The Hour of Code is Here - December 13-22

Kindergarten

1st/2nd/3rd

4th/5th/6th

Night of Code

Please click here to register for our "Night of Code" event

Thursday, December 22

6:00-7:30 pm

"Coder Express"

Wear your pajamas!

One lucky family will win a Sphero!

This Week in the Lab - December 5-9

Kindergarten - Students will use Crayon Physics again to problem solve but this time with a classmate to practice "pair programming" in preparation for the Hour of Code.

1st Grade - Students will complete challenges in MinecraftEdu with a partner.

3rd Grade - Students will use typing programs to improve speed and accuracy.
10 Fast Fingers
Keyboard Climber
Keyboard Climber 2

5th Grade - Students will learn how to be a good digital citizen.

Hour of Code begins next week!

This Week in the Lab - November 28-December 2

2nd Grade Google Earth Project - Students will use Google Earth to navigate the United States and explore various destinations located along the famed Route 66.  Students will also use virtual reality to get a more in-depth look at certain locations.

Kindergarten - Students will try Crayon Physics for the first time, practicing both mouse skills and problem solving.

1st Grade - Students will use Microsoft Word and continue typing and editing their fall acrostic poem.

 

This Week in the Lab - November 14-18, 21, 22

4th Grade - Programming Project

Students will be introduced to different programming languages and programs, including Logo, Scratch, and Sphero SPRK Lightning Lab.

Choice Day:

1. Logo
2. Scratch
3. Code.org
4. Code Monkey
5. Code Combat

    

This Week in the Lab - November 14-18, 21, 22

4th Grade - Programming Project

Students will be introduced to different programming languages and programs, including Logo, Scratch, and Sphero SPRK Lightning Lab.

    

This Week in the Lab - November 1-4,7,9

6th Grade Astronomy/Space Flight Project

Students will use Kerbal Space Program to apply astronomy concepts learned in science to a computer simulation.  Challenges include building multistage rockets, data collection, and successfully getting into orbit.

This Week in the Lab - October 24-28

5th Grade Music Production Project

Students will learn how to create, edit, and publish an audio track using the program Audacity.  We are creating announcements to be played for each state in our school election on November 1.  Students will research their assigned state and add the state song to their recorded audio.

6th Grade MinecraftEdu - Early Humans Day 3

Please answer the following in one comment below:

1.  How did adding night/enemies affect your ability to survive?
2.  What did you use for shelter and how did it work?
3.  If we were to proceed into civilizations, how can we use Minecraft to simulate the other needs of a community?

Week of Respect

4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade

6th Grade MinecraftEdu - Early Humans Day 2

Please answer the following questions in one comment below:
1.) Describe what it was like in each stage of “hunter/gatherers”.  What were the challenges you faced along the way?
2.) Did each stage get easier?  If so, why?
3.) How do you think technology advances affected the hunters and gatherers that we are trying to simulate?
4.) What differences can you see from the simulation of Minecraft to the reality of early humans' (hunter/gatherers) experiences?

6th Grade MinecraftEdu - Early Humans Day 1

Minecraft and Social Studies???  Has Mr. Dunn lost his mind?

What connections do you see between what you have learned in Social Studies and what can be simulated in Minecraft?

This Week in the Lab - October 17-21

6th Graders will use MinecraftEdu to simulate the struggles of early humans that they learned about in Social Studies.  This three day lesson includes a tutorial on how to use MinecraftEdu as well as chronological challenges that the earliest humans experienced.

This Week in the Lab - October 10-14

Kindergarten students will continue working on problem solving and mouse skills with code.org.  First grade students will continue working with Microsoft Word as they type their alphabet and change the colors and fonts of each letter.  Second grade students will use Nearpod to review math skills.  Third grade students will receive their new code.org accounts and begin working on Course 3.

          

This Week in the Lab - October 4-8

Kindergarten students will continue to work with different websites to practice their mouse skills.  First grade students will begin using Microsoft Word and will learn how to edit text for size, color, and font.  Second grade students will use a variety of keyboarding websites to improve their typing.  Third grade students will create a graph in Excel using the weather and latitude data they previously collected.  Fifth grade students will practice with latitude and longitude by searching famous landmarks using Google Earth and a list of coordinates.  Sphero Cities wrap up with a showcase on Friday for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PEP/GEM students.

