Middle Elementary Project

The students in Katie's and Keri's classes worked very hard over 4 weeks of computer classes to create an "I Spy" book!  They created their own collections and took pictures, selected them and imported them onto a PowerPoint slide, and then wrote their own text for the page.  I am very proud of each and every student's great page.  Here's a copy of our book for you to enjoy!

Technology Across Campus!

Technology is not just for Computer Class!

Lately we've been using technology in a lot of classes!  Here are some of the great ways technology is being used across subjects at Community School!

• Upper Elementary students have been learning how to do research online.  Students also learned how to cite online sources (text, video, and audio) for their "Famous Inventor" report.  Students will eventually type their reports; they will be able to put their excellent keyboarding skills we've been developing all year to good use!  
• Middle School students have created and posted to blogs on Gaggle.net.  They are using the blogs as an online reading journal, to share their thoughts on books being read for Language Arts.  
• Middle School students are nearly finished with a great Photo Story project they completed for Language Arts!  Students recently read books about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and have now created a multimedia presentation to share the major elements of the book!  Students started off by actually staging and taking photographs of the salient points in the books.  They've been using Picnik (an online photo editing program) and Photo Story 3 to complete the project. 
• Seminar students have been using Power Point to create lessons about various important topics and share them with classmates.  

Middle schoolers used Picnik to edit photos!

I'm so excited to see so much technology being used so much as we wind down the year!  The lab has been full and busy, just the way I like it!  

I can't wait to see all these projects completed!  Every single student is working hard, being creative, and having fun... and, of course, learning a lot!

What does the Internet look like?

I've had some questions  from visitors about the artwork featured on the windows to the Computer Lab this semester.  Here's the scoop!

Students spent time pondering, researching, and discussing the question: What does the Internet look like?  After all, it is a "place" to which we are often directed: "Look it up on the Internet." or "Let's go to the Internet!", for example.  But it certainly isn't a tangible place we can plot on a map. Students represented the Internet on a map, and through a cartoon-type picture.  We took the opportunity to learn how a browser works, and discuss various types of websites one can find online.

Drop by anytime to see the amazing artistic renditions of the Internet!  (Pictures are a representative sampling from Middle Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School students.)

TAG readers!

We've recently added some new technology to our collection at Community School!  We are very happy to now have TAG readers (from LeapFrog) and a library of books and activities for our Elementary and Early Learner classes.  TAG readers are a fun, exciting way to encourage learning, particularly through reading and thinking-games.

Middle Elementary classes have already enjoyed the new TAG readers, particularly the Silly Phrases Game.   They also had the opportunity to share TAG books with little buddies from Early Learner classes.  Next week the Kindergarten class will explore the world through our newest library additions, the US and World TAG Maps and Games! I can't wait!