We've got a bunch of new stuff going on in the Technology Lab this week.
We're getting close to settling on a comprehensive typing program for our school! (And not a moment too soon -- the kids are going to be too good for Dance Mat Typing soon!) During the month of November, two classrooms, six teachers, Carla, and I will be involved in a free trial of what looks to be the perfect typing program for us. Stay tuned for more details.
The
kindergarteners have been eying the laptops longingly all year, so I thought it was time to let them have a go. :-) Those who had "computer experience" were used to using a mouse, so it was fun for them to try using the track pad. They visited the kindergarten area of abcya.com and played Alphabet BINGO. This is a great game to help kids learn the letter sounds because you can select to either the "Letter Name" or "Letter Sound". Most importantly, there is a "Repeat Letter" button.
2nd and 3rd graders started a two-week "formatting" activity in Microsoft Word. This activity is great for becoming familiar with the features of Word, but also enables the kids to see that the computer does what THEY tell it to do.
4th and 5th graders continued to familiarize themselves with their LAUSD online student accounts. Some of the teachers are more excited than the kids -- they can't wait to use Google Docs for collaborative projects!
