improving students’ Words Per Minute (or WPM) through fun, interactive games. Students can access Typing Club at home as well, by going to http://www.topdogs.typingclub.com, and clicking “log in with Google”. Second graders haven’t started using their Google accounts yet, but please let me know if you’d like your child’s login info so they can practice typing at home! Fourth graders are beginning to learn about Digital Citizenship through Google’s Be Internet Awesome program and the game Interland. This game teaches them about the many different aspects of Digital Citizenship - how to be kind and protect yourself and others from cyberbullies, how to create strong, memorable passwords, how to tell the difference between real and fake sources online, and how to tell what should and should not be shared online. Your child can play this game at home by going to https://beinternetawsome.withgoogle.com/interland. Third graders have also just started learning about Digital Citizenship with CommonSense Media’s Digital Passport program. Through Digital Passport, students learn about cell phone safety, how to search for accurate and appropriate information, how to deal with cyberbullying, what type of information should be shared online and what should be kept private, how to create strong passwords, and how to give credit to others when using their digital creations. Students can access Digital Passport at https://www.digitalpassport.org/studentLogin. Second grade is just finishing up their Digital Citizenship unit with PBSKids’ Webonauts Internet Academy. This fun game teaches students the importance of keeping passwords and other personal information private, how to handle cyberbullies, giving credit to the creators of digital artifacts, and how to find a good source of information. Students have had a lot of fun playing through and completing the academy! Looking into October, we will be continuing to work on typing and Digital Citizenship with all grades, fourth and third graders will continue to work in GSuite, and second graders will start learning about computer programming! Stay tuned for our October updates! Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions, or if you would like your child’s login information for any of the websites they use in the Computer Lab. Mason Road SchoolOur Mighty Mustangs have been doing such a wonderful job learning about and using the computers this year. Kindergarten has been learning how to use the mouse with lots of different games. You can access these games to have your child practice them at home by going to www.miss-schmitts-website.weebly.com/mousepractice. Kindergarten has already progressed from practice with just using the mouse, to practice clicking, and we have just begun learning how to click and drag. The progress they are making is amazing and wonderful to see! First graders have begun learning how to type by doing activities to help them identify where letters are on the keyboard, and through different games like Dance Mat Typing (http://play.bbc.co.uk/play/pen/g8s4pb547b). They have also begun learning how to be computer programmers! We’ve been doing different activities to practice “debugging” - finding and fixing unexpected things. Debuggers ask themselves “What happened? What was supposed to happen? How can I fix it?” and the first graders are making great strides in becoming more and more comfortable with doing their own problem solving. Recently, we’ve been using LightBot (http://lightbot.com/flash.html) to practice debugging and computer programming. Looking into October, Kindergarten will be continuing to learn how to use the mouse, and will start learning where different letters are on the keyboard. This will lead them to beginning to learn how to type their own names! First graders will continue to practice typing and will delve deeper into computer programming by learning about algorithms. They will soon be writing their own basic computer programs with Code.org! First graders will also have a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) special that they will go to once a month, where they will learn how to Design, Create, and Improve, just like Engineers! Check back in a month for our October updates! Please let me know if you have any questions! I am so happy to see all of the positive attitudes and excitement to learn in the Computer Lab, and I can’t wait to see all of the progress we make over the next few months! Subscribe to the newsletter for personalized, grade-level updates!
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May 2018
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