This Week in the Lab - September 26-30

Kindergarten students will continue practicing their mouse skills using various activities and websites.  3rd grade students will use Google Earth to find latitudes of a list of cities, the current high temperature of each, and then use Microsoft Excel to graph the data.  4th grade students will use Google Slides to create a collaborative presentation about themselves.  3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PEP/GEM students will learn how to program Sphero to drive through the city they created.

          

Google Slides
Albert
Esposito
Farquharson/Somers
Weiland

3rd Grade - Weather Underground

This Week in (and out) of the Lab - September 19-23

All students will receive information on their new code.org accounts.  These can be used to access the programming activities on the Internet.  These accounts can also be accessed from home, please use the link for "Code" on this blog.

Students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades will also be introduced to Chromebooks, including the features, apps, and shortcuts.

     

This Week in the Lab - September 12-16

All students will visit the computer lab for the first time this year and review procedures.  Kindergarten students will practice mouse skills using Tux Paint.  1st and 2nd grade students will practice logging in and out as well as keyboarding skills.  3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students will create blogs using Blogger.

  

Welcome Back to School!

Let's have a great 2016-17 school year!  See you in the lab!!!

6th Grade Minecraft - Part 3

Minecraft: War!
You fought in a "war" today; at least as much of a war as Minecraft can be.  Answer the following questions:

Part A: Your Own Reaction

1.) What were your emotions during the beginning?  If you were an attacker, what were you feeling leading up to the attack?  If a defender, how did you react when the attackers came?

2.) What were your thoughts during the "defend the beacons" stage?  What went well?  What went badly?

3.) How did it feel when a 3rd "army" (the monsters) came in?  Did you automatically stop fighting the other players, or did you continue your fight?  Why or why not?

4.) What were your thoughts and emotions when you looked over the ruin of the city?


Part B: Application to Social Studies

1.) You've been learning about Egypt, Kush, and Assyria.
• In our lesson, what group would be the "Egyptians"?  Why them?
• What group would be the Kushites?  Why?
• What group would be the Assyrians?  Why?

2.) What must it have been like for those who lived through the actual conquest of Egypt?  Would they have felt any of the same emotions you did?  What would have been different?

3.) Do you think there is such a thing as a "good" war?  Given the destruction and loss of (Minecraft) life that you saw today, is war ever "worth it"?  Why or why not?

This Week in the Tech Lab - May 23-27

6th Grade Data Analysis and Geometry Project
Students will collect baseline and experimental data and then analyze it using MS Excel.  Students will take this information and build a track in TrackMania that will result in the highest average speed.

This Week in the Tech Lab - May 16-20

3rd Grade Area and Perimeter Project
Students will use Minecraft to design and build a house.  First, students will use a grid to draw their rooms and layout, while also calculating area and perimeter for each room.  Then, students will use Minecraft to build their house by following their model.  Once students have successfully translated their foundation, they may build walls, floors, decorations, etc. to complete their house.

Killdeer Live Stream

Killdeer Video - May 3

Live streaming video by Ustream

Check out these times:

4:30 - Walks away

40:40 - Walks back

2:12:40 - Eats and walks away

2:36:40 - Walks back

Rest Up and Test!

2016 PARCC Song

Rest Up and Test

Minecraft Cities Day 2

Please answer all the questions below in a SINGLE comment.  Do not write multiple comments for this post.

1.) Describe your experience building the city.  What went well?  What went poorly?  What still needs to be done?

2.) Do you think this would be easier with more people?  Why or why not?

3.) Do you think that civilizations with more people had an advantage over those with fewer people?  Why or why not?

4.) In order to truly be considered a civilization, a society needs to be stable enough to have jobs that don't directly contribute to survival:  artists, performers, musicians, sculptors, etc.  In that case, is our Minecraft society actually a civilization?  Why or why not?

