6th Grade Technology Weekly Goals:
5/30/2017-6/7/2017:
This will be the last post of the school year. Can you believe it is already here! This week students will spend some time learning about Mean, Median and Mode on a PBS student site. We will also be spending some more time working on Khan Academy and looking at animation. I hope you all have a great summer!
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Week of 5/22/2017-5/26/2017:
This week we will be spending some time on Khan academy looking at how Disney Pixar creates animated movies. Students will learn about the storytelling process, characters and different things that are taken into perspective when creating a movie. We will also be spending some time looking at probability. The links we will be using in class this week will be posted on our Google Classroom page.
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Week of 5/15/2017-5/19/2017:
Our week will begin by doing some more math skills practice to help you rock your MSTEP testing this week! The rest of our week will involve continuing to code our Pacman project and also spending some time relaxing and rejuvenating after a week of testing. Don't stress, you guys are going to be awesome!
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Week of 5/8/2017-5/12/2017:
This is our final week to do some final MSTEP practice. We will be working on a DESMOS this week which will further develop our graphing skills. We will be watching several videos and graphing the stories which are "changing" in the videos. We will then be spending some time working through a practice Performance Task. The rest of our time this week will be spent continuing to code our Pacman game on Scratch.
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Week of 5/1/2017-5/5/2017:
This week will continue to code our Pacman projects. We will also use any class time we need to resume and continue our NWEA tests. We will also be spending some time preparing for the MSTEP test through a project of gathering information from charts, graphs and tables and also by taking a look at a practice performance task which will be similar to the MSTEP Performance Task.
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Week of 4/24/2017-4/28/2017:
We are going to be starting off the week with a Pacman tournament and brainstorming some ideas of how we will be coding our Pacman projects. Students will take knowledge of what they have utilized in Scratch to help code this project. We will also be spending some time this week working on any missing assignments for this class. Students will also be given an opportunity to do corrections to their Check Up 1 from last week in math. We will end our week with coding a robot called "Dash." His code is very similar to the code we've been using in Scratch.
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Week of 4/17/2017-4/21/2017:
Welcome back from the long weekend! This week we will begin coding one of the most popular and vintage video games, Pacman on Scratch. We will be building our own Sprites and writing our own code with very little instructions. Students will also be working on creating different costumes for their Sprites. We are also going to be spending some class time this week looking directly at an MSTEP practice test and getting experience using the online tools available to students as they work through their MSTEP testing.
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Week of 4/10/2017-4/14/2017:
Welcome back! I hope you had some time to do some things you enjoy over your break. We are going to be starting off the week taking a look at your Scratch projects you were working on before Spring Break. We will wrap up the week with some math review to prepare you for the MSTEP testing you will be doing very soon. Don't worry, the activities we have planned should get you thinking.
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ATTENTION 6th GRADE TECH STUDENTS:
Hey guys. Per doctor's orders, I am out until after Spring Break. I know we had a few things to wrap up before Spring Break, and I promise we will get to those as soon as we are back together again. We will take a look at any questions or issues you had with coding "Cheese Chase," "Circle Wars," or "Jumpy Monkey." We are then going to code one more big project together before we move onto our last big project for the year. I hope you all have an AWESOME break!
Week of 3/27/2017-3/31/2017:
This week we will be working on our Cheese Chase, Jumpy Monkey or Circle Wars coding projects on Scratch. We will be taking a closer look at the code behind these games and comparing the code to how we have been working with is similar and different to these projects. Students will also be given time in class this week to make up any missing assignments they may have in other classes before Spring Break.
Take note: April 11 is now a scheduled 1:00p.m. Early Release day.
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Week of 3/20/2017-3/24/2017:
This week students will be spending some time continuing to craft their Scratch coding projects. We will be wrapping up our Star Hunter games and about some hacks and tweaks we can use in Scratch to make our projects more entertaining and at times more difficult to play. We will also be spending some time taking a look at the evolution of video game music and how the sounds and music of games has enhanced and changed the gaming world forever. We will wrap up the week with a DESMOS mini golf activity which will review how we plot data on a graph.
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Week of 3/13/2017-3/17/2017:
This week's post will be similar to last week due to our power outage days. We will be spending quite a bit of time adding to both our Star Hunter Scratch projects as well as our individual or partner projects we started working on early last week. We will be discussing how to keep score on Scratch and we will learn some strategies which make a game more playable and a project more successful in Scratch.
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Week of 3/6/2017-3/10/2017:
This week we will be spending some more time adding to our Star Hunter Scratch games. We will have the game wrapped up by the end of the week. Each part of the assignment will be posted on our Google Classroom page. On Tuesday, students will be watching two "Icons" episodes and will add two slides with some information on the development of the Xbox and the Playstation gaming systems. We will also be spending some of our time in class reviewing some mathematics concepts in preparation for M-STEP testing.
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Week of 2/27/2017-3/3/2017:
This week will be starting to program and code a computer game titled, "Star Hunter." We will be taking a look at using different sprites, backgrounds and sounds in a computer game. We will have discussions on how these factors influence the play-ability of a game. We will have two typing exercises and a Brain Games warm-up, all of which will be posted on our Google Classroom page. We are also going to work on a DESMOS on Wednesday this week. This is a website we will be using to model mathematical situations.
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Week of 2/20/2017-2/24/2017:
We are going to start the week with a President's Day activity and then launch into beginning to learn how to code computer games on Scratch. There will be several posts on Google Classroom this week with links, and pages of our Scratch coding book we will be using to get started. We will be doing some exploring and experimenting this week before we begin to make our very first Scratch game, "Star Hunter."
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Friday, February 17: We will start class by watching Channel One and then an "Icons" episode on Donkey Kong and the how the all time popular video game changed gaming forever. We will then spend the rest of the hour continuing to work on our Gaming Slideshow Portfolios. Anyone who has not had a grade check this week will need one today.
Thursday, February 16: Today you are going to be spending the hour doing research on the historically popular game, Pong. We will take a look at why this game was so popular for it's time period and also what needs to happen in order for this game to work. We will then spend some time trying re-code pong and see why the code which was written for the game makes so much sense.
Wednesday, February 15: I'm sorry class, but I am home with my sick child today. You will be working on Sumdog for the entire hour today. The expectation is that you will be working silently on your own during this task. You may have headphones in and listening to music during this time.
Tuesday, February 14: Today you will be given an opportunity to make corrections on your Unit 3 Math Test. You will be given the option of working on this by yourself or with a partner. Any corrections you make will be made directly on your old test. If you are finished with corrections, you will be working on updating your Gaming Slides Portfolio as there will be a grade check for this at some point this week. If you are all caught up with this, you will be working on Sumdog for the remainder of the hour.
Monday, February 13: The class will be spending the majority of the hour watching two "Icons" episodes. The first will show them the history of Atari and how the company experienced a roller coaster of an economic history through the early years of gaming. This video will also introduce another company, Nintendo, that took the ideas and concepts of personal gaming to a whole other level. The second video will show students the history of Mario and the "cool for it's time" "Donkey Kong" smash hit game which paved the way for Mario and all of the games that would follow. You will then be adding 2 slides to your Gaming Portfolio, one for each of the videos and information presented today.
Friday, February 10: Class will begin with a short writing activity following the activities from class yesterday. We will then be watching Channel One. We are then going to be spending the rest of the hour discussing Pac-man and the code behind the all time famous game. We will also be discussing how arcade gaming technology changed gaming forever.
Thursday, February 9: I apologize, but I am out sick today. You will be watching "Finding Dory" during class today. My expectation is that you are quiet during the whole video or else the instructions which were left for the substitute is to have the whole class read if they cannot be quiet during the video. You are not to be doing anything on your Chromebook during class today. I have also given the substitute permission to remove your Chromebook if you are using at all during class.
Wednesday, February 8: If students still need time to finish their Unit 3 math test this is what they will be working on first. Otherwise, we will use the remainder of the class period to catch up on our Google Slideshows we have been making in regards to what we have learned thus far about video games. Students may even have an opportunity to play Pacman again, if they didn't yesterday, and start to unravel what the coding for the game might look like.
Tuesday, February 7: We are going to continue our Video Gaming unit today by watching an "Icons" Episode on "Pacman." The video can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYUForTowes. Students are going to need to take note of two important developments that occurred with the creation of Pacman and how these advancements changed video gaming. Students will add this information to the Google Slides portfolio we started in class on Friday. We will then get a chance to play Pacman and discuss some of the possible coding that went in to making Pacman work.
Monday, February 6: Today we are going to begin class with a typing exercise and students will respond to the following question: What is your all time favorite video game? We will the continue with our research of the History and Evolution of Gaming. Students will be taking a look at a virtual timeline that will go through the advancement of gaming. Students will be continuing their slideshows from Friday and using the information from the timeline to add to their slides.
