First graders are adding a little technology to their language arts work this week! In class, first graders learned about personal narratives. They read many samples, discussed what should be included, and then they were able to write their own personal narratives. For the next couple class periods in technology, the students will be using Pixie 3 to illustrate a scene from their personal narrative. Then, the students will use the recording feature in Pixie 3 to record themselves reading their personal narratives aloud. This work will be put together into a class eBook for the students to view.
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We have so much to be thankful for here at Ducketts Lane: our wonderful students who arrive every day ready to learn and a dedicated staff who truly love what they do. We want to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! If your students are looking for websites to check-out over the break take a look at their grade level web links page! We also have a page full of seasonal links for them to enjoy! 4th graders spent time this week learning about healthy food choices by looking at the My Plate diagram. To help encourage further understanding of how to make healthy food choices the students played the Blast Off game. In this game the children are attempting to reach Planet Power by choosing the right foods and exercise to fuel their ship. The students learned what types of foods fit in particular food groups and how to choose foods that not only provided the right amount of nutrition but did not have too many calories. Do you think you can make it to Planet Power? If you think you are up to the challenge, click the picture below and give it a shot!
Welcome to American Education Week at Ducketts Lane Elementary School! Many parents and families have already joined their students in class today to check out what really happens here at school. For those of you who have joined us already, we hope you enjoyed your time here. For those of you who plan on visiting later in the week, we look forward to seeing you! This week in technology 3rd graders are developing their research skills. Students are working in small groups to research different natural disasters. Students are using websites like BrainPop, World Book for Kids, and more to search for answers to their questions. Then, students are connecting with their group members via Google Apps for Education (GAfE) to compile the information they have learned. Parents, ask your third grader which natural disaster they are learning about. Test their knowledge by asking what facts they have learned! Students in grades k-5 will be learning about their roles as digital citizens throughout the school year. Last week, the 5th graders were working hard to learn about cyber bullying. In class we discussed the answers to the following questions:
This week, the 5th graders will be putting their knowledge to good use and they are creating commercials in iMovie to teach kids about cyber bullying and encourage them to be upstanders. Parents, check out more digital citizenship here! Over the last several weeks the 3rd graders have been working on an engineering unit during technology class. The students were able to learn about mechanical engineers and use the Engineering Design Process (or EDP) to design the blades of a windmill. The students began by thinking like a mechanical engineer, closely observing the parts of different simple machines. Then, they asked questions about the properties of different materials in order to choose the very best materials that would be used for their windmills. The students worked in small groups to imagine all of the possible ways their windmills could be made. Then, chose one idea and made a plan for how their windmill blades would look and materials they would be made of. Last week and this week, classes created their designs, tested them, and were able to make improvements based on their results. Overall, our unit was a success! We had several groups of students who were able to design windmills that would effectively catch the wind! Great work 3rd grade! Here we are, in our 4th week of school and the students are adjusting well! We have been working hard in technology class to establish routines and get used to using our MacBook Pro laptops. Primary students have reviewed the different parts of the computer, special keys on the keyboard, and they are learning how to get logged in to their computers to get to work. All students have a technology license to use when they come to class. Their license shows their username and passwords so that they are not forgotten. Intermediate students were able to create these technology licenses on their own by taking their picture in PhotoBooth and completing the template in PowerPoint. Parents, don't forget to sign the Responsible Use Policy and send it in with your child. Students are not allowed to use the technology in class until this form is signed and returned. Please see the Parent Resource page to download and print a copy if needed. This week in technology students were introduced to their technology teacher, either Mr. Chang or Mrs. Melvin. We reviewed the classroom expectations: Respectful, Responsible, and Ready and what that looks like in technology classroom. Students also had the opportunity to test our brand new Epson Brightlink Interactive projector! Parents, students will be bringing home Howard County's Responsible Use Policy for you to sign. We have reviewed the expectations in class and your student should understand the rules and consequences. Your student should return the signed policy to their technology teacher before they can use the technology equipment in school. |
Mr. Chang and Mrs. Melvin
Check back weekly for announcements and updates on current technology projects! Archives
March 2015
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