Computer Science is Changing Everything

Welcome to the Hour of Code 2015!!

Here are your choices on the laptops:

1.  Write Your First Computer Program with Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, & Ice Age
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

2.  Minecraft Hour of Code
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

3.  Star Wars: Building a Galaxy With Code
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

4.  Code with Anna & Elsa
     (3rd-5th)

5.  Get Creative with Coding (Scratch)
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

6.  Build Your Own Game (Tynker)
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

7.  Lightbot
     (2nd-5th)

8.  Make Your Own Flappy Bird Game
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

9.  Play Lab
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

10. Disney Infinity Play Lab
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

11. Code Monkey
     (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

12. Program a Virtual Robot
     (3rd-5th)

13. Build a Game with JavaScript
     (3rd-5th)

14. Code Combat
      (3rd-5th)

15. Code Monster
      (3rd-5th)

16. Barklay's Code Playground
      (2nd-5th, K-1st with assistance)

You can also explore coding on the iPads using:

Daisy the Dinosaur
Bee-Bot
Cato's Hike
Move the Turtle
Lightbot
Code Kingdoms
Cargo-Bot
Hopscotch
Tynker
Hakitzu
Kodable Pro
LearnBinary

Have Fun!!

Let's Explore!

This week, 1st-5th graders are exploring Google Earth!  We practiced navigating by visiting landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl and the White House, as well as Community Magnet and even out own houses.  Students can explore further at home -- Google Earth is free to use on any device with internet access.

It's Typing Games Week!

1st-5th grades are playing typing games during technology this week.  Typing practice can often seem boring, but there are lots of great games that can make it more fun.

Here are some of the games we played:

• NitroType -- A typing race game, where students can race their friends, and earn "money" to buy new cars!
• Sense-Lang -- Click on the "games" tab. A favorite is Ninja Cat & Zombie Dinosaurs.
• ABCya!  -- Do a search for "typing".  Some favorites are: Cup Stacking, Keyboard Invasion, Ghost Typing, and Cluttergrams.

Kindergarten started working with an art program called Doozla.  It is free to download -- please see the link on the sidebar.

It is Digital Citizenship Week!

October 19-23 is Digital Citizenship Week in LAUSD.

In 1st-5th grades we will be watching and discussing the Common Sense Media video, "Pause and Think Online".

You can watch it here:

Common Sense Media offers lots of good resources for adults trying help kids safely navigate all sorts of media.

BrainPOP also has quite a few good videos that relate to this topic.

For the past couple of weeks in kindergarten, we have been using the laptops.  This is the first time that many of them have been on a computer.  We are learning about opening a web browser, using bookmarks to visit websites, and the basics of using mouse.

Word!

Last week, 2nd-5th grades have been learning how to save their work to the server, so that they can have access to it from any computer on campus.

In addition, we have been learning/reviewing how to format in MS Word.

1st graders are still working on their typing, focusing on using both hands and trying to use "home row" position.

We've also been playing math games on ABCya!

Time for Type to Learn 4!

This week the 2nd-5th graders signed on to their Type to Learn 4 accounts.  Type to Learn 4 -- or TTL4 -- is a self-paced typing program which allows students to have accounts with content set to their age/grade level.

One of the great features of this program is that students can log in from home for free!  All you need to do is download the TTL4 software onto your computer.   The "home download" link is the first link under Typing Links on the sidebar to the right.  (Our school Account Code is: 152721)  Each student has a Username and Password.

I encourage all students to practice typing at home at least twice a week -- 15 minutes is all it takes.  Once a week in the Technology Lab is really not often enough for typing to become fluid.  We are trying to build "muscle memory" so that our fingers know where to go, without our eyes telling them.

Students do not need to use TTL4 to practice typing.  There are several websites that allow students to practice typing for free.  (Please see list under Typing Links to the right.)