Friday, February 3: Students will first watch a video that explains the instructions for today. Students should then watch Channel One on their own. They may then work with partners to read the "History of Gaming, An Evolving Community" article and create a 3-5 slide slideshow answering one of the questions posted on the assignment guide on Google Classroom. All the videos and links can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students should be ready to show me their slideshows on Monday. If students finish, they are to work on Sumdog for the remainder of the hour.
Thursday, February 2: Students will be spending the majority of the hour working on their Kahoots from earlier in the week. Students will also have a chance to play one another's Kahoots in class today. I will have the Kahoot rubric projected up during class so students will know exactly what the expectations are.
Wednesday, February 1: Today in class, students will have the opportunity to make corrections on their math quiz from Monday. Students will also have time in class to continue working on their Wilderness Survival Kahoot they have been working on this week.
Tuesday, January 31: For class today, we are going to be continuing to build our Kahoots that we started in class yesterday. Students were working with a partner and using their Wilderness Survival research from ELA class to create questions and responses. The expectation for today is that students have at least 5 questions completed with responses and pictures. If students finish early, they may make their own Kahoot with a school appropriate topic.
Monday, January 30: We are going to start class by having students playing each other's Kahoots we made together in class last week. The remainder of the hour, students will making a Kahoot with a partner that will be on the topic of Wilderness Survival, dealing with the research they have been conducting in Ms. Vissman's class. Students need to have a good start on building at least 8-10 questions with adequate responses.
Friday, January 27: Happy Friday! Today we are going to be reviewing the videos and information the students were presented on Tuesday when the sub was here. I have a couple of different websites to show them, which will be posted on our Google Classroom page. One website shows what the very first glimpse of the internet looked like. The other website will show students what happens in one second on the internet (how many YouTube videos watched, how many "Likes" on Facebook, and how many Instagram photos are uploaded)...the numbers are astounding....some in the millions...in just seconds! The class will be watching Channel One News to start class.
Thursday, January 26: Any student who has not yet finished their math NWEA testing will be given that opportunity today in Tech. All students will need to have shown me their digital timelines today (most already have). This will be their first grade for the new semester. Students will then be spending the rest of the hour either finishing their Logos Kahoot from yesterday, or working on Sumdog. Sumdog is an online mathematics application that challenges students to answer tough mathematics questions to further their skills and knowledge in the subject matter.
Wednesday, January 25: Today students are going to be working on a class-wide Kahoot that we are going to title, "Logos Quiz." This Kahoot will need to be 5 question in length (minimum) and represent famous (school appropriate) logos that we see everyday. Students are going to be challenged to use the 'snip-it' tool on their Chromebooks to only capture a part of an image. They will then be given some class time to create some of their own questions.
Tuesday, January 24: There will be a sub in my room today. Students will be watching two videos in class today that they will be needing to take notes on. They will be provided with a notes sheet. There are several fill in the blanks to fill in. We will be going over this packet later on in class. The videos and notes pertain to the creation and development of the internet and how the internet functions. There will be a short quiz over this information next week. There is also a link posted on Google Classroom for students to be working on when they finish the videos and note sheets. If students finish, they are to read silently.
Monday, January 23: Class today will depend on how many students need to complete their NWEA testing. This will be our first priority. Then students will be given time to work on their Timeline projects from previous weeks or work on Brain Games if they are done with other required assessments and coursework. Depending on time, students will be able to take part in a Peer Review on their timelines they have been working on in class. If we do not have time for this today, we will do this first thing Tuesday in class.
Friday, January 20: (Exam Schedule 1:00 release. Only 6th Hour Today) We are going to start our Exam session by taking a Partner Quiz over Chapter 2 (Math). We cannot push this back any further, so we are going to go through this assessment together so we can move on to Chapter 3 next week. If we can get this assessment finished up before our exam time is up, will be starting to build a class-wide Kahoot. We are going to make a Kahoot together about famous logos that are used all of the time. Students will learn how to "snip" parts of pictures to use in their questions. We will get started making the first couple of questions together, and students will be given the rest of class to make this Kahoot!
Thursday, January 19: (Exam Schedule 1:00 release. Only 5th Hour Today) We are going to start our Exam session by taking a Partner Quiz over Chapter 2 (Math). We cannot push this back any further, so we are going to go through this assessment together so we can move on to Chapter 3 next week. If we can get this assessment finished up before our exam time is up, will be starting to build a class-wide Kahoot. We are going to make a Kahoot together about famous logos that are used all of the time. Students will learn how to "snip" parts of pictures to use in their questions. We will get started making the first couple of questions together, and students will be given the rest of class to make this Kahoot!
Wednesday, January 18: SNOW DAY.
Tuesday, January 17: SNOW DAY.
Monday, January 16: As a warm-up to begin class today, students will have an opportunity to participate in a school wide service project to make Valentines for Veterans. If students choose not to participate, there is a short article and quiz posted on our Google Classroom page honoring Martin Luther King Jr. We are then going to be starting our new project today: Making your own Kahoot! We will begin class with a "How Good Is Your Memory" Kahoot! Students will then be creating their own Kahoot account and we will be making a 5-8 question Kahoot together on famous company logos. Students will then be introduced to their next project which will involve creating their own Kahoot! Students will find benefit from knowing how to create a Kahoot as they can use this for studying purposes or for fun game play using technology.
Friday, January 13: We will start class by watching Channel One. Students will then have time to complete their math quiz. If they already finished in math, they will be finishing up their Virtual Timelines we started last week and worked on during class on Monday. Also, if they did not finish Brain Games they will be working on that as well.
Thursday, January 12: Snow Day.
Wednesday, January 11: Snow Day.
Tuedsay, January 10: Snow Day.
Monday, January 9: Today in class, students will be finishing their digital timelines. 5th hour will be finishing up their digital timeilines on their Google Slides and 6th hour will be finishing up their timelines on Time Toast. When students are finished, they need to be working on the Brain Games- Peer Pressure assingment for this week. They will need to complete all evaluations, watch all corresponding videos and read the artiles for this week. There is also a Google form for them to fill out on our Google Classroom page that corresonds to this week's topic. When students are finished with these activities, they need to be silent reading, or practicing their typing skills on the Shark Typing game.
Friday, January 6: We will begin class today by watching Channel One. After Channel One, students will be given the rest of the hour to continue working on their digital timelines. 5th hour will be finishing up their Google Slides Timlines and 6th hour will continue working with the Time Toast internet application we have been using to finish their timelines. Once students complete their timelines, a grade will be entered and students will be able to take their rough draft timelines home. If students finish early, they are expected to work on something else for another class or study their math material from this week and the week before break to prepare for their Check Up next Tuesday.
Thursday, January 5: Students will be spending the hour working on their digital timelines on Time Toast. The link for the assignment as well as the link to Time Toast can be found on our Google Classroom page. If they finish, students will be working on Brain Games Week 8. The topic of this week's Brain Games is Peer Pressure. Students need to read all articles presented, complete the evaluations, watch the videos and answer the questions in the corresponding Google form posted on our Google Classroom page.
Wednesday, January 4: Welcome to 2017! Today in class students will be creating a TimeToast account and getting started on creating their digital timelines. We had started and completed a rough draft paper version before break. Students are going to use thier technology skills to create a timeline that they will be showcasing to other students in the room. I will post the assingment requirements once more on our Google Classroom page.
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Tuesday, December 20: Students will be participating in Mini-Society market day today. I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Break and I will see you again in 2017!
Monday, December 19: Welcome back to class! Today, students will be spending the first part of the hour finishing "My Dog Skip." Students will then be given work time to: 1. Complete their timeline project from last week if it is not already done. 2. Complete a 2 paragraph summary of the movie, "My Dog Skip." and 3. Creating a Holiday Card or working on a project for another class if you are finished. Students could also use this time to prepare for Mini-Society Market Day which will be taking place tomorrow.
Friday, December 16: We will begin class today by watching Channel One. We will then be continuing to watch "My Dog Skip." This movie will set the building blocks for our last project that we are going to complete before break.
Thursday, December 15: Students are going to be spending the class period reviewing arcade games that Ms. Moreau's 8th grade tech class has been building and designing. Students will be providing feedback to the 8th graders about their projects. Students will need to take note on how these games have been thought of and built. After break, we are going to be doing a project using Scratch to build our own video games.
Wednesday, December 14: Today in class, students will be given the first half of class to continue printing pictures and tacking them onto their rough draft timelines. We are going to spend the rest of the class period watching, "My Dog Skip." This movie will set the building blocks for our last project that we are going to complete before break.
Tuesday, December 13: Students will need to wrap up their rough draft timelines in class today. Students will be printing pictures to put on their timelines in class today. When students are finished, they will be working on the Brain Games activity posted on our Google Classroom page.
Monday, December 12: SNOW DAY!
Friday, December 9: We ended up needing to take time today to finish up our Unit 2 tests. Students who were finished were given an activity to work on while others were finishing up their assessment.
Thursday, December 8: Depending on how much of the Unit test students were able to complete, we will treat class today as a work day. Students will either be finishing the first two pages of their math test or they will be working on their timeline projects. We will start class with a brief typing exercise that correlates with our timeline project we have been working on.
Wednesday, December 7: We are going to treat class today as a work day. Students will be working on their Timeline projects from class or they will be participating in a small group study session reviewing material for their math test tomorrow. This will also be the time for students to ask any last minute questions, rewatch any video lessons that were prepared during this unit (there were 4 of them) and review any of their ACE problems they worked on during this unit.
Tuesday, December 6: Students will begin class today by working on the Brain Games Week 7 activity. Today's topic is "Memory." Students will then be given the rest of the hour as work time. They need to be working on their rough draft timelines and should have at least 15 of their life events recorded today.
Monday, December 5: We will begin the hour with 20 minutes silent reading. Students will then be given the rest of the hour to continue work on their Autobiographical Timeline project we introduced last week (in 3rd hour). The 6th hour tech group will be introduced to the project today.
Friday, December 2: Today we will begin class by watching Channel One and quickly going over our Quiz that we took in math on Wednesday this week. We are then going to spend the hour playing a problem solving Kahoot. The problems will mess with our minds and we will discuss how to come up with solutions to these problems.
Thursday, December 1: Hoops for Hunger!
Wednesday, November 30: Students will begin class today by doing a typing exercise to continue to practice their skills at typing. We will use the rest of class today as a study hall environment for students to finish their quiz from math today.
Tuesday, November 29: Today in class, students will get a chance to write their own story using blank checks. They will need to create a rough draft of their story on a scrap piece of paper first and then write their story using blank checks. This activity will wrap up our "Ordeal by Cheque" project we have been working on. Students will then be able to work on Brain Games Week 6 on their own to finish out class.
Monday, November 28: Today in class, students will be finishing up their group projects. We will then be sharing projects with the class and seeing just how everyone understood the stories in "Ordeal by Cheque." If time allows, we are going to do a math building activity today and work on "Order of Operations Bingo."
Wednesday, November 23: Remember, today is Pajama Day! Pay .50 to your first hour teacher and you can wear your PJ's all day! Today in tech, students will be participating in Mini-Society Market Day!
Tuesday, November 22: Today in class, students are going to have an opportunity to take part in an arcade that the 8th grade tech class has designed and engineered on an online virtual setting. Students will be playing and competing on homemade video games and providing feedback to their peers.
PARENTS and STUDENTS: Vestaburg School is collecting Toys for Tots Donations and Non-perishable food for a Food Drive. Donations for the Food Drive will be accepted up until the end of the day, Tuesday, November 22. Donations can also be made in a monetary way. $1=9 pounds of food!!! Wednesday, November 23 will be Pajama Day! Students can pay $.50 to their first hour teacher to wear PJ's for the day. The money collected will go towards the Food Drive collection. Toys for Tots donations can be made up until Tuesday, December 2. Please think about helping a local family that may be in need this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity!
Monday, November 21: Students will be using the first part of class to finish up their projects. They will then be spending the rest of the hour presenting their projects and stories to the class.
Friday, November 18: Students will start class by watching Channel One. The rest of the hour will be theirs to finish their group project for "Ordeal by Cheque." We will spend the last 15 minutes of class presenting our projects to each other and seeing how people interpreted this unique story.
Thursday, November 17: We are going to begin class today with a typing exercise: "Responding to a Controversial Topic." Today's topic is, "Should retail stores be allowed to have shopping deals start on Thanksgiving day rather than 'Black Friday.' We are then going to be working more on our posters and slideshows from Monday. Students are working in groups of up to 4 to recreate the scenes of four checks in our "Ordeal by Cheque" story we have been working on.
Wednesday, November 16: Today students will be starting the hour by silent reading for 20 minutes. They will then be working on Brain Games Week 4: Money. The links for this and an assignment are posted on our Google Classroom page. When they are finished with this activity, they need to be working on the Crossword Puzzle and Word Search provided in class.
Tuesday, November 15: No school today!
Monday, November 14: The first 20 minutes, students will be able to do a free type of something that has happened to them in the last few days. They need to make this a narrative and show their audience what happened, not just tell. The rest of class will be spent on a group project dealing with our "Ordeal by Cheque" projects we have been working on. Students will need to choose a story they want to tell from the checks and either create a poster or slideshow.
Friday, November 11: There will be a sub in my class today. Students will spend the first 20 minutes silent reading. They are then responsible for watching Channel One on their own and grabbing a sheet from class to submit a written response to the news they watched. They will then spend the rest of the hour either silent reading, working on the approved website for our class or doing an adult coloring book page for extra credit points.
Thursday, November 10: Today in class, we will start by doing another typing exercise. Students will add to their story from Monday. We will then be continuing our project with "Ordeal By Cheque." Students will be picking 4 checks that are in order to come up with a story for each group. We will then share our stories just to see how everyone is interpreting these crazy checks!
Wednesday, November 9: There will be a sub in my room today. Students will begin class by reading and article and responding to questions. The class will then be working on Brain Games Week 3 "Morality." The link to this assignment can be found on our Google Classroom page.
Tuesday, November 8: We will begin class today by reading silently for 20 minutes. We are then going to continue our "Ordeal By Cheque" project by continuing our character map to decide how each character of the story is involved with the story and how each of them are connected. Students will then begin to write their version of the story in their groups.
Monday, November 7: Today in class we are going to be making "Don't Text and Drive" campaign posters to hang around the school. This assignment can be found on our Google Classroom page. When students are finished, we will return to our "Ordeal By Cheque" project from last week. Today students will be tasked with creating a character web to see just how each person in the story is related.
Friday, November 4: Today we will be watching Channel One in class and students have class time to work on any missing assignments for any of their other classes.
Thursday, November 3: Today is a shortened class due to an 11:00a.m. release. Students will be continuing the Creating Writing Exercise we started yesterday. They need to figure out how characters are connected in the story and recognize that sometimes a certain part of a story is not explained until later on in the story.
Wednesday, November 2: Today in class, we are going to be beginning a Creative Writing Exercise called, "Ordeal By Cheque." Students will need to decipher what is happening in a story that is told using only checks. The materials for this assignment will be posted on our Google Classroom page. We will have a class discussion about what the story is about and talk about future projects that will be related to this bizarre story.
ATTENTION PARENTS: Parent Teacher Conferences are being held this week, Wednesday, November 2 from 5:00p.m.-7:30p.m. and on Thursday, November 3 from 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m. and 5:30p.m.-7:30p.m.
Please also see the below link for a quick Parent Survey. Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________IIn an effort to improve system practices, Vestaburg Community Schools is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey.
In order to complete the survey, please go to:
http://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/11561/p420
Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
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Tuesday, November 1: Today in class we will be starting class by filling out our Student Led conference sheets for both Math and Technology classes. We will then be utilizing the "Brain Games" website to figure out if we are left brained or right brained, or if this is just a myth and that both sides of our brains work together. The link for the website and the required evaluation for credit can be found on our Google Classroom page. We will then an activity together as a class that will further decide if you are left brained or right brained...or both.
Monday, October 31: Today is a reward day for the end of the month. Students will be given time today to either make up any missing work for any class. They can read silently, or they can use the class period as game time.
Friday, October 28: Today is Friday again! We will be starting class by watching Channel One. We will be filling out Student Led Conference Sheets during class today for students to put in their folders that will be shared with parent's during conferences next week. Students will then be participating in their first Market Day for Mini-Society.
Thursday, October 27: Happy Thursday! Today in class we will be continuing our Build With Chrome project. The link can still be found on our Google Classroom page. This project will be our next big grade in our class.
Wednesday, October 26: Early Release Day! Today in class we will be doing an activity with the hit TV show, "Brain Games." The link to this activity can be found on our Google Classroom page. This is an on your own activity so those who are working on a test can be in a quiet environment.
Tuesday, October 25: Happy Tuesday everyone! Today in class we will be playing on last round of KAHOOTS! and then taking our Special Chromebook Keys Quiz on Google Classroom. When you are finished with your quiz you will be starting our last project with Build With Chrome called: "Problem Solving With Build With Chrome." The assignment will be handed out in class and can be found on our Google Classroom page. This assignment will take us most of this week to complete.
Monday, October 24: Today is a shortened hour due to an assembly this afternoon. We will be doing a review game called KAHOOTS! for our Special Chromebook Keys Quiz tomorrow.
Friday, October 21: We will be watching Channel One, finishing up "The Lego Movie" and doing an assignment that can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students will then be given time to do a free build on Build With Chrome. I will also offer a time for students to play another round of Order of Operations Bingo that we played in math on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 20: Today in class we will be continuing "The Lego Movie." Students will need to be paying attention to certain structures and topics of engineering that are taking place in the movie. They will use some ideas from the movie for their next project in Build With Chrome which we will start next week.
Wednesday, October 19: Today in class we will be watching "The Lego Movie." Students will need to be paying attention to certain structures and topics of engineering that are taking place in the movie. They will use some ideas from the movie for their next project in Build With Chrome which we will start next week.
Tuesday, October 18: We will begin class by doing some typing exercises using the following website: www.typing.com/student/lessons/384/paragraph-practice. When students finish all 12 exercises, they need to do another free build in Build With Chrome. This build will be for a grade check. They need to show Mr. Nadeau their build by the end of class to receive points.
Monday, October 17: Today in class, we will begin by doing a mini-lesson on the special keys located on the top row of our Chromebooks. Students will be given a note sheet for them to fill out once the test the keys out on their own. Once they are finished with the notes, they need to find a famous structure or statue that they wish to do a free build on Build With Chrome. They are to work on this if the are finished with the Build With Chrome Academy.
Friday, October 14: Today in class, Mrs. Alexander will be in the class for the whole hour doing a lesson on anti-bullying.
Thursday, October 13: Today in class, students will be introduced to the Build With Chrome app on their Chromebooks. Students will need to work through the academy portion of the app today to gain an understanding of how to be successful in using the app. A link to the app can be found here: https://www.buildwithchrome.com/ and on our Google Classroom page.
Wednesday, October 12: (Early Release) Today in class students will be taking their first keyboarding quiz. They will need to fill out a blank keyboard with numbers and letters only. We will correct these together in class and we will introduce our next big topic: Build With Chrome.
Tuesday, October 11: Today there will be a sub in my room. Students know and understand the classroom expectations. They will be working on an internet scavenger hunt. They will be given the worksheet in class and asked to find the answers to all questions online. While they are searching and finding the answers, they also need to write down which website they found the information from. google.com is not an acceptable answer. When students are finished, they need to continue their activity from math or find something quiet to work on.
Monday, October 10: Today students will be given an opportunity to beat their high scores on the Shark Typing Game. We will then do an exercise to review letters and numbers on the keyboard. Students will have a quiz over this on Wednesday in class. If time permits, we will do one last exercise with our cartoons from previous weeks. We are going to be printing a comic book to display at parent teacher conferences.
Friday, October 7: We will begin class by watching Channel One and then move right into our Cartoon Cafe! Students will be sharing their toons with the 8th grade tech students during the hour.
Thursday, October 6: We will begin class with an activity used to help us remember the keyboard. The link to the activity can be found on our Google Classroom page. After students have reviewed their checklist, they need to create a 2-3 sentence script on the back. This will be how they will introduce themselves to their audience on Friday. Students will then be given time to finish up their toons.
Wednesday, October 5: Students will have class time to work on perfecting their toons today. They will be provided a checklist in class that they will use to evaluate their toon on their own. For the last 10 minutes of class, they need to find one partner, take their checklist with them and have their partner evaluate their slideshow and look for any missing pieces. I will attach this checklist and other requirements I am expecting to a post on our Google Classroom page.
Tuesday, October 4: Students will begin class by spending 20 minutes practicing their typing on the Shark Typing game. The link can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students will then have time to continue working on their Toons. They need to continue working on adding animations to their toons. I have a checklist prepared for each student to use to make sure they have everything in their toons. The checklist can be found on our Google Classroom page.
Monday, October 3: Today in class students will continue working on their Techno Toons and getting more instruction on how to add animations and transitions. A notes sheet on how to insert animations and transitions has been added to our Google Classroom page. These toons are due on Friday, at which time we will be sharing these with the 8th Grade Tech Students.
Friday, September 30: We will start class by watching Channel One. Students will then be given the rest of the hour to continue perfecting their Techno Toons. We will dive deeper into inserting animations and transitions.
Thursday, September 29: Today in class students will be working on how to crop images in their Techno Toon project so they can use only portions of clip art pictures in their comic strips. We will also begin looking at how we will insert animations into our projects to make them come alive!
Wednesday, September 28: We have a shortened class due to Early Release today. Students will have an opportunity to retake their Chromebook Quiz on Google Classroom. When they are finished, they need to review their keyboard and then fill in as many letters and numbers on a paper copy of the keyboard. Students can then use the rest of class to continue working on their Techno Toon project.
Tuesday, September 27: Students will be given time in class today to work on their Mini Society projects. Then they will be working on their Techno Toon projects. Students need to continue working on their story slides.
Monday, September 26: In class today we will review the parts of the Chromebook so students can do their retake quiz on Wednesday. They will be given the rest of class to start making their digital comic strip. Students have already hand drawn these and create title slides in Google Slides, today they will start to create their digital story.
Friday, September 23: Game Day!
Thursday, September 22: Students will have some time at the start of class to try their luck on the Shark Typing game. This link can still be found in Google Classroom. Students will then be continuing to work on their Techno Toon projects that we have started in class.
Wednesday, September 21: Today students will be continuing to work on their Techno Toon project. As a class, we will go over some more formatting ideas that students can use to make their projects come to life.
Tuesday, September 20: Today in class, students will start off by piecing together comic strips that have been cut out of a newspaper. They are to make sense of the story just like their cartoon will need to make sense. Students will be given time to add setting and color to their hand drawn cartoons. We may end class by beginning to create your title slide for your cartoon slideshow.
Monday, September 19: Happy Homecoming Week! Students will be taking their first quiz on the Parts of a Chromebook. Students will then be challenged to fill out a blank keyboard. We will check our answers to make sure everyone knows the whole keyboard. Students will then be challenged with the Shark Typing Game to see if they can get a high score.
Friday, September 16: To start class today, we will be watching Channel One. Students will be given more time to complete their Check-Up from Math if needed. The class will then be doing a review using Plickers to review the Parts of a Chromebook that they will have a quiz over on Monday. I provided students a hard copy of this handout if they requested one yesterday. We will then be watching part of a Charlie Brown Cartoon episode, discussing some of the animations behind it and how animation has changed since the creation of Charlie Brown.
Thursday, September 15: Today we will be continuing our Techno Toon project. We will start off class with a review of the home row of the keyboard and using both our left and right hands to type. The link can be found here: www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.html The class will work through another template cartoon and make the story come to life by placing words and sounds in the pre-existing call outs. Students will also get a chance to start sketching what they want their first cartoon strip to look like.
Wednesday, September 14: Today students will be working on their Techno Toon project. We are going to be going over the first two assignments together. These assignments are posted on our Google Classroom page. Students will also learn how to access their grades on Power School today. I can always refresh student's memories throughout the year. They will be receiving a code they need to access this from school, home or anywhere they have access to internet.
Tuesday, September 13: Students will spend the first 20 minutes of class reviewing their typing by playing the following typing game: www.typingadventure.com/index.php?mod=game Students will hear a mini lesson on the various parts of the Chromebooks we are using in class this year. These notes can be found on Google Classroom. We will begin our Techno Toon project by watching how Disney first began creating animations.
Monday, September 12: Students will be given a few minutes to finish up their "About Me" Slideshows. Students will use a Google Form located on our Google Classroom page to evaluate each other's slides. Once the class is finished with this exercise, there will be an internet scavenger hunt in recognition of 9/11, This exercise can also be found on our Google Classroom page.
Friday, September 9: We will be watching Channel One news for the first part of class today. For the remainder of class, students will be perfecting their "About Me" slideshows they started in class on Wednesday. A rubric was provided in class that contains information regarding what their presentations should include.
Thursday, September 8: Students will be spending the whole class period NWEA testing. When they are done with the testing, they are only to be working on the following site: http://kizi.com/
Wednesday, September 7: Students began working on their "About Me" slideshows today. A mini lesson was given at the beginning of class on how to use and navigate Google Slides.
Tuesday, September 6: We will be starting some typing exercises in class today. The exercise that we did can be found at the following link: http://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.html. Students were to record their last typing exercises (including today's date, the time in seconds the exercise took them, and how many errors were recorded while typing) in their Google Spreadsheet we created in class today.
Monday, September 5: Happy Labor Day!
Wednesday, August 31: Google Classroom. Technology Survey.
Tuesday, August 30: Classroom expectations, exploring class website, Defining technology. Netiquette Rules. Brainstorm how we use technology in our lives everyday.
Monday, August 29: The Insides of a Computer Activity. Groups worked together to draw what they thought the inside of a computer looked like. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFi90lZmXA
This will be the last post of the school year. Can you believe it is already here! This week students will spend some time learning about Mean, Median and Mode on a PBS student site. We will also be spending some more time working on Khan Academy and looking at animation. I hope you all have a great summer!
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Week of 5/22/2017-5/26/2017:
This week we will be spending some time on Khan academy looking at how Disney Pixar creates animated movies. Students will learn about the storytelling process, characters and different things that are taken into perspective when creating a movie. We will also be spending some time looking at probability. The links we will be using in class this week will be posted on our Google Classroom page.
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Week of 5/15/2017-5/19/2017:
Our week will begin by doing some more math skills practice to help you rock your MSTEP testing this week! The rest of our week will involve continuing to code our Pacman project and also spending some time relaxing and rejuvenating after a week of testing. Don't stress, you guys are going to be awesome!
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Week of 5/8/2017-5/12/2017:
This is our final week to do some final MSTEP practice. We will be working on a DESMOS this week which will further develop our graphing skills. We will be watching several videos and graphing the stories which are "changing" in the videos. We will then be spending some time working through a practice Performance Task. The rest of our time this week will be spent continuing to code our Pacman game on Scratch.
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Week of 5/1/2017-5/5/2017:
This week will continue to code our Pacman projects. We will also use any class time we need to resume and continue our NWEA tests. We will also be spending some time preparing for the MSTEP test through a project of gathering information from charts, graphs and tables and also by taking a look at a practice performance task which will be similar to the MSTEP Performance Task.
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Week of 4/24/2017-4/28/2017:
We are going to be starting off the week with a Pacman tournament and brainstorming some ideas of how we will be coding our Pacman projects. Students will take knowledge of what they have utilized in Scratch to help code this project. We will also be spending some time this week working on any missing assignments for this class. Students will also be given an opportunity to do corrections to their Check Up 1 from last week in math. We will end our week with coding a robot called "Dash." His code is very similar to the code we've been using in Scratch.
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Week of 4/17/2017-4/21/2017:
Welcome back from the long weekend! This week we will begin coding one of the most popular and vintage video games, Pacman on Scratch. We will be building our own Sprites and writing our own code with very little instructions. Students will also be working on creating different costumes for their Sprites. We are also going to be spending some class time this week looking directly at an MSTEP practice test and getting experience using the online tools available to students as they work through their MSTEP testing.
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Week of 4/10/2017-4/14/2017:
Welcome back! I hope you had some time to do some things you enjoy over your break. We are going to be starting off the week taking a look at your Scratch projects you were working on before Spring Break. We will wrap up the week with some math review to prepare you for the MSTEP testing you will be doing very soon. Don't worry, the activities we have planned should get you thinking.
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ATTENTION 6th GRADE TECH STUDENTS:
Hey guys. Per doctor's orders, I am out until after Spring Break. I know we had a few things to wrap up before Spring Break, and I promise we will get to those as soon as we are back together again. We will take a look at any questions or issues you had with coding "Cheese Chase," "Circle Wars," or "Jumpy Monkey." We are then going to code one more big project together before we move onto our last big project for the year. I hope you all have an AWESOME break!
Week of 3/27/2017-3/31/2017:
This week we will be working on our Cheese Chase, Jumpy Monkey or Circle Wars coding projects on Scratch. We will be taking a closer look at the code behind these games and comparing the code to how we have been working with is similar and different to these projects. Students will also be given time in class this week to make up any missing assignments they may have in other classes before Spring Break.
Take note: April 11 is now a scheduled 1:00p.m. Early Release day.
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Week of 3/20/2017-3/24/2017:
This week students will be spending some time continuing to craft their Scratch coding projects. We will be wrapping up our Star Hunter games and about some hacks and tweaks we can use in Scratch to make our projects more entertaining and at times more difficult to play. We will also be spending some time taking a look at the evolution of video game music and how the sounds and music of games has enhanced and changed the gaming world forever. We will wrap up the week with a DESMOS mini golf activity which will review how we plot data on a graph.
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Week of 3/13/2017-3/17/2017:
This week's post will be similar to last week due to our power outage days. We will be spending quite a bit of time adding to both our Star Hunter Scratch projects as well as our individual or partner projects we started working on early last week. We will be discussing how to keep score on Scratch and we will learn some strategies which make a game more playable and a project more successful in Scratch.
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Week of 3/6/2017-3/10/2017:
This week we will be spending some more time adding to our Star Hunter Scratch games. We will have the game wrapped up by the end of the week. Each part of the assignment will be posted on our Google Classroom page. On Tuesday, students will be watching two "Icons" episodes and will add two slides with some information on the development of the Xbox and the Playstation gaming systems. We will also be spending some of our time in class reviewing some mathematics concepts in preparation for M-STEP testing.
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Week of 2/27/2017-3/3/2017:
This week will be starting to program and code a computer game titled, "Star Hunter." We will be taking a look at using different sprites, backgrounds and sounds in a computer game. We will have discussions on how these factors influence the play-ability of a game. We will have two typing exercises and a Brain Games warm-up, all of which will be posted on our Google Classroom page. We are also going to work on a DESMOS on Wednesday this week. This is a website we will be using to model mathematical situations.
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Week of 2/20/2017-2/24/2017:
We are going to start the week with a President's Day activity and then launch into beginning to learn how to code computer games on Scratch. There will be several posts on Google Classroom this week with links, and pages of our Scratch coding book we will be using to get started. We will be doing some exploring and experimenting this week before we begin to make our very first Scratch game, "Star Hunter."
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Friday, February 17: We will start class by watching Channel One and then an "Icons" episode on Donkey Kong and the how the all time popular video game changed gaming forever. We will then spend the rest of the hour continuing to work on our Gaming Slideshow Portfolios. Anyone who has not had a grade check this week will need one today.
Thursday, February 16: Today you are going to be spending the hour doing research on the historically popular game, Pong. We will take a look at why this game was so popular for it's time period and also what needs to happen in order for this game to work. We will then spend some time trying re-code pong and see why the code which was written for the game makes so much sense.
Wednesday, February 15: I'm sorry class, but I am home with my sick child today. You will be working on Sumdog for the entire hour today. The expectation is that you will be working silently on your own during this task. You may have headphones in and listening to music during this time.
Tuesday, February 14: Today you will be given an opportunity to make corrections on your Unit 3 Math Test. You will be given the option of working on this by yourself or with a partner. Any corrections you make will be made directly on your old test. If you are finished with corrections, you will be working on updating your Gaming Slides Portfolio as there will be a grade check for this at some point this week. If you are all caught up with this, you will be working on Sumdog for the remainder of the hour.
Monday, February 13: The class will be spending the majority of the hour watching two "Icons" episodes. The first will show them the history of Atari and how the company experienced a roller coaster of an economic history through the early years of gaming. This video will also introduce another company, Nintendo, that took the ideas and concepts of personal gaming to a whole other level. The second video will show students the history of Mario and the "cool for it's time" "Donkey Kong" smash hit game which paved the way for Mario and all of the games that would follow. You will then be adding 2 slides to your Gaming Portfolio, one for each of the videos and information presented today.
Friday, February 10: Class will begin with a short writing activity following the activities from class yesterday. We will then be watching Channel One. We are then going to be spending the rest of the hour discussing Pac-man and the code behind the all time famous game. We will also be discussing how arcade gaming technology changed gaming forever.
Thursday, February 9: I apologize, but I am out sick today. You will be watching "Finding Dory" during class today. My expectation is that you are quiet during the whole video or else the instructions which were left for the substitute is to have the whole class read if they cannot be quiet during the video. You are not to be doing anything on your Chromebook during class today. I have also given the substitute permission to remove your Chromebook if you are using at all during class.
Wednesday, February 8: If students still need time to finish their Unit 3 math test this is what they will be working on first. Otherwise, we will use the remainder of the class period to catch up on our Google Slideshows we have been making in regards to what we have learned thus far about video games. Students may even have an opportunity to play Pacman again, if they didn't yesterday, and start to unravel what the coding for the game might look like.
Tuesday, February 7: We are going to continue our Video Gaming unit today by watching an "Icons" Episode on "Pacman." The video can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYUForTowes. Students are going to need to take note of two important developments that occurred with the creation of Pacman and how these advancements changed video gaming. Students will add this information to the Google Slides portfolio we started in class on Friday. We will then get a chance to play Pacman and discuss some of the possible coding that went in to making Pacman work.
Monday, February 6: Today we are going to begin class with a typing exercise and students will respond to the following question: What is your all time favorite video game? We will the continue with our research of the History and Evolution of Gaming. Students will be taking a look at a virtual timeline that will go through the advancement of gaming. Students will be continuing their slideshows from Friday and using the information from the timeline to add to their slides.
Friday, February 3: Students will first watch a video that explains the instructions for today. Students should then watch Channel One on their own. They may then work with partners to read the "History of Gaming, An Evolving Community" article and create a 3-5 slide slideshow answering one of the questions posted on the assignment guide on Google Classroom. All the videos and links can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students should be ready to show me their slideshows on Monday. If students finish, they are to work on Sumdog for the remainder of the hour.
Thursday, February 2: Students will be spending the majority of the hour working on their Kahoots from earlier in the week. Students will also have a chance to play one another's Kahoots in class today. I will have the Kahoot rubric projected up during class so students will know exactly what the expectations are.
Wednesday, February 1: Today in class, students will have the opportunity to make corrections on their math quiz from Monday. Students will also have time in class to continue working on their Wilderness Survival Kahoot they have been working on this week.
Tuesday, January 31: For class today, we are going to be continuing to build our Kahoots that we started in class yesterday. Students were working with a partner and using their Wilderness Survival research from ELA class to create questions and responses. The expectation for today is that students have at least 5 questions completed with responses and pictures. If students finish early, they may make their own Kahoot with a school appropriate topic.
Monday, January 30: We are going to start class by having students playing each other's Kahoots we made together in class last week. The remainder of the hour, students will making a Kahoot with a partner that will be on the topic of Wilderness Survival, dealing with the research they have been conducting in Ms. Vissman's class. Students need to have a good start on building at least 8-10 questions with adequate responses.
Friday, January 27: Happy Friday! Today we are going to be reviewing the videos and information the students were presented on Tuesday when the sub was here. I have a couple of different websites to show them, which will be posted on our Google Classroom page. One website shows what the very first glimpse of the internet looked like. The other website will show students what happens in one second on the internet (how many YouTube videos watched, how many "Likes" on Facebook, and how many Instagram photos are uploaded)...the numbers are astounding....some in the millions...in just seconds! The class will be watching Channel One News to start class.
Thursday, January 26: Any student who has not yet finished their math NWEA testing will be given that opportunity today in Tech. All students will need to have shown me their digital timelines today (most already have). This will be their first grade for the new semester. Students will then be spending the rest of the hour either finishing their Logos Kahoot from yesterday, or working on Sumdog. Sumdog is an online mathematics application that challenges students to answer tough mathematics questions to further their skills and knowledge in the subject matter.
Wednesday, January 25: Today students are going to be working on a class-wide Kahoot that we are going to title, "Logos Quiz." This Kahoot will need to be 5 question in length (minimum) and represent famous (school appropriate) logos that we see everyday. Students are going to be challenged to use the 'snip-it' tool on their Chromebooks to only capture a part of an image. They will then be given some class time to create some of their own questions.
Tuesday, January 24: There will be a sub in my room today. Students will be watching two videos in class today that they will be needing to take notes on. They will be provided with a notes sheet. There are several fill in the blanks to fill in. We will be going over this packet later on in class. The videos and notes pertain to the creation and development of the internet and how the internet functions. There will be a short quiz over this information next week. There is also a link posted on Google Classroom for students to be working on when they finish the videos and note sheets. If students finish, they are to read silently.
Monday, January 23: Class today will depend on how many students need to complete their NWEA testing. This will be our first priority. Then students will be given time to work on their Timeline projects from previous weeks or work on Brain Games if they are done with other required assessments and coursework. Depending on time, students will be able to take part in a Peer Review on their timelines they have been working on in class. If we do not have time for this today, we will do this first thing Tuesday in class.
Friday, January 20: (Exam Schedule 1:00 release. Only 6th Hour Today) We are going to start our Exam session by taking a Partner Quiz over Chapter 2 (Math). We cannot push this back any further, so we are going to go through this assessment together so we can move on to Chapter 3 next week. If we can get this assessment finished up before our exam time is up, will be starting to build a class-wide Kahoot. We are going to make a Kahoot together about famous logos that are used all of the time. Students will learn how to "snip" parts of pictures to use in their questions. We will get started making the first couple of questions together, and students will be given the rest of class to make this Kahoot!
Thursday, January 19: (Exam Schedule 1:00 release. Only 5th Hour Today) We are going to start our Exam session by taking a Partner Quiz over Chapter 2 (Math). We cannot push this back any further, so we are going to go through this assessment together so we can move on to Chapter 3 next week. If we can get this assessment finished up before our exam time is up, will be starting to build a class-wide Kahoot. We are going to make a Kahoot together about famous logos that are used all of the time. Students will learn how to "snip" parts of pictures to use in their questions. We will get started making the first couple of questions together, and students will be given the rest of class to make this Kahoot!
Wednesday, January 18: SNOW DAY.
Tuesday, January 17: SNOW DAY.
Monday, January 16: As a warm-up to begin class today, students will have an opportunity to participate in a school wide service project to make Valentines for Veterans. If students choose not to participate, there is a short article and quiz posted on our Google Classroom page honoring Martin Luther King Jr. We are then going to be starting our new project today: Making your own Kahoot! We will begin class with a "How Good Is Your Memory" Kahoot! Students will then be creating their own Kahoot account and we will be making a 5-8 question Kahoot together on famous company logos. Students will then be introduced to their next project which will involve creating their own Kahoot! Students will find benefit from knowing how to create a Kahoot as they can use this for studying purposes or for fun game play using technology.
Friday, January 13: We will start class by watching Channel One. Students will then have time to complete their math quiz. If they already finished in math, they will be finishing up their Virtual Timelines we started last week and worked on during class on Monday. Also, if they did not finish Brain Games they will be working on that as well.
Thursday, January 12: Snow Day.
Wednesday, January 11: Snow Day.
Tuedsay, January 10: Snow Day.
Monday, January 9: Today in class, students will be finishing their digital timelines. 5th hour will be finishing up their digital timeilines on their Google Slides and 6th hour will be finishing up their timelines on Time Toast. When students are finished, they need to be working on the Brain Games- Peer Pressure assingment for this week. They will need to complete all evaluations, watch all corresponding videos and read the artiles for this week. There is also a Google form for them to fill out on our Google Classroom page that corresonds to this week's topic. When students are finished with these activities, they need to be silent reading, or practicing their typing skills on the Shark Typing game.
Friday, January 6: We will begin class today by watching Channel One. After Channel One, students will be given the rest of the hour to continue working on their digital timelines. 5th hour will be finishing up their Google Slides Timlines and 6th hour will continue working with the Time Toast internet application we have been using to finish their timelines. Once students complete their timelines, a grade will be entered and students will be able to take their rough draft timelines home. If students finish early, they are expected to work on something else for another class or study their math material from this week and the week before break to prepare for their Check Up next Tuesday.
Thursday, January 5: Students will be spending the hour working on their digital timelines on Time Toast. The link for the assignment as well as the link to Time Toast can be found on our Google Classroom page. If they finish, students will be working on Brain Games Week 8. The topic of this week's Brain Games is Peer Pressure. Students need to read all articles presented, complete the evaluations, watch the videos and answer the questions in the corresponding Google form posted on our Google Classroom page.
Wednesday, January 4: Welcome to 2017! Today in class students will be creating a TimeToast account and getting started on creating their digital timelines. We had started and completed a rough draft paper version before break. Students are going to use thier technology skills to create a timeline that they will be showcasing to other students in the room. I will post the assingment requirements once more on our Google Classroom page.
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Tuesday, December 20: Students will be participating in Mini-Society market day today. I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Break and I will see you again in 2017!
Monday, December 19: Welcome back to class! Today, students will be spending the first part of the hour finishing "My Dog Skip." Students will then be given work time to: 1. Complete their timeline project from last week if it is not already done. 2. Complete a 2 paragraph summary of the movie, "My Dog Skip." and 3. Creating a Holiday Card or working on a project for another class if you are finished. Students could also use this time to prepare for Mini-Society Market Day which will be taking place tomorrow.
Friday, December 16: We will begin class today by watching Channel One. We will then be continuing to watch "My Dog Skip." This movie will set the building blocks for our last project that we are going to complete before break.
Thursday, December 15: Students are going to be spending the class period reviewing arcade games that Ms. Moreau's 8th grade tech class has been building and designing. Students will be providing feedback to the 8th graders about their projects. Students will need to take note on how these games have been thought of and built. After break, we are going to be doing a project using Scratch to build our own video games.
Wednesday, December 14: Today in class, students will be given the first half of class to continue printing pictures and tacking them onto their rough draft timelines. We are going to spend the rest of the class period watching, "My Dog Skip." This movie will set the building blocks for our last project that we are going to complete before break.
Tuesday, December 13: Students will need to wrap up their rough draft timelines in class today. Students will be printing pictures to put on their timelines in class today. When students are finished, they will be working on the Brain Games activity posted on our Google Classroom page.
Monday, December 12: SNOW DAY!
Friday, December 9: We ended up needing to take time today to finish up our Unit 2 tests. Students who were finished were given an activity to work on while others were finishing up their assessment.
Thursday, December 8: Depending on how much of the Unit test students were able to complete, we will treat class today as a work day. Students will either be finishing the first two pages of their math test or they will be working on their timeline projects. We will start class with a brief typing exercise that correlates with our timeline project we have been working on.
Wednesday, December 7: We are going to treat class today as a work day. Students will be working on their Timeline projects from class or they will be participating in a small group study session reviewing material for their math test tomorrow. This will also be the time for students to ask any last minute questions, rewatch any video lessons that were prepared during this unit (there were 4 of them) and review any of their ACE problems they worked on during this unit.
Tuesday, December 6: Students will begin class today by working on the Brain Games Week 7 activity. Today's topic is "Memory." Students will then be given the rest of the hour as work time. They need to be working on their rough draft timelines and should have at least 15 of their life events recorded today.
Monday, December 5: We will begin the hour with 20 minutes silent reading. Students will then be given the rest of the hour to continue work on their Autobiographical Timeline project we introduced last week (in 3rd hour). The 6th hour tech group will be introduced to the project today.
Friday, December 2: Today we will begin class by watching Channel One and quickly going over our Quiz that we took in math on Wednesday this week. We are then going to spend the hour playing a problem solving Kahoot. The problems will mess with our minds and we will discuss how to come up with solutions to these problems.
Thursday, December 1: Hoops for Hunger!
Wednesday, November 30: Students will begin class today by doing a typing exercise to continue to practice their skills at typing. We will use the rest of class today as a study hall environment for students to finish their quiz from math today.
Tuesday, November 29: Today in class, students will get a chance to write their own story using blank checks. They will need to create a rough draft of their story on a scrap piece of paper first and then write their story using blank checks. This activity will wrap up our "Ordeal by Cheque" project we have been working on. Students will then be able to work on Brain Games Week 6 on their own to finish out class.
Monday, November 28: Today in class, students will be finishing up their group projects. We will then be sharing projects with the class and seeing just how everyone understood the stories in "Ordeal by Cheque." If time allows, we are going to do a math building activity today and work on "Order of Operations Bingo."
Wednesday, November 23: Remember, today is Pajama Day! Pay .50 to your first hour teacher and you can wear your PJ's all day! Today in tech, students will be participating in Mini-Society Market Day!
Tuesday, November 22: Today in class, students are going to have an opportunity to take part in an arcade that the 8th grade tech class has designed and engineered on an online virtual setting. Students will be playing and competing on homemade video games and providing feedback to their peers.
PARENTS and STUDENTS: Vestaburg School is collecting Toys for Tots Donations and Non-perishable food for a Food Drive. Donations for the Food Drive will be accepted up until the end of the day, Tuesday, November 22. Donations can also be made in a monetary way. $1=9 pounds of food!!! Wednesday, November 23 will be Pajama Day! Students can pay $.50 to their first hour teacher to wear PJ's for the day. The money collected will go towards the Food Drive collection. Toys for Tots donations can be made up until Tuesday, December 2. Please think about helping a local family that may be in need this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity!
Monday, November 21: Students will be using the first part of class to finish up their projects. They will then be spending the rest of the hour presenting their projects and stories to the class.
Friday, November 18: Students will start class by watching Channel One. The rest of the hour will be theirs to finish their group project for "Ordeal by Cheque." We will spend the last 15 minutes of class presenting our projects to each other and seeing how people interpreted this unique story.
Thursday, November 17: We are going to begin class today with a typing exercise: "Responding to a Controversial Topic." Today's topic is, "Should retail stores be allowed to have shopping deals start on Thanksgiving day rather than 'Black Friday.' We are then going to be working more on our posters and slideshows from Monday. Students are working in groups of up to 4 to recreate the scenes of four checks in our "Ordeal by Cheque" story we have been working on.
Wednesday, November 16: Today students will be starting the hour by silent reading for 20 minutes. They will then be working on Brain Games Week 4: Money. The links for this and an assignment are posted on our Google Classroom page. When they are finished with this activity, they need to be working on the Crossword Puzzle and Word Search provided in class.
Tuesday, November 15: No school today!
Monday, November 14: The first 20 minutes, students will be able to do a free type of something that has happened to them in the last few days. They need to make this a narrative and show their audience what happened, not just tell. The rest of class will be spent on a group project dealing with our "Ordeal by Cheque" projects we have been working on. Students will need to choose a story they want to tell from the checks and either create a poster or slideshow.
Friday, November 11: There will be a sub in my class today. Students will spend the first 20 minutes silent reading. They are then responsible for watching Channel One on their own and grabbing a sheet from class to submit a written response to the news they watched. They will then spend the rest of the hour either silent reading, working on the approved website for our class or doing an adult coloring book page for extra credit points.
Thursday, November 10: Today in class, we will start by doing another typing exercise. Students will add to their story from Monday. We will then be continuing our project with "Ordeal By Cheque." Students will be picking 4 checks that are in order to come up with a story for each group. We will then share our stories just to see how everyone is interpreting these crazy checks!
Wednesday, November 9: There will be a sub in my room today. Students will begin class by reading and article and responding to questions. The class will then be working on Brain Games Week 3 "Morality." The link to this assignment can be found on our Google Classroom page.
Tuesday, November 8: We will begin class today by reading silently for 20 minutes. We are then going to continue our "Ordeal By Cheque" project by continuing our character map to decide how each character of the story is involved with the story and how each of them are connected. Students will then begin to write their version of the story in their groups.
Monday, November 7: Today in class we are going to be making "Don't Text and Drive" campaign posters to hang around the school. This assignment can be found on our Google Classroom page. When students are finished, we will return to our "Ordeal By Cheque" project from last week. Today students will be tasked with creating a character web to see just how each person in the story is related.
Friday, November 4: Today we will be watching Channel One in class and students have class time to work on any missing assignments for any of their other classes.
Thursday, November 3: Today is a shortened class due to an 11:00a.m. release. Students will be continuing the Creating Writing Exercise we started yesterday. They need to figure out how characters are connected in the story and recognize that sometimes a certain part of a story is not explained until later on in the story.
Wednesday, November 2: Today in class, we are going to be beginning a Creative Writing Exercise called, "Ordeal By Cheque." Students will need to decipher what is happening in a story that is told using only checks. The materials for this assignment will be posted on our Google Classroom page. We will have a class discussion about what the story is about and talk about future projects that will be related to this bizarre story.
ATTENTION PARENTS: Parent Teacher Conferences are being held this week, Wednesday, November 2 from 5:00p.m.-7:30p.m. and on Thursday, November 3 from 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m. and 5:30p.m.-7:30p.m.
Please also see the below link for a quick Parent Survey. Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________IIn an effort to improve system practices, Vestaburg Community Schools is conducting a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey.
In order to complete the survey, please go to:
http://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/11561/p420
Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, November 1: Today in class we will be starting class by filling out our Student Led conference sheets for both Math and Technology classes. We will then be utilizing the "Brain Games" website to figure out if we are left brained or right brained, or if this is just a myth and that both sides of our brains work together. The link for the website and the required evaluation for credit can be found on our Google Classroom page. We will then an activity together as a class that will further decide if you are left brained or right brained...or both.
Monday, October 31: Today is a reward day for the end of the month. Students will be given time today to either make up any missing work for any class. They can read silently, or they can use the class period as game time.
Friday, October 28: Today is Friday again! We will be starting class by watching Channel One. We will be filling out Student Led Conference Sheets during class today for students to put in their folders that will be shared with parent's during conferences next week. Students will then be participating in their first Market Day for Mini-Society.
Thursday, October 27: Happy Thursday! Today in class we will be continuing our Build With Chrome project. The link can still be found on our Google Classroom page. This project will be our next big grade in our class.
Wednesday, October 26: Early Release Day! Today in class we will be doing an activity with the hit TV show, "Brain Games." The link to this activity can be found on our Google Classroom page. This is an on your own activity so those who are working on a test can be in a quiet environment.
Tuesday, October 25: Happy Tuesday everyone! Today in class we will be playing on last round of KAHOOTS! and then taking our Special Chromebook Keys Quiz on Google Classroom. When you are finished with your quiz you will be starting our last project with Build With Chrome called: "Problem Solving With Build With Chrome." The assignment will be handed out in class and can be found on our Google Classroom page. This assignment will take us most of this week to complete.
Monday, October 24: Today is a shortened hour due to an assembly this afternoon. We will be doing a review game called KAHOOTS! for our Special Chromebook Keys Quiz tomorrow.
Friday, October 21: We will be watching Channel One, finishing up "The Lego Movie" and doing an assignment that can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students will then be given time to do a free build on Build With Chrome. I will also offer a time for students to play another round of Order of Operations Bingo that we played in math on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 20: Today in class we will be continuing "The Lego Movie." Students will need to be paying attention to certain structures and topics of engineering that are taking place in the movie. They will use some ideas from the movie for their next project in Build With Chrome which we will start next week.
Wednesday, October 19: Today in class we will be watching "The Lego Movie." Students will need to be paying attention to certain structures and topics of engineering that are taking place in the movie. They will use some ideas from the movie for their next project in Build With Chrome which we will start next week.
Tuesday, October 18: We will begin class by doing some typing exercises using the following website: www.typing.com/student/lessons/384/paragraph-practice. When students finish all 12 exercises, they need to do another free build in Build With Chrome. This build will be for a grade check. They need to show Mr. Nadeau their build by the end of class to receive points.
Monday, October 17: Today in class, we will begin by doing a mini-lesson on the special keys located on the top row of our Chromebooks. Students will be given a note sheet for them to fill out once the test the keys out on their own. Once they are finished with the notes, they need to find a famous structure or statue that they wish to do a free build on Build With Chrome. They are to work on this if the are finished with the Build With Chrome Academy.
Friday, October 14: Today in class, Mrs. Alexander will be in the class for the whole hour doing a lesson on anti-bullying.
Thursday, October 13: Today in class, students will be introduced to the Build With Chrome app on their Chromebooks. Students will need to work through the academy portion of the app today to gain an understanding of how to be successful in using the app. A link to the app can be found here: https://www.buildwithchrome.com/ and on our Google Classroom page.
Wednesday, October 12: (Early Release) Today in class students will be taking their first keyboarding quiz. They will need to fill out a blank keyboard with numbers and letters only. We will correct these together in class and we will introduce our next big topic: Build With Chrome.
Tuesday, October 11: Today there will be a sub in my room. Students know and understand the classroom expectations. They will be working on an internet scavenger hunt. They will be given the worksheet in class and asked to find the answers to all questions online. While they are searching and finding the answers, they also need to write down which website they found the information from. google.com is not an acceptable answer. When students are finished, they need to continue their activity from math or find something quiet to work on.
Monday, October 10: Today students will be given an opportunity to beat their high scores on the Shark Typing Game. We will then do an exercise to review letters and numbers on the keyboard. Students will have a quiz over this on Wednesday in class. If time permits, we will do one last exercise with our cartoons from previous weeks. We are going to be printing a comic book to display at parent teacher conferences.
Friday, October 7: We will begin class by watching Channel One and then move right into our Cartoon Cafe! Students will be sharing their toons with the 8th grade tech students during the hour.
Thursday, October 6: We will begin class with an activity used to help us remember the keyboard. The link to the activity can be found on our Google Classroom page. After students have reviewed their checklist, they need to create a 2-3 sentence script on the back. This will be how they will introduce themselves to their audience on Friday. Students will then be given time to finish up their toons.
Wednesday, October 5: Students will have class time to work on perfecting their toons today. They will be provided a checklist in class that they will use to evaluate their toon on their own. For the last 10 minutes of class, they need to find one partner, take their checklist with them and have their partner evaluate their slideshow and look for any missing pieces. I will attach this checklist and other requirements I am expecting to a post on our Google Classroom page.
Tuesday, October 4: Students will begin class by spending 20 minutes practicing their typing on the Shark Typing game. The link can be found on our Google Classroom page. Students will then have time to continue working on their Toons. They need to continue working on adding animations to their toons. I have a checklist prepared for each student to use to make sure they have everything in their toons. The checklist can be found on our Google Classroom page.
Monday, October 3: Today in class students will continue working on their Techno Toons and getting more instruction on how to add animations and transitions. A notes sheet on how to insert animations and transitions has been added to our Google Classroom page. These toons are due on Friday, at which time we will be sharing these with the 8th Grade Tech Students.
Friday, September 30: We will start class by watching Channel One. Students will then be given the rest of the hour to continue perfecting their Techno Toons. We will dive deeper into inserting animations and transitions.
Thursday, September 29: Today in class students will be working on how to crop images in their Techno Toon project so they can use only portions of clip art pictures in their comic strips. We will also begin looking at how we will insert animations into our projects to make them come alive!
Wednesday, September 28: We have a shortened class due to Early Release today. Students will have an opportunity to retake their Chromebook Quiz on Google Classroom. When they are finished, they need to review their keyboard and then fill in as many letters and numbers on a paper copy of the keyboard. Students can then use the rest of class to continue working on their Techno Toon project.
Tuesday, September 27: Students will be given time in class today to work on their Mini Society projects. Then they will be working on their Techno Toon projects. Students need to continue working on their story slides.
Monday, September 26: In class today we will review the parts of the Chromebook so students can do their retake quiz on Wednesday. They will be given the rest of class to start making their digital comic strip. Students have already hand drawn these and create title slides in Google Slides, today they will start to create their digital story.
Friday, September 23: Game Day!
Thursday, September 22: Students will have some time at the start of class to try their luck on the Shark Typing game. This link can still be found in Google Classroom. Students will then be continuing to work on their Techno Toon projects that we have started in class.
Wednesday, September 21: Today students will be continuing to work on their Techno Toon project. As a class, we will go over some more formatting ideas that students can use to make their projects come to life.
Tuesday, September 20: Today in class, students will start off by piecing together comic strips that have been cut out of a newspaper. They are to make sense of the story just like their cartoon will need to make sense. Students will be given time to add setting and color to their hand drawn cartoons. We may end class by beginning to create your title slide for your cartoon slideshow.
Monday, September 19: Happy Homecoming Week! Students will be taking their first quiz on the Parts of a Chromebook. Students will then be challenged to fill out a blank keyboard. We will check our answers to make sure everyone knows the whole keyboard. Students will then be challenged with the Shark Typing Game to see if they can get a high score.
Friday, September 16: To start class today, we will be watching Channel One. Students will be given more time to complete their Check-Up from Math if needed. The class will then be doing a review using Plickers to review the Parts of a Chromebook that they will have a quiz over on Monday. I provided students a hard copy of this handout if they requested one yesterday. We will then be watching part of a Charlie Brown Cartoon episode, discussing some of the animations behind it and how animation has changed since the creation of Charlie Brown.
Thursday, September 15: Today we will be continuing our Techno Toon project. We will start off class with a review of the home row of the keyboard and using both our left and right hands to type. The link can be found here: www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.html The class will work through another template cartoon and make the story come to life by placing words and sounds in the pre-existing call outs. Students will also get a chance to start sketching what they want their first cartoon strip to look like.
Wednesday, September 14: Today students will be working on their Techno Toon project. We are going to be going over the first two assignments together. These assignments are posted on our Google Classroom page. Students will also learn how to access their grades on Power School today. I can always refresh student's memories throughout the year. They will be receiving a code they need to access this from school, home or anywhere they have access to internet.
Tuesday, September 13: Students will spend the first 20 minutes of class reviewing their typing by playing the following typing game: www.typingadventure.com/index.php?mod=game Students will hear a mini lesson on the various parts of the Chromebooks we are using in class this year. These notes can be found on Google Classroom. We will begin our Techno Toon project by watching how Disney first began creating animations.
Monday, September 12: Students will be given a few minutes to finish up their "About Me" Slideshows. Students will use a Google Form located on our Google Classroom page to evaluate each other's slides. Once the class is finished with this exercise, there will be an internet scavenger hunt in recognition of 9/11, This exercise can also be found on our Google Classroom page.
Friday, September 9: We will be watching Channel One news for the first part of class today. For the remainder of class, students will be perfecting their "About Me" slideshows they started in class on Wednesday. A rubric was provided in class that contains information regarding what their presentations should include.
Thursday, September 8: Students will be spending the whole class period NWEA testing. When they are done with the testing, they are only to be working on the following site: http://kizi.com/
Wednesday, September 7: Students began working on their "About Me" slideshows today. A mini lesson was given at the beginning of class on how to use and navigate Google Slides.
Tuesday, September 6: We will be starting some typing exercises in class today. The exercise that we did can be found at the following link: http://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.html. Students were to record their last typing exercises (including today's date, the time in seconds the exercise took them, and how many errors were recorded while typing) in their Google Spreadsheet we created in class today.
Monday, September 5: Happy Labor Day!
Wednesday, August 31: Google Classroom. Technology Survey.
Tuesday, August 30: Classroom expectations, exploring class website, Defining technology. Netiquette Rules. Brainstorm how we use technology in our lives everyday.
Monday, August 29: The Insides of a Computer Activity. Groups worked together to draw what they thought the inside of a computer looked like. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFi90lZmXA