Minecraft Cities Day 1

Please answer by submitting a single comment below this post.  All comments will be approved in the morning, so don't worry if you don't see them yet, only post them once.  Thanks!

Today you were given a job within your civilization.  Describe your initial thoughts about this role and how it will contribute to the overall society.  What challenges do you think you will face?

This Week in the Tech Lab - April 4-8

3rd-6th Grade - Students will use the PARCC practice tests to prepare for testing.

6th Grade - Minecraft Early Civilizations - Students will use MinecraftEDU to simulate early civilizations.  Each student will receive a role within the community: builders, crafters, farmers, ranchers, miners, and lumberjacks.

This Week in the Tech Lab - March 29-April 1

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade - Students will have an opportunity to choose between different programs and websites used throughout the year.  Choices include Tux Paint, Crayon Physics, Code.org, Disney Coaster, and Google Earth.

3rd Grade - Students will use MinecraftEDU to enter a "Fractions House" where they will try to find as many different fraction pairs as they can.  If time allows, students will then create their own "Fractions House" using various materials.

This Week in the Tech Lab - March 21-23

5th Grade - Students will use MinecraftEDU to solve various volume problems and challenges.

This Week in the Tech Lab - March 14-18

2nd Grade - Students will use TrackMania to create a working racetrack by working through the various steps to engineering.

This Week in the Tech Lab - March 7-11

Kindergarten - Students will use Crayon Physics to work on mouse skills and solving problems.

1st Grade - Students will use PowerPoint to solve math problems for "Penguin Math".

2nd Grade - Students will engineer a working roller coaster using Disney Coaster.

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Grade - Students will use Nearpod to complete a Digital Citizenship lesson.

This Week in the Tech Lab - February 29-March 4

4th Grade - Students will search and save a background from the regions of the United States in their Social Studies textbooks.  Student will the use the photo editing software Gimp to "cut out" a picture of themselves and then insert it into each background.

This Week in the Tech Lab - February 22-26

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade

Students will be introduced to Nearpod, a website and app that allows the teacher to share presentations to devices the students are using.  Students will be practicing recent math concepts that they have learned by interacting with the presentation, solving problems, and answering questions.  Students and teachers will receive immediate feedback showing areas of strengths and challenges.

This Week in the Tech Lab - February 8-12

Kindergarten - Students will continue to practice mouse skills using various websites to celebrate the 100th day of school.

1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade - Students will create a greeting card using Microsoft Publisher for our troops.

This Week in the Tech Lab - February 1-5

5th Grade - Students will write scripts using Social Studies content on the colonies and record a newscast using an iPad in front of a green screen.  They will then use Adobe Premier Elements to edit and produce the final video.

4th Grade - Students will read an article, watch a video, and use prior knowledge to write a blog post on "Why Do Some People Chase Storms?"

This Week in the Tech Lab - January 25-29

Kindergarten - Students will practice logging in/out and continue working in Course 1 of code.org.

1st Grade - Students will practice mouse skills and solve problems in Crayon Physics.

2nd Grade - Students will engineer a working roller coaster in Ultimate Ride.

3rd Grade - Students will create a picture and poster for their chosen idiom.

This Week in the Tech Lab - January 19-22

1st Grade - Students will finish their MLK Dream project by using Tux Paint to illustrate their dream and then inserting the image into their MS Word document.

5th Grade - Students will read an article, watch videos, then create a blog response for "What Makes Art Priceless?" and "What's the Best Thing To Do on a Snow Day?"

This Week in the Tech Lab - January 11-15

Kindergarten - Students will continue to practice keyboard and mouse skills using a variety of online websites and games.

1st Grade - Students will create a "Dream" poster using Tux Paint and MS Word.

2nd Grade - Students will engineer and test a working track design with a loop using Hot Wheels.

3rd Grade - Students will read an article, watch videos, then create a blog response for "Why do bats sleep upside down?"

This Week in the Tech Lab - January 4-8

3rd Grade Rocks and Minerals Project

Students will be assigned a mineral or gem and will research its properties.  They will then create a poster using Microsoft Publish to display the information, and edit the design of text, colors, backgrounds, etc.

Happy 2016